Bypass: Music Industry News for Independent Artists

Monday edition - 2 min read

Yamaha’s $15 “Everything” Bundle

What’s Up

Let’s talk. How many subscriptions are you paying for right now just to make music? Come on, don’t be shy. It’s a lot, right?

Well, you’re in luck. Yamaha’s got your back.

They launched Creator Pass, and check this out, it’s one subscription for 21 music and podcast tools. It’s gotta be criminal, and for the starting price of $14.99 a month, it might be.

So What

We’re talking Output, LANDR, Groover, Riverside, and on top of that, discounts on DistroKid, Soundcloud, Linktree, [untitled], and our good old friend Adobe (phew, almost ran out of breath there). As you can see, these aren’t the run-of-the-mill filler tools you get in most bundles. Pay for them separately, and you’re easily looking at $200+ a month.

Now What

Check out the Yamaha Creator Pass. They’ve got free 7-day trials for the Beginner/Producer tiers and 14-day trials for Podcaster.

And look at it this way. Now you've got more money for Netflix.

[Full story at Music Ally]

SSL Plugins for the Price of Dinner

What’s Up

It’s Friday, and we’re hitting you with another deal. And this time, it’s from SSL. Their plugin bundle is down to $59.99 from $396. That’s more drastic than a pump and dump scheme.

So What

Looking for some solid plugins? And yep, that pun was intended. This bundle gives you Native X-EQ 2, X-ValveComp (for those late nights when all you need is a little warmth), SSL X-Gate, and SSL Native FlexVerb. Not brand-new plugins, sure, but they still hold up.

Now What

Don’t feel like dropping $400 for plugins right now? You don’t have to. Check out the bundle at Plugin Boutique before March 15.

[Read more on Bedroom Producer Blog]

Gen Z Doesn’t Trust TikTok Anymore

What’s Up

Trust is a fickle thing. But does TikTok know that? A new Harris Poll dropped, and it’s a doozy. 60% of Gen Z users say they don’t trust it as much as they did just a year prior. 79% miss the early days (2020-2022), and 72% say that content now feels staged and performative. Oh, and did we tell you about the 33% who said they hate TikTok Shop? Ouch. Pretty sure this has absolutely nothing to do with TikTok being forced to sell its U.S. operations. Totally unrelated.

So What

TikTok’s definitely not dying, but something’s off. Gen Z is still scrolling; most of them use it daily after all. But for some, it’s out of habit, not because they enjoy it. Meanwhile, YouTube is sitting pretty with a 78% favorability rating.

Now What

We wouldn’t advise you to break up with TikTok just yet. But there are other fish in the sea. YouTube Shorts and long-form video are safer bets right now if you want fans and not habit-scrollers. And if you are posting on TikTok, authenticity is key. Gen Z can smell the BS from a mile away.

[Full story on Hypebot]