How to crack the code on the song of the summer
After years of writing music for brands, bands, and everything in between, I've realized it's not just about vibe. It's also math (yes, really), great marketing, strategic timing, a lyric with a seasonal tinge, and most elusive of all—bottled lightning.
Let's break down the necessary elements that can determine whether or not the song will be the one for the summer. 1. The math: BPM (Beats Per Minute) is the foundation
When I crunched the numbers from the biggest summer tracks of the past five years, tempo was one of the common denominators.
Subscribe to the Design newsletter.
The latest innovations in design brought to you every weekday
Privacy Policy
| Fast Company Newsletters
There are two lanes. Swagger tracks generally groove below 112 BPM. They're confident and cheeky, they don't beg for attention, and they wink. Think of BTS's 'Butter,' Taylor Swift's 'Cruel Summer,' and Sabrina Carpenter's 'Espresso.' These tracks carry a retro or breezy confidence, which leans back rather than forward. On the other hand, shimmer songs punch in at 125 BPM or higher. These are your danceable, effervescent tunes that make you want to move. Think Harry Styles's 'As It Was' and Calvin Harris's 'Blessings' with Clementine Douglas.
Now, songs that are between 112 BPM and 124 BPM are on tempo no man's land. They're too sluggish for shimmer, too hyped for swagger. If your track's stuck there, odds are you won't be creating this summer's anthem. Sorry. Maybe next year. 2. The marketing: TikTok or bust
Whether we like it or not, TikTok is the new radio. If you're not soundtracking a transition video, a get ready with me, or releasing solid remixes, you're missing out on potential. Just look at Sabrina Carpenter's 'Manchild': Over 4 million TikTok users propelled it to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Last year, Carpenter's 'Espresso' sparked choreography and creator remixes before the full track was even officially out. 'Blessings' by Calvin Harris got traction from remixes. 'Love Me Not' generated mashups and retro dance clips that boosted it to a Hot 100 top ten.
3. The summer cred: seasonality sells
Of course, a summer song has to sound like summer. A familiar groove, or even a single lyric line, can seal the deal. 'That's that me espresso' is a fun hook that feels sun-drenched.
Even 'Love Me Not,' despite its retro DNA, sparkles with heatwave heartbreak. It feels like cool lemonade spilled on a vintage cassette tape. Contrast that with Zara Larsson's 'Midnight Sun' or PinkPantheress's 'Tonight.' They're catchy and vibey, but have no visceral summer tag. 4. The intangible: bottled lightning
Some songs just hit a nerve. It's the undefinable quality that blows up influencer feeds, festival sound systems, fashion week playlists, and even Facebook timelines.
advertisement
Sometimes it's a surprise. Harry Styles's 'As It Was' is heartbreak disguised as pop candy. Sometimes it's a mystery ('Love Me Not' breaking through a slow chart year with retro-swagger). Sometimes it's perfect timing ('Espresso' landing right as spring needs a caffeine jolt). 'Blessings' also caught the perfect club season wave. Potential summer song of 2025
Based on this, who's winning summer 2025?
'Manchild' checks nearly every box: BPM? Check. Viral? Over 4 million uses. Lyrics? Skirts the lightness of the summer. Magic? You bet. Where I'm not so sure is whether or not it delivers on bottled lightning, which generates staying power.
'Love Me Not' is a stealth contender. You have viral TikTok edits and a retro freshness. However, it's on the cusp of 'no man's land,' so it's dangerously sitting on no man's land.
'Blessings' by Calvin Harris has big shimmer energy. It's danceable, has international reach, and is poolside playlist ready.
Alex Warren's 'Ordinary' might be the big sleeper hit, but it's not a song of summer. Sure, it's a great song released in the summer. It was initially slow on the digital marketing front, but suddenly exploded, and it topped U.S. and global charts for weeks. It's the perfect groove tempo and an irresistible anthem, but unlikely to make anyone think of bikinis or mai tais by the pool.
Bottom line: I don't see one clear winner—yet. Currently, I'm seeing a lot of great songs that check some boxes, but not others. Perhaps we can expect that due to the fractured nature of the media. It has never been more difficult to create that singular song of summer across all audiences unless a song comes along with a heavy checkmark in all four boxes.
