As music streaming services welcome ads, Netflix’s CEO backs the paid-only model. As music-streaming services (and certain video-streaming platforms) continue to embrace ads, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has doubled down on his pro-subscription, anti-advert philosophy. During Netflix’s 2019 earnings call, which took place on Tuesday, Hastings reiterated his belief that ads are exploitative, that an […]
FUGA CEO Pieter van Rijn Downtown Music Holdings’s AVL Digital Group has acquired FUGA, an Amsterdam-based digital music distributor and service provider. The purchase, which was announced publicly this morning (January 22nd), is the latest in a series of aggressive, growth-minded investments from Downtown. In March of 2019, the company finalized an estimated $200 million […]
Photo Credit: Amazon Amazon says its Amazon Music streaming service has surpassed 55 million customers. There are six different pricing tiers for its streaming service, including a free ad-supported tier. Amazon Music first launched in October 2016, but it still lags behind Apple Music and Spotify. Just last summer, Apple Music announced 60 million subscribers. […]
Rapper Lucidious being interviewed on the Digital Music News Podcast, December, 2019 (photo: DMN CC0) Lucidious is an independent rapper with more than 100 million Spotify streams and a steady income. He’s also a guy helping his fans deal with serious issues of depression and suicide. What? You’re not subscribed to the Digital Music News […]
The Grammys will host a live tribute to Los Angeles rapper Nipsey Hussle. Hussle was shot and killed last year at age 33. John Legend, DJ Khaled, Meek Mill, and others will be on hand to honor the late rapper. The performance will be part of Sunday’s broadcast from the Los Angeles Staples Center. Other […]
Photo Credit: Unsplash CMT says it will evenly split music video airtime between male and female artists. The former split favored male artists 60/40%. A study released last year showcased what many female country stars already know – country music is a male-dominated genre. Now, CMT says it is stepping up to ensure gender parity […]
Photo Credit: Factor Metal / CC by 2.0 Slipknot fans are heavily criticizing a banned clothing list issued by event organizers in Glasgow. Slipknot appeared at Hydro on Saturday in Glasgow, but fans are pissed at some of the restricted items on the list. The venue published a list of banned clothing articles ahead of […]
Former Recording Academy President and CEO Deborah Dugan In the wake of her abrupt ouster last week, former Recording Academy president and CEO Deborah Dugan is filing a formal discrimination and sexual harassment complaint. The Grammy Awards are just five days away. Last week, the Grammy Awards fired their recently-hired CEO, Deborah Dugan, on unspecific allegations […]
Photo Credit: Kevin Burkett / CC by 2.0 Ozzy Osbourne has Parkinson’s disease. The Black Sabbath star received his diagnosis after a fall last year. Osbourne spoke about his diagnosis on Good Morning America, describing his condition as a ‘mild form’ of the disease. A fall last February helped pin down the diagnosis, though he […]
Just days before the Grammy Awards are slated to air, Recording Academy interim chief Harvey Mason is slamming just-fired CEO Deborah Dugan for attempting to extort the organization. Last week, the Recording Academy abruptly placed its CEO, Deborah Dugan, on ‘administrative leave’ based on an unspecified but’ formal allegation of misconduct.’ That was the start of an […]