Blog: Independent artists

Read our latest daily deep dives, hot takes, and exciting updates about the entertainment world. Check out the latest insight from your favourite analyst, or search by coverage areas - music, entertainment and fandom, creator economy and social.

Music discovery is not dead, just evolving – the industry needs to evolve with it

Cover image for Music discovery is not dead, just evolving – the industry needs to evolve with it

Olivia Jones

9 May 2025

Audience Insight

Music streaming

Music streaming algorithms have changed the way we listen to music – for better and for worse. While the radio used to be the main way to find new music, streaming and social algorithms now drive discovery as listeners crave (and have come to expect) more personalised recommendations.

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A model for a new music streaming industry

Cover image for A model for a new music streaming industry

Mark Mulligan

18 Mar 2025

Business Strategy

The music industry is approaching a pivot point. On the one hand, things look positive: we have UMG’s Streaming 2.0 , artist centric licensing, the impending launch of supremium and expanded rights revenue hitting $4.

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Global recorded music revenues grew by 9.8% in 2023

Cover image for Global recorded music revenues grew by 9.8% in 2023

Mark Mulligan

18 Mar 2024

recorded music 2023

recorded music revenues

Growth is back! After a slower 2022, global recorded music revenues grew by 9.8% in 2023 to reach $35.1 billion, compared to 7.1% in 2022, which means that the market is now more than double (124.5%) the size it was in 2015.

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What is at stake in the TikTok-UMG showdown

Cover image for What is at stake in the TikTok-UMG showdown

Tatiana Cirisano

1 Feb 2024

Music streaming

Universal Music Group

Music’s biggest on-again, off-again relationship just took a turn for the ugly, as Universal Music Group is pulling its music off TikTok. We have seen this movie before: Every time the music industry negotiates licenses with social platforms, the battle boils down to a question of who needs the other more.

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The tap water music industry needs to become a bottled one

Cover image for The tap water music industry needs to become a bottled one

Kriss Thakrar

20 Jun 2023

Music streaming

Creator economy

Music and water are often compared to each other in the streaming age. There are many ways to express this analogy, but the bottom line is that music is becoming commoditised. To clarify, commoditisation is the erosion of a product from one that is highly differentiated and highly priced (with high margins) into one that isn’t.

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Embrace, enhance or hinder: What will AI do for you, the creator?

Cover image for Embrace, enhance or hinder: What will AI do for you, the creator?

Kriss Thakrar

3 May 2023

Creator economy

There has been an abundance of coverage and conversation around AI, and it is unlikely to fade away any time soon. There is a question of how AI will change the music industry and broader creator economy.

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The industry’s narrative is not always the same as the artist's narrative: Redefining success for independent artists

Cover image for The industry’s narrative is not always the same as the artist's narrative: Redefining success for independent artists

Keith Jopling

6 Mar 2023

Creator economy

Last weekend, there was a fascinating quote from Maseo of hip hop legends De La Soul in the UK Guardian: “On our second album, we learned the importance of controlling the narrative. I learned early on that a hit record can hurt your entire body of work if you let the industry control your narrative”.

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What comes next in the music streaming model makeover

Cover image for What comes next in the music streaming model makeover

Tatiana Cirisano

17 Jan 2023

Music streaming

Independent artists

The independent music community has been rallying for change to the streaming payment model for years. Now, major labels are joining the chorus. Why? The pro-rata model has long benefited bigger record labels, but their cut of the pie is now diminishing due to a number of factors: The growth of independent music, fragmentation of consumption, localisation of music scenes, and the vast amount of music hitting streaming services.

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What ChatGPT can do for independent music

Cover image for What ChatGPT can do for independent music

Tatiana Cirisano

21 Dec 2022

independent music

Independent artists

Everyone is talking about ChatGPT , the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot that could potentially change the music industry. While the conversation has mainly focused on how ChatGPT can help with music creation, it is worth considering how it could also assist early-stage artists with marketing and planning.

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Artists – take our survey and get a free MIDiA report

Cover image for Artists – take our survey and get a free MIDiA report

Mark Mulligan

15 Nov 2022

Independent artists

With 2022 coming to a close, and Spotify’s Wrapped just around the corner, artists are beginning to look back across the year at how they performed and what they have achieved, and whether it lines up with their hopes for the coming year.

