In the first few months of every new year, trade bodies from all corners of the globe reflect on their successes of the previous 12 months. Those analyses offer a snapshot of the music industry and the trends that cross national borders. For 2016, the results generally reflected a continued increase to the share of revenue delivered by streaming. Continue Reading
The IFPI published its annual global music report reflecting on the industry’s 2016 performance. Global revenue increased 5.9% to $15.7 billion. Digital revenue rose 17.8% to $7.8 billion, enough that it now has a 50% share of the global music industry’s total. “If the digital market continues to grow, so too will the overall level of remuneration to artists, as will the levels of overall investment required to create new music whilst helping to drive digital innovation,” IFPI CEO Frances Moore said. Continue Reading
Pandora Premium, long in development and selectively released in March, is available to all users as of this morning. Along with that, Pandora has started a new ad campaign titled “Sounds Like You.” Many people will view the unlimited release of Pandora Premium as the more important news. Today is a moment of fruition that alters the competitive landscape of music services. Continue Reading
The chief officer of the BMG label issued downward sentiment when he talked about the prospects of a music industry revival powered by streaming. “I am very cynical about the view that the good days have returned,” said Hartwig Masuch as quoted in Financial Times. Streaming drives the music industry now, and artists are set to demand a bigger cut from their labels. Continue Reading
BuzzAngle unceremoniously released its first-quarter 2017 music industry consumption numbers today — and only the numbers, without comment or executive summary. No problem there, as the numbers tell a clear story. Continue Reading
The battle of the bills continues in Washington, as over-the-air radio’s music royalty exemption is again under scrutiny by the 115th Congress. In the latest development, Congressman Darrell Issa (R-Calif) has introduced a new bill with a new solution which gives artists the right to forbid airplay of their music without payment. Continue Reading
Kanye West’s album The Life of Pablo has achieved platinum certification just based on streaming performance. The album, which was released in February 2016, has reached 1.5 billion streams in the U.S., enough to attain platinum certification from the RIAA. Continue Reading
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act has been a lightning rod for criticism from the music industry. There have been many calls to update the act, which took effect in 1999, to reflect the changes that have happened in the music industry over the past two decades. The most recent ammunition in the arsenal for those activists is an academic report from the Phoenix Center. Continue Reading
A collective of record labels, streaming platforms, and advocacy organizations leveraged the CES spotlight to announce a commitment to high-resolution (hi-res) audio streaming. The loosely-articulated mission continues an industry trend whose mileposts have been as varied as Neil Young’s Pono venture, Tidal’s hi-res streaming subscription service, and the small but notable resurgence of vinyl records. Continue Reading
Yesterday we posted the #1 story for 2016, based on readership of our articles. Today, the RAIN News roundup of how the online audio industry evolved in 2016. Seventy-four articles show the development of internet radio, music services, small webcasting, podcasting and the business ecosystem surrounding all of it in 2016. Happy browsing! Continue Reading
Russ Crupnick of MusicWatch discussed YouTube’s recently released figures about the revenue it puts into the music industry. He also covered several aspects of the ongoing value gap debate. Continue Reading
Sirius XM has settled its California royalty case with two members of The Turtles. The parties have been locked in legal proceedings for years about the treatment of recordings made prior to 1972, when federal copyright law was enacted. Continue Reading