Supreme Court to Take on Major Labels’ Billion-Dollar Copyright Case Against Cox
The U.S. Supreme Court announced it will take on a landmark copyright case between Cox Communications and the music industry that has been bouncing between courts since 2018.
The suit was originally brought against Cox in 2018 by a group of over 50 music companies – including major labels Universal, Warner and Sony and their publishing arms – over whether Cox was allowing its internet customers to download music illegally.
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Tips for Writing Great Lyrics (Jason Blume)
1) Start With Great Opening Lines. After almost twenty years I still remember where I was the first time I heard Faith Hill’s crossover smash “This Kiss” (written by Robin Lerner, Beth Nielsen Chapman, and Annie Roboff) playing on my car stereo. The opening lyrics of that Country Song of the Year GRAMMY nominee grabbed me like a hand had reached through my radio, and I had no doubt I was listening to something special. I cranked up the volume to be sure I wouldn’t miss a word.
2) Build On an Intriguing Title. We need to give our listeners (including music publishers, recording artists, and other decision-makers) compelling reasons to choose our songs instead of anyone else’s (including ones the artist and producer might have written or co-written). One of the best ways to accomplish this is to build on a title that encapsulates a unique, original concept.
3) Show—Don’t Tell. Songwriting is an art of communication and most songs are intended to communicate feelings, not information. But ironically, by using our lyrics to state how we feel (i.e., “I am heartbroken,” “I am happy,” “I am in love”) our listeners learn our emotional state, but are unlikely to empathize and feel the emotions that the strongest lyrics elicit.How can we “show”—instead of telling how we feel? Try creating a scene in which the character within our song does what a person might do when he or she is experiencing the emotion we hope to express. Ask yourself what action might he or she take.
What Co-Writers Need to Know About Songwriting Splits
Making sure that your music is properly registered is a crucial part of earning performance royalties. When embarking on the journey of making music with a collaborator, you and your co-writer(s) need to agree on the percentages (aka “splits”) of the royalties that each of you will earn. How you divide up the pie is totally up to you. But there are a few key steps that you and your collaborators should take if you want to be compensated correctly when your music is publicly performed:
If you don't work these issues out early in the creative process, bad title registrations and disputes can end important creative relationships and result in inaccurate royalty payments or royalties going to the wrong person.
However, by making some simple, positive changes to your creative business practices, you and your fellow songwriters can create a world of good – for yourselves, your families, your community, your industry and billions of music lovers.
Report predicts recorded music will be a $110.8bn market by 2032
Consultancy firm Midia Research has published its latest forecasts for the growth of the recorded music industry. It reckons this market will be worth $110.8bn in 2032. That’s a ‘retail’ figure: it includes traditional revenues; non-DSP streaming on platforms like TikTok; labels’ share of live, merch and branding revenues; licensing; production music and “the long tail of independent artists and labels”.
“Oscillation and slowing streaming are the new growth framework for the global market,” wrote CEO Mark Mulligan in a blog post announcing the report. He also pointed to a “clear shift away from the West” towards countries in the Global South, as well as “new DSP power dynamics” reflected in the battle over bundle royalties. “Labels got their ‘artist centric’ licensing in return but the long-term implication is DSPs have the precedent of reducing the royalty pot.”
Cover Art Best Practices: What Musicians Need to Know
You might find an exception to the common saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” in album artwork. Your cover art serves as the powerful first impression for future fans, a storytelling device, and a window into your world — it can be the sole reason someone gives your music a chance.
But it’s also one of the most common reasons releases are delayed.
That’s because major streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music have strict guidelines your cover art must follow. In this guide, we’ll provide cover art best practices to ensure your release goes live on time. Beyond the technical considerations, we’ve provided tips and insights from industry experts on how to design a great album cover. Cover art is important for two reasons, one practical, another artistic. First, it’s often the culprit for delayed releases. If you’re submitting your music for distribution, your cover art must meet certain formatting, design, and file type requirements set by major streaming platforms or you release risks rejection.
Second, even in today’s digital age, cover art is a crucial storytelling, marketing, and artistic device that helps turn new listeners onto your music and anchors your branding. According to a study by MusicWatch as cited on CoverHub, 75% of listeners said that album art influenced their perception of the music before they even heard it. A compelling album cover can help you earn new fans and stand out in every setting from a streaming library to a vinyl rack.
How To Build The Ultimate Music Team For Your Label or Project
Running an independent label requires the finesse of a well-oiled machine. It takes a team that knows their roles: what they’re doing, when they’re doing it, and how it all fits together. Without clear guidelines, roles get blurred, communication breaks down, and things start slipping through the cracks. But with a solid structure and the right tools to support your efforts, you can create a workflow that keeps everyone aligned and actually working together.
