OnesToWatch
OnesToWatch is a music discovery media platform, founded in 2017 and owned by Live Nation, that editorializes emerging artists across genres and geographies via blog content, video series, a podcast, a print/digital Zine, and a curated Spotify playlist, serving music fans and up-and-coming musicians.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- Headquarters—
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What OnesToWatch does
OnesToWatch is a music discovery media platform founded in 2017 and operated as a brand under Live Nation Worldwide, Inc. The platform curates and editorializes emerging artists across 50+ genres — including Pop, Hip Hop, Indie, Afrobeat, Soul/R&B, Electronic, Folk, Alt/Rock, and Country — through a multi-format content ecosystem: an editorial blog with artist interviews, album reviews, and festival coverage; a portfolio of video series (Who Is?, Bone Apple Tea, All Eyes On, Quick 6 Interviews, Northside Sessions); a Spotify-hosted podcast; a bi-annual print and digital Zine (currently on Issue 12, 'in bloom'); a curated 'Now Watching' Spotify playlist; and a Shopify-powered merchandise storefront selling zines and apparel featuring covered artists. Regional editions serve the US (core), New Zealand/Australia (OnesToWatch Aotearoa, launched 2023), and Asia.
The platform is free to consumers with no paywall; content access is the primary product. Distribution is digital-first across owned web properties, social channels, Spotify, Apple Music, and Shopify. The platform monetizes through three streams: (1) direct-to-consumer merchandise and zine sales via Shopify, (2) affiliate/referral fees from 'Buy Now' deep-links to Apple Music and other streaming services, and (3) brand partnerships such as the 2024 Mastercard Artist Accelerator collaboration featuring Asha Imuno. The company serves two primary segments: music fans seeking curated discovery of emerging talent, and emerging artists seeking editorial coverage, video features, and playlist placement.
The business is supported by a small team of approximately 17 employees and benefits from its position within the Live Nation corporate umbrella, though Live Nation does not publicly disaggregate OnesToWatch financials. No external funding rounds have been disclosed and no revenue figures are published. The platform's value proposition rests on editorial credibility built over 11+ years and a documented track record of early features on artists who later achieved mainstream recognition, including Olivia Rodrigo, beabadoobee, and Tate McRae.
OnesToWatch firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OnesToWatch
- Legal name
- Live Nation Worldwide, Inc.
- Website
- https://onestowatch.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- OnesToWatch is a music discovery media platform, founded in 2017 and owned by Live Nation, that editorializes emerging artists across genres and geographies via blog content, video series, a podcast, a print/digital Zine, and a curated Spotify playlist, serving music fans and up-and-coming musicians.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
OnesToWatch industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Media & Discovery
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Music Discovery & Curation Platforms (Recommendations, Playlists) (MPAIACAH)
Keywords
OnesToWatch business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Merchandise Sales: OnesToWatch operates an e-commerce shop selling zines and merchandise featuring artists, generating revenue through direct product sales to consumers.
- Affiliate/Referral: The platform includes 'Buy Now' links for artists that direct to Apple Music and other music platforms, potentially generating affiliate referral revenue when users purchase or stream music.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | — | Free access to all editorial content, artist features, videos, and podcast |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
OnesToWatch product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OnesToWatch is a music discovery media brand that spotlights emerging artists across Pop, Hip Hop/Rap, Indie, Afrobeat, Soul/R&B, Electronic/Dance, Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Alt/Rock, and Country through editorial blog posts, video series, a podcast, a print and digital zine, curated playlists such as "Now Watching," and branded merchandise. Operated as a brand under Live Nation Worldwide, Inc. since 2017 and based in Los Angeles.
Product overview
OnesToWatch is a music discovery platform that operates as a unified content hub featuring multiple interconnected products: a core artist discovery platform with profiles across 50+ genres, an editorial blog with interviews, reviews, and festival coverage, video content series (Who Is?, Bone Apple Tea, Quick 6, Northside Sessions), a Spotify-hosted podcast, a digital/print Zine magazine now on its 12th issue, a curated 'Now Watching' Spotify playlist, and a Shopify-powered merchandise shop. The platform serves as an end-to-end discovery ecosystem for emerging artists and music fans.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- OnesToWatch Aotearoa: New Zealand and Australasian edition of the platform showcasing local emerging artists alongside international talent.
Products and services
- OnesToWatch Blog Editorial blog content that profiles and spotlights emerging artists across multiple music genres, aimed at music fans seeking to discover new music.
- OnesToWatch Videos Original video series featuring performances, interviews, and profiles of emerging artists, distributed via the OnesToWatch website and social channels for music fans.
