Archive

WHAT

HOW

The superfan fallacy: Key takeaways from our final webinar of 2024
Cherie Hu

2024-12-18

fandom
marketing
business models
macro view
product
startups
social media
merch

Follow along

The emotional cost of stan culture

The legal reality of fan data

The platform paradox in fan monetization

Recommended readings

The New Music AI Stack: NYC Takeaways
Cherie Hu

2024-11-22

creation
rights
business models
product
ai
startups

Who was in the room

Tl;dr

Suno’s evolution in AI music creation

ElevenLabs’ creator-friendly voice cloning at scale

Professional AI production workflows in practice

The future of AI attribution

Want to build a music-tech startup? Read this first
Cherie Hu

2024-11-05

macro view
business models
product
startups

1. Please...PLEASE...talk to your actual customers

2. Get real about your market size

3. Don't bury the lede

4. Build relationships as seriously as you build software

Closing note

Three music AI trends to watch in 2025: Recording & takeaways
Cherie HuAlexander FloresYung Spielburg

2024-11-04

creation
rights
macro view
business models
product
ai
startups

Follow along

Current market context: Beyond early adoption

Key trends and implications

1. Synthetic data

2. Model controllability

3. AI content & copyright detection

Looking ahead: Diverging incentives

Music Data Decoded: The live music data puzzle
Cherie HuMaarten Walraven

2024-10-30

business models
a&r
fandom
marketing
live
startups
merch

The ticket: The epicenter of live music data

Risk-taking in early stages

Live data is fan data

Closing note

Music Data Decoded: How fan-first marketing *actually* works
Cherie HuMaarten Walraven

2024-10-16

business models
marketing
fandom
product
streaming
social media
startups

How to start understanding your fans

Mapping the diversity of fan interactions

From fragmentation to integration

Music Data Decoded: Distribution & label services
Cherie HuMaarten Walraven

2024-10-08

a&r
business models
distribution
product
streaming
social media

Key hypothesis: Audience development drives artist development

The challenge of measurement — and the power of visualization

The power of narrative, from fandom to fraud

The importance of people

Key takeaways from our webinar on music, data, and storytelling
Cherie HuMichael ZhangAlexander Flores

2024-09-30

a&r
marketing
macro view
business models
product
streaming
social media
startups

Balancing storytelling with data accuracy

Limitations of data-driven A&R

Platform gatekeeping and data access limitations

Educating artists about data practices

The emergence of a community analytics paradigm

BONUS: Addressing unanswered audience questions

What’s next

The State of Data in the Music Industry 2024
Michael ZhangCherie HuAlexander FloresJulie KnibbeMaarten Walraven

2024-08-16

a&r
marketing
distribution
fandom
macro view
product
streaming
live
social media
startups

Prologue: Music’s data paradox

About our respondents

Defining the modern music data stack

Using data tools: High-level trends

Focus: Fan data and CRM

The industry’s “data wishlist”

Key challenges with music data

The role of emerging tech

Conclusion: What comes next?

Proactive innovation in the music business: A manifesto
Cherie Hu

2024-07-17

business models
careers
ai
startups
web3
metaverse

Reactive vs. proactive innovation: Understanding the difference

The building blocks of proactive innovation

Implementing proactive innovation: A practical approach

In conclusion: The proactive innovation mindset

How music AI content and copyright detection actually works
Cherie Hu

2024-07-02

creation
product
rights
business models
ai
startups

I. Auditing AI models’ training data

II. Scanning user uploads

III. DetectingAI-generated music or vocals

IV. Watermarking and self-reporting AI-generated works

The big picture: Suno and Udio Lawsuits

Music SVOD Partnerships Deals
Aliya ChaudhryCherie Hu

2024-06-18

marketing
distribution
macro view
rights
business models
streaming
Is Twitch’s DJ program too little, too late?
Cherie Hu

2024-06-13

marketing
fandom
rights
business models
streaming
live
social media

The decline in music livestreaming demand

The complexity (and cost) of music licensing for livestreams

Daily Music Data: Lessons from the first 30 days
Cherie Hu

2024-06-05

creation
marketing
fandom
rights
macro view
business models

Music data is abundant —and overwhelming

Curation —and rejection —is 90% of the work

The best stories are in between the lines

Connecting dots matters more than chasing news

May 2024 music data

New database: Music industry data tools
Cherie Hu

2024-05-24

marketing
distribution
fandom
macro view
business models
product

Criteria for inclusion

How to navigate this database

Contribute to this database

P.S. Our State of Data in the Music Industry report is still open!

Music Industry Data Tools
Water & Music

2024-05-24

a&r
marketing
distribution
fandom
macro view
business models
product
streaming
live
social media
startups
Suno's $125M round highlights historic shift in music-tech investment
Cherie Hu

2024-05-22

creation
rights
macro view
business models
ai
startups

How Suno stands out in music AI

How Suno stands out in music-tech

What's next for Suno?

Introducing: Daily Music Data
Cherie Hu

2024-05-10

creation
marketing
fandom
rights
macro view
business models

How we curate data

Exclusive benefits for members

Daily Music Data (Member View)
Cherie Hu

2024-05-10

macro view
Why artist subscriptions won’t save music
Cherie Hu

2024-03-25

fandom
business models
product
streaming
social media
startups

1. THE ADVOCATE

2. THE COMMUNITY

3. THE PLATFORM

Introducing our revamped music AI database: 130+ tools, models, and datasets
Cherie HuYung SpielburgAlexander Flores

2024-01-26

macro view
business models
creation
product
rights
startups
ai

New database features: Measuring market impact

How to contribute to our research

HOW TO USE THIS DATABASE

Music AI Market Tracker
Water & Music

2024-01-26

macro view
business models
creation
product
startups
ai

Apps

Models

Datasets

Industry News

Starter Pack: The Emerging Tech Guide for Independent Artists
Brodie ConleyCherie Hu

2024-01-26

business models
macro view
marketing
product
startups
ai
web3
metaverse
Bow down to our new music-tech overlords
Cherie Hu

2023-12-15

macro view
business models
rights
streaming
startups

The music ownership ouroboros

1. Globalization of power

2. Financialization of power

Music-Tech Ownership Ouroboros
Cherie Hu

2023-12-15

macro view
business models
streaming
startups
live
Artist-DSP relationships in 2024: Top five trends to watch
Chuck Fishman

2023-12-11

marketing
distribution
macro view
streaming
startups

1. Shift in streaming payout models — especially at Spotify

2. Layoffs and personnel changes

3. New competition from social media platforms

4. Rise of niche streaming services

5. Influence of generative AI

Music AI Ethics Tracker
Cherie Hu

2023-11-14

creation
rights
macro view
business models
ai
startups
Takeaways from our inaugural music marketing data bootcamp
Cherie HuJulie KnibbeMaarten Walraven

2023-11-13

marketing
fandom
product
streaming
startups
social media

Curriculum design

Key learnings & surprises

A. There is no consensus on the marketing tech stack

B. Even industry veterans face a benchmarking void

C. Data equity and autonomy are strategic imperatives

D. The value of emerging tech is still… emerging

How artist-friendly are music streaming platforms? Part 4: Fan marketing and e-commerce
Chuck Fishman

2023-10-30

marketing
fandom
distribution
business models
product
streaming
merch

IN SUMMARY: How each DSP ranks on fan marketing & e-commerce

Spotify: 9

YouTube Studio: 7.5

Amazon Music: 5

SoundCloud: 4

Pandora: 3

Deezer: 3

Apple Music: 2

TIDAL: 1

Conclusion & implications for artist data strategy

Ed Newton-Rex (VP Audio, Stability AI) on building the next wave of music AI tools
Yung Spielburg

2023-09-28

product
creation
rights
ai
startups
How artist-friendly are music streaming platforms? Part 3: Data analytics
Chuck Fishman

2023-09-25

marketing
distribution
product
streaming

IN SUMMARY: How each DSP ranks on artist analytics

Spotify For Artists: 8.5

Apple Music For Artists: 8

YouTube Studio: 7.5

SoundCloud Insights: 6

Amazon Music for Artists: 5.5

Deezer for Creators: 5

Pandora: 5

TIDAL for Artists: 3

Conclusions & implications for artist data strategy

How artist-friendly are music streaming platforms? Part 2: Profile customization and listener experience
Chuck Fishman

2023-09-25

marketing
distribution
product
fandom
streaming

IN SUMMARY: How each DSP ranks on profile customization & listener experience

Spotify for Artists: 9.0

YouTube Studio: 8.5

SoundCloud for Artists: 8.0

TIDAL for Artists: 7.0

Deezer for Creators: 6.5

Apple Music for Artists: 5.5

Amazon Music for Artists: 5.0

Pandora: 3

Conclusions & implications for artist strategy

Michael Pelczynski (Forms + Shapes) on what we get wrong about streaming economics
Cherie Hu

2023-09-14

business models
distribution
rights
macro view
streaming
Three design tenets for music's "Midjourney moment"
Cherie HuYung Spielburg

2023-09-07

creation
product
ai
startups

OPEN — i.e. the importance of open-source

EXPRESSIVE — or, the need for creative nuance, not just automation

PARTICIPATORY — or, the social extension of creative universes

Inside Sony Computer Science Laboratories' vision for music AI
Cherie Hu

2023-09-01

creation
ai

The rocky history of “Daddy’s Car”

SonyCSL’s music AI tools and philosophy

New opportunities in music AI research

Register now: Our new bootcamp on music, marketing, and data
Water & Music

2023-08-23

marketing

Who is this class for?

Structure & format

Course schedule & speakers

Pricing

About us

What it really means to be "fan-first"
Danielle Vu

2023-08-21

fandom

It’s (still) difficult for artists to even determine who their fans are

It’s important for artists to set boundaries with their fans

Strategies are switching from mass-market to niche appeal — with no one-size-fits-all approach

Srishti Das (Founder, Hivewire) on music strategy for emerging markets
Cherie Hu

2023-08-19

marketing
macro view

The limitations of the term “emerging markets”

Internationalizing niche scenes vs. “glocalizing” big brands

Importance of understanding consumer behaviors — large and small

Starting local then going global — not the other way around

Andreea Gleeson (CEO, TuneCore) on music distribution in an AI-first world
Yung SpielburgCherie Hu

2023-08-05

creation
distribution
ai

TuneCore’s AI principles: Consent, control, compensation

Supporting human-first artistry as the market value for AI music remains unclear

Oversaturation vs. listener choice

Starter Pack: Music streaming platform models
Water & Music

2023-07-14

business models
macro view
streaming
Alex Brees (Founder/CEO, un:hurd) on streamlining marketing for independent artists
Katherine Bassett

2023-07-04

marketing
startups
Modern-day fan forums: The renaissance in online music communities
Nyshka Chandran

2023-06-30

marketing
fandom
social media

The many faces of community on the web

How we made an official GrimesAI banger
Yung Spielburg

2023-06-29

creation
ai

How we made “Eggroll”

Eggroll economics

How to use Discord as an artist
Declan McGlynn

2023-06-22

fandom
social media

What is Discord?

How to get involved

Sustaining your community

Monetization and moderation

The future of community

The cost of automation: How AI will affect the livelihoods of working musicians
Yung Spielburg

2023-06-20

creation
macro view
ai
Building a new AI music format, with Bronze CEO Lex Dromgoole
Cherie Hu

2023-06-20

creation
ai
startups

Introduction to Bronze

Contextless music

Why we need a new format

What our members are talking about

Music merchandise keeps artists afloat. But how does it work?
Katherine Bassett

2023-06-15

marketing
merch

How can artists run a successful merch strategy?

Where should artists sell their merch?

What recent trends have shaped music merch?

What could music merch look like in the future?

