Welcome to The Manager’s Playbook, my personal newsletter where I share weekly insights for aspiring artists, emerging music managers and executives on how to navigate the music industry, by Ruiz.

Note: For any links that are behind a paywall, copy the URL and paste it into this paywall ladder to read the article without any issues.

Ruiz Note:

Shipping this edition from Portugal, specifically from Porto on the Ponte Luis I bridge over top of the Douro River to be exact.

Shout goes out to wifey for being cool with me working on the newsletter while on vacation; she gets it.

She the real MVP.

Also, shoutout to Lazuli, an incredibly talented producer from Porto. Good looking out on the francesinha from Café Santiago recommendation. It slapped.

CONTENTS

Strategy:
• There’s a New Buzzword Gaining Traction in the Music Industry..

Pay Attention:
• Shakira’s Pop-Up Show: Not Something She Dreamed Up at Breakfast
• Here’s How Many Followers Billie Eilish Gained After Adding Everyone to Her Close Friends Story
• “They love artists, they’ve got money to burn, and they’re the music industry’s new obsession: Say hello to superfans.”
• Spotify CLASSICS: The 100 Greatest R&B Songs of the Streaming Era
• New AI-powered ‘instant’ music-making app Udio raises $10m

Industry News: 
• Global Recorded Music Revenues Grew By 9.8% In 2023
• New US Bill Could Make Developers Disclose Their Use of Copyrighted Music to Train Generative AI Models
• Spotify Plans to Let Subscribers Speed Up Songs
• Taylor Swift Back On TikTok Despite Being on UMG!

What We’re Watching:
• Daniel Caesar & H.E.R. - Best Part

Check This Out:
• The Orchard Presents: Music Industry Insider for Early Career Talent

STRATEGY

There’s a New Buzzword Gaining Traction in the Music Industry..

Much like fleeting youth, the era when streaming dominated revenue is now becoming reminiscent of the good old days.

However, there is another half truth.

Digital Service Providers (DSPs) have matured, casting doubt on their reliability as a revenue stream.

Which brings me to the new lingo of the day.

The latest catchphrase echoing through the corridors of major labels, quite frankly all industry, is "AI."

But did you know there's another buzzword gaining traction in the music industry? Well, there is, and that word is "Superfan."

Essentially, the term "Superfan" describes those die-hard followers who are ready to dive deep into their support for the artist.

However, it's often used as a means to squeeze out as much money as possible from consumers, such as through merchandise sales.

Yet, absent from many of these discussions is any mention of adding value to the die-hard fan. Instead, the focus seems solely on extracting every last cent from their wallets.

Count me among those seeking to redefine the narrative.

Rather than convincing fans into purchasing an overpriced Gildan hoodie or 12 different coloured vinyl of the same LP, I'm in the camp that is looking to unlock new experiences and interactions to their favourite artist.

That’s a conversation I’m more than willing to have all day. Every day.

Here’s the awful truth.

YES, DSP consumption is over saturated with 120,000 songs delivered daily to Spotify/Apple Music. No, it is not the only revenue source. Despite the aforementioned, yes, streaming is still an incredibly valuable tool if you focus on the right things.

So what does that mean for the artist manager? Simple.

FOCUS ON THE MUSIC.

Spend your time making quality records, create effective story telling with your content and make smart marketing and advertising choices.

Do these things and you’ll stand a better chance of having a fruitful and meaningful relationship with your career and the audiences that help you fuel it.

PAY ATTENTION

Shakira’s Pop-Up Show: Not Something She Dreamed Up at Breakfast

Shakira’s electrifying pop-up concert last week in Times Square might have seemed like a spur-of-the-moment event, but it was actually the culmination of months of detailed planning. From navigating city permits to syncing up with police for crowd control, every detail was carefully orchestrated to ensure the show went off without any issues. The surprise show brought out thousands of fans and then vanished without a trace. Really cool.

