When the world hit pandemic pause, it seemed like a great time to focus on creating would emerge. But did it? The answer is complicated.Artists are used to going to the studio and being in the room with their collaborators, creating together, and bouncing ideas off each other in real time. Does that same energy exist on FaceTime? Hell no. If you’ve got even a one-second delay or your connection cuts out, it’s a vibe-killer.On top of that, during most of quarantine, there have been no outside experiences, no adventures to tap into, and no energy from fans and friends. We take for granted how much our daily lives fuel our creative endeavors.More recently, the question of whether people even want to hear music that isn’t relevant to the news cycle has arisen. With the nation facing a much-needed reckoning on race, it’s harder than ever to stay focused on anything but affecting change. And don’t get me started on the impact the election will have. That content compiled BC (before Covid) is gonna hit different...and probably in a bad way.But it’s not all gloom in this moment of doom. Lil Baby made a fantastic protest anthem and video for Black Lives Matter. Charli XCX recorded and released a full length album in quarantine, and on Clubhouse the other day, Rodney Jerkins said he was making all sorts of tracks via Zoom sessions. There is work to be done and moves to be made. I think Spike Lee said it best: the pandemic is going to be its own cottage industry for generations.To add to this dialogue, we’ve invited Splice CEO, Steve Martocci, as Thursday’s guest on Beats & Bytes Live. Martocci’s mission is to create an artist-to-artist marketplace where musicians can collaborate online just as programmers like himself do. As Steve puts it, "Music has always been my motivator, but code is my canvas. Artists come up to me and hug me because I’m changing the creative process.”I’m excited to shine a light on what he’s seeing. If anyone knows how music is going to be made in this era and beyond, it’s Steve. Tune in Thursday at 5pm EST for a candid, creative conversation.
BEATS
Want a TikTok Hit? Have $30,000?The days of such straightforward campaigns on TikTok — which has provided rocket-fuel for breakout singles ranging from Sub Urban’s “Cradles” to Doja Cat’s “Say So” to Tokyo’s Revenge’s “GOODMORNINGTOKYO!” to StaySolidRocky’s “Party Girl” — are mostly gone. Using the app as a promotional tool for music has become increasingly intricate — and increasingly expensive. (Rolling Stone)
A Brand's Greatest Currency In a Pandemic: Empathy and PurposeAlthough the term ‘unprecedented’ is now seemingly overused, there seems to be no better term to describe the sheer disruption that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the world. Just take a look at the numbers. (Clayton Durant)
Just What Is Tencent’s Endgame?Music is just one part of a much larger, supremely bold and undoubtedly disruptive strategy that is making the Chinese company an entertainment business powerhouse in the East and West alike. (Music Industry Blog)
2020 BET Awards: Drake, Megan Thee Stallion & Roddy Ricch Lead Nominees, CBS Airing Show For First TimeDrake, with six nominations, and newcomers Megan Thee Stallion and Roddy Ricch, tied with five nominations each, are among the top nominees for the 2020 BET Awards. (Billboard)
Pharrell Williams: "Faith Is About What You Feel"How do you introduce a conversation between two of music’s biggest superstars? Two artists who have defined, reshaped and moulded not just something as simple as music, but the sound, look and feel of contemporary life. There’s not much left untouched by the creative vision of Pharrell Williams and Kanye West. (I-D Vice)
Wave Raises $30 Million For Superstars To Stage Virtual ConcertsWave, the virtual concert company that facilitates live music in virtual settings, has raised $30 million in funding. Wave uses broadcast and gaming technology to create motion-captured performances of artists and turn them into animated characters in virtual worlds. (Venture Beat)
This Music Tech Startup Lets Fans Invest In Artists And Reap Returns From Their Streaming IncomeCorite, a new music tech startup that enables fans to invest in their favorite artists and receive real financial returns on their contributions, recently announced the close of its initial seed round. (EDM)
The Roots Picnic Will Go On As A Virtual Event, Teaming With Michelle ObamaLast week, the 13th annual version of the festival was wiped off the Mann Center calendar when the Fairmount Park venue nixed its entire summer schedule. But now the Roots have announced that a version of the 2020 Picnic will go on as an online-only event on June 27, staged in partnership with Michelle Obama’s voter-registration organization When We All Vote. (Inquirer)