Jessica Powell (Co-Founder/CEO, Audioshake) on music startup challenges and the "new possibilities" with music AI
Katherine Bassett

2023-06-15

creation
ai
startups
The best music-making AI tools and how to use them
Yung Spielburg

2023-06-14

creation
ai
startups

Soundful

BandLab

CoSo + Create (Beta) by Splice

Stem splitters

Making music with AI? Start with these ethical guidelines
Sarah LaReau

2023-06-08

creation
ai

Why ethics?

The current landscape of ethics in AI

On developing a custom ethical framework for music and AI

An ethical approach for music and AI

Principles

Process

Essential reads

The time-to-banger tradeoff
Yung Spielburg

2023-06-08

creation
ai

Introducing “time-to-banger”

The automation x flexibility sweet spot

Who are we really building for?

What our members are talking about

[LISTEN] Balancing niche and mainstream on the road to Web3 adoption
Katherine Bassett

2023-05-31

marketing
web3

Start where your fans are — and go easy on the jargon

The playbook is still being written — it’s time to experiment

Key success metrics in Web3 music

Future predictions

Key advice from our speakers

Amber Atherton (investor, author) on building virtual communities: Start small and niche
Katherine Bassett

2023-05-31

fandom
startups
Google, MusicLM, and music AI’s UX problem
Yung Spielburg

2023-05-30

creation
ai

Context: Why UX is important for music AI

A. Lack of specificity

B. Lack of direct citations of other artists

C. Loss in “text-to-music” translation

What our members are talking about

What Fortnite Creative Mode’s payout model means for music
Mat Ombler

2023-05-29

business models
metaverse

What Fortnite Creative Mode’s payout model means for music

Roblox creators can now make and sell limited-run avatar gear

Music partnership in mobile games continue to pick up steam

In other news

Lessons from our inaugural Wavelengths Summit
Diana Gremore

2023-05-24

macro view

Goal #1 – No panels

Goal #2 — Diverse speakers

Goal #3 — No shilling

Goal #4 — No speaker sponsors (unless dedicated workshop)

Goals for the future: Emphasis on collaboration

What’s next?

Sponsor shout-out

New series: How artist-friendly are music streaming platforms?
Chuck FishmanBrandon LandowskiCherie Hu

2023-05-23

marketing
product
streaming

How we built our rankings

Who is this for?

Industry context: What’s in it for artists — and the DSPs themselves

'For Artists' Streaming Product Matrix
Chuck Fishman

2023-05-23

marketing
fandom
macro view
product
streaming
merch
Music copyright fundamentals (with Dani Balcells and Chris Cooke)
Water & Music

2023-04-26

rights
Starter Pack: Music AI deepfakes
Cherie Hu

2023-04-18

creation
rights
ai

Is this trend new?

How are deepfake songs made?

What are the legal issues with deepfake songs?

Are audio “deepfakes” all bad?

Web3 music strategy in a bear market: Tips from our community
Katherine Bassett

2023-04-17

marketing
business models
web3
startups

The bear market — a blessing or a curse?

My love (for NFTs) don’t cost a thing: The rise of free mints and open editions

Tip 1: Stay flexible with pricing — and allowlisting

Tip 2: Experiment with different platforms and blockchains

Tip 3: Prioritize worldbuilding and storytelling

Conclusion: Is it even the right time for artists to experiment with Web3?

Starter Pack: Music and brand partnerships
Water & Music

2023-04-04

marketing

How can artists best prepare for brand partnerships?

What industries are taking an interesting approach to music partnerships?

What market trends are changing the economics of music brand partnerships?

Dive even deeper

The music AI attribution problem
Yung Spielburg

2023-04-03

rights
ai

Why attribution is critical in today’s music economy

Why creative AI makes attribution so hard

The power of starting small: Case studies

In conclusion: The attribution advantage

Even more resources

Follow more updates in Discord

Mapping the fan journey in music and Web3
Water & Music

2023-03-29

marketing
fandom
web3
startups

tl;dr

Introduction

From curiosity to discovery

What makes fans purchase?

The mint: Fan expectations

Going beyond the first touch

Challenges and future implications

Conclusion

Contributors

The Score: Mapping Epic Games’ future music strategy
Mat Ombler

2023-03-28

marketing
metaverse

Scalable discovery: Mapping Epic Games’ future music strategy

Lil Pump, GTA, and custom game servers

Rhythm games continue to expand music licensing opportunities

In other news

Music NFTs in Latin America: Collaborative database
Water & MusicFUTURX

2023-03-23

macro view
web3
startups

Editorial note

Key takeaways

Introduction + background

Methodology

How we define a “music NFT”

Demographic overview

Countries represented

Music genres

Industry experience

Artist gender gap

Pricing, release, and utility trends

Overall sales volume and revenue

Sale type

Blockchain network

Marketplace trends

NFT utility trends

The importance of collectors

Conclusions and future research directions

Collaborators

Starter Pack: Digital music curation
Water & Music

2023-03-20

marketing
streaming

What is curation, anyway?

What makes music curation brands stand out?

What market trends are changing music curation?

Does genre matter in music curation?

What does it mean to decentralize curation?

Dive even deeper

FAQ: Wavelengths Summit
Diana Gremore

2023-03-13

macro view

Our thesis

The experience

FAQ

Voices "R" Us: The future of voice models in the music business
Yung Spielburg

2023-03-08

creation
ai
startups

The new generation of voice modeling for artists

Listen: Water & Music’s own voice AI experiment

EVEN MORE RESOURCES

Starter Pack: Music in virtual worlds
Water & Music

2023-03-06

marketing
metaverse

How is music used in games and virtual worlds?

Can I upload my own music to virtual worlds?

What are the key visual branding opportunities for artists in virtual worlds?

Dive even deeper

What musicians REALLY want from creative AI tools
Yung Spielburg

2023-03-01

creation
macro view
ai

Yes, it IS about the music

The next AI tooling frontier: Video generation

Video AI breakdown: Kaiber

Video AI breakdown: Pollinations

Even more resources

WATCH — The latest music AI tools in action from Never Before Heard Sounds, Harmonai, and more
Water & Music

2023-02-28

creation
ai
startups

AI-powered creation with Never Before Heard Sounds

Fine-tuning with Dance Diffusion

AI music video generation with Pollinations

Interactive generative music with AIMI

Wavelengths 004: Building sustainable music communities
Diana Gremore

2023-02-26

fandom
Starter Pack: Digital music marketing
Water & Music

2023-02-21

marketing

Why is music harder to market than other products?

What role does data play in music marketing campaigns?

How can you build a compelling fan journey around a music release?

Dive even deeper

AI and music copyright: A field guide for artists and developers
Water & Music

2023-02-16

creation
rights
ai
Building a creative AI community: Extended interview
Water & Music

2023-02-16

creation
ai

The Future of Music and Creative AI

Season 3 Behind the Scenes: Integrating AI models into Discord

Season 3 Behind the Scenes: AI News Bulletin

Water & Music’s early AI strategy

The state of music AI tools
Water & Music

2023-02-16

creation
ai
startups
Temp check: AI sentiment across the music industry
Water & Music

2023-02-16

macro view
ai
The Score: More game studios experimenting with virtual K-pop groups
Mat Ombler

2023-02-15

marketing
metaverse

Netmarble launches virtual K-pop girl group MAVE

Aurora’s standout in-game performance in Sky: Children of the Light

Is the music industry missing a beat when it comes to monetizing through video games?

In other news

Play

Listen

Starter Pack: New music communities
Water & Music

2023-02-06

fandom
social media
startups

What metaphors do people use to describe their favorite online communities?

What tools should artists use to run their communities?

What role does the “metaverse” play in modern community-building?

Why are so many music communities going into Web3?

Wavelengths 003: Crafting superfan experiences, from the physical to the digital
Diana GremoreKatherine Bassett

2023-02-02

fandom
A field guide to the latest music AI tidal wave
Yung Spielburg

2023-02-01

creation
ai
startups

EVEN MORE RESOURCES

Wavelengths 002: Web3 for whom?
Diana Gremore

2023-02-01

macro view
web3
Introducing our new bootcamp on global music rights
Water & Music

2023-01-30

rights

Who is this class for?

Structure, format, and pricing

Why Water & Music?

Breaking down the music AI tech stack
Yung Spielburg

2023-01-25

creation
ai
startups

EVEN MORE RESOURCES

Starter Pack: Music/Web3 data
Water & Music

2023-01-23

macro view
web3

How much money have music NFTs made so far?

What makes music/Web3 data infrastructure unique?

What are good metrics for analyzing collector behavior?

What makes music NFT metadata different from the traditional music industry?

Why music AI companies are not flirting with copyright infringement
Yung Spielburg

2023-01-18

rights
ai
startups

Legal defensibility

Ethical and moral responsibilities

Moat creation

EVEN MORE RESOURCES

Web3 and music rights: Our community weighs in
Water & Music

2023-01-15

rights
web3
startups

Hyug Bin Kwon: “This space is much more human-centered and cultural compared to any other field in crypto“

Vérité: “Web3 builders need to understand the industries they’re trying to disrupt”

Dan Fowler: “The whole point of this thing is to build a better world for artists”

Jonathan Larr: “Lawyers should have a vision for where the law can and should be improved”

Anthony Volodkin: “It’s worth continuously reevaluating who the existing systems benefit“

BlackDave: “Innovation requires a bit of flexibility and struggle with the existing structures”

Colombo: “I see builders using innovation as a get-out-of-jail-free card … The law is the law”

Jesse Grushack: “There’s only a tradeoff if you go through the same channels and follow the traditional path”

Starter Pack: New tech, old rights
Water & Music

2023-01-09

rights
startups

The complex music royalty value chain

Music rights and generative AI

Music rights and Web3

Music rights in the metaverse

Request for support: The unexpected labyrinth of music marketing ROI
Danny Scheiner

2023-01-05

marketing
macro view

Project background

Roadblock 1: Does the data exist to create marketing ROI benchmarks?

Roadblock 2: Is the music industry too unique to create marketing ROI benchmarks?

Roadblock 3: Are there too many variables to create marketing ROI benchmarks?

The final roadblock: Will there be enough industry participation to create marketing ROI benchmarks?

NFTs de Música en LATAM: Principales aprendizajes
Water & MusicFUTURX

2022-12-21

business models
macro view
web3

Nota editorial

Resumen

Nuestras principales conclusiones

Introducción + antecedentes

¿Qué es un NFT de Música?

Metodología

Primer análisis de datos

Ventas

Valor promedio de un NFT

Lanzamientos (de NFTs de música en LATAM) 

Países

Trayectoria 

Brecha de género

Plataformas

Cantidad de NFTs por Marketplace

Cantidad de Artistas x Marketplace

Género musical

Blockchain

Tipos de venta

Utilidades en los NFTs

Coleccionista/Collector

Conclusiones y líneas a futuro

Colaboradores

The most underrated music and gaming collaborations of 2022
Mat Ombler

2022-12-16

marketing
metaverse

PUBG: Mobile x Blackpink

Cookie Run: Kingdom x BTS

Neon White x Machine Girl

Metal: Hellsinger x System of a Down x Trivium x Lamb of God (and many more!)

Sky: Children of the Light x Aurora

Even more highlights

Sidechain: Music NFT streaming apps under fire, FTX fallout impact, and songwriter challenges in Web3
Dave "BlackDave" CurryCherie Hu

2022-12-12

marketing
rights
business models
web3
streaming

Music/Web3 dashboard updates

NEW DECK — Attack Decay Research Release: Mapping community with FWB

Music NFT streaming apps under fire

FTX’s relationship (or lack thereof) to the music/Web3 landscape

Songwriters face Web3 headwinds

New music/Web3 data insights

Web3 music consumption options evolve

The wrong mindset

Attack / Decay / Research / Release: Mapping community with FWB
Diana Gremore

2022-12-08

fandom
macro view
CC: Hiring resurgence for virtual events and music data analytics
Amani Roberts

2022-11-26

careers
metaverse
live

Virtual events making a comeback(?)

