What you need to know
- Apple Music is expanding its 'Up Next' spotlight program.
- The feature will now include international artists from across the globe.
Apple is expanding the focus of its Apple Music 'Up Next' feature.
From Billboard:
Apple Music will now be bringing an "international local focus" to its global artist spotlight program, Up Next, Billboard can exclusively reveal. First launched in April 2017, Up Next elevates an emerging artist each month by providing editorial and promotional opportunities courtesy of Apple Music. With this expansion, one artist each month will be the beneficiary of the company's marketing muscle in several "local" regions, including, at launch, the U.S., Canada, Australia, the U.K., South Africa, India, France, Germany, Mexico, Russia and Japan. The program will also be debuting in China next month.
As the report notes, Apple launched Up Next in 2017, and it has featured artists including Khalid, Billie Eilish, Juice WRLD, Megan Thee Stallion, Burna Boy, and more. New artists, handpicked by Apple Music editors from around the world, are set to feature at launch including:
Peach PRC (Australia/New Zealand), Pressa (Canada), Noé Preszow (France), Lune (Germany), Prabh Deep (India), Dongurizu (Japan), Nicki Nicole (Latin America), prosto Lera (Russia), Blxckie (South Africa), Baby Queen (UK) and Morray (U.S.).
This week it emerged that Apple plans to introduce a new feature called City Charts to Apple Music, playlists from over 100 cities around the world featuring the most played songs in each, Apple describes the playlists stating:
"Explore what's popular in over 100 cities from all over the world with charts updated daily."
