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With a wealth of music platforms available today, people have an immense amount of choice around where they can discover music and what to listen to. Traditional methods like radio still remain popular among consumers, streaming apps offer services that allow listeners to interact with music in new ways. The Covid-19 outbreak appears to be accelerating the shift to such platforms, with consumers globally saying that they’ve been listening to more music streaming services at home.

Streaming enables people to find and listen to a wider range of music, the desire for social interaction is also changing how listeners discover and share new music and artists. Digital platforms have already transformed how younger audiences listen to music, a large proportion of 18–34-year-olds listen to music through streaming services more than other sources. In the UK, research shows two-thirds of younger listeners listen to music most often on streaming sites, compared with twenty five percent of those aged 35 and over.

The 35 plus demographic still use the medium of radio most often and are slower to reap the benefits of streaming and digital discovery. This older consumer, aged 35 and over is more open to exploring a variety of artists and genres though, people who mostly discover new music on the radio are less satisfied with what they find compared with those who discover it through streaming.

Algorithms and number crunching based on past listening and purchasing are common methods used to influence new music choices for the 18-34 demographic, listeners aged 35 plus receive recommendations from people they know. The younger generations being way more engaged with social media are proving to be a great forum for fan engagement and new artist loyalty. Blog groups and chat sites give these 18–34-year-olds a sense of unique knowledge and helps them get to know artists better.

The online music streaming market consists of revenues generated from music and music video streaming, revenues are made up from subscription service charges and ad supported streams. The global online music streaming market had revenues of $11.7bn in 2019 with the subscription services segment being most lucrative in 2019, with total revenues of $8.7bn, equivalent to three quarters of the market’s overall value. Growth in this market being driven by consumer demand for unlimited access to large catalogues of music which is more desirable than physical music units and digital downloads.

Deep in the midst of the COVID -19 crisis and the impending economic recession, its unsurprising that the cloud streaming world will grow exponentially, the coronavirus pandemic has not affected peoples love of music, just their methods of access and ways to listen to it.

Social media is proving to be an effective place for fan engagement and for nurturing these connections, especially among younger generations. Viewers and audiences who usually might not engage in the world of classical music for example and might not have been able to afford these concerts have a whole new genre easily available to them. Totally uninhibited by perceived concert hall traditions and just from the comfort of their sofa’s.

Strategies across radio, streaming, influencer, digital and marketing are the norm and the future, the defacto principles engineered just keep being tweaked in line with music accessibility. Photoshoots / Banners / Playlists / Blogs / Press Days / Influencer Days / Lyric videos / Animated videos / Behind The Scene videos / Full videos / Pop Up gigs / Booking agents / Radio days (Student / Regional / National) are still all pivotal in breaking new artists.

The DJ has been and will always be a very integral mechanism via which music promotion will continue to work cohesively with the ever changing technologies and increasing streaming and social media world. Covid-19 still not being eradicated and large audience congregations becoming obsolete, the future of much music consumption will be the digital world.

Socials :-

@Thadboogie

In the constantly evolving world of the Disc Jockey (DJ)….

From 78 rpm vinyl to the modern world of laptops / .wavs and .mp3’s !!!
The mission has been simple, to entertain the audience / listener with music.

I myself an avid record collector of vinyl who has been fortunate to work in Wyldpyrch Rekords Soho and for more than two decades been privileged to receive free new music from record labels and music promo companies. Vinyl is absolutely heavy and I always required help from da man dem with my 3 – 4 record bags and boxes on any given club night. I have received the title of  ‘crate digger’ multiple times, fortunately reading and digesting, song writer, producer and recording credits etc helped prepare me for a life of A&R at major record labels.

I embraced the digital world of Djing and Serato a decade ago and like the millions of us who do this, have become comfortable with the club and radio station set ups with our laptops and Serato boxes. The digital DJ world has also fast tracked a whole generation of females to enter this previously male dominated platform. Sadly the whole worldwide Corona pandemic has closed every live music venue and restricted access to a multitude of DJ’s doing their weekly shows LIVE from their radio stations.

