Are The Record Labels Of The Future Already Here?

As advancements in technology continues to shift the music business landscape, the role of record labels has become uncertain. Here Cherie Hu examines what future record labels might look like, and if they might already be here. __________________________ Guest post by Cherie Hu For record labels, technological change has created…

This Is How Spotify Could Become A Next Generation Record Label [Mark Mulligan]

"Spotify’s future is going to be much more than being the future of music retail," says industry analyst Mark Mulligan, who expects "Spotify to lay the foundations for a bold platform strategy that has the potential to change the face of the recorded music business as we know it." __________________________________________…

Rock Music Fails To Chart In Hot 100, But Americana Has A Breakthrough Week

The big musical tent that is Americana had its best sales week ever, even as rock music failed to find even a single slot on Billboard’s mainstream Hot 100 radio chart. The exception: rock with a heavy dose of EDM. ______________________________________ By Glenn Peoples of Pandora Rock isn’t dead. I’ll…

Indie Label Association Issues "Serious" Alert For Counterfeit CDs For Sale Via Amazon

A2IM, the U.S. indie music trade group, has issued a rare and unusually strong warning to be on the lookout for look alike counterfeit CDs for sale on Amazon. ________________________________________ The Association of Independent Music has issued a warning regarding a "serious counterfeit operation selling large numbers of CDs" using…

Indie Label Association Issues "Serious" Alert For Counterfeit CDs For Sale Via Amazon

A2IM, the U.S. indie music trade group, has issued a rare and unusually strong warning to be on the lookout for look alike counterfeit CDs for sale on Amazon. ________________________________________ The Association of Independent Music has issued a warning regarding a "serious counterfeit operation selling large numbers of CDs" using…

Harry Shearer Files $125M Lawsuit After 17 Years Of Spinal Tap Soundtrack Sales Nets $98

One of the stars and co-creators of the classic rock spoof "This Is Spinal Tap" has filed a $125 million lawsuit after statements from film producer Vivendi allegedly issued statements claiming that total worldwide merchandising income from 1984 to 2006 was just $81 and that between 1989 and 2006 income…

Google, Amazon Leverage Copyright Loophole To Use Songs, Not Pay Songwriters [Chris Castle]

To avoid properly compensating songwriters, big data purveyors Amazon and Google are claiming they are unable to find contact information for the deserving songwriters, instead opting to file copyright notices in what appears to be a music land grab, says Chris Castle. _____________________________ Guest post by Chris Castle of Music…

Are Streaming Music Services Really Just Labels-In-Waiting?

In the wake of the release of so many streaming exclusives from high profile artists like Frank Ocean and Beyoncé, it looks to some as though streaming services are poised to further subvert the old media status quo by positioning themselves in an increasingly label-like role. ________________________________ Guest post by…

Drake’s "One Dance" Is Now The Most Streamed Song In Spotify History

Drake’s hit "One Dance" is now the most streamed song in Spotify history with over 880 million streams. Released earlier this year, "One Dance" blew past Major Lazer’s 2014 hit "Lean On" to take the top spot. Drake is also currently the #1 artist on Spotify with over 36 million…

3 Must-Know Facts About Nielsen’s Billboard Charts

Billboard and Nielsen surveys inform a great deal of what we know about the music business when it comes to numbers, but how these companies work can be something of a mystery to artists, a mystery which we unpack some of here. _________________________ Guest Post from Topspin The Billboard charts…