![]() ![]() “Many DSPs have little interest in small electronic artists, and our collective bargaining power is weak. “Much of the independent electronic scene isn’t prepared for this change,” says Melissa Taylor, founder of the dance-music PR firm Tailored Communication. ![]() While the mainstream EDM gold rush is long over, Beatport appears to be thriving: Heiko Hoffmann, its director of label and artist relations, says that the company’s revenues have grown for three years in a row. But in the past few years, Beatport has rebounded, winning back customers and label partners. Founded in 2004 by dance-music insiders (one early investor was techno icon Richie Hawtin), Beatport spent years building up its customer base and catalog before opportunistic new owners nearly ran it aground during the EDM boom. That’s partly due to the company’s clout within the industry. The pivot to streaming could mark a watershed moment for the entire industry.īeatport isn’t the first company to try to make streaming for DJs a reality, but their announcement has caused the greatest stir. Until now, Beatport has made most of its money from selling downloads to DJs-a niche market, perhaps, but a lucrative one. (Disclosure: I have produced editorial content or curated playlists for Beatport and other companies mentioned in this article.) Unlike the free, consumer-oriented streaming service that Beatport attempted earlier this decade, the new offering works on all types of DJ equipment, from hobbyist gear all the way up to Pioneer CDJs, the worldwide industry standard. Beatport, the influential dance-music download store, recently announced Beatport LINK, a subscription service offering almost everything in the site’s catalog, including a whole bunch of music not available on other DSPs. With DJs now able to source music straight from the cloud to the decks, streaming services and gear manufacturers alike-including Spotify, SoundCloud, Serato, and Pioneer-are scrambling to sign deals and secure market share.
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