TikTok, SiriusXM and Pandora have announced a partnership to launch TikTok Radio this summer. It will feature performances, special events, and new talent. TikTok Radio will have TikTok creators and DJs as hosts.

“We are excited to collaborate with TikTok to create new content that brings the vibrancy of the leading social networking service to life on live radio and our streaming platforms,” said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM. “The effect TikTok has on music, and pop culture in general, is undeniable. Our platforms will provide a unique opportunity for TikTok creators to engage with our listeners with content experiences that have never been done before in audio. The exclusive SiriusXM channel will bring a new take on radio by tapping into the latest music trends on TikTok, while Pandora listeners will get access to playlists curated personally by TikTok’s top creators.”

“TikTok is redefining the way that fans discover music and artists, while enabling a new form of musical engagement and creative expression,” said Ole Obermann, Global Head of Music, TikTok. “We are excited to work with SiriusXM on TikTok Radio and to bring TikTok creators to Pandora to make the trends, music, and creative influences that are playing such a defining role in modern culture even more accessible.”

Distrokid releases 40% of new music, and to be exact, they roll out over 35k tracks a day and over a million a month. Spotify adds 60,000 new tracks to its streaming service daily.

More than one million pieces of music come out every month. It’s too much. Remember the theory behind the long tail? The hits are the head and the rest make up a long tail. We are at the critical moment where the tail is swallowing the head. The most popular artists sit at the “head” of the demand curve. The least popular artists make up the tail. But now, the long tail is eating the tail.

The majority of the released tracks won’t generate a stream while the indie labels are now outranking major labels in terms of total marketshare.

The elephant in room? The music biz is a zero barrier to entry business. Anyone can upload a track with no obstacles. Imagine a world that anyone could stock the pharmacy shelves with bedroom made concoctions. The drug business would collapse. Any viable business has obstacles. Without obstacles, the economics are grim.

There needs to be a multi-tiered system. A new framework that makes a distinction between spammers, hobbyists, and career minded artists. I don’t have the solution now, but it goes through my mind, and maybe someone will come along and figure it out.

Facebook and Instagram will allow users to hide likes and view counts. This moment was coming as big tech companies were facing pressure from various groups of the psychological effects of social media. On the flip side, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram were built off of LIKES.

Changing the way people view like counts is a big shift,” the company added. “We’ll continue working on new ways to give people more choice, so they feel good about the time they spend on our apps.”

No doubt it’s a big shift. Social media is a perceived popularity contest. Removing the LIKE option is a kick in the gut. A kick in the gut to the platform as well as the advertisers, influencers and brands who cash in on the LIKE business. And what about the click farms selling fake likes? They’re in danger of irrelevance, but so is traditional social media.

If LIKES and view counts disappear, then when it is the next metric for popularity and influence?

The Spotify Fresh Finds Playlist was launched in 2016 and features up-and-coming artists which used data from music blogs and tastemakers.

Now the playlist has expanded into an “artist program” that will help independent artists by providing education and resources as well as opportunities for collaboration.

Artists selected by Spotify will have access to one-on-one mentorship with members of Spotify and a personalized Masterclass to learn how to best use Spotify for Artists tools (like Canvas and Marquee). There will be collaboration opportunities with songwriters and producers and the artists and producers/songwriters will release an original Spotify Singles track.

The four artists that debuted on the first Fresh Finds program are Wallice, Unusual Demont, Julia Wolf and EKKSTACY— they all just met up this morning in Times Square to see themselves on the Fresh Finds billboard.

Spotify is also rolling out new Fresh Finds playlists in the UK, Australia, Brazil, Spain, India, and more.

Soundcloud launched a new series of weekly artist events at Clubhouse.

The weekly artist event series starts at the Clubhouse on May 26th and will be hosted by a DJ, producer and former MTV host. Jasmine Solano will join the artists First on SoundCloud 2021, including Charmaine, She less, Child pen, Lourdiz, Otis kane, Payday, Sofia mills, Y SoFaygo.

SoundCloud says artists will invite collaborators, friends, and fans each week to join in live conversations and connect artists with musicians, influencers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders.