Bypass: Music Industry News for Independent Artists

Tuesday edition • 3 min read

And The Award For "Actually Useful" Tools Goes To…

What's Up

YouTube's going hard on helping you blow up. You probably already know about A/B testing (and yeah, it's widely available now), but they dropped some features you might want to catch up on. Features like collab tags and a Practice Mode, where you rehearse your livestreams before going live.

So What

A/B testing alone isn't something to ignore. First impressions are everything, and on YouTube, your thumbnail is your first impression. It literally could mean the difference between 100 views and 10k views.

And then there are collaboration tags. We're talking about free exposure. Get featured on someone else's video, and you'll see your name right next to theirs.

Now What

Turn on A/B testing for your next uploads. And give collab tags a shot where it counts.

[Full story at Hypebot]

Gen Z's Not So Happy About AI

What's Up

Who's going to tell the guys at Suno? Gen Z does not like AI. And at this point… were they ever supposed to?

A new Gallup poll shows excitement dropping from 36% to 21% in just one year. And they're not just indifferent—anger jumped up from 22% to 31%.

So What

Gen Z is your audience, and they're tired of hearing "AI this, AI that" everywhere they look. Meanwhile, we have Suno's CEO saying, "People don't enjoy making music." Yeah… no, you're out of touch, bud.

Now What

You've got one thing AI can't fake: human creativity. Show your work and don't skip the process.

Gen Z has spoken. Stay human.

[Full story at Music Ally]

Streaming. You Can't Live With It, But You Can't Live Without It

What's Up

A new independent study from the Oxford Internet Institute and researchers at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands looked at how musicians across five different countries feel about streaming.

Yeah, we know. Another study, right? But stick with this one. You might feel better by the end.

So What

Artists from the Netherlands, Nigeria, South Korea, Brazil, and Chile all considered streaming to be "important". No, they didn't lose their minds. They rely on it for visibility, promotion, audience interaction, and staying relevant. Which, when you think about it, makes sense.

And don't worry, they didn't suddenly start loving the payouts either.

Another thing the musicians made clear: AI isn't replacing artists anytime soon. Why? Oh, a couple of reasons. It's got no soul, no authenticity… and good luck sending it on tours.

Now What

Right now, the only thing streaming is useful for is exposure. Take advantage of that. Build your email list and own your audience.

[Full story at Music Ally]