The Genius of Apple’s Razor and Blade Strategy When Apple launched the iPod, it was not just selling a sleek little music player. It was setting up a brilliant business model. Think of it like the classic razor and blade strategy: • Sell the razor which is the iPod, a high margin and desirable product. • Then make money continuously from the blades which are the iTunes music downloads. Each iPod owner became part of Apple’s ecosystem, buying songs from iTunes because it was the easiest and most seamless way to load music. Apple did not just sell hardware, it built a recurring revenue stream and customer lock in. The beauty of this strategy is how it combines hardware, software, and services into one loop. The more you used your iPod, the more you spent in iTunes. And the more you spent in iTunes, the less likely you were to switch to another device. That is how Apple turned a music player into an entire ecosystem and set the stage for everything that followed: iPhone, App Store, Apple Music, and beyond. Lesson: Sometimes the smartest move is not to make all your money upfront. It is to design a system where your first sale naturally leads to the next one, and the next, and the next.

Nike & Spotify, When Brands, Music and Mental Health Collide (In a Good Way) Nike and Spotify just kicked off their “Make Moves” campaign, encouraging teen girls to move their bodies to one song a day. The playlist is co-curated by athletes, artists and young women worldwide, and it’s all about boosting confidence, mental wellbeing and making fitness feel fun. And it’s not just feel-good fluff, a UK pilot involving 700+ girls led to a 20% increase in confidence, a 40% rise in physical activity, and a 19% drop in anxiety. That’s what real impact looks like. This kind of brand-led music campaign is more than just clever marketing. It’s proof that music is still one of the most powerful emotional connectors we have, and when paired with movement and positive messaging, it’s a triple win. For artists, there’s a huge opportunity here. Brands are actively looking for ways to align themselves with empowering, energetic and emotionally resonant music, especially if it ticks boxes around mental health, movement and identity. We pitch ideas that hit these marks. Got a track that could lift a campaign and looking for sync representation? If you're building music that feels purposeful, the brands are listening, and we’re here to help you get through the door. Learn more at www.musicgateway.com.

🔸How Blockchain Will Reshape Music: Part 19 - Web3 Music vs. Label "Sony Music"🔸 Web3 introduces new infrastructure for fan revenue, automated payouts, ownership, and persistent experience. Sony Music Entertainment is moving on multiple fronts. 1️⃣What has Sony Music done so far? ◾Sony Group announced Soneium, its own blockchain rails, in 2024 and plans to issue NFTs in 2025 through a Fan Marketing Platform, bringing Web3 closer to its entertainment IPs; ◾Live music NFTs in 2025. Sony Music Publishing Japan launched NFTs for J-pop group Sandal Telephone (a concrete “superfan collectible” use of Soneium). 2️⃣Why are labels leaning in? ◾New revenue beyond streams: collectibles, access passes, digital merch, and virtual shows; ◾Closer fan relationships: wallet-based access and provable ownership can lift retention vs. pure social reach; ◾Programmable economics: smart contracts and L2 rails enable faster, transparent splits (paired with standard off-chain legal terms). 3️⃣What should we watch next? ◾SMP Japan: superfan NFTs for Sandal Telephone on Soneium (2025); ◾Soneium roll-out: how Sony connects fan IDs, NFTs, and commerce across music/film/games via its Fan Marketing Platform; ◾Frictionless UX: email logins, card payments, low fees, so fans don’t need to be crypto-native. 4️⃣What are some artist examples? ◾Sandal Telephone (Sony Music Publishing Japan): limited-edition fan NFTs on Sony’s Soneium chain (2025); ◾JUJU (Sony Music Japan): offered “live-photo NFT” bundled streaming tickets for her 2025 tour. 5️⃣My take? ◾Deploy Web3 to enable fair, transparent, programmable payouts, unlock direct fan revenue, and experiment with virtual stages, with the goal of improving the artist and label partnership! 🔹LinkedIn page: Sony Music Entertainment 🔹Offical website: https://www.sonymusic.com/ ❗Coming next: Part 20 - Web3 Music vs. Label "Coop Records" ⬇I’d love to hear your thoughts! Comment below. #metaverse #crypto #web3 #music #musicindustry #musicbusiness #sonymusic

