Ed Sheeran Ranks Highest Grossing Touring Artist

As more and more legacy rock acts retire and leave the concert circuit for good, the industry has been debating who will fill the void and pack stadiums. According to this calendar year, that someone is Ed Sheeran, who pulled down more money from his live touring in 2018 than…

The Boston Symphony Orchestra: Is It Sexist?

Like almost all industries, the music business is no stranger to sexism, and while this issue usually manifests most often in genres like pop music, it turns out the classical scene has its share of sexism and discrimination as well, as a recent incident at the Boston Symphony Orchestra reveals….

Bandsintown Shares 2018 Stats, ‘Big Break’ Artists [INFOGRAPHIC]

Bandsintown is now delivering concert info on the shows of 500,000 registered artists to 45 million users, the company shared in its 2018 wrap. 21 Pilots won the honor of most concert RSVP’s and 15 year old rapper Bhad Bhabie was the platform’s fastest growing new artists. 20 new artists…

Indie Band Ace Of Cups Get Shot At Stardom, 50 Years Later

60’s San Francisco music scene stalwarts The Ace of Cups have signed a record deal and are planning to hit the road for the first time – some 50 years after their first attempt. The all-girl band was part of the SF music scene in the ’60s, playing alongside acts…

Ed Sheeran Tops Pollstar 2018 Global Touring Chart, Taylor Swift Dominates US

Tour trade publication Pollstar tracked more than 44,000 live concerts in 2018 logging in a record-setting $10.4 billion total gross and 152.1 million tickets sold. Ed Sheeran topped the year grossing a whopping $432 million, an all time touring record. Pollstar’s Top 100 World Wide tours totaled $5.6 billion U.S….

New Colossus Int’l Indie Music Fest Sets March NYC Debut

Six independent music venues in lower Manhattan are teaming up in early 2019 to host the New Colossus Festival. The festival will take place from March 7-10, and features performances by a host of eclectic domestic and international acts that includes The Natvral (Kip of The Pains of Being Pure…

This Week In Music Commentary

Commentators inside the music industry this week weighed in on why midsize cities will be the next major music hubs, why copyright law isn’t so bad for creatives, how to effectively work with a record producer, and more. Placemakers: Why Midsize Cities Are the Next Music Hubs [Kyle Bylin] Copyright…

4 Tips For Ensuring Your Live Music VIP Experience A Smash Hit

VIP experiences are on the rise in the music industry, giving cash-laden fans premium access and a variety of perks, and while organizers and attendees both seem to win out on the face of it, getting VIP ticketing right is easier said than done. Here we look at four tips…

Taylor Swift Uses Facial Recognition At Shows To Stop Stalkers

The use of facial recognition at live events has become public with the recent report that it was used at Taylor Swift’s Rose Bowl concert on May 18th to spot potential stalkers. A facial recognition camera was placed into a kiosk that ostensibly displayed rehearsal clips of Taylor’s Reputation tour,…

Mac Presents’ Marcie Allen On Music Sponsorship Trends At XLIVE Conference

[UPDATED] MAC Presents founder Marcie Allen was a keynote at the XLIVE conference in Las Vegas this week, where the branding guru shared that tour sponsorships are no more. “First of all, you need to know that tour sponsorships are dead. I don’t sell them anymore. I can’t sell them,”…