Product Strategy | MIDiA Research

Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse and the blending of fan and franchise

Hanna Kahlert

3 Jan 2024

Long known for its tight hold on copyright, Disney is seeing one of its core characters – the 1928 version of Mickey Mouse – enter the public domain, presenting an excellent case study for the role...

min read

Sony is tapping its core media fusion opportunity. Here is why:

Tim Mulligan

11 Oct 2023

Sony

Media Fusion

cross entertainment

In March 2023, MIDiA wrote a report on the increasing media fusion emerging between gamers and video streaming. In rebooting video fandom we argued that gamers were now both shaping and being targeted...

min read

Streaming is missing cultural moments, and superstars know it

Kriss Thakrar

11 Oct 2023

Streaming

Fandom

Superfans

In the modern music industry, a near constant supply of music is expected to succeed on streaming platforms . Drake is one of the best examples of this: since 2015 he has released an album every year,...

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BlackPink, superfans and the video game threat to social video and streaming TV

Ben Woods

1 Sep 2023

Fandom

Superfans

streaming tv

Being an entertainment fan in the modern era can be a disjointed experience. Take Star Wars . A fan of the long-standing sci-fi franchise must invest significant amounts of time and money across multiple...

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A new era of ‘fan-made’ music is about to begin

Kriss Thakrar

30 Aug 2023

Tik Tok

TikTok Music

creator tools

Since MIDiA’s comments on TikTok’s music production ambitions more than two years ago, a lot has changed. Consumers have become bolder and more engaged in playing an active role in their music consumption....

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The state and future of music fandom
Unleashing fan creativity

Cover image for The state and future of music fandom

Tatiana Cirisano

August 2023

Spotify

YouTube

Soundcloud

Streaming is buckling under the weight of new music being released every day, listenership is fragmenting, and artificial intelligence is poised to intensify these challenges. The music industry’s next...

Don’t be fooled by the streams that it’s got, it’s still hip hop from the block

Kriss Thakrar

15 Aug 2023

live music

hip hop

Fandom

Over its 50 years, hip hop has gone from a block party in the Bronx to a conquering global culture. It now accounts for almost a quarter of Spotify streams , with three-quarters of users listening to hip...

min read

Superfans may not be super enough

Mark Mulligan

4 Aug 2023

Fandom

monetizing fandom

Superfans

There has been a lot of talk recently of music superfans and how they may be the shining light of the industry’s future. Little surprise, given how record labels are trying to establish superfans as...

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DAZN bets on sports streaming future being driven by fandom

Ben Woods

3 Aug 2023

SVOD

streaming tv

merchandise

The streaming-TV industry has an engagement question to answer. Of late, the dominant services have been preoccupied with soothing investor concerns over the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on subscriptions....

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BBC Radio 1’s Giant DJ Hunt shows what radio does right

Annie Langston

26 Jul 2023

BBC

Greg James

Fandom

What would happen if one of the biggest radio stations in the world shut down? BBC Radio 1 turned off midday last Friday because Radio 1 host Greg James failed Radio 1’s Giant DJ Hunt. In this scavenger...

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How live music will change in the next decade

Tatiana Cirisano

20 Jul 2023

live music

touring

live audiences

The pandemic sent shock waves through the live music industry — a historic, catastrophic disruption to a decades-old business. But just because touring is back, does not mean that we are in the clear....

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AI and the future of music
The future is already here

Cover image for AI and the future of music

Mark Mulligan, Hanna Kahlert and Tatiana Cirisano

May 2023

Spotify

Soundcloud

Netflix

Unlike most new technology hype cycles, the impact that artificial intelligence (AI) has on the world is already surpassing expectations. Within the music industry, AI will largely be an enabler and accelerant...

Netflix’s risk averse strategy is right for the retention age

Ben Woods

12 Apr 2023

streaming tv

Netflix

Stranger Things

Netflix is known for its fearless approach to financing new movies and shows. And yet the recent flurry of press coverage suggests the streaming TV service behind Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is now...

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Sports broadcasting is ripe for disruption…and creators know it

Ben Woods

4 Apr 2023

Twitch

Kings League

soccer

The former Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique made a surprising claim last month (March 2023). To promote his Twitch football channel, the Kings League, the retired centre back unfurled a giant banner in...

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Why AI music may make fandom even more important

Tatiana Cirisano

22 Mar 2023

artificial intelligence

fragmented fandom

record labels

Artificial intelligence (AI) was as hot a topic as ever at last week’s SXSW conference, where debate swirled around how human artists will compete with AI-generated music. As more parts of music-making...

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Hybrid live streaming provides new opportunities to build authentic global fanbases

Srishti Das

22 Mar 2023

live music

hybrid live streaming

live streaming

July 2022 saw Boiler Room’s hands in one of the most iconic dance music / pop culture crossovers that led to the era of “Fred againia”. Fred again..’s Boiler Room set has (so far) garnered 16...

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

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...

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The industry’s narrative is not always the same as the artist's narrative: Redefining success for independent artists

Keith Jopling

6 Mar 2023

Streaming

Creator Economy

Marketing

Last weekend, there was a fascinating quote from Maseo of hip hop legends De La Soul in the UK Guardian: “On our second album, we learned the importance of controlling the narrative. I learned early...

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The way AI isn’t used will have a bigger impact on music than how it is used

Kriss Thakrar

2 Mar 2023

artificial intelligence

creator tools

Fandom

One of the most immediate disruptions of ChatGPT has been in the SEO world. Writing content for Google rankings can be a largely formulaic process of finding and incorporating the right keywords. With...

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Podcasts and radio
How radio can play by its own rules

Annie Langston

March 2023

Spotify

live

Radio

Radio set the stage for music streaming and podcasts, only to watch them take portions of its audience. However, there is a clear opportunity for radio companies to assert themselves in the podcast market,...