On my constant quest for self-improvement, I headed to the Catskills this weekend for a retreat, as part of a program I’m doing: Level Up. Level Up is a 3 month continuation of a weekend program I did last year called Camera Ready run by the TRL famed Quddus and his fiancé Carmina. I met Quddus 7 years ago (this weekend actually, realized that thanks to Timehop) at the first ever Summit at Sea. I’ve got to thank my former client Mike Posner for originally putting me on to Summit Series… it definitely changed the dynamics of my life over and over again throughout the years. Quddus and I stayed in touch over the years and when he told me about Camera Ready, I thought it would be a good fit for some of the work I was doing for my show with Hot 97, namely, Hot In Tech. But it opened up so much more inside of me.This weekend activated even more of an internal awakening. Our group dove deep into what is in our hearts, our missions and our passions. We traded insights and books to nourish us. We shared different parts of ourselves from our deepest fears to our greatest joys. I led a session I created in real time called SoundClash. Basically, each of us chose a song we wanted to share, from there we provide an intro as to why we chose that particular song and then the group listens to the song together. Then one by one, each person talks about their experience with another’s song followed by the person who originally picked the track sharing gave their thoughts on how the feedback of others made them feel. That’s the first iteration of Soundclash ya’ll. Feel free to try it at home.The exercise, and more importantly the weekend, profoundly reminded me of the true power of music. Beyond the industry and the amazing content, music is the most unifying connector. Music is the universal language. I feel very blessed to be working in such a creative, dynamic and impactful medium and I know that individuals as well companies can benefit from figuring out how to more incorporate music into their ecosystem.P.s.: Speaking of self help… If you want to optimize your daily routines, go pre-order my cousin Aubrey Marcus’s (CEO of ONNIT) new book, Own Your Day, Own Your Life. It surely will inspire you and is packed with so much wisdom and practical life-hacks in it.
BEATS
The Business Of Being Cardi BThe Cardi B effect: A branding power rooted in specific authenticity, created and permeated by rapper Cardi B. Behaviors associated with the Cardi B Effect include blunt honesty, rapping, laughing, mild to moderate twerking, tongue-curling, teeth-kissing, chart-topping and regular degular Bronx girl antics. (Sidney Madden – NPR)
How Coke's $10 Million Spotify Investment Will Pay Off For Music, Brands & TechPrior to Coca-Cola’s pact, brands had viewed tech as more of a sponsorship experiment to build brand equity rather than a place to build financial equity and participate in a company’s long-term growth. Brands like Coca-Cola had also spent billions on sports marketing, which still captures the lion’s share of sponsorship dollars, while music was more of an experimental investment -- if brands allocated any budget toward it at all. (Andrew Hampp – Billboard)
Music App Genius Launches its Own Take on Stories, Aided by YouTubeGenius, the big database of song lyrics and musical knowledge, is today launching its own version of “stories,” the Snapchat and Instagram-like short form sharing format that’s been rapidly spreading to a number of sites and apps, including Facebook, Messenger, Skype, and even Google. Genius’ “Song Stories,” as the new product is called, combine Genius artist interviews with YouTube content like concert footage, music video clips, and playlists. (Sarah Perez – TechCrunch)
Spotify’s Missing Money-Maker is Artist-to-Fan MessagingStreaming royalties are too expensive for Spotify to thrive as a public company just playing us songs. Spotify’s shares closed down 10 percent today during its NYSE trading debut. Luckily it controls much of the relationship between musicians and their fans on its app, poising it to build a powerful revenue and artist loyalty generator by connecting the two through native advertising and messaging that doesn’t stop the music. (Josh Constine – TechCrunch)
Some people can dig up great music like magic, or have friends inside the industry who keep them updated. Some people are contented with their weekly Spotify Discover playlist. But if you need more ways to find music, here are 50 ideas, taken from Twitter users, my colleagues at Lifehacker’s publisher Gizmodo Media Group, and some of my own habits. Some are obvious, some bizarre, some embarrassing, but they’ve all helped people find their new favorite song, or even their favorite band. (Nick Douglas – Life Hacker)
Revolving Doors: Artist Manager Musical Chairs Highlight Industry ChangeThe past few weeks have been busy when it comes to artists changing managers, which raises a salient question: Why? Sometimes performers switch partners when an artist outgrows their original manager, who usually takes them from the ground up to the threshold of success, but is ultimately unable to take them all the way to the promised land. Think of Bruce Springsteen’s Mike Appel, who grudgingly gave way to Jon Landau, the Rolling Stones’ savvy Andrew Loog Oldham, losing out in a power struggle with Allen Klein, or Owen Husney, the man who discovered Prince, giving way to Robert Cavallo, Joseph Ruffalo and Steve Fargnoli. The days of career-long managers like ZZ Top’s late Bill Ham, Bob Seger’s Punch Andrews and U2’s Paul McGuinness is a thing of the past. (Roy Trakin – Pollstar)
Coachella Parties 2018: The Ultimate Guide for The Best Coachella PartiesCoachella Parties are easily the best part about Coachella. Open bars, incredible music, exclusive celebrities, amazing food, and more are extremely common at every party. Here is the ULTIMATE Guide for all the BEST Coachella parties! In this post I’ll be describing each party – Date/Time, Description, RSVP Links, etc – along with a video recap. (Marc Freccero)
Beyoncé’s Coachella Set To Be Live Streamed on YouTubeCoachella organizers have confirmed details of the festival's first weekend live stream program, with Beyoncé's set among the highlights. The festival takes place between April 13-15 (and again April 20-22) with Bey due to make her live return on the Saturday night. (David Renshaw – FADER)
memBrain: The STORM Report April 2018 The 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)
BYTES
No shortage of stories from one of the hottest managers in the dance music scene, Moe Shalizi, of Red Light Management. From deejaying night clubs in a shady part of town early in his career to getting Jauz signed by Diplo at Burning Man and urging Marshmello to call Skrillex only to find Katie Couric on the other end of the phone, Shalizi shares his behind the scenes experiences managing some of the top music acts in the world today.
A message to the newly independent, YouTube personality and Beme co-founder, Caser Neistat from the CEO of Patreon. Patreon is a membership platform that makes it easier for creators (musicians, vloggers, producers,etc.) to get paid for their content. It seems like Patreon has something up their sleeve, keep your eyes peeled.
Humm.ly is the first music-focused wellness app that combines music therapy and mindfulness techniques. Immerse yourself into a customizable listening experience that brings technology and music together to create a powerful tool for your wellness.
With Dr. Dre apparently still working hard on his long-fabled Detox album, some of his greatest productions are now being put to good use by DJ Critical Hype, who paired some of the rap mogul’s legendary beats to an assortment of classic Kendrick Lamar verses. Aptly titled The Damn. Chronic, the mashup project not only captures the aesthetic and culture of the city that produced two of the greatest stars in hip-hop but also provides a fresh new perspective on the storied catalogs of the Compton duo.
This week's newsletter was carefully curated by the Nue Agency staff and our editor Maria Tejada If you think we missed something this week or have any suggestions/comments for next week's newsletter, let us know!