Relevant roles:

Music data analytics reenters center stage — especially for sustainability initiatives

Relevant roles:

Other interesting jobs we’ve spotted

Community opportunities

Read more and join the discussion

The Score: How Beatstar generated $73M in revenue — including $16M to rightsholders — in year one
Mat Ombler

2022-11-22

business models
rights
distribution
metaverse
startups

Tl;dr

Music curation as a gaming business model

What’s next for Beatstar and music in video games?

Community discussions

CC: Hiring competition for creator tools, plus NYC's new salary transparency law
Amani Roberts

2022-11-10

careers
startups

Growing competition for creator tools

Relevant roles:

The rise of dedicated sustainability roles

Relevant roles:

More hiring in podcast content development and acquisition

Relevant roles:

Other interesting jobs we’ve spotted

Current events: NYC salary transparency law now in effect

Community opportunities

Read more and join the discussion

Sidechain: Web3 presave strategies, the death of FWB Local, and influencer disclosures
Dave "BlackDave" CurryBrooke Jackson

2022-11-09

marketing
fandom
web3

Music/Web3 dashboard updates

NEW ARTICLES

FWB votes to end FWB Local

Disclosure policies for music/Web3 writers and influencers

Big brands and mass adoption

Royalty, royalty, royalty

IRL and live utility

Meme of the week

Wavelengths 001: The state of music curation and discovery in Web3
Diana Gremore

2022-11-07

marketing
web3
startups
Community Member Q&A: Andres Botero, Manga Creative Studios
Katherine Bassett

2022-11-02

careers
New pathways: Analyzing music NFT release strategies from underrepresented genres
The Water & Music community

2022-10-25

marketing
web3
startups

Methodology

Experimenting beyond genre boundaries

The role of platforms and marketplaces

Generalized NFT marketplaces 

Music-specific NFT marketplaces

Customized minting homepages

The value of iteration across platforms

The role of utility

Marketing, awareness, and getting to fans

Tradeoffs+ redefining metrics for success

Conclusion: Where genre fits long-term

The Score: What are the licensing opportunities for independent artists in video games?
Mat Ombler

2022-10-24

marketing
rights
metaverse

How is licensed music used in video games?

What are the benefits of getting your music in a video game?

How to get your music in a video game

Asterisk: The rights conundrum with music/gaming livestreams

Community discussions

CC: A new product focus for music/Web3, plus industry-wide metaverse and LatAm roles
Brooke JacksonAmani RobertsCherie Hu

2022-10-24

careers
web3
metaverse
startups

Music/Web3 product and community skills in high demand

Relevant roles: 

Hiring continues for the music-focused metaverse — especially gaming and AR/VR

Relevant roles:

Latin American music takes over more than the charts

Relevant roles:

In other news: Are pay transparency laws an upcoming win for the music industry?

Community opportunities

Read more and join the discussion

From ZKPs to the future of music/Web3: What we learned at DevCon
Water & Music

2022-10-20

macro view
web3

Andres Botero

Alec D’Alelio

Nicole d’Avis

Alex Flores

Dan Fowler

Nick George

Cherie Hu

Marcus Martinez

Vaughn McKenzie

Rahul Rumalla

Nick Susi

Sweetman

Tom Vieira

Recommended talks

A needs-driven approach to music NFT metadata
Dan Fowler

2022-10-12

rights
web3
startups

Methodology: Use cases > standards

Emerging contextual use cases for music NFTs

Use case 1: Music player 

Use case 2: Curation

Use case 3: Social 

Use case 4: Analysis and accounting

The hardest thing is getting good data

Data requirements for music/Web3 use cases

Identifiers

Rights & licensing

Sidechain: Future Tape joins Zora, new music/Web3 protocols, and new case studies in royalty-backed NFTs
Dave "BlackDave" CurryBrooke Jackson

2022-10-12

product
business models
web3
startups

Music/Web3 dashboard updates

NEW ARTICLE: A NEEDS-DRIVEN APPROACH TO MUSIC NFT METADATA

Future Tape joins Zora

Are everyday people actually interested in collecting music NFTs?

Anotherblock drives more development in royalty-backed music NFTs

In other news

Hot Protocol Fall

Rugs & regulations

Major music brand moves

Community Member Q&A: Josh Dalton, Serenade
Katherine Bassett

2022-10-03

careers
web3
startups
The Score: Is Lil Nas X's League of Legends collaboration his smartest play yet?
Mat Ombler

2022-09-27

marketing
metaverse

Context: LoL’s place in the growing esports market

Charting Riot’s musical and cultural expansion

What Lil Nas X stands to gain from collaborating with Riot

Community discussions

Community Barometer, Q2 2022: The future of work
Katherine Bassett

2022-09-23

careers
macro view

Respondent data

Salary data

Q1: What key challenges are workers currently facing in the music/tech ecosystem?

Q2: What skills are currently in demand for your job role/sector?

Q3: Have you thought about switching jobs in the last year?

Q4: Are the professional development opportunities associated with your job role adequate?

Q5: Do you feel optimistic about the future of your job role/sector?

Q6: What does success look like for you?

CC: Product managers for avatar artists, music/podcast politics, ecommerce services, and more
Brooke JacksonDeclan McGlynn

2022-09-22

careers
metaverse
merch
startups

Relevant recent job postings:

Relevant recent job postings: 

Relevant recent job postings: 

Other resources

Sidechain: Venice, Warner Music, and more cross the Web2/Web3 bridge
Dave "BlackDave" CurryBrooke JacksonLindsey Lonadier

2022-09-20

marketing
web3

MUSIC/WEB3 DASHBOARD UPDATES

NEW MUSIC/WEB3 ARTICLES

Venice Music opens up to everyone

Muse NFT drop criticisms continue

Warner Music UK launches new Web3-focused label, Probably A Label

E/merge/nt strategy

Major companies making major moves

Bans and shutdowns

Legal updates

The Score: Was Justin Bieber's first in-game concert a success?
Mat Ombler

2022-09-12

marketing
metaverse

Garena Free Fire gets more out of its music collaborations than most video games

Massive content overhauls and heavy monetization 

Did the in-game concert live up to the marketing hype? 

What can we learn from this collaboration? 

The artist team, today & tomorrow: Takeaways from W&M Summer School 2022
Diana Gremore

2022-09-09

careers
macro view

Shifting responsibilities: Pushing work to artist teams

Equity + new methods of monetization

Tapping into personal + fan communities

Big impact on a low budget

Skills for success

Burnout

Splitting the difference: Music and Web3's multiplayer problem
Andres BoteroPaula AmayaYung Spielburg

2022-09-08

rights
creation
web3
startups

Methodology

Refresher: Music splits

Refresher: Blockchain architecture

The current state of splits protocols

How to split on-chain revenues

Critical components for unlocking multiplayer mode in Web3

A. Consensus wallets

B. Mutability of split data

Conclusion: Legal considerations beyond protocols

Disclosures

CC: Hiring trends across community management, TikTok strategy, metaverse affairs, and more
Brooke JacksonDeclan McGlynn

2022-09-07

careers
social media
metaverse

Community opportunities

Other resources

Key takeaways from our discussion on avatar rapper FN Meka
Katherine Bassett

2022-09-03

marketing
metaverse

FN Meka is not AI

FN Meka is barely an artist

AI and avatar artist projects must be careful not to replicate human biases

The Score: Blackpink, PUBG, and the rise of virtual concerts in mobile games
Mat Ombler

2022-08-29

marketing
metaverse
live

Mobile games: a new market for the global music industry? 

How the Blackpink/PUBG experience was activated and monetized 

Why do mobile games matter for artists and their teams? 

Got a pressing question about music and gaming? Let us hear it 

Muse’s NFT album becomes first to hit the UK charts — but does it land?
Katherine Bassett

2022-08-25

marketing
business models
web3
startups
Music NFT aggregators challenge the streaming status quo
Bas Grasmayer

2022-08-05

product
business models
distribution
web3
streaming

Why NFTs: “Magic beans” and composable communities

The Mighty Morphin’ Music NFT Streaming Layer

Challenging music streaming’s status quo: Incentives

Challenging music streaming’s status quo: Value distribution

Fees, splits, and rock & roll

Legal obstacles

Conclusion: An ecosystem of pragmatic experimentation

Disclosures

After the drop: Measuring the lifetime value of music NFTs
Michael ZhangAlexander Flores

2022-07-28

business models
web3

Methods

How we selected drops to study

Secondary sales transaction data and caveats

A. Summary stats: Overall secondary sale revenue & sale prices

B. Collector activity: How many people end up participating in an NFT drop at each stage?

C. Gauging speculation

D. Artist-level performance over time

Conclusion: What is “healthy” for an artist or platform, anyway?

Future research

Secondary sales activity for 1/1s and other NFTs sold at auction

Secondary sales trends by utility

Network analysis of music NFT collectors

Notes + disclosures

The music metaverse is not free from red tape
Katherine Bassett

2022-07-28

rights
metaverse
Choose your own adventure: A music metaverse path finder
The Water & Music community

2022-07-13

macro view
metaverse

How to use this path finder

GOALS

DESIRED OUTCOMES

ACTIONS + EXAMPLES

The most accessible opportunities for indie artists

Currents: Live music DAOs and virtual merch
Brooke JacksonDeclan McGlynn

2022-07-12

macro view
web3
merch
live
metaverse

CHANGE LOG SUMMARY

TRENDS WE’RE SEEING

More live music DAOs enter the market

Virtual merch (or “verch”) as a new metaverse frontier

Music NFTs offer new selling points

Meeting in the musical metaverse: Expectations vs. reality
The Water & Music community

2022-07-11

marketing
fandom
metaverse

REPLICATION VS. ESCAPISM: EXPECTATIONS 

REPLICATION VS. ESCAPISM: REALITY

EASY COMMUNICATION AND WAYFINDING: EXPECTATIONS

EASY COMMUNICATION AND WAYFINDING: REALITY

SOURCES OF ENJOYMENT: EXPECTATIONS

SOURCES OF ENJOYMENT: REALITY

FLUIDITY OF AVATAR MOVEMENT: EXPECTATIONS

FLUIDITY OF AVATAR MOVEMENT: REALITY

FLUID CONSUMPTION AND DISCOVERY: EXPECTATIONS

FLUID CONSUMPTION AND DISCOVERY: REALITY

3 ways to bring your music into the metaverse
The Water & Music community

2022-07-08

marketing
distribution
metaverse

But wait… WHAT is the Metaverse, anyway?

New approaches for longform, immersive storytelling

New means for connecting with fans

New forms of personal and social identity

New monetization opportunities

Top-down approach: Gaming partnerships

Bottom-up and decentralized approaches

Onboarding, support, and engagement tips for artists and fans

Bespoke licensing deals with metaverse platforms

Direct uploads to platform libraries

Accessibility and rights considerations

Visual IP for identity and self-expression

Audio IP for social proof, remixing, and derivative works

How to execute on visual IP approaches

Show me the data!

