By Kevin Cornell
Another month is coming to a close, and TuneCore is here to fill all you independent artists in on some of the headlines you may have missed.
Whether it’s music streaming, publishing, product updates, studies and reports, or op-eds, we’re rounding up some music industry must-reads for all of you looking to stay in touch with the business and advance your career!
Spotify Integrated Within Facebook Stories
Streaming platforms and music stores continue to partner with important social media channels in ways that benefit fans and artists looking to promote. This month saw Facebook teaming up with Spotify further to offer 15-second previews of songs in users’ ‘Stories’. Once you’ve opted-in for Facebook Music via TuneCore, this could be a great new way to encourage your fans to share your new music. Read more here.
Positive Findings in H1 2019 U.S. Music Market Figures
The RIAA posted figures from the first half of 2019, finding that revenues in the U.S. recorded music market grew 18% year over year. There were some cool findings, such as vinyl’s likely rise to the top of physical unit game; and then some expected findings in terms of streaming (accounting for 80% of industry revenues) and download purchase behavior (declining by 18%). Read more here.
Can Artists Take a Note From Influencers’ Latest Way to Earn Cash on Instagram?
The Atlantic shared a new and increasingly commonplace method of pay-walling on Instagram being used by popular influencers: “Close Friends”. You’ve likely seen the ‘Close Friends’ option on the platform, but it turns out some fans are willing to pay a monthly premium to have special access to content and communication. Read more here.
A Streaming Platform To Help Artists Raise Money for Charity
SingleServ is looking to make it easier for artists to raise money for non-profit organizations they believe in, according to MusicAlly. At a time when what artists stand for and support can play a big role in their overall branding strategy, SingleServ gives them the chance to release songs exclusively through their app, with revenue being allocated toward charities. Read more here.
YouTube Begins Offering Global Discovery Playlists
In an effort to offer users an experience akin to Spotify’s “New Music Friday” and Apple Music’s “New Music Daily” playlists – which serve as major discovery portals for fans, and major growth platforms for artists – YouTube Music has rolled out their “Released” playlist. 9To5Google.com makes the point of YouTube Music’s legacy of relying on curated playlists, and this should serve as an exciting opportunity for independent artists. Read more here.
Is Instagram Gearing Up For a TikTok Lookalike Feature?
Speaking of Instagram, it was noticed by coder Jane M Wong last month that the image and video social giant could be readying a new feature that appears to mimic that of TikTok. As TikTok soars in popularity among fans and artists alike, Wong points out the platform’s prototype of a feature called “Clips” that allows users to overlay music and adjust the speed/timer of video files. Read more here.
BandsInTown Expands Tool Offering For Artists
Live music app BandsInTown announced this month that they’ve launched “BandsInTown For Artists”, a suite of services and features aimed to help artists who use the app to connect with fans more directly. The new services allow artists to promote their tour dates across more platforms, includes more posting options, real-time analytics on posts, and more. Read more here.
Tags: featuring music industry news