Stop letting your kids' playlist mess up your Spotify Wrapped, there's a smarter way to manage media in your smart home. Most people think automating smart devices is just about convenience. But the real gap lies in maintaining personalized experiences across shared devices without mixing preferences or data. We set up multiple Spotify accounts within a single Google Home environment using AI-driven automation that recognizes who is speaking and switches profiles accordingly. This method preserves individual listening stats and delivers a seamless experience whether it’s adult playlists or kids' music playing-without interference. Effective automation means orchestrating context-aware, multi-user interactions on shared devices. It’s not just tasks; it’s about respecting distinct user profiles while keeping control simple and frictionless. Interested in how AI agents can help you manage complex multi-user media setups effortlessly? DM us to learn how to create intelligent assistants that remember and share context correctly across your devices.

🎧 Spotify vs. Apple Music: A UX Showdown I Didn’t Expect Today’s UX deep dive sent me down a rabbit hole of tiny design choices that shape billion-dollar experiences. Turns out, Spotify and Apple Music aren’t just music apps — they’re two completely different UX philosophies: 🟢 Spotify — The Social Discoverer freedom, discovery, community 🔴 Apple Music — The Dedicated Curator control, precision, consistency Both are right… for their audiences. Spotify leans into connection and surprise — “what’s next?” energy. Apple nails refinement and reliability — “what I want, when I want it.” 💡 The real lesson? There’s no universal “perfect UX.” It’s about aligning design with user identity, not designer ego. I also learned that: 💰 Every $1 in UX = $100 ROI 📈 A good redesign can boost conversions by 80%+ 💬 A single usability score bump can drop support tickets by 6% UX isn’t decoration — it’s a business lever.

When Innovation Leaves People Behind Every year, music tech gets more advanced. New sounds. New features. New gear that promises to make music creation easier and more exciting. But easier for who? Innovation often focuses on what looks impressive, not what everyone can actually use. Buttons turn into touchscreens. Menus hide behind apps. Features become visual instead of tactile. For blind or visually impaired musicians, that progress feels like moving backward. Something that used to be playable becomes unusable. Something that once had a simple knob now needs an app you can’t even navigate with a screen reader. Accessibility isn’t against innovation. It’s a reminder that progress should include everyone who wants to create music, not just those who can see the screen. Advancing tech means nothing if more people lose access in the process. #Accessibility #MusicTech #BlindMusicians #Inclusion #DigitalAccessibility

Microsoft Groove Music Now Available On All Mobile Platforms ByBrian BurgessLast Updated on March 20, 2019 couple-listening-to-music-headphones-mobile-featured Microsoft rebranded its Xbox Music service to coincide with the Windows 10 launch, and now it’s available on all major mobile platforms, including iOS. Microsoft rebranded its Xbox Music service to Groove Music with the release of Windows 10. Microsoft has been rebranding and rolling out its music service across mobile device platforms, and this week, the last major mobile platform has been added, iOS and includes the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Microsoft Groove Music iOS If you don’t have automatic updates enabled for apps on your iOS device, just go launch the App Store and you’ll find the update. It works a lot like Xbox Music did, but with a huge additional feature. You can add your music files to your OneDrive — which is a feature Microsoft added to OneDrive earlier this year. Then those songs will appear as part of your collection, and you don’t need a Groove Music pass to use it. Groove Music iOS Microsoft Groove Music is now available on iOS Here’s a look the updates according to the iTunes page: • You no longer need Groove Music Pass to use the app! (Certain features still require it) • New app name and design • Music in your OneDrive music folder now appears as part of your collection • In addition to playlists, you can now download individual songs and albums for offline use • Filter your music to see just what’s available offline • Various bug fixes Groove Music on All Major Mobile Platforms No matter what you think about the name “Groove Music” (I wish it was just Microsoft Music), it has come a long way since the days of Windows 8 and called Xbox Music. Microsoft Groove Music on Android  Microsoft Groove Music on Android It’s available on all major mobile platforms including Android, Windows Phone, and now iOS. It also works on Xbox One and 360 and on the web. Just download the app on your device(s) and your music collection from OneDrive, streaming music (with a Groove Music pass) will all be in sync. Groove Music Web Microsoft Groove Music web interface Update: 6/9/2015: As our reader, Adam pointed out in the comments, Groove Music isn’t available on BlackBerry or Kindle Fire products. But is available on the most used major mobile platforms.

