We guarantee that each story we publish provides readers with an eye-opening angle on the future of the music business. In a world where, just like music, news can travel freely on the internet, news has become a commodity around which we cannot and will not compete. Our goal is not just to provide information but to turn that information into knowledge, insights and perspectives that you won’t find elsewhere.
A core part of our thesis is that technology is an essential part of any reporting or research about the modern music industry, not to mention about business, society and daily life in general. That said, we do not abide by technological determinism — i.e., the notion that tech, and tech alone, drives the evolution of our society — as it dismisses the core, fundamental role that humans play in shaping culture and business. Tech is a central part of our lives, but it does not build the future; we do.
In a noisy, fast-moving information environment, context is key. We’re interested in studying not just individual artists, executives or companies, but also the broader, entrenched systems, institutions and incentive structures they collectively create. Thinking in terms of evergreen systems and frameworks allows us to connect the dots among seemingly disparate parties or events (especially from other industries like gaming, film and fashion), to paint a clearer picture of what’s happening in music and tech right now — and, importantly, where it’s headed.
Insight is nothing without action. In aiming to advance the music industry, we not only highlight problems and symptoms, but also offer actionable treatments and cures. We hope our readers walk away from each article we publish with an actionable list of tasks they can do, or skills they can learn, to better themselves and their work.
Our $STREAM research aims to build a reputation and reward system on the foundation of proactive, high-quality and thoughtful contributions regardless of one’s industry background, supplanting the engrained notion of seniority or “expertise” so commonly exploited in the music and entertainment industries.
To maximize the value of our membership, we aim to foster as tight a feedback loop as possible between our editorial/research output and the needs of our community. Taking a regular, transparent pulse on our community’s needs and interests — from live brainstorming sessions during our town halls, to open research calls and regular barometer surveys — is an integral part of the membership experience. So much so that our collaborative process is as much a value proposition for members as whatever end products we publish.