Mapping the new music business
In a rapidly changing landscape, knowledge is power.
Water & Music is the go-to innovation platform for the music business. Through our unique blend of data-driven research, online education, and in-person events, we help our global community of thousands of artists and industry professionals not just stay ahead of the curve, but also translate emerging trends into transformative business opportunities.
Our mission is to advance the music industry through progressive technology, collaborative initiatives, and transparent practices.
Starter Packs
Get up to speed with our foundational guides on music and tech, grounded in our research findings.
Emerging tech for independent artists
- Setting the stage
- Artist strategy checklist
- Web3
- Metaverse
- AI
Music streaming platform models
- Setting the stage
- How Artists are Paid from Streaming
- Factors Impacting Artists' Streaming Performance
- Key Takeaways or Artists
Music AI deepfakes
- Is this trend new?
- How are deepfake songs made?
- What are the legal issues with deepfake songs?
- Are audio "deepfakes" all bad?
Music and brand partnerships
- How can artists best prepare for brand partnerships?
- What industries are taking an interesting approach to music partnerships?
- What market trends are changing the economics of music brand partnerships?
Digital music curation
- What is curation, anyway?
- What makes music curation brands stand out?
- What market trends are changing music curation?
- Does genre matter in music curation?
- What does it mean to decentralize curation?
Music in virtual worlds
- How is music used in games and virtual worlds?
- Can I upload my own music to virtual worlds?
- What are the key visual branding opportunities for artists in virtual worlds?
Digital music marketing
- Why is music harder to market than other products?
- What role does data play in music marketing campaigns?
- How can you build a compelling fan journey around a music release?
New music communities
- What metaphors do people use to describe their favorite online communities?
- What tools should artists use to run their communities?
- What role does the “metaverse” play in modern community-building?
- Why are so many music communities going into Web3?
Music/Web3 data
- How much money have music NFTs made so far?
- What makes music/Web3 data infrastructure unique?
- What are good metrics for analyzing collector behavior?
- What makes music NFT metadata different from the traditional music industry?
New tech, old rights
- The complex music royalty value chain
- Music rights and generative AI
- Music rights and Web3
- Music rights in the metaverse
Data
Curated databases and analyses that connect the dots across pivotal industry trends, startups, and deals.
Music Ai Database
All the information you need to navigate the music AI market — from the top apps, models, and datasets for music creation and production, to updates on major industry news across partnerships, investments, litigation, and policy.
Music Industry Data Tools
The most in-depth list of data tools for the music business, vetted by surveys of real-world industry professionals. Includes first-party streaming and distributor analytics, third-party music market intelligence, email/SMS marketing, ad automation, social media listening, live event analytics, and more.
Music AI Ethics Tracker
Critical examination of music-industry ethics statements on AI — highlighting prevalent themes such as data transparency and artist consent, while also pointing out the lack of focus on issues like bias, safety, and environmental sustainability.
Music-Tech Ownership Ouroboros
Mapping the globalization and financialization of power in music and tech, with a focus on the rise in investments from media conglomerates, sovereign wealth funds, and private equity firms.
"For Artists" Streaming Product Matrix
A definitive ranking of which music streaming services best support artists in their marketing and career needs — based on cross-platform comparisons of nearly 90 product features in profile customization, fan marketing, and data analytics.
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Member Connections
Member-exclusive discussions, showcases, and interviews with today's music-industry innovators.
Lessons from our inaugural Wavelengths Summit
TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleeson on music distribution in an AI-first world
Web3 and music rights: Our community weighs in
Michael Pelczynski (Forms + Shapes) on what we get wrong about streaming economics
Attack / Decay / Research / Release: Mapping community with FWB
Archive
Explore our full collection of articles and perspective on music-tech developments.
Why artist subscriptions won’t save music
Introducing our revamped music AI database: 130+ tools, models, and datasets
Starter Pack: The Emerging Tech Guide for Independent Artists
Bow down to our new music-tech overlords
Artist-DSP relationships in 2024: Top five trends to watch
Takeaways from our inaugural music marketing data bootcamp
How artist-friendly are music streaming platforms? Part 4: Fan marketing and e-commerce
Ed Newton-Rex (VP Audio, Stability AI) on building the next wave of music AI tools
How artist-friendly are music streaming platforms? Part 3: Data analytics
How artist-friendly are music streaming platforms? Part 2: Profile customization and listener experience
MoreShop
Level up with our on-demand courses, or support music-tech in style with our expansive merch collection.