Welcome to the world of LIVE streaming via the numerous broadcast platforms and DJ software that are currently available…Serato / Traktor / Virtual DJ / Mixx and many more.

Facebook / Instagram / Mixcloud / YouTube/ Twitch are some of the most popular platforms to stream and some generate monies for the account holder. Each platform has their own specific rules which have led to many DJ’s I know lose their Mixcloud and Soundcloud accounts a few years ago.

The Covid19 lockdown has fortunately for the listener made it way easier to listen to your favourite DJ shows and even watch them do it LIVE. The main problem is us DJ’s are playing music owned by record labels and publishing companies which is ‘copyrighted’. The majority of record labels have deals with social media companies that allow them to play / stream a limited play of content. Sometimes that’s just 90 seconds, they basically don’t want the listener getting music for free which they want you to purchase.

The technology and software by the owners of this content increasingly improves every year and content flagged in a LIVE stream results in termination of the show and quite often the blocking/suspension of the DJ’s account and loss of all the years spent in them building a loyal fanbase.

Just because you own a song on you laptop it doesn’t meant that you can broadcast it in its entirety on a streamed internet radio broadcast, age old organisations like BMI / ASCAP / MCPS / PRS etc have licence deals with venues, clubs, public radio stations but the internet is still relatively new and rules are vague. Many celebrity DJ’s with huge fanbases are regularly striving for monetary reward for a live stream and a sit down with labels / publishers etc to review for the modern digital arena.

USA black music in general, successful long ago with Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole etc to modern day Hip Hop/Rnb megastars have their song tiles and music registered with the majority of organisations, interestingly UK rap music covering the last 3 decades has a tendency to be way less documented by organisations and live stream shutdown occurs much less frequently while playing this genre. Ironically DJ’s play music for the love of the culture and their specific genres, it adds great PR for artists and drives the listening consumer to purchase music they hear on these live streaming platforms.

What cannot be denied is the rapid worldwide engagement of the audience with streamed radio shows and DJ’s doing live mixes with platforms even hosting artist battles and playing copyrighted music.
Hip Hop producers Swizz Beats and Timbaland host their #verzuz music platform via the internet, showcasing artist music and on some weeks get over 500,000 audience engage to simply listen to music. Erykah Badu and Jill Scott received a more than 300 percent increase in sales after their live stream ‘battle’.

Many seasoned music personnel and stats indicate the future listening habits of the youth demographic is the internet and live streaming.

Watch this space for the constantly evolving developments for DJ’s and live streaming😊

Socials:-  Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

@thadboogie

It’s like nearly June and we’re half way through the calendric year and where do I begin..???

I’ve been an avid record collector, a DJ and an A&R man at major labels the best part of 3 decades now and I absolutely love it 🎼 🎚. From working in Wyldpytch Rekords in Soho.. it’s the passion that’s driven me to  run my own night clubs, artist showcases and music events looking for new talent. The first half of 2020 has left me in total shock and annoyance that artists whom I’ve been supporting are being taken from earth and sent to heaven regularly.

I’d been in Los Angeles and New York on A&R duties for Edel/Island Records working with Kanye West and Freeway, mutual music links hooked me up with Derby producer Baby J. He was then getting involved in Skinnyman’s ‘Council Estate Of Mind’ album and I began managing him, the next year we put out the hot ass record ‘Let It Go’ Feat TY (amongst others)  and it exploded at daytime commercial radio.. straight after the homie Mark Ronson gave us the parts for his ‘Valerie‘ single Feat Amy Winehouse and Baby J’s remix again exploded at daytime commercial radio and MTV Europe. Baby J was crowned Best Producer at the Urban Music Awards by Ras Kwame in Covent Garden and as a lotta artists/labels were hollering I started Big Promo.

Fortunately we had Blak Twang as a guest on my Itch FM #BigPromoShow years ago and one of the hottest rap records around that time was his ‘Dettwork London Revisited’ remix and I was privileged to see the career rise of Black The Ripper subsequently.

