✖ If you want to start a music brand, don’t wait until the pandemic is over
And: TikTok's new Q&A feature; YouTube hashtag pages; Apple's upcoming VR headset; Paris Philharmonic's virus spread research; IMVU raises $35M
Starting a music brand in the middle of a pandemic may feel counter-intuitive. It shouldn’t. The post-pandemic landscape will be tough for newcomers, whereas the current situation provides a more level playing ground to build an audience and set yourself up to seize the emerging opportunities of the return to normal.
Jump over to the MUSIC x blog to find out:
Why the summer of 2021 may be worse than last year’s;
How to build a visible audience during lockdowns;
Which channels to use and prioritize (like TikTok, Instagram, Spotify).
TECH
👩💻 IMVU, an “avatar-based social network” has just raised $35M from NetEase and others. Mentioned here, since it’s been host to a number of virtual events, such as the techno-oriented SLIT series (video).
🗣 TikTok is testing a new feature: video Q&As. Excellent way to engage with a fanbase, share a spotlight on your most dedicated fans, and make all fans feel that they’re part of something larger.
#️⃣ YouTube has rolled out hashtag pages to all users (e.g. #hyperpop). You can access them by clicking on hashtags below videos. They seem to be intended as portals / starting points to explore topics. Curious to see how it will be put to use by music brands. Makes sense for channeling influencer content filmed at events, or to have artist-centric pages with fan content (e.g. #bts).
🍏 Apple is reportedly working on a VR headset intended to be high-end and niche, which is intended to prepare developers and consumers for its eventual “more mainstream” augmented reality glasses.
⛵ You’ve heard of TikTok sea shanties… Now get into the music theory behind them and why they gel so well with TikTok’s duet feature:
CORONA
🚆 Choo-choo. For one DJ, the pandemic has meant a forced career change. Emphasizing the importance of Berlin’s suffering bohemian scene to its overall economy, DJ Maringo is now learning to become a train driver.
🏥 In Boston, a conservatory and hospital have teamed up to give music lessons to COVID-19 healthcare workers through the Boston Hope Music Teaching Project.
🇺🇸 Captured in pictures and interviews, how 2020 impacted performers in New Orleans, one of America’s most musical cities.
⛪ While I personally will probably be vaccinated in Berlin’s former Tempelhof airport, some UK residents will get theirs in the much more beautiful Salisbury Cathedral, accompanied by music from its organists.
🎻 The Paris Philharmonic contracted Dassault Systèmes for research in preparation of a reopening. They looked at a variety of scenarios and found that proper mask usage combined with the good ventilation system of the venue provides ‘very limited risk’.
Jobs
Every week, Christina Osazuwa (WMG’s Director of Data & Insights - Global Marketing and founder of Measure of Music) creates a round up of new openings in the music & entertainment business on LinkedIn. There’s so much value, that I’ve asked if I can share them with a wider audience: you!
This week, dozens of roles open at companies like UMG, YouTube, Deezer, TikTok, Cameo, and more. LinkedIn restricts the length of posts, so click here for part one and click here for part two.
Music
I’ve (already) collected over 15 hours of pre-’95 hiphop instrumentals and dub edits on Spotify. A great way to listen to early hiphop classics without the distraction that lyrics sometimes cause. Besides, many of these beats are masterpieces that can definitely stand alone.
✖ MUSIC x, founded by Bas Grasmayer and co-edited by Maarten Walraven.
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