This week marked my 41st orbit around the sun and my what a 366 days it was (leap year gang). I must say I’m humbled to bare witness to the life-affirming changes the world is undergoing.Professional highlights from the past 12 months include working with Planned Parenthood, Foot Locker, Oikos, and YouTube Music; partnering with hundreds of amazing artists, creators, and gamers; launching Beats & Bytes Live on LinkedIn; and bringing this newsletter and those conversations to video. I can’t tell you how much I miss taping our series, CRWN, with Elliott Wilson.Of course, the last 100 days have been about everything but personal achievements. Navigating Covid-19 and re-learning how to be an ally have been a welcome respite from the individualistic, productivity wars of yesteryear. That vibe feels bygone now. Dedication to others is on the rise, which delivers tenfold in terms of personal uplift and perspective.When I moved in with my girlfriend, for instance, I didn’t realize how lucky I would be to spend so many pandemic nights in WIlliamsburg with her instead of on the road. We’re all mourning the festivals, SXSW, Cannes, MIDEM, Brilliant Minds and everything else on the disappearing docket -- but we’ve learned to fully appreciate what we have...and to pause.Last but not least, I want to welcome my brother & business partner Alex’s new son, Dutch Lyon Kirshbaum, to the world. I’m sure he’ll keep me grounded when my girlfriend gets tired of trying…
BEATS
The Rise and Rise of Music PodcastsThe podcast economy boom is now so great that not only did Spotify pay $100m to secure the exclusive licensing deal for the enormously popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast, news of the deal added more than $1bn to the streaming company’s market cap. (Musically)
Pharrell Williams, Ron Conway Teaming Up for New Venture FundVeteran tech investor and SV Angel founder Ron Conway is working with Grammy Award–winning musician Pharrell Williams to raise a venture capital fund, according to two people familiar with the matter. The new fund aims to make investments in startups led by underrepresented minorities. (The Information)
Science Inc. Is Getting Into The Music Business With Incubator Heavy Sound LabsJason Geter, who previously co-founded Grand Hustle Records, told me that he’s looking to “redefine what a record label is today” with his new startup Heavy Sound Labs. (Tech Crunch)
Redditor Who Reverse-engineered The Tiktok App Claims It's A Huge Data Collection SchemeIt seems TikTok faces skepticism about its behind-the-scenes practices just about every other day. The latest drama for the app comes from a Redditor by the name of “bangorlol” who claims the app is essentially just a front to collect large swaths of data about its users. (Input Mag)
Here’s How Mike Shinoda Created His New Album Entirely On TwitchDue to coronavirus, Mike Shinoda has been spending his time in quarantine livestreaming on Twitch. From dropping secrets regarding unreleased Linkin Park music to experimenting with new tracks, Shinoda has been using the platform to connect and engage with fans. (Alt Press)
How Advisory Board Crystals Finessed a Collab with J. BalvinAdvisory Board Crystals (Abc. for short) is a brand known for its psychedelic graphic sensibilities, crystal-infused clothes, and all-around solid vibes. They’ve also undertaken charitable projects benefiting organizations like the Wikimedia Foundation and causes like Black Lives Matter. (High Snobiety)
How Musicians Are Fighting for Streaming Pay During the PandemicIndie rockers Stolen Jars are not exactly Coldplay or U2, but they’re not a garage band either. They tour regularly and have been covered by NPR and The New York Times. They have a fanbase. They’ve placed one of their off-kilter songs in an iPad commercial. (Pitchfork)
Stat Of The Week: Deezer Is Now A $1.4bn Company – With A Big Opportunity In MexicoThe Spotify rival, majority owned by Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries, has just struck a major deal which it believes will “shake up audio streaming in Mexico” – and could help it establish its goal to become the No.2 streaming company in multiple regions across LATAM. (Music Business Worldwide)
Music Tech Investor Perspectives During The Pandemic And Recession: Ty RobertsThe current recession brought on by the pandemic is wreaking havoc on the financial markets. Investors who remain faithful to public exchanges are seeing a range of fluctuations by the day. (Forbes)
More Live Audience Events Returning To Europe In Creative WaysIn France, Live Nation's Lollapalooza Paris has partnered with fashion brand Balmain, chef Jean Imbert and champagne manufacturer Veuve Clicquot, to realize an event in place of the festival, which had to be cancelled this year. (Pollstar)
BYTES
What does it take for two different people to find common ground? To answer that, we dig into a nine-year-old mystery. In 2011, two very different guys shared a pair of earbuds on the New York City subway. A photo of them went viral multiple times … but who were they, and what were they really doing? All is revealed.
A video for Pop Smoke‘s “Got it on Me” track has just released. The cut from the rapper’s posthumous album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon is a frenetically mixed tune with rapid percussions and orchestra melodies.
The team behind Trash, an app that uses artificial intelligence to edit your video footage, launched a number of new features this week that should make it more useful for anyone — but especially independent musicians.
A playlist for everything. @KbaumNue & his wife created one for the birthing of their new son Dutch Lyon Kirshbaum. Experience the tunes that they heard as their 2nd son was born. If you have any questions, ask him. It’s a sonic adventure with plot twists from start to finish.
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!