S3E6: Wrapped 2020

This week, we discuss creative freedom in the music industry, and how labels are still significantly impacting the creative direction of album and song releases in 2022. Whether established or not, we unpack why artists do and don't work with labels, despite the opportunities for self-ownership in the modern streaming era.

This week, we discuss NFTs and their potential impact on the music industry. We explore their origins, current market activity and give our predictions on what the future could hold.

This week, we unpack Square's $297m acquisition of Jay-Z's TIDAL and what this means for the future of the music industry. We explore the rationale behind the deal and why this is one of the most exciting industry developments in recent years.

This week, we put the spotlight on MDLSKL's year in review, unpacking the data behind our listening habits and what has made 2020 a year to remember (or forget). We explore active trends, our predictions and what we're expecting for 2021 and beyond.

We welcome award-winning music-tech journalist Cherie Hu to discuss the influence new digital experiences are having on artist monetisation, how this impacts the future of the music industry, and where video games and social media fit into it all.

This week, we discuss the controversial comments of Spotify CEO, Daniel Ek, suggesting that the secret to success in the digital era is not higher payout rates, but more output from musicians - "You can't record music once every three to four years and think that's going to be enough".

As Chief of Possibilities at Universal Music Group (UMG), Toulouse-born Olivier Robert-Murphy’s desire to seek out inventive and collaborative business concepts never wavers. Driving New Business around the world, Olivier leads an award-winning team of global music, content and partnership experts, recognised as THE creative company for music, culture and brands. Servicing more than 500 brands yearly, across 70 markets, they provide innovative campaigns and focused insights to help local and global brands truly connect with their audiences and find their unique voice in culture. This week, we sit down with Olivier to learn more about his story and discuss the current state of the industry.

With the spotlight on Warner Music Group (NASDAQ: WMG) as the year's biggest U.S. IPO, this week we dig deeper into WMG and the hotly contested battle between labels, digital service providers and other industry players.

As Dr. Dre's 'Compton' protégé, Jon Connor recently parted ways with Dr. Dre's Aftermath label to seek independence under his new imprint All Varsity Music Group. With the release of his highly-anticipated "SOS" album, we sat down with the Flint, Michigan native to learn more about his journey.

As the world continues to fight the coronavirus pandemic, we explore the industry-wide implications of COVID-19 on release and monetisation strategies.