Notorious Q4 Release Date: Myth Or Fact?

In the music business, grizzled industry veterans and young up-and-coming indie stars agree with the Q4 adage that, when it comes to releasing music, it’s best to wait until the New Year is under way. But in an ever-changing industry, does this theory hold up? _________________________ Guest post from AWAL…

Instagram Secret Menus, New Trends Decoded

In this edition of Decoded, our fiends at AWAL look at the trends and hidden tricks shaping entertainment inside the Facebook owned and operated social media crown jewel that is Instagram. _________________________ Guest post from AWAL The sheer scale of Facebook’s owned-and-operated crown jewel makes it a vital endpoint in…

Goal Setting Guide: How To Kick Off 2019 Right

A new year means a new opportunity to take your budding music career to the next level! One of the best ways to ensure you start things off right, is to establish goals from the outset. Here we look at how to do this most effectively. ____________________________________ Guest post by…

Live Nation Music Industry Scholarships Now Accepting 2019 Applicants

Working with Live Nation, the Music Forward Foundation is opening up it’s 2019 Live Nation US Concerts Scholarship program, giving three lucky recipients $30k with which to pursue their careers in the music industry. ______________________ via Celebrity Access In partnership with Live Nation, Music Forward Foundation has opened the window…

Indie Stores Report 2018 Vinyl Sales +10%, CDs -12.6%

The Coalition of Independent Music Stores polled it ts members on December 2018 sales compared to last year. Despite the rush to streaming, brick and mortar music stores appear to be holding with the help of healthy sales of vinyl, turntables and vinyl accessories. 2018 Indie store charts follow the…

New Type Of Ad Coming From Spotify

While nobody loves commercials, they’re an essential part of how Spotify’s free tier operates. The streaming service will trying something new, however, by allowing outside advertisers to "sponsor" the incredibly popular user-specific "Discover Weekly" playlists. ___________________________ Guest post by Bobby Owsinski of Music 3.0 We all hate commercials of any…

Amazon Adds 1 Million Reasons Not To Use Your Car Radio

Amazon is bringing Alexa voice control to the car. Announced in September, the Echo Auto is finally shipping to the more than one million drivers that pre-ordered it. To boost sales farther, the Echo Auto is on sale for $24.99, a 50% savings. Add free Spotify and TuneIn accounts and…

Warner/Chappell Signs Worldwide Deal with Au/Ra

Warner/Chappell Music has just signed Au/Ra. Warner/Chappell Music has signed a major worldwide deal with an up-and-coming artist. Au/Ra – real name Jamie Aura Stenzel – has generated over 40 million streams with her CamelPhat collaboration, ‘Panic Roo…

Old School Music Marketing Trick That Holds Up In 2019

In the competitive modern music economy, any marketing edge you can gain in the crowded playing field is key. Here we look at classic marketing tool which not only holds up in 2019, but will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future. ___________________________ Guest post from Haulix Daily…

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…