I just returned from a few awesome days at SXSW.I had a blast workshopping new ideas, seeing old friends, meeting rising stars, and connecting with colleagues and clients. We generated a heap of new leads and heard about what’s next as we head into a pivotal year of technological advances and global transformation.It’s tipping point time in tech. The world is changing and tech is razor focused on changing it for the better. SXSW still has “it,” although “it” is different now. “It” is much more manageable. “It” is much more contained. But “it” is still completely taking over downtown Austin.The conversations ranged from tech’s ability to cure cancer (feels very possible!); to AI and it’s true use cases; to the expansion of self-driving cars; to functional wellness and the blue sky of tea culture. I went deep on expanding successful business models to reinvent education. I watched the CEO of Beyond Meat and the founder of Theragun tell their stories and share their thesis in an intimate setting. There was brilliant dialogue about Blockchain and how it pertains to crypto, plus lots of fresh talk about companies building for the new spacial audio, AR/VR, and the metaverse. A fundamental, generational divide has developed between Web2 to Web3.The group chats were white hot, but it wasn’t the same gross era of FOMO driving hot ideas and shiny founders being funded on the spot. We’re all coming off a cultural correction and, with the froth gone, the market feels smarter now. This year was about ideas exchange and panels that actually drew crowds. Gone are the days of 3D Oreo printers and Lady Gaga Doritos vending machines. Tech felt completely separated from Music for the first time.The best activation I saw was from the Delta Sky Lounge. I love a sky lounge and a nice reprise on a long travel day. I called the Delta Sky Lounge “the Soho House of every airport” for years. Clearly, others feel the affinity, too. The lines were down the block…for medallion holders only. There were no performers or any type of ancillary draw, it was just fans of the brand. Inside felt like “newstolgia” at its best. There were posters from the glory days of commercial air travel mixed with promos of new technology that Delta is bringing to the future of flight. And the merch was fire (don’t @ me). Shouts to ’47 Brand on the hat collab and Team Epiphany for making it feel truly cool.I also thoroughly enjoyed the iHeart Podcast Awards. Podcast culture had a big presence at SXSW and it was smart for iHeart to bundle it up with an award show honoring the hottest, most relevant players. Mixing and mingling with Shannon Sharpe, Bobbi Althoff, Jay Shetty, and Prof G felt more relevant to me than, say, a VMAs afterparty. These stars are dominating our “ear waves” at this very moment.Beyond SXSW, Austin continues to amaze. It feels like a mecca of health and wellness with great food and local commerce to boot. SXSW did to Austin what Art Basel did to Miami, but the onus is always on the city to expand on the boom. Austin really managed the pandemic well and has reached a new peak, even by its high standards. It’s never a bad time to get weird in the 512.
BYTES
House Passes Bill to Force TikTok Sale From Chinese Owner or Ban the AppThe legislation received wide bipartisan support, with both Republicans and Democrats showing an eagerness to appear tough on China (New York Times).
Music Is TikTok's Past. Sounds May Be Its FutureMore Universal Music songs are disappearing from TikTok as the two companies fail to reach new agreements. Sound clips are ready for their big break (Wired).
Social Media Trends: Influencer Trip Backlash And Music Video DupesTarte, which faced criticism last year over its hosted influencer trips in Dubai and Miami, recently sent influencers on yet another trip, this time to Bora Bora. Perhaps unsurprisingly, some people were not thrilled about the lavish vacation, which was called tone-deaf (Marketing Brew).
Native Instruments Launch Jacob Collier Audience ChoirNative Instruments have teamed up with six-time Grammy winner Jacob Collier to create a unique virtual instrument that captures the sound of a live audience singing together (Sound on Sound).
Is Artist Merch Broken? Merch Cat Wants to Tame the Space With Smarter Inventory and Metrics ManagementFor artists and managers, merchandise typically takes a backseat to music creation, releases, and touring. As a result, merch presents itself as a chaotic afterthought — ridden with routine disruptions of procurement, quality checks, inventory issues, data tracking, and fulfillment challenges (Digital Music News)
Yeehaw! The Country-Pop LandscapeThe STORM Report is a compilation of up-and-coming bands and artists who are worth watching. Only those showing the most promising potential for future commercial success make it onto our monthly list (memBrain).
Ice Spice Lands New Modeling Gig For Fashion Designer Alexander WangThe collaboration, revealed earlier this week, showcases the young artist garbed in Wang’s latest designs, striking poses that are as bold as her lyrics (AllHipHop).
Charli XCX Accepts the Powerhouse Award | Billboard Women in Music 2024After the performance, XCX accepted the Powerhouse Award, giving a candid, funny speech about the not-always-sexy realities of being a woman in music. “I feel like so many women in this room have been asked, ‘What’s it like to be a woman in music? And my answer to that … is ‘I don’t know,’ because being a woman is so nuanced and complex all the time, let alone through the lens of a very male-focused industry like the music industry,” (Billboard).
Spotify Chief Public Affairs Officer Dustee Jenkins sits with Forbes Assistant Managing Editor Steve Bertoni to talk about the music streaming giant, her career and the value of brand storytelling (Forbes).
In a nondescript warehouse in the heart of Los Angeles, a dwindling handful of devoted craftspeople maintain over 80,000 student musical instruments, the largest remaining workshop in America of its kind. Watch "The Last Repair Shop," directed by Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers (LA Times).
Splice — valued in 2021 at nearly USD $500 million after securing $55 million in funding, according to Bloomberg — has played a significant role in the do-it-yourself music creation scene since its launch in 2013 (Music Business Worldwide).
And it's kinda rap-rock?? Kim Gordon on her incredible new LP, a cherished ‘80s Gerhard Richter piece, X-girl grails, & more unbeatable topics (Blackbird Spyplane).
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!