Designing for social stickiness

Bridging traditional <> metaverse audiences

Technology as a friction point

Safety concerns

9 design principles for a musical metaverse
The Water & Music community

2022-07-06

creation
product
metaverse

Ecosystem level: Weekly reading groups

Individual level: Industry interviews and brainstorms

Inclusive and emergent > exclusive and bounded

Disclaimer: Contributors’ affiliations with music/metaverse companies

INDIVIDUAL SENSE OF PRESENCE: WHAT IT MEANS

INDIVIDUAL SENSE OF PRESENCE: WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR MUSIC

INDIVIDUAL SENSE OF PRESENCE: METAVERSE STATE

INDIVIDUAL SENSE OF PRESENCE: HYPERVERSE STATE

UGC: WHAT IT MEANS

UGC: WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR MUSIC

UGC: METAVERSE STATE

UGC: HYPERVERSE STATE

MASSIVELY SCALED: WHAT IT MEANS

MASSIVELY SCALED: WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR MUSIC

MASSIVELY SCALED: METAVERSE STATE 

MASSIVELY SCALED: HYPERVERSE STATE

SCALED SYNCHRONICITY: WHAT IT MEANS

SCALED SYNCHRONICITY: WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR MUSIC

SCALED SYNCHRONICITY: METAVERSE STATE

SCALED SYNCHRONICITY: HYPERVERSE STATE

REAL-TIME RENDERED 3D VIRTUAL WORLDS: WHAT IT MEANS

REAL-TIME RENDERED 3D VIRTUAL WORLDS: WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR MUSIC

REAL-TIME RENDERED 3D VIRTUAL WORLDS: METAVERSE STATE

REAL-TIME RENDERED 3D VIRTUAL WORLDS: HYPERVERSE STATE

PERSISTENCE OF WORLDS OVER TIME: WHAT IT MEANS

PERSISTENCE OF WORLDS: WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR MUSIC

PERSISTENCE OF WORLDS: METAVERSE STATE

PERSISTENCE OF WORLDS: HYPERVERSE STATE

CONTINUITY OF DATA: WHAT IT MEANS

CONTINUITY OF DATA: WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR MUSIC

CONTINUITY OF DATA: METAVERSE STATE

CONTINUITY OF DATA: HYPERVERSE STATE

INTEROPERABLE NETWORK: WHAT IT MEANS

INTEROPERABLE NETWORK: WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR MUSIC

INTEROPERABLE NETWORK: METAVERSE STATE

INTEROPERABLE NETWORK: HYPERVERSE STATE

DECENTRALIZATION: WHAT IT MEANS

DECENTRALIZATION: WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR MUSIC

DECENTRALIZATION: METAVERSE STATE

DECENTRALIZATION: HYPERVERSE STATE

Scaling music/Web3 will take a village
Sarah LaReau

2022-06-29

marketing
web3
Paradigm shifts: How AI will transform music creation in the next 10 years
Declan McGlynnDave EdwardsCherie Hu

2022-06-23

creation
macro view
ai

Introduction

Context: A Cambrian explosion of creation

Paradigm Shift 1: Remixing and sampling styles, not just sounds

Paradigm Shift 2: Hyper-personalization and the end of static recordings

Paradigm Shift 3: Augmented skills through modeling and resynthesis

Conclusion: Ethical and legal concerns

Currents: Web3 is dead. Long live Web3
Brooke JacksonDeclan McGlynn

2022-06-22

macro view
web3

CHANGE LOG SUMMARY

TRENDS WE’RE SEEING

Web3 is dead. Long live Web3.

Onboarding into Web3 through free NFTs

Hip-hop stakes more territory in the metaverse

The music industry reacts to the bear market
Katherine Bassett

2022-06-20

business models
macro view

The market downturn isn’t specific to crypto

Alternative blockchains may have their music NFT moments

It’s still unclear how the downturn will affect Web3 music in the long term

Music NFT contract template V2: Off-chain benefits
The Water & Music community

2022-06-15

rights
web3
startups

Why off-chain benefits?

Methodology

Implementation challenges and observations

Delivery and redemption mechanics

The music NFT pricing debate
Katherine Bassett

2022-06-10

business models
web3

The delicate balance of pricing music NFTs

Chains & rails: How Songcamp builds community-first music infrastructure
Bas GrasmayerCherie Hu

2022-06-06

creation
business models
web3

Defining Web3 music collectives as fluid activities, not fixed objects

Values: Introducing headlessness

Team-building and creation: Houses and alchemy

Intellectual property: The Chaos Agreement

Release: Gamification and the Chaos Festival

Economics & value flow: Custom revenue models both during and after creation

Conclusion: Finance as a creative ingredient

Disclosures

Currents: Artist estates lean on metaverse tech to grow their audiences
Brooke JacksonDeclan McGlynn

2022-06-06

marketing
metaverse

CHANGE LOG SUMMARY

TRENDS WE’RE SEEING

The "TikTokification" of the music industry
Katherine Bassett

2022-06-02

marketing
social media

The “TikTokification” of the music industry

Will Abba’s Voyage move the needle for VR music experiences?

Currents: More legacy brands cross the Web2->Web3 bridge
Brooke JacksonDeclan McGlynn

2022-05-24

marketing
web3

CHANGE LOG SUMMARY

TRENDS WE’RE SEEING

Big tech embraces(?) Web3

Mid-2000s music brands reborn in Web3 clothes

More NFTs from legacy artists and brands

Should we stop using the term "music NFT"?
Katherine Bassett

2022-05-23

macro view
web3
Left to our own devices: The state of creative AI tools for artists
Dave EdwardsDeclan McGlynn

2022-05-20

creation
ai
startups

But first: What are AI and ML?

Sound selection and design

Source/stem separation

Songwriting/ideation

Voice/speech synthesis

Mixing/mastering

Adoption requires a deeper understanding of workflow and UX

Machines may generate ideas, but humans still make the decisions (if they want to)

New tech enables new forms of experimentation — even if it removes others

“Studio-quality” isn’t always the end goal

Contributors

The Water & Music Academy: An experiment in community-driven media education
Katherine Bassett

2022-05-20

macro view
web3

The ideation process (AKA the mandatory FigJam session)

The problem with online learning

DAO-driven curriculum design

What worked?

What could be improved?

In conclusion…

Discord digest #044: The piracy-to-Web3 pipeline, TikTok's role as a record company
Katherine Bassett

2022-05-14

business models
web3
social media
Currents: New investments in AI music tools and music NFT platforms (despite the market slump)
Brooke JacksonDeclan McGlynn

2022-05-11

macro view
web3
ai

New cash infusion for AI-powered music tools

Even more investments in music NFT platforms — bucking wider market trends

More eco-friendly music-tech solutions

Bonus: Music & the metaverse

Music NFT sales in 2021: What we learned
The Water & Music community

2022-05-06

business models
macro view
web3

Abstract

Our main takeaways

Introduction + background

Scope + methodology

Our approach to tracking music NFTs

Backfilling missing + incomplete 2021 data

Exploratory analysis

Sales summary

Primary sales revenue throughout 2021

Number of drops throughout 2021

Leading artists

Percentage + distribution of sales by platform

Sales by artist genre

Sales by artist’s label affiliation

Sales by blockchain network

General pricing trends over time

wen utility? The top music NFT use cases

Pt. 1: On-chain (and related) utility

Pt. 2: Off-chain utility

Outstanding questions + directions for future research

The “meta” challenge of metadata

Expectations vs. reality for big brands

Secondary sales

Customer growth + fan journeys

Discord digest #043: Major-label dominance of Spotify playlists and "10k NFT projects"
Katherine Bassett

2022-04-29

marketing
business models
web3
streaming
Currents: Alternative blockchains for music NFTs and the rise of niche music “metaverses”
Brooke JacksonDeclan McGlynn

2022-04-24

macro view
web3
metaverse
startups

Web3 to live connections

Alternative blockchains for music NFTs

More niche music “metaverses”

Other music-tech news to note:

Discord digest #042: Web3 data portability, artist metaverses and the "intricate house of cards" of streaming economics
Katherine Bassett

2022-04-22

marketing
business models
web3
metaverse
streaming
Discord digest #041: Decentralized curation economies and fizzling metaverse hype
Katherine Bassett

2022-04-15

marketing
macro view
metaverse
web3

Catering to niche musical tastes

Creating cultural context around decision-makers

Currents: Trad media tries out Web3
Brooke JacksonDeclan McGlynn

2022-04-12

marketing
web3

Trad media investments in major NFT collections

Web3 music activity in India

“Shopify for NFTs”

Adaptive and AI music investments

Discord digest #040: Spotify's latest Loud & Clear report and NFTs as a back-catalog strategy
Katherine Bassett

2022-04-01

marketing
macro view
streaming
web3
Discord digest #039: UnitedMasters x Yuga Labs and the "real" value of streaming
Katherine Bassett

2022-03-24

marketing
business models
streaming
Analizando el sentimiento de fans sobre lanzamientos de NFTs de música
Water & Music $STREAM Season 1

2022-03-11

macro view
web3
Más allá de los titulares: Analizando las estrategias de incorporación de Web3 para fans de la música
Water & Music $STREAM Season 1

2022-03-11

marketing
fandom
web3

METODOLOGÍA

DEFINICIONES

Perfil de fan 1: Cripto-Dudose

Perfil de fan 2: Cripto-Exclusivamente

Perfil de fan 3: Propietaries de NFT no musicales

Perfil de fan 4: Propietaries de NFTs de música

El medioambiente

2. Altos costos y tarifas

3. Educación 

4. Falta de utilidad y abundancia de estafas

Temp check: The state of Web3 sentiment across the music industry
$STREAM Season 1.5

2022-03-11

macro view
web3

A note on interacting with our dashboards

Disclaimers and limitations

Roles and genres

Web3 profiles

Demographics

What Web3 projects have you worked on?

Do you intend to work on a Web3 Project?

Legal concerns 

Environmental concerns (both personal concerns and fan backlash)

Financial cost for fans — and artists

Perception of the crypto community

Overcomplicated processes

Was your project successful?

Scams

“No idea about the music industry”

Capitalism and financialization

Contributors

El estado de las herramientas Web3 para artistes musicales
Water & Music $STREAM Season 1

2022-03-11

product
business models
web3
startups

Metodología + avisos legales

Lo que nos dicen los datos

Tres solicitudes de creadores de música/Web3

Definiendo la propiedad de los NFTs de música, del mundo digital al analógico
Water & Music $STREAM Season 1

2022-03-11

rights
web3

Copyright 101 – o, de lo que realmente hablamos cuando hablamos de “propiedad”

Bandera roja #1: Nunca es tan fácil como parece 

Bandera roja #2: Falta de regulación financiera y mecanismos de rendición de cuentas

Conclusión: ¿Cómo podemos mejorar los contratos hoy?

¿Tendrán los NFTs de música su momento PFP?
$STREAM Season 1.5

2022-03-11

business models
macro view
web3

Contexto creativo: Personas compositoras de música generativa como “jardineras”

Mecánica base de NFTs de música generativa: Rareza, mintear a ciegas y quemas

Conclusión: Creatividad como su propia recompensa (financiera)

Discord digest #038: E-commerce for superfans
Katherine Bassett

2022-03-10

marketing
fandom
business models
merch
Structuring the law around Web3 music: A new modular music NFT contract framework
$STREAM Season 1.5

2022-03-09

rights
web3
startups

Who is this contract template for?

