YouTube Paid Music Industry $1.8B In Past Year

YouTube paid the music industry $1.8 billion in advertising revenue from October 2017 to September 2018, according to Google. YouTube has paid the music industry $6 billion since launch. Google and YouTube say that they have invested $100 million to build and staff the Content ID system which underpins YouTube’s…

Spotify Music Publishing Analytics Launches In Beta

Spotify has launched Publishing Analytics in beta. Dubbed the first music streaming analytics tool built specifically for music publishers, the platform was developed in collaboration with a range of publishers to service the various roles that publishers play from A&R to administration. Spotify Publishing Analytics provides music publishers with daily…

Insta-Albums and Why It (Sort Of) Pays To Be Social

The concept behind free samples has long proven itself to be successful in the world of retail, and now the marketing strategy has been adapted by artists for use on Instagram, making music more social and boosting sales. ____________________________ Guest post from AWAL There’s beauty in the simple sell of…

10 Fantastic But Under-Appreciated Music Cities

While the term "music cities" likely evokes the classic behemoths like NYC, LA, or Nashville, some of the best music cities out there are much smaller and still fly somewhat under the industry radar. __________________________ Guest post by Bobby Owsinski of Music 3.0 When artists and bands think of “music…

YouTube’s Art Tracks Explained

Since not every song arrives on YouTube with an accompanying music video or visual content, YouTube has introduced Art Tracks, which automatically populates artist’s audio tracks for them. _____________________________ Guest post by Chris Lejuez of The Orchard’s The Daily Rind If you’ve listened to music on YouTube within the past…

Music Modernization Act Was Verse One, Rest Of The Song Yet to Be Written [Michael Huppe]

Recently signed into law, the Music Modernization Act provides a much needed update to existing copyright laws.. While certainly a good first step, this piece of legislation was just the beginning of what’s needed. ___________________________ Guest post by SoundExchange CEO Michael Huppe The signing of the Music Modernization Act earlier…

Contracts Studio Producers Should Be Familiar With

Studio producers and sound engineers typically require certain types of contracts in their work, so familiarizing yourself with such legal documents early can benefit you in the long run. Here we look the circumstances under which sound engineers should maintain ownership of work, vs. when a one-off fee is appropriate….

How I Got On Official Spotify Playlists As An Unknown Independent Musician

In this piece, independent artist Braden Lam of Halifax NS recounts how he was able to land himself on official Spotify playlists using only smart marketing, Show.co, and no money. _____________________________ By Braden Lam from CD Baby’s DIY Musician blog I am an independent songwriter from Halifax, NS and the…

Pharrell, Decidedly Un-Happy About Trump’s Use Of His Song, May Actually Have A Case

No election cycle is complete without a politician using a song at a rally to the consternation of its creator, and while blanket performance licenses usually prevent the artist from doing much other than complaining, Trump’s use of the song "Happy" at a recent rally could result in some very…

Getting It Done: The Week In D.I.Y. and Indie Music

This week, Hypebot shares wisdom for indie artists on why their latest music release failed, how to determine if your album is ready to be released, what artists should be sharing with their fans besides music, and much more! 3 Reasons Your Last Music Release Failed [Cyber PR] Checklist To…