Photo credit: Chase Yi

Whenever you see musicians complaining about not being able to make money from music, they’re probably not making money from music. Because there are definitely ways to use your musical skills to earn a part-time or full-time income.

Is it difficult? Yes. As Russ says, you have to be delusional to make a living as a musician. In other words, you have to be ridiculously passionate about music. If you are, you can provide value to listeners and get paid for providing that value.

So, below are 12 ways to make money from music. I’ve made or currently make money from most of these income streams, so I know it’s possible.

Streaming Royalties

Music streaming platforms notoriously don’t pay a ton of money. But that’s not a good enough reason to not take advantage of this passive income stream. You make a song, distribute it, and it can potentially make you money for the rest of your life.

Yeah, you need a lot of streams to make anything substantial. And we should push for better payouts from streaming platforms. For example, to make $500 from Spotify, you need to get about 210,000 streams.

But isn’t it better to make as much money from streaming as possible?

Teach Music Lessons

Whatever instrument you play, you can bring in some money by teaching others how to play it (you’ll have to be exceptional on that instrument). You can get paid $20-40 per hour, depending on how good you are and where you live.

It can be difficult to get your first students, but once you do, you’ll retain more students mainly by word of mouth. To find your first students, start with your personal network. You can also start by working with a company that finds students for you. And you can

Session Musician Work

If you’re good enough on your instrument to give music lessons, then you’re probably good enough to be a session musician.

You’ll do better as a session musician if you live in a city with a vibrant music scene, like Nashville, Austin, Los Angeles, or New York. But you can start right away by getting set up on SoundBetter and Fiverr and offering remote session work.

Play House Concerts

If you’re an artist with original music already released, don’t overlook house concerts.

They’re my favorite kind of show. As an introvert who loves people, I do better with smaller crowds. It’s not as intimidating and I get to meet everyone there. And you can be sure everyone in attendance wants to be there, as opposed to playing songs in a bar for people who don’t even know who you are.

This means house-show attendees are more likely to support you financially. Here are some resources to help you with the house concert industry:

• Team up with your friends and local fans to host house concerts in their homes
• Read No Booker, No Bouncer, No Bartender: How I Made $25K On A 2-Month House Concert Tour (And How You Can Too)
• Sign up as an artist on Side Door (they connect you with hosts)
• Apply to be part of the Listening Room Network (if you’re accepted, they connect you with hosts)

Play Live-Streamed Shows

Artists make money by live-streaming their concerts. Apparently, you don’t need many fans to make a living on Twitch. You can also make money directly on TikTok through follower “gifts” (tips).

But most importantly, it’s a fun way to connect with your fans from all over the world.

Play Corporate Gigs

Corporate gigs seem to be the secret sauce to making a living as a performing musician, as long as you’re willing to get rid of the fantasy idea that every show you play will be a sold-out theater.

I have friends who make a living from this type of thing, and I’ve played a few corporate gigs myself.

These gigs involve being background music for private parties, business get togethers, performances at senior living communities, and weddings. If you’re also a DJ, that’s a huge plus.

And, like any other type of public performance, you can earn performance royalties on top of what the client pays you.

Here’s how to get started.

Performance Royalties

Whenever you or someone else plays your songs in a public place, you are owed a royalty. In my experience, it ends up being about $1-2 per song per performance.

This can vary depending on what Publishing Rights Organization (PRO) you’re with. With BMI, I simply upload my setlist to their website and get paid every quarter. Oh, and this whole process is free.

A “public place” has to be anywhere open to the public, so house shows are not considered a “public place.” So don’t try to file for royalties from a house concert.

The first step is to sign up with a PRO.

Merch

Any shows you play, you should be selling merchandise, whether it’s in a house, at a bar, or for a corporate event (just check with the client first). For a lot of performing artists, merch sales are their biggest income stream.

For merch apparel, look for a local company that can make your custom T-shirts, hats, stickers, and whatever else your fans might like.

Sync Licensing

Sync licensing is when your song is synced with a moving image – in other words, a TV ad, show, or film.

You’re getting paid a lump sum of cash in exchange for allowing a filmmaker to use that song in their project.

Depending on the project, you can earn anywhere from $10 to thousands of dollars per song used. And you can license the same song multiple times if you’re under a non-exclusive agreement.

Plus, you’re owed performance royalties if your song is on TV (another reason to sign up with a PRO).

Produce and Mix Artists

This is currently my biggest income stream. I partner with indie artists to bring their songs to life through production and mixing.

To get started, you’ll first need to show people what you can do. This is why it’s important to have music of your own that you can send to potential clients.

Just record a song or two for starters. Then you can send those songs to fellow musicians to whom you pitch your services.

And, if you’re new to this, it’s best to offer to mix 1-2 songs for free. Then you’ll have more portfolio items to show other clients.

I highly recommend SoundBetter. I get most of my clients through this platform.

Start a Subscriber Community

A subscriber community allows your superfans to support you financially while getting exclusive goodies in return. By sharing exclusive stuff, early access, and just being yourself, you can run a successful subscriber community.

Some of the top platforms that let you do this are Patreon, Bandzoogle, and Bandcamp.

Launch and Grow a YouTube Channel

This one is tough. I’ve not done it, but I’m a big consumer of YouTube and I’ve seen plenty of musicians do it.

The trick is figuring out how to grow. To do so, you first need to have irresistible content. You’ll also need to post frequently, be a part of the community, and know how to add effective tags to your video.

Then, as you grow your audience, you can earn money from sponsors and YouTube’s ad revenue program.

YouTube actually put together a free course on how to succeed on YouTube. Looks like it covers everything you need to know.

Personalize Your Music Career

The way you make money from music is up to you. I’m just letting you know there are plenty of options. You have to find your own path and keep going.

I suggest focusing on 2-3 of these income streams.

But why three income streams?

Well, Thomas C. Corley, author of Change Your Habits, Change Your Life, spent five year studying millionaires.

And he found that three income streams “seemed to be the magic number.”

He found that 65% of the millionaires he studied had at least three income streams “prior to

making their first million dollars.”

He added that “the more income streams you can create in life, the more secure your financial house will be and the more wealth you will create.”

And these millionaires “built their businesses while employed full time. If they can do it, so can you.”

I know, you may not be shooting to become a millionaire musician. But if you want a full-time career in music, it’s best to listen to people who are financially successful.

Photo credit: Heidi Fin

If you were a 90s kid like me, you probably remember curating playlists before there were playlists. They were called mixtapes, or “burning a CD.” We put our favorite songs in one place so we could just hit play and know that every track would be awesome.

Today’s version of that is Spotify playlists. And as an artist, it’s important that you factor them into your music marketing strategy.

How Much To Invest in Spotify Playlists (Emotionally/Financially)

To figure out how much you should emotionally and financially invest in Spotify playlists, we first have to talk about the Spotify algorithm. (Learn how to get your music on Spotify here).

How does the Spotify algorithm work?

Spotify’s algorithm is all about data. It analyzes how its 433+ million users listen to music. Then it uses all that data to suggest songs to listeners. And it’s gotten very good at suggesting music that listeners will like.

Basically, the algorithm gods want to suggest the right song to the right person, which is why it’s important for you to pay attention to what data you feed them. Who’s your audience? What artists is your music similar to? Do listeners engage with your songs, or mostly skip them?

Spotify wants to only suggest music that will engage the listener, thereby keeping the listener on the platform and an all-around happy customer. So here are some of the metrics Spotify uses to measure the engagement of your songs:

• Minimal skips
• Repeat listens
• High follower-to-listener ratio
• High save-to-stream ratio
• Number of playlist adds
• How often your name appears in the press
• Number of song shares

The higher Spotify ranks your engagement, the more likely it is you’ll get on algorithmic playlists, like Radio, Release Radar, Discover Weekly, Your Daily Mix, and On Repeat.

Should you try to please the Spotify algorithm?

Artists who make multiple kinds of music use different artist names, if they’re smart. You don’t want to confuse the algorithm with an acoustic singer-songwriter song one month and then a lo-fi hip-hop song the next.

I’m not saying you should change your music to please the algorithm, but if your musical style is all over the place, you won’t do as well on Spotify.

“The algorithm IS your audience,” writes Chris Robley of CD Baby. “I mean that in an almost literal sense; not that you create your art to please a machine, but that this machine is the most powerful representation of your fans’ aggregate tastes and listening habits.”

In a way, the algorithm is on your side. It’s trying to get your music to the right people. So if you confuse it, you’re making its job harder.

Again, if you want to make an artistic choice, do what you need to do. I’m all for it. Artistic expression always comes first. But just know, if the music is too different from your previous music, you may not get as much traction on Spotify.

How much to invest in Spotify playlists

Never pay money for “guaranteed” streams on a Spotify playlist. These are most likely bots and definitely not people who are going to be your fans. You’re trying to build a community of real fans here, not just streams.

But what about paying to submit your music for playlist consideration?

This is fine if you have the budget. In this case, the playlisters will accept or reject your song solely on their musical taste and preference, not based on you paying them.

I’ve used playlist-pitching services where you can pay to submit. But I didn’t spend tons of money on it, and I wouldn’t suggest you do either. Yeah, $10 here and there could work. But you probably have other, more valuable things to spend that money on.

Emotionally, I would say don’t base all of your success on getting on playlists, especially Spotify editorial playlists. Editorial playlists are curated by Spotify employees, and they’re notoriously tough to get on. Usually, you need to have already gotten tons of streams to land on one of those.

However, definitely try to get on playlists. Remember, the Spotify algorithm will rank your engagement higher the more playlists your songs are on. Just make sure those playlists are in line with the type of music you make.

How To Find Spotify Playlists

The number of playlists my songs were added to in 2022

Here are a few websites I use to pitch my music for playlist consideration. I’ve gotten on several playlists using all of these methods.

SubmitHub

SubmitHub is a pay-to-submit platform for Spotify playlists, music bloggers, influencers, etc. You can submit for free, but by using Premium (paid) credits, it bumps you to the front of the line so the playlist curator hears your song first. I’ve gotten several press write-ups and playlists inclusions through this platform.

I’ve spent some money on SubmitHub, but I wouldn’t recommend spending a crazy amount of money on it, unless you have the budget. There are free ways to get on playlists.

Groover

I have yet to try Groover, but it works a lot like SubmitHub in that you get a guaranteed listen and feedback. It’s then up to the curator if they want to add your song to one of their playlists. It costs $2 to submit to a curator, and that is split between the curator and Groover.

The @gmail.com method

I used this method to get my songs on a couple playlists. Basically, in the Spotify search bar, type “[your genre/mood] @gmail” and you’ll find a bunch of playlists where the curator has listed their submission email in the description. And it doesn’t have to be just your genre or mood – you can replace it with whatever you think will find playlists that fit your music.

Search hashtags on TikTok and Instagram

Social media is full of playlist curators who love sharing music they’ve discovered. And they use specific hashtags on their TikToks, Reels, and Shorts. So as an artist, you can search these hashtags, find those curators, see if they have any playlists your music would fit on, and then submit your music.

Here are some hashtags you can search on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube:

• #songrecommendations
• #underratedsongs
• #musicdiscovery
• #songsuggestions
• #songsilike
• #spotifyplaylist

The Most Important Kind of Playlist

The most valuable kind of Spotify playlist your songs can get on are those made by your fans. These are personal playlists that people voluntarily added your music to. They’re not aspiring professional music curators. They’re just music lovers.

It means your song resonated so deeply with them, they just had to add it to their carefully assembled playlist. When you see these playlists show up on your Spotify for Artists dashboard, feel encouraged. You’re doing something right, so keep it up.

Photo credit: Christian Wiediger

You don’t have to be an amateur filmmaker to succeed on YouTube. Thanks to YouTube Shorts, you can get your music in front of new people every day, and all you need is a smartphone.

What Are YouTube Shorts?

YouTube Shorts is YouTube’s short-form, vertical videos that are no longer than 60 seconds each. On the YouTube app and on the site, there’s a “Shorts” tab where people can start watching and scrolling. Viewers watch Shorts similarly to the way they watch TikToks and Instagram Reels – the algorithm feeds them videos it thinks they’ll like based on their previous activity, not necessarily videos from people they subscribe to.

This is good for musicians because it gets your content (which features your music) in front of total strangers. And that means there’s great potential to grow your fanbase.

Why You Should Post YouTube Shorts as a Musician

Today’s content-drenched internet world favors short-form videos. This may change in the near future, or maybe not. But we know TikToks, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are what people are consuming right now and, therefore, what creators are focusing on.

But what makes Shorts different from TikToks and Reels?

First, YouTube is already the biggest video platform on the planet and has been for many years. Up until September 2020 when Shorts launched, YouTube was mainly for longer videos. But YouTube now has both short-form content and longer videos, so it offers more than TikTok and Reels.

Similar to TikTok, Shorts gives you access to a library of music you can legally use in your videos. This means, as a musician, you can distribute your music to YouTube through your digital distributor then easily add it to your Shorts.

Also, a lot of people use YouTube as their main music streaming platform, so you need to be where the people are. Or else you could be missing out on connecting with new fans.

As of June 2022, YouTube said it has more than 1.5 billion monthly logged-in Shorts viewers. And as of April 2022, YouTube boasted 30 billion daily views.

So why wouldn’t you be posting YouTube Shorts?

On top of all this, I have a bit of anecdotal evidence. I started posting Shorts promoting my music at the end of September 2022, and can I just say…wow. Already a huge benefit for me as a musician.

I had roughly a 1,000% increase in watch time, subscriber growth, and views.

For context, I was not getting many views before posting shorts and I’m still not getting crazy numbers. But before I started posting Shorts, I was getting 20-60 views per video – now, some of my most recent Shorts have gotten between 1.1k and 2.4k views.

But most importantly, people are discovering my music through these Shorts and leaving comments asking where they can stream the song. So why wouldn’t I keep posting Shorts?

Focus on Likes and Comments, Not Views

I want to highlight something here – YouTube Short views are not the main metric you should use to measure your success on YouTube. Because, as one person says in this video, a Shorts view is not the same as a regular YouTube view.

People are scrolling through tons of videos on Shorts, and watching your Short is simply a first impression. Likes and comments are how you measure the quality of that first impression. Views are simply a good indicator of how many people YouTube showed that video to.

When someone likes or comments on your video, it’s more likely the algorithm will show them your future videos. And the more someone sees you pop up on their feed and engages with your content, the more likely they are to go stream your music.

So pay attention to your likes-to-views and comments-to-views ratio.

How To Post a YouTube Short (Walkthrough)

Posting a YouTube Short is super easy. Here are the steps:

1. Sign into your YouTube account
2. From the dropdown menu in the top-right corner (where your profile picture is), go to YouTube Studio
3. In the top-right corner, click the Create button
4. Upload a video that’s less than 60 seconds (can be square or vertical aspect ratio)
5. In the description, use the hashtag #Shorts (you can also use #Short, #shortvideo, and #shortsvideo)
6. Add other relevant hashtags
7. Publish the video

What Type of Content Works on YouTube Shorts?

The type of short-form content that works for someone else may not work for you. Regardless, the content you post on Shorts can also be the same content you post on TikTok and Instagram Reels. You can recycle content and it can do well on all the short-form content platforms.

To learn how to make short-form content that works on multiple platforms, check out this walkthrough.

According to Sony Music, an Indian artist on its roster single-handedly broke Taylor Swift and BTS’ respective YouTube record.

Or so it seems.

Currently, Taylor Swift’s single ‘Me!’ holds the 24-hour most-viewed record with 65.4 million.  Ariana Grande’s ‘Thank U, Next’ had previously reached 55.4 million views within 24 hours.

Among bands, BTS currently holds the record for most views within 24 hours on YouTube for ‘Boy with Luv’ featuring Halsey.  Fans viewed the video 74.6 million times.

Sony Music in India claims Badshah’s music video for ‘Paagal’ – pagal in Hindi means bizarre or fantastic – easily shattered both records with over 75 million views within 24 hours.

There’s just one problem.  YouTube has yet to acknowledge the views.

So, what’s going on?

Does YouTube count AdWords clicks?

Explaining how he accomplished the feat, Badshah shared his secret.

“We worked hard for this [record and] promoted it worldwide.  And what some people call fake views are not fake views.  They’re Google AdWords.  It’s a way of promoting your video.  We bought AdWords all around the world so that people could see the video all around the world.”

Confirming the feat, Shridhar Subramaniam, President of Sony Music of India and the Middle East, proclaimed,

“This is an unprecedented feat and we’re very proud.  This will go down [in] history as Badshah becomes the first Indian artist to reach 75 million views in 24 hours.”

Yet, the popular video platform has yet to respond.

Making things more ‘pagal,’ Badshah’s music video failed to appear on YouTube’s Global Music Charts for the week of July 5^th-11^th.  This means the video platform may not count clicks generated by its parent company’s AdWords.

In addition, according to Billboard, the popularity of ‘Paagal’ has notably slowed down.  Reaching 74 million views within 24 hours, fans viewed BTS’ ‘Boy with Luv’ 87.4 million times in its debut week.  Meanwhile, Swift’s ‘Me!’ had added 63.8 million more streams.  After reaching 76 million views, ‘Paagal’ has over 100 million views after launching on July 10^th.  This isn’t a bad number, but not exactly record-breaking.

Outside of India, people have yet to hear of Badshah.  On YouTube Insights, the top 10 cities are either in or close to India.  ‘Paagal’ has also yet to top his No. 1 Top Song on the video platform – ‘Koka’ with 34 million views.

Featured image by Sony Music Indian (YouTube screengrab).

We’ll start with this: according to YouTube, Taylor Swift’s ‘Me!’ currently holds the platform’s 24-hour views record for a solo artist.

The music video — featuring Panic at the Disco’s Brendon Urie — hit 65.4 million views in a single day.

‘Me!’ easily surpassed the previous record.  Ariana Grande’s ‘Thank U, Next’ had previously reached 55.4 million views within 24 hours.

Among bands, BTS currently holds the record for most views within 24 hours for ‘Boy With Luv’ featuring Halsey.  Fans viewed the video 76.4 million times within 24 hours of its release.

Now, one of the major labels claims that an Indian artist has easily smashed Taylor Swift and BTS’ record.

How some money to Google goes a long way.

According to Sony Music, rapper Badshah’s latest track has set a record on YouTube.

The music video for ‘Paagal’ (pagal means bizarre or fantastic in Hindi) reached over 75 million views within 24 hours of its release.  The major label claims the video has “dethroned [both] BTS and Taylor Swift.”

Currently, the music video has over 83.3 million views.

Speaking on the milestone – which YouTube has yet to confirm – Shridhar Subramaniam, Sony Music’s President of India and Middle East, said,

“This is an unprecedented feat and we’re very proud.  This will go down [in] history as Badshah becomes the first Indian artist to reach 75 million views in 24 hours.”

The rapper – real name Aditya Prateek Singh Sisodia – added that he created ‘Paagal’ to take music from India “across borders and make our presence felt.”

“I’m ecstatic and…overwhelmed with the amount of love we have received in the last 24 hours.”

So, how did Sisodia purportedly achieve the milestone?

Google AdWords.

On an Instagram story, the rapper raised suspicions when he accidentally suggested Sony Music may have bought fake views.

“Is it even worth it?  We worked hard for this [and] promoted it worldwide.  And what some people call fake views are not fake views.  They’re Google AdWords.  It’s a way of promoting your video.  We bought AdWords all around the world so that people could see the video all around the world.”

According to Badshah, most of the criticism came from BTS fans — known as A.R.M.Y.

One fan said,

“BTS literally had 4 million above likes in first 24 hours for 74 million views and this doesn’t even have 500k?  How come?”

Slamming the ‘milestone,’ another BTS fan said,

“Dear Badshah.  Next time remember to buy likes, too.”

Defending the unverified YouTube record, the rapper concluded,

“You think artists abroad don’t get paid promotions?  Are you so naive?  I don’t want to be the one with the highest views, but someone has to be.  I tried and I did it.  Get over it.”

Whose fault is it when an up-and-coming content creator collective shuts down?  The company itself or the music industry at large?

According to the Internet Creators Guild (ICG), the music industry.  Notably, major labels and advertising agencies.

In an e-mail sent out to creators, ICG’s Board of Directors confirmed on Monday it would close its doors.

Founded in 2016 by Hank Green, a popular online video blogger, the Internet Creators Guild launched with a two-fold purpose.  First, the organization wanted to advise rising stars like himself.  Second, ICG also wanted to represent them.

Lamenting the company’s closure, the board explained,

“In the last four years, we’ve worked toward that goal by striving to increase transparency in brand deals, assisting creators when they were being treated unfairly by advertisers or platforms, interfacing with journalists, providing a community for creators to meet and share, and putting pressure on platforms to meet the needs of creators.”

Unfortunately, ICG faced a problem other start-up organizations often fail to overcome – financial stability.

“We still believe that creators need to have a place where they can join together, support each other, and collectively bargain.  But we have not found a way to support the staff necessary to continue our mission.”

In addition, music licensing with unnamed video platforms – i.e., Facebook and YouTube, among many others – caused ICG to decline.

“Our relationships with platforms often yielded positive results, contributing to constructive discussions around the state of creators and the industry.  However, these platforms often required us to not discuss these relationships as a condition of having these conversations.”

Thus, the Internet Creators Guild couldn’t “be transparent” nor push for the real value of its members’ works.

For example, the organization revealed major labels receive 70% of every dollar spent on YouTube Premium.  Creators make more money from subscribers than non-paying users.  Yet, if labels would stop taking “a lion’s share” of revenue, Premium could have been “game-changing” for many content creators.

Further slamming the industry, ICG wrote,

“Record labels stand in solidarity with each other and can hold YouTube hostage.  This is one of the many reasons collective action is necessary in our space.”

Major advertisers also push to keep their brand deal rates “shrouded in mystery.”  In fact, standing against transparency, these companies don’t want rates to go public.  This often hurts content creators who struggle to make a profit from their work.

“We hope that creators will continue to strive for transparency by insisting that their payment be excluded from any nondisclosure agreement associated with their brand relationships.”

The Board of Directors has confirmed all current ICG members will promptly receive membership refunds on a pro-rata basis.

The post concludes,

“Thank you for your vision and support for the ICG, we’re deeply grateful.  The same goes out to all of our board members and executive directors (current and former), everyone who has helped us with research, joined us for the podcast, or reached out for a quote or background research on any of the complicated issues creators face today.”

Featured image by Thomas Galvez (CC by 2.0).

Despite the presence of more than 2 billion monthly active users (MAUs), YouTube executives are struggling to get people to sign up for its paid services.  Notably, YouTube Premium & Music Premium.

Case in point.  Shortly after the service’s paid video service launched last May, YouTube Premium – including Music Premium – no longer ranked among the top 10 streaming services in the U.S.

In last place, more people preferred paying for and watching DirecTV over YouTube’s offerings.

So, with few people actually shelling out their hard-earned cash for the service, the video platform soon unveiled a new strategy late last year.  YouTube would reportedly minimize its scripted shows.  Starting in 2020, the company would beef up its ad-supported offering.

This means the company’s coveted Originals – pretty much Cobra Kai – would eventually be free to stream.  Premium subscribers wouldn’t have to pay $12/month anymore to watch their favorite series.

Now, company executives are moving forward on their ad-supported strategy.

Throwing in the towel on YouTube Red Premium.

Yesterday, the Google-owned company confirmed that it will stream all of its original shows for free, but with ads.

This follows the video platform’s strategy to enlist major stars in unscripted shows rather than creating its own original programming to compete with Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu, among many others.

According to YouTube CEO Susa Wojcicki, the platform’s MAUs consume around 250 million hours of its video offerings every day.  She shied away, however, from sharing actual Premium & Music Premium subscription numbers.

Unveiling a list of new and returning ‘Originals,’ including music specials, YouTube’s Chief Business Officer, Robert Kyncl, explained,

“For today’s viewers, primetime is personal and our content resonates so strongly due to the diversity and richness of our unmatched library and platform capabilities.

“While every other media company is building a paywall, we’re headed in the opposite direction and now have more opportunities than ever to partner with advertisers and share our critically- acclaimed originals with our global audience.”

The new music specials include an unnamed Justin Bieber project, expanded Lollapalooza coverage, and Maluma’s ‘Lo Que Era, Lo Que Soy, Lo Que Seré.’

Yet, the ad-supported offering may only last for a short while.  According to Deadline, each original series will have a “run on the free, ad-supported side” of YouTube.  Series on the video platform’s “free windows” include Cobra Kai.

If true, expect the free, ad-supported series to only last for a short while before making the jump back to YouTube Red Premium.

If not, expect the company to throw in the towel on its third attempt to break into the streaming music and OTT markets.

Undeterred by the Copyright Directive’s passing, YouTube has vowed to fight on, hoping to pay artists and creators much, much less in the process.

YouTube isn’t exactly happy about the European Union’s new law, the Copyright Directive.

Specifically, the popular video platform has long targeted a controversial measure in the bill – Article 13 (now Article 17).

Article 17 grants rightsholders an improved negotiation position with online platforms that use their works.  Authors and performers will directly benefit from the provisions included in the bill, which includes better remuneration and contracts.

Major online platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, must now sign formal licensing agreements with creators to use their works.  Should they fail to do so, these platforms must ensure infringing content is taken down and not re-uploaded.

EU Member States have two years to implement the new legislation in their respective countries.

YouTube, which has historically paid the music industry a dismal amount in royalties (known as the “value gap”) compared to all other major music services, clearly has a lot to lose.

Now, the popular video platform has vowed to take down Article 17 at any cost.

YouTube’s never-ending quest to eliminate the Copyright Directive for its own benefit.

In an open quarterly letter, and under the guise of ‘protecting artists and creators,’ CEO Susan Wojcicki has vowed to derail the Copyright Directive.

Admitting the popular video platform remains “very concerned” about Article 17, she said the Directive is ultimately unclear.

“While we support the rights of copyright holders – YouTube has deals with almost all the music companies and TV broadcasters today – we’re concerned about the vague, untested requirements of the new directive.”

Once again begging the often-ignored content creator community to fight against the legislation, and repeating an already-debunked lie, Wojcicki added,

“[Article 17] could create serious limitations for what YouTube creators can upload.  This risks lowering the revenue to traditional media and music companies from YouTube, and potentially devastating the many European creators who have built their businesses on YouTube.”

Sounds devastating, right?

Keep in mind a study published last year found that only a few creators will ever make enough from their YouTube videos to break the poverty line.  96.5% of all content creators will never make enough to pay their monthly rent.  Only 3.5% of the top channels on the video platform make over €10,782 ($12,140) a year.  In turn, the minimum wage amount in Germany comes out to €17,976 ($20,242) a year.

In addition, the Google-owned video platform pays out as low as 35 cents per 1,000 views.  It earns millions each year from top advertisers.

So much for Wojcicki’s ‘argument.’

Revealing her plan to ‘persuade’ individual EU Member States (likely through multi-million dollar lobbying efforts), she continued,

“While the Directive has passed, there’s still time to affect the final implementation to avoid some of the worst unintended consequences.

“Each EU member state now has two years to introduce national laws…in line with the new rules, which means that the powerful collective voice of creators can still make a major impact.”

Wojcicki added that all must “stand up and speak out for creativity,” pushing another questionable talking point in the process.

“Your actions have already led to the most popular Change.org petition in history and encouraged people to reach across borders.”

This would lead readers to believe European content creators really want to roll back the new law.  But, just take a closer look.

The so-called ‘most popular petition in history’ only has around 5.3 million signatures. Combining all EU Member States, the European population totals well over 512 million people.  Doing the math, 5.3 million translates to about 1%, though it’s unclear how many of those signatures are coming from within the targeted EU countries.

Concluding her plea to the content creator community, she wrote,

“This is not the end of our movement, but only the beginning.”

YouTube’s top executives already remain 0 for 3 against the Copyright Directive.  But, will this new plea work?

Nope.

Featured image by Steve Jennings (CC by 2.0).

Taylor Swift has made history anew.

The 29-year-old pop singer’s recent music video, ‘Me!,’ broke several records across multiple platforms.

The music video, which features Panic at the Disco’s Brendon Urie, broke YouTube’s record for most views in a 24-hour period by a solo artist.  Swift’s song hit 65.2 million views in a single day.  She had teased the song multiple times on Instagram over the past several weeks.

Writing about the feat, YouTube Music wrote on Twitter,

“With 65.2 million views, congratulations @taylorswift13 + @taylornation13 on breaking the record for highest female and solo 24-hour debut for any music video on @YouTube.”

Expressing her joy with fans, Swift wrote,

“GUYS!!  YOU DID THIS!!!!  CANNOT STOP SMILING.  And I’m not trying to be loud but 65.2 million views… ?? and 6+5+2=…………”

The final sentence references the pop singer’s belief that her lucky number is 13.

On Instagram, Swift posted an image, reading,

“I just heard that you guys watched the ‘Me!’ video 65.2 million times in 24 hours!!!!!!!  I love you all so much.”

‘Me!’ broke the previous record, held by Ariana Grande’s ‘Thank U, Next,’ which reached 55.4 million views within 24 hours.  BTS currently holds the record for most views within 24 hours for ‘Boy With Luv’ featuring Halsey.  Fans viewed the video 76.4 million times within 24 hours of its release.

Currently, Swift’s music videos, ‘Shake It Off’ and ‘Blank Space,’ have over 2.8 billion and 2.5 billion views on YouTube, respectively.

On Amazon Music, the singer has also shattered two records.

According to a post on Twitter, ‘Me!’ now has the most first-day streams and on-demand voice requests with Alexa.

The music streaming platform explained,

“Congrats to @taylorswift13 for putting the “ME!” in AWESOME!

“‘ME!’ ” broke TWO records for most first-day streams and on-demand voice requests with Alexa than any other single debut on Amazon Music.”

Speaking about the accomplishment, Swift remained more constrained.  She wrote,

“SO.  COOL.  ?@amazonmusic #alexaplay ME!”

On Spotify, the song had 7,945,784 streams in its first day last Friday.  ‘Me!’ beat out Billie Eilish’s ‘bad guy,’ which had 5,853,381 plays.  Lil Nas X’s ‘Old Town Road – Remix’ had 4,901,618 streams.

Featured image by Taylor Swift (YouTube screengrab).

India doesn’t think very fondly of PewDiePie’s racist rants.

Last month, seemingly ‘conceding’ the crown for the most subscribers on YouTube, Felix ‘PewDiePie’ Kjellberg released a diss track.

In the song, ‘Congratulations,’ the popular YouTube star detailed several ‘facts’ about Indian label T-Series.

“A congratulations to your corporation. / Guess to beat one Swedish boy, you need a billion Asians.”

Revealing the company’s history of selling pirated songs, Kjellberg continued,

“Now you’re at number one, hope you did nothing wrong. / Like starting your business by selling pirated songs.”

T-Series has remained publicly silent about the insults.

Siding with the Indian label, a top court in India has now issued a ruling against Kjellberg.

India v. PewDiePie.

The Delhi High Court has reportedly ordered YouTube to take down two PewDiePie tracks – ‘Bi—h Lasagna’ and ‘Congratulations.’

The court told the popular video platform to “remove and disable access” to both tracks.  T-Series first filed a complaint, stating Kjellberg’s songs were “defamatory, disparaging, insulting, and offensive.”  The songs also contained “repeated comments… abusive, vulgar, and also racist in nature.”

Single Judge Bench of Justice Jayant Nath reportedly issued the ruling.

The judge wrote,

“In my opinion, it would be in the interest of justice that these videos are taken off by YouTube.”

The Court order states YouTube has two weeks to comply.

Immediately following the ruling, the YouTube star’s fans came to his defense on social media.

“Imagine going to court because of a PewDiePie diss track lmfao, grow up.”

“@pewdiepie This is real news Bollywood Hungama know for its clickbate articles Delhi High Court has not ordered anything.  We’re with you Felix love from India.”

“PewDiePie: Take a joke!  T-Series: *Takes the joke to court*”

“@TSeries Really ?  Suing for removal?  hahaha Butthurt ? @pewdiepie Man getting sued by a whole country hahaha xD as if youtube takes Indian court serious xD, such a big company, doing nothing but upload music videos (it’s not creating content) that’s just uploading.  PATHETIC.”

“T-series asked the Supreme Court of India to make YouTube remove @pewdiepie’s music videos from the platform.  Does this mean we’ll be getting more diss tracks?”

Defending the derogatory tracks, Kjellberg dubbed his songs as a “joke.”

Speaking about a recent Change.org petition asking for PewDiePie’s ban from the video platform, he replied,

“A lot of these points are just flat-out lies as well.”

Featured image by Pogaface (CC by 3.0).

While YouTube Music celebrates three million downloads, the company remains silent on how many subscribers it actually has in India.

According to a new report, YouTube Music may have found success in India.

To celebrate hitting 3 million downloads in less than a week, the Google-owned video platform reportedly held a massive party on Monday evening.  Local artists who performed at the event Taufiq Qureshi, Akriti Kakkar, Alka Yagnik, Anirudh Ravichander, Badshah, Guru Randhawa, and Harshdeep Kaur.

Alan Walker, a Norwegian DJ and record producer, also made an appearance.

Speaking about the milestone, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said,

“Our tremendous scale and reach is why many talented artists and creators across India come to YouTube to share their voice with the world.

“It’s why we’re seeing Indian artists connect with fans from Delhi to New York and everywhere in between.”

According to Wojcicki, 500 million internet users in India will consume online video for sharing, learning, and entertainment by 2020.  A subscription to YouTube Premium costs ₹129 ($1.86) a month.

Speaking about the platform’s success in the country, Lyor Cohen, the platform’s Global Head of Music, said,

“We’re incredibly excited to partner with Indian artists and labels to grow faster and go further.”

Executives from other unspecified music labels and prominent personalities from the Indian music scene also joined the celebration.  This includes notable Indian poet, lyricist, and screenwriter Javed Akhtar.

Missing from the event was the company’s actual subscription numbers in the country.  In India, YouTube offers two tiers of paid service – Music Premium, which grants users access to music videos without ads, and Premium, which offers an ad-free experience across the entire video platform.

Yet, Google’s third attempt in the streaming music market has yet to crack into the mainstream.  The reason?  YouTube has yet to provide a compelling reason for current users to subscribe.

Plus, with Spotify’s arrival, and the availability of Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Google Play, the Indian music market remains saturated.

To take on foreign competitors, well-established services Gaana and JioSaavn have recently undercut their prices by 75%.  Both companies now offer an annual streaming music subscription for ₹299 ($4.32).  In addition, JioSaavn Pro and Gaana Plus now cost ₹99 ($1.43) a month, much less than YouTube Premium and Spotify.

With both Indian streaming music giants offering a massive catalog, including songs from the ‘Big 3’ – Universal, Sony, and Warner Music – YouTube Music or Spotify are a tough sell.  Plus, in YouTube’s case, everything on Premium is also available for free.

So what is YouTube Music really celebrating?

Perhaps if YouTube Music hit 3 million subscriptions in the oversaturated Indian music market, there’d be some reason to celebrate.  Until then, however, Google is simply congratulating itself on its latest music subscription product — successful or otherwise.

Featured image by YouTube.

Will SoundVault’s deal help secure fair payments to labels, artists, and other song rightsholders?

Historically, YouTube has provided incredibly low payouts to the music industry.

For indie artists, those payouts are even worse.

In 2017, Google’s popular video platform paid out artists $0.0006 per video stream, according to data shared with Digital Music News.  Last year, that number increased to $0.00074.  Pulling a U-turn, YouTube has now dropped that per-play rate to $0.00069 in 2019.

In fact, a recent report from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) reveals the UK music industry earns more overall from vinyl sales than YouTube music plays.

Now, a new deal may ensure that the global music industry receives a fair amount.  For some videos, at least.

Partnering with Sony/ATV and EMI.

Sony/ATV has confirmed a new deal.

Music licensing platform SoundVault has confirmed a global partnership with Sony/ATV’s EMI Production Music.  The move covers sync licensing for content creators on YouTube.

The sync platform primarily offers tens of thousands of pre-cleared high-quality songs for video makers.  It also works with the user-generated content sector, including content creators and social media influencers, to ensure a consistent sync revenue stream for rightsholders.

The deal will see EMI Production Music’s catalog represented on the sync platform.

Confirming the partnership, Alex Black, Global Director of EMI Production Music, explained,

“Enabling easy sync access to our incredible catalog of Production Music for the new breed of video creatives has long been a target for EMI Production Music.

“We’ve been impressed with [the licensing platform’s] vision for management of sync rights in the UGC community and are looking forward to see how their technology enhances the licensing process for rights owners and video creators alike.”

The global partnership guarantees fair revenue for rightsholders, including artists, publishers, and record labels.

Speaking about the new partnership, Graham Gabie, the licensing platform’s CEO, added,

“[We’re] proud to find a partner in Sony/ATV who shares our values.  Protecting artists and writers’ rights online and opening up new revenue streams in licensing is our aim.

“We’re now bringing solutions into the marketplace so that YouTubers and Channels can license the music they’ve been searching for, and all rights holders are paid accurately.”

YouTube has aimed to make its strikes system easier to understand and more transparent.

YouTube has pushed a major update.

On a post in its Creators Blog, the company confirmed that it has updated its strikes system.  At least for its existing Community Guidelines.

According to the video platform, 98% of its content creators never break the company’s Community Guidelines.  In addition, 94% of those who receive a first strike – likely for posting infringing and malicious content, or other violations – never receive a second one.

Starting on February 25^th, all channels will receive a one-time warning for posting content “that crosses the line.”  Channels won’t receive any penalties other than forcing creators to remove the controversial content.  In addition, the company will expand on its policy resources to indicate which behavior crosses the line.

Previously, the company’s Community Guidelines remained inconsistent, at best.  YouTube admits some strikes, for example, would trigger a 90-day freeze on live streaming.  Others would result in a two-week freeze on new video uploads.  This confused content creators as the penalty “didn’t match the source of the strike.”

Now, all Community Guidelines strikes will have the same penalty.

In addition, warnings will no longer reset after 90 days.

The company outlined how the three strike penalty system works.

“The first strike will result in a one-week freeze on the ability to upload any new content to YouTube, including live streaming, and other channel activities.  Strikes will expire after 90 days.

“The second strike in any 90-day period will result in a two-week freeze on the ability to upload any new content to YouTube.

“The third strike in any 90-day period will result in channel termination.”

Aiming for greater transparency, the company will also explain why the strike occurred.  Creators will see what it means for their channels along with the next steps they can take.  This includes appealing the decision if they feel it was a mistake.  YouTube will specifically point out which policy was violated.

But, will this help the music industry?

Not really.

The update to the video platform’s Community Guidelines remains wholly separate from its existing Copyright Strikes system.

YouTube issues copyright strikes only when it receives legal requests from copyright holders.

Creators will only receive a copyright strike once the company has already removed the video.  Deleting the video with a strike also won’t resolve the issue.

As both strike systems remain independent, a creator, for example, could receive two strikes over copyright issues, and two strikes for violating Community Guidelines, and remain active.  YouTube won’t automatically terminate their channels.

In short, the system remains the same.  Copyright holders in the music industry will have to manually report infringing content and wait for the company to respond.  Independent artists who create music could also have their works taken down when another user steals their projects.

Featured image by YouTube.

YouTube has congratulated itself for creating stealing Live Premieres, which has apparently proven very successful.

During the summer of last year, YouTube unveiled some brand-new copied monetization features.

‘Borrowing’ competitors’ ideas, Google’s popular video platform first introduced Channel Memberships.  Essentially a clone of Twitch memberships, YouTube users could subscribe to their favorite channels for $4.99.  In exchange, they’d receive exclusive perks, including unique badges, new emoji, and access to Members-only posts.  ‘Sponsors’ could also watch exclusive livestreams, additional videos, and receive shout-outs from their favorite creators.

The company, as with Twitch, would keep 30% of membership fees.  Yet, initially, only members of the YouTube Partner Program that had over 100,000 subscribers on their channels qualified.  Several months later, the video platform dropped that requirement to just 50,000.

Then, outright copying from Patreon, creators with over 10,000 subscribers could directly sell their own merchandise to viewers.  They could choose from over 20 merchandise items to customize and sell on their channels.  There’s a major catch, however.  Creators can only do so through YouTube-selected Teespring, which takes a significant cut.

Finally, the company introduced Instagram / Snapchat Stories Live Premieres.

Creators with over 10,000 subscribers could use the feature to debut pre-recorded videos “as a live moment.”

Also ‘borrowing’ from Twitch and Patreon once more, YouTube creates a unique landing page for each premiere.  Combining Snapchat and Instagram Stories with Twitch-like features, fans can tune in and chat with their favorite creators in real-time.  They can also donate money with a click of a button.

Now, YouTube has claimed one of its ‘new’ features has proven a success.

When outright stealing competitors’ ideas proves profitable.

According to a blog post, YouTube now claims its Premieres features has paid off for artists.

Clearly pushing the ‘borrowed’ feature, Lyor Cohen, the platform’s Global Head of Music, wrote,

“In the video-on-demand era — where everything under the sun is available at your fingertips — YouTube Premieres gives us something that we’ve been missing: Tension!  That feeling of our favorite artist standing on a stage when the curtain is pulled back and we get to see something we’ve never seen before all at once.”

Using the launch of Ariana Grande’s ‘thank u, next’ as an example of the features’ success, the post explained,

“As the anticipation and audience grew leading up to the big event, her fans set over 150,000 reminders for the Premiere.  When the Premiere dropped at 12 pm PT, on November 30, there were almost a million fans watching simultaneously at peak and 400,000 chat messages sent in the live chat.  The video became the fastest on YouTube to earn 100 million views, reaching the milestone in under four days.”

The company states that a key benefit of its Premieres feature remains its ability for artists to create buzz.  It also drums up excitement for fans.  According to the video platform, Premieres has fundamentally transformed the way fans view and engage with content.

Using Halsey’s music video launch of ‘Without Me’ as another example, YouTube advised its community,

“The power of promoting a Premiere in advance of its release combined with the ability for fans to engage with the video through comments and live chat before the video is live, helps create more engagement and viewership.”

This, in spite of its competitors – Twitch and Patreon – successfully unveiling this feature first.

Indie artists aren’t the only things not earning enough from streaming music services.

Late last month, Digital Music News updated its list of what streaming music services pay.

Thanks to information from third-party websites and actual artists, we ranked these services according to their per-stream rate.

Napster, the king of streaming music payouts, now pays out $0.019 per stream.  To meet the monthly minimum wage amount in the US ($1,472), an artist needs 77,474 total plays.

Jay-Z’s beleaguered TIDAL remains a top player.  The service pays artists $0.0125 per stream.  Artists on TIDAL now need 117,760 total plays to earn $1,472.

Taking third place, Apple Music now pays $0.00735.  Artists on Apple Music need around 200,272 plays to earn the US monthly minimum wage amount.

Beating Deezer for the first time, Google Play Music (GPM) per-stream rate stands at $0.00676.  Artists will need around 217,752 total streams to earn $1,472.

Falling to fifth place, and still without an established presence in the US, Deezer’s per-stream rate rose to $0.0064, placing it right behind GPM.  Artists need 230,000 total plays to earn the US monthly minimum wage amount.

Previously ranked as the service with one of the worst payouts, Spotify reportedly pays $0.00437 per play.  That number varies per artist, with award-winning cellist and composer Zoe Keating receiving on average $0.00543 per play.  Typically, artists will need around 336,842 total plays to earn $1,472.

Right behind Spotify, Amazon now pays $0.00402.  Artists will now need around 366,169 total streams to earn the monthly minimum wage amount in the US.  Previously, Amazon paid indie artists $0.0074 per play.

Pandora has historically paid indie artists dismal amounts in terms of royalties.  The company now pays $0.00133 on Pandora Premium.  Artists will need 1,106,767 total plays on Pandora Premium just to earn $1,472.

Historically, YouTube hasn’t ever been an artist-friendly platform, thanks to its horrendous payouts.

The popular video platform pays artists $0.00069.  To earn the monthly minimum wage amount in the US, artists will need around 2,133,333 total plays on YouTube.

Now, The Trichordist has released its list of streaming music payouts.

What one indie label earned from streaming.

Gathering its data from a single source – a mid-sized indie label with an approximately 250+ album catalog which generates almost 1 billion streams – The Trichodist has published its list of streaming music service payouts.

According to the data, Amazon Music Unlimited has the highest per-stream payout rate at $0.01175.  An artist would need around 125,277 plays to earn the US monthly minimum wage amount.  Amazon’s platform only had a 0.68% share of all the label’s streams, generating 4.04% of all revenue earned.

Napster came next, paying $0.01110 per play.  Artists on Rhapsody’s streaming music service would need around 133,818 plays to earn $1,472.  The service had a 0.14% share of all streams, generating 0.80% of all revenue earned.

TIDAL fell to third place, paying $0.00927 per play.  Artists on Jay-Z’s beleaguered streaming music service would need around 158,792 plays to earn the monthly minimum wage amount.  The service had a 0.21% share in the label’s streams, generating 0.98% of all revenue earned.

In fourth place, Deezer reportedly paid $0.00567 per stream.  Artists on the platform would need around 259,612 plays to earn $1,472.  The French-based service had a 0.91% share in streams, generating 2.6% of all revenue earned.

Google Play Music came behind Deezer, paying $0.00543 per play.  Artists would need around 271,087 streams to earn the monthly minimum wage amount.  The service had a 1.12% share in the label’s streams, generating 3.08% of all revenue earned.

Apple Music paid indie artists around $0.00495 per stream.  Indie artists would need around 297,374 streams to earn $1,472.  The service had a 9.95% share in overall streams, generating a significant 24.97% of all revenue earned.

Amazon Prime Music – labeled Amazon Digital Services – came in seventh place, paying $0.00395 per play.  Artists would need around 372,658 plays on the platform to earn the US monthly minimum wage amount.  The service had a 0.95% share in streams, generating a low 1.90% of all revenue earned.

Spotify came close behind Amazon Prime Music, reportedly paying $0.00311 per stream.  At that rate, indie artists would need 472,312 streams to earn $1,472.  The service had a whopping 29.22% share of all the label’s streams, generating 48.93% of all revenue.

Among the worst paying services, Pandora ranked in ninth place, paying $0.00155 per play.  Artists would need 949,677 plays to earn the monthly minimum wage amount.  The service had a 3.86% share in the label’s streams, and generated a dismal 3.03% of all revenue.

YouTube ranked as the worst offender, paying artists a dismal $0.00028 per play.  An artist would need 5,257,143 plays to earn $1,472.  In terms of all streams for the label, the service had a whopping 48.58% share, generating only 6.99% of all revenue.

The key takeaways.

At first glance, only one streaming music service paid more to the indie label: Amazon Music Unlimited.

The rest paid far, far less than they have to individual indie artists.

Take Spotify, for example.  According to independent data, and as explained above, the streaming music giant pays $0.00437 per play.  Yet, the company paid the label $0.00311 per stream.  Spotify’s streams also accounted for nearly 30% of its billion streams.

Apple Music’s per-stream rate saw an even more dramatic drop for labels.  In 2017, the service reportedly paid $0.00783.  Last year, that number decreased to $0.00495.

Comparing both services’ payouts to independent labels, The Trichordist explained,

“Apple Music still lead in the sweet spot with about 10% of overall streams generating 25% of all revenue (despite the per stream rate drop).  Spotify by comparison has nearly triple the marketshare in streams than Apple Music but generates less than double the revenues on that volume.”

Also, despite multiple denials of the ‘value gap,’ YouTube continues cheating the music industry in terms of fair payouts.

The Trichordist explains,

“The biggest takeaway by far is that YouTube’s Content ID, (in our first truly comprehensive data set) shows a whopping 48% of all streams generate only 7% of revenue.  Read that again.  This is your value gap.  Nearly 50% of all recorded music streams only generate 7% of revenue.”

It also remains unclear how much streaming music services do pay major labels, which presumably take a higher percentage.  Yet, from what we can tell, indies receive far, far less than major labels do.

You can view the complete infographic below.

Have Google’s intensive lobbying efforts managed to sink the Copyright Directive, especially Article 11 and Article 13?

According to multiple reports, Copyright Directive talks in the European Union have indefinitely stalled.

Lawmakers called off talks at the last minute Friday after the European Council failed to agree on a compromise.

After the Directive passed last year, Google has reportedly gone into lobbying overdrive mode.  Two measures in the bill – Articles 11 and 13 – would effectively harm its business model.

Article 11 would force the search giant to pay a link tax for articles on Google News.  Article 13 would grant copyright holders greater power in negotiating talks with its popular video platform, YouTube.  It would also impose steep fines for copyright infringement, and force companies like YouTube to install strict content filters.

The music industry has long pushed for Google to pay rightsholders its fair share on video streams on the platform.  According to the IFPI, while Spotify pays rightsholders $20 per user, YouTube pays just under $1.

Julia Reda, MEP for the German Pirate Party, tweeted that lawmakers canceled Friday’s meeting over a lack of adoption and support for the Directive “in its current form.”

The EU Council has rejected the negotiating mandate.  This would’ve outlined each Member State’s position on the Copyright Directive.

