Mark Mulligan: Everyone hurts – the problem with ‘fixing’ streaming

by Mark Mulligan

This guest column from Mark Mulligan breaks down what mid-level success looks like from a musician’s viewpoint. “Streaming was built for yesterday’s music business,” Mark Mulligan asserts in this guest column. He breaks down what success looks like to midlevel artists, then doubles it … and it’s still not enough. Mulligan suggests two possible innovations in the existing royalty system.
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American Music Fairness Act reenters Congress, probably bound for stalemate

It has been in circulation since 2021, when the American Music Fairness Act was introduced to Congress.The proposed bill intends to rectify what musicians and their chief lobbying organization, SoundExchange, call a “decades-long injustice.” The argument is over a historical anamoly which has always exempted broadcast radio stations from paying creator royalties — songwriters for the most part. Continue Reading

Spotify earnings message: “Speed plus efficiency”

Spotify was ready for investor questions about the recent reorg. The company’s remarks emphasized a shift from previous spending to future operational efficiency. This core message was connected to every aspect of the product, with some emphasis on podcasting (thanks to relentless investor questioning about the podcast business) and especially the recent departure of Dawn Ostroff, who ran the podcast business. Click for quotes. Continue Reading

Steve Goldstein: Podcasting is doing fine; thank you

by Steve Goldstein

In the latest guest column from Steve Goldstein, he observes the more things change, the more they remain the same. Contrary to shaded scenarios currently in vogue, podcasting is “a healthy, but maturing and evolving business,” according to Steve. Less spaghetti thrown against the wall, please, and more rigor. It’s a good read. Continue Reading

Steve Pratt — Awesome Over Time: Would Your Content Strategy Pass the Marshmallow Test?

In this guest column, Steve Pratt of The Creativity Business discusses the power of patience. “If your goal is to earn attention, build trust, and develop relationships, the strategy is obvious. You must pass the Content Marshmallow Test and delay gratification.” Click for this illustrated column. Continue Reading