Mike Warner

Music Videos? Do you watch them? This article discusses whether it makes sense for artists to still create them... If you're a big artist, Yes, you absolutely should. Otherwise, I would let the streams lead and take it from there. If they pop off like Dasha's "Austin", then go make that video and get those YouTube Streaming Dollas!

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Taylor = Total Control 📈 UMG = No Control 📉 It’s no surprise who’s winning. In yesterday’s post I talked about how control was the key factor in Taylor Swift’s incredible success story. Here’s another example of where control is critical. But this time it’s a lack of control - and it is resulting in a massive devaluation of the beast that is UMG. A beast that until recently seemed unstoppable. Have a read of this excellent analysis from Yuval Rotem on Seeking Alpha. The problem is Universal doesn’t “control its own monetisation destiny”. Yes it has enormous (but gradually diluting) leverage because Spotify and the other DSPs can’t exist without its catalogue. But that catalogue is a loss leader for Spotify. It isn’t therefore vested in its success. Like a supermarket that can’t not have Heinz baked beans or other household staples but doesn’t make any money on them. It stocks them but puts all its effort into directing customers to products where it CAN make a better margin. In Spotify’s case think podcasts, audiobooks or labels and artists that have opted into Discovery Mode - and so on. Rotem says: “What can UMG do…..? Aside from trying to squeeze out more economics from the platforms, nothing really, and the content leverage can only go so far.” I think this highlights a really important point for independent music businesses. You need to figure out where you can control your own monetisation destiny. Majors have dabbled in D2C but never taken it seriously. They have never invested properly in owning customer data and talking to them directly. Why? Perhaps because, as Rotem points out, management incentives weren’t well aligned and/or plain old complacency. But new businesses need not make that mistake. If you nail differentiation - if you actually stand for something and solve a problem for consumer - you will find fans of your label or publisher or live events etc And if you find fans you can monetise directly. Just like artists are realising super fans are the future - why shouldn’t that also be the case for new artist services businesses? UMG is fast becoming a catalogue acquisition and management business. Despite going on about being more artist centric, that’s just another name for trying to leverage better terms with DSPs. It doesn’t have the rights to persue more direct, premium relationships with the super fans of its top talent. And why would artists ever decide to grant those rights in future? Don’t fail to learn from these painful lessons and think hard about control of your own monetisation destiny. https://lnkd.in/eu9gJ-V7 #musicbusiness #businessmodel #taylorswift

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Why UMG's Acquisition of Downtown Music Might Not Be as Disruptive as It Seems Preservation of Independent Identity While UMG is acquiring Downtown Music, there’s no guarantee they’ll dismantle its independent ethos. Many acquisitions leave operational structures intact, especially when the acquired companies are profitable and well-regarded. It’s likely UMG will prioritize growth and efficiency rather than a heavy-handed overhaul, allowing Downtown’s services to continue benefiting independents. Market Diversification Isn’t Domination Owning tools like CD Baby and Songtrust doesn’t mean UMG will dominate the indie market. Artists and labels choose platforms based on trust, affordability, and effectiveness. If UMG compromises Downtown’s neutrality or raises prices, competitors like DistroKid or TuneCore will quickly fill the gap, maintaining balance in the ecosystem. Opportunities for Innovation UMG’s resources could improve these platforms. Enhanced technology, better global reach, and competitive pricing might emerge under UMG’s ownership. This could empower independent artists and labels rather than hinder them. Indie Market Resilience The indie sector thrives on adaptability and innovation. Consolidation by major players can lead to new entrants and more competition. For every platform acquired, others emerge with fresh approaches and stronger commitments to independence. Checks and Balances Exist Regulatory scrutiny and public perception can influence how UMG operates its new acquisitions. If they exploit their position to harm independents, it could lead to legal challenges or damage their reputation, dissuading artists from using their services. Ownership Doesn’t Equal Control Indie artists and labels aren’t bound to these platforms—they have agency. Many might see the acquisition as a reason to diversify their tools, reducing dependence on any single company. While UMG’s acquisition reflects a broader trend of consolidation, it’s far from a death knell for the independent music world. The strength of the indie sector lies in its diversity, creativity, and resilience—qualities that even the largest corporations struggle to co-opt.