Reda added that a trialogue meeting may still happen prior to European elections in May.  Yet, the likelihood of the meeting has significantly decreased.

Eleven of 28 Member States had voted against the text proposed by the Romanian Council last week.  Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Finland, and Slovenia had opposed a previous version.

Reda tweeted that Italy, Poland, Sweden, Croatia, Luxembourg, and Portugal have now opposed the bill.  Many Member States had cited concerns about both Articles 11 and 13.

“BREAKING: Council has failed to find an agreement on its #copyright position today.  This doesn’t mean that #Article11 and #Article13 are dead, but their adoption has just become a lot less likely.  Let’s keep up the pressure now!”

Writing on her website that the Directive has hit a “brick wall,” she added,

“With the exception of Portugal and Croatia, all of these governments are known for thinking that either Article 11 or Article 13, respectively, are insufficiently protective of users’ rights.  This surprising turn of events does not mean the end of Link Tax or censorship machines, but it does make an adoption of the Copyright Directive before the European elections in May less likely.”

Lawmakers have also canceled a scheduled approval meeting tomorrow.

24 managers will now benefit from Music Managers Forum and YouTube Music’s partnership program.

Music Managers Forum (MMF) and YouTube Music have announced the first 24 beneficiaries of the Accelerator Program for Music Managers (APMM).

Supported by the Arts Council England (ACE) and the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA), the beneficiaries will receive financial and educational support.   This includes 12-month grants of up to £15,000 ($19,203).  They’ll also receive tailored training and mentoring support from CMU Insights and Music Ally.

Drawn from England and Scotland, these individuals represent talent from a wide range of genres.  This includes grime, metal, reggae, pop, drum & bass, and jazz.

The APMM first launched in October 2018.  According to the MMF, it remains the first independent funding and professional development initiative designed solely for artist, songwriter, and producer managers.  The program aims to benefit upcoming music management businesses.

Paul Bonham, a veteran manager and music specialist, will oversee the training and mentoring program.  He currently serves as Relationship Manager of Diversity and Music at ACE.

Speaking about the program, Fiona McGugan, MMF’s General Manager, explained,

“I am absolutely delighted that Accelerator has taken off so quickly and will immediately benefit 24 accomplished individuals who represent such a wide and diverse range of talent.

“More so than ever, music managers play a linchpin role in the careers of artists, songwriters, producers and musicians, and our aim is for Accelerator to empower their businesses and make a significant and lasting impact.”

Consulting partners include Urban Development, Small Green Shoots, I Luv Live, and Generator.  In addition, partners providing business support include Harbottle & Lewis, Sheridans, Simkins, Simons Muirhead & Burton, Music Insurance Brokers, and SRLV.

You can view the selected beneficiaries (and the artists they manage) below:

Ben Skerritt (Poppy Ajudha)

Callum Reece (Brawther, Subculture Sage, Joe Rolét)

Charlie Murdoch (Jordan MacKampa, Matt Ingram, Million Miles)

Charlotte Caleb (Raphi, Eloïse, Tālā)

Chris Chadwick (Puma Blue, Guy Sigsworth)

Christopher Hunte (Culan, Kill Miami)

Dave Rowett (Tender, Laands)

Georgia Strawson (Ider)

Grant Brydon (Murkage Dave)

Ian Tunstall (Amindi K Fro$t, Brookes Brothers)

Jen Long (Mammüt, Aaron Porter, Para Alta)

Jessica Slater (Stardom)

Koyejo Oloko (Moses Boyd)

Loretta Andrews (Guvna B, Joshua Luke Smith)

Louie John Lowis (Be Charlotte, VanIves)

Lulu Davis (Voyager)

Nick Myers (Jay Pryor, Maths Time Joy, Rrotik)

Nike Durosaro (Shakka)

Rachel Miller (Shabaka Hutchings)

Rian Zoll-Khan, RNR Management (Sami Switch, Effie)

Sam Meghan (Spinn)

Stephen Archibald (Declan Walsh and The Decadent West, Barrie-James, Cara Rose)

Tom Hutton (Polar, Woes)

Victoria Becks (Lyra, Jonny Hockings, Humn)

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, known simply as Coachella, has become a staple of the music festival circuit, drawing in thousands of fans every year. And as one of the largest music festivals in the world, it’s no surprise that it has attracted the attention of companies like YouTube.

Last year, over 41 million people logged in to livestream Coachella performances on YouTube. This year, YouTube is expanding its partnership with Coachella even further, serving as the exclusive livestream partner for both weekends of the festival.

In addition, YouTube Music and Premium subscribers in the US will have exclusive access to a dedicated allocation of passes for each weekend. Subscribers will receive unique access codes via email to purchase passes from a dedicated member cart. These passes will be available only until supplies last.

But YouTube’s partnership with Coachella goes beyond just livestreaming and ticket sales. YouTube Music will also serve as the exclusive playlist partner for Coachella, with playlist integration on the Coachella site and festival app. Fans can listen to this year’s lineup, genre-based playlists, and discover emerging acts.

During Weekend Two of the festival, YouTube will deliver a curated experience, including performances, artist vignettes, and behind-the-scenes looks. This will give fans an even closer look at the festival and the artists performing.

Of course, YouTube isn’t the only company looking to cash in on the popularity of Coachella. The festival has become a major marketing opportunity for brands looking to target millennials and Gen Z consumers. Brands like H&M, Sephora, and American Express have all set up shop at Coachella in recent years.

But for YouTube, the partnership with Coachella is about more than just marketing. It’s about building its Music and Premium businesses. YouTube Music launched last year as a competitor to Spotify and Apple Music. And while it’s still in its early stages, YouTube has been investing heavily in the service, adding features like audio-only mode and personalized playlists.

Similarly, YouTube Premium is the company’s subscription service, which includes ad-free videos, access to YouTube Originals, and the ability to download videos for offline viewing. The service launched in 2018 as a rebranding of YouTube Red.

By partnering with Coachella, YouTube is hoping to attract more subscribers to both services. And given the popularity of the festival, it’s likely that the partnership will be a success.

But YouTube isn’t the only company looking to capitalize on the Coachella hype. Other streaming services like Tidal and Apple Music have also livestreamed the festival in the past. And with the festival’s growing popularity, it’s likely that more companies will try to get in on the action in the coming years.

Still, YouTube’s partnership with Coachella is a testament to the growing importance of livestreaming in the music industry. As more and more fans turn to streaming services to discover new music and watch live performances, companies like YouTube are looking for new ways to engage with their audiences. And as long as Coachella remains one of the biggest music festivals in the world, it’s likely that we’ll see more partnerships like this in the future.

You can view the complete line-up below.

To promote the new partnership, YouTube Music has released an exclusive Coachella 2019 playlist, available here.

Featured image by Drew Ressler (CC by 3.0).

Christian Buettner aka TheFatRat.

YouTube’s Content ID has a major copyright infringement problem.  Now, people have urged Google to fix it.

As part of the video platform’s large-scale protest against the EU’s Copyright Directive, YouTube has pointed to its Content ID as an existing viable solution.

According to YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki and YouTube Music chief Lyor Cohen, Content ID already does enough to protect owners.

Protesting a bill that would force the video platform to establish strict controls against infringing content, Wojcicki wrote,

“We realize the importance of all rights holders being fairly compensated, which is why we built Content ID and a platform to pay out all types of content owners.”

Yet, company executives have clearly overlooked the copyright system’s major flaws.

Now, over a hundred thousand users have urged the video platform to fix Content ID.

A sad tale of copyright infringement and YouTube inaction.

Christian Buettner loves to write and share music online.

On YouTube, he posts new songs under the name TheFatRat.  Buettner has over three million subscribers.

Recently, a relatively unknown company called ‘Ramjets’ stole his song, ‘The Calling.’  Per month, the track earns $3,000 in ad revenue.  Despite writing and uploading the track, YouTube transferred the song’s rights to Ramjets.

The video platform has largely denied Buettner’s claim.  When Buettner reached out to YouTube, the company responded that it doesn’t “mediate copyright disputes.”  The solution?  “Resolve the issue with the claimant.”

Unfortunately, that hasn’t worked.

Reaching out to Ramjets, the company has cleverly chosen not to respond.  YouTube has also refused to provide Buettner with additional contact information.

According to TheFatRat, musicians and content creators on the video platform regularly fall prey to false copyright claims.  Companies like Ramjets and other anonymous users claim people’s original works without using music at all, clearly infringing on their rights.

Buettner lists three errors YouTube frequently commits.

First, the video platform’s Content ID favors claimants over content creators, automatically assuming their claims are factually correct.

Second, YouTube flat out refuses to mediate disputes.

Third, the video platform doesn’t provide claimants’ much-needed contact information to content creators and musicians.

Buettner has set up an online petition urging YouTube to fix its broken Content ID system.

The petition urges the video platform to treat claimants and content creators equally.  It also demands that the company remove ‘obviously false’ claims.  YouTube should also penalize false claims and accept claims from validated and credible claimants.

Finally, the company should give out contact information in case of doubt.  This, adds Buettner, would finally allow content creators and musicians to ‘solve the issue’ with the claimant.

So far, the petition has 100,911 signatures, with a target goal of 200,000.

Calling on people to share his story on social media, he concludes,

“Please share this petition as much as you can.  Let’s stop the content ID abuse and urge YouTube to fix their copyright protection system.  Thank you very much!”

Featured image by TheFatRat (YouTube screengrab).

How much do artists make per stream? Reported per-stream payouts from top music streaming services (updated for 2021; click to enlarge)

How much do artists make per stream on the most popular streaming music services? Here’s a breakdown for Pandora, Napster, Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, and more (updated for 2022).

Based on information directly received from artists and indie labels, as well as various published sources, we can rank streaming music services according to their per-stream rate. So how much do artists make per stream? Given extreme variations in payouts, the answer largely depends on the platform involved. Take a look.

Napster remains king of streaming music payouts, but total usage is lower.

With Microsoft’s Groove Music shutting down, Napster became king of streaming music service payouts.

The service had paid $0.01682 per play.  According to two sources – Information Is Beautiful and David Crosby – that number has steadily risen.  On average, Napster now pays out $0.019 per stream.  To meet the monthly minimum wage amount in the US of $1,472, an artist would need 77,474 total plays.

With 5 million paying subscribers, the service loses around $7.00 per user.  Unlike its rivals, however, Napster remains a profitable streaming music service.

Jay-Z’s beleaguered TIDAL remains a top player, at least in terms of payouts.

This year, Jay-Z’s streaming music platform, TIDAL, has remained embroiled in multiple controversies.  These include accusations of hacking users’ accounts to inflate Beyoncé and Kanye West’s total streams.

Nevertheless, the service had remained friendly to artists. But the service reportedly paid out $0.01284 per stream earlier this year. That number has fallen slightly to $0.0125, according to more recent data. Artists on TIDAL now need 117,760 total plays to earn $1,472.

Jay-Z’s streaming music service reportedly loses $6.67 per user with an annual loss of $28 million.

Apple Music takes third place.

How much does Apple Music pay per stream? Historically, Apple Music has paid artists much better than its streaming music rival, Spotify.

Back 2017, the service paid $0.0064 per stream. By last year, that number had risen to $0.00783. Now, Apple Music has upped its rate further: in April of 2021, the platform announced that its artists would receive a royalty rate of 1 cent ($0.01) per stream.

Artists on Apple Music would need around 147,200 plays to earn the US monthly minimum wage amount.

With Apple closely guarding its user metrics, it remains unclear how much Apple Music loses each year on the service as well as per user.

Deezer falls to fourth place.

Launching several years ago in the US, French-based streaming music service Deezer still doesn’t have an established presence in the country.

Back in 2018, at $0.0056, the service topped GPM in terms of payouts. By 2019, Deezer paid $0.00624. That number has slowly risen to $0.0064, placing it right behind GPM. Artists will need 230,000 total plays to earn the US monthly minimum wage amount.

Deezer recently reported an annual loss of $27 million, losing $1.69 per user. Deezer reportedly has 16 million users, with around 9.12 million – or 57% – paying for the service.

Amazon falls behind.

As with Napster, Apple, and Google, Amazon closely guards its user metrics.

Earlier this year, The Trichordist found Amazon paid indie artists $0.0074 per play. That number has now plummeted to $0.00402, placing it just above Spotify. Artists will now need around 366,169 total streams to earn the monthly minimum wage amount in the US.

How much do artists make per stream on Spotify?

Spotify’s per-stream rate ranks as one of the worst, and it appears to be falling. According to the latest data, Spotify pays most artists between $.003 and $.005 (one-third of a penny to one-half of a penny) for each stream. 

Back in December 2019, you may have read our report on cellist Zoe Keating’s receiving a $753 check from Spotify, as compensation for 206,011 streams. Rounding up, the sum represents a per-stream royalty rate of $0.0037 – down from Keating’s 2018 Spotify royalty rate of about $0.0054. Separately, mechanical royalty firm Audiam also suggested that Spotify royalties have decreased despite rising subscriber counts and revenue.

Of course, there are plenty of Spotify alternatives. But as of 2022, Spotify remains the largest streaming music platform worldwide — which means you have little choice but to play ball with them.

Pandora continues to struggle.

Back in 2018, despite having the second-highest amount of total users in the US, Pandora paid artists $0.0011 per play. By 2019, the digital radio service slightly increased that rate to $0.00134. The company has now settled at paying artists $0.00133 on Pandora Premium. Artists will now need 1,106,767 total plays on Pandora Premium just to earn $1,472.

YouTube pulls a U-Turn.

Historically, YouTube hasn’t ever been an artist-friendly platform, thanks to its horrendous payouts.

In 2017, the popular video platform paid $0.0006 per play. By 2019, the company had increased its rate to $0.00074.

But YouTube executives have now pulled a U-Turn, choosing to pay artists $0.00069. To earn the monthly minimum wage amount in the US, artists will need around 2,133,333 total plays on YouTube.

The video platform reportedly loses $174 million each year, with loss per user calculated at $0.17.

So, what’s our advice?

Once again, please don’t ever make a career out of your earnings on the popular video platform.  Trust us.  You’ll regret it.

Merch Shelf’s coming to Europe.

Over the summer, in an effort to keep its agitated content creator community away from Patreon, Twitch, and Instagram/Snapchat, YouTube unveiled several ‘new’ (i.e., outright copied) features.

Twitch’s Channel Memberships allow subscribers to sponsor their favorite channel for $4.99 a month.  They receive unique badges, exclusive livestreams, members-only posts, and emojis.  YouTube keeps a hefty 30% cut.

Instagram/Snapchat Stories Premieres allow creators to pre-record videos as a “live moment” for subscribers.  Followers can view featured videos multiple times on a special landing page.

Patreon’s Merch Shelf allows channels with over 10,000 subscribers to sell over 20 merchandise items through a single third-party supplier – Teespring.  The popular video platform once again takes a significant cut.

Now, in an attempt to keep international creators away from rival platforms, YouTube has rolled out the feature across the Atlantic.

Praising the success of its Merch Shelf platform, the video platform is pointing to ‘early adopters’ that have seen an increase in sales – Lucas the Spider, Aphmau, and Phil De Franco.  Aphmau fans, for example, have bought almost 1,000 plushies, pillows, and blankets over the past two months.  Lucas The Spider apparently sold $1 million worth of plushies.

Remember – only 3.5% of all content creators around the world earn enough to surpass the US federal poverty line.  The featured ‘early adopters’ highlight this very sad fact.

YouTube will now roll out Merch Shelf to around 10,000 creators in Europe.  This includes channels in France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Portugal, and Spain.

Chris Lamontagne, Vice President at Teespring, offered merchandise as a hopeful solution to existing monetization issues.  That’s been a prevailing theme, with YouTube aggressively pointing to creator upside and opportunity, despite low per-stream payouts.

“This expansion demonstrates Teespring’s continued dedication to providing creators with a platform on which they can grow their businesses, supports their passion, and delivers products their communities love.  As statistics show traffic on the Merch Shelf overtaking YouTube’s standard description links, we are confident the Merch Shelf will support the success of creators across the globe.”

Featured image by Håkan-Dahlström (CC by 2.0).

Three streaming music services later, Google and YouTube have yet to find their groove.

Late last year, Google revealed it would launch yet another attempt to finally break into the streaming music market.

Spotify had around 60 million subscribers at the time.  Apple Music was hovering at the 30 million mark.  Google Play Music had nearly 7 million paying subscribers.  YouTube Red had around 1.5 million.

The service, codenamed ‘YouTube Remix,’ aimed to appease disillusioned music industry executives who have long slammed YouTube’s low payouts.

Several questions immediately emerged.

Why would the search giant launch yet another streaming music service?

Would Google terminate or merge its existing Play Music service with YouTube’s newest streaming music platform?

Most importantly, how would Google convince YouTube’s 1.8 billion+ user base to pay up?

After all, the IFPI found that 35% of music lovers don’t subscribe to a streaming music service because they can already listen to free on YouTube.  How would the search giant compel these consumers to subscribe?

Google soon launched YouTube’s streaming music service with two very confusing tiers.

For $9.99, you can stream millions of songs and music videos without ads on YouTube Music Premium.  You can also download songs for offline listening, but not some playlists.  And, you’ll have to watch ads on almost every other video on the service.

For $11.99, you can stream millions of songs and music videos as well as other videos completely ad-free on YouTube Premium.  That means you can enjoy Drake’s latest hits and watch Cobra Kai without having to worry about skipping ads.

As expected, the service launched earlier this year.  But it’s struggled out of the gate.

According to a study from Parks Associates, Premium no longer ranks among the top 10 streaming services in the US.

Following a major overhaul in May, YouTube Music has launched in 22 countries.  Yet, the service has kept its actual subscription numbers a closely-guarded secret.

Now, in an effort to rescue its floundering streaming service, the streaming music service has launched in 7 more countries.

Starting today, users in Cuba, Colombia, Japan, Peru, Portugal, Switzerland, and Ukraine can sign-up for the service.

No word yet, however, on why people should pay up.  Or, when YouTube Music will become a viable competitor to Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and others.

Unedited featured image by Roger A. Smith (CC by 2.0).

Fearful over Article 13’s imminent passing, YouTube’s Susan Wojcicki rails against the EU bill once more.  But, how long will she – and other company executives – continue to neglect paying copyright owners their fair share?

Several months ago, in a major victory for content creators, the European Union approved a controversial bill – the Copyright Directive.

The bill includes a measure ensuring user-uploaded platforms (i.e., YouTube) finally pay copyright owners their fair share – Article 13.  Google and its popular video platform have long exploited safe harbor loopholes to avoid large payouts.  The search giant, in particular, had spent over $36 million to ensure the bill’s defeat.

The IFPI found that despite having 1.8 billion monthly visitors, YouTube pays the music industry under $1 per user.  With notably fewer users, Spotify pays around $20.  The video platform is also responsible for fewer people subscribing to a streaming service, according to recent research.

And, no, Google’s recently-published anti-piracy study ‘revealing’ $6 billion in payouts to the music industry doesn’t count.

So, to rally support against the bill’s imminent passing in January, Susan Wojcicki, YouTube’s unpopular CEO, had an idea.  Why not garner the support of its hopelessly exploited and neglected content creator community?

Engaging in scaremongering over the “EU meme ban,” Wojcicki told creators that the bill posed a “threat to [their] livelihood.”  Keep in mind that only 3.5% of all content creators earn enough each year to pass the federal poverty line.  So, unless you’re PewDiePie or Yuya, don’t expect to ever make enough money on the popular video platform.

Wojcicki’s strategy, unfortunately, didn’t work.

So, Lyor Cohen tried his hand at influencing major music executives in his monthly newsletter.  Speaking with a management company about its ‘success’ on the video platform, Cohen promoted baseless arguments against the bill.  Without citing any proof, Cohen stated that the bill would have “severe unintended consequences for the music industry.”

Unfortunately, Cohen didn’t think his strategy through.  Most major music executives and organizations openly oppose YouTube’s anti-Article 13 strategy.

Undeterred, Wojcicki has come forward once again to deride Article 13.  And, she’s done so without providing a single piece of evidence to support her laughable argument.

Please, please, please.  Reconsider Article 13.  Please, begs Wojcicki.

Hoping to garner support against the Copyright Directive, Wojcicki has published an essay in the Financial Times.

According to her, “creativity” has long served as the “guiding force” of her life.  Seeing an opportunity to work with a platform that allows creators to “share their voice, inspire their fans and build their livelihoods,” Wojcicki joined YouTube as its CEO.

Never mind the company’s continually-updated monetization policies designed to pay less to creators and singers in advertising revenue.  Clearly, that doesn’t count as a “threat” to creators’ livelihoods, nor its ridiculously low payouts.

Citing Google’s unverifiable study once again, Wojcicki claims the music industry has earned over €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) in advertising revenue.  Yet, Article 13 serves as a threat to YouTube’s creator economy.

Paradoxically, she also confirms that the Copyright Directive would hold the video platform “directly responsible for any copyright infringement.”  Yet YouTube has routinely argued that infringement isn’t a problem on its platform.

Echoing Cohen’s argument, Wojcicki claims the bill will create “unintended consequences.”  This will create a “profound impact on the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people.”

Keep in mind this marks the third time that a YouTube executive has claimed the EU bill will create ‘unintended consequences, hurting creators’ livelihoods.’  And, that this marks the third time they’ve yet to provide a shred of evidence to support their argument.

She paints European Parliament’s approach as “unrealistic” because copyright owners often disagree over who owns what rights.  Using ‘Despacito’ as an example, she states the video “contains multiple copyrights, ranging from sound recording to publishing rights.”

Yet, last time I checked, YouTube, not ‘Despacito,’ was at the center of multiple copyright infringement controversies.  But, never mind things like ‘facts’ for Wojcicki, or the video platform as a whole.

Because songs like ‘Despacito’ have multiple copyright owners, she adds the video platform would struggle to license the video.  Thus, the company would have to block the video and all others from ever appearing on the platform.  No company, she continues, “could take on such a financial risk.”

Of course, this would hurt all YouTube’s bottom line, including its already floundering streaming music service.  Blocking music videos from appearing on its platform means the company would earn less from advertising revenue.  The company’s 1.8 billion users, including music fans, would also jump ship to another platform, like IGTV or Facebook.

Again, Wojcicki doesn’t allow things like ‘reality’ to interfere with her argument.

Promoting the company’s flawed anti-piracy platform, she adds Content ID already “helps rightsholders manage their copyrights and earn money automatically.”  Over 98% of copyright management already happens on its anti-piracy platform.  Thus, the EU should shut down Article 13.

“We believe Content ID provides the best solution for managing rights on a global scale.”

One key question stands out – can’t Content ID peacefully co-exist with Article 13?  After all, the Copyright Directive would force major tech companies to install a copyright filter.  YouTube already has one.  So, what’s she decrying, exactly?

Avoiding that question, she explains the bill would “go beyond financial losses.”  Painting the perfect image of a suburban dystopia, European viewers remain “at risk of being cut off from videos.”

Underscoring the platform’s fear of having to finally pay content owners their fair share, Wojcicki concludes,

“Platforms that follow these rules, and make a good effort to help rights holders identify their content, shouldn’t be held directly liable for every single piece of content that a user uploads.”

But, why shouldn’t they?

Don’t copyright owners have the right to receive fair payment when others use their works online without consent?  With over 1.8 billion global monthly active users and counting, shouldn’t YouTube finally have to pay copyright owners across all major industries their fair share, instead of continuing to pay borderline royalties just to turn a profit?

Clearly, for Wojcicki, Cohen, YouTube, Google, and parent company Alphabet, the answer is “No.”

Featured image by Steve Jennings (CC by 2.0).

According to CISAC, no, YouTube still doesn’t pay its fair share.

Earlier today, the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) published a new report.

In its 2018 Global Collections Report, CISAC reported global royalties collections for music, audiovisual, visual arts, drama, and literature creators rose 6.2% to €9.6 billion ($11 billion) in 2017.  Since 2013, this number has grown 28.2%.

Digital collections last year also jumped 24% to €1.27 billion ($1.45 billion).  Digital share accounted for 13.2% of all global royalty collections.  Thanks to the rise of streaming services and consumer uptake in streaming, digital collections have nearly tripled – 166% – in the last five years.

Among sizable markets, Sweden, Mexico, and Korea had the leading digital shares of total collections at 32.8%, 32.3%, and 31.8%, respectively.  Digital has become the largest collections source in Sweden.  At 62.6%, Australia and New Zealand had the largest digital growth.  APRA AMCOS, an Australian music society, saw digital overtake broadcast as the largest collections source.

Music royalties alone have grown 6% to €8.3 billion ($9.5 billion), with digital royalties reporting over €1 billion ($1.1 billion) for the first time.  CISAC’s global music repertoire also grew 28.3% in the last five years.

Despite the rise in digital royalties, digital usage revenue remains far below collections from broadcast, live, and background use.  Only 13% of all creators’ royalties came from digital sources, up from 11%.  Rebuking YouTube, CISAC pinned the blame on the rise of user-uploaded services.

“[This number is] a reflection of the gross mismatch between the volume of creative work being made available via digital channels and the amounts being returned to creators.”

In a separate report highlighting today’s findings, CISAC explained digital collections underperformed thanks to “YouTube delivering a fraction of that share.”

Railing against the popular video platform once more, the organization wrote,

“In the current digital market, user upload content (UUC) services such as YouTube are using creative works, making large advertising revenues and paying only a tiny fraction of the sums they generate to creators.  They also pay significantly less for other streaming services which offer the exact same content.”

You can view the complete report here.

Featured image by CISAC.

In a self-serving report, Google touts its own ability to stop anti-piracy and YouTube’s apparent inflated payments to the music industry.  But, why can’t anyone independently verify the information?

Google has published a new report revealing how it tackles the problem of piracy on its own search engine and on YouTube.

In ‘How Google Fights Piracy’ for 2018, the search giant claims its video platform has paid rightsholders over $3 billion through Content ID.  In addition, the company has invested over $100 million in building Content ID.  This includes staffing and computing resources.

From October 2017 to September 2018, YouTube paid out over $1.8 billion in ad revenue to the music industry.  According to Google, the popular video platform has allegedly paid the industry over $6 billion in total ad revenue.

Continuing praising its anti-piracy platform, the search giant has over 9,000 partners using Content ID to manage and monetize their works.  Partners include major network broadcasters, movie studios, movie studios, music publishers, and record labels.  They’ve provided more than 80 million active reference files for the anti-piracy platform.

Google has also evaluated 882 million URLs containing copyrighted works.  Of that amount, the search giant removed 95% of infringing links.  Protecting original works, Google pushed back on around 54 million removal requests deemed incomplete, mistaken, and abusive.  The search giant also took down more than 10 million ads suspected of copyright infringement.

Touting its Content ID platform once more, YouTube handled 98% of copyright issues through the anti-piracy platform.  Over 90% of these claims, continues the search giant, result in monetization, generating ‘significant revenue’ for partners.

Promoting its platform as beneficial to the music industry, Google wrote,

“Through the recently launched YouTube Music…YouTube is the premier destination for fans to discover, share, and listen to legitimate sources of the music they love.”

Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake It Off,’ for example, generated over 2.5 billion views, “ten times more listens than on leading streaming services.”  Over 100 videos exist on the video platform that have surpassed the 1 billion views mark.  Yet, Google remained suspiciously quiet on exact payouts, instead highlighting the generic ‘$6 billion’ ad revenue number.  According to our ongoing streaming payouts chart, Swift would’ve earned around $1.9 million on the video platform for 2.5 billion streams.   On Spotify and Apple Music, she would’ve earned $9.9 million and $19.6 million, respectively.

According to the IFPI, YouTube remains the largest barrier to paid streaming in the US.  In its Music Consumer Insight Report published earlier this year, the organization noted,

“35% say a main reason for not using a paid audio subscription is that anything they want to listen to is on YouTube.”

Paradoxically, this also hurts Google’s brand-new streaming platform, YouTube Music.  In addition, the search giant didn’t reveal its own study’s methodology.  This means people can’t independently verify the figures Google has published in its own self-serving report.

That hasn’t stopped the search giant from praising its own inflated findings.

Concluding the study, Google writes,

“Today, Google’s services are generating more revenue for creators and rightsholders, connecting more people with the content they love, and doing more to fight back against online piracy than ever before.  YouTube and Google Play have helped millions of creators worldwide to reach global audiences and generate revenue.”

You can view the full report here.

Lyor Cohen continues YouTube’s path of promoting baseless arguments to defeat Article 13.

Last week, Susan Wojcicki made a heartfelt plea to YouTube’s neglected creator community.

With the Copyright Directive set to the pass in the European Union – effectively forcing Google and YouTube to finally pay their fair share on copyrighted works – the video platform’s CEO wrote,

“This legislation poses a threat to both your livelihood and your ability to share your voice with the world.”

Keep in mind less than 3% of all content creators on YouTube make enough to break the federal poverty line in the US.  And, the video platform has made it more difficult for honest creators to earn money.  YouTube continually updates its monetization policy to pay less in advertising revenue to uploaders.

Now, Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s Global Head of Music, has made a similar emotional plea to major music industry executives.  Either scuttle Article 13 or prepare to face the consequences.

Please, please, please vote against Article 13.  Please, says Cohen.

Every month, Lyor Cohen sends out a monthly newsletter to a large group of music industry executives around the globe.  Often co-authored with key players, the former Warner Music executive touches on several topics.  Cohen designs the newsletter to be informative, actionable, and entertaining.

The music industry as a whole doesn’t agree with YouTube’s absurdly low payouts.  According to our ongoing streaming payouts chart, the video platform pays out a paltry $0.00074 per stream.  A German researcher found that for 1,000 views on the platform, some content creators receive as little as 35 cents.

But, Cohen obviously doesn’t let small things like facts get in the way of promoting his company.

He continually claims that  YouTube pays $3 per 1,000 views, a fact the RIAA and other research firms have refuted.

In Cohen’s monthly newsletter for November, he invited John Shahidi, CEO of Shots Studios, a management company, to share his opinion on Article 13 – a measure in the Copyright Directive that would force user-uploaded platforms (i.e., YouTube) to pay up.

Unsurprisingly, Cohen claims Article 13 presents a viable threat, claiming it will have “severe unintended consequences for the music industry.”

First, after buttering up Shahidi, praising his company’s recent works, Cohen takes the time to plug his company.

“By providing a global stage, I think YouTube has reinvented collaborations.  Whether it’s between artists from different countries or genres or between artists and creators – it’s such a fertile space and smart way to get your art in front of new audiences.”

Then, Cohen promoted the lie that Article 13 would shut down memes on the internet.  Keep in mind both Cohen and Wojcicki have yet to provide proof to back up this oft-repeated argument.

“You know that what’s currently written in Article 13 might just shut down these remixes you are talking about?  Remixes and covers, tutorials, fan tributes, parodies – these are such powerful promotional tools for the industry.  Don’t get me wrong: I’m all in favor of protecting artists rights and compensating them fairly – I’ve been fighting for this for 38 years – but we should all realize that nurturing these kind of relationships with fans and creators is one of the best things that has happened to music.”

Continuing to discuss Shahidi’s ‘record-breaking’ works, Cohen once again goes on the offensive.  Begging music industry leaders to visit YouTube’s #saveyourinternet campaign, he ends his newsletter, stating,

“I’d like to wrap up and stress again that the success of the music industry and the creative environment that has benefited so many artists are threatened by Article 13, as written.  I encourage everyone making a living in this industry to learn more about it and join us to propose a better version together.”

But, what does the music industry really say about the bill?

According to the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), global technology platforms (i.e., YouTube and Facebook) set the value of creative works, paying out creators much, much less than they deserve.  Thus, Article 13 is needed to level the playing field.

Helen Smith, Executive Chair of the Independent Music Companies Association (IMPALA), agrees.  In a statement favoring the measure, she explained,

“Platforms facilitate a unique relationship between artists and fans, and copyright reform should help rebalance the licensing framework around this.”

Echoing CISAC and Smith’s comments, David El Sayegh, Secretary General of the Society of Authors, Composers, and Publishers of Music (SACEM), wrote Article 13 “fully acknowledges the rights of creators in the digital landscape of the 21^st century.”

Robert Ashcroft, Chief Executive of PRS for Music, said creators want to be heard and paid fairly for their work online.  Vowing to not stop until the bill becomes law, he continued,

“We will continue to fight for what we believe is their freedom and a fair use of their creative works.”

In short, Cohen doesn’t have a lot of supporters in the music industry.  He continues to fight a very lonely fight against Article 13.

In full panic mode, expect Cohen, Wojcicki, and other top Google and YouTube executives to continue promoting more baseless arguments prior to the bill’s expected passing in January.

Featured image by Noa Griffel (CC by 4.0).

photo: Steve Jennings CC 2.0

According to YouTube and Susan Wojcicki, the European Union – not its own pitiful payouts – is to blame for creators’ low wages.

So, as a musician, how much should you expect to make on YouTube?

Not much.

According to our ongoing streaming payouts chart, the Google-owned video platform pays around $0.00074 per stream.

According to the IFPI, despite now having over 1.8 billion global monthly visitors on its video platform, YouTube pays the music industry under $1 per user.

Content creators have it even worse.

Earlier this year, a German professor found only a few creators will ever make enough from their YouTube videos to break the poverty line in the US.  96.5% of all content creators won’t ever make enough to pay their monthly rent.  Only 3.5% of the top channels on the video platform make over $12,140 a year.

The Google-owned video platform pays out as low as 35 cents per 1,000 views.  It earns millions each year from top advertisers.

So, what has YouTube done to alleviate this problem?

Well, it’s obfuscated its existing monetization rules to ‘protect’ advertisers.  Content creators now need a minimum of 4,000 hours of total watch time or at least 1,000 subscribers to start earning money from advertising.  Thinking of making money on YouTube?  Tough luck.

YouTube has also unveiled out-of-touch monetization features for existing content creators.

Copying Patreon and Twitch, Channel Memberships will allow viewers to subscribe to channels for $4.99 a month.  YouTube keeps a hefty 30%, and only creators with over 100,000 subscribers qualify.  Its Merchandise feature lets creators with over 10,000 subscribers sell merchandise through a single YouTube partner, Teespring.  The video platform takes a hefty cut from merchandise sold.

So, who can meet this exaggerated milestone?  Only the top 3.5% of channels.

In short, YouTube’s done nothing to help out its own content creator community.

Now, in an attempt to avoid paying out fair royalties on copyrighted works, the platform, led by CEO Susan Wojcicki, has engaged in a new fear tactic to scare creators into protesting a new reform.

Scaring its clearly neglected community into protesting against Article 13.

Last month, the European Union approved a controversial bill – the Copyright Directive.

The bill includes measures that would ensure user-uploaded platforms (i.e., YouTube) would pay copyright owners their fair share.

Google has long skirted paying out copyright owners fairly using safe harbor loopholes.  To ensure the bill’s defeat, the search giant has paid lawmakers over $36 million through various lobbying companies.

Now, with the bill’s imminent approval, YouTube has engaged in scaremongering.

In a blog post published earlier today, Wojcicki has urged the platform’s content creator community to “take action immediately.”

“This legislation poses a threat to both your livelihood and your ability to share your voice with the world.”

According to her, YouTube has a “growing creative economy” now at risk.  Exaggerating the fear of the Copyright Directive, Wojcicki claims the European Union would “shut down the ability… to upload content.”

Of course, she clearly ignores the platform’s horrendously low payouts to existing creators.  Wojcicki also cleverly omits providing any evidence to support her ridiculous argument against the Copyright Directive – namely Article 13.

“[Article 13] threatens to block users in the EU from viewing content that is already live on the channels of creators everywhere.  This includes YouTube’s incredible video library of educational content, such as language classes, physics tutorials and other how-to’s.”

According to her, YouTube’s own (flawed) Content ID already does enough to protect content owners.

“We realize the importance of all rights holders being fairly compensated, which is why we built Content ID and a platform to pay out all types of content owners.”

Furthering her argument once more without providing evidence, Article 13 “threatens hundreds of thousands of jobs.”  Threatening its own community, Wojcicki claims YouTube would only allow “content from a small number of large companies.”  Keep in mind the video platform would never prevent content creators – its core community – from uploading new content without alienating and losing its 1.8 billion+ users, in addition to losing millions of dollars in ads each year.

The note ends with a call to creators to “#SaveYourInternet” and “take action immediately.”

But, how about paying your own content creators and copyright owners what’s fair first, Wojcicki?

Featured image by Recode (YouTube screengrab).

Adapted from a photo by Roger A. Smith (CC BY-SA 2.0)

After all, who needs to pay to stream or download music when you have YouTube?

Several months ago, YouTube unveiled a brand-new streaming music service with two very confusing tiers.

For $9.99/month, users could subscribe to YouTube Music Premium.  You could listen to ad-free music, enjoy songs in the background, and also download them for offline listening.  Yet, despite paying a monthly subscription, you’ll still have to watch ads for music videos.  And, no, you can’t download videos, play them in the background, or watch Originals.  So, sorry, no Cobra Kai for you.

But, for $11.99/month, you get access to YouTube Premium.  This feature includes offline music listening, access to downloads, and a completely ad-free experience.

There’s just one question company executives hadn’t answered beforehand.

If YouTube already has access to millions of music tracks and videos on its service – for free – why should anyone pay up?  In fact, why should anyone pay for a music subscription on another service?

Now, a new report has found YouTube stops people from actually subscribing to a paid streaming service.

So, why don’t people subscribe to streaming music services?  Because you can already listen for free on YouTube.

Earlier today, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) published its Music Consumer Insight Report 2018.

Besides noting streaming music is on the rise around the world, the IFPI came across an interesting discovery.

Video streaming makes up 52% of all on-demand music listening.  Of that amount, YouTube accounts for 47%.  Paid audio streaming has a significantly lower share at 28%, followed by ad-supported streaming at 20%.

This discrepancy leads user-uploaded services – i.e., YouTube – to pay less in royalties than their major streaming music competitors.  While Spotify, explains the IFPI, pays around $20 a year per user, YouTube continues to pay under a dollar.

So, why do so few people listen to music through a paid audio streaming music service?  Thanks to Google’s video-owned platform.  The IFPI explains,

“35% say a main reason for not using a paid audio subscription is that anything they want to listen to is on YouTube.”

In short, people don’t need to subscribe to a streaming service.  They already have the tracks they want to listen to available for free on Google’s video platform.

Paradoxically, this also harms YouTube’s own streaming music service.  After 13 years of watching videos and listening to songs for free, why should its 1.9 billion+ users suddenly have to pay up?  The video platform has yet to provide global consumers with a compelling reason to change their own habits and subscribe.  After all, videos and music will remain free on the service.   Sure, you’ll have to watch the occasional 30-second ad, but nothing beats paying absolutely nothing each month.

Yet, YouTube doesn’t only harm the music industry through fewer streaming subscriptions and lower royalty payouts.  The video platform also fuels the rise of piracy through stream ripping.

How I learned to love copyright infringement through stream ripping thanks to YouTube.

Despite big-name takedowns – YouTube-to-MP3.org, MP3Fiber – copyright infringement remains very much alive thanks to the prevalence of stream ripping websites.

But, how do they work?  Simple.

All you have to do is copy a URL, head to a stream ripping website, paste the link, and click on Start.  After less than a few minutes, the stream ripper will convert the link into an MP3 or MP4 file.  Then, you click Download, and voila!  You’ve just violated a gray area of copyright law.  Now, you have access to a free song and artists no longer receive payment for their work.  Congratulations!

After many years, YouTube has yet to update its algorithm, allowing stream rippers to easily continue circumventing copyright law.  That’s why these sites remain incredibly popular with users around the world.

According to the IFPI, over one-third of users – 38% – around the world consume music through stream rippers.  In fact, stream ripping is now the most-used form of copyright infringement.

32% of consumers worldwide download music through stream ripping.  23% download music through cyberlockers and P2P programs.  And, 17% use a search engine to locate infringing content.

So, which streaming music service do people use to stream rip from the most?  A quick Google search will reveal most stream ripping sites ‘convert’ – i.e., steal copyrighted content – from YouTube.

In fact, the Google-owned video platform is once again to blame for fewer streaming subscriptions and lower royalty payouts.

The IFPI explains,

“Stream ripping users are more likely to say that they rip music so they have music to listen to offline. This means they can avoid paying for a premium streaming subscription.”

So, what has YouTube done to fix this problem?  Absolutely nothing.  Until stream rippers start hurting Google’s bottom line, expect the company to do nothing to tackle this clearly growing problem.

You can read the Music Consumer Insight Report here.

Featured image by Steve Parkinson (CC by 2.0).

Because the Screen Composers Guild of Canada has failed to update its business model, now, all Canadian users should pay the price — just for using the internet.

The Screen Composers Guild of Canada (SCGC) has an interesting – if not draconian – idea.

At a hearing of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, the Canadian music group proposed a new levy.  Envisioning a new “internet-light ISP service,” the SCGC would receive extra from the SCGC Copyright Model (SCGC-CM).  In short, the SCGC-CM would allow 15 GB of un-levied data per month, and charge extra when users go over.

The 15 GB would enable “ample room for e-mail, commerce, and downloading,” writes the Canadian music organization.  Yet, should users pass that amount, the SCGC would forcibly collect a levy “for distribution to copyright holders.”

According to the Canadian music group, music composers no longer receive enough for their work.  Streaming and downloading, the SCGC argues, has led to diminished broadcast viewing.

So, what’s their solution?  A forced copyright tax on all broadband data in the country for every user, even low-income families.

The SCGC-CM – leveling the playing field, or a desperate move to capitalize on booming streaming revenue?

It’s no secret the rise of streaming services in the global music industry has led to record revenue.

According to Citibank, the music industry in the US alone brought in $43 billion in sales.  Major labels and tech companies kept the majority.  Artists only received about 12% of that number, according to the study.

To capitalize on the rise of streaming revenue, Chicago’s local government enacted an ‘illegal’ streaming tax without consulting its constituents.  Residents and business owners now forcibly pay 9% extra a month on streaming services, including Netflix, Spotify, and Apple Music.

According to the IFPI, digital music revenue – led primarily by streaming – continues fueling the Canadian music industry’s explosive growth.  In 2016, digital music revenue accounted for 63% of all revenue.  The country ranked as the 7^th-largest music market in the world in 2017.

SCGC members aren’t major stars.  They’re smaller players who write music for TV shows.  Streaming services – most notoriously YouTube – pay significantly lower royalty when users view their works online.

In fact, signaling out the Google-owned video platform, the SCGC wrote,

“With regard to YouTube, which is owned by the advertising company Alphabet-Google, minuscule revenue distribution is being reported by our members.  Royalties from the large streaming services, like Amazon and Netflix, are 50 to 95% lower when compared to those from terrestrial broadcasters.”

Dramatizing the ‘suffering’ of their members at the hands of streaming services (including Spotify and Netflix), the SCGC explains,

“Statistics like this indicate that our veteran members will soon have to seek employment elsewhere and young screen-composers will have little hope of sustaining a livelihood.”

So, to ‘correct’ the value gap caused by services like Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube, the SCGC has proposed the forced copyright tax.

Yet, the SCGC ignores several clear facts about modern technology.

First, for video gamers, the average video game released nowadays can weigh over 50 gigabytes.  Want to download the latest and greatest game?  Prepare to pay up a hefty amount in addition to your existing internet service and online gaming subscription.

Second, streaming music and video services help you avoid downloading songs and videos beforehand just to enjoy them.  And, as the services become more popular and widely-adopted, streaming music and videos may lead users to pass this arbitrary 15 GB limit.  So, want to binge watch your favorite videos and shows on Netflix or YouTube?  Then, prepare to pay up on top of your existing streaming subscription.

Third, the forced copyright levy would tax users who don’t – or likely haven’t even heard – SCGC’s members’ works.

In fact, showing how out-of-touch the SCGC is from the reality of modern internet life, the group told the committee,

“My own personal experience is that in my family, when you’re downloading and consuming over 15 gigabytes of data a month, you’re likely streaming Spotify.  You’re likely streaming YouTube.  You’re likely streaming Netflix.”

Yet, the SCGC feels it’s entitled to royalties.  Even when their works aren’t streamed.

“So we think because the… companies will not give us access to the numbers that they have, we have to apply a broad-based levy.  They’re forcing us to.”

In short, because the SCGC has clearly failed to update their business model into the modern age, every Canadian internet user should pay the price – literally.

Just don’t tell that to this near-sighted Canadian music group.  Members of the organization feel the forced copyright levy will help the next generation of screen composers.

“A stable levy derived from consumption at top-tier ISP’s could stem declining performance and reproduction royalties to offer hope of a future livelihood for young screen-composers.”

But, will it?  Really?

Featured image by KMR Photography (CC by 2.0).

YouTube makes another play to keep creators’ hard-earned Patreon and Twitch cash.

Several months ago, YouTube rolled out a new feature for content creators in beta.

In an attempt to cash in on creators’ sponsorships on Patreon and Twitch, the video platform unveiled Memberships.  The feature – still in beta – would allow viewers to subscribe to channels and receive extra perks.  These include unique badges, new emoji, and Member-only posts.  For $4.99 a month, sponsors could also watch exclusive livestreams and additional videos.  The company would keep 30% of membership fees.

There’s just one problem with the Memberships feature.  Only members of the YouTube Partner Program who had over 100,000 subscribers qualified.

Now, YouTube has lowered the Memberships bar to content creators with 50,000+ subscribers.  Engadget first broke the news.

The problem with YouTube’s Memberships is that it remains identical to that of its competitors.  Twitch’s Subscription model – which has an arguably larger daily audience – also costs $4.99 per month.  Like Memberships, Twitch subscribers get access to unique emoji, badge, and exclusive videos.  So, why would a content creator choose to use YouTube’s feature?

YouTube launched Memberships along two other costly and very limiting features – Premieres and Merchandise.

Premieres allows content creators with over 10,000 subscribers to post pre-recorded videos as live moments.  The video platform creates a unique landing page for each premiere.

Available for those with over 10,000 subscribers, Merchandise allows content creators to sell their own merchandise.  They can choose from over 20 items to customize and sell.

Both features remain woefully out-of-touch with the community’s real needs.

Merchandise, for example, forces creators to only link to products created on Teespring.  Having partnered with YouTube, Teespring, of course, will keep a significant cut.

Premieres merely mimics features available on other, more successful platforms, at least in terms of monetization – Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitch.

And, as Engadget notes, YouTube continually evolves its monetization policies, harming smaller creators in the process.  In fact, as a German professor found last year, 96.5% of YouTube’s content creators don’t earn enough.  Just the top 3.5% qualified to implement these features and earn enough money to cross the US poverty line.

So, even with Memberships’ lower subscriber threshold, don’t believe comedy creator Mike Falzone about the ‘benefits’ of this feature.  Expect this growing disparity to just get worse.

And, no, YouTube’s Memberships feature won’t fix it.

Featured image by CafeCredit.com (CC by 2.0).

So, just how much music do you really listen to?  And, how do you spend your music listening time?

In Audio Monitor US 2018, a joint study on music habits in the US, Music Biz and AudienceNet have found most Americans still listen to more music on the radio.  Both organizations surveyed 3,000 consumers in the US aged 16 and above.

On average, Americans spend 151 minutes each day listening to music.  Breaking down total music listening share by medium, broadcast radio had a 31% share, down 3% over last year.  On-demand streaming made up 27%, up just 1% from 2017.  Downloaded music had a 10% total listening share, down 3% over last year, but down only 2% over 2016.

‘Other internet radio’ (Pandora, etc) had a 12% share, up 2% over the past 2 years.  Satellite radio had a 7% total listening share, up 1% over the past 2 years.  And, a growing number of Americans (5%) now spent more time streaming AM/FM radio stations online, up 2% over last year.

Breaking down total music listening time by age.

On average, older audiences spent the majority of their time listening to music on the radio.

Broadcast radio had the largest share among those aged 45-54 (42%), 55-64 (45%), and 65 and up (45%).  Radio had a significantly lower share among younger people – 30% among 35-44 year olds, and a 27% share among 25-34 year olds.

In a warning sign for the medium, just 12% of groups aged 16-19 and 20-24 reported listening to music on the radio.

Unsurprisingly, on-demand streaming music had the lowest amount of listening time among older age groups.

Just 8% of people aged 65 and older spent time streaming music.  That number rose to 11% among those aged 55-64, and 15% among 45-54 year olds.  24% of 35-44 year olds spent time listening to on-demand streaming music platforms.

Music Biz and AudienceNet also found on-demand streaming music has become the new standard among younger generations.

33% of 25-34 year olds listened to streaming music platforms.  Among 20-24 year olds, on-demand streaming music had a 49% share.  And, a whopping 60% of 16-19 year olds dedicated the majority of their listening time to on-demand streaming.

The YouTube Factor.

So, where do people enjoy streaming music from?

Unsurprisingly, with a 38% share, YouTube emerged as the preferred on-demand streaming platform.  Spotify came in second with 28%.  Apple Music and Amazon Prime Music had a 9% and 10% average share, respectively.

