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Streaming Services Growth Generates New Revenues For Artists & Labels
March 21, 2014
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According to figures announced by the RIAA, the digital royalties paid by digital performance rights organization SoundExchange to recording artists and rights holders account for 8% of the $7 billion in total U.S. music revenues for 2013. This number grew from 6.7% in 2012 and 1.1% in 2008.
And in annual payments to artists and labels: SoundExchange paid $590 million to recording artists and record labels in 2013, a 28% increase from 2012. As a whole, streaming music services revenues grew to 21% of total industry revenues, up from 15% in 2012. For more information, go to SoundExchange blog.
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MORE ON PONONeil Young's PonoPlayer wants to be the music player for people who care about the highest-quality audio. Read more
AND MORE ... Neil Young says he's not a good businessman. "But I'm not in charge of the business," he tells Rolling Stone -- the business being Pono, the singer's new audiophile alternative to digital downloads. "I'm just the mascot -- the hood ornament." Read More
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'THE VOICE' CONTRACT SAYS NBC CAN IGNORE VOTES, AND CONTESTANTS WHO REVEAL DETAILS CAN BE SUEDThe stiff contract protects NBC and the show's producers from possible legal action. But it also creates the potential for faking the production and denies contestants of any say. Contestants can be forced to undergo medical and psychological testing -- and have the results revealed on TV.
The contract, obtained by The Daily News, says the NBC show can:
• Change the rules at any time.
• Eliminate contestants at any time, even if they are "winning" with the public.
• Ignore the show's voting system, which includes sales figures for contestants' songs on iTunes, in the event of problems.
• Force contestants to undergo medical or psychological testing and, under certain circumstances, release the results on TV.Read the article on The Daily News
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ELTON JOHN & BERNIE TAUPIN LOOK BACK ON 'YELLOW BRICK ROAD'"We were running on momentum and adrenaline," says Elton. "At the height of our creative powers.
Elton John was on a historic roll when he traveled to France in early 1973 to make what would be one of rock's great double-albums. With a super-deluxe edition coming out, the singer tells Rolling Stone about making the record. "In 1973 I was very naive," he says. Read More
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HOW 'THE SECOND SCREEN' WILL COME OF AGEMost have heard something about the various electronic wallets that are intended to change the ways we transact and -- more recently -- about Apple's iBeacon, the indoor positioning and messaging system.
To date, almost all of the discussion around the application of these technologies has focused on retail environments of one sort or another, but it seems they also have massive implications for the world of TV -- both programming and advertising. More
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LADY GAGA'S SXSW KEYNOTE"Don't Sell Out to This Business," is just one message Lady GaGa told the crowd at her SXSW Keynote speech, as she slammed the music industry's worst parts. Read more on Variety
And, in Billboard, "She wasn't carried in on a barbecue spit -- but Lady Gaga came to her South By Southwest keynote session Friday morning sporting plenty of extra hair and a silver-white plastic princess dress"
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CABLE & PAY TV LOSE SUBSCRIBERS AS SATELLITE GAINSThe pay TV business lost 251,000 subscribers -- 0.3% -- to settle around 100 million U.S. pay TV homes.
Cable TV providers again lost the most ground for the year -- 2 million, or 4% -- totaling 54 million by the end of 2013. ...Read the whole story----------------------------
THE 'A-SIDE' - THE BONUS TRACKS* Vintage Rod Stewart Live Cuts
* 20 Greatest Duos Of All Time
* New Roy Orbison Song Recorded With Sons to Appear on Reissue
* Record Store Day Unveils 2014 Releases: David Bowie, Jay Z, Coldplay, Haim + More
* Going Postal: How Jimi Hendrix Got Stuck to a Postage Stamp
* Pop Stars' First Tweets: 50 Thoughts from Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Eminem and More
* John Lennon's Pee-Themed Letter to Phil Spector Up for Auction
* Poll: What's your favorite audio format?
* 'First Kiss' Video Sends Soko to No. 1 Debut On Streaming Songs, Top 10 Start On Hot 100
* Gene Simmons Once Had to Talk Eddie Van Halen Out of Joining Kiss
* Top 10 Trends To Emerge From SXSW
* 'Bob Dylan in the '80s Tribute Album
* Watch a Mind-Blowing Supercut of Christopher Walken Dance Moves
* 16 Famous Movie Mysteries (That Have Totally Been Explained)
* Turntable.fm Founder Tests New Social App
* Robot band plays 'heavy metal'
* Apple's Steve Jobs: 'TV Is A Terrible Business'
* The best tech available for under $25
* Sony announces Project Morpheus VR headset
* Voyager Edge balances great call quality with trim size
* Top-rated products of the week
* Cheaper new 8GB iPhone 5C goes on sale
* Report Says Amazon Plans Set-Top Box For Movies, Games From Multiple Platforms
Short News Items ...
RECORD STORE DAY:
R.E.M. will release 'Unplugged: The Complete 1991 And 2001 Sessions' as part of Record Store Day on April 19th. The group is the only band to headline the popular MTV live performance show twice, and will release, alongside complete versions of both concerts, 11 unaired songs. The 4-LP set will initially be released on vinyl before being available on CD and digital outlets on May 20th. The unaired tracks — five from the band's 1991 set and six from their 2001 show — include tracks from 1998's Up and 2001's Reveal, as well as a more somber version of 1987's "The One I Love."
