Without music, the world of short videos might be black and white.
Think about douyin kuaishou, in fact, they all have the same content logic: background music usually plays a key role in the content, such as inversion and foil. So it’s no exaggeration to say that music, in a sense, has become the soul of short videos.
These days, music and short videos are glued to each other, and the chemistry between them is getting stronger and stronger.
On the one hand, online music platforms that started with audio are embracing short videos. For example, netease Cloud Music launched “short video cash incentive plan” in March this year, and plans to invest tens of millions of cash incentive creators in the next year; QQ Music recently launched its own LIVE short video program called Elephant Room.
In fact, all of these online music platforms have more or less dabbled in short video content, or UGC, or PGC, but they haven’t made much of a push. But because the short video business is so hot, everyone is getting a piece of the action. In addition, from the perspective of these online music platforms, the huge output and commercial potential of short music video content is another big push.
On the other hand, music short video platforms in the vertical field begin to further deepen the combination of short video and music, and enter the music industry as a whole. For example, The recent launch of version 4.0 (ai-based quick beat function) is planning to move up the music industry chain in the future.
These two trends, in fact, are the essence of short video to music content or industry “feed back”. The reason why it is called “reverse feeding” is that during the period from birth to rise of short video, music can be said to be the biggest contributor to short video. As mentioned at the beginning, BGM is the key to the success of Douyin Kuaishou players.
In this sense, the role of music in nurturing short videos has been accomplished, as short videos have duly become a popular demand. But the “feedback” of short video to music is still on the way.
Short video “feedback” music is still halfway
Like music and short videos, there is also a typical combination: games and live streaming. At present, the two pairs of combinations are walking in the way of content media “feeding” content.
But in fact, the great contribution of short video to music publicity is visible to the naked eye. On the one hand, at present, many musicians or music companies have their own voice channels such as Douyin and Dousi, and their needs for music publicity can be greatly met on a daily basis through the short video content tools provided by the platform.
On the other hand, due to the traffic effect, the marketing role of short video platforms has become more prominent. Many musicians or music companies have reached a very stable cooperative relationship with short video platforms, so it is no problem to promote music.
In other words, the “feedback” of short video for music is first reflected in the flow. However, at present, because the integration of the music industry and short video is not enough, short video for the music industry is mainly manifested in the publicity and distribution.
But this is obviously not enough, music publicity is only the tip of the iceberg of the music industry chain, the traditional music industry still has many pain points. For example, the discovery and cultivation of original musicians; Derivative commercial value of music content; Digital and intelligent music content and so on.
The pain points of industrialization are complex and multidimensional. This means that “feedback” music is still a long-term task for short videos. First, the development focus of most short video platforms in the early stage basically lies in the capture and management of traffic, so the involvement of the music industry is relatively shallow in general, especially popular short video platforms. Second, it is still a long-term mechanism that drives short video to “feed back” the music industry, so it will test whether the infrastructure of short video in the user side is solid, such as the capacity to supplement traffic, the perfection of recommendation mechanism, the standardization of content production, etc.
There is no doubt that the great cause of short video “feeding back” music is still halfway. But the good news is that the huge flow of short videos has at least helped the music industry solve some of its problems. Moreover, as mentioned at the beginning, the chemical reaction between music and short video is becoming more and more intense. From this point of view, the “feedback” of short video to music can bring us a lot of good news in the future.
In fact, at present, walking in the short video “feedback” music on the road of short video platforms are not many, such as netease cloud music, QQ music, mobile, etc. To be precise, although short video is still in the stage of reaping dividends, such as Kuaishou’s sinking and Douyin’s going out to sea, the vertical field of short music video has entered the second half of industrialization. In this second half, will there be a core force “feeding” music?
Three platforms “feedback” music: each has its own strengths
In the second half of the Internet, all the families are more intensive than the cultivation, and the short music video is the same. How short videos “feed back” music, according to different platforms, this question is bound to have different answers. The answer depends not only on the platform’s existing strategy and resources, but also on the challenges encountered in the process of “feedback” and the ability to adapt.
Platforms that can “feed” the music industry through short videos currently fall into three categories, each with its own strengths.
The first category is online music platform, such as netease Cloud Music, QQ Music and so on.
In fact, these platforms have in-depth experience in the industry chain, such as the incentive and discovery programs for original musicians launched by various platforms, and their partners are at the top of the industry chain, such as music publishing groups. From this point of view, they have some experience to “feed” music through short videos.
The problem is that the time to start short video is a little late, if netease cloud music in the first two years of short video explosive dividend period to vigorously enter the game, perhaps for their own platform ecology will be greatly improved. For example, from the perspective of sociability, although UGC of netease cloud music is rich, the social desire among users is not strong enough, and the addition of short videos can get twice the result with half the effort.
Of course, judging from the current actions of netease Cloud music players, they have realized that short videos are critical to enabling social and content aspects of the platform. Therefore, if the time is extended back, they will have more chips in the enabling music industry chain through the revitalization of the community through music short video content.
The second category is popular head short video platforms, such as Douyin Kuaishou.
As a leading short video platform, Tiktok Kuaishou’s greatest value lies in marketing, and is based on sustained and huge traffic effects. This is the foundation of their rise and their core competitiveness.
