Kobalt Is Now A Next Generation Major Label In The Making [Mark Mulligan]

"Kobalt has been the poster child for the changing of the guard in the music business," writes MIDiA analyst Mark Mulligan. But it’s on a path to become much more as "next-generation label… plotting a course to becoming a next generation-major." __________________________________ By Mark Mulligan of MIDiA from his Music…

6 Analytics Tools: How To Change Future of Music Marketing

After a tough few years during which the sale of physical albums declined precipitously, the music industry seems to be making a relatively speedy recovery. This rebound has been assisted heavily by music companies’ harnessing of analytics and big data. Here we look at six such analytics tools that are…

SiriusXM Creates Pandora Content Team For Podcasts, Playlists, More

SiriusXM has created its first Pandora “content team” focused on sharing content between the two platforms. The team will also create original content in music, sports and talk content ranging across comedy, politics, music and entertainment. The team will report to SiriusXM’s Chief Content Officer, Scott Greenstein, and includes: Alex…

Symphonic Distribution Expands To China

Independent music distributor Symphonic has expanded its reach to China via partnershipd with Tencent, NetEase and soon, says the company Alibaba.The new deals were spearheaded by indie rights powerhouse MERLIN. Content can be placed on Chinese music serives NetEase Cloud Music, Xiami (Alibaba), QQ Music, Kugou and Kuwo (Tencent Music…

Saving Money While Eating Healthy On Tour

Going on tour may have a road-trippy feel to it, but being on tour also requires a significant amount of both physical and mental rigor, and it’s important to take care of your body. That said, it’s also important not to waste all of your hard-earned tour funds on expensive…

WMG, Dubset Partner To Offer Legal DJ Mixes

Dubset, the music marketplace and rights management database for DJs and artists, has inked a deal with Warner Music Group (WMG). Warner is the latest major label to partner with the platform whose aim it is to equip DJs with new mix and remix distribution and monetization opportunities. Sony signed…

Artists Are Increasingly Rejecting Record Deals

Some record executives are starting to sweat, as the music industry morphs into one where the climate is significantly more favorable towards a DIY way of doing business and many artists are eschewing traditional label deals in favor of doing things their own way. _______________________________ Guest post by Bobby Owsinski…

2019: The State Of Sampling

In this piece, the team at Tracklib took a deep dive into the state of sampling in 2019, breaking down who’s sampling what, the rationale behind it, what the preferred software (and hardware) is, plus some of the past year’s most prominent sampling moments. __________________________________ Guest post by Oskar of…

Orchard Co-Founder Scott Cohen Joins WMG As Chief Innovation Officer

[UPDATED] Scott Cohen, co-founder of The Orchard, has joined Warner Music Group in the newly created position of Chief Innovation Officer, Recorded Music. Cohen exited the Sony owned indie distributor earlier this year. The move has been rumored for weeks. Cohen is charged with helping to chart a long-term course…

Fortnite Hosts Weezer-Themed Island

Marshmello isn’t the only artist to capitalize on the popularity of Epic Games’ Fortnite. Now Weezer has pulled their own digital promo stunt with the launch of their own band themed island in the popular game to accompany Weezer’s new album release. ___________________________ Guest post by James Shotwell of Haulix…