Among those aged 65 and over that listened to on-demand streaming, 40% used YouTube.  Spotify had a 13% share.  Amazingly, a whopping 24% reported using Amazon Prime Music.  Only 5% used Apple Music.  Amazon Music Unlimited and Google Play Music had a 4% and 2% share, respectively.  Other net platforms – SoundCloud, Deezer, TIDAL, Napster – had an 11% share.

For those aged 55-64, 44% preferred YouTube.  Spotify had a 20% share.  11% preferred Amazon Prime Music.  Just 4% used Apple Music.  Amazon Music Unlimited and Google Play Music had a 3% and 4% share, respectively.  14% preferred using other net platforms for on-demand streaming.

40% of those aged 45-54 used YouTube.  24% preferred Spotify.  9% used Amazon Prime Music the most.  Apple Music had an 8% share.  Google Play Music and Amazon Music Unlimited had a 6% and 3% share, respectively.  9% of people in this age group used other net platforms for on-demand streaming.

Among those aged 35-44, 39% preferred YouTube.  24% chose Spotify.  10% used Apple Music the most.  Amazon Prime Music tied with Amazon Music Unlimited and Google Play Music in this age group with 6%.  And, other net platforms had a 9% on-demand streaming share.

For those aged 25-34, YouTube had a 36% share.  23% preferred Spotify.  11% used Apple Music.  Amazon Prime Music had a 9% share.  Google Play Music and Amazon Music Unlimited tied in this age group as the preferred on-demand streaming platform with 6%.  And, other net platforms had an 11% share.

Interestingly, among younger audiences aged 16-24, at 38%, YouTube tied with Spotify as the preferred on-demand listening.

Apple Music had a 10% share in this age group, followed by other net platforms at 8%, Amazon Prime Music with 3%, Google Play Music with 2%, and Amazon Music Unlimited with 1%.

You can check out the complete report here.

With today’s vote, expect YouTube and other user-generated content platforms to finally pay copyright holders their fair share.  Yet, with the Copyright Directive, has the music industry inadvertently lobbied for the implementation of a police state?

In a major victory for the music and entertainment industries, the European Parliament has voted in favor of the Copyright Directive.

European members of Parliament (MEPs) on Wednesday approved the bill shot down in July.  In Strasbourg, 438 members voted in favor of the controversial legislation.  226 voted against, and 39 abstained from the vote.

For months, critics, including major tech companies, have slammed the Copyright Directive.  Without citing evidence, they claimed the law would bring the end of creative freedom on user-generated content (UGC) platforms like YouTube and Facebook.

Copyright holders largely disagreed, stating UGC platforms have long circumvented existing laws to avoid paying content creators their fair share.

Google, in particular, has lobbied heavily against the Copyright Directive.  The search giant paid $36 million to effectively have lawmakers scuttle the bill.

The controversial legislature approved today includes amended versions of two important sections – Article 11 and Article 13.

Article 11 allows publications to enforce copyrights over works shared online, allowing them to demand paid licenses beforehand.  Dubbed the “link tax,” publications could charge news aggregators, like Google, for linking to their works.

Article 13, meanwhile, would obligate UGC platforms to install “effective content recognition” tech to filter copyright-protected content.  This would force YouTube and Facebook to better monitor copyrighted content posted by users.

In addition, Article 13 may force streaming platforms to pay higher copyright fees in future negotiations.

A major win for the entertainment industry.  A major loss for tech companies.

Today’s vote has prompted a passionate response from both sides.

Infuriated and disappointed with the vote, critics lashed out at MEPs.

Julia Reda, a German Pirate Party lawmaker, called the vote “catastrophic.”

“Final vote for Parliament position on the copyright directive with #UploadFilters and #LinkTax adopted.  Parliament has failed to listen to citizens’ and experts’ concerns.”

Opponents had used the #SaveYourInternet hashtag, claiming the Copyright Directive would strip users of their internet freedom.

Article 11, they claim, would open up the internet to abuse from copyright trolls.  They added lawmakers shouldn’t have the right to tax online aggregations platforms.

Article 13 would also open up UGC platforms to potential abuse.

YouTube and Facebook, for example, would have to individually scan each submission to see if the content violates copyrights.  This, they argue, would hurt small-time platforms who can’t afford to implement costly technology.

Critics also argued lawmakers could now potentially use the Copyright Directive to shut down images, videos, and other content deemed offensive.

This may sound like a highly improbable and completely fictional scenario.  Yet, this is currently happening in Russia.

In 2015, Eduard Nikitin posted 2 memes on social media, joking about the country’s dismal future.  Now unemployed, the disabled 42-year-old faces extremism charges.  Russian Police previously pressured a 19-year-old filmmaker and a 23-year-old into signing confessions of extremism.  Like Nikitin, they also shared or stored memes about the government on social media.

It’s not just Russia, however, going after users and memes critical of its government on social media.

Emmnauel Macron, President of France, recently drafted a new law “in order to protect democracy.”  Ahead of European parliament elections, he proposed forcibly limiting the spread of “fake news” online against his government.  Judges could force users to pull down news items Macron and his cabinet deems unfavorable within 24 hours.  Macron’s popularity level reached 23% earlier this month.

Not everyone shared the same concerns as Redi, however.

Sajjad Karim, a British Conservative lawmaker, praised the Copyright Directive.

“The legislation is now better balanced, answering many of the concerns of journalists, publishers and musicians whose work was being shared freely online without stifling innovation or fundamentally changing the nature of the internet.”

Clearly overlooking critics’ warnings, Karim said,

“[The bill] also takes into account the rights of users, ensuring that materials used for teaching and research, and by cultural and heritage organizations, are not encumbered by unnecessary restrictions.”

Yet, the battle over the Copyright Directive remains far from over.

Today’s vote doesn’t mean Europe will soon adopt the Copyright Directive.  Far from it, actually.

The next stage includes a “trilogue.”  Basically, today’s vote means negotiations will soon take place between European Parliament, the European Commission, and the European Council.  They’ll decide on the fate of the Copyright Directive.

Then, if approved this January, individual European Union nations will have to vote on how to implement the Copyright Directive.

Featured image by Richard Revel (CC0).

Andy Ma, Vice President of Tencent Music Entertainment

Reminder – Tencent Music will file its IPO today.

According to IPO Zaozhidao, a reputable WeChat news agency, Tencent Music will present its IPO filing today.  With an expected launch in mid-October, the music division of Chinese conglomerate Tencent will have an expected valuation of over $30 billion.

Nashville’s Music Row in danger of extinction.

Home to multiple songwriting sessions, publishing houses, and law firms, Music Row, an iconic part of the music industry in Nashville, has lost 43 buildings in the past 5 years, each with connections to the music industry.  New developments, including apartments and hotels, have replaced them.

Activists have made a strong effort to preserve the neighborhood.  They’re attempting to preserve Bobby’s Idle Hour, Rhinestone Wedding Chapel, Warner/Chappell Music, and the former offices of Ed Bruce Agency.

Carolyn Brackett, a Senior Officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, told a local affiliate,

“The message has got to be loud and clear that we are going to lose Music Row if you keep taking five buildings here and four buildings here, six buildings here and demolish them and putting up a generic office building or a generic apartment building.  In 10 years, Music Row won’t be here.”

Ahead of the Copyright Directive vote, a new study reveals Europeans love to stream music on YouTube.

PRS for Music, a UK performing rights society, has found 85% of people in Malta used YouTube to stream music in the last 3 months.  28% only used the video platform to listen to music.  Only 32% of people used Google Play, and 28% used Spotify.  14% hadn’t used any digital music platform at all.

Ahead of a key vote on the Copyright Directive – which would force Google and other user-generated video platforms to pay a fair share on royalties – John Mottram, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, said,

“The research shows the importance of YouTube to users and to the music industry in Malta.  Services like YouTube and Facebook have built massively successfully global business by giving users access to music and other content and it is essential that those who create and perform the music we all love can share in that success.”

PRS for Music didn’t reveal how many people were surveyed.

su:ku:ya re-launched.

Adrian McGruther, a music entertainment lawyer in Sydney, has re-launched the artist management and development company.  The relaunch roster of su:ku:ya includes Gordi, Willaris. K, Pleasure Coma, Micra, James Christowski, and Paradise Estrange.  The company will work with “a small group of forward-thinking artists.”

Tom Swoon sentenced to jail.

A judge in Poland has sentenced Swoon, a Polish DJ/producer, to 50 months in jail after pleading guilty to manslaughter in a deadly drunk driving accident.  The accident near Goleniów left 1 person dead, with another injured.  Swoon – real name Dorian Tomasiak – had driven in excess of 100 miles per hour.  In addition to his jail sentence, Swoon will have to pay a fine close to $18,000.  He also can no longer drive in the country.

Sony unveils a new joint venture label.

New Tribe Music, a joint venture between Sony Music Entertainment Australia and songwriter/producer Jon Hume, will focus on promoting Australian acts.  Kira Puru, a singer/songwriter in Melbourne, is the new label’s first signing.

T.I. signs with Epic Records.

After confirming the signing, the Atlanta rapper/actor dropped two new songs – ‘Jefe’ and ‘Wraith.’  During a career spanning 15 years, he has won 3 Grammy Awards and 3 BET Awards.

UTA unveils multiple partners.

Rene Jones, Jim Meenaghan, Rich Shuter, and David Spingarn have joined United Talent Agency (UTA) COO Andrew Thau as non-agent partners.

Rene Jones serves as Global Head of Philanthropy.  The 14-year UTA veteran has previously served at national nonprofits and political campaigns.

Jim Meenaghan, who serves as Co-Head of UTA Independent Film Group, oversees the agency’s motion pictures business affairs.  He previously served at Walden Media and Walt Disney Pictures.

Rich Shuter serves as Head of Television Business Affairs.  He previously served at DreamWorks Television and DreamWorks SKG.

David Spingarn serves as Chief Strategy Officer.  He previously served at Disney, Fox, and Universal Music.

Paradigm Talent Agency announces a key hire.

Perry Gilman will serve as the first new music agent of Paradigm’s Toronto office.  He has served at Madison House and The Feldman Agency.

Concord Music poaches a key executive from Vevo.

In the newly created position, Tina Funk, former General Manager at Vevo Germany, will now serve as Managing Director at Concord Music.  She’ll lead the expansion of the company’s combined music publishing business in Germany across Administration, Synchronization, and Creative.  Funk will report to John Minch, European President of Publishing.

B! Noticed Public Relations announces a key hire.

Leslie Armstrong will serve as Social Media Manager at Nashville-based B! Noticed Public Relations.  Her portfolio at the company includes promoting artists’ music awareness, tours, booking profiles with interactive live-streams, video and photo incorporation, and informational posts on social media platforms.  As an editor, Armstrong has covered events for organizations, including St. Jude and T.J. Martell, multiple awards shows, including ACM and CMA, and other country music events.

Beatport announces a key hire.

Heiko Hoffman will serve as Director of Artist and Label Relations at Beatport, a division of LifeStyle.  Based in Berlin, he’ll oversee the company’s relationships with indie labels and artists.  Hoffman has served at Germany’s Groove Magazine and hosts shows on NTS Radio and Fritz, a local public radio station.

Featured image by midem (YouTube screengrab).

Paul McCartney prepares YouTube Original concert.

Scheduled for Friday, September 7^th, McCartney will perform the concert on his YouTube channel in support of his latest album, Egypt Station.  The livestream starts at 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT.

Does YouTube fear Article 13?

Ahead of a crucial vote on the Copyright Directive on September 12^th, Robert Kyncl, YouTube’s Chief Business Officer, spoke out against Article 13.  The bill would force YouTube and other user-generated content platforms to pay rightsholders a fair share in royalties.

Kyncl said the bill would hurt content creators.

“Despite best intentions, I believe this may now be at risk as European policymakers prepare to vote on a new European Copyright Directive on September 12.  In fact, some parts of the proposal under consideration – and in particular the part known as ‘Article 13’ — potentially undermine this creative economy, discouraging or even prohibiting platforms from hosting user-generated content.”

Viagogo skips Parliament hearing.

At the Culture Select Committee hearing on secondary ticketing, Viagogo failed to show up.  The fraudulent secondary ticketing platform had also failed to show up last year to a session on ticket scalping organized by the UK Parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media, and Sports Select Committee.

Christopher Mille, Viagogo’s Head of Business Development, pulled out at the last moment.  The company justified its absence, blaming a recent investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority agency into Viagogo’s illicit business practices as well as a lawsuit filed against Kilimanjaro Live.

“These developments…require Mr. Miller to address matters that are awaiting adjudication in a court of law, therefore in our view contravening the sub-judice rules confirmed by the House Of Commons in 2001.”

The absence prompted the Chair of the Culture Select Committee to warn “fans should not trust such an outlet.”

“[The move] demonstrates the fear that Viagogo feels about [any] scrutiny of their operations.”

YouTube/Twitch rival secures 9-figure investment and a partnership with Live Nation.

Led by 21^st Century Fox, Caffeine – a social broadcasting platform focused on entertainment, sports, and eSports – has secured $100 million in a funding round.  In addition, the platform has partnered with Live Nation to stream concerts starting Q4 2018.  Finally, Caffeine Studios, a new joint venture owned by Caffeine and Fox Sports, will produce content for the video platform.

More British festivals choose cashless systems.

2000trees Music Festival has become the latest festival overseas to use a ‘cashless’ RFID system.  The 10,000-capacity event rolled out 100 point-of-sale terminals across 55 sales outlets supplied by PlayPass.  The Jika Jika! Festival in Northern Ireland also used the RFID system supplied by Event Genius.

BTS leads top US Fall tours.

StubHub has revealed Elton John and BTS lead its top upcoming touring acts in the US between Labor Day and Thanksgiving 2018.  The lists are male-dominated, with Taylor Swift being the only female artist to appear.

In total ticket sales per show, Elton John took the top spot, followed by Ed Sheeran, BTS, Bruno Mars, and Drake and Migos.

In average sales per show, BTS took the top spot, followed by Pearl Jam, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, and Eric Clapton.

Ty Dolla $ign arrested.

Officers in Atlanta arrested the rapper on drug charges.  They found marijuana and cocaine in his car.  Ty Dolla $ign was charged with possession of cocaine and under an ounce of marijuana along with obstruction.  He would’ve performed at G-Eazy’s The Endless Summer Tour.

Organizers cancel LouFest.

The cancelation comes just 2 days before the St. Louis music and arts festival was scheduled to take place.  LouFest would’ve featured 41 artists and groups, including Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters, T-Pain, Michael McDonald, Kacey Musgraves, and several others.

Organizers attributed the cancelation to “several financial hurdles,” including two key sponsors backing out, debt from past events, and scheduling and contract problems with artists.

BMGPM expands into Southeast Asia, announcing key executives.

Confirming the expansion of its operations in the region, Andy Wong, Director of Business Development in Asia, will lead the BMG Production Music (BMGPM) team in Hong Kong.  He’ll report to Andrew Jones, Vice President of Production Music in Asia Pacific.  Wong previously served as Regional General Manager at Universal Production Music Asia.

Aiden Chan, Manager of Hong Kong, and Wesley Chan, Junior Account Manager and Music Supervisor, will join BMGPM in Hong Kong.  Both had served at Universal Production Music during Wong’s tenure.

In Singapore, Jeff Long will serve as Manager of Singapore and Malaysia.  Reporting to Wong at BMGPM, Long previously served at Universal Production Asia.

James Grant Group announces a key acquisition.

Per MBW, the UK management and professional services company has acquired London-based company Machine Management.  JGG has also appointed Machine founder Iain Watt as Managing Director of its music division.  He’ll report to CEO Neil Rodford.

James Grant Group manages talent management offices, including Hall Or Nothing in the UK and Deckstar in Los Angeles.

UMG’s Caroline announces a new partnership.

Chicago rapper Joey Purp confirmed his partnership with Universal Music Group’s distribution and services arm.  He earned fame through two releases as part of rap duo Leather Corduroys within the SaveMoney collective alongside Chance the Rapper, Vic Mensa, Towkio, and Kami.  The partnership comes ahead of the rapper’s album, Quarterthing, dropping on September 7^th.

Cooking Vinyl Publishing announces a key appointment.

Ryan Farley, a former A&R Manager at Warner/Chappell Publishing UK, will serve as Managing Director at Cooking Vinyl Publishing.  His signings at Warner/Chappell included Madeon, Starsmith, Max McElligott, Clock Opera, and Cold Specks.

Warner Music Nashville announces a promotion.

In the newly created role, Tom Martens will serve as Vice President of Radio and Streaming at Warner Music Nashville.  He’ll oversee the label’s three radio promotion teams – WAR, WMN, and WEA.  Martens previously served as National Director of Radio and Streaming.

RCA announces a promotion.

Val Pensa will now serve as Senior Vice President of Pop/Rock Marketing at RCA Records.  She previously served as Vice President of Marketing and will remain in the company’s New York headquarters.

Warner/Chappell UK announces a key appointment.

Rich Robinson will serve as Executive Vice President of Sync and Creative Services at Warner/Chappell Music in London.  In the role, he’ll build the Creative Services team outside the US, lead international sync strategy, coordinate markets outside the US, and work closely with Mike Smith, Managing Director at Warner/Chappell UK.  Based in London, Robinson report to Carianne Marshall, the company’s Chief Operating Officer.

Coroner confirms how Dolores O’Riordan passed away.

The Westminster Coroner’s Court stated O’Riordan, lead singer for The Cranberries, drowned in a bathtub after drinking multiple bottles of alcohol.  Toxicology tests revealed her blood alcohol level was four times the legal limit for driving.  Police found five miniature alcohol bottles and a bottle of champagne in her room.

Coroner Shirley Radcliffe said,

“There’s no evidence that this was anything other than an accident.”

Tony Camillo passes away.

Camillo, a veteran producer, composer, and studio owner, was 90.  His family revealed last year Camillo battled Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma.

Camilo worked with multiple major artists in the 70s, including Gladys Knight and the Pips, Eric Carmen, Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Grand Funk Railroad, Peaches and Herbs, and many others.  He also launched his own label, Venture.

Burt Reynolds passes away.

Reynolds, a veteran actor, director, and producer, passed away following a cardiac arrest at a hospital.  He was 82.  Reynolds was currently filming Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, featuring Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, and Leonardo DiCaprio.  He released ‘Let’s Do Something Cheap and Superficial’ in 1980, a single for the soundtrack for Smokey and the Bandit II.

Featured image by Jimmy Baikovicius (CC by 2.0)

AN ALL CAPS TITLE ON YOUR YOUTUBE VIDEO MAY LEAD TO LESS CLICKS.

Speaking on the company’s Creator Insider channel, Todd Beaupré, Group Product Manager for Discovery at YouTube, revealed viewers view all caps in titles as being “yelled at.”  Thus, the platform’s recommendation algorithm won’t usually recommend these videos.

Advising creators to “just do a regular title,” Beaupré admitted,

“We actually listen to viewers and try not to recommend off-putting videos to people who aren’t into things like all caps.”

BTS exceeds 100 million views.

BTS’ latest music video, ‘Idol,’ has surpassed the milestone in under 6 days.  With over 56 million views in its first 24 hours, the music video previously beat the most-viewed video record held by Taylor Swift for ‘Look What You Made Me Do.’

Sell your concert tickets when you leave early.

FlipTix, a Southern California tech startup, has announced its ticket resale app will launch at the Kaaboo-Del Mar Festival next month.  The app allows users to sell tickets to the event if they leave early.  Users nearby can receive notifications when ticketholders leave an event early.

Targetspot opens office in Amsterdam.

Expanding the company’s international footprint, Targetspot aims to strengthen its local presence to connect publishers and advertisers.  The independent digital audio advertising platform has also appointed Geert Hoogeveen as Country Director for the Netherlands.  The 20-year digital media veteran will oversee business development and the creation of a sales team for Targetspot Amsterdam.

NetGear breaks into the smart speaker market with a Wi-Fi/smart speaker hybrid.

At the IFA trade show in Berlin, NetGear unveiled Orbi Voice, a mesh Wi-Fi system with smart speaker technology.  Featuring Alexa as the built-in voice assistant, the device allows users to stream music, set alarms, control IoT (Internet of Things) devices, check traffic, weather, sports scores, and more.  Orbi Voice marks the company’s first entry into the smart speaker market, which is expected to grow to $30 billion by 2024.

UK competition regulator takes Viagogo to court.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has formally accused the fraudulent ticket selling platform of breaking consumer protection law.

CMA CEO Andrea Coscelli explained Viagogo had failed to make the required changes as demanded by the CMA.

“This applies to Viagogo as much as it does to any other secondary ticketing website.  Unfortunately, while other businesses have agreed to overhaul their sites to ensure they respect the law, Viagogo has not.

“We will now be pursuing action through the courts to ensure that they comply with the law.”

YouTube censors video discussing Musical.ly.

YouTube and Twitch star PaymoneyWubby has posted a video titled ‘YouTube STILL Doesn’t Care about Fair Use,’ criticizing the popular platform for censoring his video discussing Musical.ly.  In the ‘What Kids Really Do on Musical.ly,’ Paymoney criticized the popular social media and music app – now known as TikTok – for featuring sexually suggestive videos of underage children.

The video platform has since defended itself, releasing an official statement on Paymoney’s criticism.

“When a copyright holder notifies us of a video that infringes on their copyright, we act quickly to remove content as is required of us by law.  When we see that there is a potential case for fair use, we ask the claimant to make sure they’ve conducted that analysis.”

Ugandan singer/politician arrested.

During his attempt to flee the country, authorities in the country have “violently re-arrested” Ugandan singer and parliament member, Bobi Wine.  The Ugandan military blamed Wine – real name Robert Kyagulanyi – for an August 15^th riot between two political parties ahead of a key parliamentary election.

His lawyer, Nicholas Opiyo, confirmed the arrest and condemned Ugandan authorities, writing on Twitter,

“The Uganda Police have violently blocked Hon Bobi Wine from traveling outside of the country in spite of the court declining to do so when being released on bail earlier in the week.  This is absurd to say the least.  #FreeBobiWine.

“The police have violently abducted Bobi Wine from the airport, forced him into a police ambulance, and is being driven to unknown destination.”

Secret 7” unveil a charity project.

The British vinyl pressing company will auction Rega turntables decorated by 10 artists to support Mind, a mental health charity.  Gavin Turk, Jeremy Deller, Jake & Dinos Chapman, Es Devlin, Stuart Semple, James Joyce, Jean Jullien, Pete Fowler, Hsiao-Chi Tsai & Kimiya Yoshikawa, and Francis Richardson designed the turntables.  On display at the Ace Hotel in Shoreditch, bidding ends September 12^th.

Cardi B tops the Lyrics of the Summer list.

LyricFind, a provider of licensed lyrics with licensing from 4,000 music publishers, has found Cardi B has the top 2 most searched lyrics of the summer.  Her feature on Maroon 5’s ‘Girls Like You’ took the top spot followed by ‘I Like It’ with Bad Bunny and J Balvin.  Camila Cabello’s ‘Havana,’ Drake’s ‘In My Feelings,’ and Juice WLRD’s ‘Lucid Dream’ rounded out the top 5.

Live Nation gets approval for gigs in the UK.

Over three weekends at the Splott Warehouse each year, the Cardiff Council Committee will allow Live Nation to hold six events for people up to 9,999 people above the age of 16.  Live Nation has agreed to several conditions, including limiting the noise, directing speakers away from homes, and appointing a noise consultant.

Concert stampedes not Live Nation’s fault, argues the promoter.

Seeking a summary judgment in their favor, Gwen Stefani and Live Nation have argued the singer and the promoter shouldn’t be held liable for injuries a concertgoer received.  Lisa Stricklin sued both parties last year, arguing she sustained leg injuries after Stefani asked the crowd to approach the stage, causing a stampede.

Chris Evans jumps ship.

After 8 years hosting the Radio 2 breakfast show, Evans will leave to join the morning show on Virgin Radio.

Speaking to his listeners, he said,

“Some of us are mountain climbers…if you get to the top of your favorite mountain and you stay there, you become an observer.  I want to keep climbing.”

Camila Cabello becomes the first female artist to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify.

Released on August 3^rd, 2017, Cabello’s ‘Havana’ has reached the milestone.  Drake’s ‘God’s Plan’ also broke the billion streams mark, nearly 8 months after its release.  Cabello thanked her fans for the support on social media.

Because there can be only one Waterloo.

Waterloo Records, a store based in Austin, Texas, has filed a lawsuit against the Waterloo Festival.  The move comes several days before the festival will debut in the city at a nearby ranch.

In a statement, the records store said,

“Under Texas and federal law, if we don’t defend ourselves against infringing use of our name, trademark, and common law rights, we risk the surrender of all those rights.  Additionally, WMF’s use of the name ‘Waterloo’ has caused a great deal of general confusion, both locally and nationally, as to whether or not Waterloo Records is producing this fest.”

Notorious patent troll wins $503 million from Apple in East Texas.

A jury in Eastern Texas has found Apple infringed on four patents – including FaceTime and iMessage – from VirnetX, a publicly traded company.  In addition, US District Court Judge Robert Schroeder III has denied Apple’s request to appeal.  VirnetX successfully sued Microsoft for $200 million in 2010 and later for $23 million.

Paul Allen joins The Weird & The Wonderful.

Joining the British talent consultancy and management agency alongside Allen is Lawrence Jones and several artists, including Philip George, Emanuel Satie, Alex Niggeman, Third Son, DJ Deeon, and Kincaid.  MMF UK’s Steven Braines founded The Weird & The Wonderful in 2014 alongside UK Music Future’s Sophia Kearney.

Decca Records’ Rebecca Allen honored.

Buckinghamshire New University will present Allen with an honorary doctorate.  The President of Decca Records Group UK will receive the honor for her “outstanding contribution to the UK’s music industry, and her international reputation” on September 4^th.

Kevin Lyman hospitalized.

The Vans Warped Tour founder has confirmed he remains in the hospital but hasn’t explained why.  He currently serves as an Associate Professor at the Thorton School of Music.

On Twitter, Lyman wrote,

“37 years of hard charging in the music business and it to [sic] only two weeks of teaching to put me in the hospital. Seriously take care of yourselves we are not invincible!”

Appeals Court rules in favor of Sony Music and the Jackson Estate in ‘fake vocals’ suit.

In 2014, Vera Serova, a Michael Jackson fan, sued Sony Music and the Jackson Estate.  The Michael Jackson fan claimed the major label and Jackson’s estate falsely promoted three songs in Jackson’s posthumous album, Michael, as containing the late singer’s voice.

Three appeals court judges found that Sony Music and the Jackson Estate don’t really know whether the vocals are Jackson’s, and thus, aren’t commercially liable.

According to NPR, court documents read,

“Because [Sony Music, MJJ Productions, and the Jackson estate] lacked actual knowledge of the identity of the lead singer on [“Breaking News,” “Monster” and “Keep Your Head Up”], they could only draw a conclusion about that issue from their own research and the available evidence.  Under these circumstances, [their] representations about the identity of the singer amounted to a statement of opinion rather than fact.”

Cardi B apologizes for offensive Civil Rights skit.

The rapper received strong criticism for her role as Coretta Scott King in a comedy skit dubbed ‘Real Housewives of the Civil Rights Movement.’  The skit, included in Rip Michaels’ new show, Off The Rip, spoofed Bravo’s ‘Housewives’ franchise, and featured portrayals of Rosa Parks, an ex-wife of Malcolm X, and Jessie Jackson’s wife.  ‘Real Housewives of the Civil Rights Movement’ also featured references to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s alleged extra-material affairs.

In a now-deleted tweet, Dr. Bernice King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter, lambasted Cardi B.

“On the 55th anniversary of #IHaveADream, a clip on @TMZ depicts my parents (Cardi B playing my mom) & great women of the CRM in a repulsive, false light.  They paid an extraordinary price so people of color can have a platform & this is how you use it.  @iamcardib: Let’s talk.”

Find out how much time you binge watch on YouTube.

YouTube had rolled out a new feature allowing users to track how much time they spend on the platform.  Its TV and Music services don’t count in the “time watched” profile.

The company said in its blog,

“Our goal is to provide a better understanding of time spent on YouTube, so you can make informed decisions about how you want YouTube to best fit into your life.”

Looks like the next generation will grow up learning from YouTube.

Surveying 2,587 people aged 14 to 40, Pearson, a global education company, has revealed most Generation Z learners (aged 14 to 23) preferred YouTube over printed books – 60% to 47%.  Millennials (aged 24 to 40), meanwhile, prefer printed books over YouTube – 60% to 55%.

Generation Z learners prefer learning from apps and interactive books (47%) and through in-group activities (57%).  47% of Generation Z respondents spend over 3 hours a day watching YouTube.  55% claim the video platform has contributed to their education.  78% still preferred teachers over the video platform, as they had the most impact on their learning and personal development.  69% preferred their parents.  71% attempt to figure out problems on their own using the internet, and 29% prefer asking a teacher for help.

TRL returns in Australia.

MTV has announced the show will return to Australia in 2019.  Simon Bates, Vice President and Head of MTV Asia Pacific said,

“After the successful launch of MTV Unplugged in Melbourne last month, it’s obvious there is an appetite for more live music franchises to showcase Australian artists and connect them with their fans.”

Unsurprisingly, teen girls love K-Pop the most.

Partnering with statisticians from UCLA, the Korea Content Platform (KCP) has revealed women and girls under the age of 20 most consume Korean entertainment content – music, TV, and comics.  Monitoring 45,614 viewers for a period of two months across all Kocowa streaming video platforms, KCP found 34% of viewers were non-Korean teenage girls.

Attributing the rise in popularity in Korean media content consumption to K-Pop, KunHee Park, CEO of KCP, said,

“K-Pop has been in the United States for years now and some K-pop stars are already very popular in the US.  Now those same performers have moved on to star in dramas after getting popular in the music industry.  Kocowa audiences recognize these stars now that they are acting and seek them out.”

Lauryn Hill pushes back against claims she stole music on her debut album.

Earlier this month, jazz musician Robert Glasper accused Lauryn Hill of failing to credit him and other “great musicians and producers” on her first album.  Now, in a lengthy post on Medium, Lauryn Hill has responded to his claims.

“You may be able to make suggestions, but you can’t write FOR me.  I am the architect of my creative expression.  No decisions are made without me. I hire master builders and masterful artisans and technicians who play beautifully, lend their technical expertise, and who translate the language that I provide into beautifully realized music.

“[My debut album] was the first time I worked with musicians outside of the Fugees whose report and working relationship was clear.  In an effort to create the same level of comfort, I may not have established the necessary boundaries and may have been more inviting than I should have been.”

Digital Downloads Deathwatch – It takes just a thousand downloads to reach No. 2 on Billboard.

For the week ending August 16^th, K-Pop girl group (G)I-DLE took the #2 spot on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart with just over 1,000 downloads.  Clearly ignoring the dismal download tally, Billboard writer Jeff Benjamin called the girl group’s sales proof that (G)I-DLE’s “hot debut was not a fluke.”  According to sources speaking with Digital Music News, Apple will pull digital downloads in 2019 from the iTunes Store.  Other digital download stores will likely follow suit.

eOne partners with The Stereotypes on a joint venture.

Under their new joint venture music publishing agreement with Entertainment One (eOne), Stereotype members and songwriters Jonathan Yip, Jeremy Reeves, and Ray Charles McCullough will work with eOne to sign and develop new talent.  In addition, eOne has signed McCollough to a worldwide publishing agreement.  The Stereotypes’ imprint, Beach Wave Publishing, will work with eOne to maximize opportunities.

Amy Collins will also serve as A&R Director at Beach Wave.  She previously served at Warner/Chappell Music and Def Jam/Universl Music Group.

Two Chinese entertainment companies establish a new Hong Kong joint venture.

Pop Life Entertainment, a Chinese entertainment and consumer products company, has partnered with Cenic Media, a production entertainment group, to launch Pop Life Global.  The joint venture will deliver music, movies, and merchandise in Asia and worldwide.  Pop Life Entertainment will also develop consumer products for Cenic’s TV and Film content.

UMG’s Caroline partners with Justin Goldman to launch a new label.

Caroline will distribute JustGold’s releases around the world.  The artist services division of Universal Music Group (UMG) has signed British singer Millie Go Lightly and will distribute her first single.  Justin Goldman is currently a Junior in the Bandier Program.

Glassnote Records signs Dylan Cartlidge.

The 23-year-old British rapper/instrumentalist has worked with several notable producers, including St. Francis Hotel.  He has also received radio support in the UK from BBC Radio 1.  This fall, Cartlidge will support Bad Sounds and Darwin Deez on their UK tours.

Sony Music announces a key hire.

Constance Williams will serve as Senior Vice President and Head of Human Resources in the Americas at Sony Music.  Based in New York, she’ll lead Sony Music’s talent acquisition, management, and organizational development functions.  Williams previously served at her practice as Principal of Management Consulting at HR Ace Consulting.

MSG announces a new hire.

Richard Constable will serve as Executive Vice President and Global Head of Government Relations and Public Affairs at the Madison Square Garden Company (MSG).  In the newly created role, he’ll serve as MSG’s chief strategist for governmental, legislative, and media affairs.  Constable will also direct local, federal, and global government relations.  In addition, he’ll assist in MSG’s plans to expand its venue portfolio.

Coroner confirms how Vinnie Paul passed away.

Clark County Coroner John Fudenburg has announced Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul died of natural causes last June.  Medical examiners identified coronary artery disease as the cause of his passing.

Featured image by Chief Mouse (YouTube screengrab)

But is #love really more powerful than money?

In a collective effort, the music industry has banded together to ensure Google finally pays music creators fairly.  But will the #LoveMusic campaign work?

Following a heavily-financed smear campaign against the music industry led primarily by Google, two key copyright initiatives were voted down in the European Union several months ago.

The ‘Directive of Copyright in the Digital Services Market’ – mainly Article 11 for journalists and 13 for musicians – would have required that platforms hosting user-generated content (UGC) obtain and pay for the proper licenses.  Article 13 would have effectively mandated that websites like YouTube and Vimeo pay the music industry its fair share.

The European Parliament ultimately voted against the Copyright Directive in July, 318 to 278, with 31 abstentions.

Defeating Google with love.  #LoveMusic, that is.

Undeterred by the setback, the British music industry has banded together to launch a new political campaign – #LoveMusic.

Unveiling the online campaign, UK Music has called on artists, authors, and creators to defend their rights.  #LoveMusic has the support from influential music industry organizations, including PRS for Music, AIM, BASCA, the BPI, the FAC, MMF, Music Publishers Association, MPG, Musicians’ Union, and PPL.

In a veiled swipe at Google, Wikipedia, and other Copyright Directive critics, UK Music wrote,

“There are some people and tech firms out there trying every trick in the book to block a change that would mean a fairer deal for pretty much everyone in the UK music business.”

Painting some members of European Parliament (MEPs) as villains, the online petition states,

“Some Members of the European Parliament [will] to do anything to stop creators from getting paid fairly for the use of creative works online.”

Speaking directly to the European Union, the campaign begs lawmakers to stop “funneling the value away” from content creators.  Approving the Copyright Directive, argues UK Music, will foster growth for new and existing businesses.  Article 13 will also provide “legal certainty” for consumers as well as “appropriate remuneration” for creators.

Calling out YouTube, the #LoveMusic campaign states the video platform should fairly pay musicians’ works under existing copyright laws.  After all, says UK Music, musicians depend on platforms to respect their rights.

“This is our pay and the only leverage we have to negotiate fair remuneration for our works.”

But, will the new campaign work?

The #LoveMusic campaign represents a concentrated effort by the music industry to update European copyright laws.

Google currently uses the outdated laws to avoid paying artists, songwriters, labels, and performance rights organizations their fair share.  According to UK Music, YouTube paid the music industry around $856 million in royalties last year.  Meanwhile, established streaming music platforms – Spotify and Apple Music, among others – paid $5.6 billion.

The coordinated effort comes ahead of another crucial vote on September 12^th.  The European Parliament will decide the future of the Copyright Directive in the European Union.

Dismissing critics’ internet censorship claims as “scare-mongering,” UK Music said the Copyright Directive will only affect UGC platforms.

“Article 13 only applies to a very specific type of service…  [Blogs, Wikipedia, and online marketplaces] are explicitly excluded, as are parodies, caricatures, and pastiche.”

Google, however, has paid lawmakers $36 million thus far to ensure this doesn’t happen.  The company will likely continue shelling out money to guarantee MEPs ultimately scuttle the Copyright Directive.

So, even with the help of Paul McCartney, there’s a good chance the Copyright Directive to go down in flames once again.

“Please stop using our music, Mr. President.  Love, Aerosmith.”

Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler has demanded President Donald Trump stop using the group’s music.  The President played ‘Livin’ On The Edge,’ at a recent rally in West Virginia.  Tyler sent the President a cease-and-desist letter through his attorney, Dina LaPolt.  The singer fears people will believe Aerosmith supports the President.

Downtown Music Publishing tacks on 3,000 songs.

The publishing group just expanded its film+tv catalog through deals involving Note Republic, Court TV, and Indian Paintbrush.  Note comes from reality TV producers Bunim/Murray Productions, whose venerable stable includes ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians,’ ‘Project Runway,’ and ‘The Real World’.  The Court TV deal specifically involves ‘Forensic Files’.   Downtown has structured an administration deal with Indian Paintbrush.

Ariana Grande breaks Spotify’s weekly record.

With her latest album, Sweetener, Ariana Grande has broken Spotify’s global record for the biggest opening week by a female artist with 109 million streams.  Cardi B previously held the record, having reached 102 million global Spotify streams with Invasion of Privacy.

The AMAs and YouTube sign a sponsorship deal.

Per Variety, Google and dick clark productions (dcp) have signed a two-year sponsorship agreement.  The American Music Awards (AMAs) will promote YouTube Music as the go-to music platform for streaming music, videos, and live performances, among other content.  dcp will also work with YouTube on “creative content to support the show.”

Netflix follows Spotify’s example and cuts Apple out of the loop.

Netflix has started testing a new subscription method in 33 countries except the US.  The streaming video platform now directs iOS users to its mobile site to enter payment details.  This allows Netflix to avoid giving a 30% of its subscription revenue to Apple.

Spotify first started the move several weeks ago, writing on its support page,

“It was possible to pay for Spotify Premium using Apple’s in-app payment system (iAP).  However, this has been discontinued for new subscribers.”

Lynyrd Skynyrd sued for Jerry Lee Lewis photo.

Photographer Larry Philpot has sued rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd for allegedly using a 2011 photo of Jerry Lee Lewis without permission.  According to Philpot, the group deliberately stripped the copyright management information from the photo.  He took the photo in 2011, registered it with the US Copyright Office, and uploaded it to Wikimedia with detailed attribution requirements.

Prepare to hear more of Bob Lefsetz.

SiriusXM has confirmed Bob Lefsetz will host Lefsetz Live!, a weekly talk show on the Volume channel.  The one-hour program will discuss happenings in the music industry.  Lefsetz will also take calls from listeners.

Which cities and countries watch the most BTS videos?

YouTube has revealed which countries and cities watch popular K-pop boy band BTS the most.

The top cities with the most views on Bangtan TV – the group’s YouTube channel – include Jakarta, Seoul, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Hanoi, Quezon City, Kuala Lumpur, Surabaya, Santiago, and Lima.  Vietnam, the US, Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Brazil, Philippines, Thailand, and Argentina ranked as the countries that most watch Bangtan TV, which has accumulated 2.5 billion views.

Asia Argento pulls out of a Dutch music festival.

Italian actress Asia Argento will no longer curate the Le Guess Who? festival.  Organizers explained in a statement that “due to the volatile nature of the accusations surrounding Ms. Argento, she has chosen to withdraw from her curatorship of this year’s edition, while these issues remain open.”

Taylor Swift breaks her own grossing tour record.

Per Billboard Boxscore, Taylor Swift’s Reputation Stadium Tour has become the highest grossing tour by a woman in the US.  Across 27 dates, she brought in $191.1 million, along with $11.1 million in Canada.  Swift previously set the record with her 1989 World Tour, earning $181.5 million in the US.

Nicki Minaj and Future postpone North American Tour.

Following sharp criticism over her VMAs performance and her comparisons to Harriet Tubman on social media – including posting a fake Tubman quote – Nicki Minaj has indefinitely postponed her North American tour with Future.  Live Nation stated she has “decided to reevaluate element of production on the NickiHendrxx Tour.”  The embattled rapper will continue the tour in Europe, which kicks off on February 21^st, 2019 in Munich, Germany.  Live Nation has offered refunds for the North American tour.

DHP Family hires a new Head of Brand Partnerships.

British concert promoter DHP Family has appointed music marketer Richie Deeney to the newly created role of Head of Brand Partnerships.  He’ll build relationships with current and future partners as well as develop business prospects.  Deeney will work alongside Managing Director George Akins and Director of Live Anton Lockwood.

Spotify poaches Mary Catherine Kinney from SMN.

Former Sony Music Nashville (SMN) Associate Director Mary Catherine Kinney has joined Spotify’s Nashville team.  She will serve as Manager of Artist and Label Marketing.  Kinney has become the primary contact for Nashville artists, labels, and managers at the company.

Stingray hires a Chief Revenue Officer.

Stingray, a music and video services provider, has hired David Purdy as Chief Revenue Officer.  In the newly created role, he’ll oversee all aspects of the company’s revenue expansion, including advertising and sales efforts.  Purdy previously served as Vice Media’s Chief International Growth Officer.

Featured image by bobnjeff (CC by 2.0)

Live Nation continues The War on Straws.

50 House of Blues Entertainment venues have now implemented a straw-by-request policy.  The Live Nation-owned venues have made plastic straws and other “accessible alternatives” available only upon demand.  Live Nation had previously done away with straws at its 52 amphitheaters in the US.  The company wants to eliminate over 6 million straws at the end of 2018.

‘How to Beat the Competition,’ by YouTube.

It’s simple: just copy their features and pay your creators large sums of money so they don’t leave.

Amidst fierce competition from Twitch, IGTV, and Patreon, YouTube has offered select content creators hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote and use its recently unveiled donation and paid membership features.  The company hopes to keep popular influencers from leaving the site for Twitch and Patreon.

The features haven’t proven popular, however, as the Google-owned video platform keeps 30% of every donation.  Most content creators still rely on sponsored content and advertising cuts, as well as sponsorships on their Patreon pages.

The New York Times finds how easy it is to buy YouTube views.

In a recent piece, New York Times writer Michael H. Keller discovered how YouTube struggles to eliminate fake views sellers on its video platform.

One seller, Martin Vassilev, has sold about 15 million views so far this year and earned over $200,000.  His website – 500views.com – connects content creators with services that offer YouTube views, like, and dislikes through computer algorithms.

Keller created his own video featuring clips from presidential speeches, buying views from 9 vendors, and noted, “tens of millions of fake views could be making it through daily.”

Investment investment recommendations – powered by ‘Spotify and Netflix’-like algorithms.

UBS Group AG, a Swiss multinational investment bank, has confirmed it’s in the early stages of unveiling recommendations algorithms to suggest investments to its asset management and hedge fund clients.  The bank confirmed the algorithm – similar to those in use by Netflix and Spotify – is ‘increasingly in demand.’

Amazon unveils Alexa developer kits for your ride.

Amazon has released a developer kit to integrate Alexa into car infotainment systems.  The e-commerce conglomerate will allow drivers to ask for directions, make calls, stream songs, and search for hotels and restaurants.  Interested developers can access the developer kit on Github.

‘Conan’ cuts musical performances as music booker leaves.

Producer and music booker Roey Hershkovitz will leave the ‘Conan’ show after almost 20 years.  The high-profile departure comes after TBS announced ‘Conan’ will switch to a half-hour format, axing musical performances in favor of a ‘leaner’ late-night show.

Virgin EMI launches Lost Ones label.

Former Apple executive Ashley Sykes and former RCA A&R Barry Burt will head up Lost Ones, Virgin EMI’s new imprint.  Both will sign and develop artists to the label and work with Virgin EMI marketing and promotion teams.  Sykes and Burt will report to Ted Cockle, President of Virgin EMI.  Lost Ones has already signed London-based Afrobeat producer Wauve, DJ Juls, and Collard.

Concord Music signs Alex Metric.

Producer and songwriter Alex Metric has signed a publishing deal with Concord Music.  He has previously collaborated with Robbie Williams, Avicii, The Black Eyed Peas, Charli XCX, and others.

Bucks Music Group poaches Adam Soffe from Ministry of Sound.

Bucks Music Group has appointed Adam Soffe as Creative and Bespoke Sync Executive.  He previously worked at Ministry of Sound where he oversaw sync for the publishing and recorded divisions.

In his new role, Soffe will procure sync placements for the Bucks catalog.  He’ll also actively seek bespoke composition opportunities for writers across film, TV, commercials, and video games.

Live Nation poaches Amy Marks from Bloomberg Media.

Live Nation Entertainment has hired Amy Marks as Executive Vice President and Head of Integrated Marketing of Media and Sponsorship.  She’ll lead the department, which includes creative, research, analytics, strategy, experiential events, and industry marketing.

Marks will also support her team’s efforts to deliver data-driven programs and products for advertisers.  Based in New York, she’ll report directly to Russell Wallach, Global President of Live Nation Media and Sponsorship.

Blue Raincoat Artists hires two managers.

Blue Raincoat Artists has hired artist managers Darin Harmon and Josh Fisher.  Artist Phoebe Bridgers joins Harmon, and Mexican techno DJ Hector joins Fisher.

Harmon will oversee the Chrysalis Records catalog in the US.  Artists on Chrysalis Records include The Specials, Sinead O’Connor, The Waterboys, Ten Years After, Fun Lovin’ Criminal, Steve Harley, and Fun Boy Three, among others.

Barclays Center appoints a new General Manager.

Matt Felker will serve as the General Manager of Barclays Center in New York.  Joe Zino will take over Felker’s General Manager position at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.  The internal promotions will become effective October 1^st.  BSE Global and AEG Facilities oversee both venues.

Featured image by Horia Varlan (CC by 2.0)

Eazy-E’s widow reaches an agreement with the rapper’s son.

Eric Darnel Wright, son of rapper Eazy-E – aka Eric Lynn Wright – has reached an agreement with his late father’s widow, Tomica Woods-Wright.  She had sued Eazy-E’s son for illegally monetizing the NWA trademark.  Eric Darnel Wright has agreed to stop using ‘NWA,’ ‘Straight Outta Compton,’ ‘Ruthless,’ and ‘Ruthless Records’ in all future endeavors.

Madonna thinks all modern music sounds the same. Except hers, of course.

In an interview with Vogue Italia, former pop icon Madonna has criticized the music industry for creating ‘formulaic’ artists.  Contrasting the modern music business with her recent move to Lisbon, where she experiences ‘intimate’ music performances, Madonna said,

“Everything’s so formulaic, and every song has 20 guest artists on it, and everyone sounds the same.”

YouTube star sends sexual messages – then menacing threats – to teenage fans.

Chris Ingham, a popular YouTube celebrity, has threatened his fans for exposing his sexual, unsolicited, and menacing text messages.  The ‘Ingham Family’ star had sent multiple sexual text messages to female teen fans, asking them to send him photos and go skinny dipping with him.  Ingham then threatened legal action against the teens who spoke out and posted the messages.  On YouTube, he often features his family, including his wife Sarah, and his children aged 12, 9, and 6.  Ingham hasn’t responded to the allegations.

15 people injured after a lightning strike at a French music festival.

Lightning struck down on multiple areas of the Vieux Canal music festival, injuring 15 festivalgoers.  Among the injured, several children in a tent, and a woman in her 60s along with a 44-year-old man, both of whom remain in serious condition, per the BBC.

Production issues force delay on Drake/Migos tour.  And Drake’s tour bus gets towed.

The Drake and Migos North American tour has been delayed — again — due to production issues.  It would’ve kicked off on August 10^th but will now take place on August 12^th.

Kansas City law enforcement has also confirmed Drake’s tour bus has been towed and possibly repossessed by a Missouri repo company.

The Drake and Migos tour would’ve started on July 26^th.

Meadows Music Arts Festival on hiatus.

Founders Entertainment, organizers for the Meadows Music Arts and Festival in New York City, has put the event on hiatus.  The company couldn’t obtain a multi-day permit for the third annual event.  Last year’s event took place on September 15^th–17^th.

Authorities in Singapore issue strong warning against online ticket scams.

Singapore police have warned concertgoers against using unreliable online ticket vendors.  Last year, police reported 120 online ticket scams.  Victims either didn’t receive their tickets, or received fake and invalid ones.  The warning comes ahead of upcoming concerts from K-Pop boy bands WINNER and iKON.

Eventbrite acquires Pactic.

Eventbrite, a US event management and ticketing site, has acquired Picatic, a ticketing and event registration platform in Vancouver.  The ticketing site had already made several other ticketing platform acquisitions – Ticketscript, Ticketfly, and Ticketea.  Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Peermusic signs Linda Perry and announced a joint venture.

Peermusic, an independent publishing company, has signed songwriter Linda Perry to a global publishing deal.  The company has also announced a joint venture with We Are Hear Music, Perry’s record label, publishing, and management company.

UMPG signs Danny Shah.

