IMPALA ONE STEP AHEAD

IMPALA – the pan-European organisation promoting and supporting the independent music sector – works with CMU to deliver One Step Ahead, a digital intelligence facility that enables independent music companies across Europe to navigate and identify trends, developments, challenges and opportunities in the digital music market.

Made possible by the kind support of Merlin, One Step Ahead provides reports, tools and training to help independent music businesses of all sizes to get the most out of today’s digital opportunities in Europe. The facility is led by IMPALA’s digital committee and informed by a pan-European network of leading experts from across the music and digital industries.

CMU brings its expertise in streaming, copyright, digital distribution and marketing, music and media technologies, and entertainment law, alongside its existing research, reportage and training platforms. Utilising that expertise and infrastructure, CMU ensures all the latest topics are covered, and that the facility is presented in the most accessible way.

Members of IMPALA allied national trade organisations can access all the One Step Ahead resources via the CMU leraning platform – check with your local organisation for more information.

ONE STEP AHEAD REPORTS

AI Trends Report
Building on the ‘AI And The Music Industry’ report published earlier this year, in this trends report from One Step Ahead we present summaries of…

• The ongoing debate about the copyright obligations of AI companies, and the legal and lobbying activity that the music industry is pursuing.

• The use of generative AI to generate voice clones of artists – and how the music industry is seeking to both control and commercialise this use of AI.

• Recent surveys of independent artists about their use and perception of artificial intelligence.

Published November 2023

Data Trends Report
Building on the Data Playbook published earlier this year, in this trends report from One Step Ahead we present:

• The latest checklists for getting the most out of consumption, social and other data.

• An overview of some of the latest developments around streaming analytics and music metadata.

• A guide to the key sources of music market data and the key findings of recent reports.

Published October 2023

Rights + Consumption: Digital Developments + Innovations
Although the digital market continues to diversify, a small number of platforms and business models continue to dominate and bring in the vast majority of revenue.

However, the streaming services are constantly evolving their platforms and apps, introducing new discovery experiences, utilising and sharing data in different ways, and providing new promotional and upsell tools for artists and labels. Meanwhile, the business models employed by the big digital music companies are slowly evolving too, often in response to concerns raised by the industry.

In this report from One Step Ahead we review some of the big developments and innovations of the last year, consider how the licensing of rights and consumption of music is going to change in the years ahead, and explain how all this impacts on independent music businesses.

Published September 2023

Artificial Intelligence And The Music Industry
Artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI, is revolutionising industries, including the music sector, where there has been a lot of high profile discussion and debate in relation to AI that can compose and produce original music.

In this latest report from One Step Ahead, we review the latest trends in generative AI and consider how the technology will evolve, as well as outlining the key legal questions that have been raised.

Published July 2023

One Step Ahead Data Playbook
In today’s rapidly evolving music industry, data plays a more significant role than ever before. Independent record labels must understand and adapt to this new reality to remain competitive and ensure the success of their artists and their releases.

In this latest report from One Step Ahead, we look at how – by harnessing the power of data – labels can make more informed decisions, tailor their marketing efforts, and ultimately drive better results for their artists and their business.

Published March 2023

The Practical Impact Of New Technologies: Part Two
This is the second of a two part report exploring the impact of new technologies on the music industry, putting the spotlight on trends and developments in music tech, and considering how each featured technology is impacting on the way music is made, performed, recorded, distributed, managed, marketed and consumed.

In Part Two we consider Web3, blockchains, NFTs and the metaverse.

Published October 2022

The Practical Impact Of New Technologies: Part One
This is the first of a two part report exploring the impact of new technologies on the music industry, putting the spotlight on trends and developments in music tech, and considering how each featured technology is impacting on the way music is made, performed, recorded, distributed, managed, marketed and consumed.

In Part One we consider voice control, music recognition technology, creation tools and data tools.

Published January 2022

Understanding The Digital Music Debates
In this fourth report from One Step Ahead we investigate the key digital music debates in 2021.

Expanding on IMPALA’s Ten Point Plan to reform streaming models – and revisiting some of the newer issues raised in past One Step Ahead reports – we put the spotlight on seven different digital music debates, providing the background to each topic, and outlining proposals that have been made to address different issues and challenges.

It’s important that the wider independent music community is able to take part in each of these debates. This report provides you with all the information you need to navigate and understand the different issues, solutions and discussions.

Published September 2021

A Diversifying Digital Market: Capitalising On The New Opportunities
In this third report from One Step Ahead, we look at the diversifying digital music market, and the platforms and business models which are going to play a key role in the next phase of market growth. That includes social media and video-sharing platforms, as well as livestreaming, podcasting and direct-to-fan services.

How are these platforms utilising recorded music and providing new revenue streams? How can artists, labels and distributors all fully capitalise on these opportunities? And what impact does this have on the artist/label relationship?

Published June 2021

Marketing Power Through Data And Networks
In this second report from One Step Ahead, we look at how music marketing – and the role of record labels as key marketeers in the music industry – has evolved over the last two decades. Labels remain crucial marketing partners for the artists they sign and work with, but the way a label delivers value has changed and is changing.

As a label, your data and your networks play an increasingly important role, maximising your marketing power and boosting the value of your campaigns. In this report we consider how to build, grow, manage and protect these crucial assets.

Published February 2021

Playlists And Curation In The Streaming Music Market
In this first report from One Step Ahead, we review the role of playlists and curation on the main on-demand music streaming platforms in driving streams, plays, royalties, fanbase building and music discovery.

In Part One we discuss past, current and future trends in playlists and curation, identifying key developments and potential issues. In Part Two we review the current playlist ecosystem, categorising the different kinds of playlists and curation, and considering best practice playlist pitching.

Published December 2020