Co-Founder Glenn Dicker Talks Seminal Indie Label Yep Roc

In this interview Glenn Dicker, co-founder of Yep Roc records (now in its twentieth year), chats about the origins of the label, the value of genre diversity, suggests some essentials from their catalogue, and more. ______________________________ Guest post by Will Hodge of Noisetrade It’s always an incredibly fun opportunity to…

German Indie Label Powerhouse SPV Signs Worldwide Distribution Deal With The Orchard

Sony-owned music and film distributor The Orchard has announced a deal with independent label SPV for worldwide digital distribution. Founded in Germany, in 1984, SPV’s catalog includes Whitesnake, Sepultura, Kaiser Chiefs, Motörhead, The Game, Alice Cooper, Everlast, Monster Magnet, UFO and The Scorpions. SPV also has several in-house labels, including…

When Is The Best Time To Release An Album In 2018?

As with every other aspect of marketing yourself in the music industry, when you choose to release your music can make all the difference. In this article we break down the best months in which to drop your new record as well as those months which will ensure a flop….

Spotify, Tencent And The Laws Of Unintended Consequences [Mark Mulligan]

Spotify is reportedly in talks with the the music arm of Chinese net giant Tencent to swap 10% stakes in each other’s businesses ahead of expected public market listings next year. In addition to greater collective bargaining power, there are some interesting and important unintended consequences of a deal for…

Indie Musicians Have Access To Legal Help – Here’s How

A lot of musicians, particularly those those who don’t have a lot of industry clout or feel as though proper legal representation is out of the their reach, a legal battle may be something they’re more likely to walk away from than face. This doesn’t have to be the case…

Jessica Page Of Indie Label Mom + Pop Talks Marketing, Messenger Bots and More

In this interview Jessica Page talks about her time in the music industry, from her origins at startups and in media distribution, as well as about her current position at Mom + Pop Music and current social media marketing strategies. _________________________ Guest post by Veselina Gerova of The Message Hey…

Distribution And Label Service Company Ditto Music Expands

One of many music aggregators out there, Ditto is growing to become one of the bigger players in distribution and label services, and has been rapidly expanding to become one of the major player in digital distribution along with companies like TuneCore and CD Baby. _________________________ Guest post by Bobby…

Spotify, China’s Tencent In Stake Swap Talks That Could Mean Lower Payments To Labels, Artists

Spotify is in talks with the the music arm of Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings to swap 10% stakes in each other’s businesses ahead of their expected public market listings next year, according to the Wall Street Journal. _______________________________________ A proposed deal between between Spotify and the music division of…

How A Philly Alt-Rocker and Aussie Singer-Songwriter Connected Their Fans With A Spotify Playlist Exchange

As the international duo of besties was faced with limited option when it came to the promotion of their new album, artists Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett came with a unique way of boosting their new album via a Spotify playlist sharing program. ________________________________ From the Spotify For Artists Blog…

55% Of 2018 Grammy Nominations Went To Indie Artists

Independent artists make up 55% of nominations in all non-producer and non-spoken word categories, according to tabulations from A2IM. In 43 of the 81 categories, majority of nominees were on independent labels. ___________________________________ The 2018 Grammy nominations have again recognized the importance of independent music. The independent music label sector…