Optimizing for analog behaviors in a streaming world

Milestone 01 | Welcome to the newsletter ✨

I love music. I love music culture even more. There is something about being transported along with the energy in a room to a central spiritual place. Music can do that for you.

We seem to have lost some of the analog behaviors that once defined our relationship with music. The experiences and spaces that created deep, emotional connections with the music and the artists who made it, are slowly retreating. A key relationship has been reversed - artists used to get on stage first, now they have to become big on streaming before they get to go on stage. The serendipitous discovery of new music has been supplanted by algorithms. While streaming has made music more accessible, it has also diluted the richness of our music experiences.

I write this newsletter to explore how we can optimize those lost analog behaviors in our modern, streaming-dominated world. I believe that by understanding the intersection of music culture and the business of music business, we can find ways to bring back the depth and richness of our musical experiences, even in a digital landscape.

There will be heaps of commentary on stuff I find interesting about the independent music industry. I will track, simplify, and synthesize those meta-trends that are meaningful to the richness of music culture and curate link to all relevant articles, podcasts, memes, charts, and videos; delivered to your inbox every Wednesday.

The Indian independent music industry is just getting started. I believe the diversity of talent and sound is going to enthrall the world whether I write this newsletter or not. However, this rapidly evolving landscape is an uncharted territory for all of us, and expect incredible insights to emerge as we study the global playbook. This newsletter will track developments in the independent music industry and their impact on music culture and business strategy. This is The Industry Playlist.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Together, we'll explore the fascinating world of music culture and business strategy, always with an eye towards optimizing for those timeless, analog behaviors that make music so special.

Stay tuned for insights and discussions, and let's keep the music alive 🎵