Are the Jonas Brothers the biggest band in the world right now? In a market run by mainstream niches, it’s tough to say. But it sure feels like they’re crossing over better than anyone else.Their new album, Happiness Begins, came out Friday and while the music isn’t making a quantum splash save the singles, the band is literally EVERYWHERE. The SNL appearance, the CBS Sunday Morning show, the steady flow of staying top of mind during crucial cultural moments; it’s really working. That’s how you become a pop star in 2019 or, in the JB’s case, remain pop stars. It’s less about the music and more about the social graph. These brothers and their superstar wives have that on lock.How seriously they're connecting was first brought to my attention by Jeff Swierk at MasterCard. Jeff mentioned a deal he’d done with the band for their new tour, one he’d cut early on in their reunion rollout. The tour was selling phenomenally, adding more and more dates by the week, and eventually elevated to two sold out nights at Madison Square Garden plus a Barclays shows. Just wow. That’s why big companies like MasterCard need hip, engaged executives like Jeff in their suites. A finger on the pulse means money in the bank.The Happiness Begins listening party was last week atop the Dream Hotel. It was well done and the buzz felt real. The band’s endorsement agent at UTA broke the success of the campaign down into three categories:1) The band brings back good feelings from the past (the nostalgia factor) while supplying a hopeful glimpse into the future because they’re as on point as ever.2) Young parents who grew up listening to the band as kids can replicate that experience for their kids, creating a wonderful shared experience. These parents have disposable income and get to spend it on themselves and their kids at once.3) The Jonas Brothers generate the perfect storm of celebrity, music, and the timing of this moment. Good things always come in threes, right? Well, I would add a fourth item to this list: how creative and committed the members stayed during their time apart. We had Nick Jonas, as he was exploring Broadway, speak on our Social Music Day during Social Media Week in NYC. At the time he was the fifth most popular person on Twitter behind Bieber, Obama, Katy Perry, and the Dali Lama. His solo project was bonkers and his collabs always kept things current.I remember when Joe Jonas was getting into cigars. It was his thing. And then DNCE started up. I would see him at Bar and Books on Hudson immersing himself in Cigar Culture™ and strategizing with his crew. DNCE hit it big and Joe solidified his position as a bonafide superstar.Kevin took the more unexpected, although no less ambitious, route. He launched an influencer marketing company before influencer marketing was influencer marketing at all. He took the top floor of a building in NYU, called it The Blu Market, and made it pop. It was quite a scene. I can’t remember another act that did as much in its downtime as these three. They’ve always stayed true to themselves and continued to evolve and grow. Granted, I’m a sucker for brothers that work together (hi, Alex!), but I genuinely dig their single. It's currently #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, so I guess it’s true: with Jagger dancing through health problems and U2 off-cycle, the Jonas Brothers are the biggest band in the world right now.
BEATS
Goldman Sachs Says 1.15BN People Will Pay for Music Streaming by 2030The last time Goldman Sachs issued a report on the recorded music industry, it caused a wave of fiscal confidence in and around the global business. The investment bank’s ‘Music In The Air’ dossier forecast a booming future for record labels, and set in motion a series of escalating valuations for Universal Music Group. (Music Business Worldwide)
iTunes is Dead — So, What About My Purchased Music, Movies, and TV Shows? Apple subtly confirmed its popular download store would go away on macOS 10.15 Catalina. For people who previously used iTunes to sync their app, Apple has made a new syncing feature available. (Digital Music News)
The Drake Effect: Brilliant Brand Ambassador or Annoying NBA Superfan?Whether he’s known as “Drizzy” or “the God 6,” Drake’s popularity is undeniable. His high-profile on-court interactions with Warriors’ stars Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are leading some to ask: Is he helping—or hurting—the Toronto Raptors’ brand? (Fortune)
Are Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube the New Record Labels?Are streaming services turning into record labels? Or at least providing more of the services that used to be the sole domain of labels? And if so, what does that mean for artists, not to mention labels? (Music Ally)
How The New LiveXLive App is Creating a Brand New Revenue Stream for MusiciansBy offering audio and live event streaming, original video programming, merchandise purchasing capabilities and social messaging, the LiveXLive app promises to not only connect millions of music fans around the world, but provide musicians and their teams with a new revenue stream. (Forbes)
Generative Music Apps Let Your Phone Write Songs for YouEndel, for iOS and Android, builds on the concept of generative music to create sound environments based on your surroundings. (Wired)
Spotify Lands Exclusive Podcast Deal with Barack and Michelle ObamaThe deal with the Obamas is a major win for Spotify, especially as the podcast industry grows and the fight for rights to premium shows and creators becomes more contentious. (NBC News)
Monetising Fandom: How ByteDance Is Poised To Lead A Streaming Paradigm Shift Streaming music is approaching a decision point. Right now, music subscriptions are doing a fantastic job of monetising consumption, but next, we need to learn how to monetise fandom. (Hypebot)
DJs of the Future Don't Spin Records—They Write Code"Live-coding" parties are a recent phenomenon in underground electronic music culture.
Whereas a traditional EDM show might feature a performer cueing up sounds or samples on a laptop, DJs at live-coding shows use computers to play music in a wholly different way. (Wired)
Instagram Hits Back at TikTok with Integrated Lyrics — and Recruits Billie Eilish for the Announcement Instagram is fighting back against TikTok’s rise among teenagers with new integrated lyrics on video Stories. Facebook even recruited Billie Eilish to showcase the new feature. (Digital Music News)
Bumble Enlists Bebe Rexha, Kacey Musgraves & Hayley Kiyoko for Festival-Focused Music Mentorship Program The women-first social networking app Bumble is launching a multi-year program to address gender disparity in the music industry. Titled “Empowered by Bumble Bizz," the program will offer up-and-coming female musicians the chance to be mentored by successful female artists. (Billboard)
BYTES
Peter Bittenbender, CEO of Mass Appeal, details the company’s operations and strategy on the latest episode of “Strictly Business,” Variety‘s weekly podcast featuring conversations with industry leaders about the business of entertainment.
Great watch! This documentary follows the life of Clarence Avant, the ultimate, uncensored mentor and behind-the-scenes rainmaker in music, film, TV and politics.
Easily connect with new people around the festivals you go to.
The Jonas Brothers dropped Happiness Begins, their fifth studio album and first in a decade.
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!