I’ve been making my friends’ 4th of July playlists since they were called mixtapes. I love this holiday because my favorite weekends involve celebration, recharging, and reflection.July 4th checks all of those boxes, in part because it’s also my birthday weekend. Music, of course, enhances the conversation and sets the tone for not just the big day, but the whole season.Duke Ellington famously said, “There is good music and bad music, I like good music.” In this genreless world based on mood and context, I think I know what he means now more than ever.When people ask me what genre I like most, my answer is “new music.” New music is the lifeblood of this business. New music is what’s most exciting. New music tells the story of the times.With 125K+ songs being released daily on Spotify, it’s hard to parse. I like to collect new songs, ideas, and music like we used to collect baseball cards. We save some, star some, and maybe never go back to others.Trusted curators are the sonic machetes cutting through the noise. Making this playlist allows me to center songs and artists I believe in. There are many more but this is a good start!At the recent PTTOW NXT meditation I led with Billboard’s Chief Brand Officer, Dana Droppo, she told me, “I think we are doing our job when the charts reflect the sentiment of the times.”From a data and insights perspective, you can learn more about a person by what they are listening to than what they virtue signal on social media. Why do you think Spotify’s stock continues to soar?!So, without further ado, here are 25 songs I'm digging so far this summer. The beauty of a playlist over a mixtape is that it’s living and breathing. I can add or subtract as the summer heats up, and I will!Here is the link to the playlist.Let me know what you think, and enjoy!**Rules of engagement for this mix: songs must be released in 2025 and everything is PG13. I know many Beats + Bytes readers listen with their kids. Rest assured…you good.
BEATS
Marketers Are Losing Control of Culture and That’s the Best Thing for BusinessAs we hit the midpoint of 2025, one thing is clear: the traditional marketing playbook has been torched. In its place, we have what Nue Agency aptly frames as The Great Transformation, a collision of the post-COVID shift, the rise of the creator class, and AI’s relentless evolution (CommPRO).
How Ultra Music Festival 2025 Diverted Nearly 50 Tons of Waste From Landfill HellThe fest's sustainability program has prevented hundreds of thousands of pounds of waste from ending up in landfills and avoided the use of millions of single-use plastic items (Billboard).
Glossy Pop Newsletter: Sabrina Carpenter’s Music Videos Are The New Billboard For Beauty BrandsOn June 6, Sabrina Carpenter dropped her latest music video, for her new single “Manchild.” On YouTube, it’s been viewed 37 million times. It’s also her third music video featuring Prada Beauty, for which Carpenter is an official partner (Glossy).
Budweiser’s Royalty Loophole Ad: How AI And Social Have Changed The Value Of CreatorsAdvertising is a critical component of the entertainment industries. It supports free tiers of video streaming, forms the backbone of social platform revenues, and contributes significantly to the music industry through sync, licensing, and ad-supported streaming (Midia Research).
Does "Web3 Music" Still Exist?The promise of music and crypto was huge. We were going to fix music royalties. Make payments to artists without middle-men. Give artists control of their data. Maybe we could even unlock the true value of music and get artists paid. We got close … but it didn’t really happen (STVDIO).
LG launches ‘Radio Optimism,’ a 24/7 Station Broadcasting Personalized AI-Generated SongsLG calls the initiative a celebration of “music made by the people, for the people,” and invites users to experience and share their own tracks through the campaign website (AdAge).
The Velvet Sundown Are A Seemingly AI-Generated Band With 325k Spotify ListenersFully AI-generated music is only accounting for a tiny proportion of streams on services like Spotify and Deezer at the moment, and there’s an assumption in many parts of the music industry that GenAI music won’t have mainstream appeal (Music Ally).
Why Music Festival Tickets Cost So Much—And Why Smaller Events Are Suffering The MostIndependent festivals like High Sierra have been hit particularly hard, but their main challenge—slumping ticket sales—is shared by big-name events (Fast Company).
How AI Is Upending the Music IndustryIn the two years since, AI music has undergone a dramatic transformation. What began as a viral stunt has evolved into a venture-backed ecosystem, with platforms like Suno and Udio offering tools that let anyone generate full songs with vocals, lyrics, and production in seconds (Now Media).
BYTES
In this episode of Campaign Chemistry, Kirshbaum discusses the evolving landscape at the intersection of music and advertising. He highlights the rise of niche artists and "third places," the current state of messiness when it comes to AI and copyright and music festivals like Governor's Ball turning into "brand ball."
Lorde shocked Glastonbury with a fiery surprise set at Woodsies, debuting her raw, emotional new album Virgin in full to a packed and overheated tent. She ended the show with a euphoric blast of “Ribs” and “Green Light,” declaring herself “completely free.”
TikTok and Instagram are both preparing to debut revamped, dedicated TV apps to attract a new audience and premium advertisers (Future Party).
Turn up the heat with Jesse K’s ultimate soundtrack to summer. Fresh drops, nostalgic flips, and sun-soaked rhythms curated for golden hours and late-night adventures. Whether you're poolside or city-bound, these vibes hit different.
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!