In
a world of playlists and instant, on-demand
music, people still take the time to call into
their local radio station and request a song,
sometimes even sending it out as a dedication.
The reasons for this delve deeper in the human
psyche than may appear on the surface.
Soon
It Will Cost More For Copyright Registration
The fee for official copyright registration is about to go up. Every three to five years, the U.S. Copyright Office does an in-depth study of its fees to determine whether to adjust them, then sends its results to Congress, which then has 120 days to do nothing (meaning approval) or pass a law disapproving the price recommendations.
The Office is now proposing raising the fee for the Standard Application from $55 to $65, which is $10 less than the 2018 proposal. Similarly, the Single Application (the lower-priced option for single works by individual authors) will go from $35 to $45, which is also $10 less than the 2018 proposal.
Apple
Officially Unveils TV+ — Get Ready for Some
Serious Bundling
Apple
TV launches with several Apple Original shows,
including “The Morning Show,” “See,”
and “For All Mankind.” Three episodes of
each of the new shows are available now —
Apple TV will release new episodes weekly on
Friday.
Several
other original shows will debut in the coming
months to bolster Apple’s new
subscription-driven strategy.
Apple
is offering a seven-day free trial of Apple
TV+ to new customers. With
Apple looking to drive new revenue
through subscriptions, bundling makes
sense. Subscription fatigue has
become a real thing many people feel, and
bundles are a great way for Apple to offer
content that may otherwise be looked over. If
the student bundle plan is successful, we
could see something similar for regular
subscribers.
Will
The Copyright Office’s Best Practices Shine
Sunlight Unmatched Royalties?
By
this point, we’re all aware of the the pile
of cash from unmatched royalties which digital
services are hoarding, commonly known as the
‘black box.’ Now, with the copyright
office having been tasked with establishing
‘best practices’ for distributing these
monies, songwriters are hoping to shed some
light on this shadowy system, and hopefully
receive a little compensation as a result.
SiriusXM
Adds 210,000 Subscribers This Quarter —
Pandora Subscribers Plunge
SiriusXM’s
financials reveal the company added roughly
210,000 net subscribers, while earnings
slipped substantially. The story at
Pandora wasn’t rosy. The company’s
third-quarter 2019 total revenue was $2.0
billion, which increased by 37% compared to
last year. That boost comes from the
completion of the acquisition of Pandora
Media in February this year. SiriusXM reported
net income of $246 million in Q3 2019,
compared to $343 million during Q3 2018.
Sirius says the dramatic decline can be
attributed to refinancing expenses and
non-recurring tax benefits. Sirius’
effective tax rate for Q3 2019 was 22.2%
compared to 3.3% in Q3 2018.
The
Two Country Music Icons who Popularized
“Whiskey River”
“Whiskey
River” was a 1972 hit made famous by
the legendary singer-songwriter Johnny
Bush. The song became Bush’s first
record after signing with RCA Victor. It was
also the title track of his album of the same
name. Certainly, his move to RCA label where
he met its executive Jerry
Bradley was a great decision. Although
the singer has had achieved success with
previous hits
like “You Gave Me a
Mountain” and “My Cup Runneth
Over,” his biggest single has yet to
come. That’s probably what motivated the RCA
executive to ask Bush to write something
exceptional for the label.
How
Mastering Trends Affect Your Sound
In
the first days of recorded music, mastering
was a purely technical process. Early masters
were often done without a second thought by
the vinyl lathe operators themselves! Back
then the only goal was to move a piece of
music from the recording medium (analog tape)
to the production medium (vinyl records).
But mastering today has come a long
way.
It’s
still a highly technical procedure, but it’s
also become an important part of the creative
process. As trends and styles have come and
gone in music, mastering has kept pace and
made its own contributions.
The
Best Career Advice That No One In Music Takes
Seriously
The
best advice for avoiding burnout and developing
your career requires the least amount of work.
