Taylor Swift Didn’t Get Memo That Albums Are Dead, So She Pre-Sold 1 Million Copies Of ‘Lover’

Someone forgot to tell Taylor Swift that music in general and albums, in particular, don’t sell anymore. By Friday’s release date, her first post-Big Machine release "Lover" will have sold over 1 million copies, according to new label Republic. “The anticipation of this album is extraordinary, with pre-sales quickly approaching…

Apple Music Launches Shazam Chart Of Hot Songs Chart From New Artists

Apple Music has added the "Shazam Discovery Top 50" chart and playlist designed to "unearth up-and-coming songs from breaking artists." The music industry has become increasingly focused on early identification of emerging artists and their growing importance in driving revenue growth. Apple acquired Shazam in the Fall of last year….

Advanced Instagram Tips For Bands, Artists

While artists may love using instagram, the fact is that a lot of them aren’t utilizing all of the platform’s features as they should, and may not be getting the most out of Instagram that they can particularly when it comes to gaming the algorithm in your favor. Here we…

We Need Your Vote! Help Us Present SMART TOURING: How To Guide Booking, Marketing With Data at SXSW 2020

The SXSW PanelPicker is open for just a few more days to help choose which panels should be presented at SXSW 2020 and we’d need your vote. Please consider giving our panel SMART TOURING: GUIDE BOOKING + MARKETING WITH DATA a thumbs up now. We’ve Got A Favor To Ask…

Can’t Tour? Give This A Shot Instead

While most artists would benefit from embarking on a tour, the financial, an inability to be away from home, or any other number of factors can make touring an impossibility for some. Luckily, there are other ways to promote your act in the music business. _____________________________ Guest post by Patrick…

Spotify Test Drive Higher Prices In Scandinavia

Having accrued an impressive number of subscribers, Spotify is planning to hike up prices on its home turf, increasing the cost of its family plan in Scandinavia by 14%. Whether this test will amount to anything, or be rolled out anywhere remains to be seen, however. ______________________________ Guest post by…

Dept. Of Justice Backs Led Zeppelin In ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Copyright Dispute

Its a headline that would have been unimaginable in the 1970s, but it’s true. The U.S. Department of Justice is backing Led Zeppelin in their long-running copyright dispute over the classic hit “Stairway to Heaven” which has major ramifications for copyrighted music. The suit, filed in 2014 by the trustees…

HMV To 1000 Indie, Unsigned Bands: ‘Come Play Our Stores’

Doug Putman and HMV have announced that the famed UK music retail chain is opening its doors to developing artists and unsigned bands for in-store performances. The move is in line with the chain’s ambitions to restore its specialist credentials and create a music retail community hub, similar to Putman’s…

Miles Davis’ ‘Kind Of Blue’ Was Released 60 Years Ago This Week

Sixty years after the release of one of the most iconic albums of all time, we look back on the legacy of Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, and the cultural impact it had on music, race, and beyond. ___________________________ Guest post by Caleb J. Murphy of Soundfly’s Flypaper Sometimes an…

Spotify Tests Stories Feature That Gives Artists A Voice

Spotify is testing a Stories feature designed to enable artists to share a narrative alongside their music. Uncovered by veteran code digger Jane Manchun Wong, it’s similar to Stories launched by Pandora in March. The examples found include songs with the artist offering their own story behind each track in…