Music Curation - CM #19
Music curation opportunities. Playlists are the new radio. List of companies that pay playlist curators to listen to new tracks.
Hello, welcome to a new issue of Curation Monetized.
Just like for written content, when there is so much of something out there, you need dedicated experts to wade through it to find the gems.
This is why DJs and music curators in general are vital for the music ecosystem. They are the ones who make the most difference when it comes to the discovery and promotion of both old and new artists/music.
What most people may not know, is that curating music not only brings benefits to music distribution platforms, artists and listeners alike, but it offers also a new venue or monetizing one’s own music expertise and taste.
“If you're a music lover and you love listening to music, discovering new artists, and making playlists, now you can actually make an income…”
In this issue I share what few know, and which may sound too good to be true: curators - no matter what the industry, interest or art - are increasingly valuable, useful and as in today’s focus, are earning money by acting as trustable filters inside an ocean of content.
Thus the more a curator is capable of finding and sharing valuable content or music, the more his authority will grow to the point where his opinions, views and predictions may become highly valuable to key players and artists in that industry.
“If you own a great [music] playlist with many followers, it's equal to owning a great TikTok profile as an influencer.”
Source: “How To Become a Music Curator and Make Money Out of It”
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I think this is stuff to pay some attention to.
Even if you are not a DJ, a music fan or collector, or even if you don’t listen to music, the patterns emerging here, should be taken as prototypes and early models of what will happen in other realms too.
Enjoy.
Robin Good
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N.B.: I have no interest, partnership or affiliation with any of the companies / services mentioned in this issue.
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In this issue:
Music Curation [Insights]
Why a Music Curator Has So Much Value
Curated Music Playlists [Trend]
Music Platforms Where To Curate Playlists
Types of Playlists You Can Curate
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♛ How To Make Money with Music Curation [3 Videos]
(for Premium subscribers only)♛ Where To Apply To Become a Paid Music Curator
10+ companies that are looking for new music curators
(for Premium subscribers only)♛ Real-World Examples of Curation Monetized (3)
(for Premium subscribers only)
Music Curation [Insights]
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I know, because I have experienced it.
DJs and music curators are not just those who make people dance, relax or focus, depending on the occasion, they are also the key players in allowing new music and artists to be discovered.
Starting at 13 I have had a hobby-career that I carried over for over ten years. I have been a professional paid DJ, a radio DJ, a music director, and an FM station director.
”The previous century was the golden age of curation, with the rise of radio. Radio DJs became household names, and their influence on musical tastes was massive.
There was no internet and no other way to be exposed to new songs other than the radio.
These curators selected records, created playlists, and introduced listeners to new sounds and genres.
From rock 'n' roll to jazz and blues, radio curators were the trendsetters of their time, shaping musical cultures one spin at a time.”
Source: How To Become a Music Curator
Fast forward to the Internet age and while the desire for people to listen and appreciate music has not ceased, the quantity of music available has increased one-thousand-fold.
There are now hundreds of music styles and genres, tens of thousands of artists and record labels catering to the most diverse tastes and styles.
Furthermore music production has reached the masses and now, just about anyone with sufficient determination and patience can learn how to produce music in his bedroom with a personal computer or even a smartphone.
So the question is: who is going to help people discover new music and to find the rare gems hidden under such a tsunami of musical content?
And the simple answer is: DJs and music curators, across radio stations, night clubs, and online music playlists are the gateways to music discovery and as the quantity of music production keeps increasing their value and demand will soar proportionally.
“There’s so much music online, and it is so easy to make music, that you have to find a way to sort through it.”
Duration: 0’:18”
Source: PBS Off Book: The Evolution of Music Online
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In other words: Contrary to popular belief, curating music is not just a hobby for music enthusiasts and DJs.
Today, music curation can be a legit, well-paid full-time job.
Music curation helps people:
find the music they like
discover new music
while helping artists, new and old:
to be discovered
making more of their music appreciated
Duration: 0’:37”
Source: PBS Off Book: The Evolution of Music Online
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I started noticing something interesting on this front about three years ago.
