As
a DIY musician, it can feel like you need to
be doing everything at once, but the reality
is that having your fingers in too many pies
can leave you stretched a little thin. Here
Chris Robley explains the value downsizing for
DIY artists, and how they can get ahead by
doing less.
Streaming
music giant Spotify is ready for more. After
acquiring three podcasting companies for
around $400 million last year, it is now
looking to prevail in that space. Spotify’s
Finance Chief Barry McCarthy tells The Wall
Street Journal, “Many of the metrics we see
related to growth and user engagement have
convinced us that podcasting is going to be at
least 20% of content streamed on the
platform.”
The
way that I like to describe what a music
producer does is that a music producer is to a
recording as a director is to a movie. In
other words, the producer is responsible for
everything from the musical arrangement
decisions all the way to working with the
vocalist and session musicians to make sure
they’re giving their best performances and
providing the songwriting client with the
sound and feel they’re looking for in their
song. For songwriters with little or no studio
experience, working with a producer is a great
way to assure that you’ll end up with a demo
that you can be confident will measure up to
music industry standards. Below are a few
things to keep in mind if working with a
producer is in your future.
Email
has established itself as the frontrunner when
it comes to music PR, but the more people
figure this out, the more crowded inboxes are
getting, making it that much more critical
that you up your email marketing game. Here we
look at some some of the fastest ways you can
improve what you're sending out.
Ask
someone in the music industry how to sell a
new single, and you’ll get rambling answers
that go on for days — but ask them how to
sell a single that was released 25 years ago,
from an artist who’s only ever put out one
five-track LP and since faded deep into
obscurity, and you’ll get far fewer ideas.
Thanks to the discovery-led nature of music
streaming, however, older music is, for the
first time, ripe with new opportunities.
Record companies just have to be nimble enough
to find them.
The
Supreme Court is allowing consumers to pursue an
antitrust lawsuit that claims Apple has unfairly
monopolized the market for the sale of iPhone
apps. New Justice Brett Kavanaugh is joining the
court’s four liberals Monday in rejecting a
plea from Cupertino, California-based Apple to
end the lawsuit over the 30% commission the
company charges software developers whose apps
are sold through the App Store. The lawsuit was
filed by iPhone users who must purchase software
for their smartphones exclusively through
Apple’s App Store.
On
the day that Uber went public, NMPA head David
Isrealite used the IPO to fire the latest salvo
in the escalating battle the pits music
publishers and songwriters against Spotify and
other music streamers.
ASCAP
and BMI — the two largest performing-rights
societies in the U.S., which represent the vast
majority of film and TV composers and
songwriters — will both hold their annual
film-music awards dinners this Wednesday. And
it’s leaving the many would-be attendees who
have to make a tough choice between the two
humming an unhappy tune.
Texas'
music business and music education account for
almost 97,000 jobs, $4.1 billion in annual
earnings and $9.6 billion in annual economic
activity, according to the latest report from
the Texas Music Office.
The
Texas Music Office started commissioning reports
on the state of the industry in 2015 to shine a
light on the success and growth of Texas'
renowned music scene. From production companies,
music-related media, recording services,
performers and everything required for live
events, the Texas music scene is alive and
rocking.
Independent
artists have exploded thanks to streaming, and
labels like Universal Music Group, Sony Music
Entertainment and Warner Music Group are
starting to get in on the act
A
songwriter recently posed an intriguing
question: what can we do when we have a strong
idea for a song, but realize that the song
we’re writing is not turning out nearly as
well as we hoped? How do we change direction?
How can we switch gears when we have grown
accustomed to our melody, groove, chord
progression, and lyric?
In
a keynote address at the MusicBiz Nashville
conference's opening day Sunday, the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier said that the
time is ripe for the music industry to try and
reach for some long-sought goals, such as earning
royalty payments for artists from terrestrial
radio. But he cautioned that it would need to
happen, like the recent Music Modernization Act
(MMA), through industry consensus.
In
the music industry, the climb up the ladder of
success is an especially grueling one, and it
can be frustrating, afters years of recording
and performing, to still not be getting what
feels like appropriate recognition for your
music. Here, we look at some important factors
to consider when it comes to getting your music
noticed.
Nearly
three-quarters of independent musicians have
experienced “stress, anxiety and/or
depression” in relation to their work, a new
study has found. The survey found 73%
of the population had faced negative mental
health issues, with anxiety and depression
topping the list of symptoms. Among those aged
18-25, the numbers are even worse, with 80% of
respondents in that age range having experienced
negative mental health effects stemming from
their music careers.
The
American Society of Composers, Authors and
Publishers (ASCAP) says in 2018 its collections
grew 7.26% to $1.227 billion in the year -- up
from $1.144 billion in 2017. Overall, the PRO
noted that its total distribution to members and
publishers topped the $1 billion mark for the
second year in a row.
While
Bruno Mars may be the great unifier, Coleman
Insights offered some additional insights into
its Contemporary Music SuperStudy, that tested
the most consumed songs of 2018. Younger demos
lean toward hip-hop/R&B as a musical
preference, while 35-plus music fans listen to
pop and country. Radio listeners like county and
hip-hop/R&B but streamers prefer
hip-hop/R&B while shunning country.
rtist
and music discovery on Spotify were among the
topics covered during Monday's earnings call.
