Pre-release music promo and sharing service Byta, which raised $1.9m of seed funding in 2020, has produced a new whitepaper that examines how the music ecosystem shares digital audio files and streams. File-sharing of audio isn’t the most glamorous part of the music business, but is an essential framework as music is pinged around between musicians, producers, journalists, labels, media, DSPs, etc – and the report aims to clarify how the industry operates in a space that is highly fragmented, localised and based on individual habits.
Amongst other things, it uncovered that loyalty to a single file-sharing platform is impossible: people tend to choose a way of sharing files, and piece together workflows that fit their specific preferences, using a combination of platforms. Most users just want a simple service that works easily. When sharing music, the preferences around receiving a downloadable file versus a streaming link are changing, but is quite entrenched: certain industry sectors specifically need either streams or downloads. And, the report notes, “frustrations regarding metadata tend to rile up more emotional responses than nearly every other issue.”
Tools: platforms to help you reach new audiences
Tools: Kaiber
In the year or so since its launch, AI startup Kaiber has been making waves,…