Spotify Test Drive Higher Prices In Scandinavia

Having accrued an impressive number of subscribers, Spotify is planning to hike up prices on its home turf, increasing the cost of its family plan in Scandinavia by 14%. Whether this test will amount to anything, or be rolled out anywhere remains to be seen, however. ______________________________ Guest post by…

HMV To 1000 Indie, Unsigned Bands: ‘Come Play Our Stores’

Doug Putman and HMV have announced that the famed UK music retail chain is opening its doors to developing artists and unsigned bands for in-store performances. The move is in line with the chain’s ambitions to restore its specialist credentials and create a music retail community hub, similar to Putman’s…

Miles Davis’ ‘Kind Of Blue’ Was Released 60 Years Ago This Week

Sixty years after the release of one of the most iconic albums of all time, we look back on the legacy of Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, and the cultural impact it had on music, race, and beyond. ___________________________ Guest post by Caleb J. Murphy of Soundfly’s Flypaper Sometimes an…

Spotify Tests Stories Feature That Gives Artists A Voice

Spotify is testing a Stories feature designed to enable artists to share a narrative alongside their music. Uncovered by veteran code digger Jane Manchun Wong, it’s similar to Stories launched by Pandora in March. The examples found include songs with the artist offering their own story behind each track in…

Elissa, Lebanese pop star, retires from ‘mafia-like’ music industry

Last year, Elissa also hinted at problems with her record label Rotana after it signed a deal with music streaming service Deezer. The deal saw her songs removed from a key Arab music streaming platform on which she had received hundreds of millions of…

K-Pop Powerhouse Big Hit Entertainment Acquires Superb

Bit Hit Entertainment has announced its acquisition of Seoul-based music game company Superb. The K-pop powerhouse declined to reveal any details around the arrangement — at least beyond the top level.  According to an email sent to Digital Music News,…

A2IM Sets LA SynchUp For Day After Music Tectonics

UPDATED: A2IM is sponsoring its fifth annual SynchUp conference presented by Vydia on October 30th at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica, California. Attendees will participate in programs focusing on digital capacity and synch licensing for independent music. The event includes workshops and networking with top indie record…