Just a year ago, the idea of AI-generated music being embraced by major labels was, at best, a long shot. The music industry has faced copyright battles, with companies like Universal Music Group (UMG) suing AI music platforms for copyright infringement. According to recent reports, the use of unlicensed content by AI developers has led to numerous legal disputes, causing significant disruption within the industry. Will AI and the music industry ever truly find harmony? 🤔 But here's why everything is different now 👇 💡 Partnership is Key. Udio and UMG are launching a collaborative platform in 2026. This platform will integrate music creation with streaming, offering a unique user experience. This partnership emphasizes the importance of collaboration between AI developers and established music entities. 💻 Empowering Artists. The new platform will offer tools for users to create music in the style of their favorite artists, with the artists' consent and benefit. This not only opens new creative avenues but also provides artists with valuable data on fan engagement. 🎧 Focus on the Fan Experience. Udio is building a platform focused on creation and consumption. The platform will foster a community of superfans, enhancing engagement through features like remixes and mashups. This focus on community-driven content is expected to boost fan loyalty and interaction. Has it been a smooth ride? Absolutely not. Today, the past is already here. Udio is pioneering a new market that combines AI and artist interaction. Looking ahead: Use Perplexity AI's 'Focus' feature to deeply research and understand specific artists' preferences and fan engagement strategies. This tool can uncover valuable insights for tailoring content and partnerships. Ready to leverage this for your business? We can be your reliable partner for building AI chatbots, AI automation, and custom business solutions. Contact us to start your project: 📧 office@sack-trading.com | info@sacktradingitagency.store 🌐 agency.sack-trading.com | sacktradingitagency.store #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #AIMusic #MusicIndustry #Innovation #AIinMusic #DigitalMusic #TechPartnerships #CreativeAI #FutureofMusic

🔷 SoundCloud has introduced its "All-in-One Artist Subscription," a significant advancement for music creators globally. This new offering bundles essential functionalities like distribution, monetization, and fan engagement tools into a single, comprehensive plan. A groundbreaking aspect of this initiative is the policy change allowing artists to retain 100% of their distribution royalties, effective from late November 2025. This means earnings from major platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and TikTok will go entirely to the artists, eliminating SoundCloud's revenue share. This move underscores a commitment to artist autonomy and financial empowerment within the music industry. Beyond royalty retention, the subscription integrates features like Fan Support, enabling direct, fee-free contributions from fans, and On-Demand Vinyl production, making physical media accessible without large upfront costs. Artists can also create storefronts for merchandise and tickets directly on their profiles. These additions provide creators with unprecedented control over their revenue streams and career development, all within one consolidated platform. The strategic integration of these tools aims to streamline operations and foster stronger artist-fan relationships, setting a new standard for creator-centric platforms in the digital music landscape. This holistic approach is poised to reshape how independent artists manage their careers and generate income. #SoundCloud, #MusicIndustry, #ArtistEmpowerment, #MusicBusiness

🎯 What This Means for Artists, Labels & Distributors For Independent Artists: The new distribution landscape is highly empowering. Barriers to entry are lower than ever, allowing artists to release music globally without traditional gatekeepers. Independent creators now have greater control over their distribution, pricing, and revenue streams, while also being able to directly engage and build their fanbases. For Traditional Labels and Distributors: Legacy models are under pressure to adapt. Simply placing records on digital platforms is no longer enough. Labels and distributors must evolve into full-service partners, offering marketing support, audience data analytics, playlist pitching, and brand collaborations to remain competitive and relevant. For the Industry Ecosystem: Distribution is becoming more fragmented and diverse. Global streaming services coexist with regional platforms, direct-to-fan models, social media releases, and even video or live-streamed launches. Success now depends on strategic metadata management, rights ownership, and data-driven decision-making. Shifting Revenue Models: The focus is moving from one-time hits to long-term catalog value. Artists who retain ownership of their masters and publishing rights stand to benefit more over time, especially as global streaming and licensing opportunities grow. Discovery and Competition: While it’s easier to release music, standing out is harder. Millions of songs are uploaded each month, making discoverability the new challenge. Smart use of algorithms, playlists, and niche targeting is now essential to success. Rights and Transparency: Blockchain technology and smart contracts are paving the way for clearer royalty distribution and fairer compensation. Although adoption is still in early stages, the promise of transparent, automated payments is reshaping artist–label trust dynamics. Fan Engagement as Distribution: Distribution no longer ends at release day. Building a loyal fanbase through exclusive content, direct sales, and consistent social interaction has become a vital part of a song’s journey. Artists are treating fans as collaborators, not just consumers — turning engagement into an extension of the distribution process itself.