A. Defining scope

B. Drafting the contract and designing the template

C. Releasing a sample contract with a real artist NFT

Contract deployment

Revenue splits and accommodating for collaborators

Securities and royalties

Contributors

Appendix

From protocols to people: A study of music NFT platforms’ onboarding strategies
$STREAM Season 1.5

2022-03-08

marketing
web3
startups

METHODS

DEFINITIONS

Web2 vs. Web3 go-to-market strategies: A community-first mindset

1. Artists as the primary vector for onboarding

2. Do things that don’t scale

3. “Building tools wins”

4. Platforms vs. protocols

5. Curated vs. open platforms

6. The importance of data

Future research directions

Appendix

The state of music DAOs
$STREAM Season 1.5

2022-03-07

macro view
web3
startups

Participatory artist/fan cultures in Web3

Fluid, multimodal membership tiers

Third-party, task-based tools

In-house tools

The challenge of decentralizing creativity

Governance tooling

Decentralized identities in music DAOs

Music token analytics

DAO-to-DAO partnerships in the music industry

$STREAM Season 1.5: Scaffolding our research in music and Web3
$STREAM Season 1.5

2022-03-07

macro view
web3

Our Season 1.5 NFTs

Music DAO Deep Dives, Pt. 11: How $RAC pushes the boundaries of what’s possible with artist DAOs
Yung SpielburgCherie Hu

2022-03-07

fandom
business models
web3
startups

Building horizontal, platform-agnostic communities

The importance of custom tooling and access to developers

Treasury strategy and regulatory challenges

Music DAO Deep Dives, Pt. 10: Why the Holly+ DAO is taking it slow
Cherie HuMaarten Walraven

2022-03-05

rights
business models
web3
startups

Fundamentals: Cryptographic identities and pushing the boundaries of IP

Governance: Taking it slow

Financial pain points

Discord Digest #037: Epic's Bandcamp acquisition and Web3 "innovation-washing"
Katherine Bassett

2022-03-04

business models
metaverse
web3

Death of the last independent music platform?

Epic + Bandcamp vs Apple? 

The M*taverse/Web3 can fix this

Music DAO Deep Dives, Pt. 9: Good Karma Records' vision for a Web3-native, multi-token record label
Aniket RajgarhiaLevi Downey

2022-03-03

rights
business models
web3
startups

On “why DAO?”

On governance 

On bridging Web2 and Web3

On Web3 tooling

On pain points, ideas and recommendations

From Spotify’s latest podcast acquisitions to more celebrity-backed metaverse startups: Our latest database updates
Brooke Jackson

2022-03-01

business models
streaming
startups
metaverse

Artists on cap tables: Snoop’s Web3-native ambitions with Death Row

Startup funding rounds: Celebrity-backed metaverse investments continue to pick up steam

Exits: Spotify continues to beef up its podcast ad/monetization toolkit

Music NFT drops: Album and liner-note NFTs take center stage

Music/Web3 tools: Direct-to-fan messaging keeps up its momentum

Music DAO Deep Dives, Pt. 8: The vision behind Leaving Records' $GENRE token
Kevin ShawRaul Guerrero

2022-02-26

rights
marketing
fandom
business models
web3
startups

On fundamentals, a.k.a. “why DAO”

On community design and onboarding

On finance, treasury management and the role of NFTs

On governance

Discord Digest #036: Ye's Stem Player and fraud as a Web3 feature
Katherine Bassett

2022-02-24

product
creation
web3
startups
From Apple’s latest music startup acquisition to yet another scammy music NFT platform: Our latest database updates
Brooke Jackson

2022-02-15

business models
product
streaming
web3
startups

Exits: Apple strengthens its music/tech muscles

New investment funds: Sony opens up investment opportunities for creators in India

Funding rounds: A rare data-analytics raise

Music NFT platforms: More scams to watch

Music NFT drops: Continued momentum in royalty- and live-centric use cases

Music DAO Deep Dives, Pt. 7: How Songcamp/Elektra is building a Web3-native artist collective
Levi DowneyOliver Marco Dawson

2022-02-14

creation
business models
web3
startups

Our main takeaways

History

The birth of ElektraDAO

The tech

The treasury

Parting words of wisdom

Community Barometer, Q1 2022: Our pulse on Web3, community-building and more
Katherine Bassett

2022-02-11

macro view
web3

A. Industry disruption and advancement

B. Web3

3. Artist empowerment 

BONUS THEME: Community

A. Web3 

B. Music-industry dysfunction

C. Financialization

BONUS THEME: Inequality & lack of access

Discord Digest #035: The Spotify drama continues, plus tips for touring in the age of COVID
Katherine Bassett

2022-02-10

macro view
streaming
live
Music DAO Deep Dives, Pt. 6: Why AmpledDAO does not exist (yet)
Maarten WalravenMary Maguire

2022-02-09

business models
web3
startups
Music DAO Deep Dives, Pt. 5: How Jonathan Mann built SongADAO from 4,000+ of his songs
Kevin Shaw

2022-02-08

business models
web3
startups

Main takeaways

From John Legend’s new NFT gig to (yet another) acquisition for Utopia Music: Our latest database updates
Brooke Jackson

2022-02-05

marketing
business models
web3
startups

Startup funding rounds: ElectroSpit’s crowdfunding campaign, plus another nine-figure NFT platform raise

Music/Audio Startup Exits: Even more creator tech consolidation

Artists on Cap Tables: John Legend’s first NFT gig

Music DAO Deep Dives, Pt. 4: Phlote’s “open-startup” approach to music curation
Jonah BurlingameDave "BlackDave" Curry

2022-02-04

business models
web3
startups
Discord Digest #034: Our HitPiece teardown
Katherine Bassett

2022-02-03

business models
macro view
web3
startups

I. Poor cultural fit

II. Stunt marketing

III. Chaotic communications

The week in music, tech and crypto: From Shawn Mendes’ latest NFT platform investment to new cash for live-events startups
Diana Gremore

2022-01-29

business models
web3
startups
live

Music startup funding rounds: IRL experiences get new cash infusion

Adjacent rounds to know: Slow, steady emergence of crypto services companies

Artists on cap tables: More music celebs invest in NFT platforms — even without releasing NFTs themselves

Music NFT platforms/startups: Memorabilia-driven collectibles for legacy artists

Music NFT drops: High-profile drops ridden with scams and technical difficulties

Discord Digest #033: Spotify's music/podcast clash
Katherine Bassett

2022-01-28

business models
macro view
streaming

Spotify’s music and podcasting strategies continue to clash

Do music “scenes” still exist?

Should artists have separate social media strategies for Web2 and Web3?

Music DAO Deep Dives, Pt. 3: Mudd DAO’s generative music/Web3 infrastructure
Yung Spielburg

2022-01-26

business models
product
web3
Music DAO Deep Dives, Pt. 2: Sone’s vision for public music goods
Brodie ConleyKarma.wav

2022-01-25

business models
product
web3
startups
The week in music, tech and crypto: More creator tool consolidation, and the importance of consistency in NFT drops
Diana Gremore

2022-01-21

business models
marketing
web3
startups
Discord Digest #032: Web3 as an "exit strategy" for artists
Katherine Bassett

2022-01-19

business models
web3

“Exiting to the community” — could Web3 provide an exit strategy for legacy artist catalogs?

Bowie Bonds — ahead of their time?

Web3 tech, Web2 problems

Temperature check on touring

The environmental impact of catalog acquisitions

Music DAO Deep Dives, Pt. 1: Dreams Never Die puts community before tech
Yung SpielburgDave "BlackDave" Curry

2022-01-19

business models
web3
startups
Agile research: How we put together $STREAM Season 1
Cherie HuYung Spielburg

2022-01-14

macro view
web3

OUR VOICE AND CULTURE

S1 RESEARCH PROCESS + STRUCTURE

AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

WHAT’S NEXT: Season 1.5 + Season 2

2022 music tech funding rounds, IPOs, and SPACs
Brooke Jackson

2022-01-12

business models
macro view
startups
Analyzing fan sentiment of music NFT drops
Water & Music $STREAM Season 1

2021-12-17

fandom
macro view
web3
Behind the headlines: Analyzing Web3 onboarding strategies for music fans
Water & Music $STREAM Season 1

2021-12-16

marketing
fandom
web3
startups

METHODOLOGY

DEFINITIONS

Fan Profile 1: Crypto-Hesitant

Fan Profile 2: Crypto-Only

Fan Profile 3: Non-Music NFT Owners

Fan Profile 4: Music NFT Owners

1. The environment

2. High costs and fees

3. Education 

4. Lack of utility — and abundance of scams

The state of music/Web3 tools for artists
Water & Music $STREAM Season 1

2021-12-15

product
macro view
web3
startups

What the data tells us

Three asks for music/Web3 builders

Defining music NFT ownership, from the digital to the analog world
Water & Music $STREAM Season 1

2021-12-14

rights
web3
startups

Copyright 101 — or, what we’re really talking about when we talk about “ownership”

Red flag #1: It’s never as easy it sounds 

Red flag #2: Lack of financial regulation and accountability mechanisms

Conclusion: How can we improve contracts today

Will music NFTs ever get their PFP moment?
Water & Music $STREAM Season 1

2021-12-13

business models
macro view
web3

Creative context: Generative music composers as “gardeners”

Base mechanics of generative music NFTs: Rarity, blind mints and burns

Social, cultural and legal challenges

Conclusion: Creativity as its own (financial) reward

The week in music, tech and crypto: NFT ticketing, link-in-bio consolidation and the crypto/gaming opportunity
Diana Gremore

2021-11-16

marketing
business models
macro view
web3
startups

Music/Audio Tech Investment Dashboard

Music Crypto Dashboard

Introducing $STREAM: A new tokenized research framework for the music industry
Cherie HuDiana GremoreKatherine BassettAlexander Flores

2021-11-12

macro view
web3

OUR (BRIEF) HISTORY

WHY WEB3 — AND WHY NOW?

$STREAM AND COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH “SEASONS”

PRELIMINARY ROADMAP

THE $STREAM TEAM

HOW TO GET INVOLVED TODAY

The week in music, tech and crypto: NFT royalty investments, VR music games, indie distributor consolidation and more
Diana Gremore

2021-11-09

business models
distribution
macro view
web3
metaverse
startups

Music/Audio Tech Investment Dashboard

Music Crypto Dashboard

The creator economy is growing much faster than music streaming
Cherie Hu

2021-11-03

business models
macro view
streaming

Music is still an afterthought in the creator economy

The underrated opportunity in education

The week in music, tech and crypto: UnitedMasters' new cash, new music DAOs and more
Diana Gremore

2021-10-29

distribution
business models
web3
startups

Music/Audio Tech Investment Dashboard

Music Crypto Dashboard

What music/tech companies won’t tell you about spatial audio
The Water & Music community

2021-10-22

distribution
streaming
startups

First things first: Spatial audio and 360 audio are NOT the same thing

I. Bottlenecks in spatial audio’s creative workflow

II. Tech companies, not artists, are driving the public conversation (for now)

III. Communicating the value of immersive audio to consumers might require venturing outside of music — and giving artists the reins

The week in music, tech and crypto: The Weeknd's startup investments, PleasrDAO/Wu-Tang and more
Diana Gremore

2021-10-22

business models
web3
startups

Music/Audio Tech Investment Dashboard

Music Crypto Dashboard

How much are artists really making on Twitch?
Cherie Hu

2021-10-19

business models
streaming
live

Twitch is still a gamer’s world — and the tail is looooong

Twitch is not just a superfan business — it’s a consistency business

The week in music, tech and crypto: Lil Nas X's (nonexistent?) NFTs, Deezer's livestreaming play and more
Cherie HuBrooke Jackson

2021-10-10

marketing
business models
web3
live
streaming

Music/Audio Tech Investment Dashboard

Music Crypto Dashboard

Music SVOD Partnerships Dashboard

An overabundance of music NFT platforms — and scams
Cherie Hu

2021-10-06

business models
macro view
web3
startups

A fundamental conflict of incentives

Transparency alone won’t eliminate bad actors — but it makes them easier to catch

The case for a post-royalties music industry
Dan Fowler

2021-10-05

rights
business models

Our dominant royalty payment models are incompatible with internet culture

For emerging creators, streaming is turning into a zero-sum game

Proposal: we move past royalties as an industry

The week in music, tech and crypto: Dice's $122M round, proof-of-attendance NFTs and more
Cherie Hu

2021-10-01

business models
web3
startups
live

Music startup funding rounds

Music startup exits

Adjacent rounds

Music NFT platforms

Music NFT drops

Just how difficult is it to make a sustainable living from streaming?
Cherie Hu

2021-09-28

business models
macro view
streaming

Look at hard numbers, not just percentages

What DSPs won’t tell you: It’s getting harder

The shape of Web3 music communities: Internet forums with a shared bank account
Bas Grasmayer

2021-09-26

fandom
web3
startups

Understanding tech trend cycles

Lessons from music forums of the early 2000s: Hollerboard, Dogs On Acid & Ninja Tune

What happens when music communities get a shared bank account?

