Music Orgs. Slam ‘YouTube’s Fact Free Fear-Mongering’

IMPALA, IFPI and three other major music industry organizations have issued a strongly worded joint statement pushing back against Google and YouTube claims that pending EU Article 13 legislation will blunt creativity and cripple the video platform. "YouTube’s campaign against Article 13 of the Copyright Directive shows a lack of…

Music Modernization Act: What’s In It, Why Is It In There, Is It A Good Thing?

Enacted on October 11, the Music Modernization Act will have vast impact on the music business and how it is conducted in the US. Here we look at exactly what sort of changes this new legislation will bring about. ____________________________ Guest post by Stephen Carlisle of NOVA Southeastern University The…

BUSINESS OF INDIE: Swift Goes Major • Glassnote Goes AWAL • Recording Academy Changes • More

In this 2nd edition of our continously updated Business Of Indie compendium of independent music news, we share stories on Taylor Swift’s exit from indie Big Machine to UMG, Glassnote’s switch from UMG to AWAL (Do they cancel each other out?), changes in Recording Academy membership to increase diversity and…

15 Dream Fellowships, Grants That Musicians Need To Know About

Making a living as an artist can be hard, and having to keep down a day job while still working to fulfill your musical potential isn’t a juggling act everyone can keep up. For a fortunate few, however, there are fellowships and grants that can give you the opportunity to…

An Exploration Of Co-publishing, Sub-publishing, And Administration Agreements [Pt. 1]

In this follow up to a previous series exploring traditional songwriter and music publisher relationships, we look at some less well-known contractual agreements between these two parties, including co-publishing, sub-publishing, and administrative agreements. ____________________________ Guest post by Justin Jacobson Esq. from the TuneCore Blog In a prior two-part series, we…

Universal Music Revenue Up 13% As Sale Plans Accelerate

Revenue at Universal Music Group grew 13.5% year of year last quarter, according to financials reported by corporate parent Vivendi. But on everyone’s mind were Vivendi’s plan to sell a 50% stake in the world’s largest music group. Vivendi said that it has chosen 15 banks to help it find…

Will Taylor Swift Exercise Her Nuclear Option?

Currently one of the most powerful operators in the music industry, Taylor Swift’s contract with Big Machine Records has come to an end, giving her freedom to go out on her own, shop around and choose another label…or maybe not. _______________________________ Guest post by David Philp of Music Biz 101…

Music Modernization Act A ‘Countdown to Modernity’ – Progress Chart For Mechanical Licensing Collective

In this piece, the people at Music Technology Policy provide a chart listing the key events in the necessary path to launch in order for the Mechanical Licensing Collective as needed by the recently ratified Music Modernization Act. _________________________ Guest post by Editor Charlie of Music Technology Policy As best…

Viral Rapper Wynne Talks Lemur Doodles, Espionage, Tierra Whack [INTERVIEW]

In this installment of the #nofilter interview series, AWAL talks with viral rapper and social media sensation Wynne about some of her more off-the-beaten path thoughts and opinions. ______________________________ Guest post from AWAL Welcome to #nofilter, a recurring interview series that gives standout artists room to breathe. Meet the real…

Prince Estate Awarded $4M Judgment Over EP Release

Producer George Ian Boxill has reportedly been ordered to pay nearly $4 million to the estate of Prince for releasing songs after his death without permission. Boxill was ordered to pay the estate $3,960,287.65 for damages, costs and attorney’s fees, according to court documents obtained by The Blast and was…