Streaming round-up – March 2022

First things first, the IFPI just released its report. Good news: The global recorded music industry revenues are up 18.5% to $25.9 billion in 2021, driven by streaming revenues that increased by 24.3% over the year. More info on Music Ally.

Analysts agree that Amazon is likely to overtake Pandora as the second music streamer in the U.S. by the end of the year. More info on TechCrunch. Amazon Music also just launched, in the U.S. only for now, Amp, an answer to ClubHouse, Greenroom and Spaces. More info on Protocol. The platform has also developed Spotlight, which allows artists to share voice messages to fans. More info on Hypebot.

Airbit, the Beats marketplace, offers automatically generated videos for one-click posting on YouTube and TikTok. More info on Mobile Marketing Magazine.

The startup Amplify, specialised in smart links, has been acquired by Chapel, the web3 company co-founded by Ian Matthews, Kasabian’s drummer. More info on Music Ally.

Shazam, Apple Music’s recognition app, is now also a concert discovery platform. More info on Music Business Worldwide. Apple Music is also said to be on the verge of launching its streaming application dedicated to Classical music. More info on TechRadar.

Independent music platform Bandcamp has been acquired by Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite. More info on Music Business Worldwide.

BandLab launches SongStarter, an AI-based tool to address songwriters’ block. More info on Music Ally.

The music platform Beatport has just acquired AMPsuite. More info on Complete Music Update.

The social network Clubhouse adds in-room chats, to diversify the conversation possibilities. More info on Social Media Today.

The French streaming platform Deezer partners with UNIDAYS, to reach a wider student target. More info on FeNews.

The Family In Music network has unveiled a set of digital tools for DIY music creators. More info on Music Week.

Instagram has launched a new Creators lab to help maximize their presence on the platform. More info on Social Media Today. In an effort to simplify videos, Instagram has removed the Boomerang and Hyperlapse apps from the stores. More info on Social Media Today. Still on the video topic, Instagram now creates automated captions to videos posted in the Feed. More info on Social Media Today. Instagram also added a specific tag, to allow creators to cite contributors and their influences. More info on Social Media Today. Last but not least, Instagram offers an algorithm-free, chronological feed option. More info on Social Media Today.

Google is reportedly developing better headphones, following the acquisition of Synaptics. More info on Protocol. The giant Google has also partnered with Spotify, allowing it to install its own payment system in its Android application. More info on Complete Music Update.
Music Update.

TikTok’s competitor in China, Kuaishou, has signed a global licensing agreement with royalty collection platform AMRA. More info on Music Business Worldwide.

Warner has invested $14 million in Tom Gruber’s AI-powered music startup LifeScore. More info on Music Business Worldwide.

Music discovery platform Lüm has shut down. More info on Music Ally.

Meta introduces new VR building tools. More info on Social Media Today. Facebook expands Reels feature to all users. More info on The Guardian. In terms of ads, Meta renamed its automation tools to clarify related goals. More info on Social Media Today.

Streaming startup Minm offers a user-centric model.
More in on The Irish Examiner. Read also the article by Pascal Bittard, founder of IDOL, in favour of the user-centric payment system.

The Indian platform Mirchi launches its radio streaming application in the US, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. More info on Music Ally.

Tuned Global partners with Musiio, a start-up specialised in AI-based music. More info on Music Week.. This start-up is one of the 10 most innovative music companies of 2022 according to Fast Company.

Warner has acquired Qanawat Music, the music distributor in the Middle East and North Africa. More info on Music Business Worldwide. .

Reddit is developing a new feature with its Discover tab. More info on The Verge.

Like Meta, Snapchat is offering new tools for creators to create VR experiences. More info on TechCrunch. Thanks to a deal with Ticketmaster, Snapchat gets into concert discovery. More info from Music Ally.

Sonos is rumoured to be interested in getting into the video streaming market. More info on TechHive.

Spotify just patented its own technology to predict breaking artists. More info on Music Business Worldwide. Spotify adds access controls to collaborative playlists. More info on Engadget. Spotify has partnered with Soundtrap, an audio creation tool, and offers paired subscriptions. More info on Engadget. The Car Thing, an in-car device, is officially available on sale publicly in the United States. More info on Music Business Worldwide. Following the signing of the FC Barcelona sponsorship deal, Spotify reassures artists. More info on Music Ally.

TikTok has launched its own distribution platform, SoundOn. More info from Music Business Worldwide. To rival YouTube, the length of TikTok videos has been increased to 10 minutes maximum. More info on Music Business Worldwide. TikTok has partnered with Stingray to make its radio available to millions of homes in Canada and the United States. More info on Platform & Stream.

Twitter is rolling out a new tool for creators to manage their revenue on the platform. More info on TechCrunch. Twitter launches a live test to develop e-commerce on the app. More info on Social Media Today. And a live test on audio clips in Spaces, to create more opportunities around audio creations. More info on Social Media Today.

Just 3 weeks after purchasing Sentric Music, Utopia announces the acquisition of Absolute Label Services. More info on Complete Music Update.

The Korean video platform Watcha launches into music streaming. More info on Music Ally.

After the success of Wordle, here is Heardle, to test your musical knowledge. More info on Complete Music Update.

YouTube adds new Shorts analytics. More info on Social Media Today. The platform adds new live streaming features, including Live guests facilitation. More info on Social Media Today. YouTube also pursues its efforts to combat offensive comments, and updates the payment process for creators. More info on Social Media Today.

• Labelcamp supports Dolby Atmos. Read the article
• User Centric: A fairer streaming model is possible. Read the article
• Spotify: Jennifer Masset’s advice for Indies. Read the l’article
• YouTube: Thematic channels. Read the article
• YouTube: The official artist channel (OAC). Read the article
• How the IDOL strategy, built on a TikTok trend, helped Else achieve double diamond certification. Read the article
• Enter the metaverse, Yndi and ill peach digitize their music. Read the l’article