Major Labels Want Millions, But TikTok Says No

The three major label want millions in payments for the use of music on two hugely popular short music video apps, TikTok and its Chinese counterpart Douyin. Deals between UMG, Sony, WMG and the Chinese owner of the apps, ByteDance, expire this spring, But after months of talks, the two…

How To Grow Your Mailing List At Your Next Show

Whatever platform you use, staying directly in touch with your fanbase in the form of e-blasts is critical to selling your music, but this is only effective if you have list to send them to. Here we look at some key tips for connecting with your audience and building your…

Lykke Li Announces All-Female Music Festival

Lykke Li has announced a festival featuring females and female-identifying acts in conjunction with her YOLA mezcal brand. YOLA Fest will be held at Los Angeles’ Historic Park June 6th and feature Courtney Love, Charlie XCX, Cat Power, Cupcakke, Megan Thee Stallion and Ambar Lucid. A portion of the proceeds…

PledgeMusic Goes Silent

PledgeMusic has not offered an update to the hundreds of musicians and thousands of fans affected by the crowdfunder’s inability to pay creators the funds that fans had pledged. Even the rumor mill is almost silent. As the week’s drag, on it seems increasingly unlikely that anyone is ready to…

Spotify Adds Streaming Conversion Metrics To Ad Studio

Spotify has added streaming conversion metrics to Ad Studio.The useful new metrics allow artists and labels to track how each listener responded when they hear ad on the streamer. Spotify Ad Studio launched in 2017. The self-service ad platform can target fans and fans of similar artists with a $250…

Spotify’s New Personalized Playlists May Impact Where Your Music Appears

Appearing on one of Spotify’s playlists has, in many ways, become the Holy Grail of the music industry for up and coming artists, but doing so could soon get harder, thanks to the platform’s rollout of its ‘personalized playlists’. Here, we look at the impact and how artists can work…

Songwriters vs Big Tech: Has The Tide Turned? [David Israelite]

[UPDATED] In this guest post, National Music Publishers Association head David Israelite explores how social media has shifted public opinion toward the songwriters and music publishers in their battles with Spotify, YouTube and other music services. _____________________________________ By David Israelite of the National Music Publishers Association [NMPA], This first appeared…

Cover Songs As A Marketing Asset

For developing artists, cover songs can be an incredibly valuable marketing asset. Instantly recognizable hits or cult classics can help bridge the divide between an artist and a potential fan who might be otherwise unfamiliar with the artist’s material. _______________________ Guest post by Jake Udell of Art of Manager Cover…

Ari Herstand On Digital Distributors, Spotify Listeners and More [Music Biz Weekly Podcast]

Musician, author and artist advocate Ari Herstand visits with Jay Gilbert on the Music Business Weekly Podcast to discuss digital distributors, Spotify listeners and his book ‘How To Make It in the New Music Business: Practical Tips on Building a Loyal Following and Making a Living as a Musician.’ The…

What It’s Like To Tour As An Unestablished Band

While many non-musicians think of touring as one of the more glamorous aspects of an artist’s career, the reality for most musicians is radically different, but while financial destitution and massive tedium await the unestablished artist hitting the road for the first time, the experience can still be incredibly rewarding….