We've yet to see a song with the jolt of 'Espresso', but summer is far from over. And until then, there's still a top spot open on the charts and on my mom's Pilates playlist.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
From Tyler, The Creator to CMAT: Euronews Culture's Songs of the Summer 2025
Why is there no Song of the Summer 2025? This time last year, we had Sabrina Carpenter's 'Espresso', Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us', and the entirety of Charli XCX's 'Brat'. No such luck in 2025 - with a lot charting songs still being 2024 hits, like Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars' 'Die With A Smile', Chappell Roan's 'Pink Pony Club' and Kendrick Lamar's 'Luther'. So, where's this year's undeniable, culture dominating, consensus favourite Song of the Summer? The Euronews Culture team got fed up of waiting for a common consent and decided to share their picks for the tracks that should be under consideration for the hit song of the Summer. Here goes... Tyler, The Creator – 'Big Poe' Tyler, The Creator announced his ninth studio album, 'Don't Tap The Glass', on 18 July and released it three days later, making it the Summer surprise we didn't know we so desperately needed. And compared to last year's 'Chromakopia', this is a change of pace. The soul searching of 2024 is replaced by a taut, 28-minute long collection of IDGAF dance bops. There are some great tunes, including 'Don't You Worry Baby', 'I'll Take Care Of You', 'Ring Ring Ring' and 'Sucka Free'. However, for my money, the standout is opener 'Big Poe' - and my pick of the Song of the Summer 2025. It opens with Tyler delivering a set of instructions to the listener: "Number one, body movement - no sitting still / Number two, only speak in glory - leave your baggage at home / Number three, don't tap the glass". The track then transitions to the sample of 'Roked' by Shye Ben Tzur and Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, followed up by some glorious Busta Rhymes sampling. And just like that, we're off to the races. Also featuring Pharrell Williams, Tyler's kinetic track has infectious boom bap beat and synth funk to spare, and sets the tone of the album rather perfectly. 'Don't Tap The Glass' may not be an immediate stone cold classic like 'Chromakopia', but its opening track certainly made my Summer of 2025 all about not sitting still and wanting to hit the dancefloor. DM Joé Dwèt Filé & Burna Boy - '4 Kampé II' Raise your hand if you're the kind of person who stops dancing in the middle of the club to google lyrics in the hopes of finding a song's title. Yes, I know that Shazam exists, but I am who I am. This is exactly what I did when I first heard Joé Dwèt Filé's '4 Kampé' in late June. The French-Haitian singer, known for his heavy Afro-Caribbean influences, released the song as a single in October 2024. A cover from a Haitian classic, it quickly found great success and crossed borders through Tik Tok. Even Madonna posted a video of herself dancing to the beat. In March 2025, Joé Dwèt Filé hit even harder by releasing a remix, '4 Kampé II', with Nigerian star Burna Boy. The new version has been played over 25 million times on Spotify. The artists performed the song live during Burna Boy's April concert in the Stade de France, in front of a deliriously hyped crowd. With '4 Kampé II', Joé Dwèt Filé initiates Burna Boy to kompa, a Haitian merengue dance and music genre. The two singers mix French, English and Haitian Creole in this ode to success, ambition and self-confidence. The result is a joyful fusion of Nigerian and Haitian cultures. And trust me when I say that you won't be able to get enough of the song's addictive 'da-da-da"s and jubilant outro. By the end of the summer, you'll hopefully be able to sway your hips like a pro kompa dancer. SM CMAT - 'Take A Sexy Picture Of Me' I first listened to Irish singer-songwriter CMAT's Take A Sexy Picture Of Me while on my way to a party. Strutting through the late afternoon sunshine, touching up my lipstick in a car window reflection, it's the kind of song that floods you with sass. My favourite summer tunes often start this way, playing at just the right moment to capture the season's solitary moments of calm and optimism. This time, it's not just personal. After being released in May, the song's catchy hook "I did the butcher, I did the baker" took off on TikTok, complete with a viral dance routine. If you watch enough of these, it will start to haunt you, then irritate you, like a little chipmunk nibbling away at your temporal lobe. But if you listen to the full song - or even better, watch CMAT's live performances of it - its country-infused glam is an instant mood lifter; a sonic equivalent of slipping off a heavy cardigan