In this flip back through the past week’s music industry news, we revisit the play gap in men’s vs. women’s performance on the charts, Spotify’s impressive showing over other streamers when it comes to installs, how Billie Eilish and her brother are redefining pop music from a tiny bedroom studio,…
Category archives: Music Tech
Amazon, YouTube Just Launched Free Music Services But Neither Is A ‘Spotify Killer’
Amazon and YouTube each just launched free music streamers. Like Spotify’s free tier, both offer free ad-supported music. But despite the media hype, their goals are very different than Spotify. Spotify’s free tier offers on demand access to 40 million tracks across almost every platform imaginable. Whereas YouTube and Amazon…
Why Music And Tech Can Never Be Separated
In 2019, music and technology have become more linked together than ever, with new tech advancement now part and parcel of every aspect of the music industry. In this piece, Patrick McGuire explores the historical context for this, and what happens technological change is put at odds with artists’ values….
Spotify Passes 500 Million Installs, Far More Than Other Streamers
The Spotify app has passed 500 million installs on Android. In its last quarterly report, Spotify reported 207 million monthly active users, so the 500 million stat includes people who are no longer using the app and reflect how Google calculates downloads and installs. Pandora, Amazon Music, Deezer, YouTube Music,…
FRI. BRIEF: Amazon, YouTube Launch Free Music Streamers • Youth Abandon Radio • TikTok India Ban • More
FRIDAY 4.19.19
Music Business News From Around The Web
Updated continuously under the More News tab
Amazon Launches Free Ad Supported Music Service
Amazon Music customers in the U.S. who do not have a Prime membership or subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited can now listen to a free ad-supported selection of top playlists and stations for free with Amazon Music on compatible Alexa-enabled devices. It is expected that Amazon’s free music service will…
SoundExchange Payments Up 16.2% In Q1 2019
SoundExchange distributed $220.7 million in payments to more than 185,000 payees in the first quarter of 2019. This represents a 16.2% increase in distributions and 17.3% increase in payees over the first quarter of 2018. In 2018, SoundExchange distributed a record $953 million in sound recording performance royalties to artists…
YouTube Music Launches Free Ad-Supported Streaming On All Google Home Speakers
YouTube Music has launched a free ad-supported streaming service, just days after rumors surfaced that Amazon is about to launch similar free music service. YouTube’s free tier is currently available on Google Home speakers and other Google Assistant-powered speakers. YouTube Music’s free service and Amazon’s pending launch mark the first…
PledgeMusic Sale Appears To Be Another Empty Promise
Last week, we reported that some artists affected by the demise of PledgeMusic became hopeful they would be made whole after receiving emails touting "negotiations the board is having with a potential buyer." It now appears that is was just the latest in a series of empty promises from the…
BUSINESS OF INDIE: A2IM Seeks Board Candidates • Curve Royalty Systems • Ortiz Sues DEL Records • More
In this edition of the Business Of Indie, A2IM is seeking nominations for its Board Of Directors, indie focused Curve Royalty Systems launches, Gerardo Ortiz counter sues DEL Records and much more on the indie music front. Like Hypebot’s More News section, The Business Of Indie is nestled under its…