TikTok’s monetization system for 2025 gives creators and independent artists more ways than ever to earn. Through programs like Creator Rewards, music royalties (UGC & PGC), Live gifts, and brand partnerships, artists can collect income not just from virality but through consistent engagement and music use across the platform. Key Points 💰 Creator Rewards Program: Pays eligible creators (10K+ followers, 100K views/month) based on qualified views rather than post count 🎵 Music royalties: Independent artists earn royalties when their music is used on TikTok — tracked as PGC (library use) or UGC (manual uploads) 🎁 Multiple revenue streams: From live gifting to brand partnerships, TikTok now offers creators diverse ways to build sustainable income and audience growth #TikTok #Music #Marketing #ArtistDevelopment #IndieArtist #Creator https://lnkd.in/gVCtyu8p

SoundCloud, Bandsintown, and DistroKid all rolled out new tools to help independent artists grow and monetize their fanbases. SoundCloud revamped its artist subscription, adding a commission-free fan support feature and passing 100% of distribution royalties to creators. Bandsintown launched an Artists Marketplace, centralizing tour listings, marketing, merch, and partnerships with distributors to help artists reach more fans. DistroKid introduced a direct-to-fan print-on-demand merch service, making it easier for artists to sell items like t-shirts and tote bags alongside their music. https://lnkd.in/g7My_3ru #independentmusic #independentartists #indieartists

‎From Courtroom to Collaboration ‎🎧 ‎ ‎A few months ago, Universal Music Group (UMG) was suing an AI music startup Udio for allegedly training its AI on copyrighted songs without permission. ‎ ‎Fast forward to now… ‎They’ve settled the lawsuit and not just that  they’re partnering to build a "licensed AI music creation platform". 😲 ‎ ‎Here’s what’s happening 👇 ‎ ‎🔹 The Backstory: ‎In 2024, UMG and other major record labels sued Udio, claiming the company’s AI was using songs from their catalogs without consent. Think of it as “training an AI DJ” using someone else’s playlist  without asking first. ‎ ‎🔹 The Big Move: ‎Now, both companies have reached a settlement and announced “strategic agreements” that make Udio the first AI music platform officially licensed by a major label. ‎ ‎*Udio will now use authorized recordings from UMG artists. ‎ The platform’s next version (expected in 2026) will come with strong copyright controls, filtering systems, and proper artist licensing. ‎* Financial details? Still private. ‎ ‎🔹 Why This Matters: ‎UMG’s CEO, Lucian Grainge, says this partnership shows that music and AI can work together  but only if artists and songwriters are respected. ‎ ‎This could mark a huge shift: ‎From fighting AI tools… ‎To building ethical, licensed, and artist-first AI systems. ‎ ‎🔹 What’s Next: ‎ ‎* Udio’s platform relaunch in 2026. ‎* Possible deals between other labels like Sony or Warner and similar AI startups. ‎* More conversations about who owns AI-generated music and how creators get paid. ‎ Udio ‎ ‎What do you think  should more music labels partner with AI platforms like this or keep them at a distance? ‎ ‎#AI #MusicIndustry #UniversalMusic #Udio #Copyright #Innovation #CreatorsRights #ArtificialIntelligence  #AIThoughts #TechTalks #Innovation #AIFuture ‎

Case Study: How Wild Awake Built a Web3-Powered Music Label With TokenTraxx When most people think “Web3 for music”, they go straight to NFTs or token drops. But Wild Awake wanted something deeper. Something creative, experimental and rooted in fandom culture. So they partnered with TokenTraxx to build a curator-style digital music label that gave fans a direct way to support artists through DigiCollectables. 🎧 The Vision. Wild Awake founders Jamie Reddington & Maarten W. wanted to empower artists to experiment with Web3 strategies in a safe, guided environment, while giving fans meaningful ways to engage, building stronger more committed communities not just around the artist but around the label itself. 🛠️ The Build (Powered by TokenTraxx) We created a bespoke section of the TokenTraxx platform tailored to their concept: • Artist-led DigiCollectables with fan perks • Exclusive tracks, alternate mixes and digital extras • Physical drops (including a limited-edition cassette mixtape) • A fan-first UX designed around community and discovery This wasn’t a template. We customised the experience to fit the Wild Awake ethos, proving how versatile the TRAXX Studio ecosystem can be when working hand-in-hand with creatives. 🌱 Why This Matters for Brands & Creators Wild Awake became a proof point: Web3-powered fan engagement works when it’s authentic, curated and built for the community, not just the hype. And now, we’re evolving this further. Liquid Loyalty will sit at the heart of future builds, allowing creators and brands to reward fans and each other, for their engagement, not just their spend. If you’re a creator, label, or brand wanting to build a custom Web3 experience, to turbocharge engagement, rewarding all, we can tailor it for you too. Want to build something unique with us? Comment BUILD and we’ll share how TRAXX Studio can adapt to your world. 🔗 Explore the Wild Awake case study and all the other Curator labels that joined up: https://lnkd.in/eJY9FT3X #TokenTraxx #TraxxStudio #LiquidLoyalty #Web3Music #CaseStudy #FanEngagement #DigiCollectables #CreatorEconomy #CommunityBuilding

