The Weeknd‘s After Hours is the biggest album of the first half of 2020, topping Alpha Data’s mid-year ranking with 1.3 million album units in the U.S. In the first half of the year, Abel Tesfaye’s fourth studio album saw 418,000 sales — more than any other album in 2020. …
Read More »The Coronavirus Stimulus Bill Gives the Music Industry a Fighting Chance
Update, March 27th: The U.S. House of Representatives approved the stimulus package Friday, sending it to the president’s desk for final passage. — From songwriters to producers to roadies, individuals in the various corners of the music business will be eligible for federal relief under the coronavirus stimulus package passed …
Read More »Hear the National Cover INXS' 'Never Tear Us Apart' to Raise Money for Australia
The National have released their rendition of INXS’ “Never Tear Us Apart,” which was created as part of Songs for Australia — a compilation album of covers by Australian acts that will benefit the fire-stricken country’s rehabilitation efforts. Helmed by Australian folk-pop singer Julia Stone, the compilation is set for …
Read More »By the Numbers: Billie Eilish's Number One Album Was Miles Ahead Of Anyone Else
It’s not often that an artist’s debut album goes on to be the most commercially successful album of the year. In fact, the last time it happened was with 50 Cent’s 2003 album Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, which he released after a series of successful mixtapes. Since then, the …
Read More »Tencent, China's Spotify, Buys a $3 Billion Slice of Universal Music
With hours to go, the music business is closing out 2019 with big news: Universal Music Group, the biggest record company in the world, has sold a 10% stake — with a possibility of 10% more — to a consortium led by Chinese tech and entertainment giant Tencent. The $3.3 …
Read More »Of Course Amazon Is Putting on a Music Festival
While Spotify grapples with podcasts and Apple explores bundling albums with other entertainment, Amazon continues to barrel into the music business from entirely other directions. Weeks after throwing a somewhat absurdist concert for Prime Day and debuting high-resolution music streaming, Jeff Bezos’ conglomerate will put on an all-out music festival …
Read More »Why an Indie Music Distributor Wants to Manage Artists' Careers
Ditto Music has made a name for itself over the last decade as an indie music distribution service used by artists from Ed Sheeran to Stormzy to Chance the Rapper. It’s now ready to expand, and the direction of its growth offers a good insight into the trajectory of the …
Read More »Lyor Cohen: The Album Is On Its Way Out
The music industry is not just rebounding; it’s “going to be in a boom time” very soon, according to Lyor Cohen. The YouTube Music head and venerated music industry executive spoke candidly about his expectations for the future of music in a fireside chatat Yeshiva University’s Cardozo School of Law …
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