Interview: Mapping the future of music media, with Sean Adams (Drowned in Sound)
*This event is open only to Water & Music members. If you're a member, please RSVP with the name and email tied to your membership account so we can get you approved as quickly as possible. If you're not yet a member, RSVP and then sign up for a membership to get access. You should get approved within 48 hours of signing up!
Music media platforms serve as vital outlets for discovery, curation, commentary, and representation, helping to strengthen the music industry’s wider cultural fabric. And yet — from editorial layoffs at Bandcamp, Okayplayer, and NPR Music, to shutdowns of both veteran publications like All Access and new media ventures like Gimme Radio and Amazon Amp — the business of music media feels more precarious than ever.
Why are the economics of music media so hard to get right, and increasingly treated as disposable altogether? How are new entrepreneurs experimenting with different forms of revenue and community support to usher music media into a new, more sustainable era? And what does this all mean for artist marketing strategy?
Our next Water Cooler conversation, featuring Sean Adams (Founder, Drowned in Sound) and moderator Cherie Hu (Founder, Water & Music), will aim to map out a clearer set of potential futures for music media and everyone it impacts.
We will discuss topics including:
The business models behind modern music journalism, and how that impacts the ethics and financial sustainability of the field
How market trends impact public interest in music journalism, including audience fragmentation, direct artist-fan interactions, and the growing influence of DSPs and TikTok
The role of emerging tech in future music media practices, and how the music industry can best adapt
We'll leave 15 minutes of open Q&A at the end so you can help directly shape our discussion.
About Sean Adams
In the year 2000, Sean Adams founded the music community and blog Drowned in Sound. It grew to be a record label that launched the careers of artists such as Kaiser Chiefs and Bat for Lashes, as well as pioneered with award-winning podcasts, playlist features, use of social media and spin-off websites like The Quietus. Alongside running the media organization, Sean has also managed various musicians including Charlotte Church, Ed Harcourt and The Anchoress. He’s also worked with the composer Max Richter, spent 4 years running social media campaigns for the BBC, and has written a regular column for The Sunday Times newspaper.
In February 2023, he relaunched Drowned in Sound as an audio publication (record label and podcast), focussed on furthering conversations around fairness, inclusion, sustainability, and experimental uses of technology in music.
About Water Cooler
Water Cooler is Water & Music's biweekly, members-only interview series, giving an inside look at cutting-edge music-industry innovation through conversations with founders, creators, and business leaders. Our goal is to equip our members with the vocabulary and business acumen to navigate the fast-moving music-tech landscape more thoughtfully and intelligently.
Speakers are hand-curated by Water & Music's research team, with conversations featuring both deep-dives into music-tech products and commentary on wider macro industry trends. You can browse the full Water Cooler archive here.
About Water & Music
Water & Music is a research network for music and tech, on a mission to make the music industry more innovative, cooperative, and transparent. From in-depth, data-driven analyses on emerging market trends, to hands-on educational workshops and a regular slate of virtual and IRL event programming, W&M aims to equip music-industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and creators with the tools and mindsets to navigate tech innovation successfully.
You can learn more about our research and our unique industry perspective on our website.