Bypass: Music Industry News for Independent Artists

Thursday edition • 3 min read

Apple Music Just Got A Lot More Useful For Indies

What's Up

Apple Music's got two new updates, and one of them's calling your name. First off, Playlist Playground. It's Apple's version of the prompted playlists feature DSPs like Spotify are so crazy about. So basically, more AI stuff. Cool.

Their second update, and more important for you, is their integration with Bandsintown and… Ticketmaster (wait, doesn't everyone hate those guys?).

So What

Spotify says their concert discovery feature already drives more than $1.5 billion in ticket sales, which, to put it lightly, is insane. Things should only get better for artists with Apple Music's expansion. One thing's for sure: fans have one less reason to leave the app to find your shows (well played, Apple).

Now What

Go to Bandsintown and toggle Apple Music in your integrations. It's that simple. Don't have a Bandsintown? Well, that's your first step.

[Full story at Music Ally]

Gen Z Is "Show Hopping". What Does That Mean For You?

What's Up

Ever heard of "show hopping"? According to Airbnb, Gen Z has been doing it a lot. It's basically travelling in groups to catch live shows and splitting costs to make it work. You can thank the economy for that.

So What

Gen Z is really making an effort to go to live shows. That basically means there's a dedicated fanbase that's just itching to see their favorite artist. Don't go thinking that you have to be big for this to work in your favor, though. You just have to be someone's favorite.

Now What

Check where you're getting your most streams and engagement. There might just be a group of fans waiting for something to do that weekend. Let that be your first tour stop. And remember to announce early. Give your fans some time to plan for your show.

[Full story at DMN]

How To Stop Losing People In The First 3 Seconds

What's Up

Blink, and they're gone. That's how fast you can lose viewers on Reels if you don't hook them immediately. After looking at 10,000+ posts from over 700 brand pages, Emplifi found exactly what keeps users engaged, and it's literally under your nose: your voice.

So What

To nerd out a bit: human speech in the first three seconds boosts ten-second retention by nearly 25%. And funny enough, it even beat music-based intros. Seamless loops on sub-seven-second videos pull in 18.7% more replays.

Now What

What does this mean for indie artists? Stop easing into your videos. You don't have time for that, and neither does your audience. Use that voice of yours. Then make sure the video loops cleanly. But if you want to get skipped, feel free to do everything else, though.

[Full story at Music Ally]

While You Were Making Music...

💼 Grimes shows up on LinkedIn [can't tell if this is a marketing stunt or she just really needs a job]

⚖️ Universal Music Group fires back at Drake over "Not Like Us" appeal [now that's just bad sportsmanship, Drake]

🎮 ROCKBEASTS lets you manage a 90s grunge band [sounds like a paradise for micro managers]

One thing to do today: Turn on your Apple Music integration in Bandsintown. It could be your way to more ticket sales. Takes about 30 seconds tops, so no excuses.

Today's edition by Jordan F.

For indies who ship music, not excuses.