Music Industry Archives - MARKETECH APAC

Manila, Philippines – Spotify has launched a new music initiative titled ‘Kalye X’ dedicated to continuously promoting the Pinoy hip-hop in their platform, as well as dedicated to collaborations between artists, fans, and the community.

As part of this new initiative, Spotify worked with emerging and established Pinoy hip-hop artists to release a series of Spotify Singles. A first-of-its-kind in the Philippines, these original tracks bring together local artists to showcase the depth and diversity of Pinoy hip-hop.

The new initiative was marked with a launch party held in Brooklyn Warehouse in Manila, where Kossy Ng, head of music for Spotify Asia was joined by hip-hop artists Al James and Cookie$ to share more insights on the vibrancy of the Pinoy hip-hop scene.

“As a way to bring Spotify’s Kalye Hip-Hop playlist to life, Kalye X aims to amplify the everyday stories and experiences, told by passionate artists and communities. With the growth of Pinoy hip-hop listenership doubling in the past year, it’s important that we empower our artists to share their craft with fans in a deeper way, as well as push the boundaries of Pinoy hip-hop music culture,” Ng said.

As part of this initiative, three Spotify Singles will be released from August to October this year featuring artists from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Kicking it off is the pairing of Midnasty and Cookie$, presenting their track as an ode to the vibrant Visayan scene. Hailing from Zamboanga, the inventive collective Morobeats led by DJ Medmessiah, reimagines the sound of Mindanao hip-hop with their unique track. Lastly, representing the streets of Manila, Gloc 9, Hero, and Ramdiss will pull off a three-way collaboration.

MARKETECH APAC also caught up with Spotify’s Kossy Ng to learn more about Spotify’s marketing direction and insights on this latest initiative.

When asked how ‘Kalye X’ was formed, Ng said it was born out of the genre’s rising listening traction not just in the Philippines but also globally.

“Music is core to Filipino culture. Combined with easy access to streaming devices and an appetite for the local music scene, Spotify provides a platform to uplift artists and reflect the depth and diversity of the genre. Taking on its own unique Filipino identity, Pinoy hip-hop has been gaining incredible traction. In the past five years, there has been an unprecedented growth of 700% in local streams of Filipino hip-hop songs. Spotify’s Kalye hip-hop playlist has also seen five times growth in streams, reinforcing the central role audio plays in hip-hop culture,” she explained.

Provided data from Spotify notes that listenership of Pinoy hip-hop also grew globally at 600% strong with top markets including the United States, Canada, and Australia, amongst others.

It is also worth noting that Spotify had a previous hip-hop-related campaign initiative titled ‘Kalye Hip-Hop’ conceptualised alongside local creative agency TBWA\SMP. For ‘Kalye X’, Ng said that they worked with new partners to promote this new initiative, including with local audio marketing agency HOMONYM.

“We collaborated with our local partner, Homonym. As part of the process, Homonym collated insights from fans, labels, and industry insiders to better understand and support the Pinoy Hip-Hop scene,” she said.

She also added, “We also want to be mission-driven when it comes to unlocking the potential of human creativity and engaging the wider hip-hop community. We worked with streetwear brand HGHMNDS, who designed and produced Spotify’s exclusive KALYE X merch, gave the stage to AllStars and Rekta Sa Kalye, dance and rap battle collectives, and also commissioned a graffiti mural with Honeycomb Arts’ Kayo Cosio and Trip63. And we are just getting started.”

Singapore – After being labelled as Spotify’s Equal Ambassador, rising K-pop group NewJeans released their sophomore EP, ‘Get Up’ in July 21, which has currently garnered more than 211 million streams in Spotify.In celebrating this highly anticipated release, Spotify has teamed up with NewJeans to bring their fans larger-than-life pop-ups, exclusive bonus content, and interactive playlists.

Spotify has dubbed this celebratory campaign as ‘Bunnyland’, offering NewJeans fans the opportunity to interact with the group and the concept surrounding them physically or digitally.

The collaboration starts with the Bunnyland website, an immersive experience that lets fans around the world find out which NewJeans member is their biggest hero based on their music tastes. After being matched with one of NewJeans’s stars,users can listen to a special playlist curated by the members and share their results on social media.

Physically, Spotify has opened the doors to a pair of Bunnyland pop-ups in Seoul and Jakarta. Running through August 6, this experience was created to immerse fans in NewJeans’ world. Featuring retro themed arcade games, playlist stations, and plenty of photo opportunities, Bunnyland offers fans a NewJeans themed experience the chance to get their hands on a range of special gifts from Spotify and NewJeans.