🚀 We’re thrilled to announce that Music Tomorrow has raised €1M to bring transparency to Music AI. The AI revolution is reshaping every corner of the music industry, from how songs are made to how they’re discovered. Yet the systems driving that change remain hidden. At Music Tomorrow, our mission is simple: open the black boxes of Music AI. Today, up to 30% of A&R and marketing budgets are wasted on campaigns that don’t reach the right audiences or catalogs that fail to generate lasting engagement. We’re developing cutting-edge technology that deciphers how DSP algorithms perceive each artist and identifies where and how investments can drive the most significant algorithmic impact and revenue. We help teams reallocate their budget toward what truly fuels sustainable growth: data-driven targeting, audience activation, and smarter release strategies. Over the past three years, we’ve analyzed over 2.5 million tracks, supporting 150+ artists, 30+ labels, and cultural institutions, including Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Vero Music, Active Management, Because Music, tôt Ou tard, Sacem, and Association des professionnels de l'édition musicale (APEM) to optimize catalog visibility and improve marketing efficiency. The results speak for themselves: 10x more streams on Discover Weekly; 30% lower Cost per Listener. Our case studies show how (articles link in comment). This €1M seed round, led by Inovexus, SideAngels, APOK Invest, Bolboreta Innova Group, Bpifrance, IFCIC, will accelerate our R&D and scale our technology, building a more transparent, data-driven, and human-centered music ecosystem. 🙏 A huge thank you to our amazing team, our investors, partners, and mentors who believe in our mission. Your trust and energy make this journey possible. Want to uncover the hidden potential of your catalog? 👉 Book a free discovery call with our team to get your first audit: https://lnkd.in/grvq7FTE The future of music should be driven by creativity, not black boxes.

Musicians now compete with Joe Rogan, not musicians. That's the reality of the attention economy in 2025. Your artist's music video is in the same feed as NFL highlights, relationship drama, podcast clips, and scientific discoveries. Everyone's grouped into the same pool now. This is the hardest thing I have to explain to artists: paid ads don't build your business. They scale it. You need the foundational work first. Brand identity. Understanding who you're speaking to. How to speak to them. How to get in front of them organically. Then I can pour gasoline on that fire. But most artists come to me expecting $2,500 to launch their career. That's the minimum budget threshold where I've seen meaningful results, but only when everything else is already in place. The biggest mistakes I see artists make running their own campaigns: Not targeting the right audience because they don't have enough custom data. Not asking for what they actually want people to do. Not creating enough customized assets. No retargeting loop. Here's what's working now: Using shorts and reels to generate interest, then redirecting to the full video. TikTok has low cost per acquisition, but Instagram converts to Spotify at about 30%. I'm also testing strategies to activate Spotify's and YouTube's algorithms. Finding ways to capture data sooner so artists can message fans directly. The future isn't about video production quality. It's about quality of messaging. Quality of intent. Artists need to be intentional with their content because the market is crowded and nobody owes them attention. I learned this the hard way, transitioning from venue promoter to digital strategist. I used to speak to everyone. Now I help artists speak to someone. That shift from "everyone" to "someone" is where real conversion happens. What's your take: should emerging artists focus on building organic reach first, or is there a case for paid media earlier in the journey?

London-based artist marketing platform un:hurd has closed a new seven-figure funding round, with participation from Kobalt founder Willard Ahdritz and others. The platform automates ad campaigns across Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, and Meta and now serves over 185,000 artists and labels. This new funding follows a recent investment from EMPIRE and will help un:hurd expand to Android, launch new partnerships with Amuse, KOSIGN, and Bandsintown, and roll out its upcoming statistical attribution engine designed to give artists clearer insights into their marketing performance. https://lnkd.in/gqtqZ4hy #unhurd #musicmarketing #musicindustry