October 2024 Updates and Thoughts in the Creative Music Tech Space

Hey, Reflection Readers!

You may have noticed a little change in the newsletter...

That's right, I'm now taking more of a focus on the music tech space.

It's an exciting time in music tech so I wanted to niche down to this subject as for one, it's my passion, and for two, there is so much going on in the space it was difficult to keep up when just focusing on web3.

This isn't to say that web3 won't be featured - there are LOTS of exciting web3 projects out there in music that I will continue to dive into and investigate, but there are also many creative music tech projects and stories each month that I want to make you all aware of.

So welcome to the newly rebranded 'Music Tech Reflections'!

The music industry is changing everyday whether for good or bad - these are the kinds of topics I want to dive into each month with a look back over the last 30 or so days of music tech news, projects, artists, and more.

I haven't been this excited for the changing face of the music industry since downloads and streaming entered the fray in the early 2000s and I see a potential change in direction of this scale coming over the next few years.

With AI, web3, fan engagement trends, and exciting startups changing the way we consume and understand music, there is some truly wonderful innovation coming that excites me and I want to spread the word about them.

I hope you continue to enjoy this collection of thoughts, news, and updates on an ongoing basis and join me at this exciting time for music tech.

Let's dive in!

Do Feet Pics Make More Money Than Songs?

Yep, you read that right.

This month a story about artist Lily Allen went viral when she claimed her OnlyFans feet pics account makes her more money than her music on Spotify.

It get's even more interesting when you start to dive into the figures, especially when we don't know exactly what they are.

Allen apparently has around 1000 OF subscribers that pay $10 a month for feet pics...

She also has around 7.4m monthly listeners on Spotify with the streaming service paying approximately $0.003 per individual stream.

When you do the maths, that makes about $10,000 a month for the feet pics and $22,200 for Spotify streams.

BUT, how much does Lily get from those streams?

Payments would be dependent on the record deal and be divided between the artist, the publishers and the owners of the recording masters, and potentially anyone else involved.

At the end of the day, we don't exactly know, but the potential is, yes, she may be making more money from feet pics.

Whether this is a warning to other artists of getting a good record deal, owning more of your rights or that the record industry is slightly broken, I don't know.

What I do know is this was a wonderfully clickbaity story that has brought the issue of artist earnings to the forefront, as well as probably given Lily Allen more music streams and feet pic followers.

If you want to dive more into the stats and how payments in the music industry work in general, Sean Adams wrote a FANTASTIC article on this story and this very subject HERE.

Music on a Toothbrush, Anyone?

Anyone that knows me knows that connecting the physical and digital is my bread and butter.

This is why I was very excited to come across this wonderful coming together linking to nostalgia, Green Day and the 30th anniversary of their seminal album, Dookie.

Instead of going the typical route with remasters, they've gone outside the box—way outside—releasing "demastered" versions of the album on some unconventional formats like a Game Boy cartridge, a doorbell, and even a toothbrush!

Oh...and one of the tracks on a...Teddy Ruxpin (only people of a certain age would remember this...)

It’s more than just a quirky release—this is a brilliant example of how artists can engage their audience through physical and digital creativity, keeping things fresh while honoring their past.

By tapping into nostalgia and offering unique, collectible items at a reasonable price, Green Day is reminding us that it’s not always about making a profit.

They’re building deeper connections with their fans by respecting them and offering something fun and memorable in return.

In today's music industry, it’s essential for artists to think outside the box and find ways to create meaningful, long-lasting bonds with their audience.

Treating fans with respect isn’t just a nice gesture—it’s a two-way street that can lead to a loyal and engaged fanbase.

Timbaland backs AI music startup Suno

So this month Timbaland was named strategic advisor at AI startup, Suno.

The company is already under fire and involved in what is going to be a long-winded and drawn out court case about allegedly training their systems using the majors’ recordings without permission, but they are pressing on unhindered.

I'm guessing getting a major name on board was a way to try and show them as 'working in favour of the artists' and it could be a good first step to prove legitimacy.

As Timbaland quoted himself, "we have a unique opportunity to make AI work for the artist community and not the other way around".

So how is AI going to develop in the music space?

It's a HUGE question to ask, and one myself or anyone else doesn't have a definitive answer to.

What I do know is AI has the possibility to completely disrupt the music industry - in potentially amazing ways but also in potentially scary ways. It could benefit the artist, but it could also take away from them. We've seen it used in both these ways already.

These next few years we're all going to need our popcorn at the ready, but also jump in to support artists when needed.

This month's kudos go to the wonderful work that's happening over at Setmixer.

Founded by Pascal de Mul who I had the pleasure to chat with recently, Setmixer are on a mission to revive the beloved live recording for the digital age—capturing the raw energy and unfiltered talent of live performances with studio-quality audio.

I really miss bootleg recordings of gigs (I used to primarily get them from Camden Market back in the day) so this idea was right up my street.

Working with venues to set up their tech and record studio-quality multichannel audio of gigs, these recordings can then be given to the artists who performed. They can then use them to engage fans, grow their following and build on their content.

For me, this is a win win for everyone - venues, artists, and fans.

I'm looking forward to seeing this startup grow so I can listen back to those live events I've attended!

I'm all about helping up and coming artists or those that I feel need a bit of recognition, so this new section of the newsletter is very important to me. With over 120,000 tracks released a week (A WEEK!) Any small way I can help an artist stand out, I'll do.

So this month, the recognition goes to the wonderful Jay Stansfield.

As well as fronting British postpunk band ALL HAIL HYENA (which recently had a moment go VIRAL) Jay is also an award-winning artist, creator, entrepreneur and also a solo musician. He is re-releasing album 'Gobstopper' as a new release and you can already stream it on Soundcloud.

Well worth a listen!

That's it for this month, folks. As always, I welcome comments and discussions! See you in November...

Jamie

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Hi, I'm Jamie. I help the digital and physical worlds connect through music and the creative industries. Subscribe to my newsletter if any of the above content interests you!