Prognosticating something as unpredictable as the domestic music industry might appear to be a fool's errand. But what's the fun in playing it safe? Here are some predictions for 2018.
YouTubers will wield more power: TV and movie theme songs remain the best way for an artist to score a year-defining hit. Yet digital platforms — and YouTube in particular — have risen in significance in recent years. Plenty of artists have used eye-catching videos to go viral, but 2018 will see the creators fueling that site — Japanese YouTubers — wielding more influence. A small-scale success played out in 2017, when singer/songwriter Heartbeat made waves via theme songs penned for 2Bro, a channel devoted to dudes playing video games. Old platforms won't lose power, but a new generation of online creatives will discover they have sway.
Streaming will try to make a splash: Streaming music services have made steps forward in Japan, but their influence still pales in comparison to that of traditional platforms and free-to-use sites such as YouTube. How to get buzz? By using a strategy that worked wonders in the West: exclusive album drops from marquee artists. Avex platform AWA tried this in 2016 with Ayumi Hamasaki, but diluted the impact by releasing a CD shortly after (and relying on an artist who has seen much better days). Ultimately, Spotify needs something splashy — they trail Apple Music and other domestic streaming sites in the market. Throw a Sweden-sized wheelbarrow of money Utada Hikaru's way and see if she'll make her forthcoming 2018 album a streaming exclusive.
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