Deezer released data tracing listeners’ habits surrounding album streaming. In the survey of 8,000 people from the U.S., France, Germany, and Brazil, 54% said they listen to fewer albums than their did 5 to 10 years ago. Continue Reading
“Music consumption is at an all-time high,” according to Nielsen Music’s 2016 U.S. Year-End Report. The analysis reveals that 2016 was another year with strong streaming growth and some compelling trends for albums. The entire music industry posted a 3.1% increase in overall volume, with total album consumption reaching 560.7 million units. Continue Reading
Drake has been a huge force in the U.S. music scene this year with the release of new album, Views. Music Ally made some calculations and determined that the Canadian rapper’s latest album has hit some impressive milestones on both Spotify and YouTube. The numbers this album is putting up are yet another reminder of how critical it is for charts to consistently account for streaming data in assessing an album’s success. Continue Reading
Playlists are beating out albums for listenership, according to the latest study from the Music Business Association and LOOP. The survey results found that playlists account for 31% of total listening time across all demographics. Continue Reading
One of the big story arcs in the music world today centers on distribution. Several of the day’s hottest acts have been exploring new ways of using digital platforms to get their new work out to listeners. Over the weekend, another powerhouse joined their ranks. Continue Reading
Shazam is expanding its brand and marketing tools, but the company hasn’t lost touch with its musical core. Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll, who performs under the stage name Kygo, is using the audio recognition app to launch his debut album. Continue Reading
When Kanye West launched his latest album, the focus was on his protective approach to distribution. The strategy was controversial at best, especially given the immediate wave of piracy the title faced. But in the weeks following the official release, West has been less obviously changing how his fans perceive the very idea of an album in the streaming age. Continue Reading
Shortly after the launch of Rihanna’s Anti spiked Tidal membership, another of the platform’s artist/owners is experimenting with using it for exclusive access. Kanye West released his new album, The Life of Pablo, on Tidal, but it has had vastly more complicated results. Continue Reading
Adele has thrown a new curve into her promotion strategy for the album 25. “When We Were Young,” the second single from the record-breaking album, dropped today. And although the big buzz around 25 when it released was the sales-centric philosophy, the single has also arrived on streaming services. Continue Reading
The RIAA has decided that streaming counts will be included toward albums’ gold and platinum certification. On-demand audio and video streams will be a factor in measuring performance effective immediately. Gold certification is awarded to an album with 500,000 sales, while platinum is 1 million sales and multi-platinum is 2 million. Continue Reading
We noticed the new Hunger Games soundtrack album as a streaming playlist in iTunes Radio, which supported our repeated observation that “album release” no longer has much meaning. In the years when radio was the only mass-market music discovery venue,… Continue Reading