and feeling the sun's warmth on your skin. Without a doubt, it should be this year's Song of the Summer. AB Kokoroko - 'Da Du Dah' With the weather in London being especially good this year, I've been spending a lot of the long evenings cycling around the city, exploring, headphones on, music blasting, pretending I'm in a low-budget music video... And lately, the song I keep coming back to is 'Da Du Dah' by the London-based collective Kokoroko, from their newly released album 'Tuff Times Never Last'. The whole project is a delightful mix of Afro-jazz, funk, soul and gospel goodness, but this track in particular has legitimately cast a spell on me. The bassline is one of the funkiest I've heard all year and the joyous horns and catchy vocal lines bounce off each other in a playful call-and-response that alters my brain chemistry in the best possible way. The accompanying music video for the song, directed by the supremely talented Akinola Davies Jr., is equally charming - offering a slice-of-life glimpse of London while imagining the seven-piece band as kids wandering the streets - all shot on gorgeous 35mm film. I can't get the track out of my head. And honestly? I'm more than ok with that. TF Solve the daily Crossword
Buzz Feed
14 minutes ago
- Buzz Feed
39 Things That Come Highly Recommended From Reviewers
A lightweight gel cream from Nivea with powerful Q10 that helps plump, firm, and moisturize skin in as little as two weeks with consistent use. Over 1,400 reviewers are happy with their results! A high-end bottle of Takesan Kishibori soy sauce if you ever want to learn what you're missing by sticking with grocery store brands. No offense to Kikkoman, but this elevated sauce from Shodoshima, Japan offers a richer, more complex flavor that has happy reviewers pledging their allegiance. A Tibet Almond scratch remover stick that you can apply like ChapStick for your furniture. The colorless balm can help hide light scratches, watermarks, and water stains from wood, bamboo, glass, and more. Just open the can, remove the wrapper, and start rubbing the stick on unsightly marks. A pack of cold sore healing patches to zap painful blisters in record time. The hydrocolloid bandages keep the environment moist to speed up healing and prevent scabbing. They protect, conceal, and can lower the chance of you touching it and potentially giving yourself even more cold sores. 🤦♀️ A Bosu balance trainer ball that aims to make exercise fun — or at least not jaw-breakingly yawn inducing. It'll help you work on your strength, balance, and endurance while you watch TV, listen to a juicy podcast, or spy through the blinds at your suspicious neighbors, Rear Window style. All-in-one decor paint for an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition-worthy transformation. The chalk-like paint comes with a built-in primer to help it cling to most surfaces, from upholstery and wood to metal and glass. With over 50 colors to choose from, this paint can help you revitalize every room in the house. Aaand it dries in just 30 minutes! Eos' Cashmere Skin Collection Shave Oil — a new iteration of the TikTok-famous Eos "cashmere" body lotion — that uses the same swoon-worthy scent of whipped vanilla, musk, and soft caramel. Use this scrumptious oil to protect your skin from any razor mishaps; reviewers love that it helps them avoid razor burn and get an extra close shave. An NSF-certified shower filter capable of removing chlorine, PFAS, and other particles, making it a solid choice for people with hard water. Reviewers say it does wonders for their skin, their hair feels softer, and that they love being able to actually see the filter working. Burn After Writing — a guided journal with questions and thought experiments that encourage readers to reflect, explore their feelings, and get to know themselves a little deeper. The first step to bettering yourself is knowing where to start, after all. A viral "Soft" perfume rollerball for anyone who wants people to think of them and think "yum." Reviewers compare this ~$5 fragrance to caramel, lemon cupcakes, warm vanilla scones, cotton candy, and this $65 bottle of Pink Sugar! White caulk tape if you've noticed (and proceeded to ignore) some cracks in your previous caulk job. Use the waterproof sealing tape to fill in gaps before they get any worse and unwanted guests see the bug equivalent of a vacancy sign. Reviewers say this is easier and cleaner looking than liquid caulk, so there's no excuse to keep putting this off! An L-shaped body pillow that leaves other similarly-shaped pillows in the dust thanks to its cushy memory foam, super soft cover, and generous size. It's perfect for pregnant people, side sleepers, or anyone who just loves to cuddle. A jar of O'Keeffe's