Nielsen releases 2014 music report

Now that we’ve set off on a fresh new year, we’re getting some interesting and insightful perspectives on everything that transpired in the music world during 2014. Data scientists have had the time to collect final numbers and finish analyses. On Jan. 2, we got a preliminary look at the work of Nielsen SoundScan team, which showed a general trend of increased streaming and decreased sales. Today, we have the 2014 Nielsen Music U.S. Report to expand on those first finds. Continue Reading

Bandcamp starts beta testing new artist-based subscription feature

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