Music Industry Analysis
Music Biz curates a feed of music industry news articles, business statistics and trend analysis from a variety of media outlets, filtering out the noise to deliver you the actionable insights you need to succeed. Starting in 2024, these articles will be accessible exclusively from Music Biz’s social media feeds.
June 15, 2020 – US Retail Sales to Drop More than 10% in 2020
The US retail sector could take years to recover from the impact of the coronavirus, and the hit could be worse than that of the Great Recession. According to eMarketer’s latest forecast on US retail sales (which includes auto and fuel), total retail sales will drop by 10.5% this year, steeper than the 8.2% drop in 2009. Ecommerce is the only bright spot, jumping 18.0% this year, as Americans rely on Amazon and other online retailers for necessities.... Read More
June 15, 2020 – Understanding Consumer Sentiment Can Help Companies Adjust As The U.S. Begins To Re-Open
Even though the year is almost half over, it’s just now starting to feel like a new year in parts of the U.S., as many states have allowed certain non-essential businesses like restaurants, movie theaters and retail stores to re-open in at least some capacity. We know, however, that many Americans plan to play it safe as businesses come back online rather than immediately jumping back into pre-lockdown behaviors. That’s why companies need to understand evolving consumer sentiment before assuming that open-for-business means business as usual.... Read More
June 15, 2020 – Chartmetric Report on COVID-19’s Effect on the Global Music Business, Part 3: Live Streaming Artists
With most areas of the world instituting some form of enforced or encouraged quarantine, the coronavirus pandemic has inadvertently thrust live streaming into the music industry spotlight. But now that Hip-Hop titans, Pop stars, and metalheads are embracing live streaming full-force, a brief nod to live streaming’s history might help us better understand how to make sense of COVID-19’s new normal. Live streaming’s origins are varied. For sports fans, ESPN Sports Zone broadcast the first sports live stream between the MLB’s Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees in 1995.... Read More
June 15, 2020 – How Tech Can Save The Music: Abandoning Conventional Thinking During A Crisis
Innovations like the basketball, the Slinky, radar technology, penicillin, fluorescent lightbulbs, Diet Coke, Microsoft Office, the iPad and Airbnb provide a small snapshot of inventions born out of periods of economic or societal strife. This shows that despite the massive upheaval and horrific costs of the COVID-19 pandemic, new opportunities can emerge. By tapping into creativity, businesses can uncover novel, lasting solutions to the problems of clients, customers and fans. Those that lean into technology have the potential to make these solutions a reality.... Read More
June 11, 2020 – America’s Independent Music Venues Could Close Soon Due To Coronavirus
Across the country, music venues remain closed due to the pandemic — and according to a new survey, 90 percent of independent venue owners, promoters and bookers say that they will have to close permanently within the next few months, if they can’t get an infusion of targeted government funding. The survey of nearly 2,000 music professionals was conducted by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), a recently established advocacy group for music venue owners and promoters.... Read More
June 11, 2020 – Time Spent With Subscription OTT Services Increases Amid Pandemic
The average time spent with subscription OTT video content in the US will surpass 62 minutes per day this year, up 23.0% from 2019, according to Business Insider’s latest estimates. That’s an acceleration from 2019, when it grew by 15.0% year over year. Trends are driving the spike in time spent with subscription OTT: New streaming platforms have launched with an abundance of premium content, fueling increased consumption. These media giants — Disney, NBC and HBO Max (WarnerMedia) — bring huge content libraries to subscription OTT.... Read More
June 10, 2020 – As the Pandemic Continues, Music Videos Shot in Isolation Reflect the Times
As the COVID-19 shutdown stretches into its third month and traditional, in-person music video productions remain on hold, artists, directors and video producers have been coming up with creative ways to collaborate on new visuals with directors and bandmates while hunkering down in their homes. The result has been a flurry of homemade, often unvarnished and occasionally animated videos — many of them shot with iPhones and laptops and crewed by family members and housemates —... Read More
June 9, 2020 – Coronavirus Tracing Apps Are Being Tested Around the World, But Will Concerts Get Onboard?
Will contact-tracing smartphone apps become the new dress code that gets you past the velvet rope in the coronavirus clubbing era? In China, some cities have used government-mandated health-tracking apps on smartphones to restore nightlife. Venues like the 500-person Arkham club in Shanghai started scanning a three-color QR code app at entrance doors in mid-March in order to gain permission from the government to reopen after some two months of widespread lockdowns to contain the coronavirus outbreak.... Read More
June 8, 2020 – Music Streaming Shows Strong Comeback in New Nielsen Music/MRC Data COVID-19 Report
The lyrics to Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’” come to mind when reading through MRC Data’s fourth COVID-19 survey results. During the ongoing coronavirus crisis, an artist needs to start swimming or sink like a stone, as Dylan sang. A virtual concert might be a poor substitute for a live show, but fans are increasingly interested in watching them. And while Congress has heeded the call to support the unemployed and out-of-work, artists must reach the fans who can still afford to buy merchandise.... Read More
June 8, 2020 – How Musicians Can Support A Movement By Creating The Soundtrack
Tuesday, June 2, 2020 was a historic day for the music industry, as artists, music companies and many others joined together for #TheShowMustBePaused initiative, stopping their daily routines to listen, learn and support protestors of George Floyd’s death and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. For many, the day offered the chance to join the front lines of protests, but for others, being physically present, for a variety of personal or professional reasons, was not an option. For musicians looking for alternative ways to support these efforts,... Read More
