Money Talks

Why creators are turning to music to cash in...and vice versa

August 10, 2021

Welcome back 👋. While I can’t compete with Max’s 30-hour car journey, I did have some time to spare during my sporadic staycation in the English countryside. When I wasn’t busy touching some grass (literally), I managed to squeeze in some quality listening time. Between AnnaLynne McCord’s standout Call Her Daddy episode and non-stop PinkPantheress, Gen Z’s latest TikTok obsession, there was never a dull moment.

In Today’s Issue 💬

→ Why YouTube was the perfect launchpad for KSI’s career in music

→ How Rihanna’s beauty company made her a billionaire

→ Why artists are promoting their music on TikTok

KSI Tops The Charts...As A Musician 

Source: KSI YouTube

You might know KSI for his gaming commentary content, or as Logan Paul’s boxing arch-nemesis – but what about as a Lil Wayne collaborator? That’s right, with over 36 million subscribers, YouTuber KSI has earned an enviable extension to his existing creator persona, and is now a chart-topping artist! 

After securing the title of biggest-selling UK breakthrough artist with debut album Dissimulation (2020), earning more than 1 billion streams, KSI has gone on to earn seven Top 10 releases in the UK Singles Chart, a feat unrivaled by any other YouTube-first creator. In a recent interview with British GQ, KSI said “I’ve never really focused on the money aspect [of music], because, at the time, it was just so small compared to my YouTube. Music was a hobby.”

Last month KSI topped the UK album charts with All Over The Place, his second album, with hefty features from the likes of Future, 21 Savage and Lil Durk. And if those collaborations weren’t already enough to shake a stick at, his latest release “Lose” with Lil Wayne is certainly making noise. 

Our Take

Staying in one lane is no longer a necessity of a creator’s path to stardom. KSI spent 12 years building his YouTube presence along with a dedicated audience, which helped springboard him to an accelerated path in music. Although the addition of ‘artist’ to KSI’s identity may feel like uncharted territory, he already has foundational backing from a loyal fan base, willing to support his next moves as a creator.

Rihanna Becomes The Richest Woman In Music 

Source: CNN

Last week Rihanna officially entered the billionaire boys club, with a valuation from Forbes that puts her fortune at $1.7 billion. This makes her the richest woman in music, and one of the richest women in the entire entertainment industry, second only to Oprah Winfrey. 

So how did she get here? It’s all about Rihanna’s Phresh Out The Runway investments in fashion and beauty, including Fenty Beauty, a joint venture with LMVH which launched in 2017, and her billion-dollar lingerie brand Savage x Fenty.

With the tagline “Beauty For All”, Fenty Beauty was founded with inclusion in mind. Clearly, Rihanna was onto something, since the brand has earned massive returns and audience loyalty, with consumers feeling wholly represented in the products up for grabs.

Our Take

Fenty Beauty is beating other celebrity-founded brands by a mile. There’s a lesson for creators here to leverage your audience into something that scales far beyond your creative craft. Take A Bow, Rihanna. You’ve put in that work, work, work...

Why Artists Are Teasing Music On TikTok

Source: Getty Images

Once scoffed at, TikTok’s impact on the music industry is now undeniable, with two-thirds of TikTok users going to streaming services to play songs they originally found on the platform. TikTok has launched careers at a record pace, like Tai Verdes who shared his remarkable story from retail worker to celebrity with Colin and Samir last month. 

This week, two new releases are coming our way courtesy of Lizzo with “Rumors” and Bella Poarch with “INFERNO”. Both artists are harnessing the power of their audiences on TikTok – which exceeds a combined 95 million followers – to fuel interest and affinity before the singles drop on streaming platforms at the end of this week.  

Our Take

If you’re making music in 2021, you’ve got to be sharing it on TikTok. The platform’s For You Page is unrivaled for distribution, plus TikTok Duets provide endless opportunities for collaboration and participation, making for an intoxicating promotional mix.

📊 Chart of The Week

We polled some of Colin & Samir’s YouTube subscribers to ask them if they’d accept a pay cut to go full-time as a creator. Of our over 12,000 respondents, 66% said they lose some cash if it meant pursuing their passion full-time

Have a burning question you want us to ask our audience? Hit Reply and let us know - we could feature the results in an upcoming issue.

🔥 In Other News