Bad Bunny’s new album is killing it on Spotify — partially due to the platform’s paid advertising options. Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny is taking full advantage of Spotify’s soon-to-be expanded advertising tools to promote his newest…
Author archives: Dylan Smith
TikTok’s Streaming Music Service, Resso, Officially Launches In India — Without Universal Music
TikTok parent company ByteDance has launched Resso, its long-awaited music-streaming service, in India. Though the platform bears some similarities to TikTok, it’s been tailored to resemble leading streaming services in terms of payments and subscripti…
Fired Recording Academy CEO Says She Has Evidence of Grammys Voting Corruption
Having been officially fired by the Recording Academy just two days ago, Deborah Dugan has made good on her promise to retaliate by coming forward with what she claims is evidence of a rigged Grammys nomination process. Yesterday, March 3rd, Dugan and…
Amazon, VEVO, TikTok, Intel Cancel SXSW — Organizers Still Refuse to Call Off the Event
Amazon, Vevo, and TikTok have all canceled their SXSW 2020 appearances within the last 24 hours. But the mega-festival is still set to take place. As the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic rages on, more companies yet are canceling their scheduled South b…
Ariana Grande’s ‘7 Rings’ Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Might Get Tossed
The previously reported Ariana Grande copyright infringement lawsuit could be dismissed sooner rather than later. Earlier today, District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald sent a letter to the lawsuit’s plaintiff and legal team, in which she indicated that th…
The Average Canadian Songwriter Earned Just $67 Last Year from Domestic Digital Sources
SOCAN members — including songwriters, composers, producers, publishers, and other composition rights owners — received an average of $67 (Canadian dollars) for domestic digital royalties in 2019, according to the organization. SOCAN, a performance rig…
Marvin Gaye’s Estate Doubles Down on Pharrell Williams Perjury Charges
Marvin Gaye’s estate has doubled down on perjury allegations against Pharrell Williams, whose statements in a 2019 GQ interview are said to have contradicted those he gave while under oath in the courtroom. Today, Marvin Gaye’s lawyers subm…
One of Germany’s Largest ‘Fake Stream’ Operations Has Been Shut Down
The recording industry has taken decisive action against a company that offered artists stream-manipulation services—i.e., fake plays on Spotify and other leading music platforms. The IFPI, which represents the global recorded music community, previous…
Facebook Officially Exits SXSW 2020 — Event Not Getting Canceled, Organizers Say
Following Twitter’s lead, Facebook has pulled out of South by Southwest (SXSW) 2020. Even so, event organizers say the mega-festival will go on as scheduled, despite rising domestic and international concerns relating to the coronavirus (COVID-19). Twi…
Spotify Faces Independent Contractor Misclassification Lawsuit In California
A California man has filed a class-action lawsuit against Spotify over the company’s alleged misclassification of his employment status and failure to provide legally required breaks and payments. Matthew Elias submitted the lawsuit both on his behalf …