NetEase Cloud Music has been on the move as of late. Late last year, and ahead of Tencent Music’s fabled IPO launch, the Chinese streaming music giant had closed an important financing round. NetEase Cloud Music raised $600 million in funding. Strateg…
Author archives: Daniel Sanchez
Baidu, a Former Chinese Piracy Search Hub, Prepares Music-Related Projects
Can Baidu win over the music industry? Several years ago, in an attempt to cut down on piracy around the world, the US Trade Representative (USTR) placed Baidu, a top Chinese search engine and tech giant, on its annual “notorious markets” list. Accordi…
Amazon Music’s New Freemium Tier May Bite Into Spotify’s Long-Term Advertising Strategy
Amazon’s freemium music service soft launch may force Spotify to reevaluate its own strategy to keep advertisers. In an interview published earlier this year, David Limp, Senior Vice President of Devices and Services over at Amazon, shared a surprising…
In a Stunning Defeat, Madonna ‘Vogue’ Co-Writer Beats Warner Music Group in Court
A federal appeals court has found that Warner Music Group had wrongfully kept Madonna’s co-writer’s royalties – his livelihood – for years. Two years ago, the co-writer behind Madonna’s ‘Vogue’ filed a lawsuit against a major music group. Taking on War…
UK High Court Tosses Royal Opera House Appeal Over Violinist’s ‘Acoustic Shock’
Undeterred with two defeats, the Royal Opera House vows to fight on. Last year, the High Court found the Royal Opera House (ROH) contributed to violinist Christopher Goldscheider’s permanent hearing loss. The violinist had accused the classical venue o…
Trustee Asks Judge to Subpoena Netflix and Hulu Over Fyre Festival Documentaries
Just how much did Billy McFarland, Fyre Festival’s now-jailed co-founder, hide from his own company? Shortly after the start of the New Year, both Netflix and Hulu launched their respective documentaries on the biggest live concert disaster in history….
Nashville Metro Council Condemns Spotify’s Anti-Songwriter Stance
How long will Spotify continue to hold out against growing opposition? Spotify doesn’t seem to have many friends in the music industry anymore. From top executives – including Irving Azoff – and major publishers – such as Warner/Chappell – the industry…
Germany Vows to Prevent the Copyright Directive’s Upload Filters ‘as Far as Possible.’
Will Germany succeed in preventing the Copyright Directive’s undefined ‘upload filters?’ You probably already know the story by now. Last month, in a landmark vote, the European Parliament approved the controversial Copyright Directive. 348 Members of…
Blueprint Radio Unveils Podcast Plugging Division for Artists and Labels
With its podcast plugging arm, Blueprint Radio hopes to break into the growing U.S. podcast market. According to Blueprint Radio, a British independent national radio promotions firm, around 5.2 million people listen to podcasts in the UK each month. …
Spotify Formally Opens Its R&D Center in London, Creating Around 300 New Jobs
Spotify has formally opened a new R&D center in the heart of Great Britain. Nearly two years ago, Spotify revealed its plans to launch a new research and development hub. The R&D center would co-exist alongside its current operations in London…