Having spent over two decades running back and forth to New York on A&R duties, I managed to meet Andre Harrell and was in awe of his achievements.  Being an avid fan of Hip Hop music from my school body popping days dancing to Kraftwerk and Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, I saw Andre’s rap skills take him to music mogul with an empire that gave the world some individuals who would be the future of black music. (Jodeci, Mary J Blige, Puff Daddy, Heavy D & The Boyz, Guy, Al B Sure, Father MC, Soul 4 Real, Christopher Williams etc).

This NYC bonding always kept me coherent with what was hot.. from the lyrical dexterity and wordplay of Fred The Godson’s mixtapes to the modern streaming world and social media assault of Pop Smoke.

The Hip Hop/RnB culture I am immersed in regularly pays homage with the sample, and it brought joy to see an old Betty Wright soul  record in my collection be transformed into a modern day hit for superstar Beyonce Knowles. A musical Caribbean household as a boy schooled me on the catalogues of yesterday and the influences of Millie Small and Little Richard for black music on both sides of the Atlantic.

Click the photos below to hear the records from all these 2020 deceased artists which have influenced me in some way.. May they rest in eternal peace !!!

Baby J Feat Rukus, Ty, Klashnekoff & Yogi – ‘Let It Go’ (Remix)

Pop Smoke – ‘Welcome To The Party’

Fred The Godson & The Heatmakerz – ‘Alpha’

Blak Twang Feat Jehst, Rodney P & Black The Ripper – ‘Dettwork Southeast’ (Remix)

Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde (Andre Harrell) – ‘Genius Rap’

Kraftwerk (Florian Schneider) – ‘Trans Europe Express’

Little Richard – ‘Tutti Frutti’

Betty Wright – Girls Can’t Do What The Guys Do

Millie Small – ‘My Boy Lollipop’ 

So Wutang be in the UK; having only recently seen a dope headline show from Killah Priest… tonite all roads lead to the sold out Ghostface Killah and Raekwon event at the Troxy in East London and to the homie DJ RD’s residency at The Box in Soho. 

The queue oustide The Box is spectacular, with excited patrons waiting to see Shaolins finest. The entourage following Ghostface, Raekwon and Killah Priest (surprise guest at The Troxy) roll into the venue.

DJ RD takes stage and Ghostface and Raekwon perform classic hits 🎤’Incarcerated Scarfaces‘, ‘Cherchez Laghost‘, ‘Shimmy Shimmy Ya’, ‘C.R.E.A.M.’ and ‘Ice Cream’

Click the image below to see Ghost & Rae perform :- 

Click the image below to see Ghost & Rae perform :- 

Celebrating 25 years since the conception of the legendary Wutang Clan, they justifiably continue to be a force in the culture of Hip Hop, inspiring many rap artists that have come after them. Wutang Clan will be headlining the Lovebox music festival, July 13th -14th in London, UK !!

Socials :-

@GhostfaceKillah

@Raekwon

@KillahPriest

@Iamdjrd

@thadboogie

It’s the weekend after a sunkissed Bank holiday in the big smoke; the New York homie Jeru The Damaja already ripped mic midweek. It’s Friday night and my Philly famette Bahamadia is headling the legendary Jazz Cafe in Camden Town. I’ve been familiar with her superlative spit game from working in the record shop in the 90s and her time working with Detroit’s very own Dilla.

The venue is packed solid from early and warm up support duties are from Cali beatmaker and rapper, Shunaji. The enthused audience gave Sunaji a raptourous response for her talent and performance.

DJ Eclipse from the legendary Rock Steady Crew takes centre stage with precision beat juggling and crowd hyping. Dressed in authentic B Girl attire, Queen Bahamadia arrives and starts rocking mic to thunderous cheers.. Running through a catalogue spanning two decades of both major label and independent releases, she effortlessly embraces the art of story telling, caressing the mic and changing tempos like a seasoned vet. In a sea of animated faces, we lock eyes and of course being fam I get my obligatory ‘shout out’ !

