Warner Music Group reported solid growth across multiple metrics in the fourth fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2017. But net losses for the quarter grew to $38 million versus $3 million in the prior-year quarter. Much of the loss came from falling recorded music operating income of $14 million, down…
Category archives: Major Labels
Spotify, Tencent And The Laws Of Unintended Consequences [Mark Mulligan]
Spotify is reportedly in talks with the the music arm of Chinese net giant Tencent to swap 10% stakes in each other’s businesses ahead of expected public market listings next year. In addition to greater collective bargaining power, there are some interesting and important unintended consequences of a deal for…
Spotify, China’s Tencent In Stake Swap Talks That Could Mean Lower Payments To Labels, Artists
Spotify is in talks with the the music arm of Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings to swap 10% stakes in each other’s businesses ahead of their expected public market listings next year, according to the Wall Street Journal. _______________________________________ A proposed deal between between Spotify and the music division of…
Russell Simmons Steps Down After Multiple Sexual Misconduct Allegations
[UPDATED] Hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons on Thursday announced that he was stepping down from the companies he founded after another woman leveled a sexual misconduct charge against him. _________________________________ In an essay published by the Hollywood Reporter on Thursday, screenwriter Jenny Lumet alleged that in 1991, Russell Simmons forced her…
Taylor Swift’s New Album "Reputation" Is Now Streaming On Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, More
Taylor Swift’s "Reputation" is now streaming on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming music services. Three weeks after its release, fans in Australia and The Philippines, where it was already Friday, began to report the availability yesterday afternoon; and at midnight in each time zone across the globe streamers flipped…
Indie Record Store Black Friday Sales Up 13.8%, reports CIMS
Black Friday sales reports from the Coalition Of Independent Music Stores are in and they were universally positive, according to Michael Bunnell, CIMS Executive Director. Less comprehensive data showed an up day on Small Business Saturday, as well. ____________________________________ Sales reports from most Coalition Of Independent Music Stores show Black…
Owning A Piece Of Drake’s Music Now Possible Through The Magic Of Vetz
For the hardcore fan, the idea of owning a piece of their favorite artist’s music might well be an enticing one and now, thanks to a company called Vetz.co, artists can raise cash by selling ownership of a song to fans. One such artist taking advantage of this opportunity is…
Dr. Dre, Jimmy Iovine Documentary "The Defiant Ones Now Available On DVD, Streaming
“The Defiant Ones,” the documentary about the lives and careers of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, comes out on Blu-ray and DVD today, and while the four part documentary occasionally over-romanticizes these two industry icons, it is a masterfully produced must-see for anyone who cares about evolution of the modern…
Majors Score More Charted Tracks, But Indies Win On Longevity [Mark Mulligan]
It’s clear from looking at any chart or official playlist that the major labels have a significant edge when promoting music and "creating" hits. But that promotional power does not always lead to longevity – how long a songs stays on the charts. In fact, indie labels, though falling behind…
Grammy Nominees 2018 – Full List
[UPDATED] The 2018 Grammy nominees were revealed on Tuesday morning., and along with the usual suspects there some real surprises. Here is the full list of Grammy Nominees 2018: Grammy Nominees 2018 Record of the Year “Redbone” — Childish Gambino “Despacito” — Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber…