Warning: Spotify playlists may be damaging to your career. Ari Herstand explains why. What? You’re not subscribed to the Digital Music News Podcast? We’re available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, and pretty much everywhere else. Or, simply listen to the embed below. Lucidious was a talented musician with a growing fanbase and a well-paying day job. But he […]
The post Stop Chasing Playlists and Start Building a Music Career — Our Latest Podcast appeared first on Digital Music News.
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Phil May from the band, The Pretty Things. One of the most influential people in rock history, and you’ve probably never heard of him. Phil May is a founder of a band called The Pretty Things. He founded the group with Dick Taylor in 1963. Taylor had […]
The post The Pretty Things — The Most Important Band You Don’t Know appeared first on Digital Music News.
Two years ago, independent songwriters and publishers agreed to a $43.5 million settlement with Spotify over unpaid mechanical licenses. Now, the payout process doesn’t seem to be working. Back in 2017, Digital Music News broke the story that Spotify had agreed to settle Ferrick, et al. v. Spotify USA Inc., a massive copyright infringement lawsuit with independent […]
The post People Aren’t Getting Paid After Spotify’s $43.5 Million Class Action Settlement — No Responses, No Payments appeared first on Digital Music News.
After Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney publicly complained about his royalties, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek gave him a call to explain how streaming really works. The Black Keys certainly aren’t the only band feeling stiffed by streaming platforms like Spotify. But given their level of popularity and profile, their complaints got a lot more attention. […]
The post Spotify’s CEO Once Called the Black Keys to Explain Why Their Royalties Were So Bad appeared first on Digital Music News.
Neil Young’s Pono player was a high-profile disaster. But he’s bouncing back with a low-profile success story. Instead of grousing about the wretched state of artist compensation, rock legend Neil Young is trying to do something about it. This doesn’t make for a splashy headline, but Neil Young has been quietly amassing a respectable, paying […]
The post Neil Young’s Archive Has 25,000 Subscribers, Each Paying $1.99 a Month appeared first on Digital Music News.
Image by Ralph Daily (CC by 2.0) Amidst Google buyout rumors, co-founder admits that SoundCloud may go bankrupt this year. More bad news for the company. After Spotify walked away from advanced plans to acquire the company, SoundCloud posted yet another difficult financial quarter. This leaves the streaming company in a bad state. MBW reports […]
Here’s what happened when a self-described ‘one-man musical army’ put the AirTurn Duo bluetooth pedal through the paces. The following product deep-dive comes from a company we’re really proud to be partnering with . AirTurn making gigging a thousand times easier and more enjoyable, not to mention more lucrative. If you’re a gigging musician, this […]
Last year, SoundCloud launched GO, a premium subscription tier. Now, SoundCloud is facing millions in a patent infringement lawsuit. The following is a Digital Music News exclusive report, based on court filings obtained this morning. We’ll be updating this story as we learn more. SoundCloud’s 99 problems now include a massive lawsuit and patent infringement […]
Image by Eric (CC by 2.0) Facebook is pursuing an aggressive long form video strategy. But where are the licenses? There’s no arguing that Facebook is on top of the social media empire. As of the third quarter of 2016, Facebook had roughly 1.79 billion users. During the same time period, Twitter only reported 317 […]
Paul Hudson (CC by 2.0) While there are usually many events at SXSW, which are the must-attend for up-and-coming musicians? After a long flight, you’ve finally settled down at your hotel. Then, you arrive at SXSW. Suddenly, you find yourself overwhelmed by the number of events catered to musicians. So, which events are an absolute […]