The market is not shrinking. It is rotating.
October had 2,428 active buyers. November surged to 6,546. December compressed to 1,522. The churn is the signal. Most of November’s buyers were new compared to October, and most of December’s buyers were new compared to November.
If you keep pitching the same short list of companies all quarter, you are repeatedly missing the majority of the market.
Rotation, not volume, is the real story. Your buyer list should change monthly, not yearly.
The long tail is where indies win.
Long tail means most of the activity sits outside the biggest buyers. In October and November, the top 50 buyers only accounted for about a third of activity. December was different. The top buyers took a much larger share, which is why the month feels slow.
In most months, two thirds of activity happens outside the top buyers. That is the access zone.
Packaging signals are the default.
Across Q4, most buyer signals already include talent or a named decision maker. A late December music special listing included performers and guests directly in the attachment field. That is the level of specificity buyers respond to now.
If you are not attaching talent, attach a producer who can. Packaging is no longer optional.
What this means for your 2026 strategy
- Chase rotation, not headlines. Buyer lists turn over fast. Refresh your target list monthly.
- Use the long tail. Outside the top 50 is where access lives for indies.
- Package or get packaged. Most signals include attachments or a named decision maker.
A quick note on early year patterns
We do have January to March data, but February and March are sparse. Treat them as directional. The shape is still useful. January is active, then the market thins right after the year turns.
Use January for openings. Use February and March for follow through. If you are not in motion by late January, you are probably waiting for the next window.
2026 will reward alignment, not volume. Move with rotation, target the long tail, and show up packaged.