Elsewhere, Spotify and NewJeans have also placed giant ‘Spotibuninis’ in major cities across Asia, with appearances in Tokyo’s Shibuya, malls in Jakarta and Manila, and Seoul’s Olympic Park. These installations feature NewJeans’ bunny character decked out in special Spotify headphones.

Speaking on the collaboration, Spotify said in a press statement, “We’ve been supporting NewJeans’ meteoric rise through playlists like K-Pop ON! and programs like EQUAL, and we continue to be committed to spotlighting emerging talent and giving them opportunities to build deep connections with a global audience.”

USA – In celebration of Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary, PepsiCo has announced both a partnership and an international campaign that honours and amplifies the legacy of The Notorious B.I.G, one of the genre’s most iconic artists.

Working closely with The Notorious B.I.G. estate and family members, Pepsi has planned a distinct and excitingly immersive campaign that will connect his unique personality, style, and lyrical flow with the sounds of today.

Being a part of Pepsi’s ‘Thirsty For More’ campaign, the collaboration aims to bring Biggie’s music to life across disruptive virtual and physical experiences and celebrate him from street art across major cities worldwide to limited edition Pepsi MAX cans, all paying tribute to and elevating his influence on popular culture.

Ms. Voletta Wallace, Biggie’s mother and founder of the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, said, “As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop and its cultural impact on our world, we’re excited to honour Christopher’s legacy and continue bringing his music to a new generation of fans. While his art is timeless, we’ve been working with Pepsi to commemorate my son’s artistry and connect his music with the sounds and artists of today. We hope fans will enjoy it as much as we do.”

Speaking on the collaboration, CJ Wallace, Biggie’s son and founder of lifestyle brand Frank White, mentioned, “My dad is synonymous with rap, and his influence is unmatched. Taking one of his most well-kept secret flows out of the vault and working directly with Pepsi, the brand he cites is pretty dope.”

Meanwhile, Gustavo Reyna, Senior Director Global Marketing at PepsiCo, commented, “In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop, an art form that has touched every corner of the world and evolved into one of the most significant drivers of popular culture, Pepsi is honoured to partner with The Notorious B.I.G. Estate to bring this unique encore of Biggie’s art and talent to a whole new generation of music fans in never-before-seen ways.”

Australia – Sound experience company Sonos has teamed up with global creative agency, Amplify and award-winning producer Eric J Dubowsky to create a brand new immersive listening experience.

Aiming to bring Sonos’ brand platform, “nothing feels like Sonos,” to Australia, Amplify’s creative theme employed the concept of ‘frisson’ which translates to goosebumps in French, defining the immersive sound’s ability to evoke deep emotions and elicit physical sensations.

With award winning producer, sound engineer, and songwriter Eric J Dubowsky at the helm, the result is ‘Frisson Trigger’, an original track intentionally crafted to cause psychophysiological responses within listeners such as an elevated heart rate and dilated pupils.

Amplify was responsible for the concept, overseeing the production of the track, online film content and the design and production of a launch event that provided Australian media and music industry personalities with the listening experience of Frisson Trigger on the Sonos Era 300.

Pete Pedersen, VP for marketing communication at Sonos, commented that frisson is the ideal concept for them to establish their presence in the market as something cultural in connection to the music industry.

“The creation of ‘Frisson Trigger’ underscores Sonos’ sound innovation with listening experiences that help people feel more from the music they love – we couldn’t be more excited to share it with the world,” he added.

Meanwhile, Tim Baggott, executive creative director at Amplify, said, “We’re very grateful to have had the opportunity to bring art and science together to create an extraordinary, permanent cultural artefact in the form of ‘Frisson Trigger’. Developing this campaign with Sonos and Eric J was a truly fascinating experience and we commend the bravery of our Sonos client to pursue such an innovative, experimental idea. It feels like we’ve opened Pandora’s box with this one.”

New York, United States — OneOf, an eco-conscious NFT platform, announced it has formed a first-of-its-kind partnership with music industry conglomerate Warner Music Group (WMG) that will see the company create exclusive NFTs for a range of artists across WMG’s legendary portfolio of music content. OneOf mints NFTs that are up to two million times more energy-efficient than the competition, and are specifically designed with the music community in mind, offering NFTs from collectable and generative PFPs to music royalties, and IRL experiences.

