It’s important to reconcile the past in order to understand the future. History doesn’t necessarily repeat itself, but it does have a rhythm and a rhyme. As we finish out the year, I want to give a proper look-back before we zoom forward.For some context, Beats + Bytes is our industry love letter; our weekly mixtape that breaks down what's happening at the cross section of music, technology, and brand marketing. Each week we fuse what’s happening with our insights and insider information as we tie together our vision for where things are headed.Today, I’ve synthesized all of our 2024 newsletters and put together a snapshot of ideas that sync the key themes.The creator economy is defining this era’s new brands. Musicians are the ultimate creators and the brand-slash-music relationship continues to expand.Music is more ubiquitous than ever. More people are making and releasing music and songs remain a top passion point for consumers. The relevance of music – when it comes to selling products and impactful collaborations – is unmatched.There were many fantastic examples of artistry making waves this year. There were breakout stars, superstar albums, genre-bending collaborations, major beefs, and so much more. But when we look back at who and what was covered the most, it had to be Charli XCX, who went from an underground queen to a bright green mainstream machine, churning out pop culture moments and a bevy of savvy collaborations. She reminded us – seemingly every week – that Brat Summer had been extended.This was enabled, in part, by culture’s ability to spread faster and faster. Technological advances like AI, live experiences, gaming, social media, AR/VR, and blockchain have unlocked new worlds of opportunity. If you read about it in the newspaper, it’s yesterday’s news. This goes for macro, micro, and digital level developments. It is vital to move at the speed of the feed to stay in the conversation.Media as we know it has shifted. Disintermediated voices – the newsletter writers, the podcasters, the streamers – dominate the zeitgeist. The intimacy of being in your ear buds or your inbox allows these voices to connect in meaningful ways, thus changing the media landscape for good. We touch on these and other key points in our 2024 Beats + Bytes Trend Report.As the year wraps, it's fun to think about how to thrive in 2025. There are many signs that point to more growth for the music industry and the impact that brands and advertisers can have in this world. We’re cleaning out our inboxes and doing deep thinking to shape our thesis for the new year. We’ll be right back after the holidays to set the tone for 2025.In the meantime, we wish you a wonderful break and a clear, fresh feeling as you head into the holidays. Thank you for your readership, continued support, and contributions to making this industry a better, more exciting, more equitable space.
BEATS
Nue Agency Founder Jesse Kirshbaum Says Brands Should Pay Attention to Music Culture With Nue Agency and its accompanying weekly newsletter Beats + Bytes, music marketer and talent agent Jesse Kirshbaum explores the intersection of music, technology, and brand marketing (Adweek).
Bandsintown High Notes: Ultimate Recap of Live Music in 2024 is here!Starting today, fans will receive Bandsintown High Notes, a summary of the shows and venues they went to, new artists they followed, genres they favored, and more. They’ll also be able to compare their preferences to others in Bandsintown’s rapidly growing community of 93 million registered live music fans (Hypebot).
GOLF WANG and NFL Link Up for Collaborative CollectionTyler, the Creator has been keeping busy as the end of the year nears. Shortly after revealing GOLF WANG‘s Fall/Winter 2024 collection and its collaboration with Lewis Hamilton on a racing capsule, the CHROMAKOPIA artist is already gearing up for a new release (Hypebeast).
Levi’s Brings Bob Dylan’s Wardrobe to Life with ‘A Complete Unknown’ CollabIn addition to assisting with costumes for the film, the denim brand will also release a capsule collection inspired by actual Levi’s items worn by the musician in the 1960s (Business of Fashion).
Stationhead on the ‘Intimacy and Exclusivity’ of Voice NotesThe idea of music artists recording messages for their fans isn’t new. Pandora launched its ‘Artist Audio Messaging’ feature back in 2015; video thank-yous from artists are now a staple of Spotify’s annual Wrapped promo; and Cameo remains a thing. Stationhead has artist messages too. Originally launched as a way for anyone to broadcast their own radio station, the service has evolved into a platform used by a number of top-tier artists to play DJ and promote their new music too (Music Ally).
WPP, Universal Music Group Partner to Deepen Brands’ Access to Music CultureUniversal Music Group (UMG) has partnered with WPP to give the agency network’s clients deeper access to popular artists and an extensive music catalog for marketing purposes, according to a press release. Brands working with WPP will also be able to tap into UMG’s global data and insights team to keep a pulse on cultural trends. UMG artists, in turn, will be able to receive more significant commercial opportunities via the ad-holding group (Marketing Dive).
In Major AI Deal, YouTube Teams With CAA to Give Celebrities Control Over Likenesses In a major deal that could have implications for the broader use of generative artificial intelligence in Hollywood, YouTube and CAA are teaming up on tools that will let celebrities manage their likenesses on the platform, including on videos that may use generative AI to recreate a star’s appearance (Hollywood Reporter).
Best Moments From J. Cole’s NYC Madison Square Garden ‘Forest Hills Drive’ ConcertA decade ago, J. Cole unleashed his career-defining third studio album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive. The North Carolina rapper celebrated the 6x Platinum LP’s 10-year anniversary with a show at NYC’s iconic Madison Square Garden last night (Dec. 16). Announced just two weeks prior, the “one night only” affair was a hot ticket event taking place in the Big Apple (VIBE).
BYTES
I had the privilege of being interviewed by Bob Lefsetz, a true pioneer in the music industry and someone I consider the original newsletter guru. We have a history together that spans years, filled with great moments. It was truly an honor to share my journey with someone who has documented the music business so brilliantly.
They grew up listening to hip-hop, rock, and R&B in the streets, while absorbing every kind of Latin music at home. This multicultural foundation shaped their artistic expression, leading to groundbreaking collaborations like pairing an all-female Mariachi group with Ghostface Killah, where Latin Grammy winner Mireya Ramos's mariachi rendition of "Caras Lindas" even inspired Ghost to speak Spanish.
Less than a month after Apple revealed the 45 finalists in its 2024 App Store Awards, the company has unveiled the 17 winners. These include the best apps and games for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and the Apple Vision Pro (Digital Music News).
Ahead of the highly anticipated big-screen debut of “Mufasa: The Lion King,” on Dec. 20th, Walt Disney Records released Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King Deluxe Edition featuring a score from composer Dave Metzger. The original songs were written by Grammy/Tony/Emmy Award winner and Kennedy Center Honor recipient Lin-Manuel Miranda, and produced by Grammy Award winner Mark Mancina and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
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!