We
live in the ‘motivation age.’ Whether it be
in books, on podcasts, or plastered throughout
social media, there is no shortage of people
shouting into the void about maintaining forward
momentum. They tell us to sleep eight hours a
night, exercise daily, eat clean, and hustle —
always hustle. If you’re working in
entertainment today, you have probably spent a
Saturday morning or Sunday evening checking
emails when you should have been doing something
with family and friends. You have likely worked
ten or twelve-hour days when you’re only
required to do eight. You have chased the
approval of superiors to a fault because you
fear something bad will happen if you take even
one day for yourself.
Labels
Now Able To Pay Spotify To Promote Their Music
Spotify
is testing a new ad platform that allows artist
teams to promote music directly to fans without
turning to third-party applications. Spotify
users are already familiar with ‘Music For
You’ notifications. These alerts appear on
screen to inform fans and followers of an artist
when their favorite musicians have a new
release. It is a helpful tool that encourages
fans to support the music they love in a crowded
marketplace where nobody can remember every
release date. And now, for the first time, those
notifications are for sale.
Government
Regulations, Frozen Mechanicals ant the
Importance of Advocacy
There
is a certain Truman Show aspect to songwriter
royalties–the government sets the royalty
rates, not arms length negotiation. But it
doesn’t have to be that way, we just accept
the government’s role in songwriting because
it is the way it has always been for living
songwriters and many generations before. If
you’re a songwriter born after 1975 and are
not a student of history, you may not fully
realize the long-term harm of statutory
mechanical rates. If the statutory rate
seems improbably low to you, you’re right.
It is.
When
To Book Gigs: The Ultimate Artist's Guide
As
with so many things, timing is everything in the
music business, and while many artists may spend
countless hours perfecting their pitch to
venues, no amount of preparations is enough if
you make your booking inquiries at the wrong
time. Here, we look at the 'when' side of
booking gigs, whether you're playing small shows
or giant festivals.
How
The CASE Act Will Become Small Claims For
Copyrights
Recently
passed in the House of Representatives and
expected to pass in the Senate, the Copyright
Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement (or
CASE) Act, will arm creators with another tool
to combat those infringing on their copyright.
Here we break down how the law will work.
Why
You Need To Sit On Your Tracks Before Sending
Them Out
Once
you've invested your time and energy into
cooking up the perfect track, your natural
inclination may likely be to get it into the
ears of your listeners as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, this is precisely the wrong thing
to do. Your chances of success are far greater
if you first vet the track properly, and then
come up with a strategy for how roll it out.
George
Strait Becomes First Artist to Reach 100 Entries
on Country Airplay Chart
George
Strait makes history as the first artist to
tally 100 entries on Billboard's
Country Airplay chart, as "The Weight of
the Badge" arrives on the Oct. 19-dated
tally at No. 56, drawing 1.3 million audience
impressions in the week ending Oct. 13,
according to Nielsen Music. Strait's history on
Country Airplay dates to the survey's Jan. 20,
1990, inception, when it became the first Billboard
chart powered by electronically-monitored
Nielsen data. By then, Strait had become an
established superstar, having first appeared on Billboard's
surveys in 1981.
CASE
Act Passes US House of Representatives
The
bill intending to streamline copyright disputes
now heads to the Senate.
The
Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims
Enforcement (CASE) Act passed 410-6 in the U.S.
House of Representatives Tuesday evening (Oct.
22). It now goes to the Senate for a vote before
it can become law. The
bill, which has bipartisan support, would create
a copyright claims board within the U.S.
Copyright Office that could rule on cases of
copyright infringement that are too impractical
to bring to federal court.
Twitter
Refuses To License Music, Pay Royalties [Op-Ed]
Attorney
and artist advocate Chris Castle responds to a
recent Pitchfork article by Eric Harvey which
describes how intertwined Twitter is with music
business, and how valuable a star-making tool it
can be for artists. Castle counters that, while
that may be the case, the company has done
little to show that it values the musicians or
music on its platform.