- OnesToWatch Podcast Audio podcast covering emerging artists and music discovery topics, distributed primarily on Spotify for music fans and listeners.
- OnesToWatch Zine Print and digital publication (zine) featuring long-form editorial coverage of emerging artists for music fans and tastemakers.
- Now Watching Playlist Curated music playlist highlighting emerging artists, distributed via the OnesToWatch platform and linked streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music.
- OnesToWatch Shop Branded merchandise e-commerce store built on Shopify, selling OnesToWatch apparel and goods directly to music fans and consumers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Multiple featured artists have gone on to achieve mainstream success including Olivia Rodrigo, beabadoobee, Tate McRae, and others
Companies that use OnesToWatch
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
OnesToWatch technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
OnesToWatch partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Mastercard Artist AcceleratorcoreOnesToWatch partnered with Mastercard's Artist Accelerator program to present emerging artist Asha Imuno. This collaboration represents a co-development initiative to showcase and support rising music talent through OnesToWatch's editorial platform combined with Mastercard's artist development resources.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
OnesToWatch competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Line of Best Fit: Editorially led music discovery platform featuring emerging artists through reviews, premieres, video sessions, and curated playlists. Comparable in scale and editorial remit to OnesToWatch, particularly in the UK/global emerging-artist space.
- Clash Magazine: Independent music and culture publication with editorial features, reviews, video, and podcast content focused on emerging talent. Similar format mix and audience profile to OnesToWatch with comparable multi-format engagement strategy.
- COLORS: Berlin-based music discovery platform built around high-production video sessions (A COLORS SHOW) featuring emerging global artists. Highly comparable as a video-first emerging-artist showcase brand with global geographic reach similar to OnesToWatch's regional editions.
- Pigeons & Planes (now part of Billboard): Long-running blog-style platform dedicated to surfacing emerging and independent artists across genres. Highly comparable editorial model to OnesToWatch, now operating under Billboard after earlier independent operation.
- DIY Magazine: UK-based independent music publication covering emerging artists across indie, rock, pop, and adjacent genres via editorial, video, and a podcast. Closely mirrors OnesToWatch's emerging-artist editorial focus and multi-format approach.
- The FADER: Long-running independent music magazine covering emerging artists through editorial features, video content, and event programming. The most direct US-headquartered analog to OnesToWatch in terms of editorial remit, format mix, and emerging-artist discovery audience.
- Earmilk: Independent music blog and media brand covering emerging artists in electronic, indie, hip-hop, and pop with editorial, premieres, and curated playlists. Comparable editorial discovery model targeting young, genre-fluid music fans.
Broad incumbents
- NME: Globally recognized music media brand covering emerging and established artists via editorial, video, newsletters, and live events (including NME Awards and the NME Awards Festivals). Larger, broader incumbent with a comparable emerging-artist editorial remit and multi-format strategy to OnesToWatch.
- Paste Magazine: Longer-established independent music and culture publication covering emerging artists alongside broader entertainment coverage, with editorial, video, podcast, and festival presence. More diversified beyond music discovery than OnesToWatch but a comparable peer for editorial and audience overlap.
- KEXP: Seattle-based public radio station and digital platform with a globally influential emerging-music discovery footprint, including video sessions, podcasting, and curated playlists. Broader incumbent scale than OnesToWatch but directly comparable in emerging-artist discovery remit and multi-format distribution.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
OnesToWatch social profiles
Digital presenceOnesToWatch financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OnesToWatch leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
OnesToWatch funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OnesToWatch M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about OnesToWatch
What does OnesToWatch do?
OnesToWatch is a music discovery media brand that spotlights emerging artists across Pop, Hip Hop/Rap, Indie, Afrobeat, Soul/R&B, Electronic/Dance, Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Alt/Rock, and Country through editorial blog posts, video series, a podcast, a print and digital zine, curated playlists such as "Now Watching," and branded merchandise. Operated as a brand under Live Nation Worldwide, Inc. since 2017 and based in Los Angeles.
Is OnesToWatch a public or private company?
OnesToWatch is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was OnesToWatch founded?
OnesToWatch was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
How does OnesToWatch make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Merchandise Sales are the primary driver. The others are affiliate/Referral.
Who are OnesToWatch's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Line of Best Fit, Clash Magazine, COLORS, Pigeons & Planes (now part of Billboard), DIY Magazine, The FADER and Earmilk. Broad incumbents are NME, Paste Magazine and KEXP.
Does OnesToWatch have an API?
No public API is recorded for OnesToWatch.
What industry is OnesToWatch in?
OnesToWatch's product category is Music Media & Discovery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIACAH, Music Discovery & Curation Platforms (Recommendations, Playlists). Its NAICS code is 512.