Radical new beginnings, drawing from history

Music livestreaming's total (un)addressable market
Cherie Hu

2021-09-21

macro view
streaming
live

The gap between VC funding and actual consumer demand for music livestreaming

The à-la-carte artist: How Drake uses variability to provide each fan with a unique experience
Denisha Kuhlor

2021-09-14

marketing
fandom

I. Embracing real-time consumption trends and shifts

II. It’s all in the timing

III. The power of the hometown hero: A localized approach

IV. Hip-hop’s chameleon: Embracing different genres as an A&R strategy

Community Member Q&A: Dave Godowsky, Head of Artist and Industry Relations at iZotope
Katherine Bassett

2021-09-07

careers
startups
Inaugural Barometer Survey: The most pressing issues in music and tech right now
Cherie HuKatherine Bassett

2021-09-07

macro view

Question 1: What excites you most about music tech right now, and why? 

Question 2: What concerns you most about music tech right now, and why? 

Question 3: What do you think is the most underrated music/tech story of the pandemic, and why?

How Spotify's new advertising strategy impacts artists
Cherie Hu

2021-08-14

business models
macro view
streaming
Why a COVID data strategy for live music doesn’t exist (yet)
Brooke JacksonCherie Hu

2021-08-08

macro view
live

Part I. The statistical relationship between COVID data and live events

Part II. The COVID data strategy that wasn’t

Part III. So what?

Are music deepfakes considered fair use?
Bradfield BiggersCherie Hu

2021-07-29

rights
ai

Breaking down the Google v. Oracle verdict

Fair-use calculus: Music is not the same as an API

Conclusion: Is music deepfake compensation possible?

Music NFT market update, Q2 2021: Sales down by over 90%, but artists are still experimenting
Cherie HuBrooke Jackson

2021-07-29

business models
macro view
web3

Summary stats

Artist and genre trends

Platform trends

Emerging use cases

Key challenges and concerns

Community Member Q&A: Michail Stangl, Head of Culture at Zora
Katherine Bassett

2021-07-29

careers
web3
A new framework for niche music streaming services
Cherie HuTyler Hayes

2021-07-23

distribution
fandom
business models
product
streaming

Breaking down the niche music streaming market

Community Member Q&A: Jennifer Bonita, Senior Manager, Artist Relations at Yousician
Katherine Bassett

2021-07-09

careers
startups
Why more music companies are paying artists’ royalties in crypto
Cherie Hu

2021-06-28

business models
web3
streaming
startups

Wide view: The rise — and risks — of crypto payroll

The root of the music NFT problem (CO:QUO panel recap)
Cherie HuKatherine Bassett

2021-06-25

macro view
web3

Crypto idealism vs. music-industry pragmatism

The myth of NFTs’ speculative value

Reconciling the tension between the highly individualized, libertarian origins of crypto and more collective practices in music

Letting artists control not only the flow of money, but also the incentives

Critique and transparency are tools for change

Inaugural Community Member Q&A: Tim Shiel, broadcaster, musician and producer
Cherie HuKatherine Bassett

2021-06-20

careers
Anatomy of a modern pop fanbase: How fans use data to build their own music marketing powerhouses
Ami PatelCherie Hu

2021-06-07

marketing
fandom
social media

The landscape: Fan accounts

How pop fans mobilize around a new release

What does this mean for music marketers?

The state of superfan engagement tools
Cherie HuBrooke Jackson

2021-05-31

marketing
fandom
product
startups

Database walkthrough

Initial takeaways and analysis: The sameness of digital VIP experiences

From Napster to now: The legacy of Y2K music piracy
Kristin Robinson

2021-05-28

macro view
streaming

Digital piracy cripples the music business

Streaming is both the solution and the problem

The legacy of Y2K music piracy: The importance of asking the right questions

2021 music tech startup deals, exits, and IPOs
Cherie Hu

2021-05-13

business models
macro view
startups

Database walkthrough

Preliminary trends

Three parallel futures for social audio
Cherie Hu

2021-05-04

product
macro view
startups
social media

I. Social audio = workflow tool for podcasters

II. Social audio = embedded community engagement tool for social media platforms

III. Social audio = standalone format for real-time creativity

So… what does this all mean for the music industry?

15 years ago, Daft Punk’s Coachella set helped spark an “arms race” for live music technology
Kristin Robinson

2021-04-29

creation
live

The technology behind Daft Punk’s Coachella set

Live music becomes a spectacle — but at what cost?

Music NFT market update, April 2021: $70.5M in sales to date
Cherie Hu

2021-04-21

business models
macro view
web3

Pricing and demand trends

Artist, label and genre trends

Platform and protocol trends

Emerging use cases for music NFTs

Top concerns and challenges for the music industry

Is Bandcamp’s new vinyl pressing service a ripoff?
Eli Enis

2021-04-14

distribution

Vinyl is growing, but the industry still faces challenges

The catch? A 25% to 250% markup

Who is Bandcamp really targeting — and what will the platform become?

Understanding music rights data: the challenges of delivering timely royalty payments to artists
Julie Knibbe

2021-04-12

rights
business models

Why is song metadata important?

The challenges of collecting and distributing publishing royalties to their rightful owners

What are the solutions — and who’s building them?

The music industry’s biggest messaging problem
Cherie Hu

2021-04-07

macro view

“DIY” music is a corporate commodity

The value of defining independence by the artist, not just by the company

Beyond the band-aid: How to create the music livestreaming platform of the future, now
Tony Hartman

2021-03-16

product
streaming
live

Why does this matter?

Business models: Artist-centric bundling & subscriptions

Business models: Sponsorship funnels

Fan features: Discoverability

Fan features: Community-driven rewards and tokens (including, yes, NFTs)

Music NFT market update, March 2021
Cherie Hu

2021-03-02

business models
macro view
web3

Sales & pricing overview

Top marketplaces & protocols

Top genres & artists

Interesting use cases for music NFTs

Challenges & critiques

Why the Target exclusive still has staying power in mainstream music
Aliya ChaudhryCherie Hu

2021-03-02

marketing
distribution
business models

The enduring relevance of retail music exclusives

Albums as merch, and collector culture as a frontline strategy

SoundCloud, “digicore” and the observer effect in emerging music scenes
Mano Sundaresan

2021-02-23

marketing
streaming

What is “digicore,” anyway?

The observer effect and genre as power

Tracking genre diversity and fluidity in the Billboard charts
Jorge RiverosMartina Verano

2021-02-08

marketing

Quantifying genre diversity and fluidity

Do traditional genre categories still play a role?

Conclusion: New ways to categorize music

Virtual reality and immersive concerts: An introductory primer
Jeremie Joubert

2021-02-07

creation
marketing
metaverse
live
Why artists are releasing "mood EPs" to game Spotify's algorithm
Eli Enis

2021-02-05

marketing
streaming
In a “genre-fluid” world, why is genre categorization still such a high-stakes business?
Denisha Kuhlor

2021-02-04

marketing

Streaming services shift the influence of genre — sort of

“Fixing” traditional genres doesn’t get at the heart of the problem

Genre hierarchies reinforce myopic views of artists’ potential

How the industry is adapting: Niche domain expertise and direct fan relationships

The 2020 Music-Tech Investment Report: A six-year low, but with genuine impact on the horizon
Cherie Hu

2021-01-29

macro view
startups

Part I. The top music startup categories of 2020

The top music-tech investors of 2020: A direct tie to socioeconomic opportunity

Olivia Rodrigo and the fall of Disney’s music machine
Kristin Robinson

2021-01-27

marketing

I. The decline of “clean teen”

II. The decline of Disney’s cable TV and radio empire

III. The decline of Hollywood Records

Modern teen stardom is its own phenomenon

The state of music NFTs and social tokens: An emerging, multimillion-dollar fan economy
Cherie Hu

2021-01-13

macro view
web3
startups

Why this matters

Pricing trends: The power of 1/1

Top NFT artists: Hip-hop and electronic remain the early adopters

Trends and platforms to watch

Conclusion: What about the long tail?

The “first-mile/last-mile” problem of making music remotely
Cherie Hu

2021-01-11

creation
startups

The first-mile/last-mile problem

Music’s first mile: Connection, feedback and spontaneity

Music’s last mile: mixing and mastering 

The importance of self-sufficiency — both now and later

Music-streaming services are losing their brand identity. Here's the visual evidence
Cherie Hu

2021-01-11

product
streaming

An explanation from design

An explanation from sociology

Three paths forward for music-streaming brands

Exclusive: What "Spotify Teardown" Means For Artists, Fans and Journalists
Cherie Hu

2021-01-11

macro view
streaming
The case for bringing more musicians and music-industry execs to VidCon
Cherie Hu

2021-01-11

marketing
"Streaming" isn't "direct-to-fan": The problem with Spotify's new Stories for Playlists feature
Cherie Hu

2021-01-11

product
streaming
Where is the Spotify of the ticketing industry?
Cherie Hu

2021-01-11

startups
live

Inventory is holding back the Spotify of ticketing

What’s the alternative?

The latest music-streaming user numbers and differentiation: What you need to know
Cherie Hu

2021-01-11

macro view
streaming
How booking agents use (and don't use) data
Cherie Hu

2021-01-11

a&r
marketing
live
Which will be a better investment, Warner Music Group stock or Spotify stock? Four factors to consider
Cherie Hu

2021-01-11

business models
macro view
The state of music workflow and collaboration apps
Cherie Hu

2021-01-11

creation
product
startups
What I learned as a "panelist" on Charli XCX's Zoom call
Cherie Hu

2021-01-11

fandom
Five major music-tech pivots happening right now
Cherie Hu

2021-01-11

macro view
startups

Background: The ten types of startup pivots — and the ones that matter most for the music business

How music professionals use data to pitch artists
Julie Knibbe

2021-01-11

a&r
marketing

The importance of storytelling when pitching an artist

How to tell a good data story

Case study: Contextualizing curator and influencer support

Case study: The nuances of online fan engagement

Case study: Do charts still matter?

Four revelations from Amazon Music's podcast plans
Cherie Hu

2021-01-11

business models
macro view
streaming

1. Organization and user experience

2. Retention

3. Rights

4. Censorship (?)

What will happen to all these music livestreaming platforms?
Cherie Hu

2021-01-11

product
macro view
streaming
live

I. Music livestreaming content

II. Music livestreaming platforms

How Nigerian fandoms helped center the #EndSARS movement
Denisha Kuhlor

2021-01-11

fandom
social media

What is #EndSARS?

Africa to the world: Using music as an opportunity for education

How social media is shifting the perception of Africa and the role of online activism

Holding artists accountable via social media

The importance of capital, community and consistency

The art and science of virtual album-release parties
Cherie HuJaelani Turner-Williams

2021-01-11

marketing
fandom
social media

What are the ingredients of an effective virtual listening party?

