Spotify set to add TikTok-style swipe music discoverySpotify will announce the addition of a TikTok-like music and podcast discovery stream at its Stream On event on March 8th. A new mobile homepage similar to TikTok will allow. Continue reading
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Instagram adds direct-to-fan broadcast chat Channels, Facebook coming soonInstagram is adding Channels, a one-to-many messaging tool for musicians and creators to engage with followers. At a time when algorithms are increasingly coming between artist and fan, the ability. Continue reading
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Filling music streaming’s Disney+-shaped holeBack when Disney+ started its meteoric rise, there was a lot of thinking around what lessons the music streaming market could learn. Three years on from the launch of the subscription video on demand platform, the shine has come off it a little, registering its first ever subscriber loss, but not before becoming a major market player and changing the way in which the industry thinks about developing streaming shows. Disney+ was part of the ‘big bang moment’ of transformative change in the video streaming market. Meanwhile, the music streaming market basically stayed the same. This may have been tolerable during its time of plenty, but now, with global music streaming revenue growth looking set to have dropped to 7% for 2022, the lack of change leaves music streaming vulnerable in a time of scarcity. Never has there been more need for change and innovation. Disney+ might still just point us to the path forward.

There are many weaknesses in the Western music streaming market that are well known and that do not need to be relisted in their entirety here, but there are three that stand out above all others (and to be clear, we are talking about the services side of the market, not the remuneration side, which we previously covered here):

Unlimited, ungated access to everything, everywhere

Minimal differentiation (catalogue, pricing, value proposition, etc.)

A fandom void

Meanwhile, video streaming has long provided a ‘sliding doors’ view of what music streaming could have been if licensing had been done differently at the start:

Catalogue segmented across different services

Wide variety of price points and value propositions

Ability to target niches

Strong ARPU growth due to users having multiple subscriptions

But, just as music has been hit by economic scarcity, video has even more so. Expecting consumers to have multiple subscriptions (nearly three quarters have two or more) might fly in a time of plenty, but as household budgets tighten, the business case suddenly looks vulnerable. Cancelling one video subscription is a relatively pain-free decision. It reduces choice, but it does not mean losing everything. By contrast, the vast majority of music subscribers have just one account, giving them access to everything. Music streaming’s exceptional value for money is becoming a recession-busting asset that the TV industry may be looking at with envy at this stage.

It is all about growth

So, with all this said, why could there still be lessons to learn from Disney+? The simple answer is: growth. With subscriber penetration topping out in mature Western markets, music rightsholders and streaming services only have price increases as a realistic growth driver in these markets. But, if a new, additional service was to launch, then a very real chance of ARPU and revenue growth arises. To be clear, now would not be the time to launch it (for the very same reasons that Disney+ just lost subscribers). But now is the perfect time to plan and build, with a view to launch once the global economy returns to full health and consumer purse springs loosen. The challenge, of course, is how to build something that can deliver genuine additive value when all the other DSPs already have all the music. Here is a vision for how that particular circle can be squared.

Introducing music+

Let us call this concept ‘music+’ for now. Music+ would have to be something that is different from, and complementary to, the mainstream DSPs, in terms of both content and value proposition. It would need two key ingredients:

Community and identity: As MIDiA identified last year, scenes are the new growth opportunity for music and fandom. Fandom itself is simply a symptom of identity. Music has long played a crucial role in communicating and shaping identity. But Western streaming services are audio utilities that sacrificed fandom in favour of convenience. There is no meaningful way of communicating identity. This is why TikTok is the place that music fandom happens in the West, driven by gen Z, who sought something more meaningful than the convenience that was so valued by millennials. So, music+ would have community and identity at its core. User profile pages would be the core asset. A place where users can say who they are, what music they like, where they can connect and communicate with other users, curate radio shows, post playlists, etc. They would also display listening badges (e.g., “I am in the top 5% of fans of…”) and virtual artist merchandise, such as badges, limited-run digital artwork, etc. NFTs may yet prove to be the future of artist merch, but right now it lacks the crucial ingredient – context. Buying merch is about communicating identity. User profile pages would be the trophy cabinet for virtual merch and collectibles.

Content for fans not consumers: Streaming has commodified listening, even for music aficionados (half of whom stream passively). Music+ would be a place for aficionados (20% of all consumers), where fans go to deep dive on their favourite artists and connect with likeminded fans. Artists would provide content, such as sessions, cover versions, sneak previews, limited-availability live streamed concerts, Q+A sessions, photos, etc. That would provide much of the content, but even more would come from fans themselves. Aficionados are four times more likely than average consumers to lean forward and create content. Leaning through to create is the ultimate expression of fandom, and TikTok has proven the use case. So – and this is where things get controversial – music+ would need to operate under a user-generated content (UGC) license. The vast majority of music’s current UGC platforms (YouTube, SoundCloud, TikTok) followed the ‘do first, ask for forgiveness later’ approach. Music rightsholders would need to embrace, rather than tolerate, UGC in order to power the creation of an entirely new music catalogue. Their incentive would be to drive rather than respond, by seeding the platform with content, such as artist sound packs and stems.

Music+ would not be a mainstream proposition, but that is entirely the point. It would be an additive proposition for fans. If priced at a modest cost (say $4.99) and got enough support and input from artists and rightsholders, then it would have a good shot at developing a content library that would deliver real value to fans, and in doing so, plug the fandom hole that Western streaming has never seemed to be able to fill. 

