International Bluegrass Music Awards 2016 Nominations Announced

Bluegrass, in all its permutations from traditional to newgrass, has a much larger audience than most believe. This week, the International Bluegrass Music Association named its 2016 Awards nominees. _____________________________________________ The Earls of Leicester lead in nominations for the 2016 International Bluegrass Music Awards. The IBMA also revealed its newest…

SFX Considers Legal Action Against Founder Sillerman, Top Execs

The fall of controversial SFX founder and former CEO Robert "FX" Sillerman has been as dramatic as his rise. The next chapter in his demise is likely to include a gaggle of lawyers, as the new group in control of SFX signals legal action against him. _____________________________________________ New documents filed…

Pandora Adds Personalized Concert Notifications, But Ticketfly Events Get Top Billing [UPDATED]

[UPDATED] When Pandora acquired Ticketfly, the two pledged to use the power of the music streamer’s giant platform to drive ticket sales. Today’s announcement of concert notifications is a good first step, but it is also is reminder of the severe limitations of using a single data source to drive…

Father John Misty Tell Fans He Declined $250,000 To Do Chipolte Ad, Restaurant Chain Responds With Special Themed Menu

During his intro to “Bored in the USA”, J. Tillman aka Father John Misty told the crowd that he had been offered a quarter of a million dollars to cover Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way” for an ad for restaurant chain Chipotle. _____________________________________________ At this weekend’s Newport Folk…

Former AEG Chief Randy Phillips To Lead SFX Turnaround

Troubled EDM conglomerate SFX will get much needed new leadership when it exits bankruptcy, according to multiple sources. Former AEG chief Randy Phillips is reportedly the choice of SFX creditors who control the company’s future. _______________________________________________ Troubled electronic music giant SFX Entertainment plans to name veteran live-entertainment executive Randy Phillips…

Ariana Grande Lost White House Gig Because She Licked A Donut

According to DNC emails released via Wikileaks last week, Ariana Grande was being considered as a performer for a gala for President Obama, but in an extremely detailed back-and-forth that took place last September, she was ultimately deemed unfit for the job. ___________________________________________ Ariana Grande was barred from performing at…

New Ticketing Tech To Open More Doors To Live Entertainment

The issue of ticket bots snapping up tickets before fans have a chance is one that has long been acknowledged in the industry, but rather than using an increasingly closed system to ensure fans get to more events at a reasonable price, Jack Groetzinger believes a more open system may…

How Music Laws Affect Local Venues

Bars, clubs and like businesses will frequently play recorded music as well as hiring live bands. To do so, however, said venues must pay performance rights organizations fees in exchange for the use of their copyrighted material. Here we breakdown how the laws surrounding these sorts of transactions work. _______________________…

U2, Sting, Drake, Britney Spears, Sam Hunt Headline Impressive iHeart Radio Festival Lineup

iHeartMedia may be struggling to pay the bills, but they’ve still got the cash and clout to put assemble an impressive festival. And one look at the 2016 iHeartradio Festival lineup reminds just how much that mega-hits – past and current – drive commercial broadcast radio. _____________________________________________ iHeartMedia today announced…

The Huge Mistake Bands Make After Playing A Show

For musicians, the few days following a show are a critical time for strengthening their fanbase and networking. Here we provide a helpful checklist artists can follow to make sure they aren’t wasting post-gig momentum. ___________________________ Guest Post by Jhoni Jackson on the Sonicbids Blog The work you should put…