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) has signed a global publishing deal with songwriter Danny Shah.  He has worked alongside David Guetta, Hrvy, Loren Gray, Zak Abel, Sigma, and others.  Shah has also penned songs for The Vamps and Kylie Minogue.

Netsky signs agreement with Republic and Casablanca.

Belgium EDM producer Netsky has signed a partnership with Republic Records and Casablanca Records.  The first work released under this agreement is ‘Téquila Limonada.’

Genevieve Thompson will lead Mick Management’s Nashville office.

Mick Management has announced Genevieve Thompson will lead the company’s new office in Nashville.  She’ll collaborate with founder Michael McDonald and company partner Jonathan Eshak.  Day-to-Day Manager Jessica Swan will also help.  Thompson has previously served at Borman Entertainment, assisting Keith Urban.  Mick Management’s roster includes Leon Bridges, Ray LaMontagne, and Jon Batiste, among others.

Linda Mkhize passes away.

South African hip-hop artist Linda Mkhize – better known as ProKid – has passed away from a seizure while visiting friends in Johannesburg.  Paramedics attempted to revive the rapper but ultimately couldn’t.  Mkhize was 37.

Featured image by Ljvant (CC by 3.0)

YouTube wants to expand – literally.

YouTube is now looking to expand its San Bruno, California headquarters.  The city presented four separate development plans for the public to consider.  YouTube reportedly favors 2.3 million additional square feet of office space that would bring 10,000 new jobs to the area.  The majority would belong to YouTube, with a small portion available for local businesses in San Bruno.

WOMAD blasts the UK’s ‘humiliating and hostile visa system.’

World of Music, Arts, and Dance (WOMAD) founder Peter Gabriel has lambasted the UK government’s foreign policy.  Visa issues reportedly prevented several international acts from performing at the 2018 WOMAD festival.

In a letter written to British newspaper The Times, Gabriel said,

“The right to travel for work, for education and even for pleasure is increasingly being restricted, often along racial and religious lines.

“Some of these artists no longer want to come because of the difficulty and cost involved, as well as the delays with visas and the fear that they will not be welcome in our country.”

Promoter warned over large posters in UK town.

The Leicester City Council has warned it could prosecute the promoter of Craig David and Rita Ora.  The Liz Hobbs Group reportedly advertised the upcoming November 1^st performance with “large posters” that obstruct the view of motorists.

A post on Twitter reads,

“Large fly posters have been put in a dangerous place on Hinckley Road and Braunstone Gate.  These will be removed and the business fined.”

AdRev pays out more than $100 million in YouTube music rights.

AdRev, a rights administration service that represents the music rights for more than 320 million videos on YouTube, has paid out over $100 million to publishers and TV/film production libraries.  The company has also reported a higher uptick in revenue streams from Instagram videos posted on YouTube.

The DA reviews rape charge against Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is now reviewing sexual assault charges against Nick Carter.  The Santa Monica Police Department presented the DA’s office with rape charges against the former Backstreet Boys singer on July 31^st.

Lieutenant Saul Rodriguez said in a statement,

“I can confirm a victim came forward to Santa Monica PD in Feb. 2018 regarding an alleged sexual misconduct involving Mr. Carter in 2003.  Following an investigation, the case was presented to the LA DA’s Office on July 31, 2018 for review.”

Here’s a fun way to celebrate 30 years.

Sub Pop Records and Alaska Airlines have teamed up to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the record label.  Alaska Airlines branded a jet with multiple Sub Pop logos.

Apple shutters App Store Affiliate Program without notifying partners.

Apple has shut down an App Store Affiliate Program that shared revenue from third-party links to purchase apps and in-app content.  The move harms editorial websites that generated revenue from linking apps, including music and mobile games.  In a desperate post, TouchArcade, a mobile games website, wrote,

“I genuinely have no idea what TouchArcade is going to do.  It’s hard to read this in any other way than ‘We went from seeing a microscopic amount of value in third-party editorial to, we now see no value.’

“I don’t know how the takeaway from this move can be seen as anything other than Apple extending a massive middle finger to sites like TouchArcade, AppShopper, and many others…”

Scooter Braun launches fitness venture.

Rumble, a group fitness company, has announced a partnership with Scooter Braun’s SB Projects.  Dubbed At-Home 360, the venture promises a “digital fitness experience” with “Hollywood-style production,” creating fitness equipment with digital programming.

When you just really have to attend a rap concert out of state…

Police in Texarkana, Texas arrested 18-year-old Zemarcius Devon Scott after he attempted to steal a plane to fly to a rap concert in another state.  Authorities found him sitting in the pilot’s seat of an American Eagle twin-engine jet.  Scott reportedly told police there wasn’t much to flying a plane except for pushing buttons and pulling levers.

Music Row to honor Robert K. Oermann.

Veteran music industry journalist Robert K. Oermann will receive a special honor at the 2018 Music Row Storytellers honoree.  He first started writing 40 years ago in Nashville, documenting and chronicling stories in the city.

NetEase partners with King Records.

Chiniese online platform NetEase Cloud Music has announced a master recordings licensing partnership with King Records, a Japanese label.  Users in China can stream the entire King Records library on NetEase.  The Japanese label has produced local music, including J-Pop, Anime, and Elka offerings.  Japanese music has proven popular in Chinese, especially among young fans.

Composer Daniele Gatti dismissed over sexual misconduct.

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Holland has fired Daniel Gatti, its chief conductor.  The Washington Post had reported he engaged in “appropriate behavior” with several female colleagues.  Gatti’s lawyer has lambasted the report, calling it a “smear campaign.”

“[Gatti] has asked me to inform all media that he is extremely surprised and that he firmly denies all sorts of allegations.  The maestro has asked his lawyers to protect his reputation and to take all needed actions should this smear campaign continue.”

A2IM announces promotions and a new executive committee.

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) has announced its executive committee.  Hopeless Records owner Louis Posen will serve as Chairman, Concord Music Group COO Glen Barros as Treasurer, and Kill Rock Stars President Portia Sabin as secretary.

A2IM has also promoted Lisa Hresko and Marcus Assenmacher.  Hresko will serve as Director of Member Services and International Relations. Assenmacher will serve as Director of Events.

Stingray makes aggressive, unsolicited bid for Music Choice.

Stingray Digital Group, a Canadian music and video content provider, has offered to purchase Music Choice for $120 million.  The provider reportedly presented its unsolicited bid to Music Choice management and has reached out to the company’s owners – Comcast, Charter Communications, Cox Communications, Sony Corp. of America, WarnerMedia (formerly Time Warner), EMI Music Publishing, Arris, and Microsoft.  Music Choice hasn’t accepted the bid, yet Stingray confirmed it remains “under review by the unitholders.”

In a statement, Eric Boyko, Co-founder, President, and CEO of Stingray, said,

“We believe that our formal offer to purchase has strong merit and would bring a significant return on investment for Music Choice unitholders.  Music Choice would benefit greatly from joining forces with Stingray, given that we are well positioned to expand and build Music Choice’s product portfolio and distribution in the United States and around the world.”

Max Martin musical headed to London.

A musical based on the music of Swedish singer/songwriter Max Martin will head to London’s West End theater.  He now collaborates on the show.  Martin has previously worked with Adele, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, and Taylor Swift on major pop singles, among many others.

Cypress Hill signs with BMG.

BMG has signed with Cypress Hill.  The Latino hip-hop duo will release its next album, Elephants on Acid, on September 28^th.

Instagram Stories copied Snapchat.  Now, YouTube Stories copies Instagram.

YouTube has reportedly started testing a Stories-like feature on its video platform.  According to Android Police, which first spotted the feature, it looks very similar to Instagram Stories’ UI and will likely function exactly the same.

The Big 3 sue Cox Communications.

Sony Music, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group have filed a lawsuit against Cox Communications.  Citing BMG v. Cox, the labels accuse Cox of knowingly contributing to and reaping substantial profits from “massive copyright infringement committed by thousands of its subscribers.”

WMG acquires Uproxx.

Warner Music Group has bought Uproxx Media Group and its portfolio of websites – HitFix, Dime, and Uproxx, but not BroBible.  Benjamin Bank, Uproxx CEO and Chief Creative Officer, and Jarret Myer, co-founder and publisher, will maintain editorial independence.

UMG pushes a new playlist on Apple Music.

Universal Music Group (UMG) has launched an exclusive playlist on Apple Music – Peaceful Music.  The label, along with composer Max Richter, co-created the 51-track playlist with Apple’s curator team.

Apple’s HomePod gains a substantial market share from Google and Amazon.

Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) has found Apple has sold three million HomePods in the US.  Between March and June, the HomePod’s market share doubled to 6% and now has a “small but meaningful” share in the smart speaker market.  Amazon now has a 70% market share, and Google 24%.

Yet, CIRP warns,

“[The HomePod] took a small share of the market from both Amazon and Google.  Still, Amazon has a two-year head start, and Amazon and Google each have a low-priced device that accounts for at least half of unit sales, so it’s not clear how much further Apple can establish itself in the market without a more competitive model.”

Face it – people just don’t want to listen to news shows on the radio anymore.

Radio Joint Audience Research Limited (RAJAR), a UK audience measurement company, found BBC Radio 4’s Today program has lost 839,000 listeners year-over-year.  Radio 5’s Live Breakfast show has lost 337,000 listeners.  The BBC spun the news, blaming “a quieter news agenda.”  Yet, music and entertainment shows went up.  Absolute’s breakfast show added 306,000 listeners and Kiss Breakfast added 42,000.

Murdered drill rapper admitted the genre incited violence.

Prior to his fatal stabbing on Wednesday, drill rapper Siddique Kamara said in a YouTube video,

“You see with the crime that’s happening right now, music does influence it.  You’ve got to put your hands up and say drill music does influence it.”

Yet, he also revealed drill music merely reflects the reality of young impoverished black Londoners.  Kamara also provided a solution authorities in Britain have failed to implement.

“Knife crime and gun crime has been going on way before drill music … 10 years, 20 years, people were still getting cheffed up [attacked with knives].

“There [are] many ways to solve it – you can bring out youth clubs, you can bring out many other things, invest money in other things to help the community, but you don’t want to do that – you just want to use an excuse with drill music.”

ESNS unveils Europe Talent Awards.

Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS), an annual Dutch dual festival and conference event, has launched the Music Moves Europe Talent Awards.  The new prize, which replaces the European Border Breakers Awards (EBBAs), will celebrate “new and upcoming artists from Europe and support them in order to help them develop and accelerate their international careers.”

Will video contests save Vertigo?

Vertigo, a social music app, has unveiled a new feature to attract users –Make the Video Contest.  The app promises to pay winners cash, exclusive signed merchandise from artists, and ‘fun perks’ each day for submitting their own ‘unique’ music videos.

“Sshhh…don’ tell anyone what I’m listening to.”

According to a study from Play USA, Colorado, California, New York, Washington, and Nevada ranked as the states that most indulge in ‘guilty pleasure’ music.  On Google, listeners searched for cheesy music the most in these states.

Pogoseat announces deal with Ticketmaster.

Pogoseat, a ticketing platform, has announced a partnership with Ticketmaster.  The deal allows Pogoseat to use Ticketmaster’s open ticket platform and use its API to provide additional services in the UK and Europe.

Pink cancels Sydney performance.

Pink has canceled her first of nine performances in Sydney due to a respiratory infection.  The singer would’ve performed on Friday, August 3^rd.  Live Nation will reschedule the performance for a later date.

Pink wrote on Twitter,

“Hi, my Sydney friends.  It’s with great frustration that I bring you this news :(  Friday’s show will be postponed.  I was hoping a couple of days of rest would help me kick this sick, but not at the speed I was hoping for.  I appreciate your well wishes and understanding + I’m sorry.”

BASCA announces Board and Committee election results.

The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors (BASCA) has confirmed Crispin Hunt, Gary Carpenter, Issie Barratt, Mark Ayres, Marc Sylvan, Helienne Lindvall, Paul Hartnoll, William Sweeney, and Rupert Hine will retain their seats on the Board.  Stephen McNeff will return alongside newly-elected members Martyn Ware, Dru Masters, and Orphy Robinson.  BASCA will announce two indie board members at a later date.  The professional association will also move to new offices at ‘The Ministry’ in South London.

Hard Rock makes a key appointment.

Hard Rock International has appointed Ken Blaustein to the newly-created role of Director of Music and Artist Relations.  He’ll oversee music programming, artist and lifestyle partnerships, industry relations, experiential activations, data integrations, and the development of original content offerings.

Eshan Shah Jahan joins Symphonic Distribution.

Symphonic Distribution, a label services and distribution company, has hired Eshan Shah Jahan as Head of Product.  He previously served 11 years at The Orchard, most recently as Senior Vice President of Product Engineering.  Jahan will work in New York.

Spotify’s Andrea Ingham joins BuzzFeed.

Andrea Ingham, Spotify’s former National Director of Sales in Australia and New Zealand, has joined BuzzFeed as the company’s first Vice President of Business Partnerships.  She’ll oversee brand partnerships and legal advertising solutions.

Lionsgate signs with UMPG.

Lionsgate has signed a long-term agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG).  The publisher will represent Lionsgate’s music publishing properties worldwide.  Both companies will also work together to create in-house opportunities by using UMPG’s songwriters and catalog of songs in Lionsgate’s film, television, and digital projects.

Featured image by Pictures of Money (CC by 2.0)

UMG is earning nearly $8 million — a day — from streaming.

Vivendi, Universal Music Group (UMG) parent company, has revealed Universal Music Group’s labels generated $1.44 billion in streaming revenue for the first half of 2018.   That translates into roughly $7.9 million — a day.  UMG labels also generated $447 million from physical formats, down 19.1% year-over-year.  Downloads plummeted 25.9% to $287 million.

SOCAN and SODRAC agree to consolidate.

The Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) has acquired the Society for Reproduction Rights of Authors, Composers, and Publishers in Canada (SODRAC) in a non-monetary deal.  The combined group will license, track, and distribute royalties for both performing and mechanical rights.

Radar Radio reveals millions in losses following its decision to stop broadcasting.

Radar Radio, a London urban station accused of sexual harassment and fostering a toxic work environment, has published its financial accounts for 2017.

The station reported £1.3 million ($1.7 million) in losses.  Radar Radio also has £4 million ($5.3 million) in debt, owed mostly to MASH Holdings Limited.  In addition, the company’s filing reveals over £500,000 ($656,254) in closing costs, with £270,000 ($354,377) in redundancies as well as £230,000 ($301,878) in fees related to the decision to stop broadcasting.  Radar Radio closed down last April following public accusations from DJs Pxssy Palace and Ashtart Al-Hurra, among many others.

Woman assaulted at Foo Fighters concert.

Chicago police have confirmed a man sexually assaulted a 23-year-old woman at a Foo Fighters concert; the woman followed the woman into a port-a-potty.  Police have yet to find the man, described between 40 and 50 years old and about 5’9”.

iHeartRadio flat-out copies a popular Spotify feature.

iHeartRadio has introduced Your Weekly Mixtape.  Refreshed every Monday, and just like Spotify, the feature includes 30 to 75 songs based on the stations and artists users stream.

In an attempt to pass off the Spotify-esque feature as ‘unique,’ Chris Williams, iHeartRadio’s Chief Product Officer, explained users will know and love the songs.

”We want to make sure they’re getting a playlist they can sing along to.”

YouTube makes a strong push for original programming outside the US.

In an attempt to boost subscriber numbers, YouTube will work on original programming for international markets.  The company will develop shows for consumers in France, Germany, Mexico, and Japan.  YouTube has already released original programming targeted at consumers in South Korea and India.  Susanne Daniels, the company’s Global Head of Original Programming, explained the new shows will include music documentaries, reality series, talk shows, and scripted series.

Apple Music doubles down on ‘exclusive’ documentaries, but will it work?

Apple Music will release an exclusive documentary on Kesha next month.  The documentary will focus on the making of her newest album, Rainbow.

DotBlockChain Media signs a deal with Exactuals.

DotBlockchain Media (dotBC), an organization seeking to address the music industry’s data and royalty accounting issues through blockchain, has signed a deal with Exactuals, a payments and metadata company.  dotBC aims to verify metadata intended for input into the blockchain, with Exactuals’ ‘RAI’ helping to validate information or improve on incomplete or deficient data.

Cherry Glazerr details the sexism the group faces in the live concert industry.

American rock band Cherry Glazerr has outlined the sexism the group has faced from stage managers and staff.  In a lengthy post on Facebook, the band wrote,

“The amount of sexism that my band and sound engineer / tour manager face on the road is simply unreal sometimes.  It’s outrageous.  We walk into a venue and people look the other way.  They treat us with open hostility.  They ignore us, call us names.  The amount of names our FOH has been called besides her own name, or at least, “your front of house” is unbelievable – Miss, Missy, “The Lady”, sweetie.  It’s simply disgusting.  We’re ignored, hated.  It feels so awful when the stage manager looks at us and scoffs, looks the other way when we come in through the door.  They ask us what we’re doing here, why are we here?  Who are we?  We’re the band that you hired…”

Sean Paul blames the music industry for Demi Lovato’s relapse.

Jamaican rapper Sean Paul has blamed the music industry for Demi Lovato’s overdose.  Speaking with the Daily Star, he claims drug abuse is rampant among artists, including himself.

“The music industry in itself is very excessive.  We’re always working in studios, performing, traveling, and sometimes you feel you need a break and the break is to go towards things that don’t give you a break.”

Istanbul Jazz Festival celebrates 25 years.

52,000 fans attended the 25^th annual Istanbul Jazz Festival.  450 artists performed in 27 stages around the Turkish capital.

Kylie Minogue, Gareth Malone, and Ella Eyre join BBC Music Day.

The BBC has confirmed Kylie Minogue, Gareth Malone, and Ella Eyre have joined BBC Music Day.  The fourth annual event will take place on September 28^th.

Jermaine Dupri announces brief North American tour.

Jermaine Dupri has announced the So So Def 25^th Anniversary Cultural Curren$y Tour.  Xscape, Jagged Edge, Bow Wow, Anthony Hamilton, Bone Crusher, Youngbloodz, Dem Franchise Boyz, and J-Kwon will join Dupri.  The tour kicks off in Washington DC on October 4^th and wraps up in Los Angeles on November 2^nd.

J. Cole announces guest stars for KOD Tour.

J. Cole has announced Jaden Smith, Earthgang, and Kill Edward will join his upcoming North American KOD Tour.  They join special guest Young Thug.  The tour kicks off in Miami on August 9^th and wraps up in Boston on October 10^th.

Andrea Ingham exits Spotify.

Andrea Ingham, Spotify Australia and New Zealand’s National Sales Director, has left the company.  She had joined the company in 2015 to lead its local sales division.  At Spotify, Ingham had driven ad sales revenue and strategy.  She most recently led the launch of Spotify House, which identifies key consumer listening habits through the company’s streaming intelligence services.

Jay Brown joins MedMen’s Board.

Roc Nation co-founder and CEO Jay Brown has joined MedMen Enterprise’s Board of Directors.  The twenty-year music veteran joins Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Melissa Etheridge, and Damian Marley in promoting the cannabis company.

Paradigm announces two key promotions.

Paradigm Talent Agency has promoted Kristin O’Neill and Nate Sokolski as music agents.  Both will be based out of Beverly Hills.  Paradigm promoted seven staffers as agents last month – Joshua Finn, Q’Marth Ghaemi, Mary Izzo, Jake Atterman, Jeff Mangialardi, Hilary Jacobs, and Ethan Neale.

Sam Mehran passes away.

Sam Mehran, member of short-lived English band Test Icicles, has passed away.  He was 31.  Zak Mering, Head of GunkTV, Test Icicles’ label, wrote,

“RIP Sam Mehran.  You will be sorely missed and loved by many forever.  The most talented musician I’ve ever had the pleasure of being close friends with.  I know you’re in a better place, brother.  You will not be forgotten”.

Ray Cooper passes away.

Ray Cooper, former Co-President of Virgin Records America, has passed away.  He was 69.  Cooper is credited with the success of the Spice Girls and U2, among others.

Featured image by Pictures of Money (CC by 2.0)

Eventbrite prepares to go public.

Ticketing company Eventbrite has quietly filed an IPO with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to go public later this year.  Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase will lead the venture.  The news comes after Eventbrite announced a partnership with Mega Events, a UK company behind the Pizza & Prosecco Festival and The Great British Gin Festival.

Did Tekashi 6ix9ine fake his own kidnapping and robbery?

Over the weekend, New York rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine was allegedly kidnapped, pistol-whipped, and robbed of $750,000 worth of jewelry and $15—20,000 in cash.  Yet, new reports have emerged the rapper may have staged the crime to promote his newest album.  Specifically, people have scrutinized his short hospitalization and lack of witnesses.  MOZART, an influential music producer and founder of the @BLKMRKTMovement, tweeted,

“Does anybody really believe this Tekashi69 story about him being kidnapped and robbed?  He’s doing all this to promote his mediocre ‘FEFE’ record.  I can’t believe these people are falling for this.”

Drake earns over $1 billion on streaming services.  Just don’t look at the physical sales, though…

Between Apple Music and Spotify, Drake has generated over $1 billion in streams.  The Canadian rapper now has over 10 billion streams on Apple Music, the first artist to achieve this record on the platform.  On Spotify, Drake has more than 13 billion streams.

Yet, Scorpion, the rapper’s latest album, barely sold over 29,000 physical copies.  This marks the lowest sales figure since 1991.

Congress passes the Pirate Act.

The US House of Representatives has unanimously passed H.R. 5709, the Preventing Illegal Use of Radio Through Enforcement Act, better known as the Pirate Act.  The bill increases fines for illegal pirate operations to $100,000 per day per violation, up from $10,000 per violation.  Along with streamlining the FCC’s enforcement process, states and local law enforcement will now have more power to combat illegal pirate operations.

eBay shares fall thanks to StubHub.

eBay’s stock has fallen 10% after the company revealed StubHub’s growth had slowed to $246 million.  Company executives pinned the blame on a dismal sports season in the US.  CEO Devin Wenig said,

“It was a historically bad MLB (baseball) start of the season … and it was a 4-game NBA (basketball) series, it was a 5-game Final Series, it was a 5-game hockey series.  There were just a lot of things that broke the wrong way on the landscape.”

Financial analysts expect StubHub’s growth to “remain challenging in the near term.”

Festicket partners with Spotify.

Spotify has integrated with Festicket, a UK-based online booking platform.  Through ‘Festival Finder,’ users can connect their Spotify accounts to Festicket after logging in.  The new feature will allow users to discover upcoming festivals that match their music tastes.

How much content do YOU watch on YouTube every day?

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has revealed that over 1.9 billion users log into YouTube each month.  They also watch over 180 million hours of video content on their televisions each day.  The company also reported viewer interactions – including likes, comments, and chats – grew 60% year-over-year, and live streaming watch time has increased by ten times over the past three years.

Huawei rolls out a music streaming service in the Middle East.

Chinese multinational conglomerate Huawei has launched its new music streaming service across five markets in the Middle East – UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan.  Huawei Music Service has partnered with Rotana, an Arabic music content provider, to offer music from local singers.  The company has also partnered with local and international content providers to offer more regional and international music in the coming months.

Say hello to National Album Day.

The British music industry has unveiled National Album Day.  Labels, artists, and retailers will promote the LP format in hopes it can become an annual event similar to Record Store Day.  National Album Day will take place on October 13^th.  Speaking about the event, Paloma Faith, the event’s ambassador, said,

“The way we engage with music may be changing, but for me, the album remains the ultimate expression of the songwriter’s craft.”

Offset arrested in Georgia.

Authorities in Georgia arrested Offset, member of rap trio Migos, on charges of gun possession by a convicted felon.  Officers pulled his vehicle over after an improper lane change.  They discovered less than an ounce of marijuana and more than $107,000 in cash.  Authorities also arrested his bodyguard, Senay Gezahgn.  Offset has since posted bail.

Who’s really following you on Instagram?

Ghost Data, a research firm, has found 9.5% of Instagram users may be bots, up 2.6% over a similar study published three years ago.  News site ZeroHedge explained,

“Ghost Data reached their conclusion after buying 20,000 bots to analyze their behavior.  The firm then matched said behavior with around 1 million accounts, and found that they were very active among the followers of popular Instagram accounts.  When they did post content, they were usually photos of models that were found on other websites.”

Farewell, Record Bird.  We hardly knew thee.

Record Bird will shut down tomorrow.  The notification app scanned users’ Apple Music and Spotify listening habits, notifying them when their favorite artists released new music.

David Bowie studio recording found in a ‘bread bin.’

The earliest David Bowie recording studio will likely fetch over $13,000 at an auction later this year.  The cassette tape features the singer – then 16 – with The Konrads.  Former band drummer David Hadfield found the recording in a bread bin, keeping its existence hidden until today’s auction listing.

BookMyShow raises $100 million more in funding.

Indian’s largest ticket seller BookMyShow has closed a $100 million Series D round of funding.  The company has now raised $224.5 million since it opened in 2007.  Investment fund TPG Growth, which recently invested in China’s Moretickets platform, led the funding round.

Maybe naming your band after a terrible bowel movement wasn’t such a good idea.

Diarrhea Planet, a 6-member Nashville garage punk band, has confirmed that after eight years, it will split up.  The group will give two final performances on September 7^th and 8^th at Nashville rock club Exit/In.  On social media, the group wrote,

“It’s with a heavy heart we announce our final shows.  We’ve had an incredible run largely thanks to all of you incredible people, but we’ve decided to bring it to a close.  It has truly been amazing to share our music with y’all onstage and off.”

Bryan K. Adams assaults fellow band member on stage.

Authorities in New York arrested Color Me Badd’s Bryan K. Adams for assaulting a bandmate on stage.  After Mark Calderon finished ‘I Wanna Sex You Up,’ Adams shoved him.  Calderon hit sound equipment during the fall, and was taken to Geneva General Hospital for neck and back pain.  Adams was reportedly upset over the way Calderon sang.

Avenged Sevenfold cancels performances following throat infection.

Avenged Sevenfold has canceled the remainder of its End of the World Tour.  A doctor has ordered the band’s frontman, M Shadows, to rest following a severe vocal infection.  Avenged Sevenfold had 22 remaining performances in the US.

Guns N’ Roses set new attendance record.

Guns N’ Roses have broken the attendance record at Sweden’s Ullevi Stadium with 64,289 in attendance.  Metallica previously set the record with 63,036.

Maxwell announces new tour.

R&B singer/songwriter Maxwell has announced the North American 50 Intimate Nights Live Tour.  The aptly named 50-stop tour kicks off in Richmond on September 27^th and wraps up December 9^th in New York.

Chris Stapleton and Don Henley join VetsAid.

The second annual VetsAid benefit concert had added country artist Chris Stapleton and Eagles’ Don Henley as headliners.  They join all-girl punk band group Haim, singer/songwriter James Taylor, and founder Joe Walsh.

The Blaze announced as 2018 ‘Deezer Next’ priority act.

French streaming music service Deezer has named The Blaze, an emerging dance and electronic duo, as its next global priority act.  The French duo joins other up-and-coming global acts, including Brent Cowles (US), Angele (France), HAEVEN (The Netherlands), Muzi (South Africa), Bianca Blanc (South Africa), Greeicy (Latin America), and Aman Ra (Singapore/Malaysia).

Steve Marsh named CFO of Wisconsin Center District.

The Wisconsin Center District has named Steve Marsh Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.  He’ll oversee the Milwaukee’s Miller High Life Theatre, UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, and Wisconsin Center.

Featured image by htmvalerio (CC by 2.0)

BMI’s new Senior Vice President of Creative, Alex Flores

Sting will star in his own musical.

Mirvish Productions, a Canadian theatrical production company, has announced Sting will star in the Canadian premiere of his musical, The Last Ship.  Based on the singer’s 1991 album The Soul Cages, the musical tells the story of a small town’s struggle for survival amidst the decline of the shipbuilding industry.

Still no answers about Radiohead’s fatal 2012 stage collapse.

Radiohead will perform at Toronto six years after the band’s drum technician, Scott Johnson, passed away following a stage collapse at Downsview Park.  In an interview with BBC Newsnight, Radiohead’s drummer, Philip Selway, expressed his frustration over a court case’s indefinite delay.

“It’s very frustrating.  The court case broke down on a technicality.  So there have been no real answers.  Without the answers we can’t ensure that an accident like this can’t happen again.”

Jay-Z slams Philadelphia’s mayor for changing his music festival’s location.

Jay-Z has lambasted Philadelphia’s mayor Jim Kenney for moving the location of his music festival, Made in America.  Writing for the Philadelphia Inquirer, he wrote,

“Our question is: how do you think that tourism grew, Mayor Kenney?  We are disappointed that the mayor would evict us from the heart of the city, through a media outlet, without a sit-down meeting, notice, dialogue or proper communication.”

Kenney pointed to an ‘unfortunate misunderstanding’.

The IFPI praises EU-Japan trade deal.

The IFPI has issued a statement welcoming the recent European Union-Japan bilateral free trade agreement.  The deal will “eliminate nearly all tariffs on products traded between Japan and the EU.”  According to IFPI CEO Francis Moore, the free trade agreement will support the continued growth of both music markets.  It will also promote investment in culture in both regions.

“The agreement extends the term of protection for sound recordings in Japan to match the duration of protection in the EU.  This is a mark of fairness as recording artists and producers should be protected equally well in both regions.”

Can blockchain beat ticket scalpers?

Former StubHub employees have unveiled Tracer, a blockchain-based solution to beat ticket scalpers.  The company enables artists and promoters to track the ticket’s journey and decide whether they can be resold in the secondary ticket market as well as what happens to the profits.  Tracer investors include LCD SoundSystem’s James Murphy, major record executives, managers, music industry insiders, and Pillar – a Boston-based venture capital firm.

Cat Stevens inks a broad-ranging deal with BMG.

Cat Stevens — aka Yusuf Islam — has inked an umbrella administrative agreement with BMG.  In addition to a 50-year song catalog, the deal also encompasses a feature documentary and other audio-visual and literary content.  Stevens is credited with more than 60 million album sales; he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

Japanese lyrics animator Cotodama joins Abbey Road Red.

Japanese firm Cotodama has joined Abbey Road Red, a UK music startup incubator.  The company will work with the incubator at Abbey Road Studios in London.  Cotodama develops software to create visuals based on a song’s lyrics.  Its Expression Engine algorithm uses song structure and mood data to animate lyrics.

Music Canada Live welcomes newly appointed Canadian Cultural Minister.

Justin Trudeau, Canada’s Prime Minister, has named Pablo Rodriguez as Minister of Heritage and Multicultiralism, replacing Mélanie Joly.  Music Canada Live has issued a statement welcoming the appointment.  The association looks forward to working with Rodriguez to reinforce the Canadian live music industry’s economic, cultural, and social impacts and contributions.

Scottish Events Campus reports profit growth.

Scottish Events Campus Limited, Glasglow-based venue operator, has released its financial report.  Turnover increased 1% to £29.1 million ($37.8 million).  EBITDA increased 11% to £3.8 million ($4.9 million).  Operating Profit increased by 19% to £1.3 million ($1.7 million).

Phil Rudd Band’s promotion company owes European concert promoters a lot of money.

Wave 365 Media, a UK marketing and promotion company that works closely with former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd, reportedly owes several European promoters tens of thousands of euros.  Led by Chairman/President Alan Bellman, Wave 365 Media hasn’t returned deposits to promoters after the Phil Rudd Band canceled several performances across the continent.  In Spain alone, one concert promoter told IQ Mag the company holds €20,000 ($23,200) in non-refunded deposits from canceled performances there.

AEG acquires Firefly Music Festival.

AEG has bought Red Frog Events’ majority stake in Firefly Music Festival.  Stephanie Mezzano, previously President of Operations at Red Frog Events, has joined AEG Presents.

Shawn Mendes will headline Rolling Stone ‘revival’ concert.

Shawn Mendes will headline Rolling Stone’s relaunch attempt concert.  Five hundred music industry insiders, influencers, and a select group of fans will attend the event presented by YouTube Music.

Google unveils more YouTube Music features.

Google has announced several new features for its YouTube Music app, including better audio quality support, Sonos support, Android Auto support, SD card support for Android, and more shuffle vs. play-in-order options for playlists.

YouTube quietly rolls out hashtag search options.

YouTube has unveiled hashtags above videos that have them in their descriptions.  The popular video platform will display the first three hashtags right above the title.  Clicking on them will open a YouTube search showing videos with the same tags.

STAR appoints Richard Brundle as Chairman.

The Society of Ticketing Agents and Retailers (STAR) has appointed Richard Brundle as Chairman.  He had previously worked as Managing Director of Edwards and Edwards, a ticketing agency.

LME announces two promotions and a new hire.

Logan Media Entertainment (LME), a UK-based music company, has promoted René Renner and Vikki Josephs to joint Managing Directors.  They will oversee LME’s management, label, and publishing divisions.  The company has also hired Sam Mumford as Head of A&R who will work across all creative areas.

BMI makes key appointment.

BMI has named Alex Flores as Senior Vice President of Creative.  Based in Los Angeles, she’ll report to Mike Steinberg, Executive Vice President of Creative and Licensing.

Featured image by BMI.

Ed Vill (CC by 2.0)

Guns N’ Roses’ “November Rain” makes YouTube history with one billion views… decades later.

Guns N’ Roses’ “November Rain” came out in 1991, 14 years before YouTube launched. The nine-minute video has made YouTube history by not only breaking the one billion views mark, but being the oldest video to do so.

In 2017, Guns N’ Roses toured South America. This tour garnered a lot of attention, ultimately driving fans to watch the music video. According to YouTube, 83% of the “November Rain” views in 2018 came from outside the United States. Brazil has brought in 69 million views and Mexico has brought in 66 million.

In addition to the YouTube landmark for “November Rain,” Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine” is nearing 700 million YouTube views, making it the most-viewed music video of the 80s.

There are a few videos that have shattered the one billion views mark on YouTube.

There are currently 46 other music videos that have broken the one billion views mark. But unlike “November Rain,” they have all been released in the past decade.

It’s not easy to break one billion streams, though it’s becoming more common these days. PSY’s infamous “Gangnam Style” became the first artist to break one billion views, which forced YouTube change their view counter after the video hit 2,147,483,647.

Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s “See You Again” took over a few years after.  The most recent billion-plus record-smasher was Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito.” Justin Bieber, Calvin Harris, The Chainsmokers, Drake, Adele, and Fifth Harmony are among the other artists in the “Billion View Club.”

If you’re looking to get into this difficult group, then you’ll have to look past the barriers. According to Business Insider, “More and more today it seems if you want a viral hit, you’re going to have to reach beyond your immediate culture.” The aforementioned hits have proven that.

YouTube doesn’t have a great reputation with the music industry or its own content creator community.

From tragically low payouts to harsher demonetization policies aimed at ensuring creators earn less cash, it seems Google’s popular video platform has done everything to alienate artists and the content creator community.

Now, one platform claims to have the solution.  And, it has the funds to take on YouTube.

‘Portal’ has an interesting idea.  Instead of using ads to generate revenue, the audio and video sharing platform wants artists and content creators to rely on person-to-person donations.

People who use the Portal app can purchase in-app currency, or ‘coins.’  $0.99 will net you 100 coins, $4.99 nets 500 coins, $9.99 translates into 1,000 coins, and so on.  Users can then donate coins to their favorite creators and artists.

The Patreon-esque idea is designed to deliver artists fair pay for their work.  In fact, several musicians form part of Portal’s team, including indie artists like Chance the Rapper.  Andy Schuon, former Chief Digital Officer of Live Nation, also serves as an advisor.

Of course, I don’t personally endorse the platform.  I haven’t even used it.  But, Portal’s direct donations model provides a promising contrast to YouTube’s failed ad model.

Frustrated creators and artists on Google’s video platform slave for hours to create new content just to earn around $0.0007 per view.  When only 3.5% of YouTube’s community earns just enough to surpass the US minimum monthly wage ($1,472), you know the company has a serious problem.

Google – which recently removed its ‘Don’t be evil’ motto – doesn’t allow direct monetization on YouTube.  In fact, the site purposefully made it more difficult for content creators to earn cash.  For a new channel to finally make money from their content, it will need at least 1,000 subscribers or 4,000 total viewing hours.

Oh, and don’t even think about linking to your Patreon page to sell merchandise or receive donations.  You’ll first have to cross that lofty milestone.

Portal’s anti-ad model could keep content creators safe from ‘Adpocalypse.’

YouTube has faced significant setbacks in the past year-and-a half thanks to two major controversies dubbed ‘Adpocalypse.’

First, the video platform was found to be monetizing terrorist and hate-filled videos.  Ads from Johnson & Johnson, The Royal Navy, and Verizon – among many other companies – ran before videos promoting anti-Semitism and terrorism.

Then, YouTube failed to take down predatory comments in videos featuring young children.  The company had also kept sexual predator accounts active.

Many advertisers immediately pulled their funding from YouTube.  The company, of course, passed the buck to artists and its creator community, rolling out harsher demonetization policies.  In the end, Google didn’t lose much from ‘Adpocalypse’ – musicians and creators did.

So, how can Portal keep itself safe from similar controversies?  Simple.  The audio and video platform’s donations model helps it avoid monetization issues.  So, don’t expect creators to lose out for uploading ‘controversial’ content, like conservative right-wing and LGBTQ issues.

No ads also means the company won’t have to data-mine, so don’t expect a Facebook/Cambridge Analytica problem.  Plus, content creators and artists on Portal don’t have to focus on individual stream counts.  The donations model ensures that only the best, original content (basically, what people want to hear and watch) will thrive.

But, can Portal truly take on YouTube?

I’ll be honest – maybe.

According to co-founder Jonathan Swerdlin, creators who joined Portal have earned “100 times what they’d make” on YouTube.  It has also recently exited beta.  So, that’s a good start.

Plus, the audio and video sharing platform has the backing of billionaire Mark Cuban.  Mass Lab – the company behind Portal – recently raised $1.7 million in its first-ever funding round.  And, an impressive 4.9 rating on the App Store doesn’t hurt.  Finally, artists and creators can easily link their existing Patreon accounts on the app without having to pass any kind of viewing milestone.

Yet, one key question remains.  Mass Lab doesn’t make any revenue off the app.  How exactly will the company remain viable in the future?  The company may reportedly take a small fee on payments later on.  Yet, will this be enough to keep content creators around?  Without any advertisements from major companies, how does Portal expect to gain recognition on a global scale?  Just from word of mouth?

No word yet, unfortunately.  We’ll just have to wait and see.

Could SiriusXM buy out Live Nation?

Live Nation’s stock has recovered following a New York Times exposé last April that sent shares plummeting.  Financial analysts have also posited the idea of SiriusXM buying out Live Nation, sending the company’s stock soaring 14%.  Citi analyst Jason Bazinet said the buyout would create a “vertically-integrated music titan” with “several strategic benefits.”  These include cross-promotion, data sharing, and customer activations.  Live Nation shares opened today at $50.18.

YouTube spends $25 million to combat fake news.

YouTube has announced it has invested $25 million to promote ‘authorative’ journalism.  The video platform will promote videos from vetted news sources.  YouTube will provide funding in 20 global markets to support legitimate news organizations in “building sustainable video operations.”

How many Sonos speakers do YOU own?

Sonos’ S-1 filing has revealed the total number of registered Sonos speakers.  Consumers in 6.9 million households in the US own 19 million Sonos speakers – about 2.7 per household on average.  Over half of Sonos-owning households have more than one device.  A fourth own more than three devices.  Only 39% of consumers in the US purchased a single speaker.

Sean Combs criticizes the music industry’s lack of investment in “black enterprise.”

In an interview with Variety, Sean Combs has lambasted the music industry for allegedly “making so much money off [black] culture.”  Speaking about his personal motivation to help black artists and executives, Combs said,

“For all the billions of dollars that these black executives have been able to make them, [there’s still hesitation] to put them in the top-level positions.  They’ll go and they’ll recruit cats from overseas.  It makes sense to give [executives of color] a chance and embrace the evolution, instead of it being that we can only make it to president, senior VP… There’s no black CEO of a major record company.  That’s just as bad as the fact that there are no [black] majority owners in the NFL.  That’s what really motivates me.”

Garth Brooks announces stop at Notre Dame Stadium.

Garth Brooks has announced he will become the first artist to perform at Notre Dame Stadium.  He didn’t announce a date for his performance at the outdoor football stadium.  Brooks will reportedly coordinate with the school’s football schedule.

Ariana Grande will headline Amazon’s Prime Day Concert.

Amazon has announced Ariana Grande will headline the Amazon Music Unboxing Prime Day Concert.  Held in New York on July 11^th, the company will stream the event globally on its website.  Grande joins previously announced artists Kelsea Ballerini, Alessia Cara, and Julia Michaels.

f(x)’s Amber Liu signs with Steel Wool Entertainment.

K-Pop star Amber Liu has signed with Steel Wool Entertainment.  The f(x) member had told Forbes she had wanted to pursue a career in the US.

Downtown signs deal with Booker T. Jones.

Downtown Music Publishing has signed a deal to acquire Booker T. Jones’ catalog.  The music publisher will also represent the multi-instrumentalist’s works in the future.

Deezer launches HiFi on Google Assistant.

Deezer has launched its HiFi service on Google Assistant.  The company has launched the service in the US, Canada, Italy, and Australia.

Sony/ATV announces two key promotions.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing has promoted Danielle Middleton and Sam Reas to the role of Manager of A&R.  Based in the company’s New York office, both will report to Rich Christina, Senior Vice President and Head of East Coast A&R.

Rogers & Cowan poaches Chris Monaco from LiveStyle.

Rogers & Cowan, a global marketing and public relations agency, has named Chris Monaco as Managing Director.  He recently served as Chief Revenue Officer of Global Partnerships for LiveStyle, an EDM live events conglomerate.  Monaco will oversee Rogers & Cowan’s international business unit.  He will report directly to CEO Mark Owens.

Family reveals why Richard Swift passed away.

Richard Swift’s family has revealed that the multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter died from alcohol addiction.  A Facebook post reads,

“Yes, Richard Swift suffered from alcohol addiction, and it’s ultimately what took his life.  With the support of family and friends and the assistance of MusiCares, Richard had checked himself into rehab for multiple stays over the past two years, but his body gave out before he could overcome the disease.”

Featured image by Michael J (CC by 2.0)

Looks like YouTube’s Content ID could still use some work.  So could the company.

This all started two years ago, when Paul Davids shared his latest track on YouTube.  The Dutch guitarist doesn’t have millions of followers, though he does have a subscriber base of about 625,000.  Davids also loves teaching people how to play the guitar on his channel.

One day, after uploading his track, YouTube got in contact with Davids.  He had apparently infringed on another YouTuber’s track.

But, here’s the thing – Davids was actually ‘stealing’ his own song that someone else had stolen.

Right after uploading his track, another YouTuber uploaded the same song, but with vocals and guitar added.

The video platform immediately claimed Davids – not the other YouTuber – stole the work.  So, YouTube demonetized the Dutch guitarist’s original track.

Speaking with the BBC, Davids explained,

“Someone took my track, added vocals and guitar to make their own track, and uploaded it to YouTube, but I got the copyright infringement notice!”

YouTube regrettably didn’t help much.  So, Davids went in search of the offender.  After a short conversation on Facebook, where the Dutch guitarist flat-out accused the person of copying the work, the other YouTuber merely replied,

“That’s quite odd since I wrote and recorded it.”

YouTube has yet to issue a statement addressing the problem.

The case of YouTube’s imperfect Content ID system.

In an attempt to appease copyright holders, Google installed a ‘digital fingerprinting’ system in 2007. Dubbed Content ID, the system would automatically scan user-generated content on the video platform to identify and take down infringing works.

Yet, Content ID is far from perfect.

In 2015, Mitch Martinez, a video creator, licensed stock footage to Sony Music Entertainment.  SME then filed a claim against Martinez’ video on YouTube after the label uploaded a music video featuring Martinez’s work.  After a lengthy dispute, Sony Music and Epic Records dropped the copyright infringement claim.

Eight years ago, YouTube prevented Justin Bieber from uploading his new song.  Someone had apparently uploaded ‘Pray’ first.  The video platform eventually corrected the issue, but not before blaming Bieber’s label first.  On Twitter, the company tweeted,

“@justinbieber sorry about the upload pain around ‘Pray.’  That’s between you and your label but we love you [both] so let’s figure this out!”

Davids, unfortunately, didn’t receive the same ‘love.’  But he ultimately decided to let the copycat keep using his track.  Lamenting YouTube’s poor payouts and lack of help, the Dutch guitarist said,

“It’s not like he will make tons of money with it.  It’s OK.  It probably happens all the time.”

You can check out Davids’ story for yourself below.

Featured image by Paul Davids (YouTube screengrab)

Fewer young people are pirating content.

According to a new report from the UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO), piracy has dropped 7% among 16-to-24-year-olds since 2015.  Over half now subscribe to an online video service, including Netflix and Amazon Prime.  The report also reveals the UK has a lower overall copyright infringement rate (25%) than Canada (26%) and Australia (38%).

Nope, YouTube still isn’t safe, says Sky.

Eighteen months after it had pulled its advertising from YouTube, Sky has yet to return to the platform.  At the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers’ (ISBA) annual luncheon, CEO Stephen van Rooyen lambasted Google’s ‘cleanup’ efforts.

“We only put money where we understand how it’s being spent.  The debate around YouTube is no longer a debate; we will not go onto YouTube when there’s just not the level of brand safety that we need.

The company had pulled advertising from the platform after The Times revealed YouTube monetized terrorist and hate-filled videos.  The Times, along with the BBC, would later find the popular online video platform failed to adequately stop predatory comments on videos featuring young children.

Even more trouble for Tana Mongeau.

Popular YouTuber Tana Mongeau has come under fire once more for her ill-fated convention TanaCon.  A new video interview with the star has revealed she had purposefully planned for long lines at the first-annual event.  When told about the possibility of overcrowding prior to the event’s start, Mongeau said,

“It would be really, really cool to have people, like, outside waiting to get in.”

She then added, “People love to feel oppressed outside.”  The move to keep fans waiting ultimately led to some attendees fainting due to the long wait and intense heat.  Mongeau has since backtracked, calling her statements a “joke.”

Stony Plains signs admin deal with Linus Entertainment.

Stony Plain Records, a Canadian indie roots label, has signed an administration rights deal with Stony Plans Rights, a division of distributor Linus Entertainment.  The deal covers the label’s catalog of roots and blues music spanning over thirty years.

James Mtume sues Sony Music for rights over his works.

Soul musician James Mtume has sued Sony Music to reclaim the rights to works he created between 1978 and 1983.  These include ‘Juicy Fruit’ and ‘Just Funnin’.”  A rep for Sony Music had no comment.

Ozzy Osbourne’s lawyers fight back against AEG’s motion to dismiss anti-trust suit.

Lawyers for Ozzy Osbourne have called AEG’s recent motion to dismiss his anti-trust lawsuit “baseless on the facts and law alike.”  In a rebuttal to the motion, Dan Wall, Osbourne’s lawyer, wrote,

“Factually, AEG misrepresents its own practices with respect to the tying requirement it enforces.  The formal venue hire agreement for the O2 referenced in the Staples Center Commitment unambiguously requires the promoter to ensure that the artist plays Staples when in Los Angeles.”

Osbourne had sued AEG earlier this year after the promoter blocked Osbourne from performing at the O2 Arena after refusing to first perform at the Staples Center.

Netflix announces romantic musical drama.

Netflix will produce a new series about music called Mixtape.  The company has described the show as “a romantic musical drama that looks at the love stories connecting a diverse, disparate group of people in contemporary Los Angeles through the music that lives inside their hearts and minds.”  Director Jesse Peretz will helm the pilot.  Callie Hernandez will play a lead character.

Everything Is Love CD drops on June 6^th.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z have announced a physical release of their digital-only album, Everything Is Love.  The album will drop at retailers on Friday, June 6^th.

Montreal International Jazz Festival cancels ‘SLAV’ shows.

Amidst widespread criticism, the Montreal International Jazz Festival has canceled its remaining presentations of controversial ‘SLAV’ performances.  The shows had cast white singers as black slaves.  The move comes a day after Moses Sumney, a US musician, canceled a gig at the jazz festival in protest.  75 protestors had also staged a demonstration outside the theatre hosting the performance.  In a statement, a spokesperson for the festival said,

“For the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, inclusion and reconciliation between communities is essential.  We made the decision with the artist Betty Bonifassi to cancel all performances of the show at the festival.”

Sticky Fingers removed from This That festival.

This That festival organizers have removed Australian indie rock band Sticky Fingers as headliners.  A Sydney pub had ejected the band’s frontman following a verbal altercation with a transgender model in May.  A spokesperson said the decision came after “long discussions.”

“Sticky Fingers agreed with This That from the start that if their inclusion began to impact negatively on the other artists performing and our Newcastle and wider communities, that it would be best if they refrain from performing.  That’s the decision we have both taken today.”

Ticket Summit moves to Caesars Palace.