Working Hands cream with beeswax and glycerin to give you the baby soft hands you haven't seen since you were, well, a baby. Apply some after every hand washing, and you may never see a dry patch again. A powerful callus remover in case your heels are looking a little too much like a desert. Just marinate your feet in the gel for 5–10 minutes, then follow up with a foot rasp. The smooth result will make even babies jealous. Bio-Oil made with vitamin E, chamomile, and lavender oil to moisturize your face and body and help improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks, dark spots, and more. One reviewer loves using it in place of a pricey serum! A pair of Cushionaire cork-bottom sandals that are not only supremely comfortable, they're also an affordable alternative to Mayari Birks. The similarities go past just looks: They also have 100% genuine suede soles, so your feet will demand you wear these every single day. Juno & Co.'s Clean 10 Cleansing Balm made with a blend of pearl barley and vitamin E to completely obliterate every speck of makeup on your face. Seriously, you'll feel so fresh and baby-faced, you'll wonder if that eyeliner was really as smudge-proof as you previously thought. A tube of Roc retinol night cream possibly imbued with time traveler magic, because it will feel like you're turning back the hands of time when you go to sleep each night. OK, maybe it won't be that dramatic, but the shea butter and squalane will hydrate, and the retinol will work hard to smooth and possibly reverse some signs of aging. This reviewer says it's a great alternative to prescription retinol. An oversized Turkish blanket that will make picnics, beach trips, and general snuggling all the better. Turkish Dowry is a small business that sells Turkish towels and review: "I purchased the Turkish blanket in gray. It washed up beautifully. It is soft and very cozy! I bought the burgundy blanket for my daughter! It is a wonderful blanket and I highly recommend it!" —Peggy KesselGet it from Turkish Dowry on Etsy for $25.50 (available in 24 colors and also with embroidery for an extra charge). A box of Color Catcher sheets to prevent the dreaded "all my clothes are now pink from this one stray red sock" debacle. These handy sheets are designed to grab any dye that leaks or bleeds so you can keep enjoying your white tees. A cruelty-free Essence Lash Princess lengthening mascara that's lightweight, won't transfer, doesn't smudge, and lasts all day — oh and makes your eyelashes look like tall, beautiful skyscrapers. Why Essence only charges $5 for such an S-tier mascara is beyond me, but we're all grateful. Banzai Bump N' Bounce Body Bumpers to turn your children into human bumper cars. Children ages 4–12 will have a blast running full speed into each other — and you'll have a blast filming it for the family group chat. A pack of anti-slip glasses sleeves, because pushing your glasses back up your nose stops being cute after the millionth time you have to do it. The soft silicone is so comfortable, one reviewer called it an "ear saver." A nail and cuticle oil to bring life back to your damaged nails, even if you did something really bad like — gasp! — peel off a gel manicure. Bonus: Reviewers say the oil smells amazing, so be prepared for people to compliment your "perfume." A pack of disposable shower hair catchers for people who often forget to clean the drain after a shower and too squeamish to maintain a device like the TubShroom. You can just close your eyes and throw these away when they're too hair infested. A pair of anti-chafing tight bands so you can wear dresses pain-free and look damn good doing it. Promising review: "These are fantastic! I work nights and wear dresses regularly to the office. I've been using the deodorant-style anti-chafing rubs and wanted a longer-lasting option. Ding dings!! This is it! So comfortable I fell asleep in them! No marks, no uncomfortable digging in. These are amazing! Highly recommended and can't wait to purchase additional colors!!!" —A. SpencerGet them from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in sizes S–3XL, 15 styles, and mulitpacks). A Catrice "Instant Awake" Under Eye Brightener to expertly conceal and brighten dark circles under your eyes. The lightweight, color-adapting formula blends so seamlessly under makeup that your old concealer will throw itself out. A bunch of water balloons that all inflate at once to take the prep time out of impromptu water fights. Just screw the connector onto your hose, fill, and watch your ready-to-throw balloons fall off the vine. Each bunch comes with 100 review: "Great product! Highly recommend! Where were these bad boys when I was a kid? I mean, really. We bought these for the 4th of July for our