UMG Attempts To Block O-Town’s Trademark Application Over Its Motown Label

In a recent move, Universal Music Group has thrown down the copyright tire spikes, attempting to block the MTV era group O-Town from applying for a trademark, alleging the band’s name is too similar to UMG’s Motown. _______________________________ Guest op-ed Timothy Geigner of Techdirt It will surprise nobody to hear…

10 Ultimate Industry Quotes From Notable Musicians

After working as a successful musician for a time, you’re bound to accrue some valuable insights into how the machine that is the music business operates. Here we look at some profound one-liners from several renowned musicians on how to navigate a treacherous industry. ___________________________ In this latest post to…

NMPA Backed Mechanical Licensing Collective Wins Battle To Administer Music Modernization Act

The US Copyright Office has named the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) as the official entity tasked with licensing and administering rights under the new Music Modernization Act (MMA). The MLC was backed by many major industries organizations including National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), and…

Unified And Together: How Diverse, Inclusive Is The Music Industry?

In part one of this two-part analysis, Ben Gilbert speaks with a variety of people working within the music business, in an effort to assess the state of diversity and inclusivity within the industry right now, and whether or not it’s representative of society as a whole. ______________________ Guest post…

Tidal Adds Interactive Credits

Music streamer Tidal has added added interactive credit pages designed to spotlight the creators behind the music including background singers, lyricists, producers and mixing engineers. Tidal says this is just a first step in "creating an ecosystem where all contributors to the music making process are highlighted." The streamer says…

BUSINESS OF INDIE: India’s Indie Scene • AIR Awards’ Indie Nods • AWAL Nabs Cold War Kids • More

This new edition of the Business Of Indie includes news from India’s growing independent music scene, the AIR Awards indie label nominees, AWAL’s partnership with Cold Water Kids and a whole lot more. Like Hypebot’s More News section, The Business Of Indie is nestled under its own Indie tab at…

Setting Realistic Goals For Your Music Promotion: Musician’s Guide

While cultivating a huge audience is typically the end goal of your music promotion efforts, having that as your only milestone can be discouraging, and overall detrimental to the furthering of your music business career. Here we look at how to set more attainable goals for your music promotion. _____________________________…

Fiona Apple Gives 2 Yrs Of ‘Criminal’ Royalties To Refugees

Fiona Apple apple will donate two years of royalties from her 2009 hit “Criminal” to help refugees. “After months and months of reading the news about how my country is treating refugees, I’ve become gutted with frustration trying to figure out the best way to help,” Apple wrote. “It seems…

7 Steps To Mapping Out Your Music Release Campaign

While it’s important to focus on crafting the perfect batch of songs for your next release, it’s also essential to develop a plan for how exactly you intend to unleash your music on the public, otherwise you’ll find yourself in possession of a collection of songs that are all dressed…

Downtown Music’s Roberto Neri To Chair UK Publishers Assoc.

Robert Neri, the Executive VP of Downtown Music Publishing, has been named chair of UK trade organization the Music Publishers Association. Neri, who has been a director on the MPA board since 2015, will replace Universal Music Group executive Jackie Alway, who served as chair for four years and will…