Jumpstarting the New Year
The new year always feels like a fresh canvas—a chance to shake things up and start anew. For us at Sleeve, 2025 is already off to a fantastic start.
Last newsletter, we wrapped up 2024 with a bang as Pernille Rosendahl debuted her Sleeve profile, offering fans an exclusive pre-listen to her new release. Mathilde Falch joined the movement this week, sharing her heartfelt welcome video with her private fan group. Within hours, 26 fans had signed up to support her on Sleeve. Not a bad way to kick off the year, right?
We’re gearing up for even more artists and bands to share their work publicly. If you’ve been following along with Liner Notes and are curious, now’s your chance to check out Mathilde’s page: Mathilde Falch on Sleeve. Support her or another musician in there, explore what we’re building—your feedback during beta is invaluable!
Tuesday Trends - What’s Next for Music
This week, Danish music magazine GAFFA asked me to reflect on the highlights of 2024 and share my predictions for 2025. Here’s what I had to say:
"We’re on the brink of a major shift. For too long, we’ve assumed that streaming could solve all the challenges of digitalization. But why should all music for all listeners exist in one place? I believe we’ll see greater segmentation this year.
Subscription growth is flattening, and new models are emerging. Streaming works brilliantly for superstars and even deceased legends, but it’s not a viable solution for emerging, independent musicians with thousands of dedicated fans.
MiDiA’s Forecast 2025 highlighted this trend with the rise of 'non-DSP artists'—creators who skip traditional streaming platforms to focus on social platforms for fan engagement and music distribution. While these platforms offer visibility, they aren’t built for music. Artists like James Blake, Lily Allen, Kate Nash, and Denmark’s Annika Aakjær openly voiced frustrations about this disconnect.
Change is coming, and these conversations feel more urgent than ever. I’m excited not just to witness it but to be part of shaping the future of music."
You can read the full GAFFA interview here: GAFFA Article.
Random Reflections - Fighting Fire
Reggie Watts shared some wisdom on Instagram that hit home:
“If the system isn’t working for you, bypass it and create your system with your own community. Fighting fire with fire sometimes works, but these days, it doesn’t seem to. It feels better just to do it yourself. (…) If they’re not serving you, they’re irrelevant to you.”
As we dive into 2025, let’s take Reggie’s advice. This year, let’s focus on building systems that truly serve us. Here’s to a year full of music, connection, and all the good stuff!
Stay tuned,
Anna
