RIAA Demands Takedown Of ThePirateBay.org, EasyDNS Refuses

Following the The Pirate Bay’s return to its original .org domain, the RIAA has demanded that the popular search engine be once again taken down, a request complicated by the fact that there doesn’t seem to be much legal precedent to do so. _____________________________ Guest Post by Mike Masnick on…

UPDATE: Apple, Google Cut App Commissions By 50%, But Spotify Says It’s Not Enough

UPDATE: Apple and Google will cut the commissions charged to subscription apps by 50%. Even small changes can erase buckets of red ink when you have tens of millions of users, but in a statement Spotify says its not enough and does not address core issues. _____________________________________________ Apple and Google…

What Music Industry Can Expect From Monday’s Apple WWDC Announcements

This "big" announcements at Apple’s World Developers Conference (WWDC) on Monday will likely be about iOS 10 and major improvements to Siri. But thanks to a series of well informed leaks, we know that there will be a number of important music related developments. _________________________________________________ No, Apple will not be…

8tracks: Crowd-Curated Net Radio Service Experiments With New Investment Strategy [INTERVIEW]

Here we talk with David Porter, the founder of the new human-curated internet radio service 8tracks, about their new equity-based crowdfunding strategy, and how the service stands out form other internet radio offerings. _______________________________ Guest Post by Chris Robley on The DIY Musician If you’re digitally distributing your music through…

Troy Carter Explains Why He Joined Spotify As Global Head Of Creator Services To "Protect The Voice Of Artists"

Yesterday’s announcement that Troy Carter was leaving artist management to join Spotify was confirmation that the music streamer intended to chase exclusive content much like its competitors. But it was also a head scratchier. Why would a wildly successful artist manager and tech investor want to take a job at…

#Midem 2016 Attendance Falls 20%

Midem is still the largest and most important gathering of the international music business. But its relevance has been under attack ever since email and Skype made it easier to do business globally, and challenges by a growing list of more specialized, affordable and more manageable gatherings. __________________________________________________ Attendance at…

TUE. BRIEFING: Troy Carter Joins Spotify • Instagram Links w/IOS • Rita Ora Settle Jay Z Suit • #Midem Day 4 • More

Tuesday 6.7.16 Music Business News From Around The Web Troy Carter joining Spotify is a reminder that music is still an insider’s game. Updated continuously under our More News

Deezer Sells Podcast Service Stitcher To Scripps For $4.5 Million

Perhaps to raise a little cash in its ongoing battle with Spotify and Apple Music and perhaps because users of paid music streaming services are fine with free standalone podcast apps, Deezer has sold popular podcast service Stitcher to Scripps for $4.5 million. __________________________________ The E.W. Scripps Company has acquired…

Troy Carter To Join Spotify In Senior Role, As Battle For Exclusive Content Heats Up

Just as Apple has Jimmy Iovine and Tidal has Jay Z, Spotify will now have the well respected and much liked Troy Carter serving as it’s liaison with the music and creative community. The battle among music streamers for exclusive content is about to get more competitive and likely much…

Let’s Kill the "Manel" for the Sake of the Music Business

The preponderance of all male panels – “manels” – at leading international music conference MIDEM last week were easy to mock. But they’re keeping the music business from moving forward, writes music industry consultant Cortney Harding. __________________________________________ Last Friday, a photo started circulating of a MIDEM panel about the next…