AI - again

AI in the music world was the subject of both controversy and celebration in 2024.

It was the year that mass fraud in the streaming world was uncovered. Throughout 2024, we had new technologies to find and block AI-generated music—at the same rate as we saw companies created to generate AI music.

In a recent interview, Co-President, CTO, and CPO Gustav Söderström said:

It makes for interesting reading, discussing the levels of AI, its impact, Spotify's intention to embrace it, and what the future looks like. In general, aside from what Spotify will be doing, this is some of what we can expect:

1. More AI music video generation

2. A higher level of AI used in live music events

3. Increased use of AI in songwriting and composition

4. Application to sound design

5. More legal and ethical conversations about AI use and the creative impact

If you want to really get into the meat of AI in music conversation, this is a great place to start: 2025 AAAI Workshop AI for Music.

Remixes

But perhaps not the remixes you are used to. Some of the biggest ‘songs’ of 2024 were things like ‘Man in Finance’ - what started as a short soundbite, ended up being remixed by David Guetta. Likewise, for ‘Sittim is the opposite of standim’, Brian Jordan Alvarez found himself with a hit record.

TikTok is a disrupter that has significantly impacted the music industry; in 2025, we will likely see an increase in TikTok-first marketing strategies. Sure, TikTok might get banned in the US, but the rest of the world will still use it because of its huge reach. And, with new integrations with music streaming platforms in the works - it will be an excellent hub for artists and musicians.

Not only has TikTok revived songs from the depths of the charts, like Zara Larsson’s Symphony, but it has also shot content creators into super-stardom in days.

With the potential to make millions on the cards, TikTok creation and, more specifically, catchy music or lyrics will become more prevalent.

Genre blending and era-bending

Fusion and genre-blending have been around for a long time, and there have always been artists who take on the styles of eras gone by. Now, with AI, or in some cases, an excellent mixing ear, we’re seeing mash-ups become more popular.

2024 was the gift that kept on giving with cross-pollination of genres. Did you have Post Malone releasing a feature-singer-packed country album? Or Jelly Roll working with Eminem, MGK, and Falling In Reverse? Or what about Bruno Mars with Lady Gage and then with Rosé? No, us neither.

More authenticity

The uprising of the messy-honest singers and songwriters like Lola Young, Chappelle Roan, and Charli XCX. They are new to some, but for the slightly older generation, they are reminiscent of Lily Allen and Kate Nash.

Each of these authentic voices openly supports the others through social media and, in doing so, has amassed huge followings. BRAT summer, anyone?

We’ll likely see more singers discussing topics that matter and fewer one-hit wonders promoting their latest TikTok trending song.

How will this look? Through more traditional artist development and fewer flash-in-the-pan artists, we get celebrities we can relate to. The darker side of a single viral hit is the obscurity that follows after the trend has gone.

These artists are likelier to use platforms like Instagram sparingly and only when they have something to say. And, rather than being out-and-out promotion purely for metrics, you’ll find activism and causes. From this authenticity and storytelling perspective, genuine connections and communities are created.

That is where career longevity happens. On that note, the industry needs an increase in real artist development and discovery outside of social media stars, and chances are we will see more of it in 2025.

Women Leading

Glancing back over 2024, it’s not hard to see that most of the big changes and movements in the music industry were women-led. This is interesting since, generally, the industry has been and still remains male-dominated.

With the latter half of 2024, things started to ramp up further, and we expect to see that continue into 2025. A study by USC Annenberg using Spotify sponsorship and data from Billboard Hot 100 over 6 years saw a huge increase in 2023 of female artists in the chart, which has continued.

Here’s the study: Inclusion in the Recording Studio? Gender & Race/Ethnicity of Artists, Songwriters & Producers across 1,200 Popular Songs from 2012 to 2023. We’re also seeing more female nominees and award winners across various genres. On the study, Stacy L. Smith, the lead author, said:

So what does that look like? Increased recognition for producers, songwriters, and artists, increased nominations and wins. We are Moving the Needle, Femme House, Girls Make Beats, She Is The Music, the Spotify Equal Program, Women’s Audio Mission, Keychange, and Be The Change are just some of the organizations making inroads.

Consumer Choice

In 2025, there is likely to be a significant shift in the amount of subscribers and how they are distributed across music streaming services.

As this newsletter goes out, Spotify is again in the hot seat for deplorable actions, poor artist pay, and more. Still, even with the shift, it would take something monumental for Spotifty to lose the crown as the biggest streaming service in the world.