Here’s How Many Followers Billie Eilish Gained After Adding Everyone to Her Close Friends Story

Billie Eilish gained 7 million new fans in just two days by adding her 100 million+ followers to her "Close Friends" Story. This move was part of a set of cryptic teasers for her upcoming third studio album, attracting massive attention. It’s an innovative approach that we haven’t seen before, that proved to be a highly effective social media strategy.

“They love artists, they’ve got money to burn, and they’re the music industry’s new obsession: Say hello to superfans.”

The music industry views superfans as crucial for driving significant revenue, potentially over $4 billion by 2030, but faces challenges in monetizing this without alienating them.

Spotify CLASSICS: The 100 Greatest R&B Songs of the Streaming Era

The latest addition to the Spotify CLASSICS series is "The 100 Greatest R&B Songs of the Streaming Era", spanning from 2015 to the present. The list, curated by Spotify’s U.S. editorial team and led by Carl Chery, is based on artistic quality, cultural impact, and influence, rather than streaming statistics, providing a comprehensive look at the genre’s richness during this era.

Shoutout to track #3 on this list “Best Part” by Daniel Caesar & H.E.R. My content company Mad Ruk Entertainment had a small but significant role in producing the official music video for this one. Very proud of the work done here. It changed the lives of many.

New AI-powered ‘instant’ music-making app Udio raises $10m

Udio, an AI-powered music-making app backed by $10 million from influencers like will.i.am and firms like Andreessen Horowitz, allows users to quickly create and refine songs using text prompts. Check it out here.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Global Recorded Music Revenues Grew By 9.8% In 2023

Despite a slowdown in streaming growth, non-major labels and expanded rights categories showed strong gains, suggesting a significant transformation in the industry's focus from streaming to monetizing fan engagement and diverse revenue streams.

New US Bill Could Make Developers Disclose Their Use of Copyrighted Music to Train Generative AI Models

A new US bill, supported by various creative industry groups, mandates that AI developers disclose the use of copyrighted music in training their models. Introduced by Rep. Adam Schiff, the Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act aims to enhance transparency and ensure creators are acknowledged and fairly compensated.

Spotify Plans to Let Subscribers Speed Up Songs

Spotify is reportedly developing a feature allowing users to modify song speeds, responding to the trend of manipulated audio tracks popular on TikTok. Spotify plans to pay rightsholders for streams of these modified versions, although licensing details are still under discussion. This initiative aims to attract younger users and generate additional revenue for artists.

Taylor Swift Back On TikTok Despite Being on UMG!

Despite an ongoing licensing dispute between TikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG), Taylor Swift's music has reappeared on TikTok, likely due to her substantial control over her own music and potential separate agreements with TikTok. This resurgence comes just before her new album release, highlighting her unique position in the industry to manage her music independently from UMG's ongoing challenges with TikTok.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

Daniel Caesar & H.E.R. - Best Part

Taking pride in the fact that we (Mad Ruk) produced the music video for the 3rd greatest R&B song of the streaming era, on the Spotify CLASSICS list.

CHECK THIS OUT..

The Orchard Presents: Music Industry Insider for Early Career Talent

“For students or early-career adults, join us for an exclusive 2-day virtual event hosted by CEPA (The Orchard's Council for Equity and Progressive Action) and our Talent Acquisition team! Attendees are invited to learn more about career development and the role of distribution within the music industry.”

Register at: orcd.co/earlycareer 

Bio

I’m Mauricio Ruiz, the Founder/CEO of 8 Til Faint, an Artist Management company with over 5 billion audio streams worldwide. Our past and current clients include Grammy nominated, Juno Award winning multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Jessie Reyez, Marley Bleu, Skratch Bastid and more. I am also the Co-Founder of Mad Ruk Entertainment, a content agency with over 3 billion long form video streams worldwide. Our client list includes The Weeknd, Eminem, and Celine Dion, along with renowned brands like Nike, Pernod Ricard, Canon, and the NBA.

Follow me on IG @mauroisruiz

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