Digital platforms share insights, updates for local music distribution
MANILA, Philippines — Amplify 2025, the flagship music business event of digital music company Believe Philippines, took a deeper dive into internal knowledge sharing this year, focusing on empowering clients and teams.
With an emphasis on maximizing impact across major digital and social media platforms — Spotify, YouTube, and Meta — this year's Amplify became a catalyst for deepening expertise and aligning strategies with the latest trends and technologies.
The company's Country Director Georgette Tengco highlighted the unprecedented rise of local music as it dominates the charts, noting that "8 out of 10 tracks in the latest charts came from Believe accounts" including Viva, Ghost Worldwide, RealWrld, and Young God Records.
"All genres are now being represented — this shows that the acceptance of Original Filipino Music is at an all-time high," Tengco said. "While the forecast is an increase in local music consumption year on year, we all need to rise to the challenge to keep the momentum going."
Keita Minato, Music Label Partnerships Manager for Asia at Meta, shared strategies for amplifying music content across Instagram and Facebook, along with a preview of upcoming innovations on both platforms.
Meanwhile Tram Nguyen, Manager of Music Content Partnership for Vietnam and the Philippines at YouTube, provided key updates on YouTube's content optimization tools and introduced product features designed to enhance visibility and performance.
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Mony Romana, Believe's Head of Labels and Artist Solutions (LAS), introduced exciting new upgrades to the company's internal artist platform Backstage.
Regional Video Senior Manager Papatpon "Ar" Panitying unpacked the competitive video platform landscape — showing how multiple factors affect streams and revenue, and how to protect video catalogs.
Panitying also offered a sharp analysis of the growing multi-format ecosystem, revealing how to strategically leverage its features in tune with today’s trends.
Video Manager Jaynia Escamilla capped things off with some compelling YouTube case studies including the remarkable revival of James Reid's "Randomantic" music video.
"With the help of our monitoring tools and data-informed creativity, we breathed new life into a ten-year-old video, proving its timeless appeal," said Escamilla. "It reconnected with longtime fans while drawing in new viewers — allowing producers to reimagine the visual and bridge generations."
Spotify Philippines' Senior Artist & Label Partnerships Manager Thea Madrideo and host-editor Don Puno gave impactful insights on platform updates and best practices, followed by a sharing of internal wins by Believe teams in LAS and Artist Services.
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Label manager and artist Resty Igot similarly celebrated the achievements of Realest Cram, "Now, three years later — Ghost, Realest Cram, CK YG — the whole crew is thriving. Their growth isn't just a win for them; it's a reflection of what strong collaboration can achieve."
The success story of Young Blood Neet brought the crowd full circle, as chronicled by John David Laylo and Pauline Concordia Hernandez.
"From the viral success of 'ILY,' which broke into Spotify's Top 200 with over 83 million streams, and over four Billion views on TikTok and 10.6 million creations to the gritty energy of 'DEMDAYZ,' YB Neet has delivered 36 tracks in a relentless pursuit of his breakout moment," both said.
The event wrapped up with an engaging fireside chat that included Madrideo, the previously mentioned YB Neet, and Spotify's Head of Artist Services Waheed Al Jarallah.
"From full-blown campaigns to the smallest pieces of content, every move is a step toward bringing great Filipino music to the forefront," said Al Jarallah.
He also proudly announced YB Neet's selection in Spotify Radar 2025, solidifying his status as one of the most exciting breakout acts in the country today.
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