Apple Music Shuts Artist-To-Fan Social Platform Connect, Redesigns Artists Pages, Radio

Apple Music is shutting down its Connect artist to fan social platform. Apple’s previous attempt at building a music focused social network, iTunes Ping, launched and shutters in months. Apple began notifying artists that they could no longer post on Connect amd previously posted content was being removed from the…

Taylor Swift Uses Facial Recognition At Shows To Stop Stalkers

The use of facial recognition at live events has become public with the recent report that it was used at Taylor Swift’s Rose Bowl concert on May 18th to spot potential stalkers. A facial recognition camera was placed into a kiosk that ostensibly displayed rehearsal clips of Taylor’s Reputation tour,…

FRI. BRIEF: Apple Music Closes Connect • YouTube Spam Purge • Taylor Swift Facial ID’s Fans • More

FRIDAY 12.14.18
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YouTube Music Turns Charts Into Playlists In 29 Markets

YouTube Music is adding playlists for YouTube Charts in 29 markets. Each will get five chart playlists – three specific to the country and two global. With 1B monthly users, the charts and playlists offer a unique global overview, alongside a local snapshot. Users can also add their favorite charts…

Mac Presents’ Marcie Allen On Music Sponsorship Trends At XLIVE Conference

[UPDATED] MAC Presents founder Marcie Allen was a keynote at the XLIVE conference in Las Vegas this week, where the branding guru shared that tour sponsorships are no more. “First of all, you need to know that tour sponsorships are dead. I don’t sell them anymore. I can’t sell them,”…

Amber Grimes Exits Spotify For Major Role At Capital Records

Amber Grimes is leaving Spotify for the newly created role of SVP, Global Creative at Capital Music Group. Gimes had been the senior manager of urban independent at Spotify, and her move is the latest of many significant exits from the streamer over the last year. Grimes portfolio includes formulating…

SoundCloud Adds Live Stream-To-DJ Mixes With Serato

SoundCloud has launched the ability for DJ’s to discover and live mix music from its licenced catalog through Serato’s DJ Pro 2.1 and DJ Lite 1.1 decks with a SoundCloud Go+ subscription. By combining Pro Unlimited and Go+, users can also mix and stream millions of underground and premium tracks…

Judge Confirms $5M ‘Blurred Lines’ Judgement Against Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams

Judge John A. Kronstadt has confirmed the nearly $5 million judgement against Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams and Williams’ More Water From Nazareth Publishing company. The judgement ends the much publicized copyright case brought by the estate of Marvin Gaye over the origins of the smash hit "Blurred Lines" and its…

Trala Scores $1.3M For Violin Learning App, Another Win For Techstars’ Startup Incubator

Trala has raised an oversubscribed $1.29 million seed investment round for its violin learning app. Trala is part of the Techstar Chicago startup incubator. Investors in the round include Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn; lead investor Origin Ventures and Techstars Ventures, as well as three execs at language learning app,…

Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame 2019 Inductees Named: Radiohead, Roxy Music and 5 More

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced its 2019 class of inductees. Of the 15 nominees, seven were chosen. Three made it into the Hall on the first year that they were eligible. Here they all are, in alphabetical order: The Cure Def Leppard Janet Jackson Stevie Nicks…