Oana Ruxandra, chief digital officer and EVP for business development for Warner Music Group, commented, “Web3 is a massive leap forward in technology: it will expand the scale and scope of both human and machine interactions far beyond what we can imagine today. Partnering with OneOf, a leader in the emerging technology space of Web3 and NFTs, gives our artists an edge in more authentically building one-to-one relationships with their fans and winning in the new Web3 economy. We’re excited to see what’s possible.”

Meanwhile, Lin Dai, CEO of OneOf, commented on the unique partnership, saying, “From collectables to music royalties, NFTs and Web3 represent the pulse of consumer demand and an exciting future for the music industry. We are thrilled to partner and innovate together with Warner Music Group and use our cutting edge Web3 technology to bring their iconic labels and world-renowned artists to the next 100 million fans on the blockchain.”

With a legacy extending back over two centuries, Warner Music Group holds an extensive catalogue of creative artists, songwriters, and brands that are moving the culture worldwide. The company includes such iconic labels namely Atlantic, Warner Records, Elektra, and Parlophone – with a roster of superstars such as Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, and Lizzo.

OneOf, which was first announced in May 2021 and is backed by Quincy Jones, has established itself as the go-to platform for the music community. OneOf offers crucial solutions for artists and fans eager to explore the expanding world of NFTs without having to worry about high minting costs or the complexity of blockchain technology.

In addition to Warner Music Group, OneOf has recently announced a three-year collaboration with the GRAMMY Awards as well as partnerships with iHeartRadio and MusiCares. Since going live in September, OneOf has launched record-breaking NFT collections with major and independent artists including Doja Cat, Whitney Houston, Alesso, The Game, Chief Keef, Pia Mia, and more.

Seoul, South Korea – As more and more K-pop groups are debuting in South Korea, social media has proved to be a driving force for these groups to be widely known by the general populace. This in turn gives the opportunity for these K-pop groups to be noticed by non-Korean fans globally, and hopefully build a global fanbase.

Such is the case for Twitter, which recently released findings of the platform usage by various K-pop groups, ranging from the so-called ‘Second-Generation’ groups such as Super Junior to Girls’ Generation to ‘Fourth-Generation’ groups such as ENHYPEN, ITZY, and Stray Kids.

The ‘Second-Generation’ groups were the first to build an online fanbase, including circles in Twitter, which is fueled by their strategic entry into other Asian markets and exploring global opportunities since 2009. Meanwhile, the ‘Third-Generation’ groups, which include BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE, and Red Velvet expanded their global fan base through open platforms like YouTube, which gave birth to the globalization of the genre. Lastly, the ‘Fourth-Generation’ group are born from the proactive discussion of other K-pop groups globally before their official debut, fueled by online events as an alternative due to COVID-19 restrictions.

According to the data collected, K-pop stars averaged 1.2 tweets per day by second-generation stars, 3.5 tweets per day by third-generation stars, and seven tweets per day by fourth-generation stars. Fourth-generation stars also tweeted 5.8 times more than second-generation stars, and two times more than third-generation stars.

In terms of tweeting after the debut of their respective groups, second-generation stars tweeted for the first time 1,154 days after their debut, third-generation artists tweeted for the first time 132 days after their debut, and fourth-generation artists tweeted for the first time 116 days before their debut.

Analyzing the amount of tweets for a year following artists’ debuts reveals other differences between the generations as well. Most second and third-generation artists did not post tweets before their debut, and slowly increased their amount of tweets after their debut. However, a notable exception is BTS: BTS opened its Twitter account in December 2012, six months ahead of its debut, and actively communicated with fans globally. Currently, BTS has 36 million followers on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Fourth-generation artists, such as ATEEZ, THE BOYZ, ENHYPEN, Stray Kids, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, and TREASURE, communicated with their fans after opening their Twitter accounts, months ahead of their respective debuts. On average, fourth-generation artists tweeted an overwhelming amount before their debuts compared to second and third-generations, with each artist uploading an average of 323 tweets, and accumulating 562,377 followers even before debuting.

For YeonJeong Kim, head of global K-pop and K-Contents partnerships at Twitter, direct communication with global fans through Twitter has now become a success formula for K-pop artists, adding that such activity demonstrates that digital-based communication has a significant impact on growing their fandom.

