TMA Music Newsletter: May Edition
By Amanda Levine
Spring and summer concert season is upon us! Beyonce just began her global Renaissance tour in Europe to raving fans; Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is the event of the season – one fan traded tickets for a year of free pizza; and Lizzo will be on the road through the summer – she’s already supported local drag queens at her Tennessee show and even had a guest feature by Elmo.
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH MUSIC & TECH?
Speaking of concerts – Apple Music just expanded its library with concert discovery, showcasing venues fans can visit all over the world to see good music, as well as adding tour info/schedules for major acts currently on the road. Decentralization of music ownership is another hot topic – this can be seen in tech partnerships like UnitedMasters’ new app to help independent artists distribute their music themselves and collect income without traditional gatekeepers. TikTok is doubling down on its Commercial Music Library success by including the Artist Impact Program, which TikTok hopes will foster more direct relationships between brands and independent artists for business opportunities. And at the Wavelengths Summit hosted by Water & Music, they explored artist benefits of using Web3 tools to successfully connect directly with fans. (Even Metallica got on the bandwagon, with a unique launch of their new 72 Seasons album with Spotify.)
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH MUSIC & BRANDS?
It’s the season for bubbly drinks! Pepsi’s starting the summer off right with a fresh new partnership with Apple Music and Bad Bunny, which includes QR codes on select products to unlock free Apple Music for three months. Coca-Cola has also jumped into action, capitalizing on the popularity of K-Pop by partnering up with successful K-Pop band NewJeans on an original track and additional marketing promotions to come. On the media side, Vevo assured advertisers during their newfronts that investments in Vevo’s diverse music-based content will more closely connect them to the diverse marketplace and consumer base.
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITHIN TMA MUSIC?
Join in on Old Spice’s open verse duet challenge with TikTok star JVKE. He created an original song for fans to duet to.
WHAT’S INTERESTING?
–– Musicians supporting the writer’s strike with a performance by Weezer and free pizza from Flava Flav.
–– The ongoing debate of AI “fake” songs.
–– A new series from TIME Studios & Universal Music Group that will Deep Dive into never seen or heard footage of famous musicians.
Stay tuned for next month’s newsletter with trends, stats, and more!
