Bypass: Music Industry News for Independent Artists

Sunday edition • 3 min read

AI Is Stealing Your Streams

What's Up

You read that right. AI is stealing your streams. And it's way past annoying at this point. It's personal.

Benedict Cork posted a clip of his new song, and you know what happened next? Within a week, an AI fake was already out. An AI track even showed up on Blaze Foley's verified page. The guy passed away in 1989. These people really don't care. The same thing happened with Toto and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard.

So What

AI impersonation is a very real problem. Sony already requested the removal of 135,000 deepfakes. Oh, and don't forget about Deezer finding out that 60,000 AI tracks are being uploaded every single day.

It's not like the platforms aren't trying, but this is a game of whack-a-mole that's just plain unfair.

Now What

You've got to defend yourself. Turn on Spotify's Artist Profile Protection if you have access. Check your profile regularly and flag anything that's, you know, not yours.

[Full story at DMN]

T-Shirts Alone Ain't Gonna Cut It

What's Up

(Ring ring) This is your monthly wake-up call. Young fans are over the basic tees. They want posters, keychains, jewelry, stuff that's not a t-shirt. Also, and this one might surprise you, 27% of those young fans bought vinyl. Guess that means vinyl isn't just for your grandparents anymore.

So What

You're probably thinking, "No more t-shirts? Alright, cool. Say less."

Not so fast. About 40% of fans say they don't want to be ripped off, exploited, bamboozled, milked, or any of that. They want more than just t-shirts, yeah. But they also don't want to be overcharged for stuff. More variety doesn't have to mean higher prices; it just means better options.

Now What

Think keychains, pins, prints – cool stuff that fans actually want. Keep the price right and keep it intentional.

[Full story at Music Ally]

SoundCloud Just Gave You A Reason To Post There Again

What's Up

Yeah, guys, SoundCloud still exists. And they're launching a feature to remind you they do. Follower Exclusive Releases lets you lock tracks behind a follow. Funny enough, the feature is locked behind its own wall: Soundcloud's Artist Pro ($15.99/month).

So What

This is called 'windowing', and it's exactly what you need to turn casual listeners into followers automatically. Think about it this way. How would you get someone in your store in the first place? You show them something nice at the window, right? You're doing the same thing just with your music.

Now What

For your next release, let your fans window shop a little. Check out SoundCloud's Artist Pro and try out the Follower Exclusive Releases feature. Then watch your follower count grow before your song even goes wide.

[Full story at Hypebot]