Universal Music: Artist Management In A Streaming Era

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Are there any other analytics tools that you use to identify talent?

Social media is the most significant tool. Beyond that, we use Spotify to look at numbers, and Instagram and TikTok to examine the community of followers. TikTok is one of the biggest platforms for discovering talent. YouTube is also useful for seeing an artist's direct channel, the number of subscribers they have, and the views per video. If you have access to the backend platform of YouTube, Instagram, or Spotify, you can see detailed analytics of who's listening, how many times they're listening, where they're based, and other demographics.

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It's fascinating that everyone now has access to analytics tools and social media. I'm curious, how do major labels distinguish themselves from independents at this stage?

The most significant department that a major label has is the radio department. Despite streaming being the primary revenue stream for labels today, radio still has a significant consumption base, accounting for 50% of listeners. Therefore, radio's reach is still crucial in breaking a major artist.

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The difference in resources is evident. So, how have independent labels adapted their strategy for this new technological era?

The streaming landscape has somewhat leveled the playing field between independent and major labels. Independent labels don't have as strong relationships with streaming platforms as major labels do, partly because major labels have a stake and investment in these platforms. However, playlists on streaming platforms have become crucial for promoting and breaking music. Independent labels have capitalized on this aspect of the streaming landscape, which has significantly aided their rise.

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