Apple Music Expands ‘Up Next’ Spotlight Program, Reveals New Class of Featured Artists
Apple Music will now be bringing an “international local focus” to its global artist spotlight program, Up Next, Billboard can exclusively reveal.
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.
The artists to be featured at launch are: 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.).
Each of the chosen artists, who are handpicked by Apple Music editors from across the globe, will be featured across Apple Music’s new localized, genre-agnostic Up Next playlist.
Since launch, Up Next has featured a host of then-emerging artists who have since gone on to greater fame, including 6lack, H.E.R., Greta Van Fleet, Khalid, Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny, Juice WRLD, Summer Walker, Megan Thee Stallion, Burna Boy and Conan Gray, among many others.