With CEO Daniel Ek sharing some stats that show
that the despite the fact that 40,000 new tracks
are uploaded daily, more artists than ever are
being discovered on the platform than ever
before.
According
to a new study from Pew Research, Twitter usage
in the US seems to have peaked at around 22%,
with most of its content dominated by an even
smaller percentage. Here we look into more of
these numbers and what it means for artists and
musicians on the platform.
YouTube
creators can expect to see a more
balanced copyright claim process on
the platform soon, as well as continued
efforts from the company against copyright
directive Article 13, now renamed Article
17. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki shared
these priorities and more
in a quarterly letter to
creators.
How
to fairly compensate creators as consumption
becomes dominated by streaming is the subject of
vigorous debate. But a new model dubbed 'creator
support' is gaining traction because it will pay
many artists more with minimal impact on the wider
royalty pool, says MIDiA's Mark Mulligan.
UPDATED:
Spotify's monthly active users grew 26% over the
last year to 217 million at the end of 2018, the
streamer reported on Monday. Now in 79 countries,
a February launch in India added 2 million to its
global total. Overall, Spotify posted a smaller
first-quarter loss of $158 million vs $189 million
for the same period last year.
How
U.S. consumers access television could reach a
milestone in 2019. A new report from Convergence
Research Group predicts that 4.56 million TV
households will cut the cord this year, meaning
that for the first time, the number of households
using streaming services could surpass those
watching traditional pay TV.
Less
than a week after the online giant launched its
first fully free music streaming service, MBW has
caught wind of the company’s next big plan to
challenge the likes of Spotify. We understand that
Amazon is currently in discussion with various
large music rights-holders regarding the upcoming
launch of a high fidelity music streaming platform
– and that at least one major record company has
already agreed to license it.
Although
there was plenty of trepidation leading up to the
recent passage of the Music Modernization Act, the
legislation was met with surprisingly little
controversy once it was passed. Since then,
unfortunately, some details have emerged over how
the royalties of independent songwriters will be
monitored that are raising the ire of some in the
music industry.
The
Essential plan is geared toward younger consumers,
and capitalizes on the rise of smart speakers.
SiriusXM
has long dominated in-car subscription radio. But
now, the radio giant that merged with Pandora in
February is targeting listeners outside the car with
the launch of a new, streaming-only subscription and
its motto "no car required."
The
ubiquitous tap, tap, tap of those computer keys will
be gone in five years, replaced by voice technology,
according to one venture capitalist with a track
record for successful bets. He calls the burgeoning
voice revolution “the opportunity of a decade.”
Mangrove Capital Partners’ Mark Tluszcz says voice
represents “massive change,” and that new
companies will build their fortunes on the
technology.
SoundExchange
distributed $220.7 million in payments to more than
185,000 payees in the first quarter of 2019. This
represents a 16.2% increase in distributions and 17.3%
increase in payees over the first quarter of 2018.
Amazon
Music customers in the U.S. who do not have a Prime
membership or subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited
can now listen to a free ad-supported selection of top
playlists and stations for free with Amazon Music on
compatible Alexa-enabled devices.
Musicians
teaching other musicians online - often for free - are
being tagged and their videos taken down by YouTube
for alleged copyright violations. Many of the
takedowns appear unwarranted. Here two musicians share
their recent experiences with Warner Music Group.
CDBaby has partnered with
Audible Magic to identify content rights conflicts
prior to delivery to Spotify, Apple Music and other
digital service providers, ensuring that CDBaby remains a trusted
distribution partner.
The
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
(ICANN) has named the DotMusic as the sole provider
of the coveted .music domain extension, beating
internet giants like Google and Amazon. .music joins
other top level domains like .com, .net and .gov and
descriptive domains like .blog and .info. DotMusic
founder Constantine Roussos tweeted
on
Friday that his foundation had been selected as the
successful bidder after a decades long battle.
The
march toward 218—the number needed to effectively
block any bill in the House—continues to move
forward. In recent days a dozen more members of
Congress on both sides of the political aisle have
gone on record opposing any attempt to adopt a
performance right for AM/FM airplay.
In
an effort to pay down its massive debts, iHeartMedia
is set to file for an IPO, a move by the bankrupt
internet radio company which could be indicative of
what the future may hold for other music companies
involved in radio, and specifically internet radio,
may do moving forward.
What
does it take to become a successful musician? Some say
it’s hard work. Others suggest it is in the DNA.
However, inborn talent can only take you so far. The
success in the music industry is not different from
the successes in any other field. You need to have
some passion, loads of dedication, andright attitude.
But there’s something that comes before everything
else.
In 2017 Spotify launched its Ad Studio feature that allowed artists and their labels to share their music via 30-second or less audio ads played to the users on the platform’s free tier. While the short ads proved to be an effective tool, they provided limited data of what actually happened after a listener clicked on the ad. Now the company has rolled out some new streaming conversion metrics that will show more about how listeners react to an ad campaign.
