J.J. Abrams’ production company, Bad Robot, is launching an indie record label to better feed the machine. Director and producer J.J. Abrams is well known for hit television series and movies including Lost, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and the …
Category archives: Feature Story
You Can’t ‘Remaster’ a Brand-New Copyright, U.S. Court of Appeals Rules
Remastered oldies sound better. But they’re ultimately technical improvements that don’t constitute a brand-new copyright, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals just ruled. The complexity of U.S. Copyright Law is now becoming outright absurd, e…
It Begins: Amazon Taps Yo-Yo Ma for a 36 Episode Alexa-Powered Music Series
Should Spotify and Apple Music be very, very afraid? Amazon is now aiming to crack Spotify and Apple’s lead in music streaming through a new marketing blitz featuring Alexa and famous musicians. Alongside a major advertising campaign for its Ale…
What Happens After the Music Modernization Act?
There is no such thing as a universal data standard in music. And it is unlikely that there ever will be. The following comes from Chris McMurtry, an authority in music metadata and the driver of an AI-driven metadata initiative happening at DMN partne…
The 100 Best Selling Albums of All Time (Updated for 2018)
What are the best-selling albums of all time? According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the Eagles’ Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 is now the top-selling album in history, with 38 million copies sold in the US alone. He…
Amazon Is Planning a Major Advertising Blitz for Its Streaming Music Platform
Is Alexa Amazon’s secret weapon for taking on Spotify and Apple Music? In the global music market, Spotify reigns supreme. The company now has well over 83 million subscribers. Yet, with 50 million subscribers, Apple Music currently controls key marke…
Nicki Minaj Accuses Spotify of Retaliating Against Her After She Partnered With Apple Music
Nicki Minaj says a retaliation campaign by Spotify harmed the success of her latest album, Queen. The retribution included a refusal to honor an agreed-upon promotional push on Spotify’s platform, according to the artist. This sounds like a pret…
What Marvin Gaye’s Attorney Thinks About the ‘Blurred Lines’ Copyright Verdict
It’s easily one of the most controversial music copyright cases of the year — if not decade. But will the ‘Blurred Lines’ copyright verdict really create a ‘chilling effect’ for songwriters and music creativity? The follo…
Spotify Reported 2 Million Ad-Blocking Users In March — Here’s What They’re Doing About It
Spotify has a giant ad-supported tier, so it wasn’t entirely surprising to learn that two million people were actively blocking ads on the platform. That said, it wasn’t exactly good news to anyone whose content rests on the platform. Afte…
New York State Officials Cancel Phish’s Curveball Festival Over Health Concerns
Fans looking forward to Phish’s Curveball festival in New York have been left upset after the New York State Department of Health issued a statement saying they could not grant the permits for the event to continue as scheduled. The statement fro…