The legal Achilles’ heel of the catalog buyout craze: Termination rights
Bradfield Biggers

2021-01-08

rights

Termination rights: A brief overview

How termination rights can devalue a royalty investment

How royalty funds, marketplaces and investment firms should prepare

The rise of the fan-centric music streaming service
Bas Grasmayer

2021-01-04

fandom
streaming
startups

Incumbent platforms: The difference between charity and business

Newcomers: Alternative monetization sources, from curation to protocols

Conclusion: Why Spotify has to care

2020 in review: Ten takeaways from our top stories this year
Cherie Hu

2020-12-31

macro view
More major artists are starting their own labels. Don’t expect them to be any more equitable
Andrea BossiCherie Hu

2020-12-29

rights
business models

Why artists want to enter the label game

Red flag #1: Understaffed, under-informed and/or under-invested

Red flag #2: New faces on legacy contracts

The importance of artist education and advocacy

Indie labels in 2020: A surprising tale of resilience
Eli Enis

2020-12-28

rights
macro view

More fans warm up to streaming

Bandcamp proves a valuable buoy

Miscellaneous obstacles: Delayed shipping and sync opportunities

How Mexico’s YO Telco puts a new spin on music/telco partnerships
Pablo Borchi

2020-12-18

marketing

MVNO market overview: An emerging, crowded landscape

YO Telco’s pitch: Pay for your mobile data with entertainment

Challenges and opportunities: The importance of honest, targeted audience development

2020 in music and podcasts: How platforms shape programming
Cherie Hu

2020-12-16

macro view
streaming
The “waterfall” strategy for monetizing music livestreams: An updated guide for emerging artists
Maarten Walraven

2020-12-14

marketing
business models
distribution
live
streaming

But first: Back to the basics — or, WHY do you livestream?

Going down the waterfall: A more complete picture for emerging artists

The “waterfall” strategy: A new way to monetize paid concert livestreams
Maarten Walraven

2020-12-14

marketing
business models
distribution
live
streaming
When agents and promoters take the label's job (and vice versa)
Cherie Hu

2020-12-11

business models
macro view

The flattening of artist development

360 deals and the ownership dilemma

How the touring industry will use data in 2021 — even in a pandemic
Julie Knibbe

2020-12-09

marketing
macro view
live

Using data to plan and book live, face-to-face events

Before the show: Understanding fandom and evaluating an artist’s local footprint

During the show: The added dimension of health data

After the show: Remarketing to fans, within regulations

Conclusion: The evolving role of livestreaming

Why hyperpop artists are flocking to Matter
Mano Sundaresan

2020-12-07

fandom
streaming
startups

The origins of Matter: Frustration with SoundCloud

The experience: All of hyperpop’s main platforms rolled into one

Will Matter actually succeed?

What Google v. Oracle means for the music industry
Bradfield Biggers

2020-12-07

rights

Google’s arguments: A wholesale approach to fair use

Implications for music-tech: The erosion of licensing opportunities

Fair use and the DMCA contradiction: The case of “Lovebird”

Disney+, Netflix and the SVOD music rush
Aliya ChaudhryCherie Hu

2020-12-03

marketing
macro view
streaming

The SVOD perspective: Subscriber acquisition and retention

The artist and label perspective: Catalog consumption, fan acquisition — and big checks

Alternative platforms, licensing challenges and the importance of ecosystems

Signing bonuses used to run the ticketing business. What happens now?
Joe SternCherie Hu

2020-11-30

business models
live

A brief primer on signing bonuses

With Eventbrite’s bonuses down 99.9%, the middle market is opening up

Middle-market platforms explore different tech and financing solutions

Venues reevaluate their options

K-pop, cell phone ads and the future of music-tech branding
Tamar Herman

2020-11-29

marketing

From Lee Hyori to BTS: How cell phones and K-pop drive mutual stardom

Benefits for telcos: Flashier and more cost-effective marketing

Benefits for the music industry: Deeper, more integrated fan experiences

Bye, albums and EPs; hello, seven-song "projects"
Eli Enis

2020-11-24

marketing
streaming

Distribution technicalities: What counts as an “album,” anyway?

Streaming UI: Albums are “the new endcaps”

Press: Landing coverage without a traditional cycle

Will EPs fade from relevance?

The biggest misconceptions about TikTok music marketing
Brendan Kennedy

2020-11-23

marketing
social media

1. TikTok is the new radio — in the slow way, too

2. Viral distribution alone isn’t enough

15 ways to incorporate gaming into your music strategy
Cherie Hu

2020-11-20

marketing
macro view
metaverse

Gaming as a business model

Gaming as a talent and audience opportunity

Gaming as a creative tool

Gaming as a branding and narrative architecture

Conclusion: Concerns about the future of music and gaming

How Spotify’s recommendations UX might be pushing down per-stream royalty rates — even if total payouts increase
Bas Grasmayer

2020-11-17

product
business models
streaming

2013: Discover — Spotify’s early forays into personalization

2015: Discover Weekly

2020: How Spotify’s algorithms get users to listen more today

Longer sessions means lower royalties per stream

How to build a truly “fan-centric” online music experience
Jeremie Joubert

2020-11-04

marketing
fandom
macro view
social media

What does the phrase “fan experience” really mean, though?

Why current fan experiences in music fall short

Template: How to manage and optimize the online fan experience

Fan journey case study: A hypothetical EDM artist livestream

Conclusion: Making it a success

Gen Z’s take on the future of new music discovery
Kristin Robinson

2020-11-04

marketing
social media
Three patterns in big-tech companies' music strategies
Cherie Hu

2020-10-27

macro view

1. Music is (mostly) a commoditized drop in the bottom-line bucket

2. Impact = licenses + ecosystems + interfaces

3. No corporation is a monolith, but most of them are generalists

How A&Rs use data to scout and evaluate artists
Julie Knibbe

2020-10-26

a&r

How A&R use data to scout artists

Conclusion: Predicting long-term success requires a human touch

How the labels behind Mitski and Mac DeMarco navigate TikTok
Eli Enis

2020-10-20

marketing
social media

The anti-marketing marketing plan

A surprisingly laissez-faire approach to royalties

Who owns an A.I.-created song?
Tyler Hayes

2020-10-14

creation
rights
ai

The case of Boomy

Platforms setting precedents

Everyone, not just musicians

Digital music's new drop culture
Cherie Hu

2020-10-11

marketing
business models
web3

Context: Digital scarcity, drop culture and blockchain

Mechanics: Price discovery, reputation and copyright

Major labels, audiences and the consolidation of incentives
Cherie Hu

2020-10-06

business models
macro view

The consolidation of incentives

The record label perspective

The two most important parts of a media company may be corrupted

What "Record Deal Simulator" is really telling us
Cherie Hu

2020-10-01

rights
business models
startups

The main critiques

The bigger picture

The problem with play-count purgatory
Tyler Hayes

2020-09-28

distribution
business models
streaming

The importance of streaming data for artists

The delay in reporting is serious business

Hello? Is anyone there?

Ye Combinator already exists (sort of)
Cherie Hu

2020-09-22

a&r
business models
macro view

The financial gulf between music and tech

What is the end game?

Beyoncé’s 388-day album campaign and the death of premiere culture
Cherie HuMarcus Dowling

2020-09-16

marketing

History: Maximizing day one

2020: [Re]Release culture

The bigger strategic picture: Art as conversation

John Legend on Headspace: Expanding what "wellness music" can sound like
Christina Lee

2020-09-15

product
marketing
startups
Hire roadies: The case for tour managers and crew without tours
Cherie Hu

2020-09-15

careers
live
Will Hipgnosis actually work?
Cherie Hu

2020-09-11

rights
business models

I. The financial argument

II. The advocacy argument

Conclusion

Why so many music producers are starting their own Discord communities
Cherie Hu

2020-09-07

fandom
social media
startups

1. Integrations where artists are already active

2. Synchronous and asynchronous communication in one place

3. Horizontal and vertical communication in one place

4. Mutual acknowledgement as humans, not as producers or consumers

5. Creating opportunity through internal community, not external validation

How smart speakers are changing music listening
Brooke Hawkins

2020-09-04

distribution
streaming
startups

Why does Alexa care about music, anyway?

“Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company”

How does this impact music listening? 

Beyond rights: How blockchain is underpinning a new generation of artist tools
Cherie Hu

2020-08-31

business models
macro view
web3

1. Why the first iteration of blockchain-powered music products didn’t work

2. The ideological foundation for blockchain’s enduring relevance to music

The new wave of blockchain tools for artists: Three case studies

How music professionals use data to market new releases
Julie Knibbe

2020-08-31

marketing

1. Planning: Using data to evaluate potential and set goals

2. Execution: Using data in real-time to adapt and optimize campaigns

3. Reporting: Using data to report on campaign performance and uncover more insights

Spotify and Apple Music disagree on the future of radio. Who's right?
Cherie Hu

2020-08-24

marketing
distribution
streaming

Spotify’s strategy: “Linear dies and on-demand wins”

Apple Music’s strategy: “Get on our wavelength”

Who’s right?

The direct-to-fan tech stack for artists
Cherie Hu

2020-08-22

fandom
macro view
startups

Initial takeaways

Artist-facing music business software is far behind Silicon Valley
Kimberly Hou

2020-08-19

product
startups

More actionable streaming analytics

Product interoperability for metadata

Brazilian funk has made waves in the global music industry. Where does it go from here?
Raphael Tsavkko Garcia

2020-08-18

marketing

Funk’s early origins in Rio

São Paulo and the power of YouTube

Future challenges: Financial sustainability and artist development

Beyond IG Live: Three strategic case studies of artist-fan engagement
Jaelani Turner-Williams

2020-08-07

marketing
fandom
social media

Kitty Cash: World-building with Kitty’s World

Lianne La Havas: Livestreaming as album rollout & audience development

Phony Ppl: Livestreaming as community-building

A new kind of livestream narrative

The downfall of the “recording artist”: Three perspectives
Cherie Hu

2020-08-06

business models
macro view

1. Text data: Fewer people are talking about it

2. Economic data: Artists rely less on records

3. Trademark data: Artists’ brands are expanding far beyond records

End notes

Where TikTok fits in Microsoft's music strategy
Cherie Hu

2020-08-05

macro view
social media

But first… 

Antitrust law broke Microsoft’s early music dominance

Microsoft’s music streaming and download landfill

Where is Microsoft’s music and entertainment strategy today?

Where the heck does TikTok belong in this picture?

Why podcasts won't save Spotify
Kenny Ning

2020-07-31

macro view
streaming

The revenue argument

The user argument

The cost argument

Wrapping this up

Does Spotify want to be more like Netflix or like YouTube?
Cherie Hu

2020-07-30

macro view
streaming

The Netflix approach

The YouTube approach

Small music venues embrace diversified strategies for survival
Marcus Dowling

2020-07-28

macro view
live

Diversifying into food & beverage and outdoor drive-ins

The real role of livestreaming

What about long-term fundraising?

Superfan experiences reinvented — and repriced — for a digital world
Cherie Hu

2020-07-21

fandom
startups

Meet-and-greets become year-round, not seasonal, and part of a wider suite of digital fan engagement

Artists will have to reckon with their own digital value

Music-tech funding takes a hit in 2020
Cherie Hu

2020-07-15

macro view
startups

Trends to watch

Trends that are quieter than usual

The rise of the virtual livestreaming "tour"
Cherie Hu

2020-07-01

marketing
metaverse
live

Artists can sustainably tap into previously overlooked markets

Artists can strategically maintain a sense of “locality”

Virtual shows can act like press appearances for new fans…

… and/or like digital meet-and-greets with existing fans

Why record labels are not like venture-capital firms for artists
Cherie Hu

2020-06-30

rights
business models

Difference 1: Record labels are not even investors anyway

Difference 2: Label deals often impede rather than encourage entrepreneurship, especially on a repeat basis

Difference 3: (Most) labels don’t have an interest in artists’ entire companies

New data sheds light on the realities of artist management
Cherie Hu

2020-06-24

macro view

Trend #1: Artist management is more fragmented than ever — contradicting the consolidation narrative that dominates mainstream music.

