"RCA/Sony: Drop Sexual Predator R Kelly" read the banner flying over the Los Angeles offices of RCA and Sony on Friday. It’s the latest escalation in a growing protest movement to force record label RCA and corporate parent Sony to cut ties with Kelly, after repeated reports of predatory behavior…
Category archives: Major Labels
Criminal Probe Opened Over 320M Fake Streams On Tidal
Official Norwegian criminal justice unit Økokrim has opened an investigation into hundreds of millions of possible fake streams on Tidal that benefited new releases by Kanye West and Beyonce. Økokrim, The National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime, is Norway’s central unit for fighting economic and…
Maroon 5, Travis Scott, Big Boi Confirm Super Bowl Show, Scott Demands $500,000 For Charity
Maroon 5, Travis Scott and former Outkast member Big Boi will perform at the Super Bowl halftime show, the NFL announced on Sunday. The once coveted performance became controversial as star after star rejected an invitation to appear because of NFL treatment of former player Colin Kaepernick and the ‘take…
UMG Signs Germany’s Top Streaming Artist 2018, Capital Bra
Universal Music has signed German hip-hop artist, Capital Bra. 2018 was a groundbreaking year for the rapper whose real name is Vladislav Balovatsky. Not only did he become Germany’s most streamed artist of 2018, but he is the first artist ever to have eight No.1 hits in one year in…
Record Labels Evolve To Stay Relevant In Streaming Era [Musonomics Report]
A new report based on almost 50 interviews with top-level executives at major and independent record labels, industry analyst and educator Larry Miller digs into how streaming and the digital age have made record labels an indispensable partner for the most ambitious new, developing and superstar artists. _____________________________ In “Same…
Black Music Execs Are Finally Rising Faster
Black music industry executives are rising faster in 2019, according to Billboard Magazine. “We need to fight for our seat at the table,” one major label senior VP told Billboard’s Gail Mitchell. Over the past eight months, some 20 seats were added to that top executive table. “If you think…
Lady Gaga Pulls R. Kelly Collaboration From Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes and More
Lady Gaga is pulling her 2013 collaboration with R. Kelly “Do What U Want” from iTunes and all streaming services, as fallout from sexual assault allegations brought to forefront by a new Lifetime docu-series "Surviving R. Kelly." “I stand behind these women 1000%, believe them, know they are suffering and…
New Hope For Indies As Streamers Move Beyond Mega-Hits
Tucked inside Buzz Angle’s new Music Industry Report 2018 were some stats that should bring a smile to that face of nearly every d.i.y. artist and indie label staffer. Slowly, but very perceptively, consumers are using streaming music services to listen to more than just the mega-hits. While far from…
Nielsen Music 2018 Report: On-Demand Streams Up 49%
Nielsen Music has released it 2018 Year-End Highlights. The survey shows a year of significant overall industry growth, with total album equivalent audio consumption up 23% over 2017, driven by a 49% increase in on-demand audio song streams compared to 2017. A similar analysis of 2018 stats by BuzzAngle Music…
Sony Adds New Streaming Music Format ‘360 Reality Audio’
Sony has announced a new music format called “360 Reality Audio” that gives listeners the feeling of being immersed in sound from all directions. It is delivered by Sony’s object-based spatial audio technology and makes it possible for artists to create a 360-degree musical experience by mapping sound sources such…