Bypass: Music Industry News for Independent Artists

Tuesday edition - 2 min read

Another UAD Plugin Steal

What’s Up

UAD is taking Christmas seriously this year. Remember the Black Friday giveaway? Yeah, they’re giving you one more chance to grab one of ten free premium plugins. Use code HOLIDAYFREEBIE at checkout. Offer ends on December 31.

So What

It must have sucked missing their Black Friday giveaway, right? Lucky for you, UAD is giving you one more chance to take advantage before the year ends. For those folks who caught it the first time around, congrats, you get to grab another free plugin.

Now What

Get your plugin before December 31. You'll need a UA Connect app and a free iLok account. Yeah, you have to deal with iLok (gross, I know), but for a free $199 plugin? It’s worth the headache.

[Read more on Bedroom Producers Blog]

Instagram Rolls Out Two New Promo Features

What’s Up

Believe it or not, Instagram launched two new features… and they’re actually useful. You can now reshare any public Story to your own, even if you weren’t tagged. Plus, they're testing Early Access Reels that let followers see content before everyone else does.

So What

Did venues forget to tag you in an announcement? Problem solved. Just reshare the announcement yourself. On top of that, you get real follower incentives with Early Access. Think exclusive merch links, early tickets, and behind-the-scenes drops before they go public.

Now What

Story reshares are live now, so use them. Early Access is still rolling out, though. When it arrives, use it only for your most engaged content, not every post.

[Read more on Music Ally]

Your TikTok Strategy Isn't Enough

What's Up

We all want that one magic hack to blow up. But a survey of 5,000 Americans from Bain & Company found something pretty obvious: no single app dominates when it comes to discovery. DSP playlists are still the heavyweights, topping at 56%. Social media is a close second (43%). And if you're targeting Gen Z, social is officially the #1 discovery engine.

So What

Your SubmitHub-only or TikTok-only strategy won't cut it. Discovery is fragmented. Even younger fans use multiple channels.

Now What

Stop looking for the silver bullet. Prioritize playlist pitching AND social content, but don't forget word-of-mouth. Multi-channel doesn't mean doing everything; it just means not betting everything on one platform.

[Read more on Music Ally]