Wondering how we put this newsletter together? The answer is Hugo.

Mattijs spent over a decade shaping the rise of Hardwell, guiding him from an 18-year-old local DJ into a two-time #1 DJ in the world. His work spanned management, creative direction, and the day-to-day decisions that helped build one of dance music’s biggest global careers.

In 2018, he made the jump to Cloud 9 Music, one of the leading independent labels in the Netherlands. There, he shifted his focus to domestic talent and delivered huge results: nine #1 singles in the Dutch Top 40 and two consecutive years with the country’s most-streamed Spotify artist.

Q&A

Question 1: As someone who’s worked with truly big names, what do you think defines an artist who lasts in today’s fast-moving landscape versus one who just trends for a moment?
Answer: At first the artist should really have a long term vision. Talent is super important but drive and patience are key in this process and just as important! When an artist has crafted a unique sound which defines that artist and stands out from the crowd with a real signature sound, that is the moment an artist’s career could accelerate. This moment typically comes after a long period of fully focusing on all aspects of artist development. That means, on the creative music side but also on the creative online profiling side. The artist of today should really have a clear vision and focus on how to present the music, image online and image as a live artist. To chase after a viral moment is not a sustainable or long lasting vision. It sure helps and can give a kick start, but the building starts from there as well. Every day/week another viral takes off, so you are not special although the reach might be insane compared to the normal reach. The artist should bring something unique and after that should have a constant flow of music, content and just entertaining and likeable insights that make the consumer become a fan. To get back on the topic of patience and drive. Working with Hardwell for almost 12 years from the moment he was only 18 years old, he had the best drive you could think of, and never let that go for the next 12 years. His work ethics were insane, focusing on production, socials, radioshow production and of course the touring life. We set out a path for many years and with that constant stream of unique music and entertaining content (insights on his life, q&a’s, radioshow, etc.) and saw at one point an insane growth of his fanbase, gaining 25k followers a week, for a long period. This was gained through a by then still quite unknown strategy ‘growth-hacking’, being visible for the consumer, fans and most important, soon to become fans.

Question 2: In your view, where does creative intuition still lead the way, and where can AI add real value without diluting creativity?
Answer: This I think, is the real question we are going to see answered in 2026. The music industry really needs to embrace AI as an extra tool/person in the room. It can enhance an already good idea. It still matters what kind of input you give, so the prompt should be really good from the start.

Question 3: You sometimes have to greenlight projects before there’s data. What are the key signals you look for (creative, audience, or something else) that tell you a record is worth betting on?
Answer: That mainly starts with the music. From an A&R perspective there are lots of signals to take in consideration. What works, what does the radio tend to support lately, etc. Knowing the trends in media and streaming and also knowing the target groups that we would be aiming for. We have a long term strategy for our artists to build a database of their fanbase and actively use that for all kinds of communication. For a single, album, live event, merch drops, etc.

Question 4: What do you believe will matter most in music marketing over the next few years? And what should artists be doing now to stay ahead of that curve.
Answer: Music marketing will be more important in the near future than the quality of the music itself. With the new technologies we already see so much new music released on a daily basis, it will be key to stand out. For each hit record out there, there are 1000 songs that might be better but never saw the amount of success, due to lack of exposure. Those songs are still under the radar and will never reach a huge audience without great marketing. Each artist should embrace social media to build an audience and then lead them into their own database. There are a ton of tools to use nowadays and having this data really gives the artist more insights and puts them in the driver seat themselves. To gain a big fanbase and have knowledge on who your true fans are, will be key. A direct communication channel with that true-fan fanbase will lead to a sustainable future for artists that don’t necessarily need to do insane amounts of followers, streaming numbers or loads of airplay. To get, and more importantly, to keep these true-fans, it's essential to have a constant output of good content. This can be anything from music related subject to insights in the daily life of an artist, to very personal content. An artist should embrace that and make sure to always be visible.

Connect with Mattijs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattijsvw/

Hugo early access is now open. It is already scanning more than 100,000 social clips each day, spotting the sounds that are about to break and turning them into clear, actionable ideas before the trend hits the surface.

