In the latest edition of our Beats, Bytes and Brands column for Adweek, Clay Durant and I address the art of playlists and how they pertain to brand marketing. In a world where there is more content being released than ever, curation is regaining its standing as the arbiter of cool.We realize playlists are no replacement for a marketing plan, but they are becoming increasingly important in the audio ecosystem.We see playlists being used in five key capacities:
Enhancing the product experience
Connecting to fans’ lifestyles
Helping fans find brand syncs
Bridging the gap with IRL events
Developing new models focused on podcasting
The article highlights interesting case studies such as audio mood boards, playlist event recaps, brands spawning from playlists, and how sync is elevated by playlist placement. Here’s the full article in Adweek.As the podcast revolution continues to grow and take shape, podcast playlists are unquestionably becoming important in tracking and categorizing releases.Speaking of podcasts, here’s a conference recap I recorded for Brandweek. What a fantastic week. Hello to my new friends and colleagues!
BEATS
How Spotify Is Helping Brands Curate Their Way Through the Attention RecessionGen X really doesn’t get enough credit for creating the mix tape. The practice of declaring one’s love or curating songs the way a museum displays exhibits has long outlived the cassette tape, and it triggered the evolution of how we format the music of our lives. (Jessie Kirshbaum, Clayton Durant)
Live Nation Releases $59 ‘Club Pass’ — Unlimited Concerts At Select Clubs Through 2022’s EndLive Nation (NYSE: LYV) has officially debuted a $59 “Club Pass” that, as its name suggests, will afford customers unlimited access to shows at specific clubs through 2022’s end. (Digital Music News)
Web3 Music Creation Startup Arpeggi Labs Announces $5.1 Million Raise, Brings On Steve Aoki and Louis Bell As AdvisorsWeb3 music creation startup Arpeggi Labs has announced a $5.1 million seed round that drew support from a16z crypto, veteran songwriter and producer Louis Bell, Steve Aoki, and an array of others. (Digital Music News)
Why Brands Are Creating Original Songs For TiktokMcDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Trident are among the marketers updating a cultural tactic for the leading social platform. (Marketing Dive)
Trident Teams Up With Chlöe Bailey To Launch #CHEWTHEVIBES Challenge And New Gum InnovationAward-winning musical artist drops new song featuring gum-chewing sounds in celebration of the TikTok challenge and new TRIDENT VIBES ft. SOUR PATCH KIDS gum. (PR Newswire)
Sound On in the Metaverse: Why It's Just the Beginning for Virtual ConcertsIs this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in the metaverse. Welcome to our new reality. The metaverse is opening up a new portal for musicians and fans to experience concerts in a digital dimension. (Muse by Clio)
Miami: Web3’s Home BaseAs the Web3 ecosystem moves faster than the speed of light, the panelists agree that it’s easy to become overwhelmed while trying to keep up with the seismic ebbs and flows. (AdWeek)
David Byrne Is Always On To The Next AdventureAt 70, Byrne remains an original, a recognized rock star who is just as likely to publish a book of black-and-white sketches as make a new album. In a culture driven by nostalgia, he seems allergic to the easy repeat. (Washington Post)
Discord Brings Together Musicians And Their FansDiscord has quietly become the hub for artists to interact with their fans, which is both tightening artists-fan bonds and building a community among those fans. It’s the type of platform that could inspire long-lasting passion for the musician as a person. (Future Party)
Human vs. Machine: Can Virtual Artists Really Compete?Miquela, FN Meka, and aespa provide three recent models of virtual artistry, teaching us lessons about the future of virtual artists. (Chartmetric)
$6 Billion Paid To The Music Industry In 12 MonthsLast year we announced a $4B revenue contribution to the music industry, and our foot is still planted on the gas pedal: In the 12 months between July 2021 and June 2022, YouTube paid over $6B to the music industry. This is a $2B increase from the $4B contribution we announced in 2021. (YouTube Official Blog)
BaseNote Launches Blockchain-Free Way For Fans To Invest In ArtistsFans as financial investors in artists’ careers is a trend that’s come in several phases, from the early excitement around companies like Kickstarter and Indiegogo to 2022’s crop of startups helping artists to sell NFTs with royalty shares built in. (Musically)
How The Music Industry Can Increase Its Overall RevenueHitPiece creates a boundless frontier between music creators and fans through NFTs, a metaverse, and real-life experiences. Artists can launch gated content through NFTs, which will act as the medium for IRL connections, experiences, and more. (Trapital)
Mark Mulligan Of Midia On How Web 3.0 is a Lane, Not a HighwayThe internet has had many major advancements in the last two decades, so what makes Web 3.0 so special? Industry analyst Mark Mulligan of MIDiA asks and answers. (Mark Mulligan)
Riot Games names Lil Nas X ‘President’ of League of LegendsAs ‘President’, Lil Nas X will co-design a new League of Legends champion skin, create the theme song for the 2022 League of Legends World Championship and perform at the finals later this year. (ESports Insider)
Free Makeup Touch-Ups Coming To A Concert Venue Near YouLive Nation and Halsey will debut in-person beauty experiences at venues and music festivals around the country beginning later this year. (Fast Company)
BYTES
Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, sits down with Alo co-founder Danny Harris and host Alyson Wilson to paint a sonic picture of what’s on his mind.
As one of the biggest stars in the world, Bad Bunny continues to use his massive platform for good. He premiered the music video for “El Apagón” today (Sept. 16), which includes a documentary on the struggles the Puerto Rican people currently face on the island.
If you often find yourself making Spotify playlists to get hyped for an upcoming music festival or to relive a favorite past show, a new mobile app called LineupSupply can now help make that process easier.
Two years after dropping her debut album Before Love Came to Kill Us, Toronto artist Jessie Reyez is back with sophomore release Yessie. The 11-track release includes only one feature: “Forever” with 6lack. The Atlanta R&B singer previously appeared on “Imported” with Reyez. Tim Suby produced or co-produced 5 songs on the album, while Calvin Harris produced “Titos.” The album ends with a bilingual, English-Spanish track “Adiós Amor.” (Complex)
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!