It’s important to reconcile the past in order to understand the future. History doesn’t necessarily repeat itself, but it does have a rhythm and a rhyme. As we finish out the year, I want to give a proper look-back before we zoom forward.
For some context, Beats + Bytes is our industry love letter; our weekly mixtape that breaks down what’s happening at the cross section of music, technology, and brand marketing. Each week we fuse what’s happening with our insights and insider information as we tie together our vision for where things are headed.
Today, I’ve synthesized all of our 2024 newsletters and put together a snapshot of ideas that sync the key themes.
The creator economy is defining this era’s new brands. Musicians are the ultimate creators and the brand-slash-music relationship continues to expand.
Music is more ubiquitous than ever. More people are making and releasing music and songs remain a top passion point for consumers. The relevance of music – when it comes to selling products and impactful collaborations – is unmatched.
There were many fantastic examples of artistry making waves this year. There were breakout stars, superstar albums, genre-bending collaborations, major beefs, and so much more. But when we look back at who and what was covered the most, it had to be Charli XCX, who went from an underground queen to a bright green mainstream machine, churning out pop culture moments and a bevy of savvy collaborations. She reminded us – seemingly every week – that Brat Summer had been extended.
This was enabled, in part, by culture’s ability to spread faster and faster. Technological advances like AI, live experiences, gaming, social media, AR/VR, and blockchain have unlocked new worlds of opportunity. If you read about it in the newspaper, it’s yesterday’s news. This goes for macro, micro, and digital level developments. It is vital to move at the speed of the feed to stay in the conversation.
Media as we know it has shifted. Disintermediated voices – the newsletter writers, the podcasters, the streamers – dominate the zeitgeist. The intimacy of being in your ear buds or your inbox allows these voices to connect in meaningful ways, thus changing the media landscape for good. We touch on these and other key points in our 2024 Beats + Bytes Trend Report.
As the year wraps, it’s fun to think about how to thrive in 2025. There are many signs that point to more growth for the music industry and the impact that brands and advertisers can have in this world. We’re cleaning out our inboxes and doing deep thinking to shape our thesis for the new year. We’ll be right back after the holidays to set the tone for 2025.
In the meantime, we wish you a wonderful break and a clear, fresh feeling as you head into the holidays. Thank you for your readership, continued support, and contributions to making this industry a better, more exciting, more equitable space.
Stream URL’s for Luanch:
https://nueagency.docsend.com/view/sg8jsqsk94svm8xy
