MIDiA Research’s Post

Don't push the song. Push its story. Showcase the creative process that went into it. People want to know the story. Music is everywhere, if they're just looking for a new song to listen to, they'll find it. Focusing on that is like trying to play odds in the lottery. Lean into who you are as an artist, create content and promote what artistic context that song gives your catalog. That's how you get fans to invest in YOU and not just land on somebody's playlist they listen to maybe once a week. Be an artist people can get behind and tell stories to match the music. As your catalog grows, you'll have more ways to connect. Be listened to > be heard.

Let’s dive deeper: Simple beats and song can create a powerful impact on the listeners by letting the core elements of a track shine through. Overproducing a song with too many layers and effects can muddy up the sound, making it hard for listeners to hear the main melody or message. By stripping a track down to its core parts, we can put a spotlight on the unique qualities of the music. With the goal of creating a clearer and more emotional experience for the listeners. I try to remember that especially if I’m sending a beat to an artist. A lot of times an artist would like a beat, but if there is too much going on in the beat the artists can’t find space to put their vocals. So we have to make space.

"Artists can't break through bc of gatekeeping" Not exactly. Music is less gatekept now than basically ever. - Playlists barely matter - Labels can't break anyone - Press doesn't move the needle No one is in control. The algorithm is the gatekeeper, now. And that brings its own set of problems: 1) Attention is fractured & capturing 10 seconds of it today guarantees none of it tomorrow bc you have no control, and it’s not about you, it’s about the "content". 2) Even your own followers don’t see your stuff. Social media went from social to infinitely scrollable broadcast TV for content produced for the medium. 3) Music has no (popular) high-intent places to discover artists & the context behind them or their art. This is why we're seeing a movement back towards fandom, direct-to-fan & community. Things that last beyond a moment. Things that have a shelf life. Things you can rely on. ---- I'll go deeper on this & more in this week's Where Music's Going: https://lnkd.in/e9y97U9d

Blurring the lines between my professional and personal life, but this documentary should be in front of as many eyes as possible so sharing here for y’all 🪩 A few things: 1. This documentary is an absolute masterpiece in so many ways. The way it tells the story of not only what happened to Exit/In, not just what’s happening to Nashville, but the current state of affairs in indie live music is nothing short of incredible. 2. If you somehow still have any questions about why corporate overlords like Live Nation and AJ Capital Partners are sucking the soul out of music, watch this. Spark notes of that portion of the film: just because a venue remains a venue after it’s purchased doesn’t mean that it holds the same place in its community or in the overall music ecosystem - corporations care about their bottom line and NOTHING ELSE despite the narrative they try to spin on you about “preserving the culture.” Go ahead and look at their calendars and see how many young, emerging artists they give a shot on their stages. 3. I believe with every fiber of my being in the power of storytelling to change the world through changing how people care about things. Storytelling, through film, music, and other mediums, bridges seemingly impossible gaps by allowing us to empathize with and understand the stories of people we didn’t “understand” before. Ensuring that stories like this have an amplified platform will continue to be a critical component of the “fight” going forward and I hope that advocates and advocacy organizations prioritize making that happen. It doesn’t have to be in the version of a feature-length film every time - it can be social media campaigns, interviews, or just someone talking about it on a panel at a conference. But I swear to god without that we don’t stand a chance. 4. I am constantly amazed by the role Chris Cobb plays in the war that is protecting indie live music from extinction, and his unwavering dedication and refusal to roll over is captured in this film. I’m not sure if it’s possible to watch this and not be overcome with inspiration and admiration. For the entire industry, I am grateful for him. For myself personally, I am grateful for him. https://lnkd.in/ghg6ne_9

When I watch scary movies I spend a lot of time holding a cushion in front of my face. Pathetic, I know. And the music doesn't help. It's designed to have us jumping up out of our seats or looking towards the dark corners of the room. For more on what it is about scary music that has this effect, go to the latest edition of my Discovering Music newsletter 👻 https://lnkd.in/ehgPdC2i _________________________________________________________________ 🎵I’m Dr Kate Paine. I bring the world of creativity to you through the lens of music and writing. 🎵You can follow me, send me a message, and sign up for my Discovering Music newsletter (link up top) _________________________________________________________________ #discoveringmusic #creativity #creativeprocess #howtobecreative