Ticket Summit, a conference and trade show for ticketing and live entertainment professionals, has moved to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.  The three-day conference kicks off on Monday, July 16^th.  This year’s event will feature two keynote panels – Worldwide Trends in Live Events and The Ticketing Industry.  Last year’s event was held at The Venetian.

Ontario government suspends provision capping secondary ticket prices.

The Ontario government has removed a provision in its anti-scalping law that kept a ceiling price on scalped tickets.  The Office of Premier Doug Ford confirmed that his government suspended the portion of the law that capped resold tickets to 50% of face value.  A spokesperson for Ford said in a statement,

“The previous government attempted to institute a cap on ticket resales with no way to enforce that cap, resulting in less consumer protection.  We have paused the implementation of this section until we can review this provision in full to make sure it is in the best interest of Ontarians.”

New Zealand court finds Kim Dotcom can be extradited to the US.

New Zealand’s Court of Appeals has ruled the US can extradite MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom and three former colleagues to face charges of copyright crimes.  Charges against the beleaguered founder include fraud and willful copyright infringement.  Dotcom has now appealed to New Zealand’s Supreme Court.

Idris Elba launches 7Wallace Music.

Actor Idris Elba has launched his own record label.  Dubbed 7Wallace Music, the label has already signed its first client – French hip-hop artist James BKS.

Peermusic acquires Accorder Music Publishing.

Peermusic has acquired Accorder Music Publishing, a UK-based indie film and TV publisher.  Terms of the deal were not disclosed.  Accorder Music has represented a roster of composers for shows including Great British Bake Off, River Monsters, The Great American Read, and Teletubbies, among others.

Paul McCartney unveils first four stops of his world tour.

Paul McCartney has announced the first round of dates for his upcoming Freshen Up World Tour.  The tour kicks off on September 17^th in Quebec City.  Tickets go on sale July 13^th.

Islander’s backstage antics end in band’s removal from Vans Warped Tour.

The Vans Warped Tour has removed Islander, a nu metal band, from the tour.  The decision came after the group’s frontman, Mikey Carvajal, damaged a backline drum kit during a performance.

In a video statement, Carvajal told fans,

“We just wanted to say to anybody that planned to come out and hang out with us at Vans Warped Tour, we’re not going to be able to be there unfortunately because we goofed up today.  During the last song of our set, I dove into the drum kit, just some of that punk rock energy that I’ve got just ran through my veins, and I didn’t even think about the fact that we were using a backline kit that didn’t belong to us.  I ended up putting a dent in one of the floor toms, so we’ve been asked to be removed from Warped Tour.”

Dean Webb passes away.

Dean Webb, a popular bluegrass mandolin player, has passed away.  He was 81.  Webb formed The Dillards in 1962 and bluegrass band Missouri Boatride in 2009.  He also appeared on The Andy Griffith Show.

Tina Turner’s eldest son passes away.

Tina Turner’s eldest son, Craig Turner, has reportedly passed away following a suicide attempt.  He was 59.  Turner had worked as a real estate agent in the San Fernando Valley.

Featured image by Pascal (CC by 2.0)

Google has narrowly escaped direct content licensing and major infringement penalties.  And YouTube’s ‘value gap’ remains a thing.  But are the Copyright Directive and Article 13 dead forever?

The European Parliament has voted against the ‘Directive on Copyright in the Digital Services Market.’  The bill, which includes the controversial ‘Article 13’ provision, would’ve forced online platforms, including YouTube and Facebook, to install filters to ensure user-generated content didn’t infringe on existing copyrights.

With 278 in favor of the bill, 318 against, and 31 abstentions, members of European Parliament (MEPs) rejected the Legal Affairs Committee’s decision to approve the draft law.

The Copyright Directive had sparked an intense battle between content creators and owners and tech giants.

Critics, which included Wikipedia, Google, net neutrality experts and internet pioneers, claimed the Copyright Directive would’ve turned the internet from an “open platform for sharing and innovation into a tool for the automated surveillance and control of its users”.

The bill’s supporters, which included music industry executives, said the Copyright Directive would’ve ensured fair payments for content creators and owners for their work online.  Michael Dugher, Head of UK Music, downplayed the censorship claims, calling them “desperate and dishonest.”

The music industry had specifically lobbied for a key provision in the Copyright Directive – Article 13.

If approved, YouTube would have to seek direct licenses for content including music videos.  The law would’ve allowed artists and labels to negotiate better royalty payments for their work.  Google had reportedly spent over $36 million to ensure the bill’s failure.

According to Google, YouTube already pays the music industry billions in royalty payments.  The video platform’s Head of Music, Lyor Cohen, has claimed YouTube pays a $3 CPM.

Cohen has also vehemently denied the existence of the site’s value gap.  Yet, according to The Guardian, artists receive just 67 cents per user in royalty payments.  Last year, an independent research firm found Spotify pays $1.39 per user.  Napster pays around $7.78 per user and TIDAL $6.67.  Keep in mind that YouTube has over 1.3 billion users.  So much for Cohen’s claims.

So, what happens now?

The legislation remains on hold following today’s vote.  The European Parliament will debate amendments to the bill in September.  This gives lawmakers time to discuss and refine the proposed copyright reforms.

In a statement immediately following the bill’s defeat, Alex Voss, a German MEP who had advocated for the Copyright Directive, said,

“I regret that a majority of MEPs did not support the position which I and the Legal Affairs Committee have been advocating.  But this is part of the democratic process.  We will now return to the matter in September for further consideration and attempt to address peoples’ concerns whilst bringing our copyright rules up to date with the modern digital environment.”

Expressing his disappointment, Jean Michel Jarre, President of CISAC, lamented,

“It is incredibly disappointing that, having been ferociously lobbied by opponents using false arguments, the European Parliament has stopped short of supporting the fair rights of creators.”

Pinning the blame solely on Google’s lobbying efforts, Michael Dugher wrote,

“It is desperately disappointing that a small majority of MEPs have backed Google’s shabby multi-million euro campaign of fake news and misinformation against creators.”

It remains unclear whether European lawmakers will ultimately scuttle Article 13 in their discussions in September.  Some in the music industry won’t give up on the bill, however.

Speaking on his commitment to see the bill pass in September, Geoff Taylor, CEO of BPI, said,

“We respect the decision by MEPs to have a plenary discussion on the draft Copyright Directive.  We will work with MEPs over the next weeks to explain how the proposed Directive will benefit not just European creativity, but also internet users and the technology sector.”

Several weeks ago, the European Union Legal Affairs Committee ruled on a controversial measure.  Dubbed Article 13, internet tech giants – including Facebook, Google, Microsoft – would have to install “effective technologies” to ensure content creators, artists, and authors receive fair pay for their work online.  The committee approved the initiative.  It heads to the European Parliament for a vote.

Now, the search giant wants to do everything in its power to bury the initiative.  And, it has the funds to do so.

According to UK Music, Google has spent over €31 million ($36 million) on lobbying European Union members against Article 13.

The European Union’s Lobbying Transparency Register has confirmed that in 2016 alone, the search giant spent €5.5 million ($6.5 million) to “try and influence policy decisions.”  Google paid eight consultancy firms, including McLarty Associates, MUST & Partners, and MKC Communications.  14 Google staff members have also worked on EU policies.

Google’s lobbying initiative hasn’t stopped there.  The company has also lobbied the European Parliament through 24 other organizations, including OpenForum Europe.  According to Michael Dugher, head of UK Music, the 24 organizations have spent €25 million ($29 million) to lobby EU member countries.

But, why does Google fear Article 13?

Simple.

Under the ‘Directive on Copyright in the Digital Services Market’ (Article 11 for journalists along with Article 13 for the music industry), platforms that host user-generated content (UGC) would have to obtain music licenses.  It would also prevent further ‘safe harbor’ provisions.  Basically, the Copyright Directive would finally place websites like YouTube and Vimeo on par with streaming music platforms.  They would have to pay higher royalties when hosting videos featuring copyrighted music.

Article 13 would also force the platforms to introduce content recognition systems.  These would block UGC that infringes on existing copyrights.  Social media websites, including Facebook and Twitter, would likely also have to install the systems.

Simply put, the measure would end YouTube’s historic exploitation of ‘safe harbor’ loopholes in the European Union.  Google would now have to pay the music industry royalties for user-generated content featuring copyrighted content.

Mass Hysteria – “Article 13 means the end of memes, remixes, and ‘Internet Freedom.'”

Critics have argued that Article 13 would ‘censor the internet.’  Comedian Stephen Fry, for example, has argued that the vote would outright ban meme sharing on social media.  Users could no longer create and share remixes and other unique content online.

On Twitter, he warned his followers,

“#Article13 threatens EU creators, leaving us vulnerable to censorship in copyright’s name.  Don’t believe the creepy pretence that it’s there to protect © holders.  It’s about putting power in the hands of media corporations. We can stop it!”

Of course, he – along with other critics – didn’t provide proof to support these claims.

Crispin Hunt, Chair of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors, has fought back against the ‘censorship’ claims.  On Twitter, he wrote,

“It’s not about censorship at all.  That’s a lie propagated by SV to manipulate the public to keep on giving their creativity for SV to monetize it.  Article 13 only means that when someone uses someone else’s work to make $ they (the platforms not the user) pay the creator.  Ace.”

Hunt also slammed Fry for spreading false information.

“Stephen Fry is one of those copyright millionaires he can afford to give away his work – several million others can’t.  We want culture to have value online.”

Dugher also refuted the claims.  He wrote,

“Some absolute rubbish has been written about the EU’s proposed #copyright changes.  Among the most ludicrous is the claim it will mean the end of memes, remixes + user-generated content.  This is desperate + dishonest.”

He added the Copyright Directive will “protect rightsholders in the digital age.”  Tech firms would finally have to pay artists the true value of their works.

“To put it bluntly, we in the music industry want to stop firms like Google-owned YouTube ripping off creators and fairly reward them for the use of their work.”

English singer/songwriter Billy Bragg also voiced his support for Article 13.  With the measure’s passing, YouTube’s ‘value gap’ would finally disappear.

“YouTube, which has 1.3bn users, paid £650 million ($858 million) royalties to music companies last year compared to the £4.3bn ($5.7 billion) returned by streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music, which have fewer listeners.”

European Union members will meet on July 5^th to hold a vote on the Copyright Directive.

Featured image by Bloom Energy (CC by 2.0)

Skips ads on Spotify free, but only in Australia.

Australian users on Spotify Freemium can now choose whether to listen to audio ads (or watch video ads) or skip them altogether.  With the campaign – dubbed Active Media – the company will use the test run to offer listeners “an improved experience.”

YouTube apologizes to the LGBTQ community.

YouTube has issued an apology to the LGBTQ community for its monetization and ad policies targeting creators.  The video platform’s algorithms had automatically demonetized LGBTQ videos.

On Twitter, the company wrote,

“It’s critical to us that the LGBTQ community feels safe, welcome, equal, and supported on YouTube.  Your work is incredibly powerful and we are committed to working with you to get this right.”

BTS labeled one of the most influential groups in the world.

Time Magazine has named Bangtan Boys – better known as BTS – as one of its ’25 Most Influential People’ of the year.  The magazine has also named President Donald Trump, Rihanna, and Logan Paul, among others.

’DDU-DU DDU-DU’ sits comfortably at No. 1 once more.

BlackPink’s ‘DDU-DU DDU-DU’ has once again topped the charts of top South Korean streaming music platforms, including Bugs, MelOn, and MNET.  The single from the South Korean girl group sits at No. 55 on the Billboard Hot 100.

PPL reports record payments in June.

PPL has paid out £150.7 million ($198 million) in June.  Up 12% over last year, the payment is the largest distribution given to performers and labels in the company’s history.

Reminder – no more CDs at Best Buy.

Best Buy has completely phased out CD sales at all of its stores.  The company – which first reported the news in February – will continue selling vinyl records.

TuneCore announces key upgrades.

TuneCore has partnered with Sentric Music, a global publisher, to roll out improvements and enhancements to its service.  Upgrades include a smoother registration process and an updated dashboard.  Existing clients will also manage splits, monitor real-time registration status, view comprehensive earning reports, and refer other writers and band members to complete song registrations.

Chromeo cancel stops in Australia over health issues.

Health reasons have forced Canadian electro-funk duo Chromeo to cancel their upcoming Australian tour.  The duo would’ve performed at three gigs in the country between July 20^th to the 22^nd.

Shooting at a tour bus is apparently no big deal.

The Georgia Supreme Court has reversed Jimmy Carlton Winfrey’s conviction.  Authorities had sentenced him to ten years in prison for shooting into Lil Wayne’s tour bus in 2015.  He reportedly shot at the bus to gain street cred.  The court ruled that the judge in the first trial improperly participated in plea negotiations.  The judge had also “crossed the line” and “impliedly threatened” Winfrey.

Brawl at Garage Nation festival leads to stabbings.

Four people were stabbed at the Garage Nation festival in East London.  One victim reportedly has “life-changing injuries.”  Authorities believe a brawl in the VIP area led to the stabbings.

Climb a speaker at a concert and get arrested.  Clear enough for you?

Authorities in Glasgow, Scotland arrested a festivalgoer for reportedly climbing onto a scaling speaker and completely interrupting Liam Gallgher’s performance.  The singer stopped his set and reportedly told the man to “jump or get down.”

In a statement, authorities said,

“Police can confirm that a 34-year-old man was arrested and charged with a breach of the peace after he climbed part of the speaker stack during the Liam Gallagher set at TRNSMT festival on Saturday 30 June 2018.  A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.”

People all over the world can’t get enough of Indian film music.

T-Series, an Indian film music and production company, now has more than 50 million subscribers on its YouTube channel.  After surpassing the 40 million mark in March, T-Series has been adding over 3.3 million new subscriptions every month.

Instagram will teach you how to become an IGTV star.

Instagram has released a ‘Creator Handbook.’  The guide provides recommendations for people uploading videos on IGTV.  Tips include lighting, camera focus, and popular third-party apps for recording.

Ultra Records poaches Michel Petré from Family Tree Music.

Family Tree Music co-founder Michel Petré has joined Ultra Records.  He will serve as Managing Director in Scandinavia.  Petré will strengthen artist signings and find new talent in the Nordic country.

Tom Connaughton named Managing Director at Spotify UK.

Spotify has appointed Tom Connaughton as Managing Director in the UK.  The former Vevo executive had joined the company in April as Head of Artist and Label Marketing.  Connaughton will lead the growth of Spotify UK, including driving content strategy, artist partnerships, artist marketing, and shows and editorial.

Alan Longmuir passes away.

Alan Longmuir, bass player and founder of Scottish pop group the Bay City Rollers, has passed away.  He was 70.  Longmuir had formed the group which sold over 100 million albums.

Featured image by Pimthida (CC by 2.0)

Sony/ATV, Stellar Songs, and MER launch Stellar Songs Scandinavia.

MER, a Norwegian independent music company, has entered into a worldwide publishing joint venture with Stellar Songs and Sony/ATV Music Publishing Scandinavia.  The agreement – which establishes Stellar Songs Scandinavia – also includes administration rights of MER’s publishing catalog.

Songkick surpasses 150 million users.

Songkick has announced the addition of artist-specific fan and gig analytics.  The company has also confirmed that over 150 million music fans use Songkick.

Spotify to allow Android users to reposition songs on playlists.

Spotify will reportedly allow Android users to re-order songs on playlists.  Users can already re-arrange tracks in playlists on the web player and desktop client.

Hipgnosis Song Fund successfully raises money ahead of an IPO launch.

The Hipgnosis Song Fund has successfully raised £200 million ($262 million).  Founded by Merck Mercuriadis, the IPO will launch on the London Stock Exchange in several weeks.

YouTube ignores its community once more.

YouTube has killed a feature that would have allowed content creators to upload personalized auto-play thumbnail clips.  The company has opted instead to use auto-generated thumbnail clips.

Prepare to pay $2 more a month — just to watch a new Snoop Dogg documentary.

YouTube Originals Documentary has launched the trailer for a new documentary featuring Snoop Dogg, Warren G, and Nate Dogg.  G Funk will explore the roots of hip-hop through the story of 213.  Users can watch the video on YouTube Premium, which costs $2 more a month than its streaming music-only counterpart, YouTube Music.

Instagram adds background music to Stories while Snapchat fades away.

Instagram has confirmed that 400 million people – double Snapchat’s number – use its Stories feature daily.  In addition, the company has announced users can now add licensed background music to their Stories.  The feature includes the option to view song titles and artist names.

After 17 years, Sasquatch! Music Festival goes the way of the dodo.

First launched in 2002, festival organizers have announced the Sasquatch! Music Festival, a single-day concert, will shut down.  Declining attendance in the past three years led to its demise.

Triller signs deal with UMG.

Triller, an innovative AI-powered music video platform, has announced a global licensing deal with Universal Music Group (UMG).  The platform’s 28 million users can now access UMG’s full catalog of songs.  The move comes right after Triller closed a $5 million Series A Round, led by Carnegie Technologies.

Downtown Music Publishing announces four key hires and two promotions.

Downtown Music Publishing has hired four new employees and promoted two at its Nashville office.

Matt Turner has joined the company as Senior Director of A&R, Garrett Stephen as Office Coordinator, Caylan Hays as Sync Licensing Assistant, and Kyle Coker as Copyright Assistant.

Downtown has promoted Natalie Osborne as Director of A&R and Katie Roth as Creative Coordinator.

EMI’s Fay Hoyte receives a promotion.

EMI UK has promoted Fay Hoyte as Marketing Director.  She will report to Managing Director Clive Cawley.

Hideout Music festivalgoer stabbed to death.

A British festivalgoer was stabbed to death in a brawl between two groups of British tourists at the Hideout Music Festival in Croatia.  Seven people remain in custody.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the festival lamented the tragedy.

“Following an incident involving a group of young men at Zrce Beach early this morning, one man tragically lost his life.  Another man remains in hospital.  We are giving every assistance to the investigation and our thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of the people affected.”

Google takes on piracy, cutting off much-needed search result spots.

Google has downranked 65,000 pirating websites.  The move has led to 90% fewer visitors from Google Search, hitting the websites hard.

Image originally shared on TorrentFreak.

Featured image by westfesttv (YouTube screengrab)

The Official Charts Company won’t count ‘spam’ YouTube music video plays.  So tough luck, Chris Brown.

The Official Charts Company (OCC) has announced it will now include music video plays from YouTube in its UK Singles chart.  The move comes after the Google-owned company launched its paid subscription service in the country last week.

Starting this Friday, video streaming data from various video platforms will also be counted.  This includes music videos on Spotify, Apple Music, and TIDAL.  The OCC will count individual plays and downloads.

Speaking on the need to overhaul the charts to include video plays, Martin Talbot, the company’s CEO, said,

“This is a significant step for the UK and ensures The Official Chart continues to be the most comprehensive and trusted chart in the UK, bar none.  Consumption of recorded music via more than 15,000 retailers, download stores and streaming services of all kinds contribute to the weekly chart countdown.”

On YouTube, all official music videos views will count, regardless of the uploader.  Labels will have to file a claim using the platform’s Content ID for infringing content.  The Official Charts Company, however, won’t count plays from user-generated content featuring the music.

Also, Vevo-managed YouTube channels count.  Plays on vevo.com don’t.

Talbot also added that the change won’t significantly alter the UK Singles chart.

“This isn’t going to be a handbrake turn.  We’re not going to suddenly see dozens of songs in the Top 20 that weren’t there before.”

Prior to announcing the change, the OCC ran internal tests.  Songs with viral videos “only received a small upgrade to their chart position.”  Childish Gambino’s ‘This is America,’ for example, benefitted from the change.

In a separate change to the charts, paid audio streams will also count more than ‘freemium’ ones.

Currently, 150 song streams count as a sale.  That will drop down to 100 paid streams as a single sale.  600 freemium plays count as a single sale.

Talbot explained that the changes will benefit artists who limit access to their new songs behind a paywall.

“Premium subscribers tend to access new music quicker.  We found in our test charts that new music would enter maybe one place higher than before.”

He added, however, that fans can’t “spam” their favorite artists.  After playing a song ten times within 24 hours, the OCC won’t count subsequent streams.  So, Chris Brown’s failed attempt to game the Billboard Charts won’t work in the UK.

Record labels and BBC Radio 1 have approved the changes.  The OCC will release its first chart with video plays included on July 6th.

The company has also released a video with Dua Lipa announcing the changes.  You can watch the video below.

Featured image by The Official Charts Company (YouTube screengrab).

YouTube has proven once again that yes, it’s out of touch with the needs of its core community.

YouTube is in a tough spot.

New legislation may finally force Google to pay the music industry millions in copyright royalties for infringing content.  As the platform implements even more demonetization policies, creators have set-up pages on Patreon to earn cash.  Its live-streaming and on-demand gaming platform – YouTube Gaming – has all but flatlined against Amazon’s Twitch.  Reviews of the platform’s new flagship streaming music service may convince users to stick with Spotify and Apple Music.  And, now, Instagram has unveiled its YouTube competitor – IGTV.

So, how does the company plan to remain relevant?  Simple.  Take everything competitors have done, put a YouTube sticker on it, and call it a feature.

Say hello to Twitch Channel Memberships, Patreon Merchandise, and Snapchat/Instagram Stories Premieres.

YouTube has just announced a slew of features aimed at helping content creators earn more from the platform.

At VidCon 2018, YouTube unveiled Channel Memberships.  A clone of Twitch memberships, for $4.99 a month, viewers can subscribe to channels and receive extra perks.  These include unique badges, new emoji, and access to Member-only posts in the Community tab.  ‘Sponsors’ may also watch exclusive livestreams, additional videos, and receive shout-outs from their favorite creators.

The company will reportedly keep 30% of membership fees.  Yet, only members of the YouTube Partner Program that have over 100,000 subscribers on their channels may qualify.  In turn, Twitch takes a 50% cut.  But, it also has many more viewers tuning in – 953,000 daily viewers as opposed to YouTube Gaming’s 272,000.

The company also unveiled its Merchandise feature.  Creators with over 10,000 subscribers can finally sell their own merchandise.  They can choose from over 20 merchandise items to customize and sell on their channels.  There’s a major catch, however.  Creators can only do so through Teespring, which takes a significant cut.

Finally, the company has introduced Premieres.  Creators with over 10,000 subscribers can use the feature to debut pre-recorded videos “as a live moment.”

Taking on Twitch and Patreon, YouTube will create a unique landing page for each premiere.  Combining Snapchat and Instagram Stories with Twitch-like features, fans can tune in and chat with their favorite creators in real-time.  They can also donate money with a click of a button.

But is this enough to keep YouTube afloat?

The key problem with these features lies in the platform’s rocky relationship with its content creators.

Thanks to recent controversies – monetizing terrorist videos and keeping sexual predator accounts active – YouTube has made it very difficult for its creator community to earn money on the platform.  Content creators can’t link to their Patreon pages or merchandise on Amazon unless they have over 10,000 subscribers.

Even worse, for new creators to earn money on their videos, they’ll need at least 1,000 subscribers.  In fact, a recent study showed that 96.5% of YouTubers don’t earn enough to cross the poverty line.  Very few may even have the necessary subscriptions to qualify for these features.  So, expect only the top 3.5% of YouTubers to actually implement these features and earn money.

Today’s announcement only reinforces one fact – YouTube remains horribly oblivious to the needs of its community.  Keep in mind that the company will need its community in the long-run to survive.

So, tell me, why would viewers choose to donate money on YouTube?

YouTube may finally have to pay the music industry— and thousands of artists — the money they deserve.

YouTube has a long, rocky relationship with the music industry.

Thanks to a longtime exploitation of ‘safe harbor’ loopholes in copyright law, YouTube has only paid the bare minimum in royalties.  Despite having nearly 1.4 billion users uploading and watching user-generated content – including music videos – payouts are notoriously low.  According to the latest calculations, artists and other content creators only receive $0.0007 per video play.

Now, Google could be forced to pay the music industry billions.

Earlier today, the European Union’s legal affairs committee approved the controversial measure known as Article 13.  Members of European Parliament (MEPs) seek to ensure content creators, artists, authors, and journalists are “paid fairly” for their work online.

If approved by the EU, internet tech giants — including Google, Microsoft, and Facebook — would have to install “effective technologies” to prevent copyright infringement.  Basically, this amounts to a copyright filter or content scanner.

Similar to YouTube’s Content ID, the filters would automatically detect whether an uploaded image, video, or other media content infringes on existing copyrights.  The difference is that the platforms would have to automatically reject infringing content.  Or, pay the negotiated price for content that is recognized.

The measure faces stiff competition from tech lobbyists, consumer groups, and civil liberty organizations.  This could force the European Union to ultimately dismiss today’s ruling.

But what does Article 13 mean for the music industry?

Simple.  YouTube could no longer exploit the lack of legal protection on digital media to avoid paying full royalties.  Google would have to pay artists and major labels what’s fair.

The video platform has long billed itself as a “neutral intermediary.”  Users – not YouTube – break the law by posting infringing content.  Google merely hosts it on the video platform.

The Vienna Commercial Court didn’t buy that argument.  Two weeks ago, the court found that YouTube actively sorts, filters, and links all video content, including those containing copyrighted material.

In other words, YouTube’s not a “neutral content provider.”  And yes, it can be held liable for copyrighted material users upload if Austria’s ruling stands.  Goodbye, low artist payouts.  Say farewell to the company’s abysmal “value gap.”  That is, if the latest round of court rulings and pro-copyright voting survives.

Of course, Article 13 wouldn’t only apply to YouTube.

Websites that depend on user-generated content – Facebook, Twitter, and Vimeo, among many others – would have to closely monitor what their users upload.  The measure would hold all internet platforms liable for unfiltered content that infringes on existing copyrights.  For example, should a user post a clip from a music video on Instagram, Facebook would have to pay.  If it’s unauthorized, then it’s infringement.

Opponents have argued that the EU would force these platforms to block as much content as possible.  They fear that Article 13 creates a surveillance framework.  The EU – including member countries – could then decide what content to censor.

With today’s narrow 15-10 vote, Article 13 will likely face few changes.  Representatives of 28 member countries will debate the controversial measure next month.

Analysts expect the EU to approve the committee’s ruling.   Then, a final vote would take place later this year before finally becoming law.

Featured image by Håkan Dahlström (CC by 2.0)

Post Malone announces Posty Fest.

Post Malone has announced his own curated music festival.  Dubbed ‘Posty Fest,’ the event will take place in Dallas on October 28th.  Right now, we’ve only got scant details on this Post-themed festival, though stay tuned.

Pink’s latest tour could earn close to $300 million.

Pink’s Beautiful Trauma Tour will soon become the artist’s highest grossing tour.  After 38 performances in the US and Canada, Pink has earned more than $100 million.  Scheduled to run until 2019, the tour will reportedly gross $275 million.

Spotify announces Hot Country Live.

Spotify has launched another live music event.  Dubbed Hot Country Live, Carrie Underwood will headline the event.  It will take place on July 4th at The Rooftop at Pier 17 venue in New York’s Seaport District.

SXWorks launches new services for songwriters and publishers.

SoundExchange’s SXWorks has developed two services to expand on its NOI lookup functionality.  NOI Premium Services will allow publishers and songwriters opportunities to claim unpaid mechanical royalties from digital service providers (DSPs) as well as facilitate communication for creators with DSPs and the US Copyright Office.  The upgrade is part of an expected government contract for SoundExchange to run MLC, or the Mechanical Licensing Collective, an award critics characterize as a classic government ‘no-bid contact’.

EU wants internet companies to create their own ‘Content ID.’

The European Union has proposed an initiative similar to YouTube’s Content ID system.  Under provisions for Article 13 of EU’s proposed Copyright Directive, services that allow users to post text, sound, and video for public consumption should implement a copyright filter that automatically verifies whether they match known copyright works.  Services must then censor offending uploads.

YouTube finds another way to make money from fake – and potentially harmful – medical videos.

YouTube has run ads for major brands on videos featuring fake media news and content that denies AIDS and HIV.  Affected companies include Mercedes Benz, Toyota, and Wix.

Fox apologizes for Robbie Williams’ offensive gesture.

Fox has issued an apology after Robbie Williams pointed the middle finger at cameras during his performance of ‘Rock DJ’ at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.  Condemning the gesture, Fox released a statement.

“The 2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony was a newsworthy event produced by a third party and carried live on Fox.  As it was broadcast live, we did not know what would happen during Robbie Williams’ performance and we apologize.”

David Bowie Is approaches 2 million visitors

Traveling museum exhibition David Bowie Is has approached the 2 millionth global visitor mark after five years.  The Brooklyn Museum will mark the milestone on June 20th.  David Bowie Is has become the museum’s top-selling exhibition, welcoming over 180,000 visitors since it opened on March 2^nd.

But… isn’t DJ Khaled just exploiting his own son?

DJ Khaled recently sued an American company for allegedly exploiting his son’s name for profit without his permission.  Khaled’s son – Asahd – has 1.9 million followers on Instagram, with his account actively promoting a new partnership with Nike’s Jordan brand.  DJ Khaled accuses Business Moves Consulting of registering various brands related to Asahd’s name.  He also accused the company’s boss – Curtis Bordenave – of interfering in his family’s brand partnership deal with Nike.

Elektra Records’ Jac Holzman goes cosmic.

Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman has launched a new project – Cosmic Ringtones & Sonic Realms.  Aimed at the global ringtone market, the 29 tracks are “inspired by a celestial body or phenomenon of the universe.”  The project includes tracks from Holzman’s son, Adam.

Guess there’s only one lingering question about this launch: monophonic or polyphonic?

Even more stream-ripping websites throw in the towel.

Several notable stream ripping websites have gone down.  Following legal pressure from the music industry, PickVideo, Video-Download, and Easyload have voluntarily shut down.

Jammcard expands to Atlanta.

Jammcard, a Los Angeles-based musician social network, has announced its expansion to Atlanta.  The social network will hold a JammJam event featuring Cassius Jay, Devon ‘Stixx’ Taylor, and Chris Moten.

Dr. Ahmad Sarmast and Metallica accept the Polar Music Prize.

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden has awarded Metallica and Dr. Ahmad Sarmast – founder of the Afghan National Institute of Music – with the Polar Music Prize.  Stig ‘Stikkan’ Anderson – ABBA’s manager, music publisher and lyricist – founded the award.  Former prize winners include Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Emmylou Harris, B.B. King, Ennio Morricone, Sting, and Elton John, among many others.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame honors Mellencamp, Jackson, Dupri, and Diamond.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame recently inducted John Mellencamp, Alan Jackson, Jermaine Dupri, and Kool & The Gang.  The organization also honored Neil Diamond with the Johnny Mercer Award during a ceremony at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel.

UK radio promotions agency Ghost launched.

Two UK radio pluggers – Plug Life and Paisley London – have teamed up to launch a new radio promotions agency.  Dubbed Ghost, the combined roster of artists includes Four Tet, Laura Marling, Neneh Cherry, Floating Points, Cigarettes After Sex, DJ Koze, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Dave, AlunaGeorge, Charlotte Day Wilson, Bruno Major, and Ray BLK.

$10,000 SOCAN Songwriter Prize winners announced.

Josée Caron and Lucy Niles have won the $10,000 SOCAN Songwriting Prize.  The Atlantic Canadian duo wrote ‘Play The Field’ and performed the track with their band, Partner.

Live Nation and House of Blues announce scholarship recipients.

Live Nation and the House of Blues Music Forward Foundation will offer $30,000 in scholarships to three students pursuing careers in the music industry.  Scholarship recipients include Andrae Alexander, Clara Maurer, and Sammie Jo Concilio.

Big Machine’s Jason Ford receives a promotion.

Big Machine label group has promoted Jason Ford to Art Director.  He’ll report to Sandi Spika Borchetta, Senior Vice President of Creative.

Featured image by Shelby Casanova (CC by 2.0)

What are people really looking for?

Spotify gets the most attention — and paying subscribers.  But if search analytics can predict the future, YouTube, Amazon, and Apple are just getting started.

YouTube Music hasn’t even launched yet.  And Spotify has more than 70 million paying subscribers. But when it comes to search, YouTube is already winning.

For years, YouTube has easily been the biggest music platform.  And a big part of that success is coming from search traffic.  In fact, the search data indicates that this may be YouTube Music’s game to lose.

We asked search and SEO analytics firm SEMRush to do a deep-dive on music platforms and services, particularly on the streaming side.  Here’s what they discovered.

Breaking down search volumes for the most popular music provider in the US between February 2018 to April 2018, YouTube had 2.24 million unique search requests.  Amazon Music and Apple Music took the second and third spots with 823,000 and 368,000, respectively.  Despite CEO Roger Lynch’s lofty claim about the digital radio service “No. 1” position in the market, Pandora only had 246,000 unique search requests.

Surprisingly, Spotify took the last spot with just 110,000 searches.

At first glance, this appears to be great news for Google’s upcoming streaming music platform, YouTube Music.

After all, with now over 1.4 billion users on its popular video platform, how could Google possibly fail to line up millions of subscribers?  But here’s the bad news for Google.  When people look for music listening apps, they don’t search for YouTube very often.  In fact, according to SEMRush, under brand music app searches, music fans typically search for Amazon.

The Amazon Music app had 27,100 unique searches in the US.  Pandora fared slightly better this time with 14,800 searches.  YouTube took third with 12,100, followed by Spotify Music with 9,900 and Apple Music with 4,400.

In a large number of cases, people prefer to use apps from reputable companies over untrustworthy third-party apps.

The analytics firm found that users preferred searching for “free music apps” over “download music apps.”  So, what’s the difference?

Well, searching for “free music apps” will pull up well-known music apps, including SoundCloud and Pandora.

Searching for “download music apps” instead will pull up relatively obscure third-party apps.  These apps are usually stuffed with ads and malware, making users wary of installing them.

Looking at the research, ‘free music apps’ from reputable companies and streaming platforms had a consistently stronger search volume.

Compare that to the waning popularity of sketchy third-party music downloader apps.  Just two months ago, unique searches reached just under 30,000.

Data scientists also found that searches for music apps featuring offline functionality have actually grown in popularity.

Under this search category, you’ll find Spotify, Google Play Music, Apple Music, and Microsoft’s now-defunct Groove Music.

iPhone users were also more likely to search for (and subsequently use) streaming and download music apps over those on Android devices.

Atlanta, renewed.

FX Network has just renewed Atlanta into a third season.  The successful show, led by Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino), will undoubtedly feel a lift from Gambino’s high-impact music statement ‘This Is America’.

Bon Iver and The National launch a streaming service.

Along with Bon Iver, The National’s Aaron and Bryce Dessner have launched a new streaming service called People.  According to Aaron Dessner, the service won’t compete against Spotify and Apple Music.  Instead, the open-access “artist-directed” publishing platform will empower musicians to share their experimental works.

“We want to create a place to evolve and share ideas around the year.  That’s why we are in the process of building our own digital platform where the music from recordings, sessions, and live events as well as visual art, podcasts, and essays can find a home.  For all the raw, the unpackaged, the experiments, and the evolved ideas.”

The artists have also announced a new Berlin-based festival.

DFC announces second round of founding members.

The Digital Future Council (DFC) – a think tank aimed at bridging the gap between the creative and technology industries – has announced a second round of founding members ahead of its official launch during the Cannes Lions Festival.  New additions include executives from CNN, Casper, Refinery29, Columbia Records UK, eBay, and more.

The first round of founding members included executives from Havas Media, VICE Media, Mic, Hearst Digital Media, The LEGO Group, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment, GoDaddy, TLDR, MEDIA Protocol, Remy.co, and Wachsman, among others.

YouTube Red, YouTube Music Premium, and YouTube Premium.  Now, get ready for YouTube News.

YouTube has reportedly interviewed seasoned news journalists for an upcoming news initiative.  According to two sources speaking with Digiday, the company will likely follow Facebook’s playbook and pay news publishers for exclusive videos.  YouTube may also promote videos from accredited news outlets to combat rampant fake news stories on its platform.

Lil Wayne has wriggled free from Cash Money.

Lil Wayne has now negotiated an exit settlement with both Cash Money Records and Universal Music Group.  “He is his own man, a man that owns his assets, his music and himself,” Wayne’s attorney Ron Sweeney told Billboard.  “At some point, Wayne will let his fans know what’s going to happen next.”

Soundeon joins the Open Music Initiative.

Soundeon, a blockchain-based music platform, has joined the Open Music Initiative (OMI), a nonprofit initiative led by the Berklee College of Music Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship in partnership with the MIT Media Lab.  OMI aims to promote and develop an open protocol for industry-wide creative rights management and royalty distribution.

Ye has over 100 million streams on Spotify.

Kanye West’s new album, Ye, has surpassed 100 million total streams on Spotify.  TIDAL and Apple Music have yet to release their figures.

The Weeknd has his own show on Beats 1 Radio.

The Weeknd has announced a new show on Apple Music’s Beats 1 Radio.  The show joins Frank Ocean’s dreamy blonded and Drake’s Ovo Sound Radio.

Australian Women in Music Awards nominations have opened.

Nominations for the first-ever Australian Women in Music Awards have opened.  First announced in March, the event will feature fourteen award categories recognizing women’s contributions to the Australian music industry.  These include artists, people of color, educators, photographers, and managers.  Organizers will accept nominations on the Australian Women in Music Awards website until June 12^th.  The event will take place in Brisbane on October 9^th and 10^th.

Ozy Media and iHeartMedia announce new partnership.

iHeartMedia and Ozy Media have announced a creative multiyear partnership.  The partnership will combine OZY Media’s news capabilities with iHeartMedia’s national cross-platform network.  OZY stories will be featured in iHeartMedia’s morning shows across 150 markets in the US.  The partnership also includes radio, digital, social, and live events across iHeartMedia’s network.

Prince estate announces new album.

The Prince estate has announced that it will release a new full-length album, Piano & a Microphone 1983.  Warner Bros. will release the collection of solo songs the late singer had recorded at his home.  The Prince estate has also released the first song from the album, a cover of ‘Mary Don’t You Weep.’

30,000 people pay for TIDAL’s high-fidelity audio service — according to someone out there.

According to ‘industry sources’ speaking to Billboard, Tidal has around 380,000 to 480,000 subscribers in the US.  30,000 users apparently pay for the service’s $19.99 high-fidelity audio tier.  Another source claims that Jay-Z’s beleaguered music streaming service has roughly 1 million subscribers around the world.  All of those numbers are unfortunately suspect, however, given serious allegations against Tidal of accounting and reporting fraud.  If true, the figures (whichever set you choose) still pale in comparison to Spotify (71 million paid subscribers) and Apple Music (42 million paid subs).

Steve Himmelfarb joins TFA.

Veteran talent executive Steve Himmelfarb has joined The Feldman Agency as an agent.  He joins from The Billions Corporation where he represented more than thirty-five artists across Canada, the US, South America, and Asia including Charlotte Day Wilson, PUP, Lord Huron, Beirut, Wolf Parade, Wintersleep, and New Pornographers, among others.

Live Nation announces new board members.

Live Nation Entertainment has announced the election of Dana Walden and Ping Fu to its Board of Directors.  Walden has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fox Television Group at 21^st Century Fox since July 2014.  Fu co-founded Geomagic, a 3D imaging software company acquired by 3D Systems in February 2013.

Sony Music Nashville promotes Cary Ryan.

Sony Music Nashville (SMN) has promoted Cary Ryan to Vice President of Release Planning and Production.  He will continue to oversee the Release Planning & Production department and direct the scheduling, production, and distribution of products through the physical and digital supply chain for SMN.

Walker Hayes suspends several shows.

Country singer Walker Hayes has canceled multiple shows following the passing of his newborn daughter, Oakleigh.  In a statement on Twitter, he thanked fans for respecting his family’s wishes for privacy.

“Oakleigh Klover Hayes was born this morning at the hospital and now is safely in heaven.”

Jimmy Gonzalez passes away.

Tejano singer, guitarist, and songwriter Jimmy Gonzalez has passed away.  Eloy Lejia, Promotions Manager for Gonzalez’s label, Freddy Records, said that he had suffered a heart attack.  He was 67.

Featured image by Disney | ABC Television Group (CC by 2.0)

Looks like YouTube can’t use its favorite “safe harbor” defense any longer — at least if this decision stands.

In a preliminary ruling, the Vienna Commercial Court has found that no, YouTube isn’t a neutral host provider.

If the ruling ultimately goes into effect, YouTube must aggressively prevent third parties from uploading copyright infringing content.  If not, the platform could be held liable for copyright infringements committed by its users.

The ruling could potentially have far-reaching implications not only in Europe, but around the world.

Specifically, it could change the way companies – especially top social media and user-uploaded platforms – handle videos.

YouTube, of course, has stated that it will likely appeal the decision.  After all, argued the company, under the European Union’s E-Commerce Act, the platform merely hosts user-generated content as a “neutral intermediary.”

The video giant explains that its users are the ones breaking the law by posting infringing content, not YouTube.  Never mind that the company actively sorts, filters, and links all video content, including the ones containing copyrighted material.

So much for the company’s Content ID system.

The case directly challenges YouTube’s beloved DMCA-style defense overseas.

Since its birth, the video platform has used “safe harbor” loopholes in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to avoid lengthy and costly legal lawsuits.  Basically, to avoid copyright liability, all YouTube has to do is remove or “take down” the infringing user-generated content at the request of a rights holder.

That’s it.  The company doesn’t have any legal obligation to pay full royalties for the uploaded material.

But, that’s in the US.

And the Austrian court didn’t buy that argument.  In a judgment issued on Tuesday, it ruled that the company has played an “active role” in spreading the content.  The court found that the site’s “predefined categories” directly influence user viewing behavior.  In fact, the platform actively analyzes users’ browsing habits and tailor-makes content suggestions.

Basically, by curating user-generated content, YouTube can no longer claim “neutral intermediary” status.  Farewell, “safe harbor” arguments.

YouTube won’t be the only site affected should the preliminary ruling go into effect.  Popular social media platforms – like Facebook and Twitter – could be held responsible for the videos users upload.  Companies use algorithms to manage content on its platform.  Should social media platforms promote copyright infringing user-generated content, they’ll have to assume legal responsibility for it.

In fact, once the ruling goes into effect, this may also apply to user-generated content featuring copyrighted music.

What if YouTube could suddenly be held liable for all unauthorized music on its platform?  Suddenly, the economics change, because YouTube could no longer dangle the implicit threat of unregulated, UGC free content while negotiating with rights owners.  Instead of offering something ‘better than free,’ YouTube would have to negotiate a genuine market rate.

+ One of the Most Influential Music Industry Executives Calls YouTube “A Threat to Artists’ Livelihood”

Austria’s Puls 4 television station first brought the case against YouTube four years ago.  The video platform had used Puls 4’s content repeatedly without permission.

Understanding the damning ramifications of the ruling, Markus Breitenbecker, Head of Puls 4, lauded the decision.

“The media companies who call themselves social networks will have to recognize that they too have to take on responsibility for the content with which they earn their millions.”

The ruling comes at a crucial time.  The European Union has actively discussed possible reforms to copyright law.  Politicians overseas want to ensure that news publishers and artists receive fair compensation for their work.

Puls 4 and YouTube have a one month to petition the court before the ruling goes into effect.

In a statement to Austrian media, the Google-owned video platform has stated it will examine the decision in detail.  It will also “hold all options open.”

Should YouTube appeal the decision, it will clearly face an uphill battle to convince European courts that it is a neutral host provider.

Featured image by YouTube.

The Vienna Commercial Court in Austria has ruled that YouTube is not a neutral host provider, and can be held partly liable for copyright breaches in videos uploaded by its users.

On Tuesday, the Austrian Commercial Court found that YouTube is directly liable for the copyright infringements committed by its users.  The court rejected the “neutral intermediary” defense that argues that the platform can’t be held legally responsible for the content it carries.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, a preliminary decision by the Commercial Court, which is not yet legally binding, could have a serious impact on the economy of all online video platforms, such as Facebook, in Europe.

In 2014, Austrian commercial TV channel Puls4 filed a lawsuit against YouTube after copyright-protected content from its channels was posted on the video platform.  Puls4 and its lawyers said they had established YouTube’s complicity in spreading the content though a “painstaking” analysis of how the site works.

YouTube argued that it was a technical service, a “host provider,” therefore it fell under the provisions of the European Union’s E-Commerce Act, which specifies that technical service providers are mediators, and are not liable for the content posted by their users.

+ 83% of All Music, Film & TV Piracy Is Motivated by a Lack of Paid Options, Study Claims

In an initial ruling, the court disagreed, finding that YouTube’s activity in “sorting, filtering and linking” content on its platform, “in particular by creating tables of contents according to predefined category” helps determine the surfing behavior of users.

The court concluded that YouTube cannot be considered as a neutral platform.

YouTube made a statement to the Austrian media, saying, “It takes copyright protection very seriously” and it was “studying the ruling and holding all our options open, including appealing the decision.”

The European Union is discussing possible reforms to copyright law to ensure news publishers and artists are better compensated for their work when it appears on online platforms.

YouTube has four weeks to petition the court before it issues its binding rule, and if the preliminary ruling stands, it is expected the video streaming platform will appeal.

So, what’s the root of all of society’s woes?  According to Scotland Yard, drill music on YouTube.  Never mind the massive poverty affecting many young black Londoners.

YouTube has removed thirty videos at the request of British police, mostly featuring drill music.  According to Metropolitan Police, the lyrics incited real-world violence.

London Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick linked the rise in gang-related stabbings and murders to drill, a form of rap featuring violent imagery and lyrics.  Speaking with LBC Radio, she claims the videos uploaded on YouTube promote violence.

“Drill music is associated with lyrics which are about glamourizing serious violence: murder, stabbings.  They describe the stabbings in great detail, joy and excitement.  Extreme violence against women is often talked about.”

The police commissioner added that in London, gangs make drill videos to taunt each other.

“They say what they’re going to do to each other and specifically what they are going to do to who.”

Scotland Yard had originally asked Google to delete 50 to 60 videos.

Pressplay, a company that promotes drill music videos, issued an apology to fans following the news.  Pinning the blame solely on Metropolitan Police, the music company posted on Instagram,

“The police and the main police commissioner has forced YouTube to take down some videos.”

But is this just a lame excuse to ban rap music?

It appears so.  Let me explain.

According to the Sunday Times, drill music should be blamed for the recent waves of murders in major British cities.  The report featured the following sensationalist headline.

“Murders and stabbings plaguing London and other cities are directly linked to an ultra-violent new form of music sweeping Britain.”

The Times cited several incidents were British MCs challenged each other on drill rap tracks.  Taunts posted on social media by rival gangs would immediately lead to violence.

In fact, one recent stabbing shook up the country.  A 17-year-old drill artist, Junior Simpson, murdered 15-year-old Jermaine Goupall.  A court heard the following song posted by Simpson prior to the stabbing.

“I saw man run.  He got poked up.  He had his poke (knife) and he still got touched (stabbed).”

The 17-year-old artist reportedly murdered Goupall in the same exact way a few blocks away from his home in South London.

In court, Judge Leonard QC condemned the killing.

“You suggested they were just for show but I do not believe that and I suspect you were waiting for the right opportunity for an attack.”

He sentenced Simpson to life in prison.

Goupall’s father, Stanley, described the anguish he felt after hearing about his son’s murder.

“I just felt like I was going to collapse, I just felt like the light’s out for me.  That’s your worst nightmare to see a child who you love in pain.  I was angry, I was upset, I was mad, I was everything in the world.

“The mindset behind the music is a demonic mindset in places.”

No one can deny that this incident was tragic.  Yet, drill music can’t specifically force people to commit these heinous crimes.  Speaking with The Guardian, drill DJ Bempah argued that the genre only reflects the reality affecting many young black Londoners.

“If that’s what you see in your environment, as an artist, that’s what you portray in your lyrics.  [The music] can glamorize [violence], but it can’t force your hand to commit those actions.”

He has a point.  In Britain, drill artists often live on or below the poverty line.

Blaming a music genre for the sudden rise in crime isn’t new.  In the past few years, British authorities have blamed the rise of a cannabis strain – skunk – on grime music.

To combat grime music, the London Metropolitan Police introduced a controversial initiative – Form 696.  The document asked for the names, stage names, addresses, and phone numbers of every artist and promoter in the country.  Originally introduced in 2005, Form 696 unfairly targeted grime musicians – mainly black Londoners.  After heavy criticism, including from the city’s mayor, the Metropolitan Police scrapped the initiative late last year.

Speaking on the outcry against drill music, MC Abra Cadabra, 20, said that authorities have merely blamed a complex social factor on the genre.

“Targeting musicians is a distraction.  The cuts that affect schools, youth clubs, social housing, benefits, are making life harder for the average person living on or below the poverty line in this city.  There are people doing mad things, not because they want to, but because the situation has forced them to.”

In fact, he says, conflict is normal in rap music.

“Beef has always been part of rap music.  Whether it’s a Tupac song or a Giggs song, challenging the competition comes with the territory.  I think anyone listening to my music understands this.”

But will authorities in the UK listen?

Not likely.

YouTube, however, will likely remain neutral in the matter.  A spokesperson said,

“We have a dedicated process for the police to flag videos directly to our teams because we often need specialist context from law enforcement to identify real-life threats.  Along with others in the UK, we share the deep concern about this issue and do not want our platform used to incite violence.”

