Product Strategy

The ghost of the 2000s lingers over the catalogue acquisition market

Cover image for The ghost of the 2000s lingers over the catalogue acquisition market
Kriss Thakrar
Product Strategy
investment
music catalogue
Sign up here for MIDiA’s Masterclass webinar on catalogue investment, this Thursday June 26, 2025, with Kriss Thakrar and Tatiana Cirisano. In the second quarter of 2025, a range of catalogue acquisition deals have broken the typical mould: Sony acquired Hipgnosis Songs Group from Recognition Music Group, and its Japan division acquired full rights to Spookiz animation franchise Create Music Group acquired K7! and Monstercat, and struck a JV with EZMNY Records Exceleration acquired Cooking Vinyl Concord acquired Broadway Licensing Global Pophouse acquired Swedish House Mafia’s label Axtone Reservoir launched PopIndia and made its first acquisition in Musicraft Chord Music Partners acquired Morgan Wallen’s label Big Loud for $200m Warner music acquired Zach Bryan’s catalog for $350m DJ Khaled struck a catalog and JV deal with Influence Media Taylor Swift got her masters back There is a clear theme with these deals – most are for labels or publishers rather than individuals.
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AI prompting is an art form that will reshape creation

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Ben Woods
Product Strategy
creator tools
AI
Key takeaways from this blog: Generative AI is reshaping creative workflows, with MIDiA’s research highlighting how AI-only video production is already achievable The next creative divide will be defined by prompting skill level: those who can expertly translate vision into AI prompts will be ahead of the curve and set the standard for creators As AI tools evolve, MIDiA foresees a new generation of AI-native creators poised to redefine professional-grade output Who will be left behind by the AI revolution? Many industries are predicted to pivot towards autonomous workflows that will streamline some jobs out of existence.
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What will audiobook market growth look like?

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Laura Fisher
Spotify
Audio
Discovery
Key takeaways from this blog: Audiobooks are evolving into something far more than just a listening experience With its integration into the wellness sphere and innovations in immersive audio, the medium is carving out new paths MIDiA examines the evolution of audiobooks and the possibilities ahead for the growth of audiobooks Over the past couple of decades, audiobooks have undergone a quiet metamorphosis.
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A case against video podcasting

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Laura Fisher
Product Strategy
Podcasts
Radio
Key takeaways from this blog: While video is at the forefront of entertainment, audio-only formats can be equally important for engagement Prioritising video-first podcasting risks dilution – favouring style, celebrity, and algorithms over knowledge and authenticity MIDiA argue that audio-only podcasting is not just viable, but vital: essential for meaningful, lasting connection, capable of combating consumers' growing screen fatigue Video is rapidly becoming podcasting’s default setting.
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Spotify’s embrace of AI-generated audio is a blessing and curse for authors

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Rutger Rosenborg
Product Strategy
Spotify
Audio
As we covered in August 2024, the future of AI-generated audiobooks is here. Up until this month, however, streaming platforms themselves had yet to fully embrace AI audiobook narration. Now, Spotify has announced their support for ElevenLabs ’ AI-generated audiobook content, paving the way for end-to-end audiobook generation that could capture audiences who demonstrate no clear preference between AI- and human-generated content.
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Switch 2 FAQs: Your cheat sheet for understanding Nintendo's upcoming console

Cover image for Switch 2 FAQs: Your cheat sheet for understanding Nintendo's upcoming console
Rhys Elliott
Product Strategy
Games
Fandom
As we said in our games trends to watch article , 2025 will be the year of the portable. Nintendo kicked that off in earnest, finally lifting the curtain on its Switch 2 console. Here are the basics: The Switch 2 seems iterative – a bigger, better Switch with some quality-of-life improvements It is coming out in 2025 It plays Switch 1 games too, both physical and digital Nintendo will announce its software lineup on April 2, 2025 It will hold several in-person events across North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia to build fandom and let fans go hands-on Our clients and the press have been sending us plenty of questions, so we decided to answer the most frequently asked here.
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