With the country caught in an unprecedented pandemic, music industry trend-watchers can look to a few metrics to cut through the noise of constant coronavirus coverage, improve their forecasts and make tactical decisions.
Music is often said to be recession-proof; in the next couple years we may find out if music is also depression-proof; but over the past month, music has proved not to be pandemic-proof: live events, the prime revenue source for many musicians, abruptly stopped in March.
As for recorded music, the next two months will shed light on how joblessness will affect subscriptions and what to expect from ad-supported streaming services while brands pull back ad spending. Key Takeaways 1.