kids, and they were super easy and very worth the money! I will be buying these again in the future for sure." —BeckyGet three bunches from Amazon for $9.99 (available in two colors and also larger variety packs). A pack of washable, reusable soft insoles to line the bottoms of shoes you like to wear without socks to keep them from getting sweaty or smelly. Think about how much better flats with be with these babies inside. Promising review: "I absolutely hate wearing socks but know how important they are for keeping shoes fresh. These insoles are the perfect solution! They absorb sweat, control odor, and keep my feet dry without the hassle of wearing socks. They fit perfectly in my shoes, and I love that they're washable and reusable. I've been using them daily, and they've made a big difference in comfort. Highly recommend these if you're looking for a great alternative to socks!" —allisonGet two pairs from Amazon for $14 (available in women's sizes 5–11, men's sizes 8–13, and two colors). A Burt's Bees sunburn soother crafted with aloe and coconut oil to hydrate skin and turn back time to before you stayed out in the sun a little too long. It's nongreasy and absorbs quickly, so you can go from "AHHH" to ahhhh. A lawn dog spot repair treatment to make your crispy, brown lawn look like it belongs in front of a house in Emerald City. Reviewers say they noticed results almost immediately — as in *days*! A bristled bug-catcher that snatches up creepy crawlies from a safe distance and lets you chuck 'em outside. Squeeze the handle to open the bristles, get the bug right where you want it, then release the handle to grab the lil' invader. Promising review: "This thing is awesome! Initially I was hesitant that it would squish the little guys or they would fall out in transport but it's great! Highly recommend! Sorry little guy your GPS brought you into my house, I will help you find your way back outside. :)" —Crystal RGet it from Amazon for $19.95+ (available in three colors). A Howard Products Feed-N-Wax wood polish and conditioner to give your furniture an impossibly lustrous shine previously never seen in your home. The carnauba wax and beeswax enhance and protect your wood from drying out so you can keep your great grandmother's rocking chair in tip-top shape with just a few swipes. Promising review: "This product is incredible. You get amazing results. I bought this for my kitchen cabinets, and they now look practically brand new. I recommend it 100%." —NstackGet it from Amazon for $11.79. A set of seamless "invisible" underwear that over 1,500 5-star reviewers swear by, saying they're soft, don't ride up, and are just as good as a similar version from Victoria's Secret. Underwear that actually fits well and doesn't show? I'd say priceless, but you can grab a whole pack for under $20. Bar Keepers Friend powder cleanser to arm yourself with when tackling the toughest of stains. It'll be like you bought a brand new set of pots and pans. Promising review: "This stuff works so well, you'll feel like you're in a staged infomercial where your surfaces are left gleaming and impossibly new. I removed the worst stains from my white ceramic sink, which I had tried everything on — bleach, oxygen cleaners, lemon, and baking soda. Nothing worked. But sprinkle some Bar Keeper's Friend on there with ~10 minutes of elbow grease, and BOOM it looks almost brand new. I'm obsessed, could not recommend it more." —KathleenHGet two cans from Amazon for $10.90. A pack of Hero Cosmetics pimple patches that protect blemishes and can suck out all the gross gunk in your face overnight. Pimples suddenly don't feel like a big deal. Over 100,000 people gave these patches a 5-star review, so they must be doing something right! A pool hammock to ensure your backyard swim session is as relaxing as possible. You can kick back and relax on it, or turn it sideways to sit on like a chair. Promising review: "I bought this float to take on vacation. It is compact so it took up very little room in my suitcase. It was easy to blow up. You can use it as a lounge chair or lay on your back or stomach. I highly recommend this as it makes pool time so much more fun and relaxing." —ChewbaccaGet it from Amazon for $11.60+ (available in three styles). A catnip wall mount with four different-flavored balls so your kitty can perform a taste test and decide their favorite. It's basically a bourbon flight for cats — that's so cool! They'll be too preoccupied sampling the goods to scream at you for treats for at least a solid 15 minutes (a century in hungry cat time). And a mystery pack of stickers for scrapbookers or collectors looking to spin the wheel of destiny. Hopefully, Lady Luck is on your side and you get the one of the cute cat on the bike.
