In a newly released mid-year report on the music industry, Nielsen/MRC Data highlighted the far-reaching impact of the COVID-19 crisis and shed light upon several telling trends. Predictably, the music industry analysis revealed a sharp drop-off in tot…
Author archives: Dylan Smith
Drive-In Concerts Are Growing: Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Trace Atkins Announce Latest ‘Gigs’
With most traditional concerts still on hold due to health concerns stemming from the novel coronavirus, a growing number of artists are booking drive-in performances to safely entertain fans. In May, shortly after drive-in concerts began to pick up st…
Spotify Doubles Down on Fraud Allegations Against Indie Label Sosa Entertainment
The long-running courtroom battle between Spotify and independent music label Sosa Entertainment is raging on, as the leading music streaming service has elaborated on its far-reaching fraud counterclaims in a new filing. Spotify recently submitted the…
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Cancels Its Live Induction Ceremony
Owing to health concerns stemming from the novel coronavirus, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has canceled its 2020 live induction ceremony and opted instead to release a special about this year’s nominees. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame higher-ups made the…
Wynton Marsalis Joins J.K. Rowling, Malcolm Gladwell, Others In Denouncing Cancel Culture
Grammy-winning jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, along with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, longtime New Yorker staff writer Malcolm Gladwell, and an array of other prominent figures, has signed a letter denouncing cancel culture. The Handmaid’s Tale a…
Second Stimulus Check Might Be Limited to Americans Making Under $40,000
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) recently suggested that the rumored second stimulus check may be made available only to Americans earning less than $40,000 per year. The 78-year-old lawmaker touched on the subject of a second stimulus che…
Juice WRLD Estate Is Still Battling a Yellowcard Copyright Lawsuit
The estate of late rapper Juice WRLD is still battling a copyright-infringement lawsuit from Jacksonville, Florida-based punk-pop band Yellowcard. We first reported on the $15 million legal complaint in October 2019, shortly after Yellowcard submitted …
Burning Man’s Lawsuit Against the U.S. Government Continues with New Filing
In the wake of Burning Man 2020’s cancellation, the U.S. government moved to dismiss the lawsuit (centering on allegedly unfair permit and land-use fees) levied against it by the annual event’s parent entity. However, a new legal filing reveals that th…
YouTube Seriously Expands Music Video Analytics for Artists — ‘This Is a Mic Drop Product’
YouTube has dramatically expanded its Analytics for Artists tools, including by rolling out mobile support and enhanced audience-interaction statistics. YouTube unveiled the upgraded Analytics for Artists program today, via a short video and a release …
Spotify Downgraded by Bernstein: ‘It’s Unlikely Spotify Will Generate Much Earnings From Podcasts’
Since unveiling a multiyear deal to become the exclusive home of The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) in May, Spotify has experienced exponential stock-market growth, including several all-time-high prices and a valuation in excess of $50 billion. And while …