The New Music Television: How Music is Creating New Opportunities on CTV

Music and video have always been intertwined—since the latter killed the radio star, anyway—but today, thanks to Connected TV (CTV) and Over-the-Top (OTT) platforms, the connection is only getting stronger. 

Over the last few years, advancements in music and streaming have multiplied quickly. Particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, many music lovers were interested in finding ways to create community, and musicians were eager to connect with fans. 

These developments have yielded partnerships between artists and streaming services, the continuation of livestreamed concerts and festivals, and music videos playing through CTV apps. Whether you’re tuning in from your television, smartphone, or laptop, there are a ton of ways to stream music content with visual elements. The best part for marketers? This growth creates more opportunities for relevant brands to connect with their audiences. 

Let’s explore the current intersection of music and streaming and what this connection means for advertisers and marketers. 

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An Introduction to Music and Streaming

Spotify and Apple Music might be the first platforms to come to mind when you think about music and streaming, but they’re really just the beginning. 

No matter which streaming service you’re scrolling through, you’re sure to find music-related content on your favorite platform. For example, the Roku platform boasts a wide range of apps, including Amazon Music, Tidal, XITE, and (yep, you guessed it!) MTV, so everyone can find the music content they love. 

What kind of content can we find on these channels? 

Music Videos 

Whether it’s waiting on Vevo to drop the latest music video on YouTube or watching your favorite videos on a CTV channel, watching music videos has never been easier. 

To improve the experience even more, bands and streaming services are working together to create exclusive releases. The band Moodring premiered their music video on the Sony-owned anime and manga streamer Crunchyroll. While music videos aren’t the platform’s usual fare, the Crunchyroll audience had a strong overlap with the band’s fan base, making it a natural, if uncommon, fit. 

In conjunction with the release, a Crunchyroll staffer interviewed one of the band members about why the audience crossover worked so well. While anecdotal, this case study is a perfect example of how to think creatively about existing and new audiences. By understanding what shared components bring the audiences together, they can highlight and use this information to create more compelling connections across brands and audiences. 

Concert Films and Documentaries 

Whether you’re searching for your favorite rock concert or looking for a bit of nostalgia, there’s a streaming concert available for you! 

From Taylor Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour to Pink Floyd‘s Live at Pompeii, streaming services have become the go-to for reliving some of music’s most iconic performances. Or, if you’re more into the story behind the show, music documentaries like Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé (2019) and Sign o’ the Times (1987) might be for you. 

And with creative interpretations like Peter Jackson’s 2021 The Beatles: Get Back docuseries and Brett Morgen’s 2022 David Bowie film Moonage Daydream opening the door to remixing archival footage in fresh ways, this category will no doubt see plenty of innovation as streaming continues to evolve.

Live Performances 

Live performances (our personal favorite category) have drastically increased in popularity over the last few years. According to Statista, concerts and festivals were some of the most popular types of live streamed content as of October 2022. 

Whether from a live concert or a studio session, these streams create an incredible opportunity for fans to watch their favorite artists perform from the comfort of their living rooms. Vevo has their Official Live Performances segment, where artists and bands perform some of their new or popular music. And Hulu became the official streaming destination for several music festivals in 2022 and 2023. Even if fans can’t head out to their favorite festival, they can turn on Hulu and enjoy the music from home—and unlike in-person events with a select set of sponsors, these livestreams can be supported by a much wider variety of ads. 

Music and Social Media

Shocker, we know, but social media users have a massive interest in entertainment. The movies, TV shows, and music category was the number one interest of social media users across all platforms in this guide, making these platforms an incredible opportunity to connect with music fans. 

Plus, social media creates an effective and accessible forum for musicians and fans alike. As of October 2022, viewers watched livestream video content on several key platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. 

What Does This Mean for Advertisers? 

Simply: more opportunities to connect with your audience. Music and music-adjacent brands, especially, can use these opportunities to connect with music-loving audiences. But the benefits don’t end with these specific industries. 

No matter your brand, you can ask yourself certain questions about your audience to connect with them more effectively, including: 

• What kind of music does your audience listen to? 
• Are they engaging with their favorite musicians, or are they more passive fans? 
• What common themes can you find between the music they listen to and your brand’s personality? 

With the targeting powers of Performance TV (PTV), advertisers can also use these experiences to drive ads for many businesses. For example, if a local livestream event is happening, small and local businesses can use geographic targeting to highlight their brand. Or, if a viewer is using a CTV app to stream their favorite podcast, you might want to air subscription box video ads during relevant episodes. 

Now, with more visual elements available, advertisers can expand their reach into the music space with engaging video content. This allows them to expand their marketing mix options with additional CTV advertising, delivering their content into the hands of people most likely to be interested in the brand. 

The (Music Streaming) Stone is Still Rolling

A lot has changed in this world over the last few years, and there are no signs of it slowing down. 

In November 2022, Vevo partnered with a new cloud technology company to ensure a secure and seamless experience as Vevo continues to expand their streaming services around the world. This partnership strongly indicates the CTV and OTT music industry has a bright future, which will create a longer-term opportunity for advertisers. 

While music, streaming, and social media continue creating this powerful trifecta, we’ll find more ways for artists to connect with their fans directly. As more content becomes available, more advertising opportunities for marketing teams in all industries will take shape through CTV, OTT, and other streaming platforms.