Bandcamp starts beta testing new artist-based subscription feature

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Bandcamp introduced a new approach to music ownership this week with the trial of an artist-based subscription. An independent band called Candy Says is using the direct-to-fan platform’s beta feature to offer an annual subscription to its music. For £20 (about $32) a year, listeners can have seven of the group’s back catalog and Bandcamp-only albums in addition to all new releases. The songs will be made available as downloads and as streams. Continue Reading →

Journal Broadcast Group launches new digital extension

Posted on by Brad Hill

We have liked Journal Broadcast Group’s digital initiatives since the launch of its breakthrough Radio League app in March. Radio League is a pureplay Internet radio outlet; one of its stations is called Now Trending Hits. Journal has launched a Now Trending website wich complements the pureplay station, and delivers a BuzzFeed-like assortment of newsy items. Continue Reading →

Sirius XM loses second pre-1972 court judgment

Posted on by Anna Washenko

The judicial trend in cases about the copyright pre-1972 recordings has swung decidedly in the favor of artists. In August, Judge Mary Strobel issued a tentative ruling in support of Sirius XM in its legal defense against major record labels. However, on Tuesday she ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, securing compensation for the labels for the public performance of pre-1972 recordings. Continue Reading →

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Editor’s Notebook: David Lowery’s attempt to unwind music streaming

Posted on by Brad Hill

by Brad Hill

David Lowery, musicians’ advocate and the foremost critic of streaming music, posted a column in which he prescribes solutions to “fix” the streaming music business model — or, more accurately, his issues with it. Lowery’s arrows are pointed at Spotify, and his suggestions are surprising. Along the way, he misses some reality points. Continue Reading →

iHeartMedia taps former Microsoft exec as new CMO

Posted on by Anna Washenko

iHeartMedia has hired Gayle Troberman to join the company as executive vice president and chief marketing officer. Troberman most recently served a brief executive stint at IPG Mediabrands, but previously worked for 16 years at Microsoft. She held multiple advertising and marketing positions at the tech company, and eventually rose to the rank of chief creative officer. Prior to this hiring announcement, Troberman worked with iHeartMedia as a consultant on the project to rebrand itself from the Clear Channel name. Continue Reading →

Samsung flip-flops, will launch paid Milk Music plan in South Korea

Posted on by Anna Washenko

Samsung appears to have had a change of heart on whether to charge for its Milk Music service in South Korea. Today, the tech giant announced that it would introduce a premium tier to Milk following some legal trouble with a group of Korean record labels. According to Korea Bizwire, the paid plan will arrive in Samsung’s home country in the first quarter of 2015. Continue Reading →

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TuneCore’s Q3 payouts surpass $32 million, new exec to join team

Posted on by Anna Washenko

TuneCore paid $32.7 million to artists in the third quarter of 2014. That amount marked a 13.2% increase over the payouts made by the digital music distribution company in the same quarter of 2013. This is a solid performance, nearly matching the more than $33 million it distributed in 2014’s second quarter. Since launching in 2006, it it has paid $471.5 million for its clients. Continue Reading →

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BBC leads global push for FM-enabled smartphones

Posted on by Anna Washenko

The BBC is throwing its weight behind efforts to get FM radio chips enabled on smartphones. Research commissioned by the UK broadcaster found that the majority of smartphone owners want radio available in the devices. The study also highlighted the common concerns about that technology: mobile data costs, impact on battery life, and reception issues. Continue Reading →

adStream: The benefits of pre-roll

Posted on by Brad Hill

Pre-roll commercials, which play before the first song when a custom station is launched in a music service, make a lot of sense. This might seem counter-intuitive to radio listeners, every one of whom has endured the experience of tuning into a favorite station at the start of a long spot set. But a single short ad before the music starts can grab attention without pushing away the user. We find a good one in this edition of adStream. Continue Reading →

YouTube hits $1 billion milestone for ContentID payments

Posted on by Anna Washenko

YouTube has made $1 billion in payouts from its ContentID system since it was implemented in 2007. This technology helps many of the video network’s content creators to control how their material is made available. The program has been especially helpful for musicians and music labels, since many YouTube users upload video with copyrighted audio material. The rights holders can either have infringing videos taken down or have ads placed in them to generate revenue. Continue Reading →