I had the privilege of attending the W Music Summit last week in Austin, TX. The Summit, lead by Pablo Henderson, shed light on how W intends to enhance its brand through music.From a newly minted record label (W Records), to on-site music studios (Sound Suites, to a music festival concept (Wake Up Call) and a partnership with the digital platform Mixcloud called Artist First, it’s all very progressive.I was also excited by the innovations in their new app. Imagine playlist curation and customization on a whole new level, with big music discovery opportunities through Soundtrack Your Brand, a program built off of Spotify.My big takeaway? Despite having all of these amazing irons in the fire, they’re still taking the time to solicit feedback and expert insight. I commend the W Hotels & Marriott teams for being bold enough to experiment but open enough to learn. It’s refreshing to see a brand as sexy and coveted as W trying new things. This isn’t one big bet on a star artist, where the partnership could come and go in a tour stop. It’s a commitment to programming that will undoubtedly have lasting positive effects on the brand.While there, I recorded a live version of the Marriot Traveler podcast. Stay tuned for that!
BEATS
Four Ways The Business Of Music Videos Will Transform In 2019 Overall, during the "golden age" of recorded music in the last two decades of the 20th century, videos and live tours were often treated as advertisements for albums—prioritizing the commercial performance of the audio over that of the visual. Nowadays, it's the other way around. (Forbes)
Where Do Music Festivals Go Now?Over the next few years, we’re likely to bear witness to fond remembrances and supersized celebrations as some of the biggest North American music festivals achieve a point of longevity meriting acknowledgment. (Vulture)
The Lazarus Effect: How the Music Industry Saved ItselfThe collapse of HMV looks like a nail in the coffin for a music industry long declared “dead”. But music sales are higher than in the glory days of Britpop.(Billboard)
What Netflix’s Choose-Your-Own-Soundtrack Paradigm Reveals About The Future of the Music IndustryWhat if you could choose the soundtrack to your favorite film or TV show? Or what if a movie on a streaming service could personalize its soundtrack algorithmically to your tastes – and monitor your consumption behavior to inform future curation? (Music Business Worldwide)
Why Spotify Is Not a Music Company Despite the fact that Spotify’s financial trajectory seems tightly tethered to paying musicians, it’s ultimately not in the music business; it’s in the streaming business. (Medium)
New Report Illustrates How Modern Record Labels Remade Themselves in the Streaming Era The digital revolution in music meant that anyone with a creative spark and a computer could make and distribute a song. While terrifically empowering, this led to an avalanche of new music dumped online every week – paradoxically making it harder for musicians to connect with audiences. (Musonomics)
The Best Music Documentaries on Netflix Right NowNetflix has plenty of great options for music fans. Whether you want to dive deep into an obscure subgenre from a continent you've never been to, or you just want to watch Taylor Swift's new concert film during a lunch break, there is a music documentary waiting for you. (Complex)
Sony Unveils the 'Future of Music' With 360 Reality Audio at CES 2019 If Sony has its way, in the not too distant future we won't just listen to music -- we will experience it 360 degrees. Similar to that feeling of first walking into a massive concert with the pulse of bass under your feet and sound vibrating through your body, Sony's new immersive multi-channel 360 Reality Audio format is 3D for your ears. (Billboard)
The Five Trends That Shaped the Year in MusicThe Ringer’s Micah Peters puts together five trends present in music in 2018. The question remains: Will these trends continue in 2019? (Ringer)
BYTES
Scott brings on a guest-host, his NYU colleague and bestselling author Jonathan Haidt. They talk about Amazon surpassing Apple as the world's most valuable company.
Grammy winner Gary Clark Jr. has released a compelling new music video for his single "This Land," which is the title track of his upcoming studio album.
HillyDilly began as a music blog dedicated to unearthing new sounds and emerging artists and now has its own app so you that you can continue your music discovery on the go.
In a striking, single-shot video, acclaimed producer/songwriter/performer Maggie Rogers performs her No. 1 single, “Light On,” with 50 fans and guitarist Elle Puckett. Produced by La Blogothèque, the video was filmed last November in Paris and directed by Elie Girad.
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!