Artist Community Newsletter - March 2024

The Catalog Team

— 5 min read

Welcome to our very first Artist Community Newsletter, created just for you - our talented artists! This space is dedicated to sharing news, insights, and bringing our community closer together. We hope you enjoy diving in and let us know if there’s anything you’d like to see in future newsletters!

The insights we’re sharing with you here highlight some of the hottest music pages right now, showcasing some of the really awesome music you all create that customers are really loving on both Uppbeat and Music Vine.

The following stats are based on the past two months of data:

Currently trending music pages:  

Highest performing new premium tracks:

Highest performing new free tracks:

Currently trending music pages: 

Most licensed new tracks:

Additionally, we are still looking for music in specific styles. Our Hit List has just been updated and is the go-to space to see all of our required styles.

Some of our recent favorite Hit List submissions:

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Albert Behar - Bavarian Waltz
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/92.544
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Little Planet - Skyward Adventure
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/122.784
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Sonda - Funkman
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/70.224
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StudioKolomna - Cyber Sakura
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/168.36

Get to know one of our most eclectic artists

Roo joined us in 2019 and has been blowing our minds ever since. His eclectic portfolio boasts everything from wondrous orchestral soundtracks to gooey lofi jams. Roo visited the office recently to sit down with Shane and discuss his career, writing process, and thoughts on the industry.  

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Listen to the full Roo Walker podcast
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/2669.064

Follow Roo’s socials: 

Instagram | Spotify

How to improve your music’s licensing potential

Here in the Catalog Team we listen to a lot of great music, and whilst we certainly don’t think there is a perfect formula for boosting your track’s licensing potential, there are definitely a few useful concepts worth considering the next time you get creative…

Make an impression - instantly

The honest truth is, when it comes to selecting music most people will spend just a few short seconds listening to your track before moving on. After all, creators have busy schedules and there is a lot of music out there.

So how can you impress a listener in the blink of an eye? We think the answer lies in the sound of your track. When music sounds rich, balanced and vivid it simply demands attention, so we recommend putting some extra love and care into choosing your sounds, mixing and mastering. If you get these right, even a gentle piece of ambient music can grab the ears straight away, and the listener will be much more likely to stick around to hear more. 

Be (a little bit) subversive

While it's essential to understand the trademarks of your chosen genre, a little originality can go a long way. 

Is there an ingredient you can add to your track that will give it that extra spark of flair and imagination, without distancing it from the style you're working in? It doesn’t have to be boundary pushing or radical, but sometimes a slightly subversive compositional device or production choice can really elevate your track and get creators feeling inspired to use your music. 

Make every moment count

Nowadays media comes in all shapes and sizes. Your sprawling string arrangement might be used in a slow-moving nature documentary, or it might get trimmed down into a ten second Tik Tok video. You never know how someone is going to use your track.

So now more than ever it really pays to make every moment of your music count. Ask yourself - does each section speak for itself? Is the track treading water until the chorus? Is the middle strong enough on its own without the rest of the composition? 

By ensuring every section is firing on all cylinders your track is more likely to creatively enable both long and short form content, and you’ll connect with a much wider range of creators.

Our round-up of awesome tools for making music

Impressive VSTs 

Here are a few VSTs that we think could really level-up the quality and credibility of your tracks:

  • Small String Gestures by The Crow Hill Company. Beautifully Intimate, fragile, and human.
  • Rumble by Lunacy Audio. Mind-bending bass and percussion sample engine.
  • Supreme Drums Taiko by Sound Magic. Up-close, detailed, & realistic. Only 200MB! 

Intriguing Innovations

We’ve seen a few big players announce AI-driven products recently. Will these change the game for sampling or are they just gimmicks?

Freebies! 

Even the most masterful artists love a freebie, right? Here are a few we really like:

  • Game Boi by NNAUD.IO. Retro nostalgia game-inspired music!
  • Chow Tape by Chowdhury DSP. Gorgeous tape emulation.
  • Dynamo by Orchestral Tools. Great orchestral & world percussion library.

Got an idea for a topic or want to contribute? Let us know here.

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