Between our shrinking attention spans and increasing competition, the world’s biggest songs are among the shortest ever made.
In a report released by Samsung in December 2020, scientists found the average consumer attention span is now 8-seconds long. That discovery is 33% lower than a similar study from 2000 that claimed consumers had 12-second attention spans. Four seconds may not sound like a great deal to some, but in the age of streaming, every moment counts — now more than ever.
The team behind the study cites our shrinking attention spans as one of two main factors shaping the current state of music. The other factor is streaming, which grants consumers so much access to content that every artist must work harder to grab and hold listeners’ attention. These two forces are making songwriters rethink their approach to crafting hit songs. So much so that the same report claims that by 2030 the average length of a hit song will be two-minutes. That is about half the length of a hit song from the 1990s.
Proof of the study’s findings is everywhere. One look at streaming charts, and anyone can see that most popular songs are already under four-minutes in length, with many far shorter than that. 24KGoldn’s inescapable 2020 hit “Mood,” for example, runs just two-minutes and twenty-one seconds. Billie Eilish’s “Therefore I Am” is slightly longer, coming in at two-minutes and fifty-four seconds.
In the latest Music Biz News update, host James Shotwell reports on the study’s findings and what it means for the future of music. He also explains how introducing emerging trends in popular music can help artists from all corners of the industry increase their chances of writing a breakout hit. Check it out:
Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.
It’s no secret that succeeding in entertainment is difficult for everyone regardless of their goals, but Music Biz is here to help.
Do you dream of performing on stage for sold-out audiences or helping up and coming musicians get their shot at fame? If so, then you probably know how difficult it is to achieve your goals. We can’t make your fantasies a reality, and nobody who claims they can are worthy of your trust. However, we are firm believers in our ability to provide you with the tools and information you need to become a working industry professional. Our YouTube channel, Music Biz, simplifies the complex entertainment industry with weekly videos to help you navigate and understand the business of music.
You may be thinking, “Who do these people think they are? How do I know that they have any knowledge of the industry, let alone advice for people like me?”
These are great questions. Many people promote books, workshops, conferences, and other so-called “learning opportunities” that are trying to make money with the promise of making your dreams come true. The fact you want to know more about us before listening to our advice shows you’re more discerning than the average dreamer, which is a necessary skill to have if you want to succeed in music.
In the simplest terms, the Music Biz team is a group of career music professionals who have worked in many business areas. We are experienced musicians, publicists, managers, tour assistants, journalists, venue owners, label owners, promotions experts, and tech workers. We have more than four decades of combined experience, and we’re making our knowledge available to you, our audience, for free.
We hope you’ll subscribe to our channel. If you’re still on the fence, please allow Music Biz host James Shotwell to tell you more about his journey in the entertainment industry:
Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Start your one-month free trial today and gain instant access to the same promotional tools used by BMG, Concord, Rise Records, Pure Noise Records, and hundreds more. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.
Michigan’s Greta Van Fleet is one of the most successful and most often criticized bands on the planet. Following their lead is something every aspiring artist should consider.
There are far more talented rock bands vying for attention right now than anyone can hope to cover. The vast majority of these musicians will spend their entire careers caught somewhere between local hotshot and moderate success. Some may write songs capable of changing the world, but the likelihood that anyone outside their circle hears those tracks is relatively low. The reasons for that frustrating fact are numerous, but studying Greta Van Fleet can explain how artists can position themselves for breakout success.
Hailing from a part of Michigan known more for its holiday spirit than its music, Greta Van Fleet became an international sensation in 2017 thanks to a nonstop touring schedule and two promising EPs. Almost overnight, the world of rock was divided into two groups: People who appreciate the group’s throwback sound and those who feel the young men from the midwest were ripping off several legendary acts. You probably have an opinion, and we’re not attempting to convince you otherwise.
Parts of the rock music community continues to debate the band’s quality to this day. Still, the general public has made their opinion known by pushing the band into sold-out amphitheater performances and spending their hard-earned cash buying their music. There’s also the band’s four GRAMMY nominations, as well as numerous glowing reviews from the global music community.
Greta Van Fleet has reached a level of success that any group of musicians would kill to achieve, and that popularity is not a fluke. The band and their team work incredibly hard, and there are lessons from their rise that can help other musicians build lasting careers with devoted fans.
First and foremost, Greta Van Fleet understands branding. One look at the band’s photos, videos, or logo, and you immediately know what type of music they perform. Their marketing efforts sell the promise of a specific image and sound that the group delivers on through everything they do. It’s a textbook example of “what you see is what you get,” and in a time when the competition is fierce, there is something to be said for giving people exactly what they want.
Likewise, the band isn’t afraid to embrace their influences. Millions of rock fans worldwide would give anything to hear more material from the legendary bands of the 60s and 70s that laid the foundation for everything that came after. Those groups, by and large, are no longer releases new music. That leaves a void that Greta Van Fleet is happy to fill. That doesn’t mean that they’re compromising their artistic vision or writing inauthentic music. In reality, the group is doing exactly what they want. They wish to be as big as the bands that people never forget, and they’re following the blueprint of those acts in hopes of becoming a similarly iconic group.
Greta Van Fleet also understands the digital age. They know that everyone has a voice and that success is often determined by the number of people talking about your music. The group has faced more criticism than any mainstream rock act since Nickelback or Creed, but they don’t let that get them down. They understand that there are millions of musicians people could discuss. People talk about them, which means they are getting clicks, streams, views, etc. The volume of conversation matters more than its contents, at least to an extent, so long as people keep talking, the band continues to thrive.
The last point worth making is that the band’s success would not be possible without leveraging their fans’ support. The group’s rise in popularity came after they turned to friends, family, and listeners to fund a live EP way back in 2014. That release leads to licensing the helped kickstart GVF’s ascent through the world of rock, but it may never have existed without the band first asking their audience for support. The group invited their fans to play a pivotal role in their journey, and their followers obliged. That level of transparency has helped the group create a community around their music, unlike any other fandom in rock today. It’s all because they were open about their need for assistance.
Point being: It’s okay to need help. Fans want to see you succeed, and if you ask them to support you, they will probably do what they can to assist in whatever you hope to achieve.
Music Biz is brought to you by Haulix, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Join today and receive a one-month free trial of the same service Bruce Springsteen, Slipknot, blink-182, and thousands more trust to share their music with the press. Visit http://haulix.com/signup for details.
Boasting the promise of greater algorithmic consideration, the latest Spotify tool appears to be a modern ‘Pay 2 Play’ scheme.
On Monday, November 2, Spotify announced a new tool for artists that promises preferential algorithmic treatment for songs dubbed ‘priority.’ That is all good and well, as most artists would love more people to hear their music platform. However, the offer comes with a MAJOR catch.
“In this new experiment, artists and labels can identify music that’s a priority for them, and our system will add that signal to the algorithm that determines personalized listening sessions,” the statement reads. “This allows our algorithms to account for what’s important to the artist.”
Every song marked as priority will have a lower royalty rate. Artists will make less money per stream for songs that participate in Spotify’s new program. That’s a significant problem when you consider that the company typically only pays $0.004 per stream (on average).
To quote the company:
“Labels or rights holders agree to be paid a promotional recording royalty rate for streams in personalized listening sessions where we provided this service.”
The company also adds that the new program “won’t guarantee placement to labels or artists.”
In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell breaks down Spotify’s latest offer. He weighs the pros and cons of participation in the ‘priority track’ promotion and what this development tells us about the company’s future. Check it out:
Just last week, over 4,000 independent artists in the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers presented a new campaign demanding that Spotify pay at least one cent per stream, among other requests for a more equitable streaming environment. “Music workers create all of the enormous wealth Spotify accumulates for its CEO, its investors, and the major labels,” the Union wrote in an open letter. “But we artists continue to be underpaid, misled, and otherwise exploited by the company.”
Getting the attention of blogs and writers is hard, but we can teach you how to get press for your music in fifteen minutes or less.
