Follow this Future Sign the petition Download the Overview

Introduction

Existing music streaming services have come to the end of an era.

Streaming Platform listening apps are killing artist economic models and reducing consumer choice - impacting listener options and listening pleasure.

Organisation

Music Working Group

Executive Summary

The music industry is at ground zero for creative industry economic models. The current era of streaming services was supposed to democratise music.

Instead, it has killed revenue models for independent artists.

It is causing a ripple effect across the creative industries.

There is a solution, and it’s closer than you think.

Many of us will be users of Apple TV+. On this service, users can stream from a range of federated sources, not just Apple. It’s time for Apple and Google to offer a universal music player.

This change will open up new economic models for independent artists and give our creative sector opportunities to thrive.

"NEXT Music Player empowers independent artists by restoring revenue lost to centralised streaming platforms."

Innovation/Need

The NEXT Music Player unlocks economic opportunity for artists. It relies on a foundation tech concept: Single Sign-on (SSO).

The Single sign-on model is used across corporate environments to ensure that only credentialed or licensed users can access software and systems.

This same facility exists on my smart TV but isn't possible on my smartphone for music—it feels like suppliers don't want to play ball when faced with a technical challenge.

It's time for marketplace watchdogs and elected representatives to bring balance back to the market.

"You don’t own your playlists."

"Platforms provide low returns to artists."

Benefits

The Listeners Challenge
If an artist’s music is no longer available on a platform, you risk losing access to all your saved songs, favourites, and playlists associated with that artist. This disruption can be frustrating, especially when decisions beyond your control affect your carefully curated playlists.

The Artists Challenge
Current streaming platforms often offer low revenue to artists, but NEXT Music Player ensures your music plays from the platform that provides the best earnings and leverage for artists, artists and disrupts the hegemony of digital platforms.

This means you will retain your curated playlists, one that lasts forever and will be maintained/healed/repaired as artists move their streams across different streaming providers.

Ideation
The NEXT Music Player lets you create and customise playlists, choosing platforms that offer the highest revenue to artists, if you prefer. It ensures you own your playlists by continuously rerouting to keep songs available, even if they're removed from one platform.

Consider

Why
The current centralised streaming model prioritises convenience over fairness, resulting in lower earnings for artists and limited opportunities for exposure. This imbalance has led to a significant decline in artist remuneration and undermines their potential for growth within the industry.

How
NEXT Music Player chooses the most remunerative platforms for independent artists rather than the least remunerative. Imagine a playlist on your iPhone or Android device that curates music from a combination of various sources like Spotify, iTunes, YouTube plus the other 1000 independent streaming providers and selects the platform that provides the highest payment to the artist. This feature ensures that your music choices directly contribute to the artists' earnings.

What
With NEXT Music Player, you can control your music experience like never before. The platform seamlessly integrates with multiple media sources, allowing you to create playlists that draw from various libraries while ensuring the artists receive optimal remuneration. It's a platform that puts the power back in the hands of the listeners, enhancing both the listening experience and the financial support for artists.

Impact

Artists' world will be transformed.
In the last five years, artists have seen revenue from playing and purchasing music plummet. Introducing the NEXT Music player would allow artists to prioritise distribution through premium play revenue services.

Fans will be closer connected to their music.
Fans are currently at the whim of streaming providers. There is no way to charge premium pay fees to artists, and you cannot keep your playlist when the artist moves streaming platform (think Taylor Swift or Neil Young and Spotify's on-and-off-again relationship).

Steaming services will be able to transition the current bad guy phase.
Tech-led innovation always leads to government intervention to ensure the innovation doesn't destroy the community. In other situations, competition watchdogs or elected representatives have stepped in. This campaign is about changing behaviour to protect markets and stop market-destroying behaviour.

New market competitions.
One barrier to entry for new streaming services is gaining enough regular users to afford them an audience. This innovation would allow smaller boutique streamers to play an equal role in distributing music.

Horizons

Current
Streaming services have dedicated apps
No capacity to listen across services
Playlists being polluted by AI tracks & substitute versions

Horizon 1
Apple and Google introduced the NEXT music player
One app, multiple sources
A streaming service supports SSO

Horizon 2
Artist distribution option expand
Revenue scaling for Premium plays

Horizon 3
NEXT Music player enhanced to maintain/repair/heal playlists as artists move music across distribution channels
NEXT Impact Song (think Band-AID) raising $100M through global premium plays

Call to Action

1. Join Us:
Join us in supporting a thriving music industry.

2. Register:
Register your interest in NEXT Music Player and help raise the conversation for this transformative platform.

3. Recognition:
Using NEXT Music Player, you contribute to a system where artists receive the recognition and compensation they deserve. Let's make a difference together and support the artists we love.

4. Connect:
Are you keen to follow this future?
Sign the petition to stay in touch with updates, collaboration opportunities, and calls for your input.

NEXT Entertainment

Navigating the Future of the Industry. Entertainment encompasses many forms, including books, movies, games, music, and nightlife. One of the most pressing issues facing the entertainment industry today is the decline of traditional revenue streams for professional musicians, signalling broader challenges across creative fields. Key Topics of Discussion Music Industry Transformation We'll explore musicians' future in the streaming era, where traditional music sales have plummeted. Discussions will centre on innovative remuneration models to ensure artists are fairly compensated. Live Performances We'll examine the challenges and opportunities in live music, address the tensions between venue operators and musicians, and explore paths towards more sustainable live performance models. Gaming Industry Boom The gaming sector is not only thriving but also expanding its influence on personal enjoyment and health. We'll discuss how games like Tetris are being used to enhance cognitive flexibility, particularly benefiting those with active neurological conditions. Join us at the Entertainment Forum as we delve into these dynamic topics, exploring how entertainment can adapt and thrive in a changing world.
More Details