Apple Music debuts ‘Up Next’ scheme for emerging artists

Vevo has ‘Lift’, Deezer has ‘Next’, and Spotify used to have ‘Spotlight’ – all initiatives to promote emerging artists on those streaming services.

Now Apple Music is launching its own spin on the idea called ‘Up Next’. The company is describing it as “our new program aiming to identify, showcase and elevate developing artists to a global audience”, with plans to choose a new artist every month to focus on.

The program will include an introductory documentary; an audio EP from a live session; and a Beats 1 interview. However, Apple has also teamed up with US chat-show The Late Late Show with James Corden in a partnership that will see the artist introduced by Apple’s Zane Lowe on-air, before playing a song.

That’s a new twist on the formula for this kind of program: valuable mainstream TV time alongside the digital promotion. The first artist to get the Up Next treatment is Atlanta musician 6lack.