“When BTS, a 3rd generation K-pop group, had intimate real-time conversations with its global ARMY, it set an example for the 4th generation to make this a feature of their engagement with fans. Fourth-generation artists like THE BOYZ, Stray Kids, ATEEZ, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, GIDLE, ITZY, TREASURE, ENHYPEN, and aespa, who have been using Twitter as an active communication channel even before their debut, are advancing to the global stages faster than the previous generations,” Kim stated.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The Malaysian arm of Universal Music, a division of Universal Music Group, has appointed Kim Lim as its newest managing director to help accelerate domestic artist development and label growth in the country.

The appointment comes as part of a series of strategic hires to further expand and bolster the senior management team as part of the company’s effort to accelerate domestic artist development and label growth within the region.

Through the appointment, Lim will oversee UMG’s operations throughout Malaysia. Based at UMM’s headquarters in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, she will report to Calvin Wong, CEO at Universal Music Southeast Asia and senior vice president for Asia.

Prior to her new position, Lim has held a variety of senior roles within the company, most recently serving as senior director of new business and artist management, as well as head of marketing and sales for Malaysia for Universal Music Malaysia.

She also spearheaded the launch of Celebrity 360, an industry-leading full-service management company which manages the careers of some of Malaysia’s most popular and influential talents from the worlds of music, film/TV, entertainment and lifestyle including Anis Nabilah and Alvin Chong.

Speaking regarding her appointment, she stated, “I am excited to lead the amazing team here in Malaysia, as we look at new ways to expand the horizons and think expansively about what is possible for a music company to achieve. We will continue to focus on domestic A&R, discovering and developing the best talent our country and region have to offer.

She added, “We will innovate and carve new paths to ensure that Malaysia’s vibrant music culture is more accessible to partners, platforms and most importantly music fans throughout the region than ever before.”

Joining her as well in the recent slew of promotions are Hermond Cheng, director of A&R and marketing and head of Def Jam Malaysia; Ivan Koh as director of commercial and digital strategy; and Patrina Wong as finance and operations director.

Meanwhile, Calvin Wong, CEO at Universal Music Southeast Asia and senior vice president for Asia, commented, “I am thrilled that Kim’s ability, business innovation and strategic leadership have enabled her to rise from within UMM to the top job in Malaysia. Having been a passionate and successful marketing executive on the label side, she has achieved amazing results in transforming our non-recorded Income, whilst spearheading the innovative and successful launch of Celebrity 360 in Malaysia.”

He added, “I’m confident that with the team of Kim, Hermond, Ivan and Patrina in place, UMM will continue to expand the opportunities for Malaysian music talent around the world, whilst achieving new levels of success domestically.”

Seoul, South Korea – Big Hit Entertainment, the South Korea-based entertainment group which handles various K-pop artists, including world-known group BTS, has announced it is entering an expanded strategic partnership with global music corporation Universal Music Group (UMG).

The partnership entails both companies working closely together in increasing opportunities for artists through innovation and technology, while expanding the global reach of K-pop music and culture around the world.

Furthermore, the partnership will allow UMG artists to explore enhanced ‘direct to fan’ communications through Big Hit’s Weverse, a dynamic community-based platform that allows loyal artist fans to engage, share and interact, see and hear new content and purchase new products.

“Our two companies indeed share values and visions in that we both pursue constant innovations and are committed to providing our fans with genuine music and content of the highest and uncompromising level of quality. In this sense, I strongly believe that UMG and Big Hit will create a synergy that will rewrite the global music history,” said Bang Si-Hyuk, chairman and CEO of Big Hit Entertainment.

The partnership, announced through the recently-established live-streaming platform of Big Hit Entertainment called KBYK’s VenewLive, also stated details about assembling and debuting a new global K-pop boy group together in the U.S. for the first time.

“We will strive to secure competitive platform leadership and develop a top group of artists through the close partnership between our two companies, enabling K-pop to transcend all borders and languages. This project is especially significant as it will apply Big Hit’s ‘success formula’ established over the past 16 years to the U.S., the center of the global music market,” said Lenzo Yoon, CEO of global and business at Big Hit Entertainment.

Members of this new boy group will be selected through a global audition program, which is on track to begin airing in 2022 and will be launched in conjunction with a major U.S. media partner. The debuting global act will work based on the K-pop system – a full production that combines music, performance, fashion, music video, and communications with fans.

Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, said, “With their innovative approach to developing artists and embracing new technology, Big Hit has become one of the most dynamic companies in music entertainment. We’re thrilled to be working together as we launch a new joint venture between our companies that will further accelerate K-pop as a global cultural phenomenon.”

