MUSIC BUSINESS RESOURCES FROM CMU
IMPALA One Step Ahead
From 2020 to 2024, CMU teamed up with IMPALA – the pan-European organisation promoting and supporting the independent music sector – to publish a series of reports and resources under the banner One Step Ahead. The aim was to enable independent music companies across Europe to navigate and identify trends, developments, challenges and opportunities in the digital music market.
THE REPORTS
| Consumption Trends Report | published December 2024 This latest report from IMPALA’s One Step Ahead looks at key trends in music rights and music consumption over the last year – since the publication of the first ‘Rights + Consumption’ report in autumn 2023. It reviews and explains changes to subscription streaming models and pricepoint; developments in the UGC and short form video market; direct-to-fan and the ‘superfan’ opportunity; and stream manipulation and the ‘fake artists’ debate. |
| AI Trends Report | published November 2023 Building on the ‘AI And The Music Industry’ report published earlier in 2023, in this trends report from One Step Ahead we present summaries of… • The ongoing debate about the copyright obligations of AI companies, and the legal and lobbying activity that the music industry is pursuing. • The use of generative AI to generate voice clones of artists – and how the music industry is seeking to both control and commercialise this use of AI. • Recent surveys of independent artists about their use and perception of artificial intelligence. |
| Data Trends Report | published October 2023 Building on the ‘Data Playbook’ published earlier in 2023, in this trends report from One Step Ahead we present: • The latest checklists for getting the most out of consumption, social and other data. • An overview of some of the latest developments around streaming analytics and music metadata. • A guide to the key sources of music market data and the key findings of recent reports. |
| Rights + Consumption | published September 2023 Although the digital market continues to diversify, a small number of platforms and business models continue to dominate and bring in the vast majority of revenue. However, the streaming services are constantly evolving their platforms and apps, introducing new discovery experiences, utilising and sharing data in different ways, and providing new promotional and upsell tools for artists and labels. Meanwhile, the business models employed by the big digital music companies are slowly evolving too, often in response to concerns raised by the industry. In this report from One Step Ahead we review some of the big developments and innovations of the last year, consider how the licensing of rights and consumption of music is going to change in the years ahead, and explain how all this impacts on independent music businesses. |
| Artificial Intelligence And The Music Industry | published July 2023 Artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI, is revolutionising industries, including the music sector, where there has been a lot of high profile discussion and debate in relation to AI that can compose and produce original music. In this latest report from One Step Ahead, we review the latest trends in generative AI and consider how the technology will evolve, as well as outlining the key legal questions that have been raised. |
| One Step Ahead Data Playbook | published March 2023 In today’s rapidly evolving music industry, data plays a more significant role than ever before. Independent record labels must understand and adapt to this new reality to remain competitive and ensure the success of their artists and their releases. In this latest report from One Step Ahead, we look at how – by harnessing the power of data – labels can make more informed decisions, tailor their marketing efforts, and ultimately drive better results for their artists and their business. |
| The Practical Impact Of New Technologies: Part Two | published October 2022 This is the second of a two part report exploring the impact of new technologies on the music industry. We put the spotlight on trends and developments in music tech, and considering how each featured technology is impacting on the way music is made, performed, recorded, distributed, managed, marketed and consumed. In Part Two we consider Web3, blockchains, NFTs and the metaverse. |
| The Practical Impact Of New Technologies: Part One | published January 2022 This is the first of a two part report exploring the impact of new technologies on the music industry. We put the spotlight on trends and developments in music tech, and considering how each featured technology is impacting on the way music is made, performed, recorded, distributed, managed, marketed and consumed. In Part One we consider voice control, music recognition technology, creation tools and data tools. |
| Understanding The Digital Music Debates | published September 2021 In this fourth report from One Step Ahead we investigate the key digital music debates in 2021. Expanding on IMPALA’s Ten Point Plan to reform streaming models – and revisiting some of the newer issues raised in past One Step Ahead reports – we put the spotlight on seven different digital music debates, providing the background to each topic, and outlining proposals that have been made to address different issues and challenges. It’s important that the wider independent music community is able to take part in each of these debates. This report provides you with all the information you need to navigate and understand the different issues, solutions and discussions. |
| A Diversifying Digital Market | published June 2021 In this third report from One Step Ahead, we look at the diversifying digital music market, and the platforms and business models which are going to play a key role in the next phase of market growth. That includes social media and video-sharing platforms, as well as livestreaming, podcasting and direct-to-fan services. How are these platforms utilising recorded music and providing new revenue streams? How can artists, labels and distributors all fully capitalise on these opportunities? And what impact does this have on the artist/label relationship? |
| Marketing Power Through Data And Networks | published February 2021 In this second report from One Step Ahead, we look at how music marketing – and the role of record labels as key marketeers in the music industry – has evolved over the last two decades. Labels remain crucial marketing partners for the artists they sign and work with, but the way a label delivers value has changed and is changing. As a label, your data and your networks play an increasingly important role, maximising your marketing power and boosting the value of your campaigns. In this report we consider how to build, grow, manage and protect these crucial assets. |
| Playlists And Curation | published December 2020 In this first report from One Step Ahead, we review the role of playlists and curation on the main on-demand music streaming platforms in driving streams, plays, royalties, fanbase building and music discovery. In Part One we discuss past, current and future trends in playlists and curation, identifying key developments and potential issues. In Part Two we review the current playlist ecosystem, categorising the different kinds of playlists and curation, and considering best practice playlist pitching. |