Michael Infante’s Post

Spotify’s HiFi plan could finally arrive this year, but you may need to pay extra via InnovationWarrior.Com #author_name|Kris_Holt #language|en_US #Media #provider_name|Engadget #region|US #site|engadget

We've been seeing that distributors are the hottest thing right now in the music industry... But why are they attracting major interest in private equity firms and raising massive amounts in fundraising? One major reason for this increase is the growing influence of AI in music creation. AI is enabling more creatives to produce HD tracks efficiently and independently. This is not only reshaping the industry but also boosting the demand for scalable distribution solutions. Additionally, we're seeing an evolving independence of next-gen creators, who are increasingly looking for autonomy while still benefiting from major-label resources. This can be seen with major "TikTok artists" who have had a song go viral but remain independent. This is an evergrowing trend with more resources and tools at artists' disposal. We've even seen in a 2023 survey that 11% of independent artists can make a living solely through music. While you may think 11% is small, it is definitely taking a piece of the market share from the record labels and will continue to grow. Independent distributors, such as DistroKid, Believe, etc, are handling a larger share of streaming hits, making them essential players in the market. As these companies continue to scale, they’re becoming prime targets for investment and mergers & acquisitions, with this trend set to accelerate over time. #musicindustry #recordlabels #distributors #music #musicnews

Spotify’s HiFi plan could finally arrive this year, but you may need to pay extra via InnovationWarrior.Com #author_name|Kris_Holt #language|en_US #Media #provider_name|Engadget #region|US #site|engadget

As if we needed proof that there’s something EXTREMELY sinister driving Spotify’s business practices! Herein also lies the reasons that Daniel Ek isn’t long to remain CEO, & why Spotify ultimately succumbs to the inevitable consolidation WHEN DSP subscriber counts & ad dollars decline!

New Post: What Else You Should Know About WMG’s Q3 Earnings Call: Subscription Gains, Spotify & ‘Brat’ Summer - https://lnkd.in/ggb_PUDU - Warner Music Group (WMG) reported strong quarterly profit growth on Wednesday (Aug. 7) thanks to lower costs and solid revenue gains from streaming subscriptions and digital — which helped offset a drop in physical revenue due to release timing and a difficult year-ago comparison, according to the company. All of that led to a boost in the company’s stock, which had risen nearly 2% by the end of trading on Wednesday (though some of those gains were shaved on Thursday). “Our strong subscription streaming growth in was driven by the performance of our music and healthy industry trends,” Warner Music Group chief executive Robert Kyncl said in a statement. He added, “Our commitment to long-term artist development, combined with a flatter structure in recorded music, will enable us to super-serve talent and set WMG up for sustained future growth.” Related Warner Music Group’s Quarterly Profits Up 14% on Streaming Growth 08/07/2024 Here’s what else you should know about the third-largest music company’s latest quarterly earnings call. A positive note on the company’s strategic reorganization Kyncl kicked off the call by thanking outgoing leaders Max Lousada and Julie Greenwald and welcoming incoming Atlantic Music Group CEO Elliot Grainge while providing more detail on how WMG’s recently announced global structure will work. “We’re making changes from a position of strength, and I’m happy to say that we’re firing on all cylinders across new releases, catalog, distribution and publishing,” Kyncl said. Read more about his comments here. Strong subscription growth across streamers Overall streaming revenue was up 5% for WMG this quarter, with recorded music streaming revenue up 8.7% — reflecting growth in subscription revenue of 7%. That was welcome news to investors: Warner’s stock spiked around 6% earlier in the trading session on Wednesday before settling at a gain of nearly 2%. On the call, Kyncl was asked about the sources of WMG’s subscription streaming revenue after other music companies reported less stellar growth on that metric this quarter. That included Universal Music Group (UMG), which saw a 24% drop in its share price after reporting that overall streaming revenue fell 4.2%, leading UMG executive vp of digital strategy Boyd Muir to suggest that streamers like Apple Music and Amazon Music are struggling to add new subscribers. Related

