Every year Luminate (formerly Nielsen Music) shares an annual and midyear report on different insights and trends within the music industry. Luminate uses data to report on different continuations and changes in the industry. As we’ve hit the mid-year mark, it’s a great time to reflect on how music has performed so far and how music might perform for the rest of the year. The report is full of data and charts that can be a little intimidating and time consuming to read, so I’ve read it so that you don’t have to.  Before we dive into the highlights of this report, here are some terms tha ..read more

Recently, there have been a lot of conversations about major labels pushing their roster to be active on TikTok. Whether being asked to promote a song or just to be present on the app, many artists are voicing their frustrations with being forced to market their music on the platform in order to make their labels happy.   You may have seen Halsey’s recent TikTok post in which they expresses frustration with their label, Capitol Records, after they allegedly prevented the singer from releasing a song until she could make it “go viral on TikTok.” Well, the post went viral, which resulted i ..read more

If you’re planning to drop new music, you should know that a solid TikTok strategy can be extremely valuable to your success. So many have dreamed of having that one song go viral, getting them a big record deal and turning them into a star. But in reality, the accounts that have real and lasting success have taken months, if not a years, of consistent posting to grow. To make the most of your rollout strategy, the first thing you should do is to get organized. Sure, some people can find success by going with the flow, without a detailed game plan, but we’ve learned that it’s much easier to ..read more

How to effectively repurpose short-form videos to save time and maximize reach. Much has been written about the burnout artists are experiencing when it comes to social media. From the viral Halsey TikToks, to thinkpieces from Trapital, MIDiA, and our own blog, everyone seems to be discussing the fatigue of working social media as a full-time artist. Luckily, short-form videos have become ubiquitous across social media platforms, and with a little help, you can effectively repurpose your content to save time and maximize your reach. Maximizing Reach Most of us have watched Instagram follow ..read more

Artists are currently living in a very interesting time. Not only are they bombarded with an overflow of content and potential reach, but they’re also met with the pressure of trying to keep up with the demand of volume, (while also keeping up a level of creativity). We’re seeing this struggle for creators big and small. In an article by the Washington Post, Brandon Stosuy, a music manager and co-founder of Zone 6, discussed one of the main drivers of this pressure: “That’s the trend you see with major and independent labels over the years, where something works for one person so they want t ..read more

Social media has made it possible for just about anyone to pursue a career in music. There are so many platforms now that allow you to market directly to your target audience, and more than ever, you’re in the driver’s seat of your career. Sure, labels can help with big picture marketing strategies, but when it comes to developing a fanbase, that’s all on you. And that can be an exciting thing! You can be your authentic self and tap into various niches on different social media platforms, building long-lasting fan relationships with people who are truly interested in you and your music.  ..read more

You’ve probably seen Harry Styles online recently. Whether it’s Coachella recaps, album awareness, or about his new record-breaking single, ‘As It Was,’ the man is hard to miss. If you’re paying extra attention to Harry’s digital presence, then you’ve also probably noticed that he keeps his visuals tight, like really tight. In a new industry landscape where almost every song holds “radio hit” single status to feed streaming platforms’ personalization algorithms, I personally find it quite lovely seeing a concept album return in the most public of public eyes. It feels like f o r e v e r since ..read more

Artists have a superpower we don’t often talk about. It’s less obvious than the talent we hear on recordings or see on stage. Yet it’s the reason why - through all the music industry’s ups and downs - companies, brands, and politicians move mountains to align themselves with the biggest names in music.  Music is entertainment by definition. Yet the impact our industry has on people runs a lot deeper than simply just providing amusement. Unlike most products, music creates a real emotional connection with its consumer. Sometimes that connection gives artists an almost god-like status in ..read more

We saw a lot of incredible TikToks from artists over the past month, but we’ve decided to list 10 of our favorites and why they made us stop scrolling on our For You Page. @felixames Soul Nostalgia ? ♬ Shoestring by Felix Ames - Felix Ames From: Felix Ames (@felixames) This TikTok immediately grabbed our attention with Felix Ames listing specific moments where we would enjoy listening to his music. If you’re an artist wanting to promote your music on TikTok, take time to figure out the audience that fits your style and make a list of things those people enjoy doing.  @charlieputh I thi ..read more

You may be thinking - Why Twitch? It’s probably not the first platform that comes to mind for music discovery. If that’s so, you’re missing out. Last year, artists and fans were forced to get creative with how music is created, shared, and experienced during lockdown. Live-streaming boomed, and Twitch, in particular, became a driving force in consumption. Overall viewership on the platform grew 117% from January 2020 to January 2021. Source Looking even closer, music viewing hours on Twitch grew a whopping 428%, making it one of the fastest growing categories on the platform, which has his ..read more