There are a lot of reasons to be bullish about music. Although music is a relatively small industry compared to other sectors of entertainment – video games, movies, and TV, specifically – music has always been the great connector, the universal language, and the unifier. That’s why it’s built for this challenging moment where transformations are causing rifts and people are hurting globally. Music can be a healthy reflection of the times because musicians are the sherpas of culture. The industry is perfectly positioned to tell the stories of the next generation.Musicians have always been at the forefront of innovation and they remain the ultimate influencers. While the first half of 2025 has been choppy – with brand spends down and uncertainty rising – music stocks surged 46.7%, out-performing the major financial indexes. That ETF idea I proposed last year would have been a winner! As we head into the second half of 2025, there is still a lot of growth potential from a music creation standpoint. Beyond the outpouring of innovation in AI, there are exciting new approaches to music education, like what we just witnessed in Miami Dade County Public Schools, that will help future generations of creators. More to come there! From an artist standpoint, the indie sector continues to take market share and change the power dynamic in the industry. Artists now control more of their rights, own more of their masters, and have direct channels to their fans that define their brand identities more clearly. And from the industry vantage point, the investments keep piling up. Music tech investments are at an all-time high while TikTok is creating a new US version of the app that’s going to open another door for rights holders to create major deals. The same goes for AI music leader, Suno, which is gearing up for deals with rights holders thanks to their new hire, Paul Sinclair. Music remains the best way to bolster your brand and make meaningful connections with your consumers. It makes every event, campaign, and release better. If the stock market is a future predictor and a voting machine, you can see why some say music is an undervalued asset that provides a big opportunity for further growth and investment.
BEATS
TikTok Announces Partnership With Tomorrowland Music FestivalTomorrowland hosts a range of music festivals throughout Europe, with its headline event for 2025 being held in Belgium next month. And during the festival, TikTok will host live streams of performances, provide behind-the-scenes access, showcase artist and creator collaborations, and more (Social Media Today).
Music Stocks Surged 46.7% in First Half of 2025, Far Outperforming Major Financial IndexesSpotify and other streaming companies were the standouts in a six-month period marred by tariff uncertainty (Billboard).
Netflix Holds Talks With Spotify To Expand Live TV Content, WSJ ReportsNetflix opens new tab has held talks with Spotify opens new tab to partner on projects such as music award shows or live concert series as part of its live TV push, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter (Reuters).
Lewis Capaldi Teams Up With BetterHelp To Give Fans 734,000 Hours Of Free Online TherapyHe said: “Therapy is the reason why I am able to be a musician again. I don’t think I’ll ever stop going to therapy after the impact it’s had on my life over the past two years. I want to support my fans as they’ve supported me, which is why I’m donating 734,000 hours together with BetterHelp,” (NME).
Lidl launch special Oasis ‘Lidl By Lidl’ reunion jacket inspired by Liam Gallagher’s Berghaus coatThe limited edition ‘Lidl By Lidl’ coat named after the band’s 2002 ‘Heathen Chemistry’ single ‘Little By Little’ features “drink-cooling pockets, a bottle opener for a zipper, a ‘Lidl By Lidl’ badge and an accompanying tambourine”, according to press release (NME).
Skepta Reconnects With PUMA for an Icy New Collaborative DropPUMA and Skepta have once again joined forces to unveil their latest collaboration. Building from their ongoing partnership, the latest release combines PUMA’s established performance roots with a distinct techwear edge (Hypebeast).
Ahead of Final Black Sabbath Gig, Ozzy Osbourne Announces New Cosmetic Line CollabJust days before Ozzy Osbourne takes the stage for what is being billed as his final show with Black Sabbath, the Prince of Darkness has announced an upcoming collaboration with alt makeup brand Jolie Beauty (Billboard).
Shadrach 1:1 - Nate Auerbach on Why Intimate Shows Are Stealing the SpotlightBrands love big moments. But audiences crave real ones. The "OffAir" series was created out of LA-based Versus Creative, founded by Nate and Rishi Shah, as a way for artists to create experiences that invite fans to take some time to set aside their worries, ditch the daily grind (and their phones) and get lost in the music (Shadrach).
LISA Shows Off Her Gaming Skills in Latest PlayStation 5 CampaignWhat a year it’s been for BLACKPINK’s LISA. The K-pop star dropped her first solo album, performed her first Coachella set, starred in HBO’s hit series White Lotus, and is now becoming a gamer in PlayStation‘s latest campaign (Billboard).
Coming soon: CLIPSE Engineered by Carhartt WIPDrawing aesthetic parallels with the duo’s work, the capsule is defined by a minimal palette and classic, no-nonsense silhouettes. It includes an OG Detroit Jacket constructed from black denim with subtle tonal detailing. The album title appears boldly on the reverse, while the chest bears a logo lock-up (Carhartt WIP).
Gunna Partners With Former Division I Athlete To Co-Own Innovative Hydration BrandRapper Gunna has been prioritizing his wellness and has become co-owner of hydration brand Flerish Hydration, according to Rap Industry. For the Georgia-born entertainer, this move is fully aligned with his brand and serves as a well-intentioned strategic addition to his business portfolio (AfroTech).
MARKET x Warby Parker is a RZA-Confirmed CheckmateAnother day, another eyewear headline. Following up big news from Oakley and Gentle Monster in the past week, Warby Parker is the latest spectacle supplier to get in on the madness. The eyewear imprint has enlisted the likes of Mike Cherman‘s MARKET to create a custom set of frames that weaves in the streetwear label’s design ethos (Hypebeast).
STAT OF THE WEEK
How a NATO Trump Meme Gave Usher’s ‘Daddy’s Home’ a Viral Political SpinPresident Donald Trump just returned from the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague, Netherlands—an event that was billed as one of the most consequential gatherings in the alliance’s 75-year history. For those less familiar, NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is a political and military alliance of 32 countries from North America and Europe, founded on the principle of collective defense: an attack on one member is considered an attack on all.
BYTES
An AI-generated song using fake vocals from Drake and the Weeknd went viral two years ago, racking up millions of listens across Spotify, YouTube and TikTok before being removed. The episode rattled the music business, demonstrating how the rapidly progressing technology could upend long-held standards, protections and processes (WSJ).
Emily Chang meets power lawyer Alex Spiro in Miami to discuss how he navigates the high-stakes world of litigation on behalf of famous clients like Elon Musk, Jay-Z, Megan Thee Stallion and Alec Baldwin. Chang travels with Spiro to visit two-time NBA All-Star Joakim Noah for a game of pickup basketball and stop by Tom Brady’s office.
Cashmere, a next-generation venture investor making startup investing more accessible, today announced that its flagship fund is now available on the Alternative Investments platform of SoFi Invest, the investment hub for SoFi’s 10.9 million members (Yahoo).
Netflix’s animated film ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ has upended the global music landscape, propelling its fictional boy band, Saja Boys, to a historic milestone on Spotify (Digital Music News).
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!