Bypass: Music Industry News for Independent Artists

Friday edition - 2 min read

Soundtoys Drops 6 Free Plugins (Time-Sensitive)

What’s Up

It’s Christmas soon, and we indies love our toys… especially when they don't bankrupt us. Soundtoys is feeding the addiction by giving away six professional plugins between now and December 19. You have exactly 48 hours to grab each plugin before it vanishes.

So What

Everyone knows that if you want great analog saturation and delay, you get Soundtoys plugins. Normally, you have to pay top dollar for this kind of stuff; right now, you pay $0 but only if you’re fast.

Now What

Visit the site every two days. My recommendation: set a phone alarm. Seriously. If you miss the window, you lose your chance. Don't come crying to me next week when you have to pay full price for EchoBoy Jr. because you forgot to check the website.

[Read more on Bedroom Producers Blog]

Spotify is Coming for YouTube’s Lunch

What’s Up

Spotify officially wants to be everything now. First, DMs and now music videos, which honestly felt like a no-brainer. They launched full music videos to Premium users in the US and Canada.

So What

Fans are 34% more likely to restream a track if it has a video attached. That’s because they’re not passively listening at that point; you’ve got them hooked. The catch is, you can’t upload videos directly to Spotify - you need DistroVid, which costs $99/year. But that’s unlimited video uploads for the entire year, which is pretty worth it all things considered.

Now What

Go ahead, upload your best stuff. The "Switch to Video" button is frictionless (so I’ve heard), so make sure you're on the other side of it.

[Full story at Hypebot]

You’re Selling Cool, Not Cotton

What's Up

Hard truth: fans don't buy your t-shirt because they want to “support you” (ew, what’s that?). They buy it to say something about themselves. Disc Makers just confirmed that merch is about identity, not charity. If your gear doesn't make them look or feel cool, well… you’d better start putting those shirts in your closet to gather dust.

So What

Scarcity creates value. That’s just marketing basics. If it’s always available, nobody cares. If it’s "presale only" or even "limited to 100," it becomes something you just “have to have.” Ninja Sex Party moved tens of thousands of CDs just by making them presale-exclusive (and having a cool name).

Now What

Number 1: no generic merch. Make it something fans actually want to wear. People love aesthetics. Number 2: make a limited run, because, say it with me, FOMO.

[Full story at Hypebot]