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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
“Don’t screw this up.” That’s what Bandcamp CEO Ethan Diamond hears over and over again from artists and labels about the company he founded in 2008. In the era of plummeting revenue from actual recorded music, Diamond’s service has evolved into the information-age equivalent of your favorite indie record shop, …
Read More »
Spotify is proud of its independent status. Yes, the $26 billion-valued streaming service is partially owned by a raft of corporate giants, from Tencent (9.2 percent) to Baillie Gifford (9.7), TCV (5.3) and Tiger Global (7.1). And, yes, Spotify raised $1 billion in convertible debt three years ago, via the …
Read More »
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 »
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 …
Read More »