Music
industry exec says Spotify 'one fail away' as
losses grow
As
Apple Music, Amazon Music and others provide
greater competition in the streaming music
business, Spotify
is ‘one fail away from becoming less
relevant.’ The statement was made by a music
industry exec close to the company. As
industry observer Ben Thompson pointed out last
year in his Stratechery newsletter,
Spotify’s upside is limited by its marginal
costs—that is, the royalties it pays the
record labels from which it licenses the vast
majority of its music catalog. Despite its
impressive continued growth in terms of users
and revenue, Spotify’s margins are “at the
mercy of the record labels,” Thompson wrote,
and its losses are growing in absolute terms.
What
Truly Makes A Fan
In
this piece, Fred Jacobs compares radio and
sports fans, highlighting the value of
cultivating long-term enthusiasts, and the
limits of numbers and data in defining passion.
5
Tips For Improving The Look Of Your Artist Shop
Selling
your merch direct to fans has become an
established best practice among independent
artists. It affords a number of advantages,
allowing you to keep more revenue and fan data.
Here we look at some ways in which you can
spruce up your virtual shop and boost your sales
as a result
Dear
Musicians, It's Time To Learn To Say No
Now
is the time to learn how to say no. Why aren’t
you getting all the great opportunities? Maybe
it is because you don’t have enough heat.
Maybe it is because you are too focused on
chasing trends and other artists.
3
Music Industry Myths Musicians Should Work To Bust
The
music industry has often thrived as a result of
its mythology. Audiences sometimes treat their
favorite artists with reverence when presented
with intriguing narratives. This has helped
musicians and ancillary businesses that surround
them to build lucrative brands. The rumor mill
also creates publicity for artists which —
while being a double edged sword — is helpful
in the advertising of tours and new releases.
Publishers
Are Driving A Full Stack Music Revolution
As
the value of music publishing catalogs have
multiplied, so have the ways in which
forward-thinking companies like Downtown, Round
Hill, Kobalt, ole/Anthem, Primary Wave and
Create Group monetized those catalogs, says
MiDiA entertainment industry analyst Mark
Mulligan.
AGAPE
SONGS launches "Country" Christian
& Gospel music delivery service next Monday,
Oct. 21.
CD
Tex will have a new member in the family
beginning next Monday, Oct. 21 with Agape
Songs. The new delivery service will focus
on the growing "Country" Christian and
Gospel music scene and will deliver singles, eps,
albums, and videos to Radio and Media who
program, review, and feature "Country"
Christian music. For more information go
to www.agapesongs.com
.
One
Music Marketing Trick Every Artist Should Avoid
Marketing
your music is a complex challenge. What works
for one listener or fan could fall flat with
another, and artists will often jump through
hoops and try all kinds of schemes as they fight
against anonymity. While it's good to try a
variety of marketing tricks, there's one every
artist should steer clear of.
How
Does The Money Flow From Music Streaming To
Artists, Music Industry?
Now
accounting for 75% of total music industry
revenue, there's no denying that streaming is
now the dominant form of music consumption. That
said, one question continues to plague the
industry: where is all that revenue going, and
how can artists get their hands on it? Here, we
breakdown step by step where the money is going.
Musicians
Can Launch Their Own Paid Streaming Service with
Waterfall
Legendary
progressive musician Neal Morse joins Michael
Brandvold and Jay Gilbert on the Music Biz
Weekly podcast to talk about Waterfall
Streaming. Waterfall is a new platform that
allows musicians to create their own
subscription streaming service.
YouTube
launches Merchbar partnership for artist
merchandise
YouTube
is rolling out another feature for musicians
with ‘Official Artist Channels’ on its
platform. The company has signed a deal
with Merchbar which will see artists able
to “surface their official merchandise and
vinyl alongside their videos… Fans watching
videos from their favorite artists on their
YouTube Official Artist Channels can now see a
shelf with the artist’s own branded
merchandise and, with a simple click, access the
artist’s merchandise on Merchbar’s
website”.
