šµ Our top articles of 2024... and what happened after they were published
Plus: some predictions for 2024
Hi there -
As an end of year roundup, I thought it might be fun to lay out which posts proved the most popular this year, as well as providing some insight in to what happened after each one went out. In some cases, the answer might be uneventful, but other posts have certainly stirred up some strong sentiments, incurring angry replies from those discussed.
On a chirpier note though, Iāve had some amazing conversations with some terrific people, and, without exception, the sheer volume of positive feedback I have received has outweighed the negatives by a factor of 100 to 1. So thank you to all the people who hit āreplyā to these emails landing in their inbox to offer praise or support: at times it has meant more than you might realise.
So letās dive in to the Top 5 articles of 2024. I should state that I am basing this on the total view counts of posts, which I believe also includes those from opens on email (where the lionās share of Network Notes is read). Also, do remember that we have a web page hosting all our articles, and within that thereās even a āmost popularā view if youād like to jump in there. Bizarrely it doesnāt quite match the list I have below, hence my clarification on how these were judged.
#1:
This might surprise some - or might not - but my post about PIASās sale to Universal was the most-read post of the year.
Subsequent to it going out, I received more responses than ever, but what was lovely was the volume of former PIAS staff getting in touch to either just say āhelloā again or to thank me for what was written, including some of those mentioned in the article. It led to all manner of catch-ups and lunches, and honestly was just a brilliant catalyst for reconnecting with some truly great people out there.
That was the positive. The negative was the angry reply from a Very Senior Person at PIAS. I wonāt detail that exchange here, but there was a clear difference in views as regards this being a good development for independent artists. That was to be expected, truth be told. Some of the other comments that they fired at me, less so.
#2:
I was delighted to see this article up in the Top 5, on the basis I really enjoyed writing it. It just felt like a rare moment where I think we were able to analyse another industryās errors and relate them to the music business, which isnāt usually a very easy thing to do.
Not being the most controversial of posts, this one didnāt elicit too many direct responses from anyone, though it is certainly one of the most-shared pieces. I think what has been notable is that it still feels like Warner and Universal in particular are perhaps not learning from the mistakes Nike made. In general I am wary of the obsessive focus on āsuperfansā and I feel an over-commitment into that space may even bear hallmarks of Nikeās disastrous decision to go exclusively direct-to-consumer.
#3:
This article, like the two above it, certainly travelled far and wide, which tends to suggest a piece that is resonating with readers and causing them to share it among their own networks.
Since this was posted early in January though, it feels like the issues highlighted have, if anything, gotten worse. However what I take as a positive is that it feels like everyone is now accepting that things are worse, and this is causing them to start considering other strategies and paths forward in general. It is a slow creep, and nothing changes overnight, but the change in tone from all manner of industry folk when discussing marketing strategy etc is very noticeable.
#4:
I have, throughout 2024, been critical of indie trade bodies. It stems from a sense of despair that not enough is being done whilst extremely significant, arguably existential threats bear down upon this sector. As I have commented in the past, I receive many press releases, all making grand statements around topics like AI or the acquisition of certain indie businesses by a major etc, butā¦ thatās where it felt like things ended.
As various pieces went up with critical remarks about them (culminating in this one), the indie trade bodies have, almost without exception, been in touch, and Iāve had a good few calls with them since. I feel a right of reply is important here so when people want to respond with criticisms, it is fair to hear them out. The conversations with all involved were positive, peaceful and useful, with a real desire to shed light on their perspectives.
Has this changed my view? Yes and no; I think it is wrong to suggest that trade bodies have no purpose or value (which was never my explicit view, I should add), but at the same time - per the most recent edition of Network Notes - I do still feel that the whole network of trade bodies is working against itself a little bit too much now. There are too many, and their power is too diluted. Ironically, at points even senior staff at the trade bodies have agreed on this point, so I donāt feel I am being hugely transgressive in airing that view.
Really though, the question is what we can all do about it. This is in everyoneās interests, after all. I should also say that I do appreciate that everyone is trying their best on this front, but this is a complex area and the challenges presented are complex ones to resolve. My words might be blunt at times, but that does not mean I am unappreciative of the work people put in here. Trade bodies are not our enemies!
