Music WorX Startup Accelerator Opens Applications

Music WorX Accelerator 2019, the start-up funding program of the German Ministry of Culture and the Media and the Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft, is accepting applications. Music WorX Accelerator helps music and music tech founders from all over Europe. In this accelerator program, up to four start-up teams are supported for…

How Are Music Festivals Becoming More Environmentally Friendly, Sustainable?

The onset of summer means it’s festival season once again – time for rocking out to your favorite artists and spreading good vibes all around. Unfortunately, good vibes won’t be the only things spread around, as festivals typically generate vast amounts of garbage and waste. Here we look at what…

The Day Hattie Webb Broke Into The PledgeMusic Office

PledgeMusic owes independent artist Hattie Webb $6876. She’s not alone. Hundreds of artists are owed thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars. But Hattie did something we’re not aware of any other artist doing. When she learned that the crowdfunder was in financial trouble, she stormed their London office and…

Apple, Amazon, Google Sued For ‘Massive’ Music Piracy

Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Pandora are being sued for selling and streaming unauthorized recordings of Harold Arlen, the composer of Over the Rainbow and other classic songs. The lawsuit accuses the companies of running “massive music piracy operation” involving more than 6,000 pirated recordings. The lawyers say that the…

TickTok Owner In Talks To Launch Music Streaming Service

ByteDance, valued at $75 billion thanks in large part to the huge popularity of its TikTok app, is in talks with major labels and publishers to launch a music streaming service, according to multiple sources. The Chinese conglomerate could launch its Spotify competitor as soon as the end of this…

2019’s Biggest Streaming Earners (So Far)

While streaming is often maligned for the reduced amount of revenue it generates for artists, those musicians at the top of the pile are pulling down far more than you might have guessed. Here we look at streaming’s five biggest money makers of 2019 thus far. ___________________________ Guest post by…

Building Passionate Clusters Of Fans: Niche Is Music’s New Mainstream says MIDiA’s Mark Mulligan

In an increasingly fragmented music landscape where algorithms and streaming emphasize songs over albums and artists, success – even on a global scale – is found in the niches, says top music industry analyst Mark Mulligan of MIDiA. "Fandom is fragmenting," says Mulligan, "but it may be the best thing…

Sony Music To Launch ‘Real Time’ Royalty Payments

Sony Music is promising its artists real time royalty tracking and monthly payments starting this fall. The major music group will launch ‘Real Time Royalties’ and ‘Cash Out’ via its Artist Portal to “allow our artists and royalty participants to view and withdraw earnings faster than ever before.” “Once launched,…

Travis Scott, Maggie Rogers Pledge Merch $’s To Abortion Ban Battle, Billie Eilish Speaks Out

A growing chorus of musicians and other celebrities are speaking out in opposition to recent attempts in Alabama, Georgia and elsewhere ban abortions, with two artists also pledging a days proceeds from their merchandise sales to Planned Parenthood. “I have no words for the bitches in the f–king White House,”…

Set Realistic Goals, Expectations [Music Biz Weekly Podcast]

This week on the Music Biz Weekly podcast Jay Gilbert and Michael Brandvold discuss why you need to set realistic expectations and goals for any project you are working on. It’s your very first release, thinking that Rolling Stone will review is not realistic. You can’t sell out a show…