Interview with Lily Nguyen, Editor-in-Chief of Hype-Index.com
Originally published by The Music Manifesto.
Hi Lily! Looking back over the last five years or so, how has Hype-Index evolved from a grassroots newsletter into what it is today?
Hey! It’s evolved a lot, but the core idea has always stayed the same. The daily email is still at the heart of everything we do, but we’ve seen a big increase in traffic on the website and over time we’ve built up some strong audiences on Spotify as well. The format has expanded, but the focus hasn’t really changed. It’s still about highlighting new releases and breaking artists at the right moment
How would you describe Hype-Index today to someone unfamiliar with it?
I think Hype-Index is best described as a music publication that surfaces notable new releases and emerging artists.
At its core, it’s about selection. We’re not trying to cover everything, just the records and artists that feel genuinely noteworthy. The goal is to create a clear signal and put those releases in front of the right people
What do you actually look for when selecting artists or records to feature?
It always starts with the record. It needs to stand out in some way, whether that’s the sound, the identity or the cultural angle around it.
With newer acts, we also look at what’s happening around the artist. That could be early traction or just a sense that something is starting to build.
At the same time, we’ve always wanted Hype-Index to be completely democratized. If we think an artist is doing something genuinely interesting, we’ll cover it regardless of whether they have a label deal or the usual industry signals.
That creates a really interesting mix. You might see a debut single from an unsigned post-punk band featured alongside a new release from an established act with major backing. That balance is a big part of where the value comes from.
How do you decide which genres or scenes to cover?
We don’t work from a fixed genre list, and that’s really intentional.
It’s more about what feels interesting and where there’s movement. That can come from completely different scenes at different times, which keeps things exciting!
How do you see the role of curated music publications evolving in the next few years?
I think we’ll see more focus on smaller, more curated outlets that people actually trust.
Streaming platforms are great for access, but they don’t always provide context. That’s where editorial platforms come in - they help filter what’s actually worth paying attention to beyond the algorithms.
There’s also more music being released than ever, so curation becomes more important, not less.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
This might sound slightly contradictory given how Hype-Index spotlights single releases, but I’d love to see more emphasis on albums with concepts.
The streaming era has definitely changed release strategies, and a lot of albums now feel more like collections of tracks rather than fully realised projects.
It would be great to see more artists creating cohesive, narrative-driven records again. Albums like A Grand Don’t Come for Free or The Wall still stand out because they feel like complete bodies of work.
There have been some more recent examples as well (Dave and Lily Allen come to mind), and I’d love to see more of that.
What’s one thing people probably don’t realise about your job?
Probably the sheer volume of work that goes into it.
Between myself and the team, we review around 300 submissions a week, alongside tracking and researching a lot more releases outside of that. Then there’s deciding what gets featured and when, liaising with artists and their teams, and actually publishing everything across the site, newsletter and playlists.
I love it, but there’s definitely a lot going on behind the scenes to surface just a handful of records each day.
Finally, for artists or labels who want to pitch a release to Hype-Index, where should they start?
The best place to start is by looking through recent features. That gives you a clear sense of the kind of records we tend to highlight and what fits the platform.
From there, you can send pitches directly to pitch@hype-index.com. We listen to everything that comes through, whether it’s from a PR, a label or the artist directly!