Audius, the leading decentralized music platform, has introduced a groundbreaking feature allowing verified artists to create personalized cryptocurrency coins directly on their platform. This innovative approach transforms traditional fan engagement by enabling artists to mint branded tokens that provide exclusive access and rewards. The new Artist Coins offer musicians an unprecedented revenue stream and deeper fan connections. Artists can quickly generate coins that grant fans access to private content, Discord channels, special badges, and direct messaging opportunities. Launching alongside Audius' 1.0 Open Audio Protocol upgrade, the platform integrates with major music distributors like DistroKid and Warner Chappell Music. The protocol supports industry-standard DDEX frameworks and introduces custom reward pools for token distribution. 'Our goal is to make Artist Coins intuitive and functional from day one,' said Roneil Rumburg, co-founder and CEO. The platform has already reached over 5 million wallets through its $AUDIO token, demonstrating significant potential for artist-driven digital communities. By empowering artists to create their own cryptocurrency ecosystem, Audius is reimagining fan interaction and providing musicians with innovative monetization strategies in the digital era.

🔸How Blockchain Will Reshape Music: Part 23 - Web3 Music vs. Artist "Steve Aoki"🔸 Stev Aoki treats Web3 as an experience and membership layer on top of his music brand. He launched "A0K1VERSE" to build access and community, rolled out select NFT drops to drive revenue and fandom, and forged partnerships that usher his audience into new on-chain contexts. 1️⃣What has Steve Aoki done so far? ◾A0K1VERSE: Aoki’s NFT-gated community with a Passport (NFT) that unlocks digital and IRL perks; ◾Revenue: Steve publicly said he has earned more from NFTs than from music royalties in comparable periods, underscoring why he leans into Web3 drops and membership; ◾Gala Music release with Snoop Dogg as an early Web3 album experiment; ◾STEPN GO partnership (300 co-branded NFT sneakers) connecting music culture with gaming; ◾Metaverse: uses A0K1VERSE as a hub for token-gated drops, perks, and cross-platform activations. 2️⃣Why does it matter? ◾Direct fan monetization: NFT sales and memberships create up-front cash and ongoing value, versus waiting on royalty cycles; ◾Programmable access: smart-contracted perks, transparent ownership, and provable early support (on-chain); ◾Reach: from music to fashion, fitness/gaming (STEPN), extending fandom beyond streams. 3️⃣What are the key highlights of the track record? ◾Early NFT pioneer: major drops since 2021 (like “Dream Catcher”) and high-profile sales helped seed A0K1VERSE; ◾A0K1VERSE launch (Jan 2022): formalizes the membership model; ◾Public commentary: multiple interviews reinforcing the thesis that Web3 changes artist economics and fan relationships. 4️⃣What should we watch next? ◾Utility: frequency/quality of new perks (IRL access, exclusive content, collabs) that keep holders engaged; ◾Mainstream UX: more email/embedded-wallet flows so non-crypto fans can join easily; ◾Cross-platform activations: further tie-ins with music platforms, gaming/fitness, and token-gated commerce. 5️⃣My take? ◾I support big artists like Steve Aoki using Web3 and explaining the benefits clearly. Turning access, community, ownership, and better experiences into real value builds trust and makes it easier for people to join. If more artists do this, Web3 can become a lasting part of the music world. 🔹Offical website: https://steveaoki.komi.io/ 🔹X: https://x.com/steveaoki ❗Coming next: Part 24 - Web3 Music vs. Artist "Snoop Dogg" ⬇I’d love to hear your thoughts! Comment below. #crypto #web3 #music #musicindustry #musicbusiness #steveaoki

++ Moodswing And Sony Music Join Forces To Make Digital Messaging More Expressive And Emotional ++ The partnership enables Moodswing users to add music to their voice notes and conversations, with the app’s AI engine analysing tone and emotion to recommend fitting tracks — from ... #pressrelease #AfricaNewsroom #bizcommunity #publicrelations #africa #southernafrica #southafrica - https://lnkd.in/ddd9Uy9t