Songwriters Can’t Sue Without Copyright Certificate says U.S. Supreme Court, RIAA Cries Foul

In a rare unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that applying for a copyright is not enough to so sue someone for copyright infringement. It currently can take months to receive the formal certificate of registration. In the case between Fourth Estate Public Benefit Corporation and Wall-Street.com, the…

PledgeMusic Leaving More Artists Unpaid

As the gloomy saga of PledgeMusic’s financial failings drags on, more artists are revealing that that the now infamous crowdfunding site failed to provide them with payment. Here we look at some specific numbers from a variety of artists. ____________________________ Guest post by Bobby Owsinski of Music 3.0 Recently I…

How To Pull Off A Great Looking Music Video On A Budget

Producing a music video for free simply isn’t going to happen, but creating a great looking, quality product while actually sticking to budget and not leaving your band destitute is significantly more achievable. Here we look at how. ____________________________ Guest post by Gideon Waxman of Soundfly’s Flypaper Making a great…

4 Ways To Prep For The Chaos Of SXSW 2019

With SXSW just around the corner, members of the music industry are scrambling to get their ducks in a row in order catch all the incredible shows they want to see, meet all the people they want to meet, and maybe even grab a bite to eat along the way….

How Smart Speakers Increase The Artist and Fan Divide

"Alexa (Siri, Google) play __________." With tens of millions of song requests being processed daily, what fills that blank matters. "Play That Funky Music" will net you the Wild Cherry hit. Hear that song once and you know the title. But while "Counting Blue Cars" may have been a big…

Hypebot Crashes The Music Biz Weekly Podcast: Streaming, PledgeMusic, Smart Speakers, More

The big three record labels earning $19 million a day from streaming, the ongoing PledgeMusic tragedy, how smart speakers are changing songwriting and the future of podcasting were all part of a wide ranging discussion between Bruce Houghton of Hypebot and the Skyline Artists Agency and Music Biz Weekly co-hosts…

The Reality Of Music Journalism And How To Get Covered

Getting good press in the music business hasn’t gotten easier in recent years. Competition is stiff and engaging the interest of press can be even harder than capturing the attention of fans. Here we look at music journalism and how to cultivate a relationship with industry gatekeepers. ____________________________________ Guest post…

Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book’ Passes 1.5B Spotify Streams

Three years after the release of ‘Coloring Book,’ Chance the Rapper surpassed 1.5 billion streams on Spotify as of March 1st. ‘Coloring Book’ was released in May of 2016 and became the first streaming-only album to chart the Billboard 200 and win a Grammy, according to Chart Data. I just…

Making It Big: What 6 Elite Producers Taught Us [VIDEO]

As part of new content franchise, Kobalt has invited some of the music industry’s top producers to share their stories about coming up in the music industry and their respective journeys to success. _____________________________ Guest post from AWAL If you’re reading this, it’s time to learn. AWAL’s parent company, Kobalt,…

Bandsintown Big Break Showcase Returns To SXSW 2019

Concert discovery platform Bandsintown returns to SXSW with its second annual Big Break Showcase, the festival’s only fan data-driven official showcase. It will be held o Wednesday, March 13th from 8:00 PM – 2:00 AM on the rooftop of Maggie Mae’s on 6th Street. This year’s Bandsintown Big Break Showcase…