With CES sparsely attended this year, Sundance going fully virtual, the Grammys postponed to Spring, the Superbowl potentially pushed to Texas, and Frieze being put on freeze (for now), the story of 2022 so far is large scale events getting omicrushed.Still, the desire to connect is high as the culture around Web3 is driving tons of collaboration and concepts. It remains an exciting time. My strategy? Livestream if you’re going big and keep it intimate in person.This weekend in Miami, a bunch of us got together for our first Web3 happy hour. It was really nice to get a crew together in person to exchange ideas. I’m in New York next week where Nue is putting together a NFT Talk at a secret location on Monday (1/17). I’m moderating, Alex is speaking, and some great guests are joining us on stage to discuss the intersection of Music and Web3.Whether you're a seasoned expert with multiple Bored Apes or a curious noob eager to learn more, this talk will have something for you. We’ll cover all of the latest trends, cultural topics, and market activity. Come build with our Beats & Bytes community! You’ll walk away with some new utility, some alpha, and maybe even a POAP.The paradigm is shifting and the landscape is being built in real time. If you’re around and up for some IRL connection, reach out and we’ll get you an invite. 630pm-9pm in the LES.
BEATS
Nas Nft Song Drop Causes Snkrs App-Level Hysteria As Site CrashesNas made a splash in the non-fungible token (NFT) world when he announced last week he was teaming up with blockchain-powered platform Royal. The collaboration offered fans the chance to obtain streaming royalty rights to Nas’s King’s Disease and King’s Disease II tracks, “Ultra Black” and “Rare.” (HipHopDX)
Catch ’22: A Complete* List Of Absolutely Everything The Music Business Needs To Fix Or Get Rid Of In 2022 (*Almost)Fans of chronology will almost certainly have noticed by now that it is a new year. This is traditionally a time for ablution, scouring the past and treating the calendar as a palimpsest where one can set some goals (some noble, some not always achievable) for the 12 months ahead. (Music Business Worldwide)
Cher’s Ugg Campaign Causes 1,280% Spike in Demand for California Footwear CompanyCher is living her best life in the new campaign for Ugg, which sees the music and fashion icon lounging in her gorgeous Malibu home while wearing the brand’s classic mini boot and coquette slippers. (Variety)
The 62 Most Anticipated Tours of 2022: Adele, Bad Bunny, Dua Lipa, Tyler, the Creator, and MoreThe year 2022 appears to be a lightning rod for live music—massive reunions delayed by the first pandemic shutdown, the world’s biggest pop stars finally traveling behind their 2021 albums, and indie rock stalwarts playing shows as they put out new music. (Pitchfork)
Meta's Musical Acts Off To Slow StartMeta held three virtual reality concerts in December and while headliner David Guetta attracted 1 million viewers on New Year's Eve, the other two acts had much lower numbers. Rapper Young Thug, who performed on Dec. 26, had about 100,000 attendees, writes Futurism, and The Chainsmokers’ NYE performance appears to have been removed from Facebook all together. (Bobby Armstrong)
Tech Gets Humanized at CES 2022Among the companies missing from the show floor were Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Twitter, IBM, Intel, Procter & Gamble, GM, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, to name a few. Their absence not only left many booths unattended, but also contributed to a notably subdued air, without their flashy installations that mark many of the show’s usual main attractions. (Wunderman Thompson)
Behind Water & Music’s First $STREAM AirdropWater & Music just took a *major* step towards transitioning from a primarily Web2 membership into a Web3-enabled, community-stewarded research collective. Over 300 people now hold the token, $STREAM. Here's an in-depth look at who holds it and why. (Cherie Hu)
The Optimal Token DistributionThe core tenant of any web3 project is a token. Lauren Stephanian and Cooper Turley explore key trends to find the optimal distribution. Here’s what they found (a thread). (Cooper Turley)
At Least $5 Billion Was Spent On Music Rights Acquisitions In 2021. Could 2022 Be Even Bigger? The music rights market was on fire in 2021. MBW estimates – based on confirmed prices and information from industry sources – that at least $5.05 billion was spent on catalog and music rights acquisitions across the 60-plus big-money deals we reported on during last year. (Music Business Worldwide)
Over 73% Of The Us Music Market Is Now Claimed By Catalog Records, Rather Than New ReleasesThe short version: according to MBW analysis* based on these new MRC Data figures, catalog music claimed 73.1% of the US music consumption market in the second half of 2021. (Music Business Worldwide)
BYTES
With two million sounds and four million users, Splice has become the go-to for hitmakers and novices alike and its DNA can be heard on songs by some of the most popular artists of today, like Dua Lipa, Justin Bieber, Doja Cat, Bad Bunny and even, rumor has it, Adele.
Andy Mooney, Fender CEO, joins 'The Exchange' to discuss the surge in demand for guitars since the onset of the pandemic. He also talks about how the company is addressing various supply chain disruptions.
The Smile, the new group comprising Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood and Sons Of Kemet’s Tom Skinner, will play three consecutive live shows within twenty-four hours at Magazine London, in the heart of London’s Docklands, on January 29 and 30.
Time and time again, new rappers have proven to be the saving grace for the future of Rap music. It doesn’t matter if their energy is referred to as “TikTok” Rap or a trendier term, the game can always count on the newcomers to impact Hip Hop history.
This week's newsletter was carefully curated by the Nue Agency staff and our editor Rachel Meisner. If you think we missed something this week or have any suggestions/comments for next week's newsletter, let us know!