Author: Anna Washenko

Rumor Fact(ory): Spotify to curtail freemium to three months?

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Digital Music News is reporting that Spotify may place some restrictions on its freemium listening tier. Unnamed sources have told that site that the free, ad-supported access could be limited to just three months under a new proposal. This is the type of change that labels and publishers have been pressuring the streaming service to make, and the leaders at Universal and Sony seem to be the driving force behind the rumored proposal. Continue Reading →

Rumor Fact(ory): Apple’s will ditch Beats brand, offer social features to artists

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Today brings a fresh batch of rumors and sneak peaks into Apple’s forthcoming music service, as usual courtesy of 9to5Mac. Unnamed industry sources told the site that despite being based on Beats Music, the new platform is likely to be called Apple Music. It is also expected to integrate social features similar to ones that Apple previously experimented with in the form of Ping. Continue Reading →

Beatport posts decreased Q1 download revenue

Posted on by Anna Washenko

The general trend in the music industry has been a steady decline in sales of downloads, and that appears to be impacting even niche stores. EDM and DJ specialty platform Beatport’s financial information was released in the quarterly filings for parent company SFX Entertainment. In the first quarter this year, the company’s revenue from digital downloads totaled $8.9 million, compared with $11.6 million for the same metric in the year-ago period. Continue Reading →

State of the industry report: streaming is growing fast

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Music data specialist Next Big Sound has released a new report with just as much substance as style. The beautifully designed presentation reviewed some of the major music business trends of 2014. The data points show a snapshot of how the online music industry has continued to grow and create additional business opportunities for artists, labels, and their partners. Continue Reading →

ASCAP hires new general counsel

Posted on by Anna Washenko

ASCAP has hired Clara Kim as its executive vice president and general counsel. That position was previously held by the performing rights organization’s new CEO, Elizabeth Matthews, prior to her promotion. In her new capacity, Kim will oversee all of ASCAP’s legal and business affairs, including managing its legislative team and its internal and external legal services. Continue Reading →