Spotify Narrows Its ‘Preferred Distributors’ List to Just 3 Companies

Spotify’s ‘Preferred Distributor’ tier just got a shake-up. Last October, Digital Music News broke the news that Spotify had selected 5 preferred distributors: CD Baby, Distrokid, EmuBands, FUGA, and The Orchard.  Now, Spotify is clearly defining two t…

Hulu’s Fyre Festival Documentary Beats Netflix’s Fyre Festival Documentary to the Punch

If you like disaster festival documentaries, you’re in luck. The Fyre Festival is one of the biggest live event disasters the music industry has ever witnessed.  Now, both Hulu and Netflix have separately shot documentaries on the implosion. And they s…

It’s Official: Musexpo’s ‘California Entertainment Week’ Is Happening March 24th-29th

Get ready for an enormous sushi roll of music, radio, A&R and entertainment —California style. Longtime A&R and music industry player Musexpo is rolling its successful portfolio of LA-based conferences in a potent bundle.  Dubbed ‘California En…

Paradigm, CAA, ICM Face Federal Subpoenas In Connection With the Fyre Festival Bankruptcy

The post-Fyre Festival stink keeps getting worse.  Now, major booking agencies are being subpoenaed. Major talent and booking agencies are now getting ensnared into bankruptcy proceedings tied to the failed Fyre Festival of 2017.  The flopped festival,…

Kanye West Cancelled Coachella After Being Refused a Giant Dome In the Middle of the Festival

How much is a superstar headliner worth?  Apparently, not this much — at least for Coachella. Kanye West was rumored to be part of Coachella’s 2019 performer list.  But when the official festival slate was announced last week, West’s name was nowhere t…

New York’s Highline Ballroom Is Officially Closing — ‘The Landlord Has Other Plans’

After 12 years, Manhattan’s Highline Ballroom is getting pushed out.  But it ain’t over yet. After a twelve-year run, New York’s Highline Ballroom is moving out of its 431 W 16th St. digs.  The club hosted a range of different styles, from jazz to folk…

The AMLC Is Aggressively Moving Forward to Implement the Music Modernization Act

Despite rumors of anti-competitive threats, the American Music Licensing Collective (AMLC) is aggressively moving forward and seeking qualified tech partners. President Trump may have signed the Music Modernization Act (MMA) into law.  But he’s also th…

Sony Unveils a Brand-New 3D Audio Format — Introducing ‘360 Reality Audio’

Forget 5.1 audio surround.  Sony Corporation is introducing something far more immersive. For those at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, this is one of the more interesting innovations — at least for those into audio.  And alongside its…

Vinyl Distributor RPM Distribution Is Allegedly Shutting Down Without Notice

Is Canada’s RPM Distribution really shutting down, just like that? It now appears that RPM Distribution is shutting down its operations, with little-to-no warning issued to major partners.  According to a letter to clients shared with Digital Music New…

Deutsche Bank Values Universal Music Group at $33.3 Billion — Higher Than Its Parent Vivendi

It’s the perfect time to sell — a 50% stake, that is. Universal Music Group woke up a lot more valuable this morning, at least in the eyes of Deutsch Bank.  On Monday morning, the Frankfurt-based investment banking and financial services conglomerate s…