A Little Knowledge… #18

📬 BULLETIN NEWS: SoundCloud adds DMs for iPhone to boost artist-fan connections

SoundCloud's latest product announcement may sound minor – it's finally expanding its direct messaging feature to its iPhone app – but it ties into the company's bigger efforts to help artists communicate with their fans.

• "Being able to easily DM other artists - and your biggest fans - opens up a world of possibilities. From sharing songs and playlists to sending heartfelt messages and invites to collaborate, DMs are the best way to connect and build your network," wrote chief product officer Rohit Agarwal in a blog post aimed at artists using SoundCloud.
• There's an emphasis on collaboration, with artists pinging one another to suggest working together or share in-progress tracks.
• However, it will also play into SoundCloud's recently-launched 'Fans' product, which enabled artists to identify their keenest fans and message them. "Say thanks, share previews of upcoming releases, sell tickets and merch, or just open up the opportunity to chat," was how SVP, creator Tracy Chan described its uses at the time. Now those messages can be received and responded to on iPhones.

👉 Music Ally archive: SoundCloud

🎧 QUARTERLY REPORT PODCAST: Music streaming platforms in 2023 

Music Ally has just published its latest Quarterly Report (subscriber only content), which comprehensively breaks down each of the big global DSPs in a “Report Card” format – and to accompany it we recorded this podcast, where Music Ally’s Head of Insight, Stuart Dredge, analyses the big picture issues that music streaming platforms, its users and economy will face this year. 

The topics he gives expert insight on are vital for anyone whose work engages with streaming (i.e. almost everyone!):

• The Transition from “music” to “audio” – music streaming services are becoming audio streaming services. Music is competing with other kinds of audio, be that podcasts or white noise, so what does that mean?
• Price rises – for users and for artists – will adding a dollar or two does lead to a mass of cancellations or not? And what about changing the system of payment to artists?
• Direct artist support – buying merch, buying tickets, and subscriptions are appearing more widely on streaming apps. And how do artists feel about introducing tipping to DSPs? 
• User interfaces and AI – DSPs are introducing many new ways to interact with, and discover music, from TikTok-like feeds to AI DJs. So is the next leap for music discovery going to be conversations with AIs?
• The mid tier DSPs (and web3) – Deezer, SoundCloud, Tidal and Napster have all positioned themselves as disruptors in different ways – what are the long-term prospects for these services?

👉 Listen here: Focus Podcast

🤔 A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA...

And finally… our daily Bulletin newsletter is loved by subscribers for its instant industry analysis - but secretly, the part they like most is the ‘A Little Something Extra’ section at the bottom of the email. Here's a few of the best recent links:

• So Lego has astronaut mini-figures, eh? Let's see how they cope with actual Space then
• Behold! The longest tongue on any living dog
• Historical monkey headline of the week

This is only a glimpse into this week's newsletter – subscribe for FREE to The Knowledge and every Friday it’ll arrive in your inbox, with:

🎓 Exclusive 50% discounts on selected courses in our LEARNING HUB 🛠️ The best new platforms in TOOLS, 🌍 Highlights from our latest Country Profile reports 😵 💫 Some great and/or strange music in SOMETHING 4 THE WEEKEND, 🕰 A look back in TIME MACHINE, 🎧 The Music Ally Focus PODCAST, and 🤔 more links