Vivendi Is Exploring A Universal Music IPO, says CEO

Universal, the world's largest music group, may soon be spun off via a public stock offering, the CEO of parent company Vivendi has confirmed. 

Marketing Strategy For Facebook Music Events

Here successful advertisement campaigners detail how to develop an effective strategy for marketing facebook events, comparing the classics approach to of event marketing to how it should be tailored for facebook events.

"I interviewed 54 women at Coachella, and they all said they had been sexually harassed."

"During the 10 hours I was reporting on this story, I was groped 22 times," writes Vera Papisova in Teen Vogue. Sexual misconduct is a too-common experience for women at music festivals. One survey found that more than 90% of female concertgoers have been harassed at a music festival or show. 

Artists Without Label Revenue Up 27%, Industry +$1.4B [Mark Mulligan]

2017 global recorded music revenue hit $17.4 billion, up from $16 billion in 2016. Streaming drove the increase, but the fastest growing sector was artists without labels, which saw a 27.2% rise. 

Getting Your Songs On More Spotify Playlists

With streaming becoming the dominant form of music consumption, landing one of tracks on an official Spotify playlist has become the white whale of many artists. Here we look at some steps to follow in order to increase your chance of landing a coveted playlist slot.

Midem Artist Accelerator Names 11 Finalists

Midem has named the 11 finalists to its emerging artist program, the Midem Artist Accelerator. The artists will showcase at the Midem global music conference in France.

3 Ways Promoters Rely On Artists To Market Live Shows

While there may have once been a time when a performance was all that was asked of performer, promoters and venues who do so now are wasting a huge marketing opportunity. Here we look at three key ways in which event marketers should involve artists in promoting their shows.

Bernie Sanders says 'Cardi B Is Right'

Rapper Cardi B and Senator Bernie Sanders have a least one thing in common - a love for the original democratic socialist, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Music Modernization Act: Payday Built On Bad Policy [Op-Ed]

The Music Modernization Act appears poised to pass in Congress with both bipartisan support and the approval of most music industry trade groups. But the sweeping bill still has its critics, including the DC based non-profit public interest group Public Knowledge.

#DeleteFacebook Is Dead: Here's Why [David Deal]

While The Zuck and his team at Facebook have certainly been marinating in hot water over the past weeks, and the social media network does have a host of issues to worry about, a hemorrhaging of users as a result of the #deleteFacebook campaign isn't one of them. Here we look at why.

100M Pay For Amazon Prime, 10's Of Millions Stream Music

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has revealed the number paid Amazon Prime subscribers for the first time. More than 100 million globally now pay for the combination of  fast free shipping and streaming content, according to a letter sent to investors yesterday.

TheWaveVR Raises $6M For Virtual Reality Music Platform

TheWaveVR, a social virtual reality platform for music and visual arts experiences has closed a $6 million Series A funding round led by RRE Ventures along with Upfront Ventures, KPCB and the Greycroft VR Gaming Tracker Fund.

THU. BRIEF: Spotify's Hip Hop Play • Amazon Prime Passes 100M • IDAGIO Inks Warner Classics • More

THURSDAY 4.19.18

Music Business News From Around The Web

Updated continuously under our More News tab

Wise Words From The Most Quotable Women In Music

This piece explores the wise and valuable council of women in the music industry going back many years, with inspirational and encouraging quotations ranging from general to the wonderfully specific.

Apple Music Will Grow 40% Annually, Faster Than Spotify, says Top Analyst

Apple Music is growing far faster than Spotify, according to a new analysis.  If this growth rate continues, Apple could pass Spotify for paid subscribers, particualrly in the US, sometime this year.

Best Email Marketing Services For Artists

For artists with a fanbase, email marketing is often one of the most neglected marketing resources available. Here we look at some of the best services available for you to begin targeting a mailing list of fans to alert them of major events.

Why Your Band Should Accept Credit Cards & How To Do It

While once upon a time credit cards were only accepted at major businesses this is no longer the case, and many consumers don't even bother to carry cash or checks with them. In this piece we explore why it's essential for bands and artists to accept credit cards, and how they can go about doing so.

Blockchain Music Startup VEZT Adds All Star Advisors, CSO

VEZT, the blockchain powered marketplace that lets fans share ownership with artists in their favorite songs, has announced an advisory board packed with music industry leaders and the hiring of Swedish producer and music tech investor Andreas Carlsson as Chief Strategy Officer.

20 Creative Marketing Resources For Bands And Artists On A Budget

With most most musicians who are just starting out, money is typically scarce, and amassing the necessary resources to achieve success is no easy feat. Here we look at twenty creative marketing resources available to artists on the cheap.

Music Modernization Act Sails Through House Judiciary Committee

While copyright and licensing law have a lot of catching up to do to be brought into the digital age, the Music Modernization Act's passage by the House Judiciary Committee brings reform much closer. Here we look at what's inside this package of bills.

Razor & Tie Co-Founders Launch New Label RT Industries

Razor & Tie co-founders Craig Balsam and Cliff Chenfeld have launched a new music venture, RT Industries, after selling their successful indie label to Concord last year. Their new label is dedicated to curating, developing and marketing classic recordings with the same level of care and attention regardless of era or genre.

Spotify (NYSE:SPOT) To Report Q1 Results May 2

Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:SPOT) will report its first quarter 2018 financial results on Wednesday, May 2nd, after the market closes. It is the first time that the music streamer has reported financial results since going public earlier this month.

Facebook Brings Tough EU Privacy Controls To All Users

After weeks of scathing criticism over misuse of user data, Facebook is rolling out tougher privacy controls. that were forced on it by the European Union to, all 2 billion of its active users worldwide.

WED. BRIEF: Facebook Takes EU Privacy Global • Apple Music: 40% Growth • Spotify Leaks • More

WEDNESDAY 4.18.18

Music Business News From Around The Web

 Updated continuously under our More News tab

QUICK HITS: The Orchard • Bytedance • Downtown Music • LiveXLive

The Orchard has named Jay Andino Vice President of the company’s newly established Urban Division. He joins from 300 Entertainment where he was Director of National Urban and Rhythm Promotions under Lyor Cohen and Kevin Liles.

Snapchat Users Rise After Controversial Redesign

After months of  bad news and public struggles, new data from analytics firm comScore and Goldman Sachs show a rise in unique Snapchat visitors in March compared to the previous month. The uptick seems to have come after a controversial redesign.

Spotify To Announce Major Mobile Updates Next Week

Spotify will reveal major changes to its mobile app next week, alongside other announcements to be shared by key executives, according to a new press event invitation that surfaced yesterday. 

Gigs No Longer Just For Musicians: How A Society Of Starving Artists Is Being Created By The Gig Economy

In this piece George Howard explores how the music industry, the original gig business, should serve as a cautionary example to the other industries as they begin to shift towards a gig based economy.

Eminem Dishes Up Mom’s Spaghetti At Coachella

Before his performance to close out Coachella on Sunday night, Eminem tried his hand at something new – selling pasta at an onsite pop-up restaurant. Eminem’s food stand, “Moms Spaghetti,” sold pasta with sides including garlic bread, meatballs, and mozzarella.

A&R Meets AI: Why Your Next Label Rep Could Be A Robot

While record label talent scouting may have seemed like one bastion of the industry that was safe from artificial intelligence, Warner Music Group clearly feels differently, having recently acquired Sodatone, a startup which uses technology to identify unsigned talent.