Welcome to the Greenest Week of 2022, where 4/20 and Earth Day fall in the same 7-day window and Spring emerges. There’s certainly a lot to appreciate.Since the SAFE Banking Act passed the House (for a fourth time) in April 2021, the Cannabiz has had its challenges. The bill’s fate in the Senate remains unclear, and we won’t know more until August at least. This bill would allow financial advancements in the industry, specifically the use of bank loans and credit cards. It’s crazy to think these companies are functioning with no bank loans, no credit card capabilities, and no ability to safely scale their businesses. In addition, SAFE would open cannabis up to U.S. exchanges and capital markets.Still, SAFE is not the comprehensive federal legalization that many are calling for, which would end the laws keeping people (primarily those of color) in prison for selling small amounts of the same product that now results in massive, legal, financial gain.We have much further to go as a country, but we’re seeing progress nonetheless, especially on the state level in East Coast states like New Jersey, where legal adult usage begins this week. New York and Connecut are expected to follow suit.From a marketing perspective, I’m glad to see more and more brands entering the fray. Cannabis is infinitely marketable and many exciting campaigns are being tied to 4/20, such as the $4.20 Jack in the Box “Pineapple Express Shake,” available today only, and TGI Fridays’ “Blazed and Glazed” deal that runs through May 4th.Earth Day is similarly reliable for brand engagement, as evidenced by the support for Mother Gaia and Levi’s “Project Survival,'' which sees the denim brand releasing vintage styles from their ‘60s and ‘70s archives to promote sustainability and pay homage to the early climate fighters. Another cool activation is Soda Stream’s Earth Month Campaign with SEE Turtles, an NGO that raises funds and awareness to protect endangered sea turtles. It features none other than David “The Hoff” Hasselhoff. It’s great to see companies run timely, socially responsible campaigns with meaningful action behind them.I’ll be in New Orleans next Wednesday speaking at the NOLA MusicTech Conference, and sticking around for the Jazz Fest kickoff Thursday night. I haven’t been to The Big Easy since the pandemic began, and it’s a different world now, so hit me with your best recs. I need to see, taste, and do what’s new!If you’re around to connect or want to attend the talk, I can get you a discount code :)
BEATS
Fans Are Spending More Money at Concerts Than Ever BeforeThe reopening of society has created unprecedented demand for (and supply of) in-person experiences, boosting businesses across the economy. Delta Air Lines said a rise in travel bookings would help it overcome the rising cost of gas, while banks have reported surges in travel and dining expenditures. (Bloomberg)
A Stanford Psychologist Says He’s Cracked the Code of One-Hit WondersBerg’s research found that musical variety (as opposed to novelty) was useful for artists before they broke out. But down the line, variety wasn’t very useful, possibly because audience expectations are set by initial hits. “After the first hit, the research showed that it was good for artists to focus on what I call relatedness, or similarity of music,” he said. (The Atlantic)
Deezer, With A $1.16BM Valuation, Is Going Public Via Merger With SPAC In FranceStreaming company Deezer has reached a definitive agreement to combine its business with I2PO, a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) based in France. As a result, Deezer is to publicly list on the Euronext Paris, seven years after its last attempt at an IPO failed. (Music Business Worldwide)
Latin Music Is On Course To Generate Over $1 Billion In The Us In 2022Considering that Latin music’s US revenues rose by 19.6% YoY in 2020 and by 28.5% YoY in 2019, the smart money’s on the category finally bursting through the billion-dollar threshold in 2022. (Music Business Worldwide)
Ledger’s Ian Rogers on Security, User Experience & Community in Web3Fundamentally, Ledger is a hardware wallet that’s quickly becoming the go-to wallet for Web3 enthusiasts. Since its inception in 2014, Ledger has been at the forefront of promoting security in both the crypto and emerging Web3 spaces. (NFT Evening)
TikTok’s Unsigned Musician Incubator Gets Mixed Reviews From ArtistsSoundOn has been operational in Brazil and Indonesia for several months, according to a TikTok spokesperson, and launched in the U.S. and U.K. on March 8. Interviews with Brazilian and Indonesian artists and market researchers indicate the program is helping burgeoning musical acts jump cost barriers and streamline the logistics needed to get their music heard by new audiences. (Rest of World)
What Is A Metalabel?But until relatively recently, record labels — and especially independent record labels — occupied a much more influential position in the zeitgeist. In the years before streaming became the de facto mode of discovery, one could argue that they served as a sort of organizing principle for musical knowledge. (The Culture Journalist)
Steinway Files For IPO, Charts China Expansion as Annual Sales Approach $540 MillionSteinway Musical Instruments Holdings, the entity behind 169-year-old piano company Steinway & Sons, has revealed plans to list shares on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). (Digital Music News)
How Much Impact Does Coachella Have on Music Streaming?The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival is a huge event for live music fans. How much does being part of the Coachella lineup increase music streaming numbers for artists who are part of the lineup? Here’s the hard data from Spotify. (Digital Music News)
Diddy Named As An Advisor To Start-Up Hologram Company - Proto, Inc.Sean Combs invested in Proto’s advanced proprietary technology that allows interactive holoportation possible. The company’s technology allows any person to “beam” to any location in real-time when they cannot be there physically. (Afrotech)
Coachella And Summer Music Festivals—How Brands Are Using Real-Life And Virtual MarketingThe Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival returns this weekend, unofficially marking the beginning of summer music festival season—which is expected to reclaim a sense of normalcy after two years marked by COVID-induced cancellations. (AdAge)
Why We Remember Music and Forget Everything ElseFor many people, music feels like a part of our subconscious. It’s constantly playing in the background, whether we’re at a coffee shop, in the elevator, working from home, or even just walking down the street. (Time)
Warner To ‘mint Shared Memories As NFTs’ In Partnership With $10m-Backed Web3 Startup POAPAccording to a media statement, the deal will see Warner and POAP “mint shared memories as NFTs”, with collectors receiving authenticated digital proof they attended an event or were part of a specific experience. (Music Business Worldwide)
Revolutionizing Music Making with Stems and CommunityThe games have illuminated the power of music to bring creative minds together. Our goal was to create a collaborative experience where members of the community use a song's stems to create new art, connect as artists, and enjoy the art as a community. (Mirror XYZ)
ABBA and Tupac in the Metaverse: How Digital Avatars Could Be The Future Of Live MusicSince humans first delighted in the sound of music, advancements in technology have managed to make musical expression immortal. Throughout history, innovators have strived to create original, accessible, and eternal performances. (Fast Company)
BYTES
Currently as the Chief Marketing Officer of livestreaming company Dreamstage, Jesse has positioned himself at the cross section of the old and new worlds of entertainment, with a passion for designing unforgettable live and digital experiences. He sits down with Brian and Nick to discuss his time working as a booking agent, his advice for upcoming artists looking for an agency, as well as thoughts on innovations of Web 3.0.
Billie Eilish already made history as the youngest person to headline Coachella when she took the stage on Saturday night. So it may have been surprising to her young fans that among her guest stars was a 54-year-old: Damon Albarn, of Blur, Gorillaz and The Good, the Bad and the Queen fame. (Variety)
Listen to the intro, then find the correct artist & title in the list. Skipped or incorrect attempts unlock more of the intro. Answer in as few tries as possible and share your score!
From future icons to global superstars, discover the next generation of talent at this year's Coachella Music Festival.
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!