Blog: Music - Page 14

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.

Is TikTok becoming a record label? The question misses the point

Tatiana Cirisano

18 May 2022

Music streaming music industry Fandom

Every time TikTok does anything that seems to hedge on record label territory, someone inevitably asks the question: is TikTok turning into a record label? Cue the eye-rolls from the music industry. No one seems to want to admit how powerful a music company competitor TikTok really is — to the poi...

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How the iPod changed everything

Mark Mulligan

10 May 2022

ipod iPhone ipad

Apple just announced that it is finally ending production of the iPod . At 21 years of age, it outlived many of the dramatic changes it witnessed and triggered. In this age, dominated by streaming (and a vinyl resurgence), the iPod did not really have a place anymore, other than with its ever-dimini...

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What Snapchat is getting right about the future (and why music should pay attention)

Tatiana Cirisano

6 May 2022

music industry Social media Snapchat

The music industry has spent the last few years studying the ins and outs of new platforms like TikTok and Twitch, with good reason. But the decade-old Snapchat increasingly appears to be social media’s dark horse.

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Music industry earnings 2021: Riding the wave

Mark Mulligan

6 May 2022

Streaming Music Record labels live music

Universal music’s Q1 2022 earnings showed continued growth but a noticeable slowdown in streaming growth, with streaming revenues up 12% year-on-year (YoY) in USD term compared to a growth of 35% one year earlier.

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When will a better future arrive for women in music?

Srishti Das

4 May 2022

women in music diversity and inclusion gender diversity

Last year, MIDiA Research, together with TuneCore and Believe, launched BE THE CHANGE: Women making music to highlight the barriers faced by minority creators and executives alike. We have now published the second edition of the study that is free to all and can be found here.

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Spotify’s presidential size loss reveals key aspect of the audio market

Annie Langston

29 Apr 2022

Podcasts Spotify celebrity

At the start of the audio battle, Spotify leveraged exclusive content and company acquisitions to establish its current market position. In 2020, Spotify announced a series of flashy podcast deals that included Kim Kardashian, Megan and Harry (who had only just released their podcast),and the Obamas.

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The pandemic catalysed a streaming business model reckoning. Is the live sector next?

Tatiana Cirisano

27 Apr 2022

live music live nation touring

The news is everywhere: concerts are back. Coachella heralded the return of a roaring festival season, hundreds of acts are back on the road, and Live Nation says it is expecting a record year. But other headlines paint a different picture: Little Simz canceled her tour because it was not financiall...

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The attention recession has hit Spotify too

Mark Mulligan

27 Apr 2022

Video Music Media and Marketing

Spotify added two million subscribers in Q1 2022. Yes, this incorporates the impact of 1.5 million lost Russian subscribers and is set against Netflix having lost 0.2 million subscribers over the same quarter.

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The Covid entertainment boom is over

Hanna Kahlert

27 Apr 2022

Entertainment covid boom

Two years of pandemic-driven lockdown restrictions turned out to be a golden era for digital entertainment. With 12% of extra available free time allocated to various entertainment propositions, and additional spend freed up due to the lull in expenditures on the likes of transport and ‘in real li...

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Elon’s Twitter bid is a warning: creators are building on rented land

Tatiana Cirisano

22 Apr 2022

creator tools Content Creators Creator economy

In the creator economy, creators earn money by going direct-to-fan, cutting out traditional middlemen. But it is a misconception that this model gets rid of middlemen entirely. Rather, platforms are becoming the new gatekeepers, power brokers, and fan enablers.

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Podcasts’ music opportunity both serves audio creators and inspires listeners

Annie Langston

21 Apr 2022

Podcasts exclusive content Audio

As the audio market becomes more saturated, solving creator pain points becomes essential for both platforms and networks. Music licensing is becoming a crucial component of podcast creation but the often-complicated process is limiting both creator and rights holder opportunities.

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Why the remix challenge is primed for a revival

Tatiana Cirisano

14 Apr 2022

TikTok Social media music marketing

Remix challenges have been part of the record label toolbox for more than a decade. Artists let contestants purchase or earn song stems; then the artist and fans vote on the best remixes. The idea is simple: contestants get a shot at recognition from their favourite artists (as well as their 15 seco...

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Podcast subscriptions are a key territory for the audio market

Annie Langston

12 Apr 2022

Podcasts Subscriptions audio fans

Podcast subscriptions offer both a direct revenue stream for audio creators and provide fans with an amplified audio experience. Despite the percentage that the subscription services take from the earrings, this is a steady income source for creators, and the model is being adopted by the large audi...

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SiriusXM’s podcast partnership sets new precedent for the audio market

Annie Langston

7 Apr 2022

SiriusXM Audio Podcasts

At the kick-off of the audio battle, some of the largest tech platforms – most notably Spotify and Amazon – entered the ring by purchasing various podcast networks. These pre-emptive moves aimed to excel their position in this developing market, and in Spotify’s case, have helped them become t...

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Fake artists are what happens when fandom dies

Mark Mulligan

7 Apr 2022

Music Cultural trends

The topic of ‘fake artists’ refuses to go away . For those who have been on Mars for the last couple of years, fake artists refer to artists who release under a streaming pen name but do not build any artist profile around the music.

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Is the catalogue acquisition market betting tomorrow's success on yesterday's metrics?

Tatiana Cirisano

5 Apr 2022

music industry music industry investment music catalogue

The music industry spent $5.3 billion on music catalogue acquisitions in 2021, according to MIDiA's most recent market report , not counting another $6.7 billion that was invested into music companies or music catalogue acquisition funds.

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The future of music consumption is (re)creation

Kriss Thakrar

4 Apr 2022

Creator economy social music creator tools

The music industry has grown at a record rate , led by streaming and boosted by an influx of an increasingly relevant revenue source: non-DSP streaming (via platforms such as TikTok and Twitch). This growth is an indicator of a major shift in music that will define it going forward, both culturally ...

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YouTube could create a video and audio relationship to compete with music streaming platforms

Annie Langston

31 Mar 2022

YouTube Audio Podcasts

Audio content is most often created without visuals, with creators relying on their voice to engage listeners. However, as podcasting continues to develop, more platforms are looking for differentiated ways of appealing to audio creators and enriching their content.

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Podcast industry tackles underrepresentation, but will every voice be heard?

Annie Langston

25 Mar 2022

Podcasts underrepresentation diversity

As the podcast format develops, various companies are taking strides to tackle representation issues to ensure that every voice can be heard. For women's history month, Lisbyn announced its #ClaimPodParity movement to bring attention to female podcast creators.

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Spotify’s Loud and Clear is about fandom, not royalties

Tatiana Cirisano

24 Mar 2022

Streaming Music Spotify Streaming Royalties

Spotify has updated its Loud & Clear website exploring how it pays royalties to rightsholders, and it claims that more artists are earning income on the platform than ever before. Many in the music industry will spend today picking apart these claims, and they will be right to do so.

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