Next Big Sound

Next Big Sound, now fully integrated into the Pandora Artist Marketing Platform (AMP), serves as a cornerstone of the music industry’s transition to data-driven decision-making. Historically a standalone pioneer in music data aggregation, its 2026 position is defined by its role as the analytical engine for SiriusXM and Pandora. The platform ingests trillions of data points across social media, streaming services, and radio play to provide artists, managers, and labels with a comprehensive view of their digital footprint. Its technical architecture utilizes machine learning to forecast future artist trajectory, categorized into tiers like 'Epic' or 'Promising' based on velocity and engagement metrics compared to industry benchmarks. While the standalone dashboard has been sunset in favor of the integrated AMP experience, the 'Next Big Sound' proprietary algorithms remain the industry standard for measuring 'Social Velocity' and 'Streaming Momentum.' In 2026, the tool is primarily utilized for identifying geographic listener clusters for tour routing and optimizing promotional spend through high-fidelity audience demographic breakdowns.