✖️ BITKRAFT's investments, the metaverse, and what's next for music // A future of new normals requires a local focus

What comes after the current generation of Twitch, Minecraft, Roblox, and Fortnite? And what does it mean for music?

Aug 11, 2020

Hi everybody,

Two pieces for you this week: a brand new thought piece about 3 new investments by VC-fund BITKRAFT, which focuses on gaming and interactive media. The other piece is a case for a local focus in music during and beyond the pandemic, which subscribers of the MUSIC x CORONA newsletter may have already read.

Have a great week!

Love,

Bas

What BITKRAFT’s recent investments suggest about music’s future and the metaverse

Virtual platforms are turning the web into an interconnected world of worlds, here’s what the music business can learn from BITKRAFT’s recent investments in 3 pioneering startups Koji, Playable Worlds, and Voicemod.

What’s next for remix culture? What gave rise to virtual experiences like the Travis Scott Fortnite concert? How do we go beyond the visual Instagram and Snapchat face filters? What’s a voice avatar? And what comes after the current generation of Twitch, Minecraft, Roblox, and Fortnite?

Open post

Why local is the answer to a future of new normals

I spoke at Most Wanted: Music Dial-in about the pandemic and the climate crisis and how we can bridge the current status quo to a better future. The answer is a local focus. Read the transcript of my speech.

5 links

Where TikTok fits in Microsoft's music strategy, by Cherie Hu
An excellent piece that runs you through 1) Microsoft’s history in music; 2) Why Microsoft’s MP3-player failed; 3) What their current music and entertainment strategy is; and 4) How TikTok fits into that.
Bandcamp, Twitch & Discord: the new online rap communities, by Dylan Green
Solid read about rap’s adaptability and how it thrives in 2020’s pandemicised landscape. Whereas SoundCloud was the title of hiphop’s digital chapter a few years ago, a new chapter has started.
We are at a turning point for social music, by Mark Mulligan
Weighing in on the landscape as Microsoft looks at acquiring TikTok, Facebook launches a YouTube competitor for music videos, and Snap signed a deal for music videos with WMG.
Deepfake Text-to-Speech, but its a new form of jazz (video), by Adam Neely
Using AI, they made a rendition of Jay-Z’s voice, then had it read a famous meme text and then jammed alongside it. They talk through the process and you can hear the music.

Last one’s just for fun. Stuart Dredge’s trick to telling apart all the livestreaming services:

Stuart Dredge @stuartdredge

@cheriehu42 I solved this (a bit) last week for an AIM presentation on startups. Treat them like episodes of Friends! Relevant preso slides pictured ;)

Let’s work together

If you’re a music or entertainment startup that needs product strategy, product management, or content strategy, or a music company interested in innovation management or data-informed startup methodology: you can hire me.

Drop me a line by replying to this email or message me on LinkedIn.

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