Community
[LISTEN] Amber Atherton on building virtual communities: Start small and niche
May 31 2023

Amber is an investor and founder (her community software startup Zyper was ​acquired​ by Discord) and author of the book ​The Rise of Virtual Communities​.

The Score
What Fortnite Creative Mode’s payout model means for music
May 29 2023

The way the gaming industry is approaching creator payments could be a critical reference as rights holders continue to push for reform in streaming payout models at large.

Streaming
Comparing “For Artists” features on music streaming platforms
May 23 2023

Today’s music streaming platforms are increasingly trying to position their offerings as “artist-friendly.” But what does that phrase actually mean — and who’s doing it right?

Web3
Web3 music strategy in a bear market: Tips from our community
April 17 2023

For many artists and their teams, it feels like the Web3 playbook — which had barely been written in the first place — has once again been ripped up.

Artists
Starter Packs: Music and brand partnerships
April 03 2023

Securing an endorsement deal is no longer a matter of “selling out”; for many artists, it’s a matter of survival.

Web3
Mapping the fan journey in music and Web3
March 29 2023

Analyzing the fan journey in music and Web3 from project discovery to post-mint community engagement, based on interviews with 22 music NFT collectors and subject-matter experts.

Gaming
The Score: Mapping Epic Games’ future music strategy
March 28 2023

It took nearly one whole year for the independent music community to see some initial fruits from Epic Games’ acquisition of Bandcamp.

Starter Packs
Starter Packs: Digital music curation
March 20 2023

If the music industry is an orchestra, curation is like its conductor — arranging and guiding otherwise disparate artists, scenes, and styles into a dynamic, narrative whole that is much greater than the sum of its parts.

Starter Packs
Starter Packs: Music in virtual worlds
March 06 2023

Music’s potential in virtual worlds is much more than just a game.

Community
Wavelengths 004: Building sustainable music communities
February 25 2023

On February 21, 2023, Water & Music partnered with DC-based music company Phlote to host our fourth in-person Wavelengths: A roundtable discussion on the future of financially sustainable music communities.

Starter Packs
Starter Packs: Digital music marketing
February 20 2023

In today’s crowded landscape, the best moat you can invest in as an artist is a strong, memorable brand — which comes downstream of good marketing.

Starter Packs
Starter Packs: New music communities
February 06 2023

The concept of community has risen to a new level of prominence in the last few years as a critical source of social and commercial resilience in artists’ careers.