UPDATE: Two Top Execs Exit As SoundCloud "Begs" Investors For Cash

UPDATED: SoundCloud’s COO and VP of Finance both have left the music streamer. Their exit comes just weeks after the company admitted in financial filings that it could run out of cash in 2017 and amidst a new report that it’s "begging" investors to help. ____________________________________ Chief Operating Officer Marc…

This Week In Music Commentary

Music commentators had plenty to say this week! A Trump adviser weighs in on intellectual property theft in an uninformed and unhelpful way, meanwhile we tackle the difference between plagiarism and inspiration, and examine why streaming services need product and price innovation. Trump Advisor Pens Useless, Uninformed Piece On Intellectual…

TOP POSTS: This Week’s Most Read Posts On Hypebot

Most popular and frequently perused articles from Hypebot over the past week included a look at why Gaga would play the Superbowl for free, new pieces of tech that are redefining the DJ game, major changes in the live music industry to watch in the coming year, and more. Lady…

Music Video Reset: YouTube, Vevo, Facebook Rethink Streaming’s Killer App [Mark Mulligan]

Music video is streaming music’s killer app, says MIDiA’s Mark Mulligan. 45% of consumers watch music videos on YouTube or Vevo every month. Now both video services are in the middle of a major reset and Facebook is showing increasing interest. _____________________________________ By Mark Mulligan of MIDiA and The Music…

FRI. BRIEF: Spotify Promotes Katy Perry • Beats Now Come w/ 3 Months Apple Music • Pandora Stumbles • More

FRIDAY 2.10.17 Music Business News From Around The Web Music’s New 1%: Spotify may not believe in exclusives, but it certainly embraces selective artists marketing. Updated continuously under our More News tab

Pandora Stock Recovers Friday Morning Despite $343M Loss, Disppointing Forecast, No Listener Growth

UPDATE 2: Pandora stock fell as much as 5% more in after hours trading Thursday, but recovered 4% Friday morning to an 11AM price of $3.11. Yesterday’s drop came as the company reported that losses doubled from $169.7 million to $343 million,and offered a weak forecast. Pandora’s total active listeners…

Department Of Justice Should Drop 100% Licensing Push

A hotly contested and lawsuit-inducing issue from the start, the time has come for the Department Of Justice to ditch its push for a 100% licensing rule on songwriters particularly since most of the lawyers working on the issue have since abandoned it. _______________________________ Guest post from David Lowery of…

Leadership Music Now Accepting Class Of 2018 Applications

Last year I had the honor of being part of the Leadership Music Class of 2016. I can honestly say that the days spent with my 47 classmates – "The Best Class Ever" – were among the most rewarding in my music industry career. Each year, Leadership Music gives about…

Bandcamp Makes Major Improvements To Help Sell More Merchandise, Physical Goods

Sales of music merchandise, along with other physical formats, continue to grow on Bandcamp. To accelerate growth, Bandcamp has unveiled major improvements. __________________________________ Vinyl sales grew 48%, cassettes were up 58% and even CD sales grew 14% last year on Bandcamp. To date, fans have bought over four million physical…

Trump Advisor Pens Useless, Uninformed Piece On Intellectual Property Theft

Although it’s hardly at the forefront of current political issues, a recent and rather clueless piece in Business Insider regarding intellectual property and its theft from one of the members of Trump’s transition team does not bode well for the music industry. ________________________ Guest post by Mike Masnick from Techdirt…