RIAA Gold And Platinum Awards June 2016

Artists as diverse as Bruno Mars, Fun, Jason Mraz and Creedence Clearwater Revival are all among the 110 Digital Single Certifications and 49 Album Awards presented by the RIAA in June of 2016. Open and download a pdf of the full list here. Related articles RIAA Names Katy Perry Top…

Zach Katz Named President, US Repertoire and Marketing At BMG

BMG has named veteran label and publishing exec Zach Katz to take charge of its US repertoire and marketing across both music publishing and recordings. ________________________________________ As the new U.S. President, US Repertoire and Marketing, Zach Katz will take charge of a roster which includes in music publishing star writers…

U.S. Music Consumption Up 6.5%, On-Demand Streams Grew 58% [BuzzAngle Music Mid-Year Report]

After year’s of down numbers, the music industry is finally starting to rebound. Thanks to music streaming, the pace of expansion is accelerating, despite a growing downturn in music sales. _______________________________________________ U.S. music consumption grew nicely during the first half of 2016, even as sales of most formats declined, according…

Beers, Blue Jeans, And Broadcast Radio vs. Pandora

For all the criticism leveled at Pandora of late, it seem the popular internet radio service is helping out some mid-tier musicians, or at least those who play country music, by providing them with significantly greater airtime than traditional broadcast radio. _________________________________ Guest post by Glenn Peoples, Music Insights and…

Warner Music’s $3 Billion Debt Upgraded To B1 "High Default Risk"

When Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries bought Warner Music Group in 2011, it took on $3.05 billion in expensive debt. Now investment ratings firm Moody’s has upgraded WMG’s outlook slightly from B2 to B1, but with a "high default risk." ___________________________________________ Moody’s Investor Service has upgraded Warner Music Group Holdings business…

#GoogleMath: No Idea What YouTube Is Paying You?

Despite an oft quoted figure of 3 billions dollars since 2005, it seems YouTube actually has has no idea what it’s paying artists, although the evidence seem to be fairly clear that it’s not enough, says Ted Kalo. _______________________________ Guest Post by Ted Kalo on Medium For one of the…

Led Zeppelin, Warner Music Group Issue Statements After "Stairway To Heaven" Court Victory

Earlier today an LA jury ruled that Led Zeppelin did not plagiarize the opening chords of the iconic hit "Stairway To Heaven." This afternoon, Robert Plant and Jimmy Paige of Led Zeppelin and label Warner Music Group each released official statements. ___________________________________________________ STATEMENTS FROM LED ZEPPELIN AND WARNER MUSIC GROUP…

Led Zeppelin Wins "Stairway To Heaven" Lawsuit

Led Zeppelin did not plagiarize the opening chords of the iconic hit "Stairway To Heaven," a Los Angeles jury ruled today. It’s a case that could have cost $10’s of millions in back and future royalties, but may still help reshape modern copyright law. It took a jury in Los…

Music Biz To Return To Nashville May 15-18, 2017

The Music Business Association announced Thursday that its Music Biz convention will return to Nashville for the third consecutive year from May 15 – 18, 2017 at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. __________________________________________________ Mark your calendar: After another successful convention, the Music Business Association’s Music Biz convention will return to Nashville…

Digital Music Business And The Rashomon Effect – Jim McDermott’s Important A2IM Keynote

In this keynote address transcript, Jim McDermott explains how the Rashomon effect, wherein multiple parties share contradictory but equally plausible accounts of an event, has persistently existed in dealings between artists, labels and the music tech industry. ___________________________________ Guest Post by Jim McDermott Writer’s note: this is a lightly edited…