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Artists and managers: Help shape the future of artist services

Cover image for Artists and managers: Help shape the future of artist services

Kriss Thakrar

7 Nov 2022

Independent artists

It has arguably never been harder for artists to break through on social media, streaming, and in the real world. We repeatedly hear how artists and their teams are overextended, burned out and overwhelmed by the demands of the modern music industry.

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TikTok Music: Here is what it would mean for you

Cover image for TikTok Music: Here is what it would mean for you

Kriss Thakrar

2 Aug 2022

Music streaming

TikTok has filed a US trademark for TikTok Music , building speculation on whether the platform is gearing up to launch a streaming service. It already has the tools at its disposal with Resso, its streaming service for emerging markets.

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Beatport’s LabelRadar acquisition is the latest sign of the platforms era

Cover image for Beatport’s LabelRadar acquisition is the latest sign of the platforms era

Tatiana Cirisano

22 Jul 2022

This week, online music marketplace Beatport acquired LabelRadar, a service that streamlines the demo submission process for artists and labels. Following previous strategic acquisitions, the deal represents another step in Beatport’s path towards becoming a creative hub for creators and labels alike (which, in dance music, can often be the same thing).

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Artists survey 2022 - MIDiA asks music creators: how will you grow your audiences, earnings and career?

Cover image for Artists survey 2022 - MIDiA asks music creators: how will you grow your audiences, earnings and career?

Keith Jopling

8 Feb 2022

Music streaming

Content Creators

As the music industry continues to debate the many pros and cons of ‘the streaming era’ (while enjoying the unprecedented industry growth that it has brought), the spotlight can sometimes move away from those artists and songwriters who make a living from music but are not the big stars or household names that we know and read about in the news.

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Creator consolidation: Fender becomes the next creator tools major

Cover image for Creator consolidation: Fender becomes the next creator tools major

Kriss Thakrar

2 Nov 2021

music production

Independent artists

When Francisco Partners brought together Native Instruments and Izotope, it created the first creator tool major . Now a second player has staked its claim: Fender has made one of the biggest creator tools moves of the year through its acquisition of guitar-focused creator tools company, PreSonus .

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Creator tools will drive the (equal opportunity) future of music

Cover image for Creator tools will drive the (equal opportunity) future of music

Hanna Kahlert

17 Sep 2021

The last two years under a pandemic have driven more music creators in a DIY direction. Equipment and instrument sales reported record-breaking growth over lockdown – Sweetwater, for example, had its best year ever, breaking over a billion in sales .

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How Bandcamp could really fix the music business

Cover image for How Bandcamp could really fix the music business

Mark Mulligan

25 Jun 2021

Independent artists

Streaming Music

“A thought: has streaming become the place to address consumers and the likes of Bandcamp the places to engage fans? i.e., fans and fandom inherently matter less on streaming because it/they are a minority.

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When women don’t make music: The sunset of Indian Folk

Cover image for When women don’t make music: The sunset of Indian Folk

Hanna Kahlert

29 Mar 2021

indian folk music

MIDiA recently released a study on the experiences of women in the music industry ( free to download here ), discussing both the broad-level challenges they face – but also pointing to the positives, the opportunities, and the methods that are working and can work to build a better industry of the future.

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BE THE CHANGE: WOMEN MAKING MUSIC 2021

Cover image for BE THE CHANGE: WOMEN MAKING MUSIC 2021

Dara Jegede

25 Mar 2021

Content Creators

Independent artists

BE THE CHANGE: WOMEN MAKING MUSIC 2021 TuneCore and Believe Partner with MIDiA for First of its Kind Global Study LONDON, BROOKLYN AND PARIS —Thursday, March 25 2021: MIDIA Research and TuneCore/Believe today release a new study on women creators, revealing the challenges, experiences, inspirations and their ambitions in today’s music industry.

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Addison Rae will not be owned: The pitfalls of the major label business model

Cover image for Addison Rae will not be owned: The pitfalls of the major label business model

Kriss Thakrar

25 Mar 2021

Independent artists

TikTok stars are rejecting major labels. It is no secret that major labels are being outpaced by independent artists in the overall market. Addison Rae has a combined following of over 100 million between TikTok and Instagram alone, and she has leveraged her position to independently put together an all-star team for her first release.

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