There is a glorious mystique around the music industry, keeping what happens behind the scenes, an enigma. It may keep the audience intrigued, however the transparency of the business as a whole suffers, creating questions, especially regarding fiscal policy.

Now, Grammy award-winning artist Imogen Heap and London-based creative agency Aesop have come together to clear the air around the backstage of the complicated business behind the music industry.

Together they have launched a data storytelling platform  called ‘The Life of a Song’ (LOAS) which uses Heap's song, ‘Hide and Seek’ as the soundtrack. It visualises the music industry’s business side with data, pointing a finger at the ways in which money is being handled wrongly. Transparency is tied to reputation, as recent brand research shows, proving that companies with clear communications and an open governance system are more respected than those that are less transparent.

Jim Boulton, digital director of Aesop, says, “By merging data from disparate sources directly connected to ‘Hide and Seek’ and visually bringing it to life, new connections occur, unexpected discoveries are made and insights and patterns are revealed that can only benefit the rest of the industry.”

The issue of transparency is not a new concern for Heap, who has tried to bring clarity to how music is being monetised, by developing a research and development hub known as Mycelia. Heap along with a team of tech professionals, creators and music industry services have developed ‘The Creative Passport,’ a platform which allows everyone to access verified data, such as IDs, acknowledgements, other works, business partners and payment systems.

The LOAS digital platform, designed by Aesop, is a detailed analysis of every aspect of the ‘Hide and Seek’ song’s life since its birth 13 years ago, revealing the song’s total revenue earned to date, where that money came from, while revealing the connection between income and dates, events and specific music industry contracts. 

For more from Communicate magazine, follow us on Twitter @Communicatemag