In fact, after speaking with the Google-owned video platform, Pressplay wrote that the company may ultimately reverse its decision.

“[The clips] will probably be back up in the next few weeks.”

Featured image by Link Up TV (YouTube screengrab)

Two teenage hackers, Prosox and Kuroi’ish, also referred to as “Nassim B.” and “Gabriel K. A. B.,” were recently arrested for vandalizing several VEVO videos.  That includes “Despacito,” the most-viewed music video on YouTube in 2017.

There’s no question that YouTube is the biggest video streaming platform, generating millions of views a day from consumers around the world.  That makes it a juicy target for hackers, including anyone who wants to get their message or content across to the public in a massive way.

Now, we have a sense for just how vulnerable VEVO is.

The two hackers reportedly added extra, unrelated text and images to a variety of VEVO videos back in April.  That includes a “Free Palestine” message in the title of a Shakira video.  The duo also replaced Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito” thumbnail with an image from Netflix’s “Casa De Papel.”

Other artists targeted by the 18-year-olds included Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Chris Brown, Maroon 5 and Katy Perry.

After Prosox and Kuroi’ish hacked the account, VEVO took immediate action and removed all of the changes made on its YouTube videos.

But this looked like an amazingly easy stunt.

On April 10th, Prosox tweeted, “@YouTube It’s just for fun I just use script “youtube-change-title-video” and I write “hacked” don’t judge me I love youtube <3.”

Then later, on May 5th, the hacker tweeted again, reasserting that the hack was “basically…for people to enjoy.”

Both of the French suspects were charged with a variety of criminal counts, one of which related to fraudulent data modification “in an automated data processing system.”

VEVO, which is headquartered in New York, is collaborating with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, and is currently working with the Paris Prosecutor’s Office on the proceedings.  So far, there hasn’t been a notice on what kind of sentences the two hackers will face.

The incident comes at a bad moment for VEVO.

In order to focus on video distribution on YouTube, VEVO recently announced that it will shut down its mobile apps and consumer-facing website.  That’s considered a white flag after years of attempting to tame YouTube, with VEVO abandoning its long-held dreams of developing a stand-alone, powerful music video platform.

VEVO’s primary owners are Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, with small stakes held by Alphabet, parent company of Google and YouTube, and Abu Dhabi Media.

Can YOU find YouTube Music?

May 22nd came and went.  So, why do so few people have access to YouTube Music?

You’ve probably heard the announcement by now.

Google’s ‘potential’ game-changing streaming music service – YouTube Music – finally had the support of the music industry.  With over 1.4 billion monthly active users, and major licensing deals locked down, it appeared that the search giant had everything ready to finally take over streaming music as we know it.  YouTube Music was well on its way to become a much-needed game changer in the streaming music arena.

Investors felt the same way.  In fact, once Google confirmed the date – May 22^nd – Spotify shares fell 2.5%.  Pandora and Apple dipped 2% and 0.4%, respectively.  YouTube Music was set to debut in the US, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, and South Korea.

There was just one tiny problem.  May 22^nd has come and gone.  And very few people – outside of USA Today, Variety, and a few other journalists and execs – actually have access to the service.

Google’s major misfires.

YouTube Music marks the search giant’s third attempt to finally break into the streaming music industry (with actually paying customers).

So, after launching Google Play Music and YouTube Red, the company should’ve learned something, right?

Right?

Wrong.

First, company executives decided to change the service’s name.  That’s fine.  Yet, they somehow decided that launching its new streaming music service into two tiers with very similar names was a great idea.

Let me break it down for you.  Do you want to listen to your favorite music without listening to ads?  Would you also like to listen to music in the background – a unique YouTube Red feature – for $9.99 a month?  Then, you’ll want YouTube Music Premium.  Never mind that almost all streaming music services already include that feature.

Oh, did you also want to watch Cobra Kai?  And, would you like to watch your favorite videos on the platform without any ads at all?  Then, prepare to pay $2 more for YouTube Premium, a service that once cost $9.99 a month.  Existing Red subscribers will only get that additional $2 waived for a short time.  Again, never mind that you can already watch YouTube videos ad-free on a number of third-party apps and websites including SnapTube and TubeMate.  Oh, and that Apple Music doesn’t charge extra for its videos.

So, YouTube Music Premium for music.  YouTube Premium for ad-free videos across the platform and Cobra Kai.  Got it?

Second, company executives haven’t outlined a feasible strategy on how they’ll convince YouTube’s 1.4 billion+ users to finally pay up.  And no, Lyor Cohen, swamping users with ads won’t work.  Nor its multi-million dollar push with Cardi B.  As stated above, users will likely jump ship to third-party apps and websites.  As the old saying goes, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.  So, you won’t convince YouTube viewers who have streamed music for free to now pay after 13 years.

Third, just check out the reviews.

According to The Verge, no, YouTube Music doesn’t have power features.  It also doesn’t have a Spotify Discovery Weekly competitor nor desktop software.  Apple Music does.  So do Spotify, Amazon Music, and Napster.  Even Deezer has one in beta.  So, why not Google?  After all, the search giant has apps and software for just about every product it owns.

Amateur mistake.

According to Engadget, YouTube Music doesn’t offer a way to click through to specific genres.  It also doesn’t make it easy to find new releases.  Oh, and it’s “recommended new releases” only has around 10 new albums.  As writer Nathan Ingraham wrote,

“It’s a little hard to recommend unless you love music videos”

According to Variety, the service, with few unique features, has arrived “too late for the average listener.”

“Most people have already carefully tailored their Spotify experience with curated playlists, that it makes the act of switching over to an entirely new platform for essentially the same experience a chore.”

But, hey.  At least Google’s algorithm works well.

According to CNBC, YouTube Music – a basic service – only works well for people “who want to listen to music and enjoy music videos.”  Yet, don’t expect your personalized playlists to transfer from Spotify or Apple Music.  As writer Todd Haselton noted,

“I’d also miss Spotify’s personalized daily playlists and discover features that are automatically generated to my tastes.  Google doesn’t have that yet.”

According to USA Today, YouTube Music’s playlists are sometimes spot on.  Sometimes.  Yet, for the most part, they’re off.  You’ll likely encounter buggy “endless mixtapes” repeatedly shown on the service’s front page.  Don’t enjoy mixtapes?  Oh, well.

In short, every single reviewer agrees on one point – Google has created its best streaming music service ever.  Despite all my complaints, the search giant could very well finally launch the service to everyone tomorrow.  It could even end up proving a much-needed game changer.

Yet, with its amateurish rollout, and few people actually recommending the service, it makes little sense to actually get a YouTube Music Premium subscription.  Unless you really want to watch Cobra Kai.  Then, please, feel free to pay $11.99 a month.

Featured image by William Murphy (CC by 2.0)

Ironically enough, Vevo’s announcement comes right as Google doubles down on its (yet to roll out) music streaming service, YouTube Music.

Vevo has announced that it will give up plans to build its own music video platform.  The company will shut down its mobile apps and main website.

In a blog post, the multinational video hosting service wrote,

“We will phase out elements of our owned and operated platforms.  Going forward, Vevo will remain focused on engaging the biggest audiences and pursuing growth opportunities.”

The move comes just months after two top executives abruptly left the company, including its recently-hired CEO, Eric Huggers.  Huggers jumped ship to Bandcamp.  In the last six months, Vevo has also lost its CTO, Head of Product, and several product and engineering employees.

Vevo’s announcement today underscores the platform’s failure to diversify its product offering and build its own viable music video platform.  Basically, it hasn’t shown users why they should abandon YouTube.

In fact, the company has traditionally been a supplicant to YouTube’s massive traffic flows.

As part of its recent licensing renewal several weeks ago, Google scored a major win.  Previously, Vevo’s sales force had the first choice on selling their music clips to advertisers.  Not anymore.

Now, as part of its YouTube Brandcast offerings, the search giant sells these clips directly to major advertisers without consulting the video hosting service.  The deal will generate higher ad sales for music videos on the Google-owned video platform.

Major labels, of course, will see a greater revenue share.  Meanwhile, Vevo loses out.  Never mind that all three major music labels originally founded the video hosting service to curb YouTube’s unrivaled dominance.

Today’s announcement also signals a major shift in strategy for Vevo.  Instead of attempting to create its own music video platform, Vevo will now piggyback on YouTube’s success.  Basically, for the video hosting service to survive, it now wholly relies on Google’s new music streaming service to succeed.

The post continues,

“Our catalog of premium music videos and original content will continue to reach a growing audience on YouTube and we are exploring ways to work with additional platforms to further expand access to Vevo’s content.”

Paradoxically, as the company shutters its mobile apps and website, it will continue to sell service-specific advertising on every distribution platform.

“We will continue to be the primary seller of Vevo-specific advertising on all distribution platforms – including the sponsorship of video premieres. Vevo offers unique selling propositions for buyers to purchase National, Local and Multi-Cultural audiences at scale, in brand-safe environments, with guaranteed reach and all of the addressability of IP-delivered inventory.”

One thing remains clear from today’s announcement.  Should YouTube Music fail to succeed on a massive scale, expect more ‘strategic shifts’ at Vevo, including unexpected resignations and sudden dismissals.

Sony acquires a majority stake in EMI Music Publishing, becoming world’s largest music publisher.

Sony Corp has announced that it will pay $2.3 billion to gain the controlling stake in EMI Music Publishing.  The deal now makes Sony the world’s largest music publisher.

Sony’s publishing business already has 2.3 million tracks.  The deal now gives Sony control of EMI’s catalog of over 2 million songs.  Artists include Kanye West, Sam Smith, Sia, Alicia Keys, Queen, Carole King, and Pharrell Williams, among many others.

Digital Music News has all of the details.

Britain observes a minute of silence.

To mark the one-year anniversary of the deadly Manchester bombing at an Ariana Grande concert, Britain observed a nationwide minute of silence at 2:30 pm local time.  A memorial service started at 2:00 pm at Manchester Cathedral.  Before launching into a rendition of ‘Amazing Grace,’ Rogers Govender, the cathedral’s dean, said,

“There is a land of the living and a land of the dead, and the bridge between them is love – the only survival, the only meaning.”

UTA signs Randy Jackson.

United Talent Agency (UTA) has signed music industry executive and former American Idol judge Randy Jackson.  Jackson has previously collaborated with high-profile artists, including Bob Dylan, Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, and Keith Richards, among many others.

The Billboard Music Awards reaches an all-time low.

The 2018 Billboard Music Awards hit an all-time ratings low last Sunday.  The event averaged a 2.1 rating in adults 18-49 and 7 million viewers.  The numbers don’t include West Coast viewership.  Last year’s show drew a 2.3 rating and 7.7 million viewers before adjusting to a 2.6 rating and 8.7 million viewers.  This year’s Billboard Music Awards lost 10% of its key demographic and 9% of its average viewership.

Well, so much for Spotify’s Hate Content policy.

Spotify’s new Hate Content and Hateful Conduct public policy hasn’t affected R. Kelly’s streams.  In fact, it’s only boosted his average streaming numbers.  According to the Associated Press, his music had averaged 6,584,000 streams per week on Spotify.  Following the change on May 10^th, the singer has received 6,676,000 streams.

Spotify may have 150 million total subscribers in 2020.

According to Raymond James analyst Justin Patterson, Spotify will have 150 million total subscribers by 2020.  The company’s market share gains, new geographies, and family plans will contribute to the boost in numbers.  In a note to clients, Patterson wrote,

“The music industry is shifting from a transactional to on-demand model, and Spotify is well positioned to double its subscriber base, expand gross margin, and generate material free cash flow.”

Deezer offers 99 cent subscriptions, reaches 14 million users.

Deezer is now offering new users a Premium+ subscription to its streaming service for 99 cents.  Premium+ users will have unlimited, ad-free access to 53 million tracks from around the world and the option to download their favorite playlists and listen offline.  The French-based streaming music service also confirmed that it now has 14 million monthly active users.

A next generation music label raises $15.5 million.

Amuse, a self-described ‘next generation’ music label, has closed a $15.5 million Series A round co-led by Lakestar and Raine Ventures.  Founded in Stockholm in 2015 by executives from Spotify, UMG, and Warner Music, Amuse aims to use data to create a new way for musicians to distribute their musically globally and for artists to be discovered.  The company’s Board of Directors include Edgar Berger (former Chairman and CEO of Sony Music International) and Jörg Mohaupt (former Warner Music Group board member).  The record label has now offered free distribution and analytics to artists.

Iconic Artists announces software to track and report copyright infringement in real-time.

Music tech company Iconic Artists LLC has announced the beta testing of its copyright infringement and reporting software, StreamTrack.  The software logs and reports copyright infringement related to streaming music in real-time.

Royal wedding pushes up global streams.

At least one royal wedding performer has seen a massive increase in his global streams.

Spotify confirmed that global streams of 19-year-old cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason have increased 428%.  Deezer reported that Kanneh-Mason’s cover of ‘Hallelujah’ rose 177%, ‘Evening of Roses’ 630%, and ‘No Woman No Cry’ 862%.

Following the ceremony, Spotify said that The Royal Wedding: The Official Album has received over 100,000 streams worldwide.  Ben E King’s ‘Stand By Me’ rose 30%.  Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)’ saw a 15% increase.

BTS’ breaks yet another record on YouTube.

BTS’ ‘Fake Love’ has become 2018’s biggest music video debut on YouTube.  Following the release of the group’s latest album, Love Yourself: Tear, the video amassed 35.9 million views in its first 24 hours.

Red Tail Concerts merges with 35 Concerts to form Red Tail Entertainment.

Red Tail Concerts, an independent entertainment company, will merge its business with fellow indie promoter 35 Concerts.  The two companies will now operate as Red Tail Entertainment.  Marc Engel, former President of 35 Concerts, will now serve as President of Red Tail Entertainment.  Phil Drayer will serve as CEO.  The company will consist of a presenting division – Red Tail Live! – and a concert production unit – Red Tail Productions.

CTS Eventim acquires Doctor Music.

European ticketing giant CTS Eventim has acquired a majority stake in Spanish promoter Doctor Music.  The acquisition marks the ticketing giant’s first entry into the Spanish concert market.  It also brings the total number of European countries where it operates to 10.  Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Sony/ATV extends deal with Luis Fonsi.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing has extended its worldwide deal with songwriter and artist Luis Fonsi.  The new agreement includes ‘Despacito’ and a number of Fonsi’s chart-toppers, including ‘Aquí Estoy Yo,’ ‘No Me Doy Por Vencido,’ ‘Nada Es Para Siempre,’ and ‘Échame la Culpa’ with Demi Lovato.

Featured image – YouTube screengrab

YouTube now directly competes with SoundCloud and Spotify.

YouTube has relaunched its ‘Artist on the Rise’ program and has named Jessie Reyez as its first featured performer.  Launched late last year, the program now includes promotion and programming on the video platform, plus advertising, social aspects, and fan events at YouTube Spaces.  The service now competes directly with SoundCloud’s ‘First on SoundCloud’ and Spotify’s ‘RISE’ initiatives.

No, rock stars haven’t sexually harassed women, says Roger Daltrey.

According to Roger Daltrey, sexual harassment against women doesn’t happen in the music industry.  Speaking with the Daily Mail’s Event magazine, The Who frontman said,

“Why would any rock star need to push themselves on women?…

“If it was going to be in the rock business, it would’ve been out by now.  It would’ve been out a long time ago.  I find this whole thing so obnoxious.  It’s always allegations and it’s just salacious crap. Like the allegations against Pete when he got arrested.”

The music industry on the verge of a “new dawn”…

Addressing attendees at The Great Escape, Crispin Hunt said that the music industry faces a “new dawn” thanks to streaming music platforms.  The multi-million-selling songwriter and producer claimed the new dawn will help “correct all the flaws of the past model.”

“The musical future is suddenly looking a lot brighter and with luck, we should be on the verge of an unprecedented musical revolution both in terms of scale and opportunity.  But it’s up to us, the creators, our industry, and the online platforms, to work together to get that future right.”

Hunt currently serves as Chairman of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors (BASCA).

APRA AMCOS presents Sabrina Robertson with The Lighthouse Award.

APRA AMCOS has announced the 2018 recipient of The Lighthouse Award – Sabrina Robertson.  She runs music management and publicity company Maths & Magic.  Robertson also manages Melbourne singer and songwriter Alexander Biggs.  Established in memory of Linda Gebar, The Lighthouse Award supports the professional development of female managers based in Victoria through a $5,000 ($3,777) grant.

Do wealthy people and hipsters look down on metal music?

According to Billy Corgan, people in the upper class and hipsters look down on metal music.  The Smashing Pumpkin frontman told Beats 1 Radio,

“For years I would take s—t about being a fan of metal – it should be beneath you.  It gets into weird class politics – most of the people who criticize people like us, for being who we are, what we are, or what we represent, had better backgrounds than we had.”

Niche Music Group distances itself from alleged ‘racist lawyer.’

New York attorney Aaron M. Schlossberg, dubbed the ‘racist lawyer’ on social media, represents several entertainment companies suing music organizations.  According to Variety, he represents a company called Niche Music Group in its $1 million lawsuit against Sony’s The Orchard.  Schlossberg also represents Todd Courtney’s Mammoth Entertainment in its lawsuit against the Global Poverty Festival, which produces the Global Citizen Festival.

Schlossberg’s racist rant against two Spanish-speaking deli workers in New York went viral last week.  Captured on video, the attorney ordered the two workers to speak English and threatened to call immigration officials.

Following the story’s publication, Niche Music Group has issued the following statement, distancing itself from the beleaguered lawyer.

“We were not aware of his views and he never expressed them to us.  We are appalled by his comments and behavior.”

Former Dave Matthews Band member sued for sexual harassment.

James Frost-Winn, a former street musician, has sued Dave Matthews Band violinist Boyd Tinsley.  Tinsley has confirmed that he no longer forms part of the Dave Matthews Band and vowed to “fight both in and out of court to repair the damage that has been done.”  Filed in King County, Washington, Winn claims that for years, the former DMB member sexually flirted with him with comments, sexting, and physical touches.  The band has since distanced itself from Tinsley.

The lawsuit reads,

“The harassment was in no way welcome and destroyed Plaintiff Winn emotionally… [he] was left with no choice but to walk away from the dream-turned-nightmare that he had been living.”

Apple takes fourth place in the global smart speaker war.

According to Strategy Analytics, Apple sold an estimated 600,000 Homepods during the first quarter of the year.  But that wasn’t enough to shake the rankings.  The market research company reported that Apple has taken the fourth spot in global smart speaker shipments.  Amazon, Google, and Alibaba took the top three spots.

Image by Variety and Strategy Analytics

Ahead of its IPO next month, Sonos once again failed to rank on the list, likely landing in the ‘Others’ category.

Alan Menken signs with Warner/Chappell Music

Award-winning composer and songwriter Alan Menken has signed a worldwide deal with Warner/Chappell Music.  He has won eight Academy awards and has received eleven Grammys.  Menken is currently working on the Broadway production of A Bronx Tale as well as on the live-action adaptation of Disney’s Aladdin.

LiveXLive signs exclusive global live streaming deals with Montreux Jazz Festival.

LiveXLive and Montreux Jazz Festival have signed a five-year agreement.  Under the deal, LiveXLive has become the exclusive global live streaming and content partner for the festival outside of Switzerland.

Prince memorabilia sells for way more than auctioneers expected.

Julien’s Auctions has sold a collection of Prince memorabilia in New York for a lot more than initially expected.  A doll featured as a prop in Purple Rain sold for $12,500.  Julien’s Auctions had expected between $2,000 and $4,000.  A stage-worn jumpsuit, expected to go for $6,000 to $8,000, sold for $27,500.  A dark purple tunic Prince work in 1996, estimated to sell within the same range, went for $25,000.  A white Schecter ‘cloud’ guitar sold for $30,000.

Julien’s Auctions estimated that it would sell Prince’s custom-made yellow ‘cloud’ guitar between $60,000 and $80,000.  It went for $225,000.

Erin Mills and James Paterson named Directors at Listen Up.

Listen Up, a London and LA-based music promotions company, has promoted Erin Mills and James Paterson as its new directors.  Both had joined the company as interns before working their way through the company’s ranks in the radio and press departments.  Listen Up currently represents Wiley, Marshmello, Elderbrook, Porter Robinson, Waka Flocka Flame, Children Of Zeus, Patrick Topping, Loco Dice, Black Coffee, Tale Of Us, Solardo, and Jonas Blue.

Michael Cohl joins Civilized Worldwide.

Civilized Worldwide Inc. has announced that former Live Nation Chairman and concert producer Michael Cohl has joined the company as an investor and member of its Board of Directors.  The company currently operates civilized.life, a news and entertainment website, and Civilized Studios, a multi-platform video network.

Carter admits to minor spat at Spotify, denies exiting the company.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Troy Carter, Spotify’s Global Head of Creator Services, has denied rumors that he will leave the company.  Carter also admitted to his disagreement over the platform’s ‘Hate Content and Hateful Conduct Public Policy’.

“I don’t think it’s a secret that everybody didn’t agree.  Spotify is one of those companies where we debate about everything just because it’s such a diverse company.  Everybody has different point of views.  Everybody has different backgrounds.”

Featured image by Jordan Cameron (CC by 2.0)

Spotify’s double standard with R. Kelly.

Despite removing the troubled R&B singer from playlists on its service, Spotify still prominently features R. Kelly merchandise on sale.  The streaming music platform still has the artist’s merchandise page active, complete with an affiliate link that takes fans to a third-party site that sells the product.  Without removing the page, the company has since stated that it “doesn’t take any percentage of merch sales on the platform.”

The most popular wedding and first dance songs.

Spotify has revealed its annual list of most popular wedding and first dance songs around the world.  Ed Sheeran’s ‘Perfect’ and ‘Thinking Out Loud’ ranked as the most popular first dance songs.  Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ and Bruno Mars’ ‘Marry You,’ along with John Legend’s ‘All of Me’ and Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me),’ ranked among the most popular weddings songs around the world.  You can listen to the top 50 first dance songs here, and the top 50 wedding songs here.

Goodbye, YouTube Red.  Say hello to YouTube Music.

YouTube has confirmed that it will roll out its new streaming music service on May 22^nd.  Dubbed YouTube Music, the $10/month service will replace YouTube Red, now known simply as ‘YouTube Premium.’  YouTube Music will combine millions of “official” tracks along with the same user-uploaded music already found on its video platform.  Users who want to watch original programming – including Cobra Kai and What The Fit – will have to pay $12/month.  The service will roll out in 5 countries, including the US and Mexico.  It will also eventually replace Google Play Music.  Here’s everything we know about this new service so far.

YouTube finally credits artists, songwriters, labels, and publishers on its platform.

Ahead of the launch of its streaming music service, YouTube has now added artist, songwriter, label, and publisher credits to over 500 million videos on its platform.  The feature will provide credits and discovery information on both official music videos and user-generated content with recorded music.

Cary Sherman receives the Presidential Award at the 2018 Music Business Association conference.

RIAA Chairman and CEO Cary Sherman has become the first music industry lawyer and lobbyist to receive the Presidential Award at the annual Music Business Association conference.  He received the award on Wednesday, May 16^th.  Past recipients include Ahmet Ertegun, Dick Clark, Clive Davis, Russ Solomon, Mike Dungan, John Esposito, and Sylvia Rhone.

Yet another blockchain startup vows to ‘save’ the music industry.

Relatively unknown music startup Younk has announced that it will make the music industry accessible and profitable for both artists and the listening community.  Dubbed the ‘first decentralized community label,’ the blockchain-based platform allows fans to discover, support, and co-own hits.  The startup has invited music artists to join the platform with private pre-sales starting on May 18^th.

Support Act introduces a wellbeing helpline.

Support Act, an Australian charity organization, has outlined plans for the Australian music industry’s first 24/7 wellbeing helpline.  The organization unveiled the initiative during Music in the House, its annual fundraising luncheon.  Support Act will offer professional counseling free of charge to anyone working in the industry.  The completely confidential helpline will see mental health professionals help those in need.

Columbia Records signs Zhavia Ward.

‘The Four’ finalist Zhavia Ward has signed to RECORDS, a joint venture with Sony Music through its Columbia Records label.  Republic Records had reportedly passed on the signing.

DJ Khaled and Kendrick Lamar top the 2018 BET Awards nominations.

DJ Khaled and Kendrick Lamar have topped this year’s BET Awards nominations with six and five nods, respectively.  The 2018 BET Awards will take place on June 24^th at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater.

Adam Friedman named President of Banc of California Stadium Entertainment.

LAFC Sports, owned by Tom Penn, has announced the formation of Banc of California Stadium Entertainment (BOCSE).  Adam Friedman will serve as President of BOCSE and Executive Vice President of LAFC Sports.  Based in downtown Los Angeles, he’ll report directly to Penn.

Televisa names Lele Pons as host of La Voz Mexico.

Mexican multimedia network Televisa has named social media influencer Lele Pons as the host of ‘La Voz Mexico,’ the Mexican version of The Voice.  She’ll host the show’s next season, premiering October 14^th, 2018.

Fender’s Riffstation now absolutely free to use.

Fender has made its exclusive $35 Riffstation desktop application absolutely free on macOS and Windows.  Riffstation allows users to see the chords for any MP3 or CD track.  Users can slow down or speed up the music.  They can also transpose pitches, select portions of tracks to loop and learn, isolate instruments, play along with a metronome, and view chord shapes for guitars.

“Please, please, please attend the Labour Live Festival.”

British politician Jeremy Corbyn has urged supporters and MPs to back his party’s Labour Live Festival in London next month.  According to Huffington Post UK, the music festival has only sold around 15% of its total ticket allocation.

Has Yanni finally solved the Yanny vs. Laurel debate?

Greek icon Yanni has chimed in on the viral Yanny versus Laurel debate.  On a video posted on his Twitter account, the music producer and composer gave his answer – Yanny.  The viral debate started when Roland Szabo, a high school, polled his Instagram followers with the sound snippet.  Popular YouTuber Cloe Feldman then asked the question on Twitter.

FYF Fest announces makeup shows.

Following the cancellation of the event, organizers have announced makeup shows for FYF Fest.  My Bloody Valentine, Car Seat Headrest, Stephen Malkmus, and others will now give makeup shows between June 17^th to the 22^nd, with a special performance by Kali Uchis on September 21^st.

Live Nation and TCG Entertainment announce “4U: A Symphonic Celebration of Prince.”

Live Nation Urban and TCG Entertainment have announced the inaugural 4U: A Symphonic Celebration of Prince concert tour.  The 35-stop North American tour will officially start on September 8^th at the Wolf Trap Amphitheater in Washington DC.  It will end on October 21^st at the Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland.

The sixth annual Medicine Stone festival announces 2018 lineup.

The sixth annual Medicine Stone music festival heads back to Diamondhead Resort in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.  The three-day live music retreat will take place September 20^th to the 22^nd.  Tickets will go on sale on June 1^st at 9:00 am CT.  The 2018 lineup includes Jason Boland, Turnpike Troubadours, Randy Rogers, and Jamie Lin Wilson, among other musicians.

Featured image by Incase (CC by 2.0)

A better logo for TIDAL?

Even more accusations launched against TIDAL.

First, Norwegian financial newspaper Dagens Næringsliv (DN) found that TIDAL likely manipulated 320 million false sessions on genuine user accounts to drive up Beyoncé and Kanye West streams.  Then, DN found that the Jay-Z owned streaming music service abruptly dropped royalty payouts to labels from 62.5% to 55%.  Now, the Norwegian newspaper has found that TIDAL has failed to pay record labels on time.

Speaking to DN, multiple sources claim that TIDAL is “behind with payments directly to the three major international record companies.”  Two prominent Norway-based businesses – indie label Propellor Records and its distributor, Sony-owned Phonofile – confirmed the news.

Sveinung Rindal, CEO of Phonofile and Head of the Orchard in Norway, said,

“It is correct that there are delays in payments from Tidal.”

Frithjof Boye Hungnes, CEO of Propellor Records added,

“We have not been paid since October.”

The news confirms TIDAL’s poor financial standing.  Last December, Dagens Næringsliv found that TIDAL had enough cash to last only six months.

The UK’s Copyright Tribunal approves a new PRS Live performance license.

Following three years of discussions with PRS and representatives of the live sector, The Copyright Tribunal in the UK has approved the new terms of a new live music agreement.  In April 2015, PRS initiated a consultation on Tariff LP – which applies to live popular music events – with PRS members, licensees, stakeholders, and live sector industry bodies.  The key amendments to the tariff include:

The royalty rate for concerts and all other live music events within the scope of Tariff LP will increase from 3% to 4% (or 4.2%*).

The creation of a new royalty rate within the tariff for festivals that meet certain criteria.  For qualifying festivals, the royalty rate will drop from 3% to 2.5% (or 2.7%*).

The minimum charged fee for events will be waived entirely, providing music reporting requirements are met.

The incorporation of a direct licensing mechanism, as agreed with the live sector.

*The higher charge in both instances (4.2% and 2.7%) would apply to situations in which the licensee elects not to account to PRS in respect of revenue generated from booking fees, administration, and service charges.

Exactuals debuts Palantir for Music.

Exactuals, a service offering payment management software for the music industry, has debut R.AI.  The new tool, dubbed the ‘Palantir for Music,’ tracks songwriting information and rights across different platforms to ensure attribution for music distributors.  According to Exactuals, the company has tracked 59 million songs for their “Interested Party Identifiers,” International Standard Work Codes, and International Standard Recording Codes.  These ensure that songwriters and musicians receive payment for their work each time their songs are downloaded, streamed, covered, or viewed on distribution platforms.

Researchers find modern pop music in the UK may actually be much sadder than 30 years ago.

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine have found a downward trend in happiness and an increase in sadness in popular songs in the UK over the past three decades.  The study, published in Royal Society Open Science, analyzed 500,000 songs released between 1985 and 2015.  Researchers had categorized them according to the songs’ moods.  Co-author Natalie L. Komarova told the Associated Press,

“‘Happiness’ is going down, ‘brightness’ is going down, ‘sadness’ is going up, and at the same time, the songs are becoming more ‘danceable’ and more ‘party-like.”

Woman who accused XXXTentacion of assault was apparently just kidding.

XXXTentacion has dropped a defamation lawsuit against a woman after she signed a statement stating that she was “joking around.”  In the video, XXXTentacion hit the woman in the head.  After the video went viral last March, the woman wrote in Instagram,

“For those who are questioning why I didn’t come forth earlier was because I was terrified for my life…  Imagine someone doing that to you unprovoked?  At 16?  Let alone the people he associates himself w/?  Truth of the matter is I would still be holding onto this secret if it wasn’t leaked.”

UTA signs Vic Mensa.

United Talent Agency has signed Vic Mensa.  The rapper recently grabbed international attention by opening Jay-Z’s 4:44 tour.  Mensa has previously worked with Justin Bieber, Disclosure, and Beyoncé in their respective tours.  Last month, he joined Dua Lipa on her UK and Ireland tour.  The rapper is managed by Scooter Braun, David Appleton, and Cody Kazarian of SB Projects.  UTA will represent Mensa in all areas.

Would you use an alternative streaming music service if it fairly rewarded artists?

Choon, a blockchain-based streaming music platform, has published research showing that 52% of people would use an alternative streaming music service if it rewarded artists more fairly.  76% agree that they would love to see their favorite artists support themselves.

Other responses were all over the map.  For example, 13% of respondents believe artists get paid on the same day as their music has been streamed.  One-fifth believe that it takes artists one to three months to earn royalties from streaming music services.  31% added they feel it’s wrong for music labels to own a stake in these services.

The research also highlighted how people discover new music.  37% of respondents used playlists to discover new music.  36% used the suggestions given by the services.  Among 16-to-24-year-olds, more people preferred streaming service playlists over radio playlists to discover new artists and music, 43% to 41%.

YouTube tests Incognito Mode.

YouTube has started testing Incognito Mode for its mobile apps.  Android Police first spotted the feature.  Incognito Mode will only appear when users tap on their account avatar in the top right of the app.  When enabled, YouTube won’t save viewing and search activity, nor will it show new videos from subscriptions.  Only a few users have spotted the feature.

The CMA presents ‘The Country Consumer: The Next Phase of Streaming Growth.’

The Country Music Association (CMA) recently presented the panel, ‘The Country Consumer: The Next Phase of Streaming Growth.’  CMA Senior Director of Research Karen Stump introduced the panel, moderated by UMG Nashville’s Annie Ortmeier.  Stump presented CMA research slides detailing five key insights about Country and streaming.

Insights included positive signs for successful opportunities, streaming consumption making up a greater share of overall Country consumption globally, the Country audience as an active, core, and monetizable audience today, and the Country audience as a key segment for targeting new subscribers.  Data also shows that Country fans are the most loyal to physical consumption.  Amazon Music’s Emily Cohen, Pandora’s Beville Dunkerley, YouTube’s Margaret Hart, and Spotify’s Brittany Schaeffer also participated in the panel.

Live Nation establishes a female-oriented live music business fund.

Live Nation Entertainment has announced the Women Nation Fund.  The initiative aims to secure early-stage investment in live music businesses led by women.  The global entertainment company will provide access to its resources and capital for females working in concert promotions, events, and festival spaces.

Viacom lays off 100 employees.

As part of its efforts to streamline operations, Viacom has laid off 100 employees.  CEO Bob Bakish had signaled the cuts in the company’s quarterly earnings conference call on April 25^th.  A company spokesperson confirmed that the layoffs will help “strengthen and evolve Viacom for the future.”  The company will now focus on becoming a more agile and efficient organization.

Roc Nation announces key signings to its publishing operation in Nashville.

Roc Nation has signed Mustard, Cary Barlowe, Steven Lee Olsen, and Brandon Day to Rhythm House, the company’s joint venture in Nashville with singer and songwriter Jesse Frasure.

San Antonio Entertainment Complex breaks ground on May 16th.

Designer Hoefer Wysocki has announced the construction of the Santikos Entertainment Complex in San Antonio, Texas.  The new venue will include an amphitheater.  Wysocki has scheduled a groundbreaking ceremony on May 16^th.

Stevie Wonder announces a limited-engagement summer concert series.

Stevie Wonder has announced ‘The Stevie Wonder Song Party: A Celebration of Life, Love & Music.’  The limited-engagement summer concert series will take place in four cities: Las Vegas, Atlantic City, National Harbor, and Springfield.  Tickets start at $69 and go on sale Monday, May 21^st at 10 am PT.

Dice announces three key hires.

Ticketing and music discover app Dice has announced three new appointments.  The company has hired Jason Edwards as Head of Music UK.  In a newly created role, Dice has appointed former NME senior staff writer Leonie Cooper as Editor.  Patrick Duffy has also joined the company from Airbnb as Creative Lead.

Proper adds a new client and hires three new members.

Indie distributor Proper has hired three new members across its London and Dartford offices.  It has also signed up NewState Entertainment as a client.

In a newly created role, Proper has hired Erika Brennan as Head of Business and Commercial Affairs.  She previously served as the Senior Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs at BMG UK.  Proper has also hired Sue Brown as Royalties Manager.  She previously served at Plangent Visions, Zomba Music, and Union Square Music.  Indie veteran Pete Dodge will provide project management overview across a series of planned developments to Proper’s existing services and systems.

HMV announces its third annual Vinyl Week.

British retail chain HMV has announced the return of its Vinyl Week.  Coinciding with the 70^th anniversary of the 12” 33 1/3 vinyl LP format, the third annual event will run from Friday, June 8^th to Sunday, June 17^th.  Liam Gallagher leads the first wave of special releases announced with his album, As You Were, released on picture disc.  HMV will also exclusively feature limited releases of The Proclaimers’ Sunshine on Leith on yellow vinyl and Siouxsie & The Banshees’ Juju pressed on gold vinyl.

BBC Music launches BBC Music Introducing Live ‘18.

BBC Music has announced the launch of a new music festival, BBC Music Introducing Live ’18.  The event will welcome 15,000 budding musicians and industry talent to London’s Tobacco Dock from November 8^th to the 10^th.  The show aims to draw on the passion and experience of the UK music industry.  The music festival will compromise over 100 masterclasses and interactive sessions, performances, talks, practical workshops, and Q&As.  BBC Music Introducing Live ’18 will also feature over 250 speakers from all quarters of the music industry.

Deezer launches Ramadhan Channel to honor Muslim holy month.

To celebrate Muslim holy month, Deezer has launched the Ramadhan Channel in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.  The channel will host a selection of exclusive Qu’ran recitals, special prayer playlists, and tracks from popular Muslim artists. Musicians featured on the Ramadhan Channel include popular Muslim artists Dato Siti Nurhaliza, Dato’ AC Mizal, Afgan, Maher Zain, Hafiz Hamidun, Ungu, Sami Yusuf, Gita Gutawa, Unic, Chomel, and Raihan, among others.

Featured image by PxHere (CC0)

‘Blacklisted’ South Korean Boy band 24K

SoundCloud hires Mark Eisenberg.

SoundCloud has hired Mark Eisenberg as Senior Vice President of Content Partnerships.  He previously served as Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at SoundExchange.  Eisenberg will advance SoundCloud’s global content licensing efforts.  He will also strengthen the platform’s relationships with record labels, publishers, PROs, and collecting societies.  Based in SoundCloud’s New York office, Eisenberg will report to Chief Operating Officer Michael Weissman.

YouTube takes on Billboard with Expanded Music Charts.

YouTube has launched a Trending chart and relaunched its Expanded Music Charts in forty-four countries.  Updated several times a day, the Trending chart provides the platform’s first external list.  According to a blog post, it provides a unique, real-time view of the most-viewed new music on the platform.  The new YouTube charts also include Top Songs, Top Artists, and Top Music Videos.  The move comes after Billboard announced last week it would update its own music charts to favor paid subscription streams.

Modern Sky Entertainment builds a studio in Beijing and partners with Stephen Budd Music.

Chinese music company Modern Sky Entertainment has built a new studio complex in Beijing.  The company has also partnered with Stephen Budd Music to bring British producers to China.  The studio complex features four recording rooms and three control rooms.  It employs the same systems available in Abbey Road, AIR, and Capitol Studios.  The company’s in-studio team consists of Chen Dong, Wang Haichen, and Zang Lu.  Modern Sky Entertainment hopes that British producers will work with domestic artists in the country.

Frederick Jude buys a majority share in Snapper Music.

Managing Director Frederick Jude has bought British indie label Snapper Music from the Bryan Morrison estate.  The label has three imprints: Peace, a metal label, Kscope, a post-progressive and art rock label, and Madfish, a psychedelic rock label.  Snapper Music has a catalog of more than 12,000 songs.  Jude had worked at the label for 21 years prior to the buyout.  Morrison Music had purchased a majority stake in Snapper Music after publisher Bryan Morrison passed away.

Joe Van Gogh and Duke University issue statements over the firings of two coffee shop baristas.

Following the abrupt firings of two baristas over rap music at a coffee shop on campus, Duke University and Joe Van Gogh, a local coffee chain, have issued statements on the terminations.  Joe Van Gogh apologized for the firings and has offered the baristas their jobs.  Duke University President Vincent Price apologized for the Vice President’s complaints that led to the unwarranted sackings.  Earlier this week, Larry Moneta, the school’s Vice President, had complained to Joe Van Gogh after hearing a Young Dolph song play in the coffee shop.  Despite the baristas’ apologies and the quick removal of the track, he reportedly pushed Joe Van Gogh to fire the employees.

YouTube, Netflix bank on K-Pop.

To attract consumers, YouTube and Netflix have reportedly offered more K-Pop content on their respective platforms.  Netflix has approved more shows featuring K-Pop idols, including the premiere of ‘Busted!’ featuring EXO’s Sehun.  YouTube has partnered with BTS to promote its Red subscription service.  ‘BTS: Burn the Stage’ features a behind-the-scenes look of the group’s 20-city concert tour over a span of 300 days.

Hackers can wire your hard-earned cash from music playing over the radio.

Researchers in China and the US have found they can send hidden commands to Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri undetectable to the human ear using imperceptible music signals.  In university labs, researchers secretly activated the AI systems on smartphones and smart speakers, making them open websites and dial phone numbers.  In the wrong hands, the technology can unlock doors, wire money, and buy stuff online, simply by listening to music playing over the radio.

Apple files four trademark applications related to Shazam.

Ahead of the EU Commission’s ruling on its acquisition of Shazam, Apple has applied for the Shazam trademark in the US.  The company has also filed four trademark applications related to the acquisitions covering five International Classes.  The trademarks cover products and services including CarPlay and Augmented Reality.

In SongTrust we trust.

SongTrust, Downtown Music Publishing’s global digital rights management platform, now boasts 150,000 songwriters and 200,000 publishers among its clients.  In a little over a year, SongTrust added 50,000 songwriters and 5,000 publishers.  Downtown’s global digital rights management platform now represents 1 million copyrights.  According to the company, 1-in-5 new songwriters use the platform.

Ostereo launches a two-week music industry internship program.

Ostereo, a Greater Manchester-based record label, has now offered 80 people from the North West an opportunity to work in the music industry.  Following its rapid growth, the label has launched a two-week internship program.  The program will include training through workshops and seminars to provide insights into the music industry.  At the end of the internship, eight candidates will receive full-time jobs.  Launched in 2016, the digital-only label has over 20 international artists who have racked up over 2 billion streams globally.

Scott Hutchison passes away.

After an exhaustive search, authorities in Scotland have confirmed that Frightened Rabbit’s lead singer Scott Hutchison has passed away.  They found the singer’s body on Thursday night.  Authorities have yet to provide an official cause of death.  The singer had gone missing early Wednesday morning.  Band members were worried about his health, imploring fans for their help in finding the lead singer.  In a statement, family members confirmed that Hutchison had struggled with mental health problems.  They had remained positive he had taken time to “compose himself.”

Jessie Reyez outlines her sexual assault allegation against music producer Noel Fisher.

Two female singers have accused Beyoncé’s ‘Drunk in Love’ producer Noel Fisher of sexual assault.  Now, Island Recording artist Jessie Reyez has detailed her own accusation against him.  On Twitter, she confirmed that the lyrics to her 2017 song, ‘Gatekeeper,’ were about Fisher.  In the track, Reyez sings,

“Drink up, b—h, we got champagne by the cases / Don’t you know, we are the gatekeepers … You know you’re supposed to get drunk and get naked / 20 million dollars in a car/ Girl, tie your hair up if you wanna be a star/ 30 million people want a shot / How much would it take for you to spread those legs apart?”

Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson return to The Voice.

NBC has announced that The Voice will bring back Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson for Season 15.  Clarkson currently appears as a coach on the popular singing competition series.  Hudson had served as a coach in the show’s UK version.  The two will compete against Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine and country music star Blake Shelton.  Alicia Keys, who currently appears as a coach, will not return.

SoundExchange launches Music Data Exchange.

SoundExchange has launched Music Data Exchange (MDX).  Developed in cooperation with the RIAA and National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), the free software facilitates the exchange of sound recording, publishing data, and ownership claims between record labels and music publishers.

AST collects two streaming multimedia patent portfolios.

AST, a proactive patent risk mitigation solutions company, has acquired two streaming multimedia patent portfolios.  The first, a P2P media patent portfolio, was acquired from Napster.  AST acquired the second, a streaming media patent portfolio, from Intertainer.  The portfolios are now available on the open market through ICAP Patent Brokerage (ICAP IP) for purchase subject to all prior licenses.

Should Spotify have removed music from artists not yet found guilty?

Following Spotify’s decision to remove R. Kelly and XXXTentacion’s music from its playlists, 50 Cent has stepped in to defend both artists.  On Twitter, the rapper called out the company for removing music from artists who have yet to be convicted.

Nine Inch Nails announces North American tour.

Nine Inch Nails has announced the Cold and Black and Infinity North American tour in support of the group’s newest album, Bad Witch, releasing this June.  The tour kicks off in Atlanta on September 13^th.  The tour ends on December 12^th in Los Angeles.  The group will tour with alt-rock band, The Jesus and Mary Chain.

The Beach Boys team up with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Beach Boys will release an album featuring the group’s original songs with added symphonic arrangements from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.  According to co-founder Mike Love, the arrangements add “a whole other dimension” to their hits.  The album, The Beach Boys With The Royal Philharmonic Orchesta, will drop on June 8^th.

Blacklisting K-Pop artists.

According to a new report from Sports Kyunghyang, two now-jailed former South Korean presidents blacklisted almost 9,000 artists in the country from certain opportunities.  At the start of Lee Myung-bak’s administration, he blacklisted 342 organizations and 8,931 individuals.  One notable boy band in South Korea, 24K, missed multiple economic opportunities after singing the theme song for Park Geun-hye’s political opponent, Moon Jae-in, in 2012.  Moon has succeeded Park as President.

Featured image by 1thek (YouTube screengrab)

The RIAA goes all in against Grande Communications.

In its lengthy legal battle against ISP Grande Communications, the RIAA has filed a new complaint.  According to the trade organization, Grande has profited from repeat copyright infringers.  The RIAA claims infringers have become Grande’s most profitable customers as they use a costlier “a la carte” subscription.  The trade organization, representing several major music labels, filed a lawsuit against Grande Communications last year.  It has accused the ISP of “turning a blind eye to pirating subscribers.”

Morgan Evans announces an ambitious 10-day tour.

Rising Australian country music singer/songwriter Morgan Evans has announced his 10 in 10 Tour.  The star will perform in 10 cities in just 10 days.  Evans will kick off the tour on June 21^st in Los Angeles.  He’ll wrap up on June 30^th in Washington. DC.

The Recording Academy names its Diversity and Inclusion Task Force members.

Tina Tchen, Chair of the Recording Academy’s newly-formed task force on diversity and inclusion, has announced the names of 16 new members joining the force.  The Recording Academy oversees the Grammys, which became a focal point for discrimination following several controversial awards and comments from Academy president Neil Portnow.  Stephanie Alexa, Michele Anthony, Cam, Common, Sheryl Crow, Andra Day, Giselle Fernandez, Jimmy Jam, Beth Laird, Debra Lee, Rebeca Leon, Elizabeth Matthews, Dr. Stacy L. Smith, Ty Stiklorius, Julie Swidler, and Dean Wilson will serve alongside Tchen.  All members will volunteer their time and expertise.  According to the press release, none are employed by the Recording Academy or hold any position on its Board.

Sky Television signs a deal with Riptide.

Sky Television has signed a deal with Riptide Music Group.  Under the new agreement, Riptide will represent Sky’s newly launched trailer music label, Wall of Noise, across the US and Canada.  The Wall of Noise catalog joins other names in trailer music already represented by Riptide.

Big Thief announces international and US tour dates.

Brooklyn-based indie rock group Big Thief has announced tour dates in the US and Europe in support of the band’s 2017 album, Capacity.  The tour kicks off in Boston on May 25^th.  During the summer, the group will perform in Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Holland, Portugal, and the UK before heading to Canada.  Big Thief will wrap up in Atlanta on October 25^th.

J. Cole goes on tour.

Hip-hop artist J. Cole has announced a 34-date tour in support of his new album, KOD.  Produced by Live Nation and featuring special guest Young Thug, the tour kicks off in Miami on August 9^th.  The tour wraps up in Boston on October 10^th.

YouTube announces its 2018 Creators for Change Program.

YouTube has announced that nearly 50 top creators on its platform will join its “Creators for Change” program.  47 creators – 31 of whom are new members to the program – will use $5 million pledged by YouTube to raise awareness about severe global problems.  The 47 creators, selected from around the world, will discuss the issues most relevant to their region.  Topics include xenophobia, hate speech, and extremism as they appear in different countries.

Picture-in-picture on YouTube without a Red subscription.

According to a new report, some Android users now have access to a picture-in-picture mode on YouTube.  The feature was previously available to subscribers of the video platform’s Red service.  The company has confirmed that it has started testing the feature on a few Android devices.

Symphonic Distribution announces two key hires.

Indie distributor Symphonic Distribution has hired former Orchard executive Nick Gordon and former Universal Music executive Jamie Feldman.  Gordon will serve as Chief Client Officer and General Manager in New York.  He previously served as Vice President of Client Services at The Orchard.  Feldman, Symphonic’s first hire in Los Angeles, will serve as Content Development Specialist.  He previously served as Senior Director of A&R at Universal Music and Director of A&R at Capitol Music.

TIDAL’s counterfeit Beyoncé and Kanye West streaming numbers.

Jay-Z’s TIDAL has not only massively inflated its subscription numbers;  it may have also flat-out lied about the streaming numbers for two popular albums.

According to Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv, the beleaguered streaming music service lied about Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo and Beyoncé’s Lemonade.  Despite just having under 3 million subscribers at the time, TIDAL had reported that The Life of Pablo achieved 250 million streams in 10 days.  Lemonade had also reached 306 million streams in just 15 days.

You can check out Digital Music News’ full coverage of the controversy.

BTS announces comeback show in late May.

Popular boy band BTS’ comeback show will air on the Mnet music channel on May 24^th at 8:30 pm local time.  The group’s agency, Big Hit Entertainment, said that the performance will be made available for “real-time streaming by overseas online media” at the same time.  This will mark BTS’ first performance following the release of their highly-anticipated third album, Love Yourself: Tear, on May 18th.

