Darren Hemmings Talks Strategic Marketing, Motive Unknown, More [INTERVIEW]

In this interview from the Soundcharts Blog Darren Hemmings, Managing director of UK-based Darren marketing consultancy company Motive Unknown sat down to discuss his company’s approach to music marketing and achieving the right balance with artist fans. __________________________________ Guest post from theSoundcharts Blog Insiders are coming back online after the…

Haviah Mighty Wins Polaris Music Prize 2019

Haviah Mighty has won the Polaris Music Prize 2019 for her album "13th Floor." The Prize, which was presented in Toronto by CBC Music, goes to the best Canadian album of the year based on artistic merit without regard to genre, sales history or label affiliation. It was determined by…

Amazon Music HD Launches, Spotify Says ‘Users Don’t Care’

[UPDATED] Amazon Music is rolling out an HD music services at an attractive price point aimed at bringing high-quality lossless streaming to the masses. Amazon Music HD will launch in US, UK, Germany, and Japan this week, beating Spotify and Apple Music to HD streaming. Priced at $14.99 per month…

Mobilizing The Army Of Tool Fans

Here we breakdown how OneLive and Single Music helped TOOL land the coveted number one spot on the Billboard 200 following the band’s release of a new album after a 12 year hiatus. _________________________ Guest post from Single On June 6th, Maynard James Keenan of TOOL officially announced a new…

5 Big Takeaways From Americanafest 2019

Americanafest 2019 is a wrap. Thousands of musicians, music industry professionals and fans descended on Nashville for a four-day conference, an awards show filled with great music and short speeches alongside more than 500 official and countless unofficial showcases. The Americana Music Association (AMA) defines Americana music as "contemporary music…

Dissecting A Spotify Playlist Promotion Pitch Letter

Spotify playlist promotion offers.. we get them all the time. You probably do too. In this episode of the Music Biz Weekly podcast, co-hosts Michael Brandvold and Jay Gilbert read an actual Spotify playlist promotion proposal, dissect it and point out…

Public Enemy’s Technique For Cracking “Second Album Syndrome”

SAS or ‘Second Album Syndrome’ has become something of a phenomenon in the music business, with many artists struggling break new ground or successfully follow up a debut with an equally compelling sophomore release. Not so with famed hip hop group Public Enemy, however, who successfully broke SAS. ________________________________ Guest…

8 Tips To Make Your Email Newsletters Mobile Friendly

Whether you’re an artist or producers, sending a regular newsletter is the best way to stay in touch with fans, clients, or both. Given that so much of email is now consumed smartphones, we’re looking at eight tips to make sure your newsletter is mobile friendly. _____________________________ Guest post by…

Warner Records Partners With Masked Gorilla’s Roger Gengo For New Hip Hop Label

Warner Records has formed a joint venture with Masked Records, the new label formed by hip-hop entrepreneur Roger Gengo, founder of the influential Masked Gorilla website and UNMASKED concert series. Gengo, who is credited with founding and incubating “Soundcloud Rap,” established Masked Gorilla when he was just 17 years old….

Singer Sam Smith Shares New Preferred Gender Pronouns

Singer and songwriter Sam Smith, who came out as nonbinary earlier this year, announced that they are officially changing their preferred gender pronouns to they/them. "Today is a good day so here goes. I’ve decided I am changing my pronouns to THEY/THEM,” Smith said in a post on social media….