Over the past month, Phoebe Bridgers has been running one of the year’s most talked-about tours. She’s been popping up for secret shows in small towns across the US, playing intimate venues under 500 capacity, with day-of announcements posted around town.

The tour has been built around connection and surprise. Venues were sworn to secrecy, phones weren’t allowed, and fans were given Yondr pouches with mystery cards inside, sparking fan theories that the cards might form part of an album cover.

Then came the Madison Square Garden show, with $1 tickets and proceeds going to the Community Justice Exchange’s Immigration Bond Freedom Fund. At a time when live music can feel expensive and transactional, Phoebe’s approach is a reminder that concerts can still feel personal, thoughtful, and community-led.

The fan experience speaks for itself, with one attendee in Huntington, West Virginia, describing it as "the first concert I've ever been to that wasn't a bit or very overstimulating." Read more here.

Olivia Rodrigo has announced Daisy Chain Fields, a one-day music festival in Irvine, California. The lineup is all-women, featuring Chappell Roan, Doechii, Mitski, Bikini Kill, Garbage, Rachel Chinouriri, and more… Plus Stevie Nicks, Sarah McLachlan, and Karen O appearing as special guests.

Rodrigo has said she was inspired by Lilith Fair, the all-women festival Sarah McLachlan ran in the '90s. Every artist on the bill is performing for free, and 100% of net proceeds will go to charities supporting women and girls.

For independent artists and fans, it’s incredibly inspiring to see one of the biggest pop stars using her music to build community, spotlight important causes, and create space for artists to use their platforms with real purpose. Read more here.

This month's Artist of the Month is Girl In The Year Above ✨

Girl In The Year Above is an emerging band whose music blends a Celtic, storytelling feel with a ferocious emotional performance to remind you of the messy magic of being alive. Their track 'Ode to the Glory Days', released in May, caught our attention straight away. They’re definitely one to watch!

Listen to Girl In The Year Above on Spotify and follow the band’s journey on Instagram. Let’s celebrate rising talent and support the artists who are shaping the future of independent music! 🎶

Spotify’s latest update shows it’s pushing further into video. The DSP has launched a beta feature that lets artists upload full-length videos directly through the Spotify for Artists dashboard. That means official music videos, live performances, studio sessions, and covers can now live on the platform as royalty-bearing, potentially chart-eligible content.

Spotify says the numbers back it up: listeners who watch a video go on to stream that song 64% more often over the following three weeks, and are also more likely to save, share, and explore the artist’s wider catalogue. In other words, video keeps fans engaged, and Spotify clearly wants to keep that attention inside the app.

Spotify is also phasing out new Clips uploads, with existing Clips staying live as the Clips tab gradually becomes a Video tab on artist profiles. If you’ve got live session or studio footage sitting unused, this could be worth keeping an eye on. Read more here.

We are really proud of the long-term growth our strategies give our artists, and we want to share the success Charlotte Clarke has seen from her first release with us and our social marketing strategy! ⭐️

Charlotte had already been releasing music consistently, but like so many independent artists, she was facing the challenge of breaking through in an overcrowded space.

We built a release campaign around her single “I Prefer Karma” using our Ultimate package, focusing on real listeners rather than vanity metrics. By identifying, testing, and retargeting her natural audience with a mix of paid ads and organic social, we created real momentum that carried into a second campaign for her next single, and the results speak for themselves!

Save rate was a key focus throughout, as one of Spotify’s key signals for Discovery Weekly and Radio playlists. It’s a great example of what happens when strategy, content, and data all work together.

👉 Read the full post on our Instagram here

If any of this resonates with you, get in touch! We’d love to chat about your project 💛

We are thrilled to present The Grove live at The Phoenix in central London on Thursday 23 July.

The 7-piece collective blends jazz, funk, hip-hop, and indie into an electrifying live show that never disappoints. With big harmonies and serious groove, they’re one of the most exciting acts on the London scene, and this is set to be a brilliant night of high-energy live music!

Get your tickets here 🎫 ⭐️