The forecast may be stormy, but all hope is not lost. However, in unstable economic times, there is a tendency to pull back, tighten the spending belt, and trend toward fiscal conservatism, all of which makes sense. The marketplace has been calling for it: hold off until we see how the election goes; wait ‘til we see how the inauguration plays out; get a feel for the first 100 days. Now we know more, and the only certainty is that there’s no certainty. Trump’s seas are going to be choppy at best.But the power of music in your marketing mix is unaffected. In challenging times, music creates lasting emotional connections.Companies may be reevaluating budgets due to tariffs, but to stop spending on marketing is not the answer. Now is the time to grab market share, edge out competitors with savvy positioning, and create heartfelt campaigns that will resonate with your core consumers while attracting new faithfuls.We know that music, when used in marketing, can smash KPI’s, shift culture, and garner exponential results. The proof is in the data. On top of that, the analytics show that music and live events actually perform better in a down-turn. People might not be spending on that big vacation or that house renovation, but attending a concert and soaking up your favorite songs helps folks forget about their worries. Music provides a high-value proposition as an affordable micro-indulgence.Now isn’t the time to cut-back on your potential plans for earned media, either. This is an opportunity to bring in experts who can help you navigate this competitive edge in your marketing plan in a nuanced and strategic way. While a comprehensive, multi-channel, agency-led campaign may not be in the cards, a nimble and effective music marketing consultant, who understands the landscape inside and out, could very well be the way you take your goods to the next level.Long story short, there is opportunity in chaos. This is an era when the next generation of great companies, brands, and campaigns will be born. If you aren’t looking at music as a value proposition, you’re missing out on the moment.Let’s rap about how this adds up to you and your company continuing to eat. We’ll bring the snacks!
BEATS
How Track Star Became Every Musician’s Favourite TikTok ShowA simple premise – identify the artist behind a song – has sparked viral interviews with Charli XCX, Ed Sheeran and many more (GQ).
Record Store Day 2025 CountdownThis year’s Record Store Day occurs this Saturday, April 12th, 2025. Get your lists ready and prepare to dive into the key vinyl releases for this celebration of indie record stores (Chorus).
The Hottest Denim Brand of the ’00s Turns to Hip-Hop for Its ResurrectionTrue Religion’s newest video and social media ads star Sexyy Red, a 26-year-old rapper and singer from St. Louis, Mo., as part of the brand’s ongoing, celebrity-starring campaign “Own Your True.” They follow similar ads in February with pop star Anitta and a holiday push with Megan Thee Stallion (WSJ).
Udio, the Startup Sued By Record Companies Last Year, Unveils Tool To Clone ‘Sonic Identity’ of Existing SongsThe new ‘Udio Styles’ is a feature that allows users to generate new music that mirrors the “sonic identity” of existing tracks, Udio said on Monday (March 31), adding that the feature will be available only on uploads of content that users own or control (Music Business Worldwide).
Pop Star Ellie Goulding's Cocktail Brand SERVED Lauches in IrelandIt is the first time the ready-to-drink cocktail has been sold outside of the UK. It will initially launch with three of its most popular cocktail products in the Irish market – Passion Fruit Martini, Mojito and Margarita (Business Plus).
Dolly Parton Debuts Good American ‘Joleans’ Collaboration, Talks Trashy-chic Style Motto and Fashion Inspirations: ‘I Want to Look Cheap’The Khloé Kardashian and Emma Grede-owned brand partnered with Dolly Parton to create a limited-edition apparel collection filled with rhinestones, gingham and jeans — or “Joleans,” as Parton described them (Yahoo).
Kodak Black Teams Up With SoleBoy For Their Scooby Mystery CollectionIn an exciting new venture, Kodak Black, the chart-topping rapper and cultural icon, has partnered with SoleBoy, a leading luxury streetwear brand, to launch the Scooby Mystery Collection (Hip-Hop Vibe).
BTS label HYBE and Alan Chikin Chow are teaming up to create a K-pop supergroup in the U.S.Can a 28-year-old Texas native with more than 88 million subscribers on his main YouTube channel become the next big thing in K-pop? Alan Chikin Chow is giving it a shot (Tube Filter).
The Best Coachella 2025 Parties, Pop-Ups & Brand Activations You Can't MissWhether you're a seasoned desert expert or a first-time festivalgoer, one thing's for sure—the party doesn't stop at the Empire Polo Fields (Undercover LA).
Bon Iver Announce “State Fair” Album Release Party With Basketball Tournament This Saturday In LABon Iver’s long-awaited new album SABLE, fABLE is dropping this Friday. (We’ll Prematurely Evaluate it before then.) Justin Vernon and friends are celebrating the occasion Saturday in Los Angeles with a daylong “state fair” that doubles as an album release party. There will be basketball (Stereogum).
Stagecoach Festival to Be Livestreamed by Amazon Music, With Immediate RebroadcastsEarly-morning reruns of the country festival's programming a new feature for 2025, aimed primarily at catching international viewers on Prime Video, Twitch and the Amazon Music app (Variety).
Will Smith X Diljit Dosanjh: Rapper Breaks the Internet With an Uncanny Collaboration With the Indian SuperstarSmith has a knack for doing the unthinkable, and this Diljit Dosanjh link-up left jaws on the floor from the US to India (Netflix Junkie).
BYTES
John Mulaney finds himself at a crossroads after trying and failing to get Bone Thugs-N-Harmony on the show.
Why are concert tickets so expensive and so frustratingly hard to get? Brook Silva-Braga spent a year talking to artists, fans, scalpers, and executives from Ticketmaster and StubHub in search of answers.
The chronicling of my journey to re-obtain all of the Gap In-Store Playlists from 1992 through 2006 requires just a little bit of backstory…
This year Miller High Life is celebrating the moments where music and The Champagne of Beers meet with “The Soundtrack to the High Life,” a year-long program where it will partner with major music brands and sponsor the tour of the chart-topping and Grammy-nominated Teddy Swims.
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!