Bustle Digital Group Is Partnering With Superfly For Small Business Live, A Philanthropic Musical Experience On June 20Top music artists, including 2 Chainz, T-Pain, Brittany Howard, Leon Bridges, Brandi Carlile, and more will perform at the virtual event on Saturday, June 20, 2020 from 4 p.m.- 10 p.m.. They'll also be sharing personal stories about their favorite local restaurants, barbershops, and record stores across the nation. (Bustle)
Clubbing Under Quarentine: Can Raving Go Digital?Whilst lockdown rules are loosening around the world, it seems like raving will be the last thing to return to normal. Until that happens, DJs and party organisers around the world have been finding ways to recreate the experience online, from livestream sets to virtual clubs. But will this ever come close to the real thing? (Attack Magazine)
BTS' Online Concert: Intimate Viewing Experience For A Global Streaming EventWith the new coronavirus pandemic hampering live entertainment around the globe, the K-pop industry, which saw a string of canceled overseas promotions and tours, was quick to seek ways to turn the misfortune into opportunity, by launching online streaming concerts to connect with fans across the world. (Yonhap News Agency)
BMG Pledges To Review Historical Record Contracts ‘mindful Of The Music Industry’s Shameful Treatment Of Black Artists’The three major music companies, of course, have this month donated some $225m between them to anti-racist and social justice causes in keeping with the Black Lives Matter movement. Earlier today (June 11), YouTube announced its own $100m fund “dedicated to amplifying and developing the voices of Black creators and artists”. (Music Business Worldwide)
Electric Blockaloo, the 'Minecraft' Virtual Music Festival, Unveils Full LineupElectric Blockaloo, the virtual music festival of Minecraft, unveiled on Thursday the full lineup for its digital event taking place June 25-28 on both Java and Bedrock versions of the video game. Steve Aoki with DIM MAK's Dojo, Rudimental, BBC Radio 1 host Sherelle, Paris Hilton and Detroit artists Seth Troxler, Kevin Saunderson and Carl Craig are among the lineup, which includes over eight hundred other artists. (Hollywood Reporter)
Strength in Numbers: A More Secure Future for the Music IndustryWith venues closed for an indeterminate period, income streams for a majority of artists have been severed, and a Wild West of online gigging has opened up. To consider the future of music, however, we need to consider the underlying structures that have brought us to this point. (Electronic Beats)
Garth Brooks Is Simulcasting a Live Concert to 300 Drive-In Movie Theaters NationwideGarth Brooks recently unveiled the socially distanced concert, which follows similar – albeit smaller-scale – efforts from other artists and entertainment professionals.According to the Tulsa, Oklahoma native’s official announcement, the concert is being crafted solely for the occasion and is set to be simulcast at approximately 300 North American drive-ins. (Digital Music News)
Splice Taps Maria Egan as Chief Music Officer, Promotes Jen Mozenter to VP of A&RSplice has tapped Maria Egan as its chief music officer. She leaves Pulse Music Group, where she was president and head of creative, to take on the newly created position. Elsewhere at Splice, Jen Mozenter has been promoted to VP of A&R. Mozenter brought A-list creators to the platforms. (Variety)
With No Box Office to Report, Concert Industry Trade Pollstar Creates Livestream Chart to Monitor Digital PerformancesAs the coronavirus pandemic has proliferated and social distancing guidelines prevented large gatherings across the country — and the world — the live music industry crumbled with one fell swoop. One after another, major tours and festivals were rescheduled, canceled, or rescheduled and then canceled. (Variety)
BYTES
On this week’s Popcast, a discussion of the long and twisted path taken by the term “urban.” Also, a brief conversation about the pioneering music journalist and early hip-hop producer Robert (Rocky) Ford Jr, who died in May.
On the heels of their acclaimed sophomore effort, Ungodly Hour, Chloe x Halle took over the 2020 Citi Concert Series on the TODAY show with an at-home rendition of their hit song “Do It.”
Splice is evolving the way people create, connect, and collaborate. From their browsable library of samples to their pioneering rent-to-own payment model for creative software, their products power the creativity of today’s musicians.
Issa Rae's acclaimed HBO series 'Insecure' is known for pulling out some gems for its soundtrack. Here's a look at what's played during their fourth season.
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!