I think most of my peers would agree—asking for reviews and testimonials isn’t why any of us got into audio, but the power of social proof is undeniable: friends trust friends’ friends. 🟢 Accumulated over 400 5-star reviews across social, business, and selling platforms 🟢 Ranked among the top 5% of mastering engineers worldwide (Muso.ai - Jan. 2025) …and yet, in the same breath, it’s important to acknowledge this: metrics have little to no place in art. Artists have never needed streaming numbers to define the value of their work, and the recent proliferation of services that use stream counts to rank engineers is more distracting than it is beneficial to the craft. The song we worked on has 500 streams? It was an honor and privilege to be trusted with your music. The song we worked on has 10,000,000 streams? It was an honor and privilege to be trusted with your music. To artists and fellow engineers - your art and contributions are immensely valuable, regardless of the numbers. Now lets make some music!

I've written quite a few articles and blogs over the years (still do) but I've always fancied doing a 'column'. So it is with great pleasure I'm announcing my "new series of writings" (i.e. a column) which will be put out for all to read by the wonderful Featured Artists Coalition (FAC). I love the work they do, because I love the work music artists do (I admire the creativity, bravery, resilience, the work). It's the output though - the music itself - I appreciate the most. Mostly! So, the column (not blog) is called "Art of Listening" and explores themes along those lines i.e. time, appreciation, fandom, formats, discovery, enjoyment and well, listening. I am (ambitiously) hoping to write about some things you might not have read about before, even though you might have thought about them. And in a roundabout way, I'm hoping that...for music artists, it helps! This first piece is about music volume? Is there too much music? And, as a superfan, what you might do about it. It's published roughly twice a month on the News feed here: https://lnkd.in/e7JiUecN Enjoy it and feel free to comment and debate, there are no right answers when it comes to music taste or listening habits.

Would you like to strengthen your memory and your ability to problem-solve? If you can already hear music in your head even when you're not even listening to it, then you're already on your way. And if you can't, then I have a few tips for how you, too, can learn how to 'audiate' 😎 To find out what I'm talking about, go to the latest issue of the Discovering Music newsletter 🎵 https://lnkd.in/ecu7nUEZ __________________________________________________________________ 🎵I’m Dr Kate Paine. I bring the world of music and creativity to you, with a special focus on engagement, body/brain, storytelling, and innovation. 🎵You can follow me, send me a message, and sign up for my Discovering Music newsletter (link up top) __________________________________________________________________ #discoveringmusic #creativity #howtothinkaboutmusic #play #creativethinking

Classical music and springtime are an elite combination, which made this video so satisfying to make. 🌸 Social media marketers will understand the effort it takes to create a Reel like this solo. 🤳🏼 Not only does it involve running around different locations with a gimble and testing out multiple angles and pans underneath trees, bushes, and blooms; but it also requires an understanding of the look, feel, and message you're trying to showcase. Andddd smushing all of that thought and content into a Reel that's less than one minute and thirty seconds. My goal was to capture how it feels to listen to our classical radio station, WCLV, in a moment when a certain song rises through and summons the thought, "Oh, this is JUST what I needed," while also inspiring the audience to give back. And after the hours I spent creating it, I can proudly say, "Oh, this is JUST how I wanted it to be." 👉🏼 Keep classical music thriving in NEO by supporting WCLV: https://lnkd.in/gnqKc7Ha #socialmedia #marketing #smm #radio

We tend to think—and be told—that the only way to truly be creative is to think outside of the box. But narrow down the options and you’re forced to focus just that bit more: think of it as like looking down a telescope instead of at the whole sky. For more and for some musical ways to practice creating within the box, check out the latest edition of the Discovering Music newsletter. https://lnkd.in/dJhG9vcQ #discoveringmusic #creativity #creativeprocess #howtothinkaboutmusic ___________________________________________________________________ 🎵I’m Dr Kate Paine. I bring the world of music and creativity to you, with a special focus on engagement, body/brain, storytelling, and innovation. 🎵You can follow me, send me a message, and sign up for my Discovering Music newsletter (link up top) ___________________________________________________________________