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In this podcast episode, originally intended to promote and discuss Music Ally’s PRO platform, several other important topics were covered. One of the key discussions was about the challenges faced by individual contributors that were/are part of organizations in the music industry when they find themselves re-entering the job market. It highlighted the struggle to effectively market oneself and make others aware of their skills, accomplishments, and achievements. The conversation resonated with me as I have faced and thought to myself how do I overcome this same challenge. While my clients and personal contacts understand the value and skill set I bring—building teams, adapting to changes, navigating limited resources, and moving forward without clear direction—the broader market often remains unaware of these accomplishments and the conditions in which they were made under. The discussion explored how one can effectively present these strengths to potential future employers and clients in the industry. Additionally, the podcast addressed the decentralization of the music industry concerning service providers. It examined how individuals and professionals can commercialize their knowledge and skills gained through experience and personal development, offering them to artists, labels, and other enterprises operating more nimbly but still in need of these competencies. I found the podcast discussion very insightful. Although Music Ally is based in the UK, the discussion, along with their PRO platform, is highly relevant to all music markets, as we all are facing the same challenges navigating this industry.

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Here are four music placement opportunities currently available to our members... Currently, we have 85+ active briefs worth more than $285k in sync fees. Here are four interesting opportunities we recently developed with our licensing partners. If you have music that is potentially a good match you should consider checking them out on our Patreon. ● Paranormal Series Needs Blues Rock ($4400 sync fee) ● Action RPG Game Needs Jazz Track ($3200 sync fee) ● Romantic Drama Needs Indie Folk ($3700 sync fee) ● Mobile Wildlife Game Needs Instrumental ($5500 sync fee) To read the 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 for these briefs and submit your music that best match, follow the 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝟭𝟬𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗰 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘀. If your music is selected for a placement you keep all the rights you own and 100% of the sync fee available for that opportunity. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁: Submitting your music to any opportunity or joining the Sync Opps. Patreon channel does not guarantee a placement for your music. *𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯. #music #placement #sync

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Two Billion Music Streaming Consumers? Universal Music Group thinks that's possible. They're predicting 1B by 2028 (as is Goldman Sachs, it's worth noting). We're exactly 2/3 of the way there, with 667M globally. That's astonishing. Ten years ago, Spotify had launched in the US three years earlier - and they were stuck under 15M premium subscribers worldwide. Since 2014 the growth has been exponential. We talk about Spotify like it's proxy for all streaming, but its not. Apple Music & Amazon Music together have a quarter of the western market share. Gaana in India has over 200M. Tencent in China. There are many others in local territories. The next phase of growth will be fragmented among these services and it will come in non-western territories. That will make the ecosystem bigger, but also more complicated. Lucian Grange is now touting 2B. Why not? #musicindustry #musicbusiness #streaming #Spotify #DSPs

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Have you submitted music to these sync opportunities expiring soon? We have five placement opportunities expiring today through next. There is still time to submit any music you might have that is a good fit. Reminder, submission cut-off time is 11:59pm CT for all deadline dates. ● Fantasy RPG Game Needs Instrumental ($4800 sync fee) expires: 07/03/2024. ● Romantic Comedy Seeks Indie Folk Song ($4800 sync fee) expires: 07/05/2024. ● Energy Drink Needs Upbeat Pop Track ($5600 sync fee) expires: 07/05/2024.  ● Pop Culture Podcast Needs Classic Rock ($5500 sync fee) expires: 07/08/2024. ● Sci-Fi Thriller Needs Electronic Instrumental ($6500 sync fee) expires: 07/09/2024. To read the 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 for these briefs and submit your music that best match, follow the 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. Why join? It's only $𝟱 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 for 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 and $𝟭𝟬 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 for 𝗣𝗿𝗼.  This keeps placement opportunities more exclusive to members. It also helps support the work required to get new placement details for you each week, review all the submissions, send the client potential music to consider then finally connect you directly with the client if / when your music has been selected. 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 of your music to each brief. 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆. You will have access to multiple new placement opportunities each week. Our goal is to add 10 or more new opportunities every week. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝟭𝟬𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗰 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘀. If your music is selected for a placement you keep all the rights you own and the sync fee available for that opportunity. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁: Submitting your music to any opportunity or joining the Sync Opps. Patreon channel does not guarantee a placement for your music. *Link in the comments to join! #music #placement #sync