5 Ways to create a more compelling Music Livestreamby CHRIS ROBLEY of DIY Musician How to improve your music livestreams. Celebrated independent songwriter and pro live-streamer Emma McGann shares her top five tips for delivering an engaging livestream.. Continue reading
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As HYBE eyes a $900m stake in K-pop rival, SM Entertainment slams BTS company’s ‘hostile takeover attempt’SM Entertainment CFO Jang Cheol Hyuk argues that HYBE's takeover bid would lead to the latter company's monopolization of the K-Pop industry
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‘APAC isn’t a region to apply a one size fits all strategy.’MBW’s World Leaders series interviews Nina Rabe-Cairns, Managing Director, APAC for Ingrooves Music Group
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Facebook, Instagram add paid Meta Verified accounts with key benefitsMeta’s Facebook and Instagram have announced that they are adding paid verifications similar to Twitter’s Blue checkmark. Adoption of Twitter Blue has been slow, but Meta’s offering has some benefits,. Continue reading
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TOP POSTS: Last week’s most-read posts on HypebotCatch up on what everybody has been talking about with last week’s most-read posts. We’ve got topics ranging from Ticketmaster on ticket fees, to the current state of music advertising and. Continue reading
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Last week in music industry commentaryCommentators in the thick of the industry last week shared their opinions and thoughts on TikTok marketing myths, the state of indie music, and more. Realities of today’s gender gap. Continue reading
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Getting It Done: The week in D.I.Y & Indie MusicLast week, our tips and advice for the independent, do-it-yourselfers out there covered how to use AI for your music career, social media don’ts, and more… How to take care. Continue reading
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REWIND: The new music industry’s week in reviewA busy week by any definition, the music industry was no exception, with the Super Bowl affecting streams, YouTube’s CEO stepping down, and more… Rihanna’s Spotify streams up 640%, Apple. Continue reading
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Casey Stevens Shares His Love for the Miami Music SceneMeet Casey Stevens, the U.S. Product Specialist Manager with a whole lot of love for DJing and the Miami music scene.

Growing up in Miami, dance music was in Casey’s blood and was the catalyst for his journey into music and audio production. “I knew I wanted to be involved with it in some way very early on,” he recalls. “I started DJing at 12, bought my first drum machine at 15, and the rest is history.”

The Miami music community was strong and diverse with a variety of movements cross pollinating at the same time. “As one of the centres of the Disco era, the residuals of that time continued to influence anyone who grew up there in the ‘80s, so things like synthesizers, nightclubs, and DJ culture,” Casey explains. “Disco turned to House Music, Hip Hop morphed into Miami Bass and Electro, and it all cross pollinated with the percussion of Miami’s heavy Latin influence.”

Read the interview here

Miami Bass and Rap heavily inspires Casey’s productions. “If an 808 drum machine was involved it caught my attention,” he says. “Early Rick Rubin productions, Mr. Mixx from the 2 Live Crew, and DJ Magic Mike set my foundation, and this was supplemented by early Acid House and House Music. Again, Miami was an epicentre for 808 music and an incubator for House Music globally."

CCC Will Present Webinar "Building An Artist's Team"On Feb. 21st, 2:30 - 3:30 PST, the California Copyright Conference will present a panel that features opinions from managers, artists, lawyers, booking agents, and more. Get your notepad ready for an exciting rundown of what locking down a new musical artist’s foundational teammates look like from multiple perspectives. If you’ve been scratching your brain on how to break through the TikTok algorithm, asking yourself if you’re ready for a manager, if you are wanting to become a manager and wondering how to find great talent to work with, perplexed on how new artists are booked on large tours/festival runs, and wanting some opinions on where the music industry is headed from some ‘new on the scene’ heavy industry hitters, this one is for you! Moderator: Taylor Le | Artist/Songwriter Panelists: Stevie Comanche | Manager at RAW Material Adam LaRue | Manager/CEO, LaRue Music/Artist Consultant MILES | Artist/SongwriterErin Workman | EVP Department Head & Faculty, Songwriting & Music Business, Los Angeles College of Music/A&R Consultant/Songwriter Advance Registration: CCC Members $0 per person | Non-members $5 per person– No refunds –Stick around for the "after hour, happy hour" chat following the webinar! Catch up and network with the CCC community from thecomfort of your own couch!This webinar is sponsored by Attention Attorneys: This virtual activity has been approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education Credit by the State Bar of California in the amount of one (1) hour. Following this virtual webinar, we will verify your attendance via Zoom reporting and email your certificate of attendance to the email provided at registration.

Please register for this webinar by1:30pm PST on Tuesday, February 21st, 2023

CCC MEMBER & NON-MEMBER REGISTRATION

From Snoop Dogg and Death Row’s TikTok exclusive to Hipgnosis’ investment in Timbaland’s Beatclub… it’s MBW’s Weekly Round-UpOur biggest stories of the week, brought to you in association with Centtrip
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How to use ChatGPT to create Social Media posts and save 100s of hoursOur friend Ariel Hyatt of Cyber PR Music, has a new resource for all musicians who have been unsure about what to do with all the hype around ChatGPT. In this article,. Continue reading
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