Long reads, short observations and the occasional case anatomy on the way music is marketed, discovered, distributed and defended in 2026. Written by the team that runs the campaigns.
Bandcamp drew the first major line in the AI-music sand. Here is why the policy matters more than the music, and where every independent artist now sits: on the wrong side or the right side of the conversation.
Read the essayTwelve recent reads from the team. Filter by topic above — or scroll the lot.
Five tectonic shifts, from the collapse of artist development to the rise of creator-led discovery, that decide who gets heard in 2026.
Major-label artist development is mostly gone. Here is what replaced it, and how the smartest independents are building careers without it.
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Platforms
The end of the submit-and-pray era. How real Spotify streams are won in 2026: through editorial, metadata craft and algorithmic positioning.
Agency or DIY? The question is no longer either-or. The honest breakdown of what each path costs, what it returns, and when the math actually flips.
What actually works in 2026 across DSP, paid media, press, creators and radio. The framework we run on every campaign.
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AI & Industry
Apple Music is rolling out a system to identify AI-generated music. What it means for artists, labels and the songs sitting at the boundary.
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Industry
Atlantic Records goes on record. Inside the bot accusation, the response, and what it tells us about how labels prove and disprove authentic streams.
What the Apple Music × TikTok partnership actually changes for artists: discovery, attribution, and where the next streams come from.
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Platforms
From discovery to monetisation: the YouTube playbook for artists who want growth and revenue, not just views.
The algorithm does not just recommend you. It defines who you are. How AI shapes artist identity and genre, and what to do about it.
Tier-one outlets, tastemaker blogs, niche newsletters: who actually controls the narrative now, and where artists should put their press effort.
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Platforms
Inside the TikTok algorithm in 2026, with a practical, repeatable framework for designing songs and rollouts that travel.
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