Warning: Spotify playlists may be damaging to your career. Ari Herstand explains why. What? You’re not subscribed to the Digital Music News Podcast? We’re available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, and pretty much everywhere else. Or, simp…
Category archives: Information For Musicians
The Pretty Things — The Most Important Band You Don’t Know
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Phil May from the band, The Pretty Things. One of the most influential people in rock history, and you’ve probably never heard of him. Phil May is a founder of a band called The Pretty Things. He founded th…
People Aren’t Getting Paid on Spotify’s $43.5 Million Class Action Settlement — No Responses, No Payments
Two years ago, independent songwriters and publishers agreed to a $43.5 million settlement with Spotify over unpaid mechanical licenses. Now, the payout process doesn’t seem to be happening. Back in 2017, Digital Music News broke the story that S…
91% of Artists Remain Undiscovered — Here’s How Show4me Is Planning to Change That
Would you pay $1 a year to directly support an artist? That’s one of several solutions that Show4me is spinning as part of its broader direct-to-fan network. It’s a statistic that can make any emerging artist feel depressed. Several years ago, Next Bi…
Spotify’s CEO Once Called the Black Keys to Explain Why Their Royalties Were So Bad
After Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney publicly complained about his royalties, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek gave him a call to explain how streaming really works. The Black Keys certainly aren’t the only band feeling stiffed by streaming platforms lik…
The Rise and Fall of PledgeMusic — How the Future of Music Crowdfunding Turned Into a Nightmare
“To me, the way PledgeMusic puts out music is what the future of the release of an album looks like.” – Benji Rogers Rogers founded PledgeMusic in 2009 as a direct-to-fan crowdfunding platform that focused on providing an experience. …
Neil Young’s Archive Has 25,000 Subscribers, Each Paying $1.99 a Month
Neil Young’s Pono player was a high-profile disaster. But he’s bouncing back with a low-profile success story. Instead of grousing about the wretched state of artist compensation, rock legend Neil Young is trying to do something about it. …
Frustrated Singer-Songwriter Liz Longley Asks Fans for $35,000 to Get Out of Her Label Deal, Gets $130,000 on Kickstarter
It’s not unusual for artists to have problems with their record labels. But rarely do such problems culminate in a happy ending. But this is exactly what happened to country artist Liz Longley, in a story that will inspire both artists and their …
How to Be a Star in Your Hometown
This is an excerpt from Ari Herstand’s new book How to Make it in the New Music Business (Second Edition) As important as establishing yourself online is, everyone has a hometown community they come from. You don’t compete in a NASCAR race before…
How to Be a Star in Your Hometown
As important as establishing yourself online is, everyone has a hometown community they come from. This is an excerpt from Ari Herstand’s new book How to Make it in the New Music Business (Second Edition) You don’t compete in a NASCAR race before…