An
important legal battle over songwriter royalties
is going back to Cali, in a win for Irving Azoff
and his boutique performing rights organization
(PRO) in its ongoing fight with radio.
Amazon
has entered into discussions to launch a
free, ad-supported music service, sources familiar
with the plan tell Billboard --
intensifying its competitive threat to global
streaming leader Spotify. The world’s biggest
e-retailer would market the free music service
through its voice-activated Echo speakers, sources
say, and would offer a limited catalog. It could
become available as early as next week. To obtain
licenses for the free music, Amazon has offered to
initially pay some record labels per stream,
regardless of how much advertising Amazon sells.
Since
YouTube's unrolling of its Official Artist
Channel, how artists distribute and listeners
consumer their music has shifted, and with their
content now largely consolidated, artists now have
a powerful tool at their disposal, provided they
market it correctly. Here we look at how to get
the most out of your AOC.
For
many artists, marketing their work is by far the most
loathsome aspect of being a DIY artist. Whether you hate
it or not though, selling your music is essential, so
you might as well get good at it. Here we look at what
exactly you should be doing to market your next release.
dotBC
and Digimarc have partnered to add Digimarc's Barcode
for Audio watermarking technology to the dotBC offering.
This will connect the metadata and rights ownership
information supplied by artists, songwriters and rights
holders to the audio file itself.
A
growing group of songwriters are taking to social media
to urge users to #cancelspotify in protest of the
streamer's decision to challenge a US Copyright Royalty
Board decision to raise streaming payments to
songwriters 44% over the next 5 years.
While
paid streaming subscriptions have, in many circles, been
billed as the savior of the music industry, the reality
is that the business is still operating at a severely
reduced capacity since the devastation visited on it in
the early days of digital.
In
2018, artists and record labels were paid 1.1% less of
the total money handed over by US consumers to music
“retailers” – a sector now dominated by streaming
services – than in 2016. That percentage stat might
not sound hugely noteworthy, but think on this: 1.1% of
the total music retail revenues in the US last year
($9.8 billion) equates to $108 million.
Here
is a surprising headline within the music streaming
pantheon: Spotify appears to have lost one of its
crowning achievements, as Apple Music has topped the
pureplay in the number of paid U.S. subscriptions. The
Wall Street Journal, which broke the story, calls it
“a shift that escalates the music rivals’ contest
for listeners worldwide.”
Whatever
platform you use, staying directly in touch with your
fanbase in the form of e-blasts is critical to selling
your music, but this is only effective if you have list
to send them to. Here we look at some key tips for
connecting with your audience and building your mailing
list at your next show.
Streaming
giant Spotify, after years of attempting to woo the
songwriting community, is now at the front of an effort
to pay it less. It’s a move that has seen the company,
the market leader with 87 million worldwide subscribers,
hand second-place Apple, with an estimated 43.5 million
subs, an opportunity to make up ground.
It
is easy to get nostalgic for the era when most music
lovers bought LPs. They would save their pennies for a
Saturday trip to the local record store, before heading
home clutching their glorious new vinyl in a plastic bag
to drop the needle on the turntable and listen on
repeat. But is it actually true that earlier generations
placed a greater value on recorded music than music fans
in the present day? We decided to investigate the
numbers to see if they told a different story. As it
turns out, they do – and it’s far worse than we
expected.
Global
music sales grew for the fourth consecutive year in 2018
with streaming now accounting for almost half of all label
revenue, according to the International Federation of the
Phonographic Industry's (IFPI) "Global Music Report
2019." Total music sales for the year
amounted to $19.1 billion, a 9.7 percent rise on 2017's
figures and the highest rate of growth since IFPI started
tracking the market in 1997. It is also the highest sales
total since 2007 when revenues reached $18.4 billion.
The
scales are about to tip in favor of streaming music
becoming the number one driver of global recorded music
revenues — a shift that appears to be on track for
sometime this year. According to a new industry report,
global recorded music revenues jumped 9.7 percent in 2018
to reach $19.1 billion — up from $17.4 billion in 2017.
Streaming music revenues, in particular, now account for
nearly half (47 percent) of global revenue, thanks to a
sizable 32.9 percent jump in paid streaming last year.
This brought streaming revenues to $8.9 million in 2018,
and puts them on track for a further jump in 2019.
“There
will always be demand for physical media,” states Tony
van Veen as he proudly announces the acquisition of the
assets of the physical media businesses from AVL Digital
Group by the Disc Makers executive team.
The
new DIY Media Group is much more than just a CD factory.
The company offers today’s content creators—musicians,
labels, authors, publishers, and filmmakers—a full suite
of high-quality physical media solutions including CDs,
DVDs, Blu-Ray discs, vinyl records, USB cards, books,
eBooks, and printed garments. “Physical media remains
one of the best ways to legitimize an artist and drive
artist income in the streaming era,” states van Veen.
In
this fourth of AWAL's five part Decoded series on how to
effectively allocate money in your music career, we dig
into the process behind setting up your next music
marketing campaign for success, and hear from multiple
industry experts about some of the lessons they learned
during their time in the business.
