Hope things are moving and grooving in your world. Last week’s signal boost set the tone. Building on that, here is part two:
World Building → The New Moat
Artists aren’t just releasing music; they’re building universes to create new touch points. Look at Dua Lipa’s Service95, Kid Cudi’s fine art show, and Diplo’s Run Club (This weekend in Miami was amazing, selling 10K tickets to an event before breakfast!), artist-led agencies, and platforms. Worlds beat campaigns, and with all of this music flooding the streaming services, new touch points build new dimensions for fandom to flourish.
Distribution → Why Labels Still Matter
Beyond catalogs and capital, labels still do one thing exceptionally well: distribution. In the game of brands and marketing, if you want to be everywhere, partnerships matter. Reach still wins.
Curation → Essentialism & Trusted Sources
Too much coming at us. Always. The future of curation sits at discernment matched with the intersection of: data and gut; storytelling, taste, and moderation. Editors are back, even if we don’t call them that.
Marketing → The Playbook Is Fragmenting
AI arbitrage. K-Pop mechanics. 996 work ethic. Always-on media cycles. Innovative ways to create sync placements. Viral stunts. New age, Gen Z Listening parties. There’s no single formula; only fluency and never-before-done activations!
Streaming → Clips are King
Netflix and Spotify are dominating this year. Both feel underrated. But YouTube is the platform of the people because it’s all about fan edits and the ability to add context to content. I’m also bullish on LinkedIn as a professional playground for musicians. Their videos can really rack up views.
Influencers → Paradigm Shift
In 2026, affiliate influencer deals are going to speak the loudest. Paying for exposure reeks of inauthenticity. Those that can actually convert to sales will be the apple in brand marketers’ eyes. I’m also still bullish on digital pop stars. The music sounds so good. A brand co-sign will take their careers to the next level. What brand will be brave enough to back an AI musician?
TV → Culture Still Peaks Here
Awards. Halftime show. Docs. Biopics. The new MTV. Sure, music on late night might be on the decline, but music moments on TV are more impactful than ever.
Sports → Music in the DNA
Music is the X factor in sports events. Super Bowl. WrestleMania. MLB. NBA All-Star. New and niche leagues are coming up and building momentum. Every league needs a music strategy. This is soccer’s year, and with its ambassadors, events, and big games, it will continue to lead the way.
Publishing → Quiet Power, Real Money
Back into the market ready to disrupt. Many artists own and retain their catalogues and are looking for their opportunities. Hundreds of thousands of new songs are being created daily. Music IP will continue to grow in value, and this space continues to be a safe bet for steady returns.
Artist Products → Bigger Business Than Their Music
The biggest business stories in music over the past decade are Beats + Dre, Rihanna + Fenty, Selena + Rare Beauty. Thanks to the creator economy’s rails, spinning up a hit business is possible. Hailey Bieber, with a smart marketing partner, was able to launch and sell Rhode a few years later for over a billion dollars. It was the biggest brand of the holiday season. There are so many cool ways for artists to be involved in products. Kanye is back at it again with his latest rendition of Yeezy without Adidas and the Gap. He’s finally doing high-fashion pieces at affordable prices, direct to consumer, and it looks fresh.
Gen Z → Music Is Still No.1
Music is Gen Z’s top passion point, bigger than sports, fashion, and memes. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love music in some way, shape, or form?
Scandals → Controlling the Newscycle
50 Cent had the Netflix show of the season with the Diddy documentary. Brianna Chickenfry is back in the mainstream thanks to Zach Bryan’s massive new album. This trend will only continue.
But whatever the hell is going on with D4vd is absolutely on another level. I keep waiting for the fourth wall to come down and the cameras to come out. This can’t be real, and he can’t still be walking free, is he?
Hyper Local, Fully Global Markets
It’s a city-by-city game right now. You can’t market Miami the same way you market Austin or Houston. The same goes for Paris, Qatar, Hong Kong, Barcelona, and Dubai. There are very big opportunities overseas, and each market has to be respected and approached differently.
The bottom line is, even though things seem chaotic and challenging in the world today, if you listen closely, there are opportunities everywhere. We see a lot of blue sky for music in the marketing world, and we are here to help usher in a new era of revenue-generating collaborations. Whether you are at Sundance, the Clios, the Grammys, or the Super Bowl, or if you are in your office trying to figure out how to better position your brand in culture, we are here to help make those dreams come to life. So reach out and get in touch if you are interested in doing things The Nue Way. We eat, breath, and sleep this and can help your brand make a deep, meaningful impact through the power of music and entertainment!
