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MusicTech

Billboard features Kaushish for the second time consecutively on the 2023 Billboard International Power Players List

Manu Kaushish, President of Create Music Group India, has been featured once again on the prestigious Billboard International Power Players List. This is the second year in a row in which Manu has been recognized for his outstanding contribution to the music industry in India and on the global stage.

Manu’s recognition in Billboard’s 9th annual list, alongside other influential industry leaders from across the globe, cements his position as a seasoned veteran of the music industry. With over two decades of experience in digital content monetization and distribution, Manu has been instrumental in bringing music from India into the digital world. He made history by entering into the first major digital monetization deal for Indian content on RealNetworks, paving the way for Indian music to be heard by audiences across the globe.

Subsequently, he built companies that brought music from India to platforms including Apple and Spotify and entered into one of the first major video monetization deals for Indian content on YouTube. He has built and sold 3 media companies and has been an investor and advisor in the technology, media, and private equity space.

Speaking on the accolade received, Manu Kaushish, President, Create Music Group India, said “It’s truly an honour to be featured on Billboard’s International Power Players List two years in a row. As the music industry evolves and Indian music becomes more mainstream globally, we look forward to releasing more iconic cross-border music collaborations between our US and South Asian artists in 2023.”.

Alexandre Williams, Co-founder and COO of Create Music Group said “With an unwavering dedication to understanding the intricacies of the market and harnessing the power of analytics, Manu has proven that success in music can be driven by science and creativity”.

Create Music Group is a data-driven media and technology company that was founded in 2015. In 2020, the company was named #2 on the INC 5000 list of the Fastest Growing Companies in the US. Create works with some of the world’s most prominent artists, including Jennifer Lopez, Snoop Dogg and Tory Lanez. The company also owns several media properties, including Flighthouse, the #1 channel on TikTok, The Nations network of influencer channels and numerous top Instagram channels, comprising an audience of over 400 million global followers. With such a strong foundation, Create is well-positioned to continue revolutionizing the music industry and breaking new ground in the years to come.

by Team SNFYI

Music streaming platform Spotify is shutting down Heardle, a music guessing game it acquired last July. The game, which is similar to the popular word-guessing game Wordle, allows players to listen to the introduction of a song and guess its artist and title within six attempts. At the time of its acquisition, Spotify stated that Heardle would remain free for all players. However, the company has now decided to sunset the game on May 5 to focus on its other objectives around music discovery. According to sources, Spotify’s decision to close Heardle stems from its desire to channel more of its energy towards music discovery through recent app changes. Last month, Spotify rolled out a significant redesign of its mobile app that introduced new TikTok-style discovery feeds for music and podcasts, alongside other features such as Smart Shuffle for playlist recommendations and a new podcast autoplay option. The app also features an “AI DJ” that learns what sort of music users like and plays those tracks. Given these updates, Heardle no longer holds a significant place in Spotify’s overall music discovery efforts. In addition, like many tech companies that have undergone belt-tightening measures such as layoffs in recent months, there’s less of a financial incentive to invest in side projects such as a fun music game. Heardle was developed by a small team of Spotify employees in their spare time before the company acquired it. The game quickly gained popularity among Spotify users, providing them with a fun and interactive way to discover new music. Spotify has not disclosed how many people played the game or whether it was profitable. Despite the closure of Heardle, Spotify remains committed to its mission of helping users discover new music. With its recent app redesign and AI-powered features, the company is continually innovating to provide a more personalized music experience.

by Team SNFYI

Music streaming platform Spotify is reportedly testing a new card-style user profile design that focuses on music discovery. According to recent reports, the new profile design will feature a series of interactive cards that allow users to showcase their favorite artists, songs, and playlists, as well as discover new music from other users. The new card-style profiles will be a departure from Spotify’s current profile design, which primarily showcases a user’s recently played songs and playlists. The new design is said to be inspired by social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, which rely heavily on user-generated content and personalization. The interactive cards on the new profile design will reportedly allow users to add photos, short videos, and descriptions to showcase their favorite music. The cards will also feature a “play” button that allows other users to listen to the featured song or playlist directly from the profile. In addition to the new profile design, Spotify is also testing a “discovery” tab that will allow users to explore new music based on their listening habits and personal preferences. The discovery tab will reportedly feature a mix of algorithmically generated playlists and user-generated content, allowing users to discover new music from both established and up-and-coming artists. The new profile design and discovery tab are part of Spotify’s ongoing efforts to improve the user experience and differentiate itself from competitors like Apple Music and Amazon Music. By focusing on music discovery and personalization, Spotify hopes to retain its position as the leading music streaming platform. The new card-style profile design and discovery tab are currently being tested with a small group of users, and there is no word yet on when they will be rolled out to the general public. However, the new features have already generated excitement among Spotify users, who are eager to explore new music and showcase their favorite artists in a more personalized way.