Facebook is reportedly still pushing for deals with music labels that would allow for use of licensed music in user posts. According to TechCrunch, label deals would most likely center on music used in videos. Continue Reading
Apple Music has hired Steve Savoca, a former Spotify exec. Savoca was the vice president of content at Spotify and his responsibilities centered on label relations. He’ll be performing the same label-focused duties at Apple Music. Continue Reading
Universal Music Group leads the labels in volume of audio streams distributed in the U.S. during 2016, according to Music Business Worldwide. The major was responsible for 84.03 billion audio streams, about a third of the total market. Continue Reading
The IFPI and WIN (Worldwide Independent Network) released a report on the investments music labels make into the industry. It’s an interesting data set about how this portion of the music machine operates, especially when it comes to artists seeking new ways to distribute their work in a digital economy. Continue Reading
Sony reported its financial results from the second quarter, with the parent company posting some declines while its music division recorded growth. Sony Music Entertainment reported revenue up 8% on-year to 150 billion yen ($1.49 billion). Continue Reading
The legal definition of a stream is currently under a microscope in a lawsuit filed by 19 Recordings. The plaintiff, which represents the winners of reality TV competition American Idol, alleged that its clients have been shortchanged on revenue because of how Sony defines a stream in contracts. Continue Reading
Lyor Cohen is joining the YouTube team as global head of music. The long-time music industry veteran is the CEO and founder of 300 Entertainment. He has also held long tenures in the upper ranks at Warner Music Group and Def Jam, including presiding over large mergers at both labels. Continue Reading
The three major labels have filed a lawsuit against an operation that they claim is a top offender in stream ripping. German company YouTube-mp3.org is charged with piracy by engaging in an increasingly common form of music copying, where music videos are reduced to audio-only MP3 files for personal consumption and sharing. Continue Reading
Midia Research founder Mark Mulligan explored the broader context of the quarterly financial reports for the three major labels. Each of the majors reported increased revenue from streaming, but those data points don’t tell the complete story about where the money really comes from. Continue Reading
Spotify may finally be relaxing its hard line against windowing. The New York Post is reporting that Spotify might reverse the long-held stance that its entire catalog should be available to both free and paid listeners all the time. Continue Reading
With the recent wave of music industry organizations worldwide releasing their data for 2015, two distinct trends have emerged. One of them is a growing dissatisfaction with the flow of money through ad-supported streaming services. Some reports just imply frustration, while others have centered on YouTube as the symbolic scapegoat for their anger about the amount of revenue generated by that type of media platform. Continue Reading
At the beginning of the year, CÜR Music laid out plans to become a player in the social, mobile music streaming space. Part of that plan involved hefty licensing fees to be paid to all three major labels. It seems that the best laid plans are already going awry. Continue Reading