The story that struck me at the time was one of a newsletter, who was making more than ten thousand dollars a year by curating unique instrumental music playlists for his readers.
I reviewed that newsletter in the first issue of Curation Monetized. Titled FlowState.fm this is a Substack newsletter focusing specifically on “instrumental music recommendations for people at work”.
It consists of two hours of music links daily.
How does it make money?
Its business model revolves around newsletter subscriptions and also some merchandising.
The paid newsletter gives you access to unlisted Spotify playlists.
It costs $5/month or $50/year to subscribe to it and it has 33K+ subs and "hundreds of paid subscribers".
Independent sources such as eBiz Facts estimate that Flowstate.fm pulls in between $10,000 - $25,000 / year.
So, there are at least two big money-making opportunities here:
people willing to pay to listen to music selected by a specific music curator
companies/record labels/artists willing to pay music curators (as much as DJs) simply listen and provide feedback to their music tracks
Read on to find out more about this fascinating topic.
Why a Music Curator Has So Much Value
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A professional music curator can make a living from his knowledge, skills and time.
For those who are new to the universe of playlists, DJs and music curation, it may not appear instantly obvious why music curators would hold such power and economic value.
Here some clarifying points:
Nonetheless most people like, enjoy and listen to music, only very few have a musical culture, having studied and explored different genres and eras.
.Fewer than few have invested time and dedication to develop their musical taste and sensitivity to the point where they can make a theme-based sequence of tracks.
.The amount of new music released daily is impressive. We are talking about hundreds of new music tracks released every day. (I know this because I subscribe to a DJ pool where I can access new daily releases.)
.One thing is to like music, another one is to know music. One thing is to enjoy listening to new tracks, another one is having a huge well-categorized library of music in your head.
People like musicians, DJs and recording and mixing engineers, do have many of the characteristics that a professional music curator needs to have.
Once you have those traits and you maintain them well, many opportunities can come up from the business world.
Curate music for stores, malls, events.
Curate music for offices and business venues.
Curate music film, video, documentaries, etc.
The list could go on.
And to support the fact that this is not just in my head, statistical data seems to support that there are music curation opportunities out there, and that they are also well paid.
Source: ZipRecruiter - Music Curator Salary
Source: ZipRecruiter - Music Curator Salary
Curated Music Playlists [Trend]
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Of all the business-connected opportunities available out there for music curators, my focus in this issue is music playlisting.
Why?
Curated playlists have become the most effective discovery and promotion channels for new (and old) music. Period.
.Streaming playlists have replaced both niche radio stations and mixtapes, becoming the n.1 discovery medium for new and little-known music.
.Streaming playlists are like custom on-demand radio-DJs ready to play the music that fits exactly your needs and tastes whenever you want it.
.Modern music playlists, differently than mixtapes, are dynamic containers, not static ones. They can be updated, optimized, expanded, while remaining true to their original theme.
.People listen to playlists across all music platforms because doing so enables them to access the type of music they want on-demand while offering them the option to select the mood, style, emotion or theme to carry through the listening experience.
.Modern music playlists, differently than mixtapes, are dynamic containers, not static ones. They can be updated, optimized, expanded, while remaining true to their original theme.
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Music Playlists Are The New Radio
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Playlists have become the new radio stations, and as such the curators behind popular playlists have become the most effective promoters (just like trusted influencers) for any music artist.
In other words: Since music playlists are growing to become the most utilized format to listen and to discover new (and old) music, those who author them (music curators), command tremendous power to determine which tracks and artists will be discovered or be given more visibility next.
In the following 1-min video, Steve Cardigan explains:
Why music playlists are the new radio stations
Differences between algorithmic playlists and human-curated ones
*This clip is excerpted from a much longer video, rich in advice and useful tips.
Excerpt Duration: 1’:00”
Source: Steve Cardigan on “playlists are the new radio”
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Key takeaways in the full video:
1. Definition and Role of a Music Curator
A music curator creates and maintains playlists, ideally across various genres or moods, and regularly updates them with new music. Playlists are increasingly seen as the new radio stations, offering on-demand music curation.