Spotify’s shift to algorithm-driven playlists has completely changed the game. Forget editorial—now it’s all about cracking the code of algorithms and hoping your music gets picked up by the right listeners. The challenge? Older tracks are dominating streams, making it harder for fresh, new voices to stand out. Add to that the skyrocketing cost of promotions and the shrinking revenue share for artists and labels, and it’s starting to feel like the odds are stacked against emerging talent. So, here’s the big question: how do we, as artists, producers, and labels, adapt to this new reality? How do we crack the algorithm in a way that gets consistent results, builds a loyal audience, and creates hits without dropping a fortune on marketing? And more importantly, how do we make this sustainable for indie artists and labels so they don’t just burn out trying to break through? It’s time to rethink the hustle, don’t you think? #MusicMarketing #IndependentArtists #MusicProducers #MusicIndustry #influencemarketing #globalmusic

Metro Boomin recently posted a story on Instagram, which was a screenshot of an X (formerly Twitter) exchange stating, “A fan needs to stream an artist’s music 20 times a day for a whole year for that artist to make $25 from a fan.” Below this screenshot, he indicated that these meager streaming profits are partially why he's going to stop putting albums on streaming. Upon diving deeper, I found that record labels continue to prioritize radio airplay and physical sales—be it vinyl or CDs—over streaming. Streaming just doesn't pack the same punch when it comes to making hits. This trend isn’t unique to music. In the literary world, publishers and editors still put more effort into selling physical books, especially through independent bookstores, while audiobooks often remain an afterthought. Now, let’s talk about my industry—cinema. During the pandemic, streaming was hailed as the future, with many predicting the decline of traditional theaters. But fast forward to 2023, and ‘Barbenheimer’ shattered those predictions. In 2024, ‘Inside Out 2’ did the same, proving that even in a content drought, the magic of the big screen endures. Even streaming giants like Netflix, Apple TV, and Amazon are now premiering titles exclusively in theaters before hitting their platforms. Netflix is even gearing up to open massive in-person experience venues in 2025. So, what’s going on here? Are these signs that the digital profitability matrix is flawed? Or are we simply in a transitional phase, waiting for more digital natives to take the helm and revolutionize streaming? Perhaps the answer lies in our collective preference for the traditional: watching movies in theaters and holding a book in our hands. What are your thoughts? #marketing #thoughts #profitability #streaming #digital

Read about the global sensations of C-Pop 🎵 For more, scan our Spotify code to check out our playlist! https://lnkd.in/edr2EKWt #APSMarketing #DigitalMarketing #Marketing #Mktg #MarketingStrategy #MusicMarketing #MarketingBlogs #CPop #Lay #LayZhang #ZhangYixing #EXO #HigherBrothers #88rising #Masiwei #KnowKnow #HeadinTheClouds #PrinceCharming

Spotify’s recent move to disable “autoplay similar music” by default is yet another corporate assault on independent artists, coming on the heels of their 2022 algorithm shift that drastically favored major label artists. The following year in just 12 months, streams for mainstream acts surged by nearly 100%, adding tens of millions of new monthly listeners. Meanwhile, thousands of indie artists saw their streaming numbers and revenue cut in half, or worse by a third. This strategic chokehold limits exposure and reduces independent artists’ already precarious earnings. While 98% of Trailer Bros’ revenue comes from sync in film and TV, unaffected by this cold move, the hundreds of indie artists we collaborate with depend on streaming for their livelihoods. Spotify’s deliberate actions are crushing the bottom line for emerging talent, prioritizing corporate greed over creativity and independent art. Sad to see… On a positive note, Trailer Bros is committed to supporting independent talent. In 2025, we’re set to quadruple operations and make new major announcements to industry clients, which, with hard work and determination, will significantly increase revenue for independent artists over the next 2-3 years. This is just the beginning. 🤜🤛 #SupportIndieArtists #Spotify #TrailerBros #musicbringsbrotherstogether #IndependentMusic