PRO.026 App Integrations
Welcome to the RA Pro Newsletter; a bite-sized look at the trends and themes impacting businesses in the electronic music industry.
Words by Nyshka Chandran
How many times have you missed a show because you didn't know it was happening? We've all been there. That's why more streaming companies are integrating gig listings into their platforms. With fan communities now a critical?financial driver ?for artists and labels, it's hoped that cross-pollinating music and events discovery will transform more listeners into ticket-buyers.
Announced last week,?Resident Advisor's event listings will now?appear ?on SoundCloud profile pages, and Ticketmaster gigs will?show up ?on Shazam. The Apple-owned track identifier?first introduced ?listings last year,?as did ?Apple Music. In April, TikTok?enabled ?users to buy events listed on AXS without leaving the video-sharing app–a partnership model it first initiated with Ticketmaster in 2022. Spotify has listed live events since 2015 and?upgraded ?that feature two years ago with a personalised feed based on listening habits.
These developments speak to the industry's focus on activating fanbases. More artists are prioritising direct relationships with fans through livestreams and Discord. Labels are encouraging fan-led listening parties. Investment is also?flowing ?into start-ups that connect music lovers so they can attend performances together.
The benefits are potentially huge for various stakeholders. Bringing more superfans into shows can create more engaged audiences, especially in dance music. The majority of punters tend to be people who like to party–filling up rooms with more of a music-focused crowd could change the entire vibe and foster new communities. There's upside for artists, too. The streaming economy is often condemned for paltry royalty rates and algorithmic bias but events inclusion may help alleviate that pain. If listings on streaming drives ticket sales, promoters do better and book more artists, sparking a multiplier effect. That's incredibly valuable at a time when many organisers are struggling to sell tickets and?cancelling ?festivals. It's still early days but let's hope more integrations follow for maximum impact.
Perspectives on the ground
New York-based label manager Aaron Schultz manages two boutique imprints and has spent a fair part of his career dwelling on the alignment of factors required for artist success. Founder of?Bastard Jazz ?and partner at?Wonderwheel Recordings , the A&R veteran likes the idea of consolidating streaming with shows but questions its efficacy.
"The way streaming numbers and live performance correlate to each other is something of a 'known unknown,' as opposed to the correlation of live performance and merch sales," he told?Resident Advisor. It doesn't necessarily guarantee that streaming users are actually aware about gigs, he said. "I don't know how many people are visiting the artist's profile directly or taking a deep dive to investigate. [Streaming services] should do a better job with push notifications letting people know when artists they follow are playing in their town."
That, however, could present serious challenges. "I can predict with some amount of certainty that as this gets more widespread, DSPs are going to ask promoters or artists to pay to get these 'on-platform' push notifications to go out to followers in certain cities," he continued. "This puts people who are already in a tight place trying to make touring work in a situation where they may need to spend money on something that may or may not get more bodies in the door."
Getting more superfans and music heads into events is an undeniable positive but it remains to be seen if they will actually boost a venue's revenue, he pointed out. "For club nights, do the nerds just come out to see the artist they love and then leave? Do they spend as much money at the bar than a gaggle of tech bros who stay until 4 AM and don't care who's playing? How does this affect the bottom line for venues and their ability to stay open?"
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This is an excerpt from our fortnightly RA Pro Newsletter: A bite-sized look at the trends and themes impacting businesses in the electronic music industry.