If you want to see AI that actually understands marketing, grab early access at: https://hugo.love/

Meta Platforms just scored a major victory in its long-running US antitrust fight. A federal judge ruled it does not hold a monopoly on social networking, meaning it will not have to spin off Instagram or WhatsApp

— #1. The Fate of Ophelia | Taylor Swift // 49 m weekly streams

— #2. Golden | KPop Demon Hunters Cast // 39 m weekly streams

— #3. Man I Need | Olivia Dean // 34 m weekly streams

— #4. back to friends | sombr // 31 m weekly streams

— #5. Ordinary | Alex Warren // 27 m weekly streams

— #1. Taylor Swift // Pop

— #2. Bad Bunny // Latin trap

— #3. Drake // Pop

— #4. The Weeknd // Alternative R&B

— #5. Ariana Grande // Pop

— #6. Arijit Singh // Playback Singer

— #7. Fuerza Regida // Regional Mexican

— #8. Billie Eilish // Alternative Pop

— #9. Justin Bieber // Pop

— #10. Olivia Dean // Pop / Neo-soul

Views: 21,000,000 | Likes: 5,500,000

This video blew up because it taps directly into nostalgia, frustration, and generational unity in one perfectly executed moment.

— 1. Universal nostalgia hit. The caption “kids these days will never understand the struggle” lands instantly. Anyone who lived through tangled cords and glitchy wires feels seen before the joke even starts.

— 2. Hyper-relatable pain. The audio cutting out as he twists the cable into ridiculous angles recreates a very specific memory. It is funny, annoying, and nostalgic all at once, which is exactly why people stop scrolling.

— 3. Cross-generational bonding. Using 50 Cent adds another layer. Older viewers feel a double throwback, and younger viewers still recognize the song. It becomes a cultural meeting point rather than a niche reference.

— 4. Smart reconstruction of a shared experience. It does not just mention the wired earbud struggle. It reenacts it with perfect accuracy. Viewers relive the moment, not just remember it, which drives rewatches.

— 5. Comment-section explosion. The comments turn into a museum of collective struggle stories: broken AUX cables, half-working headphones, cassette memories. That communal nostalgia pushes the clip even further.

You can often see higher watch times by adding subtle camera movement instead of relying only on cuts. A small pan (a horizontal camera turn from left to right), a walking shot, or even a hand-held shake makes the video feel more alive and less staged. Movement creates visual tension that keeps viewers engaged longer.

— A career built on vision. Our Q&A with Mattijs van Welzenis shows what long-term artist development really looks like. From guiding Hardwell from local talent to world number one, to delivering nine Dutch number one singles at Cloud 9, Mattijs proves that patience, vision and consistency still outperform the chase for quick viral wins.

— Attitude wins the feed. CHANEL by Tyla dominates trends worldwide. The sharp intro line and the rhythmic “mm mm” hook give creators a perfect structure for transitions, fashion edits and high-energy movement. Simple scenes with bold posing perform strongest.

— Humor fuels discovery. In the US, Montagem Miau by Lenar is the surprise hit of the week. The cat meow grabs attention instantly, and the beat keeps the energy moving. It is ideal for chaotic POVs, meme formats and anything designed to make viewers pause and laugh.

— Nostalgia owns the algorithm. This week’s viral video is a wired-earbud throwback that taps straight into shared memory. The glitching audio, the cable twisting and the 50 Cent soundtrack turned a simple moment into a generational bonding clip that people could not stop replaying.

— Movement boosts retention. Videos with slight camera motion, like pans or walking shots, consistently hold attention longer. Subtle movement keeps a clip alive without distracting from the creator, and it is one of the easiest tweaks to improve watch time.

— Dark energy drives results. Our Heavy campaign for Armin van Buuren and JOA performed best when creators leaned into darker, moodier visuals. Clean backgrounds, subtle motion and powerful lighting helped captions stand out and matched the song’s intensity perfectly.

That’s this week’s Echo.

Do you want to level up your marketing? Hugo’s early access is live. Don’t miss out.