2. Building and Promoting Playlists
To become a curator, start by building a playlist and promoting it through content on platforms like TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts. Building an audience organically is key, avoiding paid ads which can disconnect the curator from the audience.
3. Creating a Network and Monetizing
Convert audience engagement into website traffic where all playlists are accessible. Set up a submission system for artists to submit their music for consideration, and monetize through small fees for listening rather than charging for placements on playlists.
4. Expanding Reach and Content
Use social media, particularly Instagram, to promote both playlists and the artists featured on them. Create additional content like a podcast or radio show that can be integrated into playlists to offer a richer experience and attract brand sponsorships.
5. Engaging with the Audience through Events
Organize live events, such as playlist parties, to engage directly with followers. This not only builds community but also offers another monetization avenue by partnering with venues and promoting the events through your existing audience channels.
Music Platforms Where To Create Playlists
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To become a playlist curator you need to publish playlists. And the more viewers the platform has, the higher the value those playlists will gain.
While the majority of professional playlist curators today are on Spotify, nothing prohibits that:
a) other music platforms will significantly increase their audience
b) other music platforms may start to specialize in genres and themes that you are more in tune with
c) you find more success on a smaller platforms with less competition than on one that has already hundreds of thousands of good playlists.
To help you have a full panorama of the playlist venues available to you today, here’s an up-to-date list of online music platforms where it is possible to create and publish playlists and links (for the major ones) to how to create and publish public playlists:
Musi
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Do you know of relevant other ones?
Let me know in the comments.
Types of Playlists You Can Create
To create effective playlists, one element that all experts agree on, is the need for a strong focus.
Unless a playlist is dedicated to a precise vibe, music genre, emotion or other specific theme, there is little value in it.
If a playlist contains all kinds of music tracks and there’s no thread weaving them together then it caters to anyone and everyone making it useless to those looking for a specific music emotion, vibe or genre.
Here some of the criteria that can be used to create a thematic playlist:
Audience Type / Age
e.g.: Teenagers, ex-pilots, fishermen - 35-50, 65+, under 16
.Activity Type
e.g.: Writing, exercising, repairing, walking, etc.
.Place
e.g.: New York, Tokyo, Paris, Honolulu.
.Music Genre
e.g.: jazz, classical, disco, hip hop, etc.
.Music Instrument
e.g.: drums, horns, violins, piano, etc.
.Music Author
e.g.: Burt Bacharach, The Beatles, Quincy Jones
.Music Era
e.g.: the ’70s, ‘90s, ‘50s, etc.
.Song Topics
e.g.: love, adventure, crime, nature, etc.
.Words in a Song
e.g.: “courage”, “freedom”, “independence”, etc.
.Featured Musician
e.g.: Miles Davis, Grover Washington, George Duke
.Rhythm / Speed / BPM
e.g.: samba, rock, downtempo / 125BPM
.Music Type
e.g.: instrumental, vocals-only, electronic, AI-generated, etc.
.Emotion
e.g.: stadness, surprise, joy, revenge, etc.
.Specific Stat
e.g.: shorter than one minute, published on a specific date, etc.
Here’s a great video (20” mins) by Victoria Shell that explains in the best possible way how to create a good thematic playlist. Definitely worth watching.
Duration: 20’
Source: Victoria Shell - “The Art of Making A Playlist: How to Curate Music by Tuning In to the ~VIBE~ “
1) ♛ How To Make Money as a Music Curator
(Premium)
How exactly do music curators make money with playlists?
What tactics need to be avoided?
What makes a music playlist valuable?
How to grow and retain a passionate playlist audience?
2) ♛ Services that Pay Music Curators
(Premium)
List of 10+ services that pay music curators with good playlists
Direct links to apply as a music curator to each service
3) ♛ Curation Monetized: 3 Real World Examples
(Premium)
Catalog of Examples of Xxxx Xxxxx and Data Index
Directory of Xxxxx Interested in Xxxxxx
Curated Xxx Xxxx Radio