 Vertigo launches Song Stories.

Vertigo, a social media music app, has launched its own Snapchat-style stories feature called Song Stories.  The feature allows users to access Spotify or Apple Music from within the Vertigo app.  Song Stories allows users to mix visual and musical experiences into easily shareable moments with friends and followers.

CMT announces its nominees for the 2018 CMT Music Awards.

Country Music Television (CMT) has announced the nominations and hosts for the 2018 CMT Music Awards.  Carrie Underwood, Florida Georgia Line, and Jason Aldean lead the nominations with four nominations each.  Little Big Town, nominated for three awards, will host the awards show for the first time.  The 2018 CMT Music Awards will premiere on Wednesday, June 6^th at 8 pm ET/PT.  Fans can vote for the winners at CMT.com.

Rich Music LTD signs with INgrooves.

Rich Music LTD has signed a distribution deal with indie distribution and marketing company INgrooves.  Nominated for Latin Rhythms Label of the Year in 2017, Rich Music is home to Justin Quiles, DJ Flow, Dalex, and Magnifico.  Father-son team Rich and Josh Mendez founded the label in 2007.

Rogers & Cowan acquires ITB Worldwide.

Global music and entertainment PR agency Rogers & Cowan has acquired London-based marketing agency ITB Worldwide.  The deal gives Rogers & Cowan access to fashion brands and influencers.  ITB has been behind high-profile artist brand partnerships including Jamie Hince and Mango, H&M and Katy Perry, The Weeknd, MIA and Foxes, and Pharrell and GStar.  ITB Worldwide has retained its name and joins Rogers & Cowan as part of the Octagon Sports and Entertainment Network of agencies.

Pulse Music Group Acquires Hitcher.

Pulse Music Group has acquired Hitcher, a firm specializing in synch placement, marketing, and music supervision.  The company will absorb Hitcher into its film and television division.  As part of the deal, Pulse has named Hitcher founder Joe Rangel as Head of Sync, Creative, and Licensing.  Hitcher’s client roster has included Prince, Cash Money, Island Def Jam, Parlophone, 300 Entertainment, and Universal Republic.  Pulse has also purchased Rangel’s shares in Hitcher.

Sony/ATV remains atop Billboard Charts and wins Publisher of the Year.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing has published or co-published every No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart for 52 weeks in a row.  The company’s uninterrupted run comes at songwriter Drake achieved a fourth week at No. 1 with ‘Nice For What.’  Sony/ATV has been represented on the No. 1 song since May 2017.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing has also won Publisher of the Year at the BMI Pop Awards.  This marks the fourth time that Sony/ATV has won the award in five years.  Sony/ATV songwriters also received pop awards for 26 songs at the BMI Pop Awards.  The company’s winners included Camila Cabello, Alessia Cara, Luis Fonsi, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran, who also won Song of the Year for ‘Shape Of You.’

A second copy of The Beatles’ ‘Love Me Do’ single breaks the $10,000 mark on Discogs.

A second copy of The Beatles’ first demonstration single for Parlophone ‘Love Me Do’ has sold through Discogs for $10,553.  Released on October 5th, 1962, the record is one of only 250 issued with McCartney incorrectly spelled in the writing credit as McArtney.  Last October, the same variant of ‘Love Me Do’ broke the record for the most expensive 7 inch sold on Discogs, selling for $14,757.

It’s chocolatey delicious.

Kellogg’s Chocolate Frosted Flakes has teamed with Simon Cowell’s new boy band, Prettymuch, to release the group’s first record on a record made completely out of Chocolate Frosted Flakes.  The edible and surprisingly playable “vinyl” record made from cereal and chocolate features Prettymuch’s latest single, ‘Hello.’  As part of the promotion, fans and media met the band and picked up the limited-edition chocolate records at a meet-and-greet in New York City.

Deezer announces an exclusive soccer partnership with RRI.

Deezer has teamed with Radio Republic Indonesia (RRI) to offer soccer fans the chance to hear live matches from the Indonesian Football League.  The French-based streaming music service will start streaming the matches on May 12^th at 6:30 pm JKT.  The partnership includes live football matches of Liga Indonesia Premier League and the 2018 World Cup from RRI.  Fans can also listen to additional sports and news programming from RRI PRO3.  Deezer will also stream traditional Indonesian music from RRI PRO4.

Featured image by OnInnovation (CC by 2.0)

SOCAN inks an agreement with Ducapro.

SOCAN has announced an agreement with performance rights organization Ducapro. The agreement allows SOCAN to deliver back-office royalty administration services across the Caribbean island countries of Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, and St. Maarten.

American Express throws its support behind the Australian music industry.

American Express has announced the American Express Music Backers Program, a $1 million investment to support the Australian music industry.  Over the next year, the program will offer music businesses, artists, and fans the opportunity to access financial support, mentorship, and other tools.  The American Express Music Backers Program will connect music fans with their favorite bands in the country.  Selina’s, a venue in Sydney, is the first Music Backers recipient.  Tomorrow, it will host a free show by The Killers.

Andrew Colvin and Adam Voith join WME.

WME has hired music agents Andrew Colvin and Adam Voith from Billions.  Based in Nashville, the duo brings a roster of clients including Mumford & Sons, Bon Iver, Jason Isbell, and Vampire Weekend.  The move comes after former CAA Nashville co-head Scott Clayton joined WME as a partner.  Ex-CAA festival department co-head Matthew Morgan and Buster Phillips also joined WME.

Spotify now streams your favorite music — and tells you the story of how they were made.

Spotify has signed a deal with Bloomsbury Publishing, a British indie publishing house.  The European streaming music service will now offer audiobooks on the production of some of the world’s most popular albums.  Offerings will include audiobooks on Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA, David Bowie’s Low, and Metallica’s Black Album.  Bloomsbury Publishing is best known for releasing the Harry Potter novels.

Facebook takes on Musical.ly.

Instagram may be launching a very serious music feature. Recent changes in the app’s code reveal that users will search for music alongside other content.  This includes searching for songs, genres, and even musical moods.  Music will reportedly play when viewing other users’ Instagram Stories.

This could be very, very big — our full coverage starts here.

Roger Vorce passes away.

Roger Vorce, co-founder of the Agency for the Performing Arts, has passed away.  He was 88.  At the time of his passing, Vorce held the title of Chairman Emeritus at the talent agency.  He co-founded the company with former MCA executives David Baumgarten and Harvey Litwin.  Vorse represented Liberace, Johnny Cash, Harry Belafonte, Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee, and Ginger Rogers, among others.

Choon launches with notes token payments.

Blockchain streaming music service Choon has launched its beta program.  The service allows users the opportunity to listen to indie music.  Artists on the platform receive payments with /NOTES tokens, exclusive to the platform.  The beta program now has over 1,000 tracks from 500 artists, with several thousand more on a waiting list.

Dr Dre ≠ Dr. Drai.

The US Trademark Trial & Appeal Board has ruled against Dr. Dre in a lengthy trademark battle with a gynecologist.  The case first emerged in 2015, when Pennsylvania-based gynecologist Draion M. Burch attempted to trademark his nickname, Dr. Drai.  The gynecologist has released several books and videos, along with a YouTube channel, under the name.  The US Trademark Trial & Appeal Board ruled that Dr. Dre failed to show the similar names would mislead consumers.

Taylor Swift holds a private concert for foster and adoptive families.

Taylor Swift invited 2,000 foster children and adoptive families to a final dress rehearsal in Arizona.  According to one mother, the singer performed her entire 2-hour concert ahead of her Reputation tour.  Swift also bought everyone pizza and desserts afterwards.

Clive Miller joins Support Act as CEO.

Clive Miller has joined Support Act, an Australian charity, as its new CEO.  The registered non-profit organization raises funds to provide crisis relief arising from illness and accidents among people working in the Australian music industry.  Miller will start on May 21st and will replace current CEO Joanna Cave, who leaves Support Act after 5 years.

Arcade Fire honored at Canadian Music Week.

On May 10th, during Canadian Music Week, Arcade Fire will be honored for their charity work.  The group had previously received the International Achievement Award at the Juno Awards gala dinner.  Frontman Win Butler told over 1,500 members of the music industry and fellow artists then to be more philanthropic.

AIR Studios up for grabs.

London’s AIR Studios, founded by Sir George Martin, is up for sale.  Major names in the industry – Paul McCartney, Adele, Coldplay, and U2, among many others – have recorded their music at AIR Studios.

Live Nation strengthens New Zealand team.

Live Nation has made several strategic changes to its New Zealand team.  The company has named Stuart Clumpas as Chairman of Live Nation New Zealand.  Rick Latham and Steve Wheadon have been named Head of Operations and Head of Production, respectively.  Live Nation has also promoted Mark Kneebone to the role of Head of Promotions.

Jana Gibson heads up APRA AMCOS membership.

Jana Gibson has accepted the role of Head of Member Services at APRA AMCOS.  She’ll start on June 1st.  Dean Ormston, the current Head of Member Services, will serve as CEO of APRA AMCOS starting July 1st.  In the new role, Gibson will oversee member initiatives, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Office, SongHubs, SongMakers, and outreach programs.

The Spice Girls will return.

Mel B has confirmed that popular 90s girl group the Spice Girls will return to touring.  The group will also reportedly make new music and have signed with the group’s former manager, Simon Fuller.

Tom Coulson-Smith joins Warner Chappell Music.

Warner/Chappell Music has announced that Tom Coulson-Smith will join the company as A&R Manager.  Based in London, he’ll report to Amber Davis, A&R Director of Warner/Chappell Music UK.

XITE signs a deal with fuboTV.

Dutch music video company XITE has reached an agreement with US OTT provider fuboTV to launch three new music videos in the US.  The networks, which broadcast the most popular music videos, are now available completely localized through fuboTV.

Who are rap’s biggest Momma boys?

In honor of Mother’s Day, LyricFind has published an infographic about which artists rap about their ‘Mommas’ the most.  Snoop Dogg topped the list with 58 mentions about his mother.  2 Chainz took second place with 51 mentions.  2Pac, Lil Uzi Vert, and Kanye West rounded out the top 5 with 24, 22, and 20 mentions, respectively.

COLORS announces R&B Only’s Summer tour dates.

Entertainment company COLORS Worldwide has announced its Summer tour dates for “R&B Only.”  The tour, scheduled for 26 stops across the US, kicks off in Las Vegas on June 2nd.  The R&B Only Summer Tour will end in the Bay Area in California on September 7th.  Fans interested in purchasing tickets can find out how here.

Looks like Google won’t have three separate music streaming services after all.  Yet, why has YouTube Remix repeated the same mistakes the parent company made with Play Music and YouTube Red?

According to a new report, Google Play Music will become history by the end of this year.  So, what will happen to existing subscribers? Simple.  Google will allegedly force them onto its new music streaming service, YouTube Remix.  The news comes from a source that spoke directly to Droid Life, an Android commentary, news, and review website.

The source didn’t explain how Google will phase out Play Music.  The website only specified that the company “will do a forced adoption of Remix by the end of this year.”

We’ve known about the search giant’s new music streaming service for a while.  Last December, sources told Bloomberg that parent company Alphabet had planned to launch the service this March.  Of course, it hasn’t.  Yet, an unanswered question looms over the company.  Alphabet already has Play Music and YouTube Red.  So, why would the company launch yet another streaming music service?  Simple.  Because corporate executives want a large slice of the streaming revenue pie.  Yet, don’t expect their new strategy to work.

Google’s uphill battle to remain relevant in the streaming music market.

With both YouTube Red and Play Music combined, Alphabet has around several million paying subscribers.  Compare that to Amazon’s “tens of millions of users” with Prime Music and Music Unlimited.  Apple Music now has well over 40 million users.  And, with over 71 million paying subscribers, Spotify has the global streaming music market locked down.

With the launch of YouTube Remix, executives apparently fail to notice that streaming music profit margins remain incredibly thin.  In a recent financial note, Macquarie Research analyst Ben Schachter found that Apple Music has a gross margin of 15%, a figure noticeably lower than Spotify’s 23-25%.  In addition, after ten years in the market, Spotify has yet to turn a profit.  Ahead of its launch on Wall Street this month, the European streaming music platform revealed that losses amounted to $1.5 billion last year.

As noted earlier, YouTube Remix marks Alphabet’s third attempt to break into the mainstream music market.  Of course, top executives know that YouTube has had a historically rocky relationship with the industry.  In its Global Music Report 2018 Report, the IFPI noted that user-uploaded services – i.e., YouTube – have severely underpaid artists, creators, and producers for their work.  While Spotify pays the industry around $20 per user annually, YouTube pays under $1.  Spotify has over 71 million paying subscribers.  YouTube has over 1.3 billion users streaming music on its platform for free.

To appease industry executives, the video platform’s head of music, Lyor Cohen, has managed to score multiyear licensing deals with major labels.  He promised at SXSW that the video platform will launch a product “that will you be proud of.”  Shutting down Play Music and converting existing YouTube users appears to be part of the platform’s long-term strategy.

Seemingly confirming the news, a YouTube spokesperson gave a surprising nod to Droid Life’s report.

“We’ve previously announced the combination of the YouTube Music and Google Play product teams — music is very important to Google so it’s critical we have one offering that meets the needs of consumers and artists.  Nothing will change for users today and we’ll provide plenty of notice before any changes are made.”

Yet, once YouTube Remix launches, it will compete directly with major streaming music market leaders.  And they won’t lose subscribers anytime soon.

According to Schachter, Apple Music will likely reach 110 million paying subscribers in three years.  Amazon has plenty of room to grow in the market now that it has over 100 million users paying for Prime.  Prime Music remains a key perk of having a Prime membership.  Spotify has gone all in with Freemium.  Analysts see the European service’s revamped free version as its best defense against competitors, namely Apple Music.  In fact, on Investor Day last March, Gustav Söderström, Spotify’s Chief Product Officer, explained how the company’s free tier service helps the company gain paying subscribers.  It seems to have worked.  Around 43% of the European service’s total monthly active users pay for a subscription.  What’s YouTube’s strategy?  To flood its existing 1.3 billion users with ads until they pay up.  That clearly hasn’t worked with Play Music nor YouTube Red.  So, why would it this time with Remix?

For Spotify, providing ‘free’ on-demand music would serve as a powerful incentive to woo spurned YouTube users.  If successful, the European service would do something Alphabet has yet to accomplish: convert a large part of YouTube’s 1.3 billion free users to paying subscribers.

Lyor Cohen vows that the company will provide a fantastic product once it launches YouTube Remix.  Yet, Google and YouTube clearly haven’t learned from their past mistakes.  Will the third time be the charm for Alphabet?  I’d wholeheartedly bet against it.

A neural network on what you love to listen to.

Music Audience Exchange (MAX) has unveiled its Artist Matching Engine.  The platform’s data model uses neural networks to map music tastes onto the demographic, psychographic, geographic and behavioral attributes of music listeners.  Ford is among the first brands to leverage the platform’s insights. The Artist Matching Engine is the result of a 3-year project from a team of engineers & data scientists.

Goodbye, third-party ad serving on YouTube.  In Europe, at least.

YouTube will close access to third-party ad serving and pixel tracking globally.  This comes a month before the European Union’s privacy regulation, dubbed General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) goes into effect.  A memo obtained by AdExchange reads,

“YouTube will no longer support third-party ad serving on reserved buys in Europe beginning May 21, and it will assess whether to extend that policy globally.”

Advertisers who don’t use DoubleClick Campaign Manager will have to “retraffic their ads” by May 21st to avoid “any downtime in delivery.”

Going to the movies.

Michelle Slavich, a high-ranking communications executive at Google, has joined Warner Bros. Pictures.  She will serve as the Executive Vice President of Global Publicity and Strategy.  Slavich oversaw entertainment PR and corporate communications at YouTube.

‘Strong-arming’ Iowa.

Live music advocates in Iowa have taken a stand against Live Nation.  The company plans to open two music venues in Des Moines’ East Village.  It partnered with Christensen Development, a local company, to propose a $12 million to $15 million renovation of the Argonne Armory.  Live Nation and Christensen Development would create two theaters holding 2,000 and 800 people, respectively.  In light of a recent government investigation into Live Nation’s ‘strong-arm business tactics,’ city music leaders and entrepreneurs have strongly opposed the plan.  Dan Green, Director of the 515 Alive Music Festival, said,

“These guys will control everything.  They’ll control the tours.  They already control the ticketing.  It creates a complete monopoly.”

Taylor who?

Cardi B has obliterated a streaming record previously held by Taylor Swift.  The rapper’s newest album, Invasion of Privacy, has racked up over 100 million streams on Apple Music.  It set a record for first-week streams by a female artist on the service, more than double the record previously held by Taylor Swift’s Reputation.  Invasion of Privacy has now become the fifth most-streamed album on the platform, surpassing The Weeknd’s Starboy and Ed Sheeran’s Divide.

Even more exclusives on Apple Music.

Australian EDM producer Flume has announced two new music documentaries exclusively on Apple Music.  According to 9to5Mac, the first documentary, Flume: When Everything Was New, will likely focus on his rise to fame.  The second, Sleepless: The Story of Future Classic, may document Flume’s career and his involvement with indie label, Future Classic.  Both documentaries will drop on April 20th.

“Alexa, hear all of my conversations, please.”

Amazon has patented a “voice sniffing” algorithm.  The patent describes listening in to conversations and building a profile of consumers’ likes and dislikes.  The company may use the patent on its Echo speakers.  In a statement, Amazon immediately dismissed rumors of invading users’ privacy.

“We do not use customers’ voice recordings for targeted advertising.  Like many companies, we file a number of forward-looking patent applications that explore the full possibilities of new technology.”

$100 million in revenue.  $74.5 million in losses.

SoundCloud has filed its 2016 financials through Companies House in the UK.  While the company’s revenues rose 88.9% to €50.3 million ($62 million), net losses also grew 45.7% to €74.5m ($91.9 million).  Cost of sales, which include royalties, increased by 135.9% to €36.1 million ($44.5 million).

Fruit Punch Music – Basically Spotify for kids.

Fruit Punch, Inc. has announced the world’s first streaming music platform made just for children.  Dubbed Fruit Punch Music, the app lets families access a huge library of ad-free parent-approved ‘appropriate’ music.  Kids will have access to dozens of stations ranging from Pop to Country, Alternative Pop to Disney.  They’ll hear songs from artists including Maroon 5, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and The Temptations.  Parents can sign-up for a free 7-day trial.  They can then pay $3.99 a month or $24.99 a year to continue using the app.

Blockchain music payments – merely overly inflated promises without a proven foundation.

Blockchain startup Soundpruf will offer a web and mobile software application built on blockchain technology.  It will aggregate every user’s music listening portfolio and pay artists and listeners in cryptocurrency for streaming sessions via Spotify or another streaming music platform.  Yet, how exactly the application will work as well as payout rates remain unknown.

Avoid threats to your music business.

INgrooves, a distribution and marketing company, has launched a new data-mining tool.  It will help labels sift through and make sense of copious amounts of information flowing from digital services to music suppliers.  The tool is aimed at making it easier for clients to spot marketing opportunities and potential business threats.  All labels currently distributed by INgrooves can access the tool through their personal portals on the company’s website.

Not dying anytime soon, apparently.  But, yeah, it probably will.

In a statement to The Sun, Apple has denied that the company will shut down iTunes.  The company had reportedly sent a letter to music industry partners titled ‘The End of iTunes LPs.’  In it, Apple reportedly stated that it would phase out iTunes by March 31st, 2019.

Following in Gibson’s footsteps?

This is looking familiar: Guitar Center has announced the expiration and final results of its previously announced exchange offer and consent solicitation.  The company had offered to exchange its existing 9.625% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2020 for 5% Cash/8% PIK notes due 2022.  The Unsecured Notes have a $325 million aggregate principal amount outstanding. Meanwhile, sales forecasts for the once-solid retail giant are sinking — for reasons that sound similar those being experienced by Gibson Guitar.

Featured image by Mike Prosser (CC by 2.0)

Genius and YouTube have announced the launch of an experimental music series.  Dubbed Song Stories, the behind-the-music experience will combine in-depth artist interviews with interactive elements that play along as users move through each Story.  Current videos include Lil Uzi Vert’s ‘XO TOUR Lif3,’ Cardi B’s ‘Bartier Cardi,’ and Joy Division’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart,’ among others.

[Genius]

Making new memories for fans.

The Chainsmokers have launched their new documentary series, The Chainsmokers – Memories.  Released on Apple Music, the series provides a behind-the-scenes look into the preparation for last year’s Memories…Do Not Open tour.  The launch of the documentary follows the release of the group’s latest single, ‘Everybody Hates Me.’

[AntiMusic]

Enjoy a hybrid radio experience.

TagStation, owner of the NextRadio app, has announced that its hybrid radio app is now available on new JVC and Kenwood head units.  The head units will come enabled with Abalta Technologies’ WebLink software platform.  When a driver connects a smartphone to a JVC or Kenwood WebLink-compatible head unit, the phone’s Internet connection allows NextRadio for WebLink to download album art, station logos and other images to the head unit screen.  Local AM/FM radio broadcast audio comes over-the-air via the head unit’s tuner.

[TagStation]

Making music with film and TV.

Universal Music Enterprises has appointed Stephen Bolles as Vice President of Film and TV Music.  In the newly created role, he’ll be responsible for marketing Universal Music Group repertoire to East Coast film and television clients and ad agencies.  Bolles will be based in New York and will report directly to Tom Rowland, Executive Vice President of Film and TV Music.

[Variety]

Willing to prostitute your personal life for fame?

In an interview with Stuff, Sheryl Crow has slammed the music industry.  Calling it “brand-oriented,” the 56-year-old singer/songwriter said,

“You practically have to prostitute your personal life in order to have people interested in you – and then hope they like your music.”

[Metro]

Want to buy my resale ticket?

Ticket Summit has announced that Ticketmaster Resale will sponsor its July 2018 conference.  It will also give a dedicated session at the event.  The dedicated session will discuss Resale technology and products as well as the future of ticketing.  Representatives will also demo Ticketmaster Resale, as well as take questions at the company booth in the Trade Show Hall.

[GlobeNewswire]

Muscling the competition out of the concert industry.

The New York Times reported that Justice Department officials have begun a probe whether Live Nation has abided by an antitrust agreement.  Now, Ticketmaster has fought back against accusations that say it has forcibly stifled competition in the music industry.  In a blog post, Jared Smith, President of Ticketmaster, refuted the devastating accusations.

“We take our obligations under the DOJ Consent Decree very seriously and we do not ever knowingly violate it.”

[Bloomberg]

Rock and roll for toddlers.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will receive $4.1 million over the next five years to help expand its youth education programs and community activities.  The Rock Hall announced that PNC Bank has pledged $3.75 billion to support free events, interactive exhibit storytelling, and live music.  The PNC Foundation has also pledged $375,000 to help underwrite Toddler Rock, the youth education program.

[Hollywood Reporter]

Too late to avoid regulation, says Apple.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has publicly lambasted embattled Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the company’s poor practices.  Responding to concerns over user privacy on Facebook, Cook told MSNBC’s Revolution,

“I think the best regulation is no regulation, is self-regulation.  However, I think we’re beyond that here…  Privacy to us is a human right, a civil liberty.”

Cook also said that under him, Facebook’s user privacy controversy would have never happened.

[Billboard]

Time to get paid.

A New York district court has ordered music events company CMJ to pay over $550,000 to four former employees.  Filed in December 2016, the employees claimed that CMJ had stopped paying them in 2015.  The company had also failed to pay them for overtime, with CMJ extending their workweeks at times to 60 hours.

[Billboard]

Not on this side, Grande.

Christopher Ryan O’Connor has filed a lawsuit against UMG over Ariana Grande’s single, ‘Side to Side.’  Filed in a federal court in Texas, the songwriter claims that the song is ‘essentially’ his.  O’Connor has asked the court for retroactive royalty payments rightfully due for his role in the composition.

[TheWrap]

Between a rock and a hard place.

Billionaire Richard Branson has announced that he will purchase the famed Hard Rock hotel and casino in Las Vegas.  It will continue to operate as part of the Hard Rock brand through 2019.  It will then become known as Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.  The hotel will reportedly undergo hundreds of millions of dollars in renovations over multiple phases.

[Fortune]

Featured image by celebrityabc (CC by 2.0)

Lyor Cohen outlines why YouTube’s new music service will succeed.  Here’s why it won’t.

Last week in a keynote at SXSW, Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s Global of Head of Music, confirmed that the video platform would launch a new music service.  Code-named ‘Remix,’ multiple reports had placed the launch of Google’s (3rd) subscription-based music platform launch in early March.

It will now likely launch at the end of this month.

Speaking about the new service, Cohen stated that YouTube’s music platform would have “the best of Google Play Music.”  It would also have the video platform’s “breadth and depth of catalog.”  But, with Google already owning Play Music and YouTube Red, how will the company attract users to its new music service?  Simple.

The answer: flood current YouTube music video watchers with ads until they have no choice but to subscribe.

But, why would people pay for music when they can already listen to it for free?

Speaking at SXSW, Cohen underscored how people who listen to music on YouTube actually want to pay.  Of course, he didn’t provide a clear strategy on how it would compete against Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.  Instead, in true smoke-and-mirrors fashion, Cohen merely stated,

“The only place in the industry where you can play both in-commerce and direct-to-consumer is YouTube.  Let’s use it.”

The company faces a truly difficult battle to convert current users.  Last year, the IFPI found that video streaming makes up more than half of all on-demand music streaming.  Because of its non-existent price tag, YouTube accounted for 46% of all time spent listening to on-demand music.

This gets worse.  Only 23% of users around the world listened to music through a paid audio streaming subscription.  That explains why Play Music and YouTube Red last reported nearly 7 million total subscriptions combined after several years on the market.

7 million is a lot of people — but not for behemoths like Google and YouTube combined.

With its past subscription-based services, Google has proven that it has yet to build an appealing streaming music platform.  So, to convert users, Cohen shared YouTube’s new strategy.

Why YouTube’s ‘frustrating ads’ strategy will most likely backfire.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Lyor Cohen said that passive music listeners on YouTube will encounter more ads.  They’ll face so many ads, he added, they’ll most likely subscribe.

“You’re not going to be happy after you are jamming ‘Stairway to Heaven’ and you get an ad right after that.”

In addition, Cohen admitted that with YouTube’s music service, it hopes to put an end to criticism from the music industry.  The company, despite a historically poor relationship with the music industry, recently managed to score major licensing deals.  With the service’s success, it hopes that major labels will finally become “good partners” with major labels.

Thus, people won’t write any negative ‘noise’ against the video platform.

“There’s a lot more people in our funnel that we can frustrate and seduce to become subscribers.  Once we do that, trust me, all that noise will be gone and articles people write about that noise will be gone.”

In fact, Cohen remains so confident that the music service will succeed, he added that the music industry may finally learn to appreciate YouTube.

“They will appreciate in time the advertising.  Everyone is drunk on the growth of subscription.”

Yet, frustrating current YouTube users with ads might not entice them to subscribe.

Doing a quick Google search, you’ll find many videos demonstrating how to watch videos ad-free on the platform.  You’ll also find sites dedicated to allowing you to watch YouTube videos without any ‘frustrating’ ads.

In addition, Ad-Block Plus, an add-on for Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Opera, as well as iOS and Android, provides ad-free viewing.  More than 100 million people around the world use this add-on program.  Plus, many of the apps in our MP3 music downloaders list come with built-in ad blockers for YouTube.

In short, if YouTube starts swamping music lovers with ads, why would they subscribe?  Just look at Spotify, the global streaming music leader.  It currently has 71 million subscribers.  With 159 million monthly active users, 88 million people around the world use the service’s free, ad-supported service.  The service provides 30 minutes of ad-free listening just for viewing a 30-second ad.

No, YouTube’s new ad-swamping strategy won’t lead to a successful streaming music service.  Not at all.

Instead, it will ultimately push users to seek other services, or jump on Spotify ‘Freemium.’   The company’s new music service will end up joining the ranks of Play Music and YouTube Red, both of which are all-but-forgotten.

Update: In a statement to Digital Music News, Google attempted to spin Lyor Cohen’s statement.  In amazing double-speak, a YouTube spokesperson confirmed that yes, it will swamp users with ads.  And, no, you can’t do anything about it, unless you subscribe, that is.

Our top priority at YouTube is to deliver a great user experience and that includes ensuring users do not encounter excessive ad loads.  We do not seek to specifically increase ad loads across YouTube.  For a specific subset of users who use YouTube like a paid music service today – and would benefit most from additional features –  we may show more ads or promotional prompts to upsell to our paid service.

So much for changing the music industry’s mind about YouTube.

Featured image by YouTube (screengrab)

Americans now use YouTube more than any other social network — by a huge margin.

According to a study published two weeks ago, only 3% of channels on YouTube will ever break the US poverty line.  And a German researcher discovered that since 2009, the pay gap has only increased.

These numbers stink: 96.5% of content creators on the video platform now won’t ever make enough to pay rent.  YouTube’s new monetization restrictions, implemented this year, have only widened the pay gap further.

Of course, don’t expect YouTube to feel the pinch.  While major advertisers have pulled out following two major controversies, new research shows many Americans still love using the video platform.

In fact, they’re glued to it.  According to the latest data, more people now use the video platform more than they use Facebook.

The Pew Research Center conducted a study to gauge Americans’ social media habits so far this year.  Researchers found that 73% of US adults regularly browse YouTube.  Only 68% of adults identified themselves as regular Facebook users.  The average American also used three out of eight popular social networking platforms.

When gauging the social media habits of younger Americans aged 18 to 24, researchers made a startling discovery.  While they frequently embrace multiple platforms, younger Americans apparently prefer YouTube.  35% identified as Instagram users.  29% said they mainly used Pinterest, 27% Snapchat, 25% LinkedIn, and 24% Twitter.

Only 22% of respondents said that they used Facebook-owned messaging service, WhatsApp.  Yet, a whopping 94% of Americans in this age group said that they regularly used YouTube.

Other than Facebook and YouTube, no other social media platform broke the 40% share among all Americans.

Among older Americans aged 55 and over, the video platform also narrowly beat out Facebook, 56% to 55%.  Instagram and Twitter ranked as the only other most-used social networks among this audience at 16% and 14%, respectively.

Only 7% of older Americans reported using Snapchat.

+ Snapchat Loses $1.7 Billion After a Single Kylie Jenner Tweet

No one seems to care about the YouTube ‘Adpocalypse.’

And when it comes to advertising snafus, maybe the media is more enraged than actual users.

Last year, The Times of London published a bombshell report.  It found that YouTube frequently placed ads right before questionable videos on the platform.  Users would see ads for Verizon, AT&T, L’Oreal, and the Royal Navy, among many others, right before terrorism and hate-filled content.

The result?  Many advertisers quickly pulled their advertising money from the platform.  Several have yet to return.  The company responded by changing its monetization policy, a move that proved detrimental to legitimate creators on the platform.  YouTube vowed to better monitor and control content on its platform.

Then, last November, the BBC, along with The Times of London, found that YouTube failed to monitor child predators.  Despite flagging users that preyed on videos of innocent children in their underwear, predatory accounts remained quite active.  In response, the video platform once again introduced sweeping changes to its monetization policy.  To start earning cash on the platform, a recent change has forced content creators to have at least 4,000 total hours of watch time or 1,000 subscribers.

For more information on Pew’s findings, you can check out the complete study here.

Featured image by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra (CC by 2.0)

Still think you can make money on YouTube?  Well, think again.

So, how much can content creators on YouTube expect to make?

Last year, the team at Information is Beautiful found that content creators only made $1,472 after 2.2 million video views.  This year, The Trichordist noted that the video streaming platform paid a paltry $0.00074 per stream, a slight uptick from last year’s $0.0006 rate.

With the company’s recent update to its monetization eligibility policy, a new study has found that these numbers will only continue to get worse.

Why you probably won’t ever make money from your videos on YouTube.

According to research from Germany, only a few creators will only ever make enough to pay their monthly rent.  The study, done at the Offenburg University of Applied Sciences, found that 96.5% of all YouTubers won’t make enough revenue to surpass the poverty line in the US.

Speaking with Bloomberg News, Professor Mathias Bärtl said that very few could enter the top 3% of most-viewed channels.  He found that these YouTube channels bring in over $16,800 in advertising revenue per year.  That’s slightly above the US federal poverty line, currently at $12,140 for a single person.

Only the top 3% of content creators of all time have brought in more than 1.4 million monthly views.

Image by Bloomberg

Putting these numbers into perspective, Alice Marwick stated,

“If you’re a series regular on a network TV show, you’re getting a good amount of money.  Yet you can have half a million followers on YouTube and still be working at Starbucks.”

Marwick works as an Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

So, how much can you expect for every 1,000 views?

According to Lyor Cohen, a top YouTube executive, the video platforms pays out $3 for every 1,000 plays.  The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and various research firms have long refuted this claim, placing the number at around $1.50 (if that).

Accordingly, to calculate earnings estimates in his study, Bärtl used an income of $1 for every 1,000 views for an average YouTuber.  According to Harry Hugo of the Goat Agency, a major influencer marketing firm in London, that number makes sense.

“I’ve seen as low as 35¢ per 1,000 views and work with some YouTubers who can earn $5 per 1,000.”

YouTube attempted to spin Bärtl’s findings, stating that it has worked to help content creators earn more money.

A company spokesperson said that the number of channels earning hundreds of thousands of dollars has increased 40% year over year.  Without providing any proof to back up this claim, the spokesperson stated,

“We continue to see tremendous growth with creators on YouTube.”

According to Bärtl, however, the major revenue imbalance has only become worse.  Twelve years ago, the top 3% of channels brought in 63% of total YouTube views.  In 2016, top YouTubers received 9 out of every 10 views on the platform.  The bottom 85% of new YouTubers in 2016 only achieved a maximum of 458 views per month.

Why you shouldn’t expect to make a career on YouTube.

Asher Benjamin publishes over 150 daily video diaries.  The 19-year-old computer science major at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix spends an hour a day editing his videos.  Speaking with Bloomberg, Benjamin remains optimistic that he’ll eventually earn cash from his content.

“I don’t know where it’s going to end up.  It’d be cool if I could take the path others have and make it into a job, but we’ll have to see.  I think if I keep uploading, there’s no reason I shouldn’t be able to make it a career.”

Benjamin recently hit 100 subscribers.  He had 71 subscribers at the beginning of 2018.

Realistically, Benjamin and other similar YouTubers may never make a career from their videos.  Recent changes on the platform have only made it much more difficult.  In January, YouTube changed its monetization eligibility requirements.  To earn money from uploaded videos, content creators will need at least 1,000 subscribers or 4,000 hours of total watch time.

Ignoring the harmful results of the company’s updated policy, Neal Mohan, YouTube’s Chief Producer Officer, outlandishly claimed last month,

“Even though 2017 was a challenging year, thanks to creators like you, it was full of the moments that make YouTube such a special place…  We’re confident the steps we’re taking today will help protect and grow our inspiring community well into the future.”

With the revenue gap only worsening, it appears the only one that can expect a bright future is YouTube.

Featured image by Zoella (YouTube screengrab)

Will blockchain technology finally enable artists to earn the right amount for their content?  YouTube competitor Lino believes so.

Late last year, The Times published a report that set off a firestorm.  The British newspaper found that YouTube had monetized hate-filled, racist, and extremist videos.  Advertisements for AT&T, Verizon, and the British Navy would appear before videos denouncing Jews and promoting terrorism.

In response, YouTube added rules over ad revenue for videos with ‘sensitive content.’  Dubbed ‘Adpocalypse,’ the move ultimately hurt legitimate content creators’ wallets.

Creators, including independent musicians, attempted to fix the problem.  In their videos, many high-profile YouTube stars, such as Philip DeFranco, linked to their Patreon pages for donations.  Then, last September, the video platform introduced a controversial change.  Content creators with less than 10,000 lifetime views could no longer link to external websites, including their Amazon product and Patreon crowdfunding pages.

Incidentally, Patreon, once a popular go-to crowdfunding platform, came under fire several months ago.  The company had planned to introduce changes to its pledge system, putting a financial burden on patrons who donated $1 to multiple pages.  Creators on the platform ultimately lost many patrons.

Weeks later, a bombshell report found that less than 2% of users on Patreon earned the US monthly minimum wage of $1,472.  The company, founded by ex-YouTube musician Jack Conte, vowed that creators on the site would receive up to $150 million in 2017.

So much for Conte’s promise.

But, with YouTube constantly changing its ad-revenue rules, how will independent artists actually earn money for their works?

Maybe by switching to blockchain.

Meet Lino.

Lino, a Silicon Valley-based startup, has prepared to take on YouTube’s consistently detrimental rules against content creators.  How?  With a decentralized video contribution system to compensate creators that lacks a middleman.

Lino will depend entirely on blockchain-based micro-payments.  Backers will use LINO tokens to pay artists.  To generate tokens, creators will have to generate content and share their work on Lino’s platform. In addition, users who generate nodes will earn tokens alongside artists.

Blockchain technology will also prevent bots from manipulating the platform’s reward distribution system, as well as stop potential attacks.  This will also help the company measure revenue generated from the content using its legitimate value reflected in the market.  The startup’s founders believe that this will guarantee that creators will distribute only high-quality work on the platform.  Artists can also earn money from ads.

Investors appear excited about the company’s potential.  Yesterday, Lino announced that it received $20 million in a private token sale investment round led by Zhenfund, one of China’s most famous seed investors.

According to company CEO Wilson Wei, Lino’s three founders will use the financing to create a unique product.  They will hunt for talent, including Chinese video sensations and Korean pop stars.

Speaking on what the company’s long-term goal, Wei said,

“We’re trying to create a decentralized autonomous video content community.  The problems of YouTube and Twitch were that those companies are profit driven and in order to maximize that content they have to squeeze more content out of creators and users.  We are trying to create a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) for the content economy, so we can cut out the middle man so we don’t have the conflict of interest between the users and the content creators.”

Featured image by typographyimages (CC0)

How does YouTube intend to mend its historically rocky relationship with the music industry?  Simple.  Give selected artists buckets of cash and force them to sign an agreement where they promise not to criticize the platform.

Are you ready to become a top star on YouTube?  Would you like the popular video platform to feature your music videos to more than 1.2 billion around the world?  Did you also want to earn a ton of cash upfront?  Fantastic!

There’s just one tiny catch, though.  You’ll just have to sign a non-disparagement clause.

Sources speaking with Bloomberg confirmed that YouTube has given several musicians hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote their work.  Yet, before receiving the cash, the artists had to vow that they wouldn’t say anything negative about the company.

According to Bloomberg, YouTube’s campaign aims to improve the company’s turbulent relationship with the music industry.  Trent Reznor had previously accused the video platform of building its vast catalog “on the back of stolen content.”  In addition, 180 artists signed a petition asking lawmakers in the US to close copyright loopholes last year.

The musicians blasted the company for taking advantage of DMCA safe harbor protections.  In a not-so-veiled swipe at YouTube, the letter asked for “sensible reform that balances the interests of creators with the interests of the companies who exploit music for their financial enrichment.”  Artists that signed the petition included Sir Paul McCartney, U2, Pearl Jam, Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga, among others.

The letter reportedly infuriated YouTube’s senior executives.  They privately pushed for artists and managers to support the company.  Ahead of its paid streaming music service launch in March (codenamed ‘YouTube Remix’), company executives have signed long-term licensing deals with all three major record labels.

Non-disparagement agreements remain fairly common in the music industry.  Yet, sources added that YouTube’s biggest direct competitors don’t use them.  In fact, the company has reportedly forced the agreements on creators who produce original series for YouTube Red.  Partners must also sign the non-disparagement clauses.

Should YouTube Remix fail to attract enough users, though, musicians, managers, and record labels will likely not remain silent.

Featured image by PxHere (CC0)

Multiple scandals have rocked YouTube.  Yet, why are only content creators feeling the pain?

Last March, Google shared some pretty good news.

YouTube had over 1 billion monthly active users.  According to the search giant, 1 out of every 2 people online use the site monthly.

And it’s not hard to see why.  With content creators uploading a huge number of videos each day, people always have something to watch.

But despite the company’s popularity with users, content creators have criticized the video platform.  Major labels, music organizations, artists, and even the European Union, have lambasted YouTube’s ‘value gap’.  The platform allegedly pays out a fraction of the revenue it earns from user-uploaded videos.  Content creators, in particular, have singled out the service for its ridiculously low payouts.

But now there’s another giant problem: keeping viewers around.

Losing out, despite having millions of subscribers.

According to YouTube channel statistics website SocialBlade, stars on the video platform have suffered a huge slowdown in subscriber growth.

Felix Kjellberg, better known as PewDiePie, ranked as one of the highest-earning YouTube stars last year.  He has an A rating on SocialBlade.  Yet, while he remains incredibly popular, fewer people have subscribed to Kjellberg’s channel as of late.  SocialBlade showed that the popular YouTube star’s fame clearly peaked at the end of 2016.

That’s not all.  PewDiePie’s monthly views have also significantly slowed.  Throughout 2015, Kjellberg’s channel averaged around 300 million views per month.  Just three months ago, the YouTube star’s channel had under 100 million.  This happened despite having nearly 60 million subscribers.

Image by SocialBlade

He’s not alone.  Other YouTube stars have also experienced a similar decline.

Popular UK-based female YouTuber Zoe Sugg, or Zoella, has also lost a significant amount of monthly views.  While people still view her content, fewer people care to watch her latest videos.  On SocialBlade, you’ll notice that Sugg has lost 43% of her monthly total views in under 2 years.

Image by SocialBlade

In July 2016, popular MineCraft YouTube vlogger DanTDM had around 400 million monthly views.  Just three months ago, that number dipped to under 200 million.

Image by SocialBlade

So, who’s to blame?

The noticeable slowdown hasn’t affected every YouTube personality, however.  Philip DeFranco and husband-and-wife team H3H3Productions achieved a higher average monthly view count in 2017.

Yet, top stars have pointed the finger at the popular video platform.  According to H3H3Productions’ Ethan Klein, as well as Kjellberg, the company’s poor algorithms have led to fewer views.

Last March, The Times found that YouTube had inadvertently monetized extremist, hate-filled videos.  Ads for companies like L’Oreal would appear right before questionable content.  Major advertisers quickly pulled their money from the platform.

To avoid further fallout, the company introduced controversial changes to their monetization policy.  Once the changes went live, content creators soon noticed that they had lost a significant amount of revenue.

Despite creators’ complaints, YouTube had promised top companies like AT&T and Verizon that it had improved its algorithm.  With an improved flagging system, people would find only a few controversial videos that were monetized.

That wasn’t the case.

In November, The Times, as well as the BBC, found that multiple monetized videos uploaded by children drew predatory comments from pedophiles.  In a video featuring a scantily-clad girl rolling a bed filled with teddy bears and plush dolls, a predator wrote,

“Little girl, you are a wonder.  I would like to kiss your fragrant panties.”

Both media outlets also found that YouTube had failed to shut down tens of thousands of predatory accounts.

With the video platform likely to introduce even more changes to its algorithms this year to win back advertisers, expect content creators on YouTube to feel the pinch once again.  With less money to earn, creators will upload fewer videos.  In turn, people will look elsewhere to find their favorite content.

Many popular YouTube stars, who have arguably helped make the service as large as it is, are set to lose out big in 2018.

Music industry monetization issues continue.

According to the RIAA, for 1,000 plays, the video platform only pays around $1.50.  Spotify pays out about $7.50 and Apple Music slightly over $12.  The team at Information is Beautiful found that the video platform has paid unsigned musicians $0.0006 per stream.  Signed artists receive a slightly higher, albeit still terrible, payout of $0.0007 per play.

YouTube seems unfazed by the criticism.  As it prepares to launch its very own streaming music platform, the company has already signed deals with major labels.

Featured image by x1klima (CC by 2.0)

With YouTube Remix, parent company Alphabet is one step closer to launching yet-another paid streaming music service.

Last week, Digital Music News wrote on YouTube’s upcoming paid streaming music platform.  According to “people familiar with the matter,” the video platform would launch their service in May.

The proposed streaming music platform would include Spotify-like on-demand streaming.  Codenamed “Remix,” it would also include YouTube elements like video clips.

Speaking with Bloomberg, sources confirmed that YouTube had already struck a deal with Warner Music Group last May.  The company had reportedly been in talks with Universal Music Group and Sony Music.

Now, YouTube has struck long-term licensing deals with both remaining major labels.  Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw wrote that the agreement includes “stronger policing of user uploads of copyrighted songs.”

Universal Music Group said that the long-term licensing agreement with YouTube will give artists “more flexibility and better pay.”  Sources told Shaw that Universal “got control… over what appears on ad-supported channels.”  It also persuaded the platform to improve its scanning for user uploads that contain infringing content.

In addition, YouTube’s paid streaming music service would have exclusive songs and videos not available on its free video platform.

Sony Music declined to comment on the deal.

With around 1.3 billion users around the globe, YouTube hopes to convert most of its users into paid subscribers.  Parent company Alphabet has previously failed to capitalize on the video platform’s massive success.  YouTube Red has only 1.5 million subscribers, while Google Play Music has nearly 7 million.  In contrast, Spotify has 60 million subscribers, Apple Music has 30, and Amazon Music has 16 million.  “Remix” would mark Alphabet’s third attempt to break into the paid streaming music market.

Sources didn’t state how long the deals would last.  According to a memo from Warner Music Group, the major label’s agreement was reduced to “allow for flexibility in the future.”

Featured image by Pui Shan Chan (CC by 3.0)

Major networks like ABC and NBC won’t pay TV musicians for re-broadcast on their own websites — or even YouTube.  WTF?

According to several late-night TV musicians, broadcasters like ABC won’t pay band members for appearances on network websites or YouTube.  Now, they’re taking action to fix the problem.

Yesterday, members of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 802, handed out leaflets outside 30 Rockefeller Plaza.  They also protested in front of the Ed Sullivan Theater where ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ is taped.

In Los Angeles, AFM Local 47 members handed leaflets outside ‘The Late Late Show With James Corden.’

Speaking with Variety about the protests, Cleto Escobedo III, Musical Director of Cleto and the Cletones, said,

“Other performers are all paid when ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ streams on YouTube or other online outlets, yet musicians are paid nothing.  Musicians just want to be compensated for our likeness and our music.  I love Jimmy, the producers, and everyone we work with.  We just need to make sure the networks treat us and ALL of our colleagues fairly.”

For the past 18 months, the AFM has been negotiating a new contract with major networks for “work done on live or recorded television programs initially aired over a broadcast network or in syndication.”  This includes variety shows, game shows, sports broadcasts, award shows, and morning shows.

The last round of negotiations took place in August.  The next session will take place on December 11^th.  The previous contract expired in February 2016.

Emphasizing the importance of their work on these shows, Ray Chew explained,

“The music that you hear and watch on YouTube and streaming systems is handmade with the sweat and expertise of music makers who dedicate their lives for the enrichment of others.  To take this without equitable compensation is demoralizing and wrong.  We are only seeking what is right and fair for our livelihoods and our families.”

Chew works as the Music Director of “Dancing with the Stars” and “Showtime at the Apollo.”

The AFM said that shows on network websites “are supported by advertising.”  Yet, TV musicians and artists haven’t received a dime.

“Other performers receive residuals when live television shows stream.  But musicians do not receive residuals for this type of work.”

According to the union, the live TV contract covers:

The American Music Awards

The Academy of Country Music Awards

Good Morning America

The Country Music Awards

The Emmys

Golden Globes

The Grammy Awards

Harry

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

The Late Late Show With James Corden

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Late Night with Seth Meyers

The Oscars

The Today Show

Live with Kelly and Ryan

The View

The Voice

People’s Choice Awards

Saturday Night Live

The Today Show

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Saturday Night Live

Using the hashtag #RespectTheBand, union supports and their supporters have publicized the issue on social media.

The people at Jimmy Kimmel wanted me to have everyone RT #RespectTheBand ! Help the band get their royalties they deserve! pic.twitter.com/uDC9i9wrkY

— Eden Shizzle (@EdenShizzle) 7 de diciembre de 2017

Featured image by Eden Shizzle (Twitter)

YouTube global head of music Lyor Cohen

So, Google is launching yet another attempt to break into the music streaming business.  But will fans rally behind YouTube ‘Remix’?  Or, will it end up as the third, unimpressive attempt to earn a slice of the streaming revenue pie?

In a bid to enter the streaming music market, Google launched Google Play Music.  Then, to provide unique original video content and uninterrupted music on mobile devices, the Google-owned YouTube launched YouTube Red.

Neither has made much progress gaining paid subscribers — at least compared to Spotify, Apple, or Amazon.

Over the summer, the video platform reported that it had 1.5 million paid subscribers, and another million on a free, 30-day trial basis.  Combined, both Google-owned services have nearly 7 million subscribers.

