Music Biz Association Chairman Resigns Abruptly Following Annual Conference

The chairman of the Music Biz Association has abruptly resigned after joking on stage about women artists who performed at the trade group’s annual Music Biz conference held in Nashville May 5-8. Following a Country Music Association presentation at the conference showcasing three female artists – Kassi Ashton, Cassadee Pope…

4 Benefits To Recording, Releasing Commentary For Your Music

Sometimes it can be hard to convey everything you want about your music through the album alone – luckily this creates the perfect opportunity to release commentary, giving fans insight into your creative process while keeping them engaged in the music. ____________________________ Guest post by Hugh McIntyre of the Symphonic…

Rolling Stone Music Charts Launch Delayed Indefinitely

The launch of music charts on Rolling Stone has been delayed indefinitely. Originally scheduled to launch on Monday May 13th, the charts will be the first to offer a widely distributed alternative to the Billboard charts. Now however, the charts will stay in private beta "for just a while longer…

Getting It Done: The Week In D.I.Y. and Indie Music

This week, our tips and advice for the music industry’s independent do-it-yourselfers covered how to actually make a living as a full time musician, how you can land your next music business job, some key content secrets for boosting social media engagement, and more. How To Fine Tune Your Discover…

Playlist Manipulation Will Create A Crisis In Streaming says MIDiA’s Mark Mulligan

Label and artist manipulation of songs, playlists and the streaming services themselves will lead to a crisis, says MIDiA analyst Mark Mulligan. "The paradox here is that casual fans have the potential to generate more streams than engaged listeners," says Mulligan."Streaming makes casual listeners ‘more valuable’ than aficionados." _______________________________ By…

Artists, Music Industry React To PledgeMusic Bankruptcy

As news that PledgeMusic was declaring the UK equivalent of bankruptcy, reaction was swift and almost universally negative. Many blamed PledgeMusic’s management and board of directors. "I honestly don’t know how they sleep at night," said veteran music marketer Jay Gilbert. "Where was the board?" asked music industry attorney Chris…

73% Of Independent Musicians Suffer From Stress, Anxiety And Depression

73% of independent musicians have experienced negative emotions such as stress, anxiety and/or depression in relation to their career, says a new study which surveyed 1500 indie artists. Among those 18-25 the number rose to 80%. A full 33% have also experienced panic attacks. Fear of failure, financial instability, loneliness…

Death Of The Album [Alex Heiche]

It seems the music format of generations is finally on its deathbed. Whether in the form of 8-tracks, cassettes, or vinyl, the album has seen its share of changes, but none more disruptive or deadly than the rise of streaming and playlist culture. _________________________ Guest post by Alex Heiche, CEO…

Full Screen Direct Shutters As D2F Takes Another Hit

Fullccreen Direct is shutting down all operations The direct-to-consumer platform which served 75 major music clients including Metallica, Kid Rock, Justin Timberlake and Keith Urban was the backbone of their direct to fan eCommerce and online fan clubs. Formerly known as StageBloc, Fullscreen Direct and its parent Fullscreen Media were…

Rolling Stone To Challenge Billboard With Music Charts

Rolling Stone Magazine is launching multiple music charts in a direct challenge to Billboard. Data for the charts will come from BuzzAngle Music. Rollling Stone owners PMC made a strategic investment in the music data firm last year. Rolling Stone has increased its music industry coverage in recent months, including…