How a Video Inspired Me To Create More
And: The Glastonbury effect, Sylvan Esso's songwriting approach, Industry News
We are back! Lots of interesting material this week, jump in below.
How a video inspired me to create more
I’d like to share with you a moment I had a few days ago; I was browsing Youtube and I came across the first video ever uploaded on it. It is very famous, so you might know it already, but that is ‘Me at the zoo’, by user ‘jawed’ (nothing less than Jawed Karim, co-founder of the platform). It doesn’t look like much, it’s just a 20-second playful video, perhaps made as a test or to kickstart video uploads. It has virtually nothing to do with the professional, refined and high-quality platform that Youtube is today.
Nonetheless, when I watched it, it hit me in a particular way, I felt inspired and motivated. This is because I realized the importance of taking the first step in building something. I realized that things don’t have to be perfect at first, they just need to be there. Then you can build on them, and transform them into something better as you go along.
And that’s the crucial difference between having an idea and making it happen. Take the first step. Action it. Build from there. That’s the greater message manifested in ‘Me at the zoo’.
Now, am I overthinking the video? Probably, I might be romanticizing it. My point is, start doing something, it doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be there. You can then start thinking about improvements. Suddenly, everything will fall into place, and you’ll start having more and more ideas.
Yes, be realistic. But don’t be afraid to try, and to stick to it.
(Just Do It) etc. - Written by Gabriel Mazza
How Pop duo Sylvan Esso approach their songwriting
A great interview published by songwritingprocess.com (a great publication, btw), it delves into kaleidoscopic pop sensation Sylvan Esso’s songwriting process. How can they come up with such beautiful and compact songs so often?
How (and why) Billie Eilish won Glastonbury
An interesting analysis by MIDIA, about the many ways Glastonbury Festival impacts both streaming rates and fanbase uplift; it also states how fanbase uplifting should be regarded as more crucial and important than a temporary bump in streaming figures.
Industry News
🌿 Songwriters, rejoice: Spotify appeal fails to stop composers getting improved 15.1% streaming royalty rate in the us
“The streaming services are about to fork over a whole bunch of cash to publishers and songwriters to cover the now-officially increased CRB rates for the years 2018-2022.”
📀 1 in 3 music listeners in the US discover new music through Twitch, according to new report
“According to the new study, which aimed to quantify the value and influence of Twitch users on the music industry, one in three music listeners in the US now discover new music through Twitch.”
💡London’s £4.1m ‘Talent House’ opens to support Black music
“It’s a £4.1m project that has included funding from bodies including Arts Council England and the Greater London Authority, and has ambitious plans to support young musicians and its local community, including UD’s annual ‘Industry Takeover’ conference, and courses in artist development and the music business.”
🍄 NFT sales hit 12-month low after cryptocurrency crash
Sales of NFTs totalled just over $1bn (£830m) in June, according to the crypto research firm Chainalysis, their worst performance since the same month last year when sales were $648m. Sales reached a peak of $12.6bn in January.