BMG Extends Its Digital Licensing Deal with German Heavyweight GEMA

BMG’s new deal with GEMA will ensure songwriters get paid in the streaming music era. BMG has announced a new long-term deal extension with GEMA, a German collecting society. The move extends BMG’s digital service licensing to 48 more territories. BMG …

Looks Like Spotify’s Crackdown on Family Plan Abusers Is Working

Apparently a lot of people have been using the ‘Family Plan loophole’ to get cut-rate Spotify Premium. So far this year, Spotify has lost a lot of money. In its second quarter 2018 report, the company revealed a steep deficit of $460 million, up 133.1%…

Disturbed’s David Draiman Says ‘People Demonize Streaming’ — But It Actually Saved the Industry

The fraction-of-a-penny payouts from services like Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music has long been a point of contention in the music industry.  But should musicians be counting their blessings? A prevailing argument is that artists made a lot more bef…

Spotify Plunges to a Post-IPO Low of $146.08 — Time to Panic?

Shares of the world’s most popular online music streaming service were rattled on October 24th as the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost more than 600 points. Spotify stock reached $146.08 by the time Wall Street closed an abysmal session on Wednesday. …

The World’s First ‘Ethical’ Streaming Music Service Shuts Down After Two Months

Looks like the world wasn’t ready for an ethical streaming music service.  Neither was Humbolt CEO David O’Brien. In order to combat what he saw as unfair payouts in the music industry, former musician David O’Brien had an idea. Why not create a stream…

Spotify Opens the Floodgates on Its Playlist Submission Feature. Beta Users Had a 1-in-7 Chance of Getting Added.

Spotify’s playlist submission platform is officially out of beta. Spotify is unleashing yet another direct-to-artist feature this morning, this time for playlists.  Several months ago, the company released the submission tool as a beta feature within S…

YouTube Music Enables Video Searching by Emojis (Seriously)

YouTube Music is making it easier than ever to find your favorite songs — with emoji searching. The newly launched YouTube Music app offers a new way to experience music videos, playlists, live performances.  But there’s also a novel new way to search….

YouTube Music Enables Video Searching by Emojis (Seriously)

YouTube Music is making it easier than ever to find your favorite songs — with emoji searching. The newly launched YouTube Music app offers a new way to experience music videos, playlists, live performances.  But there’s also a novel new way to search….

Apple Opens a New Beats 1 Studio in New York

To beat the competition, Apple Music keeps expanding.  This time, in Manhattan. Apple has just expanded a key radio station in New York City. The company has opened a studio in the city for its Beats 1 radio team.  Per Fast Company, top artists and hos…

SAG-AFTRA Reaches a Streaming Royalty Deal with UMG, WMG, and Sony Music

With the rise of streaming music, SAG-AFTRA wants to make sure its members get paid. SAG-AFTRA has reached a tentative agreement with major labels following months of negotiations.  The three-year agreement is a successor contract to the existing SAG-A…