The
Music Industry is Evolving Faster Than Ever, and
So Are The Scammers
Scamming and shady business practices in the music industry are nothing new. In past decades, labels would buy out record store inventory, payola was rampant, and promoters have long been running pay-to-play shows. At least in those days, the results were tangible: records would be sold, shows would be booked, and radio spins could be heard.
These days, it’s all happening on the internet, and results can’t always be measured so easily.
It's a given that in such a quickly changing industry, the landscape will look completely different in a few years. By then, a lot of the current scams are going to be obsolete, but as the way we consume and market music evolves, so will the scams. Just be careful what you pay for.
4
Steps Songwriters Should Take Now To Prepare For
The Music Modernization Act
In
2018, the Music Modernization Act was passed
into law. Hailed as a harbinger of justice,
songwriters hoped the law would help restructure
the digital music economy in such a way as to
make things more equitable for artists. The
reality is a bit more complicated, but change is
coming, and songwriters will want to be
prepared. Here are four steps they can take to
brace for the coming shift.
Peering
inside Music Twitter
Even
though there is a love/hate relationship here,
music remains key to Twitter. “Judging by the
numbers alone, Twitter is more deeply
intertwined with music than any other
industry,” says Pitchfork. “Four of the top
five – and half of the top 20 –
most-followed Twitter accounts are solo
musicians.”
Apple
Is Officially Shutting Down iTunes — But Song
Downloads Aren’t Completely Dead
iTunes
is officially going away after close to two
decades in operation. The company has moved its
functionality into 3 different apps: Apple
Music, Podcasts and Apple TV. The shutdown
shouldn’t shock anyone. In June, Apple
announced that it was shutting the app down for
good. The company said at the time that
the app was simply too cluttered. Those
with large MP3 libraries collected from the
glory days of iTunes can still listen to their
songs through Music, despite the app’s focus
on music streaming. What’s more, the iTunes
Store still exists for those not subscribed to
Music, so people can still purchase individual
songs if for some reason they do not want to use
a streaming service.
Gordon
Smith: Consent Decrees Bigger Threat To Radio
Than Performance Royalty.
With
no bill to mandate a performance royalty
introduced in this session of Congress, and
Capitol Hill consumed by Democrats’ efforts to
impeach the president, the radio royalty issue
remains in limbo for the time being. A much
larger immediate threat to the industry has to
do with the Justice Department’s examination
of whether the ASCAP and BMI consent decrees
should be tossed out. It’s an issue that the
NAB is taking seriously.
Musicians
Union Calls For Streaming Residuals
As
the American Federation of Musicians and the
Alliance of Motion Picture and Television
Producers resumed negotiations on Monday,
Musicians across the US held rallies calling for
streaming residuals.
“In
made-for streaming productions, we get about 25%
of what we get from traditional theatrical or TV
film production,” said AFM International
President Ray Hair on Monday. Musicians claim
they have been impacted by the transition to
streaming, and unlike actors, musicians do not
receive residuals for films and television shows
made for streaming services. However, they do
receive residuals for theatrical and TV films
that are re-used on the secondary market.
SoundExchange
Website to Let Artists Search and Claim
Unmatched Recordings
In
a move to bring more transparency and
potentially help reduce black-box royalties,
SoundExchange is updating its website to allow
artists and labels to now see all recordings
currently associated with their accounts, as
well as allowing them to search and claim
recordings in the organization’s pending and
unmatched database. The new features are
expected to be available on the SoundExchange
website in November, according to a "coming
soon" notice on that website. The new
features will reside in the "My
Catalog" section of SoundExchange Direct,
"and marks the most significant update of
our client portal since it was introduced in
2014, according to the agency.
3
Ways To Maintain Your Health On The Road
Unfortunately
for artists, touring tends to draw out some of
their most unhealthy habits, and maintaining
both your emotional and physical wellbeing while
on the road takes a concerted effort. Here we
look at three important ways in which musicians
can maintain good health on tour.