Spotify, on the other hand, has ‘well over’ 60 million paid subscribers, with 140 million monthly active users worldwide.  Apple Music is now hovering around 30 million.  Combining Prime Music and Music Unlimited, Amazon has 16 million subscribers on its streaming music platforms, according to recent estimates (though other estimates put Amazon ahead of Apple).

Clearly struggling to catch, Google has a new idea: why not launch a new music streaming service (once again)?

Maybe the third time’s the charm.

According to “people familiar with the matter,” YouTube will launch a new paid music streaming service next March codenamed ‘Remix.’  This marks the third time that parent company Alphabet has launched a streaming platform for music fans.

Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw first broke the story.  According to Shaw, the new service may help “appease record-industry executives who have pushed for more revenue from YouTube.”  Music labels and top artists have long complained about the video platform’s unfair payouts.

YouTube has apparently already struck a deal with Warner Music Group.  The platform is currently “in talks” with Sony Music and Universal Music Group.

The big labels are very interested in fixing some dismal royalty payouts.

According to top YouTube executive (and former WMG CEO) Lyor Cohen, the platform pays out $3 per 1,000 streams (or a $3 ‘CPM’).  The RIAA, however, found that it actually pays closer to $1.50.

Even that might be an exaggeration.  Independent research shared with Digital Music News shows that YouTube actually pays $0.0006 per stream.  Unsigned artists earn $1,472 (the monthly minimum wage in the US) after 2.4 million plays.

The proposed service would include “Spotify-like on-demand streaming” along with some YouTube elements like video clips.

The popular video platform has also reached out the artists to “[promote] the new service.”  To help oversee its music operations, the company hired Cohen last year.  This summer, Google also confirmed that it would merge Google Play Music and YouTube Red.

The move to launch ‘Remix’ comes at a critical time for the company.  Early next year, YouTube will enter into negotiations with Vevo for a new deal.  The video platform has also been in talks with UMG and Sony “for more than a year.”  Major advertisers have also abandoned YouTube after two renowned publications discovered that the video service had monetized videos with pedophiliac comments.

It’s unclear whether Remix will co-exist with Google Play Music and YouTube Red, or if the new service will replace them.  And given the chaos that is Google, they probably don’t know either.

Featured image by Noa Griffel (CC by 4.0)

In a dispute over licensing on the platform, YouTube disabled thousands of videos in Finland earlier this morning.  A major performance rights organization in the country had called out the platform just two months prior.  The move came just days before the country is set to celebrate its 100^th year of independence.  The blocked videos in question, including the country’s national anthem, remain readily available in other countries.

So, if you live in Finland, you can still access the geo-blocked YouTube videos geo-blocked using a VPN.  But one developer has a simpler idea.

Getting around YouTube’s geographic restrictions.

Sometimes, when traveling outside of the United States, you’ll find yourself in the mood to watch some funny videos.  More often than not, however, you’ll find a message telling you that you can’t watch the video.

“The uploader has not made this video available in your country.  Sorry about that.”

So, what do you do?  Simple.  If you happen to use Chrome, you can download and install “F*ck YouTube.”

According to the developer, the Chrome extension lets you watch blocked YouTube videos at anytime.

Previously, you could download “F*ck YouTube” on the Chrome Web Store.  All you would have to do is add it to your Chrome browser, head to YouTube, and start enjoying any video.  However, prior to this article’s publication, Google has pulled the app.

So, how can you install it now?  Simple.

First, you’ll have to head to the developer’s GitHub page here.  Then, simply click on “Clone or Download” and select “Download Zip.”  Compressed, the current extension weighs 41.1MB, so make sure to download this at your home or work computer.  (You won’t find the asterisk bleeped out in the file, so if you’re at work, make sure that your employers don’t track what you’ve downloaded.)

Here’s where things get tricky.  After downloading the zipped file, you’ll have to unzip it, preferably in your ‘Downloads’ folder.  Then, you’ll have to look for the “releases” subfolder.  There, you’ll find another compressed file titled “release_0.0.0.3.”  Unzip that file to a safe location.

Now, once you’ve unzipped “release_0.0.0.3,” head to chrome://extensions on your Chrome browser.  Then, click on “Load Unpacked Extensions.” Navigate to your unzipped “release_0.0.0.3” and select it.  You’ll now see “F*ck YouTube” added to your Chrome browser.

Finally, head to YouTube and enjoy watching your videos.

Featured image by AlessandroFC15

A PRO in Finland complained about YouTube’s low payouts.  Now, days before the country celebrates its independence, Google has blocked thousands of music videos in the country.  That includes the national anthem.

In 1917, after a century of violent, oppressive Russian rule, Finland declared its independence.

On December 6^th, the country will celebrate the 100^th anniversary of its independence.  Citizens will likely play the national anthem in several shops and restaurants across the country.

There’s just one problem: they may not be able to do so on YouTube.

Not just a licensing issue against one PRO.

Earlier this morning, Google began blocking thousands of music videos on YouTube in Finland.  People who wanted to watch videos from their favorite Finnish artists would see the following image.

Image by TorrentFreak

Furious over the unavailability of multiple videos in the country, users took to social media to slam the platform.

In a strongly-worded statement on their website, YouTube responded to the anger.  According to the popular video platform, TEOSTO, a local Finnish PRO, had failed to reach a licensing agreement with Google.  A post on Google’s support page reads,

“We were unable to reach a new licensing agreement with TEOSTO.  Because of this, some videos containing music will be blocked in Finland.”

TEOSTO collects royalties for around 30,000 songwriters and publishers in Finland.  It also represents nearly 3 million foreign composers, publishers, and songwriters.

The decision to suspend TEOSTO’s licenses may also come from a longstanding dispute with the video platform.  Just two months ago, the PRO had issued a complaint about YouTube’s low payouts to the European Union.  As with most PROs and major labels, TEOSTO wants its members to receive fair compensation.

Some Finnish Redditors, however, complained that YouTube hadn’t only taken down TEOSTO videos.  According to them, Google has also pulled videos from other foreign artists in the country.

“All of the music videos I’ve checked out this morning are blocked, including Finnish and foreign artists.  According to discussions in r/suomi this also affects tons of random videos unrelated to Teosto and public domain content.”

A possible breakthrough

Following news of the licensing dispute with TEOTSO, the video platform issued a statement. Sami Valkonen, YouTube’s Director of International Music Publishing Partnerships, confirmed that the platform remains in talks with TEOSTO.

“We are in active conversations to bring TEOSTO content back to YouTube in Finland.  Our previous licensing agreement had expired so videos containing music represented by TEOSTO are currently blocked in Finland in accordance with copyright law.  Talks are proceeding on good terms and we look forward to having great music back up on YouTube in Finland as soon as possible.”

Even if TEOSTO manages to secure a deal with YouTube, the videos may not return before December 6th.

Featured image by Nicolas Raymond (CC by 2.0)

Adpocalypse II is well underway, with YouTube racing to demonetize videos in an attempt to keep advertisers on its platform.

One YouTube video shows an underage, scantily-dressed girl lying down next to her teddy bear and plush dolls. Among thousands of sexual predator accounts still active on the video platform, one commenter wrote,

“Little girl, you are a wonder.  I would like to kiss your fragrant panties.”

Last week, The BBC and The Times of London found that despite YouTube’s promises to better police its content, the platform inexplicably placed ads right before videos of underage children.  The platform would play ads for Mars, Cadbury, Deutsche Bank, eBay, Amazon, BT, and Adidas, among others.  Pedophiles and other predators would frequent these videos and write lewd, suggestive comments.

Then, just two days ago, BuzzFeed News found that YouTube’s autocomplete function would pull up “how to have” searches with pedophilia phrases.  Along with searches on “how to have your first kiss,” users would see “how to save s*x with your kids.”

Image by BuzzFeed News

The reports quickly drew condemnation from major advertisers who quickly removed their ads from the video platform.

Now, in a mad-scramble to avoid yet another major advertiser fallout, YouTube has once again demonetized videos on its platform.

We’ll call it “Adpocalypse II.”

The popular video platform has demonetized nearly 2 million videos.  A representative said that the company has also removed over 50,000 channels “masquerading as family-friendly content.”  In addition, the company told Vice News that they’ve closed over 270 accounts and pulled 150,000 videos.  They’ve also switched off comments on 625,000 videos.

The move has yet to convince major companies from keeping their ads on the platform.

Speaking with Variety, a spokesperson for HP blasted Google after learning that YouTube had placed a company ad “in a terrible and inappropriate context.”

“HP has strict brand safety protocols in place across all online advertising, including YouTube and this appears to be the result of a content misclassification by Google.”

The first ‘Adpocalypse’ occurred earlier this year when The Times of London found that Google had monetized hate-filled videos.  Ads from Verizon, AT&T, and L’Oreal (among countless others) would appear right before extremist videos.  Uploaders would earn money from these companies for their radical content.

Speaking on the most recent controversy, Bob Liodice, CEO of the Association of National Advertisers, condemned the video platform.

The US trade group represents more than a thousand companies.

“Marketers have spent millions of dollars over many decades to build brand equity and loyalty. To have that equity destroyed or degraded by sub-optimum controls by any media vendor, ad-tech supplier or publisher is totally unacceptable to the ANA and its members.”

Featured image by John (CC by 2.0)

First, YouTube said that they promised to work on demonetizing extremist and hate-filled videos.  Now, the popular video platform has to deal with tens of thousands of active predatory accounts preying on innocent children.

Earlier this year, following a bombshell report by The Times of London, major companies pulled their advertising money from YouTube.  The Times discovered that advertisements from the UK government, L’Oreal, and the Royal Navy, among many others, played alongside extremist, hate-filled videos.

Facing a severe backlash over the company’s failure to flag and take down questionable content, YouTube introduced several notable updates.  One of them was a change in how the platform monetized videos.

Immediately following the change, hundreds of content creators complained about losing revenue.  The platform, which reportedly pays around $0.0007 per video play, started demonetizing a lot of videos.  Dubbing the change ‘Adpocalypse,’ top YouTube stars jumped ship to other websites, including Patreon.  While still maintaining a channel on YouTube, PewDiePie opened a channel on Amazon’s Twitch platform.  Controversial Singapore YouTube star Amos Yee told his followers,

“Now more than 50 percent of the current videos on my channel have been demonetized, and because future videos of mine will obviously deal with controversial political subjects and [have] vulgar language, there’s a very high chance that more than 50 percent of my videos will continue to be demonetized and I won’t make money [off] them.”

Despite the flood of complaints from advertisers and creators, YouTube that said the company had made “considerable progress.”  YouTube’s EMEA Video Strategy Director, Dyana Najdi, explained in an interview,

“Since August, 83% of the content that was removed for violent extremism was taken down before a single human flag was raised.  This is eight percentage points better than July.  We’re making progress quickly.  Our systems have been refined to be more precise and more surgical in enforcing our policies.”

Now, following another devastating report, content creators have braced for a second ‘Adpocalypse.’  This time, it may be worse than the original.

Adpocalypse Now: Part II.

For months, parents have complained about questionable content on the company’s YouTube Kids app.

Unsuspecting children would watch videos with popular cartoon characters like Peppa Pig subject to a violent dental session.  In other videos, children would learn how to tie each other up and wear vulnerable clothing.  They would also watch famous cartoon characters drinking bleach.

In another bombshell report, The Times reported last week that YouTube had monetized videos of ads next to videos of young children.  In one video, a scantily-clad girl would roll on a bed filled with teddy bears and other plush dolls.  The videos would draw predatory comments from pedophiles.

One commenter wrote,

“Little girl, you are a wonder.  I would like to kiss your fragrant panties.”

In addition, The BBC and The Times both found that the video platform has yet to shut down ten of thousands of predatory accounts.  YouTube’s volunteer moderators told the BBC that “between 50,000 to 100,000 active predatory accounts still [exist] on the platform.”

Pedophiles would reportedly search for “certain keywords in Russian that can bring up hundreds of young Slavic girls.”

Advertisements for BT, Adidas, Cadbury, Deutsche Bank, eBay, Amazon, Mars, Diageo, and Talktalk would appear right before the videos.  Pedophiles would search for videos of young girls filming themselves “in their underwear, doing the splits, brushing their teeth, or rolling around in bed.”

Following the reports, major advertisers lambasted the popular video platform.

A spokesperson for Mars said,

“We are shocked and appalled to see that our adverts have appeared alongside such exploitative and inappropriate content.  We have taken the decision to immediately suspend all our online advertising on YouTube and Google globally.  Until we have confidence that appropriate safeguards are in place, we will not advertise on YouTube and Google.”

In a statement, supermarket chain Lidl said,

“It is completely unacceptable that this content is available to view and it is, therefore, clear that the strict policies which Google has assured us were in place to tackle offensive content are ineffective.  We have suspended all of our YouTube advertising with immediate effect.”

Deutsche Bank added,

“We take this matter very seriously and suspended the advertising campaign as soon as we became aware of it.”

A Cadsbury spokesperson said,

“Whilst we investigate this matter we have suspended all advertising on the channel until we have clarity from YouTube on how this situation occurred and are satisfied that an acceptable solution has been put in place.”

YouTube has since commented about the massive advertiser fallout.  Vice President of Product Management, Johanna Wright, promised that the platform would better police questionable comments.

“Comments of this nature are abhorrent and we work with NCMEC to report illegal behavior to law enforcement.  Starting this week we will begin taking an even more aggressive stance by turning off all comments on videos of minors where we see these types of comments.”

With the huge fallout over questionable underage sensual videos, expect YouTube to introduce yet even more changes.  As with the changes following the first ‘Adpocalypse,’ the move will likely harm content creators once again.

Featured image by _Gaspard_(CC by 2.0)

This startup promises to solve YouTube’s massive demonetization problems and get content creators paid.

Tired of YouTube’s terrible payouts?  So are major stars on the platform.

Controversial Singapore YouTuber Amos Yee, famous for insulting late PM Lee Kuan Yew, recently told his followers to support him on Patreon.

“Now more than 50 percent of the current videos on my channel have been demonetized, and because future videos of mine will obviously deal with controversial political subjects and [have] vulgar language, there’s a very high chance that more than 50 percent of my videos will continue to be demonetized and I won’t make money [off] them.”

He’s not alone.  Several high-profile YouTubers, including Philip DeFranco, have called out YouTube’s rampant demonetization problem.

Vimeo has emerged as a solid alternative to YouTube.  The company claims that their platform has grown 80% this year alone.  YouTubers have seemingly backed Vimeo’s philosophy of charging for content instead of relying on advertising.  According to former CEO Kerry Trainor,

“When it comes to monetizing that viewing experience, it’s about allowing and empowering creators to actually charge for content instead of relying on a purely mass advertising-based model.”

With YouTubers sick of constantly seeing their videos demonetized, one start-up claims to have the solution: blockchain technology.

The YouTube adpocalypse.

Earlier this year, The Times published a story that set off a firestorm.  Advertisements from top advertisers, including the UK government, Verizon, and AT&T, appeared in extremist and hate-filled videos on YouTube.

Major companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Nissan, and Toyota, immediately pulled out from the platform.  According to the World Federation of Advertisers, many have yet to return.

To solve the problem, YouTube implemented safeguards and changed the rules over ad revenue for videos with “sensitive content.”  On the backend, users could see which videos would receive money from advertisers, and which wouldn’t.  With the introduction of an appeals process, Google vowed that creators could contest videos that the platform had demonetized.

Yet, the “safeguards” have proven a nightmare for content creators.  Hundreds of users, like Amos Yee, quickly complained about losing revenue from their videos.  The rampant demonetization of videos on the platform became so widespread that users dubbed it ‘Adpocalypse.’

Can blockchain and cryptocurrency truly solve the adpocalypse problem, though?

Users quickly jumped ship to Vimeo and Patreon.  On Patreon, content creators could receive ongoing pledges from fans.  The company would only charge a 5% fee from the revenue creators earn.  The popular crowdfunding platform has stated that this year, creators on the site will receive $150 million.

However, another alternative for the adpocalypse problem has emerged.  Yesterday, Brave Software rolled out the Brave Payments system on its open-source web browser.  Users who use the Brave web browser could reward their favorite YouTube creators with Basic Attention Tokens (BAT).

Former Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich launched Brave earlier this year.  Instead of offering shares of the company to investors, Eich raised $35 million in 30-seconds by offering cryptocurrency through an initial coin offering (ICO).

Here’s how Basic Attention Tokens work.  Viewers could contribute cryptocurrency based on the time that they spend watching videos on YouTube.  They could also “pin” a set amount for their favorite channels.  Previously, BATs could only be distributed on a domain-by-domain basis.

+ 84% of YouTube Videos Contain at Least 10 Seconds of Music, Study Finds

YouTube content creators can sign up as individual creators.  Brave hopes that the move will enable “a direct monetary relationship between the content creator and their audience.”  Unlike a recent change in YouTube’s algorithm, the Brave Payments system will benefit creators “who have under 10,000 lifetime views.”

Speaking about the rewards system, Brendan Eich said,

“We see big platforms exploiting the new generation of content creators who generate so much value for the platform owners, yet increasingly face sudden drops in ad revenues, and even demonetization.”

In a veiled swipe at Patreon, Eich explained that content creators wouldn’t have to worry about “any centralized registration-based website acting as intermediary.”

Eich added that users on the Brave browser could enjoy “an ad-free experience” on YouTube without installing additional plugins.  Content creators who promote Brave would see a “‘lift in contributions via Brave Payments.”

“We will move to give Brave users BAT grants soon, and we have user-private ads that pay users the bulk of the revenue on our agenda, starting with trials in the first part of next year.

“This should be win/win/win for YouTube content creators, their fans, and Brave.”

Eich didn’t explain how many users have actually downloaded, and actively use, the open-source web browser, however.  Unless Eich manages to convince users to switch from established browsers like Firefox and Chrome, the Brave Payments system will end up another failed cryptocurrency-based initiative.

Featured image by MichaelWuensch (CC0)

What will the YouTube / Ticketmaster deal mean for major labels and the touring industry in the long-run?

How much does YouTube truly pay artists when fans stream their music?

According to top YouTube executive and former Warner Music Group CEO Lyor Cohen, $3 per 1,000 streams.  Yet, per the RIAA, the major video platform pays closer to $1.50.  The team at Information is Beautiful found that the platform only pays $0.0006 per stream.

The music industry has a reason to be upset.  Each time a user streams a music video on the platform, they receive much less than streams on Spotify and Apple Music.  In fact, according to CISAC, the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers,

“Collections are nowhere near the level they should be.  Large industries that use creative content [i.e., YouTube] are driving down the value of our works.”

So, why haven’t artists removed their music from the popular video platform?  The following deal may shine some light on this complex question.

Say hello to concert tickets on YouTube, powered by Ticketmaster.

Earlier this morning, the popular video platform announced a partnership with Ticketmaster.

Starting today, YouTube will feature concert tickets on hundreds of artists’ pages.  After enjoying an artist’s music video, fans will see upcoming performances dates in the US.  With a simple click, the platform will redirect users to Ticketmaster.com to purchase the tickets.

Image by YouTube

The YouTube Music team explained,

“YouTube’s massive fan base paired with Ticketmaster’s global roster of concerts and security of verified tickets means we can easily connect a fan’s discovery of music on YouTube to their ability to purchase concert tickets.”

The feature will first roll out exclusively in the United States.  The popular video platform explained in a blog post that they have plans to expand the ticket program worldwide.  In addition, the video platform hinted at plans to connect artist with fans around the world in the near future.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to support artists, we’ll continue to find additional ways to make meaningful fan and artist connections.”

Featured image by Magnus D (CC by 2.0)

Advertisers knew that their ads would appear next to extremist videos.  Did they also know that uploaders would receive payments from YouTube, as well?

Several months ago, The Times published a damning report that would set-off a firestorm.  According to an investigation by the UK newspaper, ads from top advertisers appeared in extremist videos on YouTube.

The fallout was immediate.  Advertisers, including Toyota, Johnson & Johnson, Verizon, and AT&T, boycotted the popular video platform.  The UK government demanded an immediate response from parent company Google.  The web giant also bled millions of dollars in lost revenue.  And, content creators quickly lost much-needed cash to support their channels.

No one could believe that Google and YouTube would allow extremist and hate-filled videos to remain active on the video platform.  Even worse, uploaders readily received revenue from the advertisements.

But, did you know that advertisers had known about this problem months earlier?

A massive fallout predicted.  But why didn’t anyone listen?

Speaking at a Google press event, Stephen Loerke, Chief Executive of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), confirmed that advertisers knew about the problem a year-and-a-half ago.

According to Loerke, an expert had told the global trade association that ads “might run against extremist content” on YouTube.  This came six months before The Times broke the story.

“We brought an expert, the most knowledgeable person on the subject at the time, and after his presentation, there was just silence.  The only question from the audience was ‘what can we do so when this breaks we can say what we did?”

The WFA then released a report and told member companies about the warning.  While many advertisers “took action,” Loerke said that the crisis ultimately “lost momentum.”

“The companies that were aware took action.  When The Times story broke, none of those we briefed were among those.  When you don’t have it in the newspapers, it seems quite abstract.”

Loerke didn’t say which companies had received the warning and taken action.

But prior to The Times’ piece, Google and YouTube had long known about the problem.  They had actively worked on solutions.  Yet, YouTube’s EMEA Video Strategy Director, Dyana Najdi, acknowledged that the company hadn’t solved the problem “fast enough.”

“The volume of impressions [of ads that ran against extremist content] were so small… but it takes just one impression to lose an advertiser’s trust.  This was something we learned and it is non-negotiable that we get this right.”

Najdi added that Google and YouTube have since made “considerable progress.”

“Since August, 83% of the content that was removed for violent extremism was taken down before a single human flag was raised.  This is eight percentage points better than July.  We’re making progress quickly.  Our systems have been refined to be more precise and more surgical in enforcing our policies.”

Yet, not everyone is ready to advertise on YouTube again.

WFA members have actively worked with Google.  Loerke admitted, however, that not every advertiser is ready to trust the company.

“We [WFA] have had frequent contact with Google, briefing us on steps they have taken in a tone of humility that was very welcomed by brands… I still know a number of companies that have not gone back.  Some others returned to YouTube but are demanding their agencies do all they can to control risk.”

Last July, multiple companies and organizations told the Financial Times that they have yet to return to the platform.

Loerke concluded,

“Ultimately, the question is, ‘Is the risk totally eliminated?’  It’s hard to say that’s even possible and some companies are not prepared to take any risk.”

 

Featured image by PragerU (YouTube screengrab)

But, will Lickd truly solve the YouTube ‘value gap’ problem plaguing the massive video platform?

Yesterday, start-up company Lickd provided YouTube content creators with some very promising news.  The pay-per-license commercial platform recently moved into the open beta phase.

Previously known as hookd, the start-up company promises creators the ability to integrate commercial music into their videos.  Lickd will license music that won’t risk a “claim from YouTube’s Content ID.”

The company has also signed a deal with drum n’ bass label, Hospital Records.

So, how does it work?

According to the company’s website, simply head to lickd.co.  Then, after choosing your track based on your preferred music style, like dubstep, electronic, or rock, you purchase a license.

Licenses start at £6 ($8).  The start-up company will determine the exact cost by the creator’s average YouTube video viewership.  Hospital Records has made most of its back catalog and new releases available to users on the pay-per-license platform.

Lickd’s Vouch software integrates with Content ID.  So, after purchasing your license, the company claims that your YouTube video will have “a legal license to use a particular track.”  Thus, no worries about seeing your video taken down.

CEO and founder Paul Sampson previously worked with CueSongs, a marketplace that also provides users with commercial music licenses.  With Lickd, Sampson hopes to provide the music industry with a steady revenue stream.

In a statement, he said,

“It’s an exciting time for us, with a new name and a new opportunity for all YouTube creators to sign-up to Lickd and benefit from better music and more income.  At the same time, the music industry gets revenue from an influential part of the YouTube community who currently avoid commercial tracks. It really is win-win.”

In addition, Sampson vows that in the long run, the start-up company will “help the music industry close the ‘value gap,’” a problem that harms content creators and rights holders on the massive video platform.

“The fact that YouTube doubles up as the world’s largest streaming platform means it’s time the music industry made social technology part of the solution, rather than the problem.  Lickd is the beginning of that movement.”

Speaking about the deal, Romy Harber, Label Manager at Hospital Records, added,

“YouTube creators are becoming huge stars in their own right and Lickd gives us a great way to access that market. It’s an exciting prospect, and we look forward to working with them – enabling creators to use upfront music from our artists.”

You can check out the platform here.

YouTube vowed to do away with 30-second unskippable ads.  So why are 30+ minute unskippable ads suddenly appearing on the platform?

Last February, Google announced that it would do away with unskippable 30-second video ads on YouTube.  The decision came after the popular video platform found that the ads harmed consumers with small data plans.

In a statement, a Google spokesperson explained that the company would terminate unskippable videos in 2018.

“We’ve decided to stop supporting 30-second unskippable ads as of 2018 and focus instead on formats that work well for both users and advertisers.”

While the company would put an end to 30-second ads, it didn’t comment on smaller, unskippable 6-second ads.  BGR also noted that 15 and 20-second unskippable ads would “remain an option that advertisers on YouTube can take advantage of.”

But, can advertisers also promote ads longer than 30 seconds?  Say, over 30 minutes?  That’s what users on popular social news aggregation platform Reddit apparently found earlier this morning.

38-minutes and counting.

While listening to a six-hour mix of Mozart’s classical music, user bigchest found a 38-minute unskippable ‘ad’ on YouTube.

The video recapped the Wembley Cup 2017 Final, which took place on October 7^th.  Hashtag United took down Tekkers Town, 6-1.

bigchest (Reddit)

The post quickly generated hundreds of comments from infuriated users, who wrote,

“Google said they would get rid of 30-second ads.  Now you get 38-minute ads.”

“Everyone’s banging on about ad block but ignoring the fact that here sits a 38min ad.”

Yet, do the videos truly count as unskippable ads?  Or has the platform inexplicably programmed other videos to randomly appear during longer ones?

Bigchest’s ‘ad’ is readily available on YouTube here.  It also has well over 1 million views, though it’s unclear if that’s from people consciously watching the video.

Another user saw the same video while watching a longer one.

“I think I got the same ad… I was tempted not to skip it and see how long I could go but I got fed up with it in about 5 minutes.”

Commenters added that they’ve also seen similar unskippable videos lasting well over half an hour.  One user saw one that lasted close to an hour.

As with bigchest, commenters found complete videos randomly appearing during playback.  They ranged from anime to the opening credits of movies.  This also happened on mobile devices.

“I got a 30 minute one once, it was just an entire episode of anime.”

“I’ve gotten a movie as an ad as well.  Playing music on a friend’s phone, so we didn’t notice at first, just thought it was a really weird slow song.  Nope, opening credits to some movie we never heard of.”

“Happened to me too.  Taking a shower when suddenly the relaxing jazz mix got replaced by a 40 min long kizomba album.”

In addition, this writer has also seen long clips suddenly injected into longer videos on YouTube.

On the family’s smart TV, my infant daughters sometimes listen to children’s songs that last well over 70 minutes.  Halfway through the videos, longer clips often appear.  Strangely enough, 45-minute unskippable clips have appeared, featuring other videos in Brazilian, Ukrainian, and Arabic.

To fix the issue, this writer simply closes YouTube and re-opens it.

But why does this happen?

Currenly, bigchest’s post has generated over 600 comments with users sharing similar findings and complaints.
So, should users expect longer videos on the platform?  Why exactly does this happen?  Will authors receive money for longer clip insertions?

Digital Music News has reached out to YouTube about this problem. The platform has yet to issue a statement about this issue.

Featured image by bigchest (Reddit)

Streaming faces an uphill battle in the Japanese market.  But now, there’s an unexpected winner.

For years, most Japanese consumers have preferred to purchase CDs to listen to music.

Not anymore.

Earlier this year, the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) released their annual music report.  Music Ally recently translated the report.

The RIAJ asked 2,216 people how they listened to music.  Here are the results:

38.4% listened to physical CDs.

27% played their favorite tracks from ripped digital files.

9.7% listened to music downloads.

8.7% listened to online radio.

6% used free streaming platforms.

3.9% paid to stream their tracks.

There’s one we left out: the vast majority of Japanese consumers preferred using YouTube.  The RIAJ found that a whopping 42.7% of respondents used the Google-owned video streaming platform.

Unlike the rest of the world, other music streaming platforms have yet to gain traction in Japan.  That includes Spotify.

But the number of people using YouTube over CDs in Japan is surprising.  Yet, the RIAJ’s findings fall in line with a recent IFPI report.  Last week, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry found that YouTube accounts for 46% of all time spent listening to on-demand music.

Globally, the report also found that 18% of music consumers used audio streaming platforms.  Similar to what the RIAJ found, the IFPI reported that only 5% of music consumers in Japan use audio streaming platforms.

So why have audio streaming platforms like Spotify struggled in the country?

One answer may be that most music consumers know very little about them.

That’s a huge hurdle, though it could be changing.  The RIAJ conducted their study in August 2016.  Spotify officially launched a month later in Japan.

Still, Japan’s lag relative to the world suggests a broader cultural incongruence.  When asked about streaming platforms, the RIAJ found that only 15.5% of respondents knew about them.  The year before, only 12.6% of respondents had heard about streaming platforms.  Yet, even then, most Japanese consumers don’t want to use them.

Among those who were aware of music streaming services, 11.2% said that they wanted to pay for a subscription.  43.7% said that they didn’t care very much about streaming platforms.  A whopping 44.5% of respondents told the RIAJ that they wouldn’t use them at all.

But why the apathy?  It may have to do with entrenched listening habits.

Americans and Europeans herald streaming as better and more convenient.  But maybe the Japanese have a different outlook.  Accordingly, 42.6% of Japanese middle school students said that they had paid to listen to music, but mostly through downloads and CDs.  The number rose to 54.3% among high school students, and 47.6% among university students.

Among twenty-year-olds, 40.2% said that they had paid to listen to music.  32.1% of thirty-year-olds said the same.  The number dropped to 23.1% for people in their sixties.  All of these groups preferred traditional formats, especially CDs.

Japan remains the second-largest recorded-music market in the world.  It remains to be seen, however, if Spotify or any other streaming platform (besides YouTube) can make an impact in this highly-unusual market.

Image by Pimthida (CC by 2.0)

Baby Boomers spend the most money.  They also watch the most ads on YouTube.  So, why aren’t advertisers taking advantage of this?

Each month, research firms publish studies showing how the music and tech industries can better cater to millennials.  Eventbrite published a report on how to make sure that your music festival appeals to this age group.  Barron’s also published a study demonstrating how millennials actively “[disrupt] the music business.”

Yet, whatever happened to Baby Boomers?  Now, according to a study, advertisers on YouTube are losing out on precious revenue for ignoring this age group.

Titled YouTube’s Generational Divide, Strike Social analyzed the impact that the platform has in the US.  According to the social media research firm, the video platform reached 81% of all Americans last year.  The Google-owned company remains popular among millennials who watch it more than any cable news network.

Baby Boomers, however, make up nearly a quarter of YouTube’s total monthly visitors. Yet, they also watch the most ads.

Unsurprisingly, millennials watch YouTube the most.

To find YouTube’s total visitors by generation, Strike Social analyzed data from comScore and Google’s targeting tools.  They found that 39% of millennials (aged 18-34) watch YouTube.  Generation Xers (aged 35-54) and Baby Boomers (aged 55 and over) make up 37% and 24% of the platform’s total visitors, respectively.

Image by Strike Social

Yet, unlike millennials, Baby Boomers are less averse to watching ads on YouTube.

Each generation interacts with video ads differently.  Advertisers, however, allocate more money to target millennials and Gen Xers.  Strike Social found that millennials and Gen Xers received more budget than Baby Boomers did (156% and 137% more, respectively).

So, why does this matter?  According to Strike Social, Baby Boomers bring in more revenue for advertisers than their younger counterparts.

Strike Social calculated the cost-per-view (CPV) and view rate (VR) for each generation.

Millennials generated on average a $0.045 CPV and had a 28.3% VR.  Gen Xers and Baby Boomers tied with a slightly higher CPV of $0.046.  However, Baby Boomers have a higher view rate than their younger counterparts, 31.2% to Generation Xers’ 28.5%.

You can view the complete CPV and VR breakdown by generation below, along with how each generation accesses the video platform.

Image by Strike Social

Image by Strike Social

The social media research firm explains why these numbers should matter to advertisers.

“Baby Boomers (and older) account for 48% of consumer expenses per year.  In contrast, Gen X is responsible for only 34% of consumer expenses, while millennials account for 19%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.  And yet YouTube ad spend doesn’t reflect these major differences in purchasing power at all.”

To summarize, per Strike Social, YouTube advertising CPV only differs by a fraction of a penny.  Yet, on average, older audiences yield a 10% higher view rate than millennials and Gen Xers.

So, what ads do Baby Boomers love watching?

Strike Social listed which industries performed best with older audiences.  In thirteen of the fourteen listed industries, Baby Boomers had a higher-than-average view rate.  YouTube ads promoting household appliances, entertainment, and telecommunication services proved the most popular.  Government and advocacy ads on the platform, along with retail ads, proved the least popular.

For more information on the study, you can view Strike Social’s complete report here.

Header and featured image by Quinn Dombrowski (CC by 2.0)

Google has gone on the warpath against hate-filled and extremist content on YouTube.  But does this include white supremacist and neo-Nazi music?

How can you ensure that videos promoting hatred and discrimination don’t reappear on YouTube?  Simple, according to Google.  Keep them on the site.  Then, the only thing you need to do is demonetize them.

That’s the new strategy the search giant has taken against jihadist videos and content promoting hate, according to Bloomberg.

Earlier today, Bloomberg’s Mark Bergen reported that Google will start monitoring videos on YouTube.  The video platform won’t remove videos containing offensive content.  They’ll simply add warnings and disable advertising for offensive content on the site.

Google first described their strategy against offensive content back in June.  Kent Walker, the company’s General Counsel, wrote,

“We will be taking a tougher stance on videos that do not clearly violate our policies — for example, videos that contain inflammatory religious or supremacist content.”

Walker elaborated on the company’s decision to keep the videos on the site.  He stated that Google doesn’t want to violate a person’s right to free expression.  However, the company needed to take a stand against offensive content.

“We think this strikes the right balance between free expression and access to information without promoting extremely offensive viewpoints.”

Videos containing inflammatory religious or supremacist content won’t be able to run ads.  This means that uploaders won’t profit from them.  The platform will also disable commenting for these videos.  In addition, offensive content will not appear on recommended lists.  The platform will also show users a visible warning screen.

But what happens if a content creator disagrees with the restrictions?  A spokesperson said that they can file an appeal.

With the latest move to take down extremist content, YouTube will now target videos that some users consider offensive.  This includes Holocaust denial theories and white supremacist clips.

Bloomberg obtained a copy of a letter sent to YouTube creators. It reads,

“YouTube doesn’t allow hate speech or content that promotes or incites violence.   In some cases, flagged videos that do not clearly breach the Community Guidelines but whose content is potentially controversial or offensive may remain up, but with some features disabled.”

But will this also work for white supremacist and neo-Nazi bands?

Three years ago, the Southern Poverty Law Center published a list of fifty-four groups releasing tracks with racist content.  After performing a quick search on YouTube, you can readily find content available for the following groups.  You also won’t find a warning screen as YouTube stated.

Several have also posted links on how to watch the tracks through Unblock YouTube’s site.

1. 96 Brigade (Tracks)

2. AD Hominem (Full album)

3. 3. Arghostlent (Tracks and full album)

4. Baker’s Dozen (Playlist with songs)

5. Barbarous Pomerania (Tracks and full album)

6. Battlecry (Tracks from East Side Skinhead Pride)

7. Blood Red Eagle (Playlist, tracks, and full album)

8. Broadsword (Full album)

9. Brutal Attack (Full album)

10. Bully Boys (Tracks)

11. Capricornous (Tracks and full album)

12. Chauves Porris (Tracks)

13. Chingford Attack (Tracks, playlist, and channel)

14. Condemned 84 (Tracks and full album)

15. Dark Fury (Tracks, playlist, channel, and full album)

16. Der Sturmer (Tracks and full album)

17. FINAL WAR (Tracks and full album)

18. Freikorps (Playlist and tracks)

19. Gammadion (Tracks and playlist)

20. Geimhre (Tracks, playlist, and channel)

21. Grand Belial’s Key (Tracks, playlist, channel, and full album)

22. Granulosum (Tracks, playlist, and channel)

23. H8 Machine (Tracks, playlist, channel, and full album)

24. Hassgesang (Tracks, playlist, and channel)

25. Ian Stuart (Tracks, playlist, and channel)

26. Kamaedzitca (Tracks, playlist, and channel)

27. Ken & Stigger (Tracks, playlist, and channel)

28. Ken McLellan (Tracks, playlist, and channel)

29. Kill Baby, Kill! (Tracks, playlist, full album, and channel)

30. Kolovrat (Tracks, playlist, and channel)

31. Legion of St. George (Tracks, playlist, and full album)

32. Legittima Offesa (Tracks, playlist, and channel)

33. Max Resist (Tracks and full album)

34. M8L8TH (Tracks, playlist, and channel)

35. No Remorse (Tracks)

36. Prussian Blue (Tracks, playlist, and channel)

37. Ravens Wing (Playlist)

38. Razors Edge (Full album)

39. Seges Findere (Tracks and full album)

40. Selbstmord (Tracks and playlist)

41. Severe Storm (Tracks and album snippets)

42. Skinfull (Tracks, full album, and channel)

43. Skrewdriver (Tracks, full album, and channel)

44. Skullhead (Tracks, playlist, and channel)

45. Spear of Longinus (Tracks and full album)

46. Standarte (Full album)

47. Sturmwehr (Tracks, playlist, and channel)

48. Tattoed Mother Fuckers (Tracks, playlist, and channel)

49. Thunderbolt (Tracks and full album)

50. Ultimate Thule (Tracks, playlist, and channel)

51. White American Youth (Tracks and playlist)

52. White Knuckle Driver (Tracks)

53. Wotanorden (Tracks and full album)

54. Youth Defense League (Tracks)

In addition, you can also find other bands signaled as hate groups below.

55. Fanisk (Tracks and channel)

56. Deathkey (Tracks)

57. The Raunchous Brothers (Tracks)

58. White Fist (Tracks and playlist)

Image by Robert Thivierge (CC by 2.0)

If YouTube isn’t paying your bills, maybe Amazon will.

To better help social media influencers earn money on the side, Amazon launched their Influencer Program last April.  Accepted influencers could build their own landing page on Amazon.  They could then promote items on the site through their preferred video platforms, including Instagram and Snapchat.

Now, the e-commerce giant has quietly rolled out their program for YouTube stars.

Interested YouTubers can now head to the self-service Influencer Program page to see if they qualify.  Once accepted into the program, popular YouTubers would have their own landing page.

At this stage, we’re hoping influential musicians also qualify.  After all, a popular musician channel exerts just as much influence as any other.

In a statement to TechCrunch, a company spokesperson said,

“We recently enabled a self-service tool for YouTube influencers only to be able to sign up for the Amazon Influencer program.”

To see if they qualify, YouTubers have to head to a special vetting page and click on “Get Started.”  After walking through a few steps designed to verify their social identity.

Benefits of becoming a sponsored company influencer include:

• Getting your own customizable page on Amazon along with a vanity URL.
• Allowing your followers to search and find all of your product recommendations in one spot.
• Earning money through qualifying purchases.

You will obviously need a YouTube account to apply for the program.

Other than that, the company didn’t reveal the program’s eligibility requirements.  However, users who didn’t qualify for the program are invited to check back later as the requirements may change.

In terms of payouts, the Influencer Program also won’t provide higher commissions for YouTubers.  Rather, TechCrunch noted that the program allows their fans to quickly pull up shop recommendations.

In addition, Amazon promised to remain neutral in terms of product selection.  This means that YouTubers can pick and choose which products and brands to endorse.  The company won’t select nor screen the products for YouTubers to select.  As Business Insider points out, “anything sold on Amazon is fair game.”

The move reveals Amazon’s desire to capitalize on the social media influencer market.  According to BI Intelligence, influencers use six top social platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.  YouTube currently has over 1.1 billion users worldwide.

Locking down major platform stars may help the e-commerce giant drive up sales.  Commission-based brand and product promotion on Amazon would also serve as an attractive incentive for popular YouTube stars.  A recent report published on Digital Music News revealed that YouTube only pays out around $0.0006 per view.  For artists and content creators to earn the monthly minimum wage amount of $1,472, a video would need 2.2 million plays.

You can check out the Influencer page here.

Image by Dan Farber (CC by 2.0)

Despacito’s getting snubbed.  But does the industry care about the MTV Video Music Awards anymore?

Last week, ‘Despacito’ became the most-watched music video on YouTube.  Correction: it became the most watched video — period – in the platform’s history.

MTV executives, however, ruled the video ineligible for this year’s Video Music Awards (VMAs).  But with fewer people watching the once-popular awards show, will this notable snub make any difference at all?

After nearly seven months on the Google-owned platform, Luis Fonsi’s track ‘Despacito’ featuring Daddy Yankee topped Wiz Khalifa’s ‘See You Again.’  On August 4th, the single had 2.994 billion views.  It became the fastest-rising video in the history of the internet.

YouTube also declared that it would become the first video to reach three billion views, a feat accomplished only days later.  The music video currently has 3,216,690,597 views.  In addition, ‘Despacito’ is also the most liked video on the platform.

Despite the historic feat, the popular Latin track didn’t earn a single nomination at this year’s Video Music Awards.

According to MTV, Universal Music Latin Entertainment (UMLE) didn’t submit the song for consideration.

The record label quickly fought back.  According to them, the network chose to snub the video.  In a statement to the Associated Press, UMLE stated that MTV didn’t ask for a submission until after the network had already released their nominations.

“Until last week, MTV hadn’t solicited UMLE to submit the video for consideration.”

MTV didn’t state why it waited a week after the Video Music Awards nominations had been announced.  They first announced VMA nominations on July 25th.  In addition, ‘Despacito’ doesn’t air on its main channels, MTV or MTV2.  It only airs on MTVTres, the network’s Latin channel.  MTV also declined to state why it won’t air ‘Despacito’ on their main channels.

As a concession, the network agreed to recognize ‘Despacito’ in the Video Music Awards’ ‘Song of Summer’ category.  But maybe that’s just adding insult to injury.

In a statement, Universal Music Latin Entertainment added,

“UMLE is surprised and happy to learn that MTV plans to recognize ‘Despacito’ in the VMA’s ‘Song of Summer’ category.  We hope the nomination will lead to [the network] airing the full video on their main channels.”

“We’re proud to work with [the network] to expose new audiences to our artists’ music and we would welcome MTV’s decision to recognize Spanish-language videos on its main channel and the Music Video Awards program.”

Last year’s Video Music Awards saw a harsh ratings drop.  According to Deadline, viewership fell to 8.3 million, down 21.6% from the year prior.

Featured image: YouTube screen grab

Nearly half of all Swedes and Norwegians are paying for a streaming service. And here’s another interesting fact: more than 60% of people in Sweden and Norway use YouTube.

Across Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden, 80% of inhabitants aged 12 to 65 have used at least one streaming service.  But did you know that most of them are paying for premium streaming services, including Spotify?  Yet even with these premium subscriptions, many people still love to use YouTube.  It’s all part of an evolving picture of how different music services coexist and even feed one another.

YouGov conducted the Polaris Nordic Digital Music Survey in Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden in April and May of this year.  The survey targeted internet users aged 12 to 65 and attracted 4,047 online respondents in these Nordic countries.

YouGov found that free music dominated the streaming scene.  YouTube ranks as the streaming service most used by Nordic inhabitants with a 60% share.  Spotify came in second place with 51%.  iTunes downloads had a 13% share.

In each of these Nordic countries, eight out of ten people have used digital music services.  87% of all digital music consumers had streamed music from at least one free service.  An average of 40% of people in all Nordic countries subscribed to a premium music streaming service.

That number was most pronounced in Sweden and Norway, where the average subscription level moves to 48%.

For this study, premium/bundled services are:

• Telmore Musik, YouSee Musik, Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, Google Play Music, Deezer, Groove, Napster, Beat.no, and GubeMusic.

Free music streaming services (which include trial subscriptions) are:

• YouTube, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, vidFlow, Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Google Play Music, Groove, Napster, and Tidal.

A bundled service simply refers to a premium streaming service packaged into a broader account.  Most commonly, that is an ISP or mobile account, though the broader bundled number was fairly small.

A significant percentage of people don’t stream their music in Denmark

In Denmark, 75% of the population have used at least one digital music service.  43% have subscribed to a premium service.  31% have used a free music streaming version or a trial.

YouTube ranked as the most used music streaming platform in the country with a 48% market share.  Its percentage increased 11% from 2015.  Spotify came in second with 38%, up 5%.  YouSee Music came in third with an 18% share.  It previously had a 21% market share in 2015.

43% of Danes will access their favorite music through a premium or bundled service.  31% will use a free streaming platform or a trial version.  26% do not regularly used a streaming service.

iTunes in Norway remains popular, though it’s lost a big chunk of its market share

In Norway, 81% of the population have used at least one digital music service.  48% have subscribed to a premium service.  33% have used a free music streaming service or a trial version.

As with Denmark, YouTube ranked as the most used digital music service in the country with a 62% market share.  Its percentage increased 16% from 2015.  Spotify came in second with a 55% share.  It had a 50% market share the year prior.  iTunes came in third with 16%.  Its market share significantly declined, down from 24% in 2015.

48% of the Norwegian population have accessed their favorite tracks through premium streaming platform.  32% will use a free music streaming service and 20% haven’t streamed music at all.

Spotify reigns as king in their home country

In Sweden, 83% of the population have used at least one digital music service.  48% have subscribed to a premium platform.  35% have used a free music streaming service or a trial version.

Unsurprisingly, Swedish streaming platform Spotify came in first place with a 64% market share in 2016.  This number remained unchanged from the year prior.  YouTube skyrocketed to 60%, up 10% from 2015.  As with Norway, iTunes came in third place with 13%, down 4% from a year earlier.

48% of the Swedish population have accessed their favorite tracks through premium services.  35% will use a free music streaming platform and 17% haven’t streamed their favorite songs at all.

Free music reigns supreme in Finland

In Finland, 82% of the population have used at least one digital music service.  Unlike other Nordic countries, only 22% have subscribed to a premium service, the lowest in the list.  Why the change?  Most people in Finland prefer to stream their music for free.

So, which free music streaming platforms do people in Finland prefer?  Compared to other Nordic countries, YouTube had the highest market share with 69%, up 14% from the year prior.  Spotify also came in second place with a 46% market share, up 8% over last year.  It’s unclear whether this number represents premium streams, ad-supported streams, or a mix of both.  iTunes remained stagnant in third place with an 8% market share, the same as 2015.

The Finnish population ranked the lowest when it comes to premium subscriptions.  Only 22% will access their favorite tracks on a premium service.  A whopping 60% will use a free music streaming service or a trial version.  18% of the Finnish population haven’t streamed their favorite tracks at all.

So, how many people use Spotify and YouTube?

On a weekly basis, YouGov found that three out of four people in Nordic countries will use Spotify and YouTube.

In Nordic countries, more people streamed music through Spotify than on YouTube.  The Swedish streaming platform had an average 77% weekly user frequency share.  YouTube had 71%.

For Spotify, the Swedish population had a 79% net share.  50% used the service daily.  29% used it weekly.  Daily service use increased in Norway, up 1%.  Weekly use, however, declined 3%.  In Denmark, 45% of the population used the platform daily.  28% used the service weekly.  In Finland, 46% used the Swedish platform daily.  30% used the service weekly.

YouTube had its highest share in Norway with 73%.  37% of the population used the Google-owned platform daily.  36% used the service weekly.  Finland had the second highest net share with 72%.  In the country, 39% used YouTube daily, and 33% used it at least once a week.  Sweden came in third place with a 71% net share.  36% of the population used the platform daily, and 34% used it once a week.  Denmark had the lowest net share with 66%.  30% used the Google-owned platform daily, with 36% using it at least once a week.

What service do young people prefer to use?

Spotify ranked as the most used streaming platform for those aged 12 to 17.  In Finland, 72% of teenagers streamed their favorite music on the platform.  Sweden and Norway tied with a 74% share.  Denmark came in last place with 67%.

In only one Nordic country, YouTube outperformed Spotify with teenagers aged 12 to 17.  74% of Finnish teens used the platform to stream their favorite music.  Sweden had a 73% share with the same age group.  Denmark and Norway had a 64% and 63% share, respectively.

What about older audiences?

One key thing to note about YouGov’s study is older audiences’ listening habits.

Most people aged 50 to 65 prefer to use Spotify.  20% in Denmark listened to their favorite tracks on the platform.  In Sweden, the percentage increased to 25%. Spotify had the highest older audience share in Norway with 30%.  In Finland, only 26% of older audiences streamed their favorite tunes through Spotify.

For the older audience market, YouTube had its highest share in Sweden with 23%.  20% preferred YouTube in Finland, and 19% in Norway.  Only 10% of older audiences in Denmark used the Google-owned platform.

Featured image by YouGov