It is hard to grasp how much competition exists in music today. There are thousands of artists in every genre working hard each day to get the attention of labels, listeners, and the media. The vast majority never accomplish their goals and those that do rarely share their secrets to success. We don’t have all the answers, but we know what works best, and today, we’ll tell you everything you need to get ahead.
PLEASE NOTE: The strategies outlined in this article are aimed at new and emerging talent. The information below is not a replacement for actual PR, nor do we claim to know how publicists are able to move mountains for their clients. These tips will help you take your first steps towards getting recognized by smaller blogs and influencers until you are in a position to afford a real publicity professional.
Let’s start with the behaviors you should avoid. There are people in the music business who prey on the desperation of dreamers with false promises of instant access to high-level influences in exchange for money. We are not referring to publicists. Good PR professionals can open doors you don’t even know how to find, and they can elevate your career in ways that the information in this article cannot.
The individuals you should avoid often promote their alleged secrets under the guise of promotional service that claims to have ‘major success,’ but no facts or information to back it up. Others make a quick buck offering downloadable contact lists that cover everyone you could hope to reach in positions of power through services such as Fiverr. We’ve said it before and we will say it again: These individuals are scammers, and they cannot be trusted.
Onto the good stuff. The foundation of any great beginner promotional campaign is making sure anyone can easily access information about your career. That means creating a media kit that includes links to your music and social pages, as well as photos and videos. It would help if you also had a bio. You can include your merchandise links if you have any, but having things to sell is not a prerequisite to getting attention.
Take all the items gathered above and place create a space online where people who wish to cover your music or learn more about you can easily do so with very little effort. We recommend Haulix for your media, but you can build something yourself as well.
Once those materials are in place, the next phase of this promotional strategy involves research. You need to identify the blogs, channels, and content creators who cover the kind of music you create. There are many methods of accomplishing this, but one of the easiest is to identify 2-3 prominent artists or groups that you feel are comparable to your creative output. Be specific. Don’t choose mainstream talent, but focus on your niche and the people who reign over it.
Next, you will want to create a spreadsheet for your data. Go to Google and search “[Band 1] News.” Make a list of every publication and author writing news about that artist, as well as their contact information (social media, email, etc.). After that, search “[Band 1] Reviews,” and complete the process again. Continue this method of research by looking for podcasts, video interviews, video reviews, Twitch channels, and any other form of music promotion or coverage you can imagine. When you’re done, move on to the next band on your list and repeat this process.
Now that you have a good idea of who might be interested in your music, take the time to follow them online, and begin engaging with their efforts. Writers and publications are like musicians in that they love attention and praise. Engage with the content these people are making, and make an effort to strike up a conversation about your mutual interests. Don’t worry about promoting yourself. Instead, focus on them.
As you begin to build relationships, use your spreadsheet to track your engagement. The big list of publications and creators you started with should shrink as you refine your focus to those who are actively engaging with you on a regular basis. That will create a funnel, otherwise known as a sales funnel, which will reveal the people and places most likely to take an interest in covering your music.
When you have something new to promote, be it a song or video, review your data and begin contacting those publications and creators that you engage with most often. Don’t ask for coverage right away. Instead, ask for their input on the content. Let them know that their opinion matters to you, which will reinforce their connection to your music.
As people respond, who you should work with will become clear. Some will offer to premiere or feature your work. Some may even get ahead of you by reaching out first.
The key to getting attention from blogs and lower-level outlets is to first build strong relationships, and strong relationships stem from engagement. You need to care about others before you can expect them to care about you. When someone does choose to help you out, promote their work, and thank them. Their following will notice your interactions, and over time, many of their followers will follow you as well.
Remember: Getting attention is a process. You cannot accomplish everything outlined above in a day or week. You will likely be working on your relationships throughout your career. It’s chaos. Be kind.
A survey conducted by the online booking platform Encore Musicians has revealed that the UK music industry is in a state of crisis as a result of the pandemic.
COVID-19‘s impact on the music business is far-reaching, and it will be years before we fully understand the scope of damage caused by the latest global pandemic. Countless jobs are gone, thousands of gigs canceled, and no one can tell us when things will improve. People are clinging to hope that life will return to ‘normal’ sooner than later, but a new report from the UK reveals a scary fact that the business needs to confront.
