Welcome to the first Music Ally Report of 2019. We’re taking a look at some of the key challenges that lie ahead for our industry this year – and how they might be tackled. From diversity to startups via fake music...
Report 419: The 40 Trends of 2018
December 20, 2018
“May you live in interesting times,” runs the old Chinese curse. The music industry has certainly done that, through the last two decades of digital disruption. Typical to form, 2018 was very interesting indeed. For our...
Report 418: Article of faith
October 15, 2018
This report looks at the aftermath of the recent Article 13 vote in the European Parliament. We’ve talked to several of the music bodies who were most involved in the lobbying process to find out what they think the...
Report 417: Islands in the Streams
August 31, 2018
This month’s report focuses on country music and how the genre is finally leaning in to streaming, with the major streaming services also making it a priority. We’ve talked to Amazon, Spotify, YouTube and the Nashville...
Report 416: Rock ‘n’ Role
August 1, 2018
In this issue we look at how whole new disciplines and skill sets are changing the power balance in the music industry. Jobs that didn’t exist even a few years ago are now so important that those who have perfected them...
Report 415: Starting Pistols
June 20, 2018
It is a rich and exciting time for tech startups in music – with new services arriving regularly and promising to do all manner of thrilling new things. While only a handful of them will ever “make” it, it’s still...
Report 414: Blocked Up
April 30, 2018
Our latest Music Ally report explores the outlook for blockchain music startups in 2018, after several months of bad news around blockchain firms, initial coin offerings (ICOs) and cryptocurrencies. Will the wobbles in the...
Report 413: Spotify in 2018
January 31, 2018
Ever since Spotify took its first round of funding – and especially since labels took stakes in it – the industry has been looking ahead to a potential exit: an IPO. Yet as Spotify prepares to go public in 2018 there’s...
Japan Special Report 2017
December 20, 2017
This report was presented at Tokyo Dance Music Event (TDME) in Japan at the beginning of December and has been prepared following various forays into – and interviews with major stakeholders inside – this fascinating...
2017 End of Year Special Report
December 14, 2017
With the year almost over, it’s time to look back, reflect on what we have learned in the music business in 2017, and consider how we’ll build on it in 2018. That’s a huge job, so we’ve tried to do some of the heavy...
Report 411: The Teenagers Issue
November 15, 2017
Teens have been the driving force behind popular music and popular culture for almost a century and we use this issue to look at not only how they have shaped music in the past (as both creators and consumers) but also how...
REPORT 410: AR SPECIAL–MUSIC’S AUGMENTED FUTURE
October 24, 2017
Lead: Take an in-depth look into the world of AR and ask if this is finally the time for a technology that has been knocking on the door for some time now to finally take off in a meaningful way. Beyond Music: Try these brilliant...
