New Partnership with Epic Games
Luminate, a prominent entertainment industry and research company that owns Billboard musical charts, has partnered with Epic Games to incorporate Fortnite JAM tracks into Luminate data.
It’s important to clarify that these tracks will not be part of the Billboard charts but will be accessible through the “interactive indicators on demand” on the Luminate Connect platform.
JAM Tracks in Fortnite
JAM tracks are a selection of songs available for use as Lobby Music and Moments in various Fortnite modes, including The Battle of the Piano, Creative, Fortnite Festival, Lego Fortnite, and Save the World.
Current standout tracks include BTS‘ Oil, The Weeknd‘s I Can’t Feel My Face, Metallica‘s Drive with Lightning, and Sabrina Carpenter‘s Espresso, among many others. (Metallica and Carpenter represent former and future icons in the Fortnite Festival, respectively.)
The study by Luminate highlighted the positive impact an artist’s presence in a video game can have on consumption. According to the 2024 Mid-Year Report, tracks featured in Fortnite Festival advertisements experienced an average streaming increase of 8.7% the day after the announcement compared to the previous day.
Furthermore, Luminate’s 2024 Year-End Report indicated streaming surges for Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Spice, and the late Juice WRLD following their involvement in Fortnite Remix last November. The concluding concert of this monthly event attracted an impressive 14.3 million simultaneous players, marking a record for Fortnite and further illustrating the potential of virtual concerts within the music industry.
Growing Intersection of Music and Gaming
The integration of Fortnite tracks into Luminate data underscores the increasing synergy between music and video games, a realm that now transcends traditional music and film. The 2024 Dentsu report noted that the video game industry generated a staggering $184 billion in 2023, while worldwide revenue from cash fees reached $33.9 billion, and recorded music pulled in $28.6 billion.
Rob Jonas referred to this phenomenon as a “transmedia landscape.” He stated, “Understanding how audience engagement trends in gaming intersect with music consumption is increasingly vital.”
“It is more important than ever to understand the interaction and trends of the audience in the game space and how they correlate with music consumption.”
Rob Jonas, Luminate
“We are witnessing the rise of interconnected experiences, and understanding how audiences engage with them across games, music, and other platforms is crucial.”
“We are excited that our new partners at Epic Games recognize this need, and we look forward to evolving this partnership as the convergence of music and gaming continues.”
“We are eager to continue collaborating with the music industry to explore unique and exciting ways to connect with both new and existing fans.”
Emily Levy, Epic Games
Emily Levy, Director of Music, Talent, and Influence at Epic Games, expressed that the partnership with Luminate “will enable artists to extract even greater value from showcasing their music in Fortnite.”
She further noted that music integration in Fortnite “provides players a genuine way to connect with significant songs through self-expression, creation, discovery, and gameplay.”
“We are looking forward to continuing our collaboration with the music industry to leverage unique and innovative methods of engagement with both new and existing fans.”
Luminate strikes music data partnership with Fortnite maker Epic Games