#5:
Something I have grown a little tired of is a dismissive, generalised view of labels as being bad, as if signing to one is the worst thing an artist can do. This post was an attempt to highlight whatās great about the best labels out there. Obviously, there are great labels and there are terrible labels; just as in every corner of life, you get the good and the bad. But to dismiss labels as an outmoded concept is small-minded and wrong in my view, and this article aimed to highlight that.
Since this was published, I think what Iāve seen is a greater amount of conversation regarding a return to the values that the best labels hold true - most notably, a longer-term, more invested approach to A&R.
Ironically, that approach is not just being taken by labels, but by artist services companies too, but to me that is positive: any attempt to resolve what Iād say is something of an A&R crisis right now (in the context of breaking long-standing artists, rather than āone and doneā singles acts) is a welcome thing indeed.
Predictions for 2025
Iāve been asked by a few people what my predictions were for the next year, and I have three, so I figured Iād share them here.
1. Universal finally has its day of reckoning
Dramatic, yes, but I do feel Universal is going to have a tougher 2025 than it might be anticipating. Right now, the signs might suggest the opposite, but my belief is chiefly based on a sense that history can be like a pendulum swinging back and forth, and that Universalās hot streak has gone on so long that statistically, it is due a swing back into tougher times soon.
The signs might be there, too. The Downtown acquisition may be the straw that breaks the camelās back relative to Universalās market share, and if the competition authorities deny them that purchase, things might get more interesting. After all, Universal is a publicly-traded company now, so has investors to please, and the moment it looks like its hot streak is over, that spells danger for share prices and in turn the general well-being of the company.
Of course, I could be wrong. Universal might get the green light to acquire Downtown, and that in turn might really spell doom for the indie sector as we know it. However even if that does happen, I think it might only accelerate my second predictionā¦
2. The indies start to regroup, break away and find power once again
Again, a little dramatic in tone maybe, but I do feel we are approaching conditions similar to those of the late 70s/early 80s when indies like Mute, Beggars Banquet, Blast First came together and, via the Rough Trade distribution network, really stepped out from a reliance on majors to gain their own market standing.
The hallmarks of this are already there; Rough Trade and Secretly have formed a new business with Cargo to handle sales and distribution, for example. The existence of the Orca research group is also a telling sign that certain labels see themselves as having a different agenda to other indie businesses.
Per the most recent Network Notes, I do wonder if the whole āindependentā term is dead (or at least redundant) now, but if I am right, I think that might only lend weight to a new, single trade body forming around a different set of values.
Either way, I donāt think the indie sector is dead just yet.
3. The gap between Big Tech and arts & culture widens to a critical point
2024 felt like the year to me when everyone started realising that large tech companies are almost fundamentally at odds with the worlds of art and culture. Music, writing & journalism, film & TV - all are getting increasingly challenged by platforms that, it seems to me, want to reduce the quality of all created art and have people accept weak substitutes.
How poignant it was to be writing this very piece and have Liz Pellyās latest, fairly explosive, article about Spotify appear in Harperās. It details how Spotify does not just turn a blind eye to production music on its playlists, but is actively running initiatives aiming to fill its own editorial with these weak, bland replacement tracks, purchased in bulk from willing production companies. It really lays bare just how much these platforms are no longer allies to arts and culture in general, and I think that narrative will only grow through next year.
I view that as a good thing though; the reality is that companies like Spotify have long held these ideological positions - itās just that the company is only now being fully exposed on that front. So people learning about the true machinations of these companies is a good thing, as it will spur change. That is positive.
So thatās it! I was tempted to post some albums of the year etc, but honestly I think there are a huge number of infinitely more superior takes on that front. Obviously The Quietusās Albums of the Year and Reissues of the Year are chock-full of gems (IMO) but for the electronically inclined Iād also recommend Philip Sherburneās selections for 2024 too. Between those youāll have about 216 recommendations or thereabouts, most of which are genuinely brilliant.
All that it leaves me to say then is a huge THANK YOU to all of you for reading this. We have grown to over 5,000 subscribers now, which is incredible. Please do keep sharing the articles and spreading word - it all helps growth which is super welcome! And please do keep hitting āreplyā and letting me know your thoughts; it is great to get those insights and generally take in perspectives from elsewhere. Thatās what this is all about.
Hereās to a wonderful 2025! See you on the other sideā¦
D.
Thank you Darren! Essential read is how I refer to Network Notes, Iām surely not the only one to do so, Iām always learning something here and thatās what itās all about for me!