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PARTYNEXTDOOR'S manager Tyler Henry recently shared gems on working PND, OVO, & more. Here are 5 of my favorite takeaways: 1) How you do anything is how you do everything Tyler shares the story of how he got his start in the music industry while in college in California. One of his first opportunities was a result of connecting with Drake's tour manager Jamilio who asked Tyler for help working a party. Tyler took the job incredibly seriously and came with a team of people that were super on point: •Tyler & his team showed up early •Each person had an assigned role  •Everyone wore black outfits as a uniform Tyler treated it like the Super Bowl - Jamilio saw his execution and precision which led to more opportunities. How you do anything is how you do everything. 2) Preparation is key Tyler talks about wanting to understand who the key players were that worked with the artists he was either currently working with or wanted to work with. He made a spreadsheet of artist and manager contacts to help understand who everyone was, capitalize on opportunities, and meet as many people as possible. That preparation and understanding of who the key players were allowed him to recognize folks in person and capitalize on what would otherwise be small moments. For ex: while waiting in line for the bathroom, he recognized an agent from the spreadsheet he made and initiated a conversation that made a last impression. Tyler also talks about being asked to help tour manage a show on the West Coast one year. Tyler knew that show was 1 of 5 and instead of just packing a bag for that one show, he packed a bag for all 5 just in case he got asked to stay on. Preparation met opportunity when he was asked to stay on for all 5 shows and after being able to because he was prepared, that was how he met PARTYNEXTDOOR. 3) Opportunities create momentum One of the biggest takeaways from Tyler's story is how moments and opportunities snowball - there is momentum in capitalizing on opportunities as doors continue opening from one thing to the next. Doing a great job in one moment can help open the next door. 4) Hard work is necessary Tyler tells the story of how when PARTYNEXTDOOR went on his first tour with Drake, he didn't get caught up in the nightlife or partying. Every night after the show, he would work on music with a small handheld mic and continue to perfect his craft. That dedication helped Party make some of the music that eventually catapalted his career. 5) Understanding your artist Part of being a great manager is understanding your artist and the fact that every artist has their own nuance. What works for 1 artist might not work for another one in terms of strategy, opportunities, workflow, and work style. It's important to understand your artist and tailor to their specific needs. Subscribe to my newsletter for more info: https://lnkd.in/eReqf9hp

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Are you ready to make money from your music? Check out my 39 Little Know Tips on Break Into Music Licensing and learn how to unlock a world of new revenue opportunities.

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Recorded music revenues in the U.S. hit $17.1 billion in 2023, driven mainly by streaming. However, independent artists and labels saw their market share drop from 37.32% in May 2023 to 36.09% in April 2024. Major labels have regained dominance with better marketing tools, making it tougher for independents to compete. To navigate the current music industry effectively, independent artists should form alliances, focus on niche markets, advocate for fairer streaming practices, and use platforms like Patreon or Bandcamp to maintain direct financial relationships with fans. Leveraging social media and grassroots marketing can also help level the playing field. https://lnkd.in/gZXZrPAE #independentmusic #musicbusiness #musicindustry

Why Substack Is the Ultimate Tool for Independent Artists! B. Vaughan and Brian Onrea discuss the benefits of using Substack to build and engage with an email list. They explain how Substack combines tools like MailChimp, Twitter, and a webpage, allowing artists to send event updates, chat with fans, and interact through features like Notes. It’s a powerful strategy for going beyond music and creating deeper connections. #Substack #AudienceEngagement #EventPromotion #EmailListGrowth #DigitalCommunication #ContentCreation #MarketingTips #CommunityBuilding #OnlineEvents #SubstackForArtists #BuildYourEmailList #FanEngagement #IndependentArtists #MusicMarketing #SubstackTips #EmailMarketing #BeyondTheMusic #FanConnection #ArtistGrowthTools

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Ah, another day, another monumental agreement between two corporate giants purportedly designed to "advance artistry." Universal Music Group and Amazon Music's recent announcement is peppered with buzzwords like innovation, artist-centric principles, and authentic engagement. But as an independent music advocate, I can’t help but wonder: who’s this really benefiting? Let’s decode the shiny packaging of Streaming 2.0: "Segmented offerings for superfans": Translation: wealthy fans can pay more, while artists still see pennies. "Artist-centric adjustments": Sounds great, but the fine print seems to favor artists who are already household names over the emerging ones trying to build their careers. "Curbing streaming fraud": Necessary, yes but the conversation conveniently sidesteps addressing the disparity in royalty payouts across the board. Meanwhile, independent artists, who are the lifeblood of innovation and diversity in music, continue to navigate a landscape designed to funnel most of the revenue back to major labels and platforms. Where are the real tools and platforms that empower indie musicians to grow sustainable careers? Genuine innovation would involve reshaping royalty structures, amplifying visibility for new voices, and creating opportunities that aren’t gatekept by the so called "big guys". The most telling line? “UMG artists achieve their commercial potential…” That says it all. It’s about profit, not progress. To all independent artists and smaller labels out there: let’s keep building our own paths. True empowerment doesn’t come wrapped in a corporate press release it comes from prioritizing community, collaboration, and equity. I personally raise my hand to do all the heavy lifting and expect no credit or incentive!

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