Click image below to see Bahamadia rockin mic 🎤

From her spittin ‘off top’ freestyles to classic hits like ‘Wordplay’ and her ‘New Forms’ collab with Roni Size, Bahamadia and DJ Eclipse showcase the authentic facets of Hip Hop culture. With imminent new music coming… we wish Bahamadia another two decades of success and touring !!

Socials :-

@Bahamadia

@ItsDjEclipse

@Thadboogie

Jammer a stalwarth contributor and member of Boy Better Know is a legend is the UK Grime / Rap scene.. Both an MC and a producer, he has seasoned tracks for his foundation Nasty Crew and nowadays works with Boy Better Know; he’s also one of the organisers for ‘Lord Of The Mic’ arguably Grime music’s biggest annual event. It’s a decade ago since Jammer jumped on my producer Baby J‘s ‘Baby Food’ mixtape and I was keen to witness BARS !!!!  🎤

‘Murkle Man’ as Jammer is fondly referred to by the peers in the scene, had a star studded headline show Monday night in trendy Old Street venue XOYO. As the first sunshine of summer 2018 was in the air, the guest list line and venue made for a packed out affair.

Support act Jammin had the place lit with bars and an upbeat vibe, leaving the stage to great applause.  Jammer the main man of the night entered centre stage dressed in all white.

Man like Jammer came out to applause and a crazy atmosphere 💡💥🎤

Click the image for video..

Grime OG and east London legend D Double E came out to collab with Jammer.

Click the image for video..

Boy Better Know MC JME came  out and ripped up the show..

Click the image for video..

Boy Better Know MC and Mercury Music Winner Skepta came on stage and did a few bars,

Click the image for video..

All in all, a very sucesful headline show for the independent artist with an electric atmosphere inside and Desperado, Frisco, Shorty etc all blessing mic for Jammer. All the cameo’s and the multitude of artists, bloggers, camera people all in the venue was a solid testament to Jammer’s role and creative greatness in the Grime scene. 

@jammerbbk

@DDoubleE7

@desperado_ogz

@BigFris

@JMEBBK

@Skepta

So it’s been a decade since Always Recording artist Chipmunk released League Of My Own 1… a lot has changed for him as an artist and for the UK rap scene at large. The world of internet music blogs was at it’s embryonic stage, BBC 1Xtra was only 5 years old and at best the few specialist radio shows on ILR were the best chance a rapper had of exposure.

The next decade of UK rap went through a period of a few artists getting signed to major record labels, and experiencing very short longevity after being told to make making nothing but ‘pop music’. With the predominant driving force to propel UK rap being the internet, the scene has since exploded to a youth demographic all over the UK and the home counties. Content is now easily accessible on smart phones; tablets; laptops and any device with WIFI. UK festivals have been keen to secure British MC’s in conjunction with the US global rap talent; the music now reaching an unprecedented larger audience are making British rappers chart regularly and a lot of them achieving this success independently.

This was obvious to see on Thursday night at Camden’s legendary music venue; Koko (formerly Camden Palace). It was the celebration of Chip’s ‘League Of My Own 2‘, Eeager fans getting to the sold out venue en mass,what a sight to witness die hard’s mobbing the front, 300 deep reciting every rapper’s bars on every song.

A who’s who of the UK rap/grime scene engaged in collab duties on stage all orchestrated by a sublimely confident and inspired Chip.

Giggs reppin mic at Koko #LOMO2

Chip, Stormzy, Lethal B, JME, Ghetts… a lotta mandem

LethaL B; stage diving on a mad one…

Chip in full regal flow ‘Can’t Run Out Of Bars’

An invigorating and potent performance from one of the finest mic men of his generation. Chip has proved he ‘can’t run out of bars’ and now in an era of the internet and social media; him and his peers and getting the domestic and international recognition they deserve. #TeamUK

Socials :-

@officialchip

@ddoubleee1

@stormzyofficial

@officialgiggs

@solo45bbk

@bigfris

@lethalbizzle

@jmebbk