Zach Fuller

AI and the Disruption of the Music Persona

Zach Fuller
Discussions on AI and music continue to grip the music industry, with fears we stand on the precipice of a post-musician world, yet in many ways we have been here before. History dictates that shifts in music composition are influenced more by the context in which it is consumed rather than the technology that creates it.
min read
Read more …

Sampling and Streaming: De La Soul’s Catalogue Disputes and Streaming Economics

Zach Fuller
De La Soul’s seminal early albums, including 3 Feet High and Rising and De La Soul is Dead , have been among the more notable holdouts from streaming services. Major artists such as Prince and Led Zeppelin also held off for years but eventually ceded, acknowledging the impact that not appearing on digital platforms could harm their legacy among younger audiences.
min read
Read more …

Are Prices For Music Publishing Catalogue Acquisitions Justified?

Zach Fuller
Scooter Braun and Zach Katz’s venture Raised In Space Enterprises, owned by Braun’s Ithica Holdings, announced last week it had acquired New York-basedAtlas Music Publishing. The deal was the latest in a wave of catalogue acquisitions, whereby it’s no longer just conventional music companies competing for copyright, but also numerous financial institutions increasingly piling into the music acquisition space.
min read
Read more …

MIDiA Research Predictions 2019

Cover image for MIDiA Research Predictions 2019
Alistair Taylor, Georgia Meyer, Mark Mulligan, Tim Mulligan and Zach Fuller
In this report MIDiA Research analysts present their predictions for what will be the big trends in digital media and tech, across music, video, media, brands, marketing, games and sports in 2019. Companies and brands mentioned in this report: ABC, Alibaba, Alphabet, Amazon, Amazon Prime Video, Apple, Apple Music, AT&T, BBC, BT, BT Sports, BT TV, Bundesliga, Cambridge Analytica, DAZN, Disney, Eleven Sports, Endemol, ESPN, ESPN+, EU, FA Cup, Facebook, Fox, Google, Grey’s Anatomy, HBO, Hitco, IGTV, Instagram, Instagram TV, Jet.
Read more …

How Are Modern Media Subscription Services Building Competitive Advantages Against Traditional Media?

Zach Fuller
Media, with its creative nature, often likes to define itself as distinct from other industries, and yet it is governed by many of the same principles that shape other areas of commerce. With the shift to streaming in full swing, how are media business models being affected by the market forces that influence its ability to experiment with pricing and other modes of monetisation.
min read
Read more …

Quick Take: Will Stream Djing be the Renaissance of Soundcloud?

Zach Fuller
After a difficult two yearsthat saw acquisitions fall through and a lack of meaningful uptake of its subscription service, SoundCloud have needed some positive news. Reveredwithin the creator community though still struggling to make a profit, SoundCloud CEO Kerry Trainorannounced today at Amsterdam Dance Eventthat DJs will soon be able to mix and perform by streaming material from SoundCloud’s catalogue within DJ software programs.
min read
Read more …

Facebook Launches Its Smart Speaker: A Few Strategic Considerations For Portal

Cover image for Facebook Launches Its Smart Speaker: A Few Strategic Considerations For Portal
Zach Fuller
Earlier this year, MIDiA predicted that Facebook would join the smart speaker market. A TV dongle or smart speaker: It makes strategic sense for Facebook to develop a TV dongle like Amazon’s Fire Stick or smart speaker like Apple’s HomePod, to give it a hardware foothold in the home—something that Oculus clearly is not going to be anytime soon, if ever.
min read
Read more …