As legacy platform algorithms become less creator-friendly, many artists have faced the dilemma of their fans not seeing tour dates, release announcements and other updates on their feeds.
We think that Highnote FM could be one solution to this. Through private spaces on the Highnote platform, artists can share their music, commentary, annotations, videos and voice notes with fans, as well as with possible collaborators and other producers, labels and artists for real-time feedback for ongoing projects.
Self-described as a “Substack for Sound”, the platform already has artists and music curators building communities, including Dante Nicolas of YAMS, Tatiana Snead of Pandora / SiriusXM, On The Radar, and composers and producers from The New York Times’s The Daily, Modern Love and Serial.
Key Features:
- Artists host a private community space to share works in progress, tease releases and involve listeners in their creative process.
- Opportunities for connection and review from other artists, producers, labels and fans alike is made available through the space, where artists can post music files, videos, liner notes, lyrics, commentary and other context behind their projects.
- Spaces are algorithm- and ad-free, but can be added to the artist’s TikTok profile, so they can bring their followers along to a more focused setting.
- The platform is AI-free, and all spaces and playlists on the platform are developed by human curators.
- Backed by Dropbox, the platform also functions as a reliable storage space for demos.
- Listeners are notified whenever a new link or file is added to the artist’s Linktree-esque ‘playlist’.
- Currently monetised by partnerships, the platform is free for artists and listeners to use for the indefinite future.
What Music Ally likes about Highnote
If artists are looking for a one-stop-shop to directly access their audience, other artists, and potential collaborators, with a built-in storage space for whatever they’re working on, Highnote seems to us to be a possible avenue. If an artist is working on a track, for example, and stuck on what the chorus should sound like, or looking for a feature, they can post an audio file in their private space, and potentially get feedback in real time.
The fact that the whims of the algorithm are also a non-issue is also a major perk – artists have full control of their spaces, where everything is what they choose to share, undiluted by ads or other content so followers are sure to see what they post.
Artists can also curate their spaces for whatever uses they like. R&B singer Kenyan Dixon hosted this listening session for his album, where people went to hear it for the first time. Curator Dante Nicholas uses his to create playlists for his music to be shared in real time, before it goes on any major platforms.
The founders, Paulina Vo and Jordan Bradley, have expressed an artist- and curator-centred approach, including reported direct involvement and response to feedback from day-to-day users.
From what we see, one potential drawback is that platform multiplication fatigue is real, and there may be a lot of fans that are not looking for another platform to add to their rotation, unless it is very specialised, or otherwise accents a platform they already use. However, the appeal could also be very strong for dedicated fans and music listeners who want to engage with music in different ways to what is currently possible on the big platforms.
More and more platforms are offering ways for artists to share their work-in-progress, and potentially monetise it (see untitled or Vault), which showcases a clear movement towards this type of fan engagement. We think the platform’s main strengths are in its collaboration capabilities and focus on curators, at a time where we’re seeing music curators and tastemakers becoming more important again.