Splitting responsibilities isn’t just about divvying up the work; it’s about building a system where each person has defined ownership, clarity, and room to thrive in their role. Whether you’re running a tight-knit crew or managing a fast-growing team, here’s everything you need to know to create the team of your dreams…
Explorations in Guitar Colorations
Using a combination of mic placement skill and guitar mixology to achieve some supple six-string sounds
If you’re a guitarist, or just someone who wants to get better at recording one, here is a review of all things six-strings, including different types of electric and acoustic instruments, how body size and shape affects tonality, and most of all, how to use basic mic-placement variations to capture a really good-sounding instrument for regular use on your recordings. 1) Know your axe. What kind of electric sound are you looking for? Are you primarily a rhythm guitarist or a lead player? As you may know, electrics sport a variety of pickup configurations and also use different types of woods and construction (i.e., hollow body versus solid body) that help determine the guitar’s overall volume and tonality. In general, humbucking pickups offer a “hotter” output, while single-coil pickups deliver a more balanced, less-aggressive sound that is often preferable for rhythm players.
2) Double it. Perhaps you’ve noticed that a lot of lead guitar you hear on record seems substantially “thicker” than what you might normally get out of your own instrument.
3) Re-tune it. Not that you always want to duplicate guitar parts
note-for-note, but when recording a pair of rhythm guitars, for instance, it’s helpful to have two distinct sounds, even when playing the same chords.
4) Get balanced. Rather than tossing random parts onto the recorder to see what sticks, having some understanding of the way different guitars sound together enables you to make more thoughtful decisions when laying out your tracks.
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Spotify customers forced into bundled plans says David Israelite as Senators urge FTC to intervene
The US Federal Trade Commission has been formally asked to investigate Spotify’s decision, in 2023, to automatically opt its millions of premium subscribers into a new product that bundled audiobooks with music and
podcasts. While the addition of audiobooks initially looked like a freebie, the extra content ultimately increased the cost of a subscription while also - in the US - reducing how much money flows to songwriters and music publishers.
Senators Marsha Blackburn and Ben Ray Luján say in a letter to FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson that they have “serious concerns” about Spotify’s bundling tricks.
“These actions harm consumers and could deeply damage the marketplace and the music royalty system”, they write. To that end, they urge the FTC “to investigate the impact of Spotify’s actions”, and to take steps to both “protect Americans from being forced into subscriptions without notice or choice” and “safeguard the music marketplace”.
18% of All Uploaded Music Is Now AI
Deezer has launched an AI tagging system for music streaming, with the goal of offering full transparency on AI generated tracks.
Paris-based global music platform Deezer has introduced an AI tagging system for music streaming. The DSP will now clearly display which albums and songs include fully AI generated tracks. The company recently announced the launch of its AI music detection tool, revealing that nearly one-fifth (18%) of all music uploaded on a daily basis—more than 20,000 tracks—are 100% AI generated. Although fully AI-generated music currently accounts for only a small fraction of streams on Deezer (approximately 0.5%), it’s evident that the primary purpose of uploading these tracks to streaming platforms is fraud. Deezer has found that up to 70% of the streams generated by fully AI-generated tracks are fraudulent. Importantly, when detecting stream manipulation of any kind, Deezer excludes the streams from the royalty payments.
Asleep At The Wheel Celebrates 50 Years In The Lone Star State With ‘Riding High In Texas’
Asleep At The Wheel is celebrating their five-decade mark in the Lone Star state by dedicating their upcoming 32nd album, Riding High In Texas, to the adopted home where all their dreams came true.
Due out August 22, the ten-song collection features some of the best songs about the 28th state from a wide range of songwriters like Jimmie Rogers, Guy Clark, and Charlie Daniels, with some A-list collaborations with Lyle Lovett and Billy Strings. Since 1970, Asleep At The Wheel has had over 100 members come through the band, and Riding High In Texas is also an opportunity to introduce a new face in the band with fiddler and vocalist Ian Stewart joining founder Ray Benson and company.
“It’s been fifty five years for Asleep At The Wheel as a band, and fifty of them have been spent in Texas,” says Benson. “We are known worldwide for being a Texas band and playing Texas and Western Swing music, and it gives us great pride to carry this torch and responsibility.”Asleep At The Wheel recently shared the first single from Riding High In Texas, “Texas In My Soul,” which was written by Ernest Tubb and popularized by Willie Nelson, and was chosen for the project because it resonated with, in Benson’s words, “How we felt in 1974 when the band moved to Texas” and is ripe with everything that makes the Wheel the Wheel, twin fiddles, steel guitar licks, and a piano solo along with Benson’s smooth vocals.
