A new era of music fluidity is here

Blog post by Tatiana Cirisano

23 May 2023

music fandom

user-generated content

social media

What do AI Drake, adaptive music, and TikTok open-verse challenges have in common? All reflect a major shift of music consumption from a passive, static, and uni-directional experience to an active, dynamic,...

Read more …

YouTube’s podcast push raises the question: what actually is a podcast?

Blog post by Annie Langston

18 May 2023

Spotify

YouTube

TikTok

Podcast videos have been all the rage as of late, with YouTube officially launching its podcast vertical — although Bloomberg reports that NPR, Slate, and The New York Times have struggled to kickstart...

Read more …

Social content platforms are set to compete with everything in entertainment

Blog post by Hanna Kahlert

17 May 2023

social

twitter

TikTok

Or at least, they will try to. TikTok is already a hub of creativity and consumption to match the changing preferences of a digital-native (and increasingly mobile-first) generation who have spent much...

Read more …

BeReal: The app’s missed entertainment-fandom opportunity

Blog post by Ashleigh Millar

10 May 2023

BeReal

snapchat

instagram

By the end of 2022, the novelty of BeReal’s uniquely ‘authentic’ take on social media was spreading like wildfire across the internet. Consumers and the industry alike were watching closely to see...

Read more …

Live streams won’t steal ticket sales, but social just might

Blog post by Tatiana Cirisano

18 Apr 2023

live streaming

coachella

music festivals

Frank Ocean’s headlining Coachella set on Sunday night was one of the most-anticipated sets ever, not least because the elusive singer has not performed publicly since 2017, but also because the performance...

Read more …

Music streaming’s looming generational blind spot

Blog post by Tatiana Cirisano

6 Apr 2023

music streaming

millennials

gen z

Music streaming platforms have clamoured to attract Gen Z, with good reason. The cool, new kids out-stream everyone and are pioneering new ways to engage with music, yet they are spending more time on...

Read more …

Why TikTok and the future of social is now on trial

Blog post by Hanna Kahlert

5 Apr 2023

TikTok

social

twitter

The last two weeks have seen social platforms, especially TikTok, abuzz with clips of TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew’s hearing before the US congress, answering lawmakers’ questions about the social media...

Read more …

Swift and Healy set the tone for live music in the 2020s

Blog post by Ashleigh Millar

23 Mar 2023

taylor swift

the 1975

Marketing

When P!nk released her Greatest Hits…So Far! album back in 2010, radio show presenters were quick to respond by discussing what they believed would become the death of her career. According to them,...

Read more …

Why TikTok is pushing YouTube into becoming the digital version of broadcast

Blog post by Hanna Kahlert

15 Mar 2023

YouTube

TikTok

Video

Social (short-form) video is barely two-decades old, having broken away from traditional TV shows and films by innovating for the digital-first world we now live in. While YouTube was the original innovator,...

Read more …

Why TikTok and YouTube are poised to capture smart TV viewing

Blog post by Ben Woods

14 Mar 2023

social video

Smart TV

YouTube

The entertainment consumption habits of Gen Z remain an ongoing source of anxiety for traditional media companies. They are digital natives who mix up their social media bingeing by watching big-budget...

Read more …

Spotify’s vertical feed could change music discovery, but not for the reason you think

Blog post by Tatiana Cirisano

9 Mar 2023

music streaming

Spotify

Soundcloud

Just a few years ago, Spotify’s Rap Caviar playlist was a harbinger for culture. But a lot has changed. Artists want (and need) to build deeper relationships with fans, and gen Z consumers want more...

Read more …

Snapchat and TikTok: The hAIghs and the lows of AI in social

Blog post by Ashleigh Millar

9 Mar 2023

snapchat

Media and Marketing

Marketing Strategy

Thanks to the record-breaking success of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, all eyes are on artificial intelligence. From generative AI to social media filters, consumers have a growing expectation from entertainment,...

Read more …

Spotify’s Stream On event recycles podcast features in a new feed

Blog post by Annie Langston

9 Mar 2023

Spotify

Podcasts

creators

At Spotify’s annual Stream On event, the company announced a new, TikTok-style home screen and various “new” podcast features. Following the podcast investment boom, platforms need experimentation...

Read more …

YouTube Music’s podcast launch reveals competitive agenda with Spotify

Blog post by Annie Langston

1 Mar 2023

Podcasts

YouTube

youtube music

After months of speculation , YouTube has officially launched podcasts — on YouTube Music . This U.S.-only launch includes both audio and video podcasts, making podcasts that were already on YouTube...

Read more …

YouTube’s new king must reclaim the title of social video’s great innovator

Blog post by Ben Woods

23 Feb 2023

social video

yotube

FAST

YouTube’s changing of the guard has brought forward a stark reality: the social video platform responsible for a seismic shift in how video is created, monetised, and distributed is now looking and feeling...

Read more …

Should streaming take a cue from TikTok’s revamped creator program?

Blog post by Tatiana Cirisano

23 Feb 2023

music streaming

Spotify

music industry

A year ago, VidCon co-founder and vlogger Hank Green posted a viral YouTube video lambasting TikTok’s $1 billion Creator Fund, claiming it delivered chump change to videos with millions of views. The...

Read more …

Blue ticks and adverts and meta (AI)!

Blog post by Ashleigh Millar

14 Feb 2023

AI

Media and Marketing

Marketing Strategy

Another Super Bowl Sunday (and half-time show) has left us as quickly as it arrived. [SPOILER] Chiefs won 38 to 35, Rihanna’s “surprise guest” was in fact her baby bump, and Fox Sports reported that...

Read more …

With its Australia experiment, TikTok gives the music industry the ultimate test

Blog post by Tatiana Cirisano

9 Feb 2023

TikTok

social media

independent music

Licensing negotiations between platforms and the music industry come down to one question: which side needs the other more? The more that TikTok needs hit music to attract users, the more leverage the...

Read more …

How radio broadcasters can become key players in the podcast market chessboard

Blog post by Annie Langston

8 Feb 2023

Radio

Spotify

BBC

Last week, Spotify announced an exclusive podcast deal with journalist Louis Theroux , one of BBC’s most notable personalities. Theroux is the latest radio talent to make the move to podcasting, which...

Read more …

What Spotify’s podcast layoffs indicate about the changing audio market

Blog post by Annie Langston

1 Feb 2023

Spotify

advertising

YouTube

For the last few years, audio companies have funnelled millions of dollars into the podcast market. Yet, the economic recession indicates that the boom of investment into podcasts may be reaching its peak....

Read more …