As streaming continues to anchor itself as the primary means of music consumption, more pressure than ever is being placed on artists to deliver big numbers on-demand.
Indeed, whereas streams of music video and audio used to serve as an additive measure to the more dominant digital downloads, the roles have reversed.
This has caused for the birth and boom of artists whose success is fuelled primarily by streaming such as Migos, Cardi B, and Lil Uzi Vert. It’s also helped boost acts whose traditional sales aren’t quite blockbuster ala Rihanna. There’s evidence too to suggest that it could very well have been a catalyst for established winners such Beyonce pivoting towards visual-driven roll-outs.
However, streaming hasn’t been as advantageous to all.
See, part and parcel of the streaming push is the rise and prominence of VEVO, whose “machine” like size and reach have allowed them to help build huge followings for the acts who use their platform. These artists have typically been signed to labels of VEVO partners such as Sony Music, Universal Music, and select indie entities.
This, in effect, has made it quite difficult for many acts not in said equation to compete. For, they’re left to use “normal” YouTube channels (often relegated to drive behind the scenes clips and the like) to push their actual music videos. The end result being lower views than their VEVO counterparts. This has especially been the case for indie talent as well Warner/Atlantic acts – with the few exceptions of the latter being Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, and Jason Derulo.
It’s also put acts who’ve, for example left Sony for Warner, in an odd position. Because in jumping ship, they give up use of their VEVO (and the millions of subscribers accrued) to begin dropping audio and video on their standard YouTube channels. Most of which are often much less populous.
That all looks set to change, though, following a major new announcement from YouTube.
Head below for more on the exciting move, which is set to benefit the likes of Ciara and Rita Ora, as well as veterans like Janet Jackson, in a significant way…
