What the US record industry should fear about its future– and what it deserves to celebrate

The annual RIAA numbers regarding the health of the US record industry are out – and, as ever, there’s plenty of interesting data to get our teeth into.
Music Business Worldwide

Warner Music Group Is Putting Its IPO on Ice — For Obvious Reasons

Warner Music Group owner Len Blavatnik was smart enough to spark a public offering last month — and wise enough to put it on ice this week. Blavatnik, the Ukranian-born billionaire who presciently purchased Warner Music Group back in 2011, savvily deci…

Taylor Swift Declared Best-Selling Global Artist of 2019 by IFPI

London-based global recording industry trade group IFPI has declared Taylor Swift the bestselling worldwide artist of 2019. Swift edged out the likes of Ed Sheeran, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Post Malone, Queen, and the Beatles for the crown. Having las…

Megan Thee Stallion Says Her Label Is Blocking the Release of New Music

Texas rapper Megan Thee Stallion says renegotiating her contract has led to a nasty dispute with her label. Her upcoming album, Suga, is due to release on May 2. That release may not be happening after one of her labels put a freeze on those plans. The…

Juicy J Slams Columbia Records In New Song — ‘F*k Columbia Records’

Juicy J posted — then deleted—a vicious Columbia Records diss track.  And if the title and lyrics of rapper Juicy J’s newest single are any indication, he’s not a very big fan of his record label. On the heels of a few strongly worded (and highly criti…

Vinyl Record Sales Increase 13.3% In Germany In 2019, Now Account for 5% of Overall Recorded Music Sales

According to a newly released report from trade group BVMI, Germany’s music industry experienced solid growth in 2019, including a double-digit jump in vinyl sales. Especially interesting is that even though Germany speaks a different language, is loca…

Music Benefactors Wants to Solve the Crowdfunding Riddle for Musicians — Introducing the ‘Artist Public Offering’

On November 14th, 2019, Taylor Swift wrote an open letter to the public, the music industry, and, most importantly of all, her many millions of fans. In it, Swift — who has sold over 50 million records and became a global sensation long before her 30th…

Storied Chrysalis Records Reemerges as a Frontline Label

Fifty-two years after its founding, the storied Chrysalis Records is reemerging as a frontline label. The record company’s officials announced today that their brand would relaunch as part of an agreement with Partisan Records, a Brooklyn-based indepen…

YG’s 4Hunnid Label Inks a Joint Venture Deal With Epic/Sony

Rapper YG has inked a JV deal between his label, 4Hunnid, and Sony Music Entertainment’s Epic Records. Per a deal first tipped by Variety this (Wednesday) morning, the Compton rapper will tie with Epic/Sony on all future works. The deal spans distribut…