The upcoming audition program will also seek the help of Geffen Records, leveraging their extensive industry network and partners to oversee the music production, marketing, and global distribution operations. Big Hit will utilize its global expertise to lead the discovery, training, and development of new artists, fan content production processes, and management of fan communications through the Weverse platform.

John Janick, Chairman, and CEO at Interscope Geffen, commented, “We are all incredibly excited about this joint venture project between Geffen Records and Big Hit. This partnership offers both of us an incredible opportunity to work together helping to shape the future of music globally to the benefit of artists and fans alike.”

Singapore – NME, a British music magazine that has expanded its reach in Asia, has announced the launch of NME Shop, a one-stop shop for music-related items, including official merchandise, vinyl records and music studio equipment.

Targeted primarily to the Singaporean, Malaysian and the Philippine market, items in the NME shop are curated by NME Asia’s members for regional and user preference.

Official merchandise sold in the shop include exclusive NME-branded merchandise and also band-themed items, including those from celebrities such as David Bowie, Black Sabbath, Daydreamer and Blondie.

Vinyl records and cassette tapes of official music releases are also available, from international celebrities such as Billie Eilish and The 1975, to Singapore-based artists such as The Observatory.

For music producers, equipment such as CD turntables, speakers, launchpads, and headsets are also available for purchase in the online shop.

“Since 1952 NME has been a musical tastemaker. It’s now grown into a global media powerhouse committed to creating and curating content, products and experiences essential to fans of music and pop culture today. We’re now extending our iconic tastemaking to physical music products, festival merch, and music gear to delight music lovers in Asia,” said Meng Ru Kuok, CEO of NME parent company BandLab Technologies.

Singapore – Universal Music Singapore, a music-based entertainment division of Universal Music Group (UMG) has announced that former Warner Music Singapore Managing Director Simon Jerome Nasser has been appointed to the position of managing director and head of live for Southeast Asia.

As a core member of the regional executive team, he will be overseeing UMG’s operations within Singapore, leading and developing domestic and international activity within the market. He will be based within UMG’s regional office in Singapore and will report to Calvin Wong, chief executive officer of Universal Music Southeast Asia (UMG SEA) and senior vice president for Asia.

As head of live for SEA, Nasser will be managing UMG’s live activity across the region and will work closely with UMG’s global vice president of live events Jimmi Riise to expand and develop strategic live opportunities for UMG’s domestic and international talent, labels, and partners in the region.

Nasser joins the company with more than thirty years of music industry experience in the region. He held the MD position in Warner Music Group (WMG) from 2015-2020where he discovered, developed, and broke both domestic and international talent within Singapore and the wider SEA region.

Nasser has significant experience in the live arena, having helped promote tours and shows in recent years within SEA for domestic and international artists including Kylie Minogue, FUN, Anne-Marie, The Click Five, YouTube Stars, and MLTR among others.

A promoter of industry rights within Singapore and the wider region, Nasser is also the current chairman of the Recording Industry Association Singapore, Music Rights Singapore, and Recording Industry Performance Singapore.

In making the announcement, Wong said, “I am excited for Simon to join me in Singapore and to help us to build an exciting future for UMG across the region. His skillset is unparalleled in the market, his passion is infectious and his track record at breaking artists locally is second to none. I am sure his legacy will continue to shine in his new role.”

Meanwhile, Riise added, “I am delighted that Simon will now lead our live business activity within Southeast Asia. His vast experience and deep local knowledge will help provide a new focus to our activity across SEA and will allow us even greater synergy between our recorded music and live operations in the region, to create maximum impact for our artists and their fans.”

Commenting on his appointment, Nasser said, “I am excited to join the team UMG here in Singapore and SEA. Music has been and will always be my big passion in life. It is a privilege and blessing to now be part of UMG, the global industry leader, and the market-leader here in Singapore. I’m humbled to be given this opportunity to work within a team of incredible leaders and amazing artists to embrace my passion and love for music, a DNA for life.”

“Over the coming months and years, we will focus on developing our domestic artists and labels, nurturing their creative vision to help them reach new audiences across the region and globally while identifying and creating exciting growth opportunities for Universal Music Singapore. The current live landscape in SEA allows us to help artists, partners, and brands curate personalized, innovative, and valuable experiences and performances that will embrace the digital space, live streaming, and of course, public live events as they become more frequent again in the years to come,” he added.