My friend texted me the New York Times’ 6-minute ‘Watch How a Pop Hit Is Made’ doc about Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey’s “The Middle.” This is an excerpt from Ari Herstand’s new book How to Make It in the New Music Business (Second Edit…
Category archives: Feature Story
Katy Perry, Dr. Luke, Capitol Records Officially Appeal the $2.78 Million ‘Dark Horse’ Copyright Infringement Verdict
Attorneys for Katy Perry, Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Capitol Records are officially appealing the $2.78 million copyright infringement ruling on “Dark Horse”. If only this was the most shocking copyright infringement decision the music indus…
APRA AMCOS Posts Record Performance Royalties — But Streaming Is Starting to Slow
APRA AMCOS, which is Australia and New Zealand’s performance rights organization, posted records earnings in their latest fiscal year, fueled in large part by streaming music. In the PRO’s annual report, the organization listed revenues of …
Tekashi 6ix9ine Signs a $10+ Million Record Deal While Still In Prison
There’s an old adage: “crime doesn’t pay.” Just don’t tell that to rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine, or he might just laugh in your face. While awaiting sentencing on firearms and racketeering charges, Tekashi 6ix9ine signed a new recording contract that will re…
Lil Nas X, Cardi B Slapped With a Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Over ‘Rodeo’
Another day, another major copyright infringement lawsuit. This time, a pair of music producers in Atlanta are suing Lil Nas X, Cardi B, and other collaborators for copyright infringement on “Rodeo.” The plaintiffs claim that the song derives from a tr…
The Black Keys Explain How to Game the Billboard Charts and Get a #1 Album
Once upon a time, the band that sold the most albums topped the Billboard charts. Now, it’s a totally different game. Here’s a deal that the Black Keys decided to turn down. Appearing recently on the Joe Rogan Podcast, Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney…
Rihanna Rejected a Super Bowl Halftime Offer: ‘ I Just Couldn’t Be a Sellout.’
While Jay-Z has made peace with the NFL and structured a controversial partnership with Roc Nation, not everyone in the pop music world is on board with him. This includes Rihanna, who has just confirmed that she refused to appear at the halftime show …
The Week’s Top U.S. Festivals & Tours, Presented by SeatGeek
The most popular concert tickets, tour stops, and artists around the country, based on SeatGeek data through Wednesday, October 9th. Welcome to our weekly report on the world of live music, based on exclusive data from SeatGeek, a ticketing platform th…
Apple Is Officially Shutting Down iTunes — But Song Downloads Aren’t Completely Dead
When Apple released the newest version of its MacOS operating system on October 7th, it marked the end of the iTunes era. iTunes is officially going away after close to two decades in operation. The company has moved its functionality into 3 different …
Tekashi 6ix9ine Docuseries Is Officially Happening — 50 Cent Executive Producing
Tekashi 6ix9ine will be the centerpiece of an upcoming docuseries — though we’re not sure how this one ends. The previously rumored Tekashi 6ix9ine docuseries is officially being made, with 50 Cent serving as the project’s executive producer. Dependin…