Musicians are increasingly turning to videogames for promotion

As any millennial who can still sing the Madden ‘04 soundtrack knows, videogames and music have long gone hand in hand. And over the past few years, musical artists have been increasingly signing deals to debut new songs in videogames, in some cases weeks before those tracks are released on streaming services like Apple Music or Spotify.

• Up-and-coming rapper Odetari released his latest album on “Mega Noob Simulator,” a free fighting game on Roblox, before it reached streaming platforms. Tens of thousands of people attended the December launch event.
• Also in December, a radio friendly version of Eminem’s 2020 hit “Godzilla” was played at a Fortnite event. It re-entered Spotify’s top songs charts the next day, reaching No. 63 in the US.
• NBA 2K, the popular basketball videogame series, every Friday releases a new mix of tunes that play in the background of the game.

Behind the trend: Record execs have long operated under the assumption that most people’s musical tastes are solidified during their teenage years – and videogames are popular with young folks. About three-quarters of Americans under the age of 18 play video games, per a 2023 report from the Entertainment Software Association.

👀 Looking ahead… Growth from music streaming services like Spotify is slowing. And industry leaders are betting the music industry’s next wave of growth comes from licensing music in three key areas: social media, fitness apps (ex: Peloton), and videogames.