BMG Rights Management (BMG) reported revenue €507/US $629 million, up from €416/US $516 million last year, an impressive improvement of 21.8% over 2016. Parent company Bertelsmann, attributed BMG’s performance to higher revenues across all market segments and regions through organic growth and acquisition, especially in the recorded music business and…
Category archives: Publishing & Songwriting
American Idol Doesn’t Produce Hitmakers: Here’s The Proof
Many musicians tend to have little respect for musical contest shows like American Idol, viewing it as a shortcut to success. The success may be somewhat exaggerated however, with new data showing that artists featured on these shows don’t always go on to produce hits. ____________________________ Guest post by Bobby…
Spotify, Google, Amazon Can’t Seem To Find The Beatles To License Their Music
In this latest chapter of the "address unknown" saga, Google, Amazon and Spotify are apparently unable to locate Paul McCartney or John Lennon in the public records of the Copyright Office, according to research by Chris Castle, in another troubling revelation as to just how broken the compulsory license system…
Listen: First Album Composed By Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence has hit a number of milestones of late. Forget self-driving cars and microbots, the music industry has just seen its first album composed using artificial intelligence. ______________________________ Guest post from FrtyFve, powered by TalentAI insights ‘Hello World’ is the first full-length album composed using artificial intelligence. The project…
Finding A Music Publicist You Can Trust
When deciding on a music publicist to promote your music, you will doubtless think of the many horror stories circulating in the industry of artists who were ripped off or otherwise misled. Here we look at how to set yourself up with a publicist you can actually trust. _____________________________ In…
NOI Copyright Loophole Costs Songwriters, Protects Tech [Chris Castle]
There has been much talk surrounding the "mass NOI" issue stemming from the loophole, allowed by the copyright office, which allows tech companies to profit from works without obtaining a proper compulsory license. Here Chris Castle breaks down the problem in detail. __________________________________ Guest post by Chris Castle of The…
Guide To Getting A Summer Festival Gig
With summer on its way, that means festival season is almost upon us, and bands and artists are looking to land coveted spots at this year’s biggest outdoor parties. Here we look at how to get these gigs, or least the next best thing. _________________________ Guest post by Brian Jenkins…
Marvin Gaye Estate Wins $5.3M ‘Blurred Lines’ Appeal
A US appeals court let stand a $5.3 million judgment awarded to the Marvin Gaye estate over infringement of Gaye’s 1977 song ‘Got To Give It Up,’ by songwriters Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams on their 2013 hit ‘Blurred Lines’. By a 2-1 vote, the US Appeals Court said Gaye’s…
5 Reasons Small Blogs Can Launch A Music Career
While the front page of Pitchfork or the AP may be where most artists would like to see themselves, the reality is that these major blogs are likely out of reach. Small blogs, however, can do wonders when it comes to giving your a career-boosting bump. _______________________ Guest post by…
How Retargeting Ads Can Help You Sell More Concert Tickets
An ad "following" you is familiar to any consumer who’s used the internet in the past five years and, while irritating on the one hand, this form of marketing can be a fantastic way for artists to sell more concert tickets by constantly reminding shopping of a show they might…