IN FOCUS: Physical – The German Landscape

Downtown presents IN FOCUS, a new series exploring the ideas shaping the future of music and technology. 

Each episode spotlights a key theme and features short, candid conversations between our team and our clients or partners – deep diving into the questions, trends, and insights driving change across the industry. We share key takeaways from each conversation to help shed light on different areas of the music business and spark new ways of thinking about its future.

You can find all episodes of IN FOCUS on Downtown’s YouTube channel here.

IN FOCUS is also available as a podcast, listen to all episodes released here.

Episode Ten: IN FOCUS: Physical

Topic: The German Landscape

Please note: this episode is in German

Episode ten sees Desiree Vach, FUGA’s General Manager, GSA in conversation with Björn Meyer, Co-Owner and Managing Director of Odyssey Music Network, exploring the unique role physical music continues to play in Germany’s largely digital-first market.

Key takeaways:

– Why Germany remains a unique market for physical music despite digital dominance

– How vinyl and CDs function as both revenue streams and marketing tools

– The importance of genre and fan culture in deciding when physical releases make sense

– Why direct-to-fan and direct-to-consumer strategies are becoming increasingly essential

– How limited editions, bundling, and chart rules shape physical release strategies