Encore Musicians, a service that helps artists book gigs, recently surveyed almost 600 musicians about the ongoing pandemic. The results found that more than half of those who participated, 64%, are considering leaving the music business. That statistic may not hold true against all musicians around the world, but it does make clear a sobering truth: Even when things go back to the way they were, many musicians and professionals won’t be around.
It’s not hard to understand how we got here. Most musicians make their money from performing, but concerts no longer exist. Retailers are closed, which is hurting physical media. Streaming consumption is steady, but the royalty payments most artists receive cannot cover their bills.
On the professional side, thousands of jobs no longer exist, and countless venues are in danger of closing before the year ends. Of those still working, many are taking pay cuts that may be permanent.
When COVID finally subsides, who will be left to fill venues, and where will they play? Fans will be as demanding as ever, but will artists want to sacrifice their lives all over again? Many have found temporary jobs that offer better pay, more benefits, and time with family that touring can never allow. Others have discovered new passions and set to making them a career. Will the allure of performing be enough to pull them back to the open road? Only time will tell.
As for the business side of things, jobs will take a long time to return, if ever. Many companies are adapting to the new normal by shedding their costly office space and restructuring whatever roles are left to cover more needs. Growth moving forward will be entirely dependent on need rather than ‘the way its always been,’ and it will take time to gauge the need for more employees once the pandemic ends.
The best anyone can do is to practice empathy. Working in music is a calling for most, and virtually everyone is struggling right now. We cannot solve the problems of the world or ease the minds of consumers, but we can take care of one another. We deserve that much, and it’s on us to deliver.
After sending shockwaves through the music industry last week, Facebook has clarified its statements regarding “music listening experiences.”
It’s not hard to send the music business into a panic these days. The novel coronavirus has shuttered live music for the foreseeable future, physical media sales are dropping like an anchor, and nobody seems to know when some semblance of “normalcy” will be possible. To make matters worse, everything is online, and each day brings new rules and regulations that dictate how artists can (or cannot) use existing platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to further their careers.
Facebook scared music executives worldwide when it announced plans to crack down on what it labels “music listening experiences.” The new rules, as explained in Facebook’s Music Guidelines, stated: “You may not use videos on our Products to create a music listening experience. The rules go into effect on October 1.
The social media giant made a significant mistake in its announcement. The phrase “music listening experiences” is too vague. The news made many in entertainment worry that the world’s largest online platform would no longer allow live stream concerts and listening events, two promotional tactics that are seen as vital to music marketing success in the COVID age.
After days of outcry and concern, Facebook clarified its statements on Monday, September. The company wrote in its blog:
“We want to encourage musical expression on our platforms while also ensuring that we uphold our agreements with rights holders. These agreements help protect the artists, songwriters, and partners who are the cornerstone of the music community — and we’re grateful for how they’ve enabled the amazing creativity we’ve seen in this time.
“Our partnerships with rights holders have brought people together around music on our platforms. As part of our licensing agreements, there are limitations around the amount of recorded music that can be included in Live broadcasts or videos.
“While the specifics of our licensing agreements are confidential, today we’re sharing some general guidelines to help you plan your videos better: Music in stories and traditional live music performances (e.g., filming an artist or band performing live) are permitted.
“The greater the number of full-length recorded tracks in a video, the more likely it may be limited (more below on what we mean by “limited”).”
They added: “Shorter clips of music are recommended. There should always be a visual component to your video; recorded audio should not be the primary purpose of the video.”
“These guidelines are consistent across live and recorded video on both Facebook and Instagram, and for all types of accounts — i.e. pages, profiles, verified and unverified accounts.
“And although music is launched on our platforms in more than 90 countries, there are places where it is not yet available. So if your video includes recorded music, it may not be available for use in those locations.”
Last weekend, a spokesperson for Facebook also confirmed to NME that although new guidelines will come into effect across the site in October, the music guidelines have been in place for some time and will not affect artists using the site to livestream gigs or share their music.
Performing online is now a part of the ‘new normal,’ so it’s time artists learn how to maximize their return on livestream performances.