Trend #2: Hip-hop remains underrepresented among the top management companies — but not when you double down on the “small-but-mighty” firms.

Trend #3: Nearly three-quarters of the artists represented by the top 1,000 management companies are male.

Will voice and audio tweets rewrite Twitter's rocky history with music?
Cherie Hu

2020-06-24

marketing
product
social media
How today’s podcast deals look a lot like yesterday’s music deals
Cherie Hu

2020-06-23

business models
macro view
streaming
Is music streaming part of the "passion economy"? It's complicated.
Cherie Hu

2020-06-19

macro view
streaming

How music streaming falls short of the passion economy’s rules

The rapid rise of paid membership models for music
Cherie Hu

2020-06-12

marketing
fandom
business models
startups

What tools are out there?

Who’s a good fit?

What can you do with a music membership?

What are alternative platforms beyond Patreon?

Membership = More work + higher margins + less scale

The major design element missing from virtual music festivals: Spatial thinking
Cherie Hu

2020-06-09

creation
metaverse
live

The role of spatiality in music experiences

2D livestreams remove the intuition of live events

A three-part spatiality framework for online music festivals

Case studies

8% of the corporate music C-suite is Black
Cherie Hu

2020-06-05

macro view

1. 8% of the corporate music C-suite is Black.

2. The flow of money is moral, not just financial.

3. We need to take equity in online events more seriously.

Poolside FM’s four-step blueprint for music curation
Cherie Hu

2020-05-31

marketing
streaming
startups

What is Poolside FM?

Lessons for music curation

Top music-industry tastemakers are hanging out in Clubhouse. Why?
Cherie Hu

2020-05-28

marketing
startups
social media

Social audio and social music listening are making a comeback

On Clubhouse, social dynamics > technology

Lessons for the music industry

How artists and managers evaluate livestreaming opportunities
Cherie Hu

2020-05-27

live
streaming

Preference

Value

Logistics

Meet the architects of music's new avatar economy
Cherie Hu

2020-05-12

marketing
metaverse

Celebrities becoming avatars

Avatars becoming celebrities

What’s the point — imagination, or efficiency?

Celebrity appeal is not a user experience
Cherie Hu

2020-05-11

marketing
product
startups

When do celeb partnerships go wrong?

A mathematical argument for focusing on emerging talent

What does a good talent strategy look like?

Why have we heard so little about Spotify's artist donation links?
Cherie Hu

2020-05-11

product
business models
streaming

1. Spotify is not prioritizing donation links in discovery or marketing.

2. Artists cannot, or do not, promote their Spotify donation links to fans.

3. Fans are not discovering and contributing to artists’ donation links on Spotify.

The state of music livestreaming discovery
Cherie Hu

2020-05-03

marketing
live
streaming
Spotify's underrated competition: Meditation apps
Cherie Hu

2020-05-01

product
distribution
streaming
startups

Lifestyles > products

The meditation apps dominating Spotify’s long-term territory

Who wins?

Digital scarcity in music: A practical introduction
Cherie Hu

2020-04-28

business models
macro view
web3

Why talk about digital scarcity now?

A framework for digital scarcity in music

Challenges in growing digitally-scarce models

The data behind music's rapid growth on Twitch
Cherie Hu

2020-04-24

marketing
streaming
live

Music & Performing Arts on Twitch: Category overview

The top music channels on Twitch

The legal underbelly of livestreaming concerts
Cherie Hu

2020-04-10

rights
live
streaming

The rights

Three different music livestreaming case studies

Additional resources

Unpacking Jefferson Studios, Warner Music Group's new podcast network
Cherie Hu

2020-03-31

rights

Comparing the podcast strategies of Warner Music vs. Sony Music

Other hybrid album/podcast projects to know

The democratization of record-label advances
Cherie Hu

2020-03-25

business models
startups

Why this trend matters

What to look out for

Long-term implications

The democratization of record label advances
Cherie Hu

2020-03-25

distribution
business models
rights
macro view
streaming
startups

Context

Disclaimers

Initial takeaways

How the normalization of remote work could transform the music business
Cherie Hu

2020-03-24

careers
macro view

The music companies best-suited to adapt

The challenges (and blessings) of remote work for music

Why is Sony Music investing so much in podcasts?
Cherie Hu

2020-03-06

business models
rights
streaming
Why Hollywood's infiltration of Silicon Valley matters
Cherie Hu

2020-03-05

business models
macro view
startups

1. Hollywood and Silicon Valley can learn from their similarities — and differences

2. Silicon Valley is helping Hollywood stars rewrite the value of their own fame

3. New tech partnerships are finally giving artists a share in the distribution of their own work

4. Diversity remains an important motivation, and challenge, among artist-investors

The most active venture capital firms in music in 2020
Cherie Hu

2020-03-03

business models
marketing
product
live
startups

Context

Initial takeaways

The new hot way to promote your album: Make a podcast
Cherie Hu

2020-02-25

marketing
streaming
The hidden trends in Warner Music Group’s IPO filing, visualized
Cherie Hu

2020-02-14

business models

But first: A financial summary

The takeaways

The startups trying — and failing? — to disrupt booking agents
Cherie Hu

2020-02-11

business models
macro view
startups
Five takeaways from Tinashe's first virtual concert
Cherie Hu

2020-01-30

marketing
metaverse

But first, a bit more background

The takeaways

The economics of 24/7 lo-fi hip-hop YouTube livestreams
Cherie Hu

2020-01-29

business models
streaming

Bonus section: Lo-fi hip-hop and touring

Update on my Downtown/FUGA distribution analysis
Cherie Hu

2020-01-28

distribution

1. FUGA’s reach is much larger than the initial chart depicted

2. A few other distribution companies warranted inclusion in the chart

So… here’s a new chart

10 ways to prototype your music
Cherie Hu

2020-01-28

creation
marketing
macro view

Live shows and DJ sets

Listening parties

Singles and mixtapes

Remixes, covers and acoustic versions

Livestreams

Teaser posts and stories on Instagram and Snapchat

Dances and challenges on short-form UGC video apps like TikTok

Crowdsourced market research and A/B testing

Dedicated Facebook/WhatsApp/Patreon groups, private fan clubs

Derivations and adaptations of videos for different audiences

Downtown Music Holdings now owns four music distributors. What's next?
Cherie Hu

2020-01-23

rights
distribution
macro view

Revisiting the market: The segmentation of music distribution

Downtown and AVL’s Wide Distribution Net

What’s next?

A new taxonomy of the music merch industry
Cherie Hu

2020-01-22

macro view
fandom
marketing
startups
merch

Context

A new music-merch taxonomy

The Music Business Rectangle: A new framework for rethinking power in the music industry
Cherie Hu

2020-01-13

rights
business models
macro view

Introducing the Music Business Rectangle: You can choose at most three corners

You (almost) can’t have it all

The power of unconventional industry players

Decoding 8tracks' demise, and what it reveals about the state of music streaming
Cherie Hu

2019-12-30

product
business models
streaming
startups

The math: The numbers behind 8tracks’ declining business

The takeaways: It’s a whole new world now

Miscellaneous takeaways

Five music-tech forecasts that misfired in 2019
Cherie Hu

2019-12-20

macro view

1. Voice and smart speakers didn’t disrupt the music industry

2. Fan clubs didn’t come back, even though a lot of people still want them to

3. VR/AR/MR for music didn’t take off, again — although a new vocabulary is emerging around “virtual entertainment”

4. Tidal and SoundCloud didn’t get acquired — but their core brand cachet continues to erode swiftly, amidst ongoing consolidation

5. Musical A.I. didn’t top the Billboard charts or steal artists’ jobs

A deep-dive into ticketing platforms
Cherie Hu

2019-12-17

product
business models
macro view
live
startups

Context

Initial Takeaways

Anatomy of an unsolicited Spotify notification
Cherie Hu

2019-12-15

product
streaming

A: “KAYTRANADA” / “top 1% fans”

B: “endless stream of their music” / “PLAY RADIO”

Notification as advertisement: The future of marketing on Spotify

The gamification of the global music business
Cherie Hu

2019-12-13

marketing
macro view
business models
metaverse
The “celestial jukebox" era is dead. What's next for music streaming?
Cherie Hu

2019-12-13

business models
macro view
streaming

But first: A brief history of the “celestial jukebox”

The celestial tollbooth: Market control

The “managed marketplace”: Technological control

Alternative metaphors: From objective to subjective value

The paradox: Are these actually disruptive?

Corporate brand record labels
Cherie Hu

2019-11-21

marketing
rights
business models
The state of music-tech startups, through the lens of its top investors
Cherie Hu

2019-11-07

product
macro view
startups

But first: A reality check on music’s market size

Redefining the “music-tech” company

How much should artists get involved in building a music startup?

Tl;dr tactical advice: Please know your shit

Will podcast playlists elevate the microcast?
Cherie Hu

2019-10-15

marketing
streaming
"Rhythm + Flow" Proves Netflix Is Done With Niche
Cherie Hu

2019-10-12

marketing
streaming

Netflix Is Becoming Its Own Commentator

Where is the artist development in India's music industry?
Cherie Hu

2019-08-31

a&r
"Willingness to pay" for music in India: It's not low, but it's complicated
Cherie Hu

2019-08-26

business models
streaming
Four initial observations on India's music industry
Cherie Hu

2019-08-25

macro view
Equity crowdfunding for indie artists: An overview of emerging models (and why it's so hard to make them work)
Cherie Hu

2019-08-08

business models
macro view
startups

Cool. But will these models actually work?

No, equity crowdfunding won’t replace labels — but it can be a powerful stepping stone

Why brand deals are primary, not supplementary, revenue sources for Indian artists
Cherie Hu

2019-08-01

marketing
business models
The heavily skewed music-tech startup landscape in India
Cherie Hu

2019-08-01

macro view
startups
Apple Music and exclusive podcasts: a primer
Cherie Hu

2019-07-23

business models
streaming
The music industry needs its own "no-code" awakening
Cherie Hu

2019-07-11

creation
macro view
startups

The “no-code” movement in tech: A brief primer

What is the equivalent of a “no-code” marketplace for music?

The problem: “Rapid prototyping” won’t give you a hit song

What kinds of artists — and companies — win out in a “no-code” music world?

Software will raise the floor of creativity — but humans need to raise the ceiling

Why hasn’t the music industry’s pro-UGC mentality translated to merch?
Cherie Hu

2019-07-07

marketing
fandom
merch

Traditional artist merch is “official,” “high-end” and wholly owned

The “micro-licensing” gap between digital music and physical retail

What would a solution look like — and what examples already exist?

Beyond music: UGM inspiration from other industries

In conclusion: the existing solutions aren’t perfect, but almost all the tech required for UGM is there

Streaming services finally care more about old* music
Cherie Hu

2019-06-27

rights
marketing
streaming

Catalog: The (forgotten) gift that keeps on giving

Why are streaming services finally taking catalog more seriously?

Metadata is to catalog what impressions are to frontline

The Messy Mystery of Spotify’s “This Is” Playlists
Cherie Hu

2019-06-24

marketing
streaming

Spotify’s search function prioritizes “This Is” playlists above nearly everything else

Who qualifies for a “This Is” playlist?

Who gets a hand-curated “This Is” playlist?

Unclear standards for hand-curated vs. algorithmic “This Is” playlists: Key themes

How much control do artists really have over their marketing on streaming services?

The inevitable onslaught of music podcast spam
Cherie Hu

2019-06-03

distribution
streaming

The bigger picture: Podcasts as vehicles for content infringement

What Stem’s upheaval reveals about music distribution’s new “middle tier”
Cherie Hu

2019-06-02

distribution
startups

Why did Stem decide to let go of the majority of its customers?

Visualizing distribution’s new “middle tier” — and where Stem fits in