As its first anniversary approaches, Apple Music is getting a major overhaul, according to reports surfacing this morning. The changes come at a time when CEO Tim Cook is hoping that ongoing subscription revenue from services like Apple Music can help reverse Apple’s flattening revenue forecasts. _________________________________ Apple Music is…
Category archives: Music Tech
Connected Music Startup ROLI Raises $27M Round Led by Foundry
London based music tech startup ROLI has raised $27 million. The company creates and sells net connected musical instruments and related tech including the well received Seaboard RISE keyboard. Boulder, Colorado based venture firm Foundry Group led a $27 million Series B round in music tech startup ROLI, its first…
Don’t Count SoundCloud Out Yet…
With significant losses SoundCloud has been taking a significant amount of heat. Still, among the many streaming services, there are still a lot of things SoundCloud gets right that its competitors do not. As it expands its paid service in the UK and Ireland, we take another look. _________________________________________ Guest…
SoundCloud Launches Paid Subscriptions, Turns On Ads In UK, Ireland
[UPDATED] SoundCloud has launched its paid subscription music streaming GO offering in the UK and Ireland. Ad free subscriptions cost £10 a month, and free users will now face an increasing number of ads. Both moves will lead to long-overdue payments to artists and labels. SoundCloud Go launched in the…
Lessons From Prince And His Struggles With Digital Music
In addition to his legacy as an artist and performer, Prince also had, throughout his career, a complex relationship with the world of digital music distribution, and while he certainly tried many different tactics when it came to making his music available to the public, it’s unclear just how successful…
REWIND: The New Music Industry’s Week In Review
Neil Young drops on TIDAL, a judge assigns an administrator for the will-less Prince’s estate, Apple Music sees something of a growth spurt, and much more as we take one last look back a full week of industry news. Label Sues Band For ‘Shamelessly Attempting To Cash In Before Downfall…
Spotify Is Becoming MySpace, While Apple Music Becomes Facebook
Although Apple’s quarterly revenue streak was recently broken, a bump in Apple Music subscribers offered one bright spot in an otherwise grim report, suggesting Apple may finally be creating some perceived value in its music, even as Spotify loses ground. _____________________________ Guest Post by George Howard on Forbes As reported…
YouTube Exec Says "No other platform gives as much money back to creators"
YouTube has recently come under fire from labels and some in the music community both for its Content ID system and the size of payments to creators. Now, a top YouTube exec is pushing back with a rebuttal that offers Google’s point of view. __________________________________________ By Christophe Muller, Head of…
20 Hot Music Startups Named Midemlab 2016 Finalists
Music startup showcase Midemlab has named its 2016 class. It includes Revelator and Stagelink, who have been on my watch list and new discoveries Tracklib, Ikonfete and KLANG that show real promise. ________________________________________________ Music startup showcase Midemlab is part of the Midem music industry tradeshow, which takes place in Cannes,…
Virtual Reality In The Music Industry Must Be A Tool, And Not Just An Experience
Cherie Hu discusses how, in order for virtual reality tech to gain legitimacy as an industry tool, it must rise above simply being thought of as a gimmicky toy and realize its true potential for use in our day-to-day lives. ___________________________________ Guest Post by Cherie Hu Last month, I found…