Social is the new entertainment; enter MIDiA’s new social vertical

Social platforms are now inextricable from the digital world and every aspect of entertainment. 

Fans and A&Rs alike discover new music on social platforms. Marketing strategies for artists and concerts are dependent on ads side-by-side with user stories. Social strategy is make-or-break for most new artists. This goes beyond the music world; new TV shows and movies must market on social platforms and also fight their episodes being broken up into 2-minute clips and posted illegitimately. The pipeline to formal production can be direct, too: Amazon has signed social star MrBeast to create his own show, and greenlit animated shows like Hazbin Hotel that were originally piloted on YouTube. 

Social platforms are often merely considered ‘tools’ for artists and marketers to use for their benefit. Yet under-25s spend more time per week on social media than they do watching TV or listening to music on streaming (source: MIDiA Research Consumer Survey, Q4 2023). There is more to the story. 

Social platform monetisation models revolve around advertising, which requires eyes on screens. As such, while forms of entertainment with subscription models can prioritise quality of time over quantity of time, social needs time spend to keep growing – and there are only so many hours in a day. As a result, it inherently competes with the same entertainment it offers a marketing platform for.

In turn, social platforms are turning to a more entertainment-centric model, with increased strategic priority on creators – the minority who make the majority of content on the platforms (markedly, for free). As AI-generated content booms, competition becomes ever fiercer, and the creator economy becomes a top priority (and economic opportunity), social platforms stand to benefit the most, while more traditional forms of entertainment distribution and creation are challenged. 

Whether you are a social creator, marketing strategist, label looking to future-proof strategy, DSP on the lookout for time-spend competition, or social platform executive needing to understand your competitors, the workings of social are need-to-know. And that is why MIDiA has launched its official ‘social’ marketplace coverage.

Focusing on the social world as its own entity allows us to explore an emerging marketplace, follow the consumer behaviours it is driving, and offer strategic advice on how to work with them or compete amongst them. From big picture coverage like the death of the town square, to deep-dives into audience behaviour, and underpinning themes of AI use and the rise of niche cultural scenes, our coverage will prepare you for a world led by social. 

Get in touch to learn more about our social coverage, and how you can stay updated with the latest data, insights, and strategic know-how for the next era of digital entertainment.