Is Spotify Also Eyeing Tidal? Kayne West Shares Insider Info, Calls On Apple To "Give Jay His Check"

Last month we heard rumors that Apple was exploring the purchase of Jay Z’s Tidal streaming service. Since then, we’ve heard nothing, until this weekend when Tidal co-owner Kayne West took to Twitter with some apparent updates. _____________________________________________ This Tidal Apple beef is fucking up the music game. — KANYE…

How live streaming is transforming the music industry… and why that might scare you

Live video is exploding. Facebook Live, Snapchat, Pericope, and for a growing number of musicians, YouNow. But rising consumer demand for unscripted, real-time performances requires an entirely new skill set for up-and-coming musicians. By Dave Marcello, Head of Growth at Audiokite Research – Audiokite helps musicians, labels, and media companies…

Spotify Starts Selling Your Fan Data Out Their Back Door [Chris Castle]

Spotify recently announced that it plans to start selling its free users’ identifiable information to major ad companies using pattern recognition and other data mining techniques to profile fans before packaging them for resale. _____________________________ Guest post by Chris Castle of Artist Rights Watch Spotify announced today that it is…

Pandora Adds Personalized Concert Notifications, But Ticketfly Events Get Top Billing [UPDATED]

[UPDATED] When Pandora acquired Ticketfly, the two pledged to use the power of the music streamer’s giant platform to drive ticket sales. Today’s announcement of concert notifications is a good first step, but it is also is reminder of the severe limitations of using a single data source to drive…

Apple Music Nabs CBS "Carpool Karaoke" Exclusive

Late Late Show host James Corden’s ultra popular "Carpool Karaoke" segment is being spun off by CBS, and Apple Music has nabbed the streaming exclusive. ____________________________________________ Late Late Show’s James Corden’s "Carpool Karaoke" was made popular, in part, by its presence on YouTube. But Apple Music will be the exclusive…

Streaming Gives Albums Wings: Why Album Sales Aren’t What They Used To Be

Although Drake’s latest album remained atop the Billboard album charts for a solid nine weeks, this prominence was not the result of sales but rather streaming, demonstrating the power of streaming in the modern music economy. ________________________ Guest post by Glenn Peoples, Music Insights and Analytics at Pandora Key takeaways:…

Vevo BreakS 7 Year Deadlock: Nears WMG Deal, Subscription Service [REPORT]

Vevo has tried and failed for 7 years to bring Warner Music Group videos onto its platform. Now, Vevo is reportedly nearing a deal that would break the deadlock and pave the way for the launch of a paid video subscription service. ___________________________________________ Vevo is reportedly close to a deal…

SiriusXM Tops 25 Million Paid Subscribers, 10% Revenue Growth

SiriusXM is on a tear, and recently the satellite broadcaster made an uninvited advance on Pandora. The music streamer rebuffed the overture, but they may want to reconsider. Their combined platforms plus Pandora’s ticketing and soon-to launch music streamer would make a powerful combination. _________________________________ Satellite radio broadcaster Sirius XM…

Could Beatport Save SFX? Bankrupt Co. Decides Not To Sell EDM Store Because It’s So Damn Successful

In a bid to raise much need cash, a bankrupt SFX first put EDM music service Beatport up for sale. Then they postponed the sale and gutted Beatport staff and services. Next it said the sale was on again, only to be withdraw it from the market last week. Yesterday…

Record Labels Need Change Of Culture In ‘Dashboard Era’ Of The Music Industry

Music streaming data makes it possible to understand the fan behavior behind each stream. "But the way we translate this creativity into monetizable, digitally-mediated experiences requires a culture change" within the music industry," says Samuel Potts, the head of radio at Columbia Records UK. _______________________________ Guest Post by Samuel Potts,…