Tunecore Adds Facebook, Instagram Monetization

DIY distributor TuneCore has added a new opportunity – Facebook and Instagram monetization. Facebook recently cut licensing deals with all three majors, Merlin and others for music on all its platforms, but this is the first time we’ve heard of funds trickling down to DIY artists. Tunecore artists and labels…

Netflix $9B Stock Tumble Also Offers A Warning For Spotify [Mark Mulligan]

$9.1 billion was wiped off its market capitalization this week, after Netflix missed aggressive targets by analysts, despite solid earnings. As Spotify prepares for its quarterly earning report next week, there are lessons for both investors and CEO Daniel Ek that can be learned from the fate of its fellow…

Spotify Opens Access To Official Playlist Editors To All, Guarantees Release Radar Placement

Spotify has launched a new beta feature that gives artists, labels and their teams a channel to submit unreleased music directly to their editorial team for playlist consideration. The new feature also guarantees playlist placement for an artist or label selected track on the Release Radar playlist of all their…

Apple Music Scores Ed Sheeran Documentary Exclusive [VIDEO]

Apple Music will be the exclusive home for a new official Ed Sheeran documentary. It’s a big win that should draw new subscribers to Apple Music, as the battle for exclusive content among streamers clearly shifts from music to video. "Songwriter: Ed Sheeran" is billed as "an intimate and personal…

Lack Of Streaming Artist, Song Info ‘Is Just D-U-M-B’

in the streaming era the fact that you can’t click on a song and see who played on it, who wrote it, who engineered it, who produced it, etc and then click on their name and see all their work is just D-U-M-B. — Maggie Vail (@magicbeans) July 16, 2018…

Major Labels Demand More Slots On Spotify Playlists

All three major labels are unhappy with the number of song placement they receive on key Spotify playlists and demanding preferential treatment, according to a new report. The displeasure with Spotify is directed at two very different kinds of Spotify playlists, that together drive manyt listening hours, according to the…

Spotify Taps Palestinian Musician Suhel Nafar To Develop Arab Music, Culture Hub

In what sadly may be a first, Spotify has hired an actual working musician to help program the streamer and develop an Arab music and culture hub. Despite concerns about a complex political and cultural landscape, infrastructure investments by wealthy nations like the UAE and Dubai are making the market…

As Apple Music ‘Passes’ Spotify, Remember That Apple’s Strength Is Also Its Weakness

The typical headline goes something like this: Apple Music Passes Spotify In The US. Along with ignoring that Spotify still leads in the US when factoring in its tens of millions of ad-supported users, these stories also ignore that Apple’s lead is likely temporary and that there is almost no…

Performance Rights Disputes: What They Are And What Causes Them?

As old as recorded music itself, disputes over ownership have permeated the music industry for decades. Luckily the advancement of technology has made it a little easier to keep performance rights in check. In this article we explore exactly what performance rights disputes are, and where they come from. ___________________________…