However, in the matter of “feedback” music, douyin Kuaishou such a flow platform’s strong marketing ability has become a “constraint” in a sense. On the one hand, their DNA is a “popular short video platform,” which means that what drives their growth is always traffic, and traffic thinking can’t solve everything. On the other hand, music content and industry chain are relatively vertical things, douyin Kuaishou is unlikely to focus on this in a short time.
However, this does not mean that Tiktok Kuaishou will not make efforts in the “regal feeding” of music in the future, because when the dividends of short video and the Internet are disappearing, it is the decisive point to form a developed “root system” in various industrial chains in the future.
The third category is the vertical music short video platform, such as move time.
The first thing to say is that these platforms are currently more niche in terms of audience, but they have the advantage of focusing on both social and musical content, rather than focusing on one or the other.
Take Mobile, for example, recently launched version 4.0, its core gameplay is the “quick shooting” function, it is reported that users can take a VIDEO synthesized by AI algorithm in 6 seconds, Mobile CEO Yang Baocheng said in an interview that the purpose of the new version is to lower the threshold of users to shoot content. Prior to this, in version 3.0, Mobile also introduced a multi-grid content fission gameplay.
The development logic of motion is very representative in the field of vertical. On the one hand, in the early stage of the movement, more attention was paid to the production chain of professional content, and version 4.0 was launched to lower the threshold of users, that is, to further introduce more traffic through interesting gameplay, which is the development logic of many vertical platforms “content” first and then “traffic”. On the other hand, games can further enhance the social aspect of the platform through such popular gameplay without destroying the overall atmosphere of professional content.
Since the advantage of vertical platform is strong social and professional original content, in terms of “feedback” music, vertical platform can actually empower music from the user value level. Compared with netease Cloud music and Douyin, the advantage of Such platforms is that users attracted by vertical are more professional and stickier. Therefore, user value empowerment is more critical than user traffic empowerment.
In the future, such vertical platforms will have even greater enabling tension. For example, at present, Mobile has planned to set foot in micro-integration in the future, and make efforts in entertainment marketing, new talent /IP incubation, content production, music copyright and other aspects. From this point of view, such vertical platforms will “feed back” the “ecological industry” of music based on value users in the future, which is very worthy of expectation.
Music short video second half, still by the innovator main ups and downs
The second half of the Internet focuses on industrial Internet, so does the short music video, which focuses on the “industrial thinking”, which is also the fundamental logic of short video “feedback” music.
Indeed, we are seeing music and short video giants, as well as vertical entrepreneurs, move in this direction. Obviously, this is a good thing for the music industry as a whole, because it means that some of the music industry’s old maladies are hopefully being addressed.
But it also means that a new competitive track has emerged, with a new set of old competitors trying to win with a different mindset, and perhaps a stronger one. However, it is undeniable that “innovative thinking” and “differentiation” thinking is still the core source of competitiveness.
First, netease cloud music, Tiktok, mobile times in the past have relied on these two thinking; Secondly, the competition in the second half tends to focus on quality, efficiency and persistence, while the second half of short music videos focuses on the quality of music content and the value of music users. The innovation and differentiation of platforms often determine whether they can form commanding advantages in these aspects.
This competitive atmosphere, in fact, gives more opportunities to players in these vertical fields, so that they can have a greater play space in the way of “feedback” music.
On the one hand, vertical gamers are highly innovative and differentiated, which helps them to be flexible in “regal” music content. For example, the innovation ability and differentiation reflected in the 3.0 version, which is dominated by multi-frame content fission, and the 4.0 version, which is dominated by AI-oriented “quick shooting”, are of vital importance in breaking out from the red sea of short video.
This ability, on the one hand, can help music content always maintain originality, so as to have high original value; on the other hand, it can also help music content to further expand the popularity rate, so as to reduce the threshold of professional music appreciation, which is conducive to the promotion of professional music brand recognition.
On the other hand, vertical players have a strong desire for deep cultivation of the music industry chain. For example, the reason why WE propose to make efforts in multiple industrial dimensions (micro-comprehensive, entertainment marketing, new talent /IP incubation, content production, music copyright) in the future is that we actually want to make good use of the resources of the existing platform, such as professional users, professional music content, etc. The other is to build a diversified business matrix, such as variety shows, copyright, marketing, etc., so as to form a strong joint force and set up a solid barrier in the future era of industrial competition.
Such entrepreneurs are what the music industry wants and needs. Based on our strategy, the future multi-dimensional development of music industry will not only create an ecological matrix for ourselves, but also enable the ecological development of relevant music industry chain, which will make the industry chain intelligent and digital due to short video and AI technologies, and fully improve the efficiency of production and operation. Moreover, this is a long process, which means that the artists will not only empower the industry, but also provide vitality and creativity to the music industry.
In general, in the second half of short music videos, vertical players “feed” the music industry, which is diversified and long-term. Clearly, they have more say. But what no player can forget is that the Red Sea never got quieter in the first half or the second, and that the victorious banner of the siege still belongs to the tireless innovator. But verticals should be happy that short video feeds back into the music show, and they’re finally getting their feet under the spotlight.
Article/Liu Kuang public number, ID: Liukuang110, this article first kuang Venture capital network