ASCAP Sues 13 Venues For Playing Music Without Paying

ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) has filed copyright infringement lawsuits against 13 music venues for “unauthorized public performance of its members’ copyrighted musical works.” The PRO represents 700,000 independent songwriters, composers and music publishers and “ensures its members can earn a living from their art by licensing…

Could The Proliferation Of Indie Streaming Platforms Be Harming Unsigned Artists?

As the major streaming platforms continue to bludgeon each other in hopes of gaining an industry monopoly, unsigned artists are seeking better, independent options for sharing their music with the general public – unfortunately, all these smaller platforms face a number of shortcomings. _______________________________ In this new post to MusicThinkTank,…

Spotify Revises WMG Statement, Issues Full India Launch Press Release

Words have become weapons in the battle between Spotify and WMG’s Warner/Chappell Music publishing. Overnight, Spotify clarified one of their jabes, alongside a fill announcement of the streamer’s launch in India. In the intro to Spotify’s approved statement the streamer referred to Warner/Chappell’s move for a court injunction as having…

WED. BRIEF: Spotify Launches In India • Pandora Adds Audio ‘Stories’ • Drake Tops Global Sales • More

WEDNESDAY 2.28.19
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Teen Musician Rejects $3M Deal: No Need For Label Thanks To Internet

Billboard magazine recently released a profile of teenaged musician/rapper NLE Choppa, who handily turned down a $3 million label deal, opting instead to partner with a distribution company, UnitedMasters, and maintain all rights to his work. Kids these days! ______________________________ Guest post by Mike Masnick of Techdirt There’s a pretty…

Key Advice For Marketing Artists [Jake Udell]

In this important piece of marketing advice, Jake Udell expands on his theory that the most important marketing an artist can do is to their core fans, and the value of investing time and money in quality content, rather than trying to reach as many listeners as possible. __________________________ Guest…

10 Most Viewed YouTube Videos Of All Time

There was a time when the internet made a big deal out of song reaching a billion views, but the days of such easily won astonishment are long gone, with popular artists now clocking in at well over double this number. In this piece, we check in on which YouTube…

Thriving After 15 Years: 6 Keys To Independent Music Success

Success as a DIY artist has never been easy, and for most, their rags to riches story comes down a little heavier on the rags. Still, as artist Yael Meyer illustrates in these six best practices, indie music success is achievable. ___________________________ By Yael Meyer from CD Baby’s DIY Musician…

Sound Royalties Offers PledgeMusic Artists $3M In Low Interest Royalty Advances

Sound Royalties is offering artists stuck without payment from PledgeMusic royalty advances at 4%. The music-focused finance firm is committing up to $3 million to affected musicians. “We care about the impact these issues have had on creatives,” said Sound Royalties Founder and CEO Alex Heiche. “Numerous hard-working bands and…

Most Artists Don’t Understand Their Record Deal, Do You?

Musicians need to understand the contracts they sign and their implications, but most don’t. Michael Brandvold and Jay Gilbert are joined on the Music Biz Weekly Podcast by manager and educator Mark Tavern to explore why that is and what to do about. Signing a record deal is a major…