Tuning into 2023 — Major Highlights from Every Corner of the Music World
A brief recap of the music industry, music therapy, audio branding, and sound tech
It’s been a year of epic comebacks, breakthrough tech, and some serious industry shake-ups.
Let’s dive into some of the top stories in these different fields of music that have been music to our ears this year.
#1 — Record-Breaking Music Tour
Taylor Swift’s latest tour, “The Eras Tour,” has smashed all records. It’s now the top-earning music tour ever, with over 1 billion dollars in revenue. It covered 151 shows globally and has surpassed Elton John’s farewell tour which earned $939 million.
It’s even more impressive if you take a closer look:
- Each of Swift’s shows is a 3.5-hour musical marathon with a 44-song setlist.
- On average, each show pulls in about 72,000 fans and makes over $17 million.
- Merch sales are through the roof, adding another $200 million.
With more music and tour dates on the horizon, 2024 might look like another record-breaking year for Taylor Swift.
#2 — Hip-Hop celebrates its 50th birthday
Hip-hop has had a massive global impact.
It has reshaped social, political, and cultural landscapes. Hip-hop is something people actively create and participate in, not just consume.
One cool trend is that more female rappers are getting the spotlight, changing the game, and scoring big hits. Artists like Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, and newcomers like Latto are killing it, showing that they’re not just part of the scene but leading it.
With all the crazy stuff happening worldwide, it will fuel some fresh hip-hop yet to come.
#3 — Google funds a music therapy app for people with dementia with a $1.3m grant
An app called MATCH (Music Attuned Technology — Care via eHealth), led by researchers and clinicians from the University of Melbourne, is changing the way music and dementia tech are combined.
The app plays music to help calm people with dementia when they get agitated, which is a big problem for a lot of them. It can be used at home, in aged care, or when someone’s moving from home to a care facility. The cool part is that it teaches carers how to use music to help out, picks tunes based on what the person likes and needs at the moment, and changes the music to keep them calm.
The team is also making a gadget, like a smartwatch, that can tell when someone’s getting worked up and then plays their favorite calming music. This could be a game-changer in aged care, especially since there aren’t enough music therapists to go around.
Consider that 55 million people live with dementia worldwide and 90% of them show signs of agitation which can lead to physical and verbal aggression, stress for family and caretakers, and poorer life quality for the patients themselves. Initiatives like these will significantly improve the lives of everyone involved in this issue.
This project will take four years to develop, and if you want to keep up to date with what they’re doing, click HERE.
#4 — Commercial radio turns 50 in the UK and live radio hits a record weekly audience of 39 million people
With more people tuning in than ever, this becomes great news for ads.
One of the main drivers in this 3.4% increase year over year in listeners is famous radio guy Ken Bruce, who left BBC and moved to Greatest Hits Radio. He had the biggest audience in the UK during his time on the BBC, and since shifting gears to GHR, he has added an impressive 1 million listeners to the show.
Another significant development is the new Media Bill in the UK, which is important because it makes sure UK radio stations get a fair shot on smart speakers like Amazon Echo and Google Home.
As the Chief Revenue Officer of Digital Audio UK, Charlie Brookes, explains,
“The Bill means that large players such as Amazon and Google must allow free access to UK radio stations on smart speakers and not allow them to overlay their own ads on the content. Submitted as a draft in March, it was included in the King’s Speech in early November and then had its second reading in late November. As digital consumption of radio continues to rise, I’m sure we can all agree that this is a vital Bill which we hope will go through Parliament soon.”
Why is this good for audio branding?
First off, with commercial radio’s popularity booming, there are more ears to listen to branded messages and ads. Then, with smart speakers getting more regulated, brands have a fairer chance to be heard without big tech companies overshadowing them.
Considering where it’s heading, we should expect even greater things for this space in 2024.
#5 — Spatial Audio is getting a boost from Apple
You know that tech that makes it sound like music’s coming at you from all around?
Apple is doubling down on it. They started with Dolby Atmos on Apple Music back in 2021, and now they’re planning to pay artists and labels more money if they put their tracks in spatial audio. Even if listeners don’t pick the Atmos version, having it available in that format means more cash for the musicians.
Apple also rolled out lossless audio streaming, which means super high-quality sound for their massive catalog of over 75 million songs. They’ve got these playlists called “Made for Spatial Audio” to show off how awesome it is.
In early 2022, more than half of Apple Music’s subscribers were using Spatial Audio. By the start of 2023, that number jumped to over 80%!
Spatial audio is a big deal in the tech world. It’s turning into the thing that sets audio devices apart. It makes the music feel more real, like you’re right there with the sounds coming from all around you.
Next year, things are going to shake up in the music world.
Want to learn more about the sound verse?
Join my newsletter to explore everything related to music and sound, from the effects on our psyche to the technologies that use sound to improve our lives.
