Will Taylor Swift Exercise Her Nuclear Option?

Currently one of the most powerful operators in the music industry, Taylor Swift’s contract with Big Machine Records has come to an end, giving her freedom to go out on her own, shop around and choose another label…or maybe not. _______________________________ Guest post by David Philp of Music Biz 101…

Pitchfork and Vinyl Me, Please Launch Reissue Series With Slowdive’s Pygmalion

Pitchfork and record of the month club Vinyl Me, Please are partnering to curate and reissue four special edition vinyl albums over the next year. The series will kick off in December with UK shoegaze legends Slowdive and a limited 2,000 record pressing of their 1995 album Pygmalion. Pitchfork will…

YouTube Music Charts 11.2-8.18: Ariana Grande Is #1, Linkin Park Passes 1B Views

On the YouTube Music Charts this week, Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next” reached #1 on the US Top Songs Chart, Linkin Park’s “Numb” crosses 1 billion views, and Queen continues up charts again following the release of their biopic Highlights – Linkin Park’s official music video for “Numb” hit 1B…

The Business Of Indie: Daptone Resurrected • New Ole CEO, Acquisitions • Sup Pop Singles Club • More

Today Hypebot launches The Business Of Indie, an initial step in our effort to give independent labels, publishers and artists the attention they deserve. Much like Hypebot’s More News section, The Business Of Indie will be nestled under the Indie tab at the top of the page and feature a…

Keith Richards Brings Solo Catalog To BMG

Guitarist and Rolling Stones co-founder Keith Richards has signed with BMG worldwide to consolidate his entire solo recording catalog. The agreement includes Richards’ 1978 debut solo single ‘Run Rudolph Run’ and four solo albums from 1988-2010, alongside his publishing which BMG has represented since 2013. Released in 1988, Richards’ debut…

The Business Of Indie Launches Tuesday

Independent labels, publishers and artists are the heart of the music business. But with media and the trades obsessed with major labels, big hits and the Life Of Kanye, indie music doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. So Tuesday, Hypebot is launching The Business Of Indie as a first step…

Sick Of Being ‘Pushed Around By Older Bands’ Bad Omens Exits Senses Fail Tour

Bad Omens has dropped off the Senses Fail / Amity Affliction tour, but the young band is claiming it is not about the size of its name on poster artwork, as previously reported. Senses Fail tweeted that the “Misery Will Find You” tour will no longer include Bad Omens because…

UK Americana Awards Names 2019 Nominees, Graham Nash To Receive Lifetime Achievement Award

The UK Americana Awards have announced its shortlist for their 2019 nominees. Iconic singer, songwriter and musician Graham Nash OBE, has been selected by the Americana Music Association UK as its 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. U.S. and international artists including Darlingside and Brandi Carlisle were also nominated. Commenting on…

YouTube Paid Music Industry $1.8B In Past Year

YouTube paid the music industry $1.8 billion in advertising revenue from October 2017 to September 2018, according to Google. YouTube has paid the music industry $6 billion since launch. Google and YouTube say that they have invested $100 million to build and staff the Content ID system which underpins YouTube’s…

Insta-Albums and Why It (Sort Of) Pays To Be Social

The concept behind free samples has long proven itself to be successful in the world of retail, and now the marketing strategy has been adapted by artists for use on Instagram, making music more social and boosting sales. ____________________________ Guest post from AWAL There’s beauty in the simple sell of…