Quick Hits: Songs sales still key for radio; a very Gaga Super Bowl; Ticketmaster music hire

Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web:

Should radio still care about song sales? Tom Taylor’s NOW Newsletter pointed to this interesting piece about plummeting music download sales, as Spotify listening grows. In other words, the well established consumer migration from ownership to access. In this case, the question is whether radio Program Directors and playlists should still take their cues from download sales. The somewhat surprising answer is Yes, which reflects the slow pace of change in absolute numbers. Because even as streaming eats iTunes’ lunch: “77 million Americans still regularly listen to the songs they paid to download and 30 million Americans still routinely buy songs on iTunes and similar services, according to MusicWatch.” Even a fading consumer behavior can have big numbers.

Super Bowl spike for Lady Gaga: This year’s NFL Championship featured entertainment from Lady Gaga during the half-time show. This type of highly visible performance usually translates to a jump in sales and streaming for the star, and Lady Gaga is no exception. BuzzAngle Music shared its data on this example.

Ticketmaster makes a music hire: Ticketmaster has hired David Marcus as executive vice president, head of music. This new addition will see all music-related responsibilities consolidated into a single music division. “We believe David’s successful history of working with artists, fans, and technology gives him the ability to guide our investments to ensure we provide the most comprehensive solutions for all the various players in the live music lifecycle,” said Jared Smith, president of Ticketmaster North America.

 

Anna Washenko