APPLE'S DATA DIVE FOR ARTISTS

Apple Music for Artists, launched on 8/8 by Apple Music, will provide artists and managers with data analytics and, its creators argue, a deeper understanding of their music's impact across the Apple ecosystem.

Sound familiar? Data analytics have been around since the glory days of MySpace Music. The highest-profile current exemplar is Spotify, whose Spotify for Artists, launched in 2017, provides artists and their handlers with information about and control over their presence on the service. Meanwhile, Kobalt/AWAL, UnitedMasters, and TuneCore, among others, have provided their minions with a feature-packed app suitable for a nerdy, number-crunching deep-dive.

Apple Music for Artists, accessed via desktop or iOS app, will allow artists to keep tabs on how their music is performing (plays, purchases and Shazam requests), see where listeners are located, and learn which playlists have included them. These metrics will be updated daily, for both songs and music videos, and will differentiate between algorithmic and on-demand plays.

Apple Music has positioned itself as a more artist-friendly streaming destination than its competitors, reportedly paying artists slightly more per-stream since they have no free tier, and by not challenging the royalty rate hike of the Music Modernization Act. This new app further solidifies that stance, giving artists and managers actionable insights such as fan listening trends, playlist virality, and fan location for tour routing. We await the app that recommends ways to spend the 27 cents you’ve made from streaming.