Broadcast radio has been rocked by at least two payola scandals in the 1960s and again in 2004. But payola – the illegal practice of paying to be played on the radio – is still rampant in the US, according to multiple reports. ___________________________________ “Everyone knows it’s there,” Allen Kovac,…
Category archives: Music
Why Tencent Wants A Stake in UMG [Mark Mulligan]
Yesterday Vivendi confirmed that it was in talks with Chinese internet giant Tencent to acquire a 10-20% stake in global leader Universal Music Group at a $33.6 billion valuation. MIDiA analyst Mark Mulligan looks at why Tencent might want to invest as much as $6.7 billion in UMG. _______________________________________ By…
The Evolution Of Documenting Song Credits: Split Sheets Go Digital
Co-writing a hit song with one of your bandmates feels great at the time and is all well and good, until down the road it suddenly turns out the two of you have differing opinions on who contributed what, at which point the royalties argument is bound to turn nasty….
The Importance Of Spotify Save Rates, How To Get On Discover Weekly
Here we look at why save rates on Spotify are so important, and how the work to increase your music’s odds of landing on game-changing playlists like Release Radar and Discover Weekly. ___________________________ Guest post by Kieron Donoghue of here.org.uk We all know that getting a song added to an…
Hassles And Handshakes: A Look At Loans For Songwriters
In this piece, Dan Reifsnyder delves into the challenge many songwriters, successful or not, face in attempting to secure loans for major purchases like a house, and what steps you can take to establish a paper trail and make the process that much less of a headache when the time…
Which Is The Better Music Video Premiere Platform: YouTube vs. Facebook
In this recent case study of sorts, Brian Hazard recounts his experience with both the YouTube and Facebook video premiere options in an effort to determine which platform’s offering makes for the music video promotion tool. _______________________________ By Brian Hazard from CD Baby’s DIY Musician You may have noticed that…
18 Connected With Indie Label Fast Cash Boyz Indicted By Federal Grand Jury
A federal grand jury has indicted 18 people connected with independent label Fast Cash Boyz Entertainment with charges that include bank fraud and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. The charges allege that all eighteen defendants, 17 from Memphis and one defendant from Los Angeles, were affiliated with Fast Cash Boyz…
Sony Music’s Thread Shop Acquires Araca Group To Expand Merch Operation
Sony Music’s music merch division, The Thread Shop has acquired the music merch department of The Araca Group for an undisclosed sum. Araca Group’s merch division clients include Led Zeppelin, P!nk, Shania Twain, Sugarland and Zayn. That roster now shifts to The Thread Shop alongside their clients which include Bob…
‘All In’ Ticket Marketplace TickPick Raises $40 Million
No-fee ticket marketplace TickPick has announced a $40 million investment from PWP Growth Equity in the startup’s first institutional funding round. The investment will allow TickPick to accelerate marketing and business development initiatives and establish a data team to utilize machine learning and artificial intelligence. TickPick expects to surpass $200…
WED. BRIEF: TickPick Raises $40M • Sony Expands Merch Ops • Chuck D Sues reach Global For $1M • More
WEDNESDAY 8.7.19
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