The evolution of digital performances is happening faster than you may realize. In the six months since the COVID-19 pandemic canceled countless live events, artists have gone from Instagram performances to HD, multi-cam events that cost money to attend and include exclusive merchandise offerings. Artists all over the world are trying to bring the excitement of live events into the virtual space. That is creating a lot of great opportunities for musicians to make money while engaging with their audience.
But let’s get this out of the way: If you are a relatively new artist or group with very few fans, making money online is not your top priority. You should concern yourself with being seen and heard before you worry about income. Without a community around your music, it is incredibly difficult to earn revenue with your art. Engagement comes first. If you’re not at the point where you can get 100 people to engage with a piece of content, then don’t worry about money.
For everyone else, good news! There are a lot of ways to make money online with live performances, and many more are in development.
In this Music Biz update, host James Shotwell breaks down seven ways artists are earning money through livestream concerts. These efforts range from ticketed events and exclusive merch to partnerships with local promoters and recycling content for future promotional purposes. Check it out:
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After bringing Ringback Tones to the masses at the turn of the century, Verizon is now killing the one profitable (and always frequently annoying) tech.
Capitalism tells us that every idea is only as good as it is profitable. A great example of this comes from custom ringtones. Once companies knew people would pay for a new ringtone, an entire marketplace of sound came into existence. It was so popular that Verizon decided to take a chance with ringback tones, and until this October, it was also a success.
Ringback tones were the opposite of ringtones. Consumers could change the sound (ring) that played whenever someone called them, which meant musicians and labels could sell short clips of popular songs to replace the traditional ring-a-ling that previously dominated the market. The game-changing tech hit the market in 2004, and by 2006 it was unavoidable. You would call your friend to tell them exciting news, but first, you’d sit through a short Kanye West clip. It was…Frankly, it was weird.
The clips were popular for a brief moment. In 2008, ringback sales began to decline. AT&T stopped offering a ringback service in 2011, and Sprint ceased ringback operations a few years later. The functionality for a brief second wind overseas, but the worldwide sales continued to drop as fewer and fewer people used their phones to make calls.
This week, on August 31, Verizon put what we can assume is the final nail in the ringback coffin with the news the company told customers that it too would cease ringback offerings. An announcement on the Verizon website reads:
Effective October 31, 2020, Verizon will be discontinuing Ringback Tones and Playlists. Your existing subscription(s) and any Ringback Tone(s) you purchased from the Media Store will be automatically removed from all lines on your account, and you will no longer be charged a subscription fee for this feature.
Considering its role in popularizing ringback tones, Verizon’s decision to stop offering them to customers seems telling.
In this Music Biz News update, host James Shotwell shares the history of ringback tones, why they’re going away, and what history will remember about these well-intentioned, but frequently annoying existence.
Two additional carriers, T-Mobile and MetroPCS, continue to offer ringback tone subscriptions through third-party apps. They future outlook for these services is bleak to say the least.
A new venue in England points to a promising, but different future for live music.
On August 11, a new venue opened in Newcastle, England. The Virgin Money Unity Arena is a 2,500-capacity concert space unlike any other. It’s the world’s first socially-distant venue, and it features 500 concert pods where fans can gather to see their favorite musician perform.
That’s right. People can see live music in large groups again. The performance looks the same as always, with bright lights and loud amplifiers, but the crowd is socially-distancing by design. Some believed such a feat was impossible, or that people wouldn’t be interested, but the Virgin Money Unity Arena’s first show was a total sell-out, and more are happening soon.
Virgin Money Unity Arena has shows planned throughout August and September, but the question remains: What will we do in winter? Countries in the northern hemisphere have two to three months before consumers won’t be willing to stand outside for live music. What happens then? Will more creative venues like the one in Newcastle emerge, or will live music be placed on a seasonal hold? Will people fight for shows, even if science tells us gathering in large groups is bad?
In this Music Biz News update, host James Shotwell discusses the venue and what it may tell us about the future of live music. He also looks ahead and questions whether or not similar spaces will exist when winter inevitably arrives.