Forbes
15 minutes ago
- Forbes
The A List Writer Launching An Alternative To AI Song Creation
In theory at least, 'writing' a song has never been easier. Instead of spending hours or days hunched over a guitar, keyboard or digital workstation, all you need to do is open up a generative AI app, provide a few prompts and then sit back while the clever software does all the heavy lifting. Within hours, your creation can be vying for the attention of music consumers on a streaming platform, with AI also providing a cover picture and brand identity. But what happens when you score that inevitable multi-platinum hit record? Who actually owns the copyright? Is it you? Is it the Generative AI provider? Or more problematically, is it one or more of the countless musicians, songwriters and singers whose work has been diced, sliced and analysed to provide the software with the wherewithal to produce music tracks to order? And will you perhaps enjoy success with a song, only to be faced with a succession of lawsuits from artists who have noticed a certain similarity with their own work? This is a fast-moving space. Last year, generative AI startups Suno and Udio were on the receiving end of music industry lawsuits. However, as reported this year, talks are underway to allow AI models to be trained on music catalogs, with provision for musicians and songwriters to get paid. There's no denying that generative AI has its uses. Professional songwriters can use it as a means to speed up the production process and try out new ideas. Equally, online influencers with no musical ability can create soundtracks for their YouTube, Instagram and TikTok posts. It can even be used - as in the case of the last Beatles' single, to resurrect a poorly recorded demo and create something of real value. However, when it comes to creating original music for public consumption, there are real question marks around attribution and rights. Andreas Carlsson believes he has an alternative that is equally empowering in terms of music creation while also providing musicians, songwriters, record labels and catalogues with a means to protect their rights and open up new revenue streams. Aimed primarily at Generations Z and Alpha, it is a mobile app designed to create and ultimately distribute new music from rights-protected building blocks. A Lego Box Of Rights As Carlsson stresses, his perspective on this is very different from a Bay Area tech bro. Based in Sweden, he has been a successful songwriter for a quarter of a century, and his name has appeared on the recording credits of artists such as Britney Spears, NSYNC, The Backstreet Boys, Westlife and Celine Dion. 'I am a music man,' he says. 'I don't come from Palo Alto. I don't want to cannibalise the industry.' But what he does want to do is to enable musicians to monetise a market that is potentially huge. Traditionally, music making has required hard-won skills - the infamous 10,000 hours of practice - plus a certain amount of money to buy guitars, amps, computers, software and studio equipment. Despite that investment in time and energy, musicians struggle to secure any kind of decent return. Meanwhile, there are vast numbers of people who would like to put together songs from clips and samples, either for their own amusement or for commercial reasons. Carlsson's app - Hyph - is aimed at bringing these communities together. Musicians can provide stems (music tracks), which they retain full control over. Creators can meld those stems into finished tracks, either for personal use or to further their careers. In addition, record labels and catalog holders can make tracks from name artists available for manipulation, again keeping full control of the rights. 'What we've created is a Lego box of rights,' he says. Carlsson sees a historic precedent here, noting that the MP3 revolution was kicked off by Sweden's Pirate Bay and then Napster before a second Swedish company stepped in to bring order to the market. 'What Spotify got right was that you have to tick two boxes, namely attribution and control,' he says. In between that, you also need the consent of artists.' So who gains here? For instance, why should a major record label put its valuable music assets in the hands of a Generation Z creator? Well, at one level, it can be used for fan outreach. A way to engage music consumers more deeply. Something that can be quite difficult in the streaming age. However, Carlsson believes it is also a means to revive and monetise dormant sections of music catalogues by opening them up to be revisited and manipulated. And for bedroom musicians? Well, they get a chance to sell their music to creators. This isn't a new idea. Either offline or online, entrepreneurial musicians are already selling instrument and voice sample packs, either directly or through third parties. 'You should look at tech in terms of how it gives you the ability to scale your assets,' Carlsson says. You build a bank of assets that you can scale, and if you are a bedroom producer, you can play on a thousand songs.' Carlsson says his motivation is to provide a route to monetisation for those who struggle to make a living in today's music industry. The big names are fine. They generate millions of streams, not only for new releases but also for back catalogue work that might otherwise be dormant. In addition, they cash in on big-ticket shows, VIP access and merchandise. Further down the ladder, artists don't have those opportunities and per-play revenues for streaming are pretty paltry. 'I'm thinking of the self-releasing artists. The people who were like me when I was just starting out,' says Carlsson. The app was originally launched in Scandinavia, with backing from high-net-worth investors, with music stems supplied on a pay-for-work basis. The full launch takes place in September. In the future, he hopes to sign distribution deals with streamers while establishing its own distribution channels. It will be monetized through subscriptions - for professional users - and in-app purchases. Will this help musicians make money and will it prove to me more than a toy? That depends on whether the app can scale and that its alternative monetisation plan, involving active rather than passive consumption, will provide a big enough market. Carlsson thinks it will. 'Everyone is looking for the new format. If you look at the Zeitgeist and what is happening with youth, everyone wants to lean into what they're doing. It makes sense that everything becomes interactive,' he says.
