As podcasting, livestreaming and home recording continue to reshape music retail, MI dealers are expanding demo spaces, educational resources and curated starter bundles to help creators build their first setups and grow with them over time. — By Kimberly Kapela W hat was once considered an after- thought has become one of the fastest- you might think,” said Freddy Vinehill- Cliffe, product specialist at Nugen Audio.
simplify the buying process with curated bundles tailored to different types of creators. “You can provide a turnkey solution to your customer, and have those bundles avail- able where you take the thought process out of it and you do your research and see what the top creators are using, and then provide that as a bundle to your consum- ers,” Davidson said. “Interface, software, batteries, that’s what you can put together, so that it just removes that barrier and cus- tomers can click add it to cart and buy it.” By packaging microphones, interfaces, software, accessories and power solutions together, retailers can reduce purchase hesi- tation while making it easier for first-time creators to get started. “Lead with the solution for your creators and simplify the decision-making process for them as much as possible, so again go-
growing opportunities for MI retailers. As podcasting, livestreaming and home studio production continue to reshape how people create content, pro-audio and creator- focused solutions have emerged as a major driver of purchasing decisions. Today’s MI customers aren’t just musi- cians — they’re content creators, educators, streamers, filmmakers and entrepreneurs looking for complete recording solutions. That shift has created an opportunity for MI retailers to position themselves as trusted advisors, helping customers build everything from simple podcast rigs to fully integrated home studios, regardless of their previous audio experience. “There is more overlap between the worlds of music and audio post more than
THE CREATOR ECONOMY The explosion of digital content has transformed audio from a secondary consideration into an essential part of the creative process. “If you think about the creator economy coming out of COVID, we didn’t have that before, and so now the audio being an af- terthought is now at the forefront,” said Laura Davidson, Shure marketing man- ager. “Having podcasts move to the video format, it keeps expanding and allows for more people to reach their audiences, but audio still remains key.” For retailers, that evolution represents an opportunity to rethink how creator prod- ucts are merchandised and sold. Dealers can
38 I MUSIC INC. I SEPTEMBER 2026
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