Author archives: Bruce Houghton

UMG, AI Firm Super Hi-Fi Partner To ‘Explore The Space Between The Songs"

Universal Music Group has partnered with Super Hi-Fi, an artificial intelligence programming company that delivers song transition, voice-over and artist interview insertion solutions for music service providers. "Today the space between songs is a barren wasteland of dead air and jarring, abrupt transitions. Each time a song changes on services…

MON. BRIEF: Paradigm, UTA Deal Off • Tony Winners List • SoundBetter Adds ‘Tracks’ • Sir Costello • More

MONDAY 6.10.19
Music Business News From Around The Web
Updated continuously under the More News tab

Stay Calm! Apple Did NOT Just Kill Music Downloads

For the many, the announcement that Apple is "killing" iTunes also meant that Apple was also killing its music download store. In fact, iTunes on the Mac is just being divided into three separate apps for music, podcasts and TV. And the iconic music download store lives on, at least…

Indie Stores Are Being ‘Strangled’ By Major Label Distribution: ‘Things are a complete mess.’

Independent music stores are demanding action from all three major labels over repeated missing and incorrect shipments handled by their primary fulfillment partner Direct Shot Distributing. "We need help right now on this issue or you will begin to see stores fold simply because their supply chain strangled them," says…

Billboard To Add Top Songwriters, Top Producers Charts

Under pressure from alternative data sources and soon to launch charts from Rolling Stone, Billboard is expanding its own chart offering. Top Songwriters and Top Producers charts will be based on weekly activity on the Billboard Hot 100 and other “Hot” genre song charts that blend data from streaming, airplay…

Experts Weigh Future Of Crowdfunding Post-PledgeMusic

Has crowdfunding for musicians become too risky? Is it dead altogether? These kind of questions are being asked by tens of thousands of artists who had counted on PledgeMusic and fan funding to finance their next project. Hypebot asked four music marketing experts with experience in crowdfunding to share what…

BUSINESS OF INDIE: Akon Launches Label • AWAL + Proper • Indies Score At Country Radio • More

In this new edition of Business Of Indie, Akon and Motown Veteran Kedar Massenburg launch the Akonik Label Group, AWAL expands its deal for physical distribution with Proper, indie labels are giving majors a run for their money at country radio and more. Like Hypebot’s More News section, The Business…

Rapper Spent $4M On Company Credit Card To Boost Career

Rapper Chad Arrington, aka Chad Focus, may not have been all that he was cracked up to be. Arrington promoted his alter-ego with a giant billboard in Times Square, showing him surrounded with stacks of money. He also spent $65,000 on jewelry. There were also dozens of other billboards across…

Justice Dept. Opens Review of ASCAP, BMI Consent Decrees

The U.S. Justice Department will review two consent decrees originally reached in 1941 with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music, Inc (BMI) to establish how the organizations, which license approximately 90% of music in the United States, must operate. Under the consent decrees, the…