RIAA, BMG Are Copyright Cop Rightscorp’s Biggest Customers

The RIAA may have slowed down on lawsuits against average customers, but its continuing to fight grassroots piracy on another front by working with aggressive copyright takedown service Rightscorp. The major label trade group, along with indie BMG, are the copyright cop’s biggest customers. _______________________________ The RIAA and BMG are…

You Don’t Need A Record Label To Be Successful

Although artists now have the resources and technology to be successful without the help of a major label, or indeed a label of any kind, many are still confused as to why so many in the industry are eschewing traditional labels in favor of their own DIY efforts. Here we…

Forget Ed Sheeran and Drake, Justin Bieber Just Had The Biggest YouTube Debut Of 2017

The Bieb is back! Oh, wait… you only wished that he went away. Talk all you want about Ed Sheeran and Drake as the streaming success stories of 2017, but Justin Bieber just helped break a YouTube record with the biggest music video debut of 2017. The static video, tracked…

Music Streamer Deezer Explores Radical Shift To User Centric Licensing [MARK MULLIGAN]

"What if that metal fan only listened to Metallica, yet still 10% of that subscriber’s revenue went to Katy Perry?" It is not a hypothetical question. It’s actually how payments to rightsholders are calculated by Spotify, Apple Music and all other music streamers. But Mark Mulligan discovered that rival Deezer…

Purple Pain: Universal Music Ponders Cancelling Prince Deal

Universal Music is apparently suffering from buyer’s remorse. 10 weeks after completing a deal that was rumored to be north of $30 million, UMG is not seeing return on its investment; thanks, it appears, to a complex deal that Prince had with Warner Music Group. ____________________________ UMG announced in February…

TV Is Perfect For Artists Who Don’t Fit Radio ‘Mold’ – ‘Big Little Lies’ Standout Michael Kiwanuka

After his song "Cold Little Heart" earned a prominent spot on HBO’s new Big Little Lies, Michael Kiwanuka saw a massive jump in his music’s popularity. Here he discusses how TV placement can help artists whose music may not fit with traditional radio, and the important relationship between a well…

How Pandora Helped Ed Sheeran, Lorde, Lana Del Rey and The xx Gain Momentum Before Their New Album Release

When Pandora listeners hear a new single, they create stations based on that artist’s music and hear more of that artist. That’s gold when the single preceded a new album, explains Pandora’s Glenn Peoples. _______________________________ By Glenn Peoples, Music Insights and Analytics at Pandora As long as there will be…

Fans Have A Growing Willingness To Actually Pay For Music [MusicWatch]

Music fans are showing a growing willingness to actually pay for music, and that is helping to drive the current growth in the recorded music industry. In fact, the value of those fans grew 11% last year driven by tens of millions of $10 per month on-demand subscriptions, according to…

Warner Music Group Strengthens Digital Team With 2 New Hires

Warner Music Group has hired Michael Drexler as VP, Digital Strategy & Corporate Development and Allan Coye as VP, Digital Strategy & Business Development. Based in New York, both will report to Ole Obermann, WMG’s Chief Digital Officer & EVP, Business Development; and are his first hires since he joining…

Sync To Be A Focus Of This Year’s MUSEXPO

MUSEXPO is set to return for the 13th edition of its flagship Los Angeles event at the W Hotel Hollywood from April 30th – May 3rd 2017. ____________________________ This year’s MUSEXPO will feature a revamped event program that includes a special focus on India, brands engagement, a strong focus on…