ELVIS' CAPE UP FOR GRABS:
A 12-pound cape custom-made for Elvis Presley for the singer's famed 1973 performance 'Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite' is up for auction. According to the description on RR Auction's website, "three small hooks and Velcro are sewn into the collar to connect the cape to Presley's jumpsuit, and two small straps are sewn into the corners to enable Elvis to stretch out the cape while wearing it."
LIPS & MILEY:
Miley Cyrus and the Flaming Lips are taking their mutual appreciation fest into the studio to record a Beatles cover, "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds."
KISS & LEPPARD:
Kiss will begin celebrating their 40th anniversary with a co-headlining trek with Def Leppard. The bands have not shared a bill with one another before, but beginning in late June, the hard rockers will be weaving circles across the U.S., going from Utah to Texas with gigs on each coast. Tickets for the concerts go on sale March 21st or March 22nd, depending on the venue.
KANYE GETS PROBATION:
Kanye West was sentenced to two years probation stemming from a fight between the rapper and paparazzi photographer Daniel Ramos in 2013, according to TMZ.
STONES POSTPONE:
Following the death of Mick Jagger's girlfriend, L'Wren Scott, The Rolling Stones have postponed the remainder of their 14 On Fire tour in Australia and New Zealand. In a statement, "Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood wish to thank all of their fans for their support at this difficult time and hope that they will fully understand the reason for this announcement."
JANIS LIVES ON OFF BROADWAY:
Following a Broadway run that ended last month, the musical 'A Night With Janis Joplin' will have a permanent home off-Broadway. The producers have partnered with Live Nation in putting together a redesigned, concert-like staging of the show at live music venue the Gramercy Theatre at 23rd and Lexington, with the opening set for 4/10.
NFL SUES M.I.A.:
The NFL has added more than $15 million to its arbitration claim against singer-rapper M.I.A., demanding a total of $16.6 million for "restitution," according to The Hollywood Reporter. For the past two years, the NFL has been going after M.I.A. for flipping the world the bird and mouthing "I don't give a shit" during her guest appearance in Madonna's Super Bowl XLVI halftime show.
ELTON HIP-HOP
Though Elton John went back to his roots on his latest album, 'The Diving Board,' he's been thinking about incorporating hip-hop into his music for years. "I'd love to," he tells Rolling Stone. "I just don't know how to do it. I'd have to work with a Pharrell or a Kanye." Read More
SAMMY & FRIENDS BENEFIT:
Sammy Hagar is teaming up with Metallica vocalist-guitarist James Hetfield for an upcoming benefit concert entitled Acoustic-4-a-Cure. The inaugural event will take place at the Fillmore in San Francisco on May 15th and will feature appearances by Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, producer and musician Scott Mathews, Train's Pat Monahan, guitar shredder Joe Satriani and Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson.
'FROZEN' HEATS UP DVD RETAIL:
'Frozen; has sold 3.2 million DVDs and Blu-rays, Walt Disney Studios said Wednesday. Those figures make it one of the biggest home entertainment debuts of recent years; an accomplishment that is all the more notable because it takes place at a time when the DVD market has suffered a steep decline.
RUSH AT 41:
"The three of us just had a meeting," Rush's Alex Lifeson tells Rolling Stone. Not long after wrapping their Clockwork Angels tour, the Hall of Fame band will take this year off to refuel for a "41st anniversary" tour in 2015. Read More
HOLLYWOOD FILM EXODUS COULD COST CALIFORNIA BILLIONS:
The lack of subsidies for Hollywood blockbusters like "The Hobbit" and "Iron Man 3," means sacrificing 47,600 jobs, a study finds. Full story at TheWrap
Leaving Us
David Brenner, a prominent stand-up comedian and regular guest of Johnny Carson's on "The Tonight Show," died of cancer Saturday afternoon in his New York City home surrounded by his family, according to spokesperson Jeff Abraham. He was 78. He appeared more than 150 times on "Tonight Show" as a guest and substitute host. He also appeared on other talk shows and game shows before hosting his own show for a year. You can read more at TheWrap
Scott Asheton, a founding member and the drummer in the seminal punk rock band the Stooges, has died, singer Iggy Pop said on his Facebook page Sunday. "My dear friend Scott Asheton passed away last night," Pop said in his post. Asheton was 64.
Mitch Leigh, the composer of, "Man of La Mancha," died on Sunday in Manhattan at 86, his daughter, Rebecca Leigh, said. "Man of La Mancha" opened in New York in 1965 and ran until 1971, a total of 2,328 performances. It won five Tony Awards, including best composer and lyricist (Mr. Leigh and Joe Darion) and best musical. Richard Kiley played the dual role of Don Quixote, a doddering gentleman knight with a grand imagination, and Quixote's creator, the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes. Since then, "Man of La Mancha" has appeared on countless stages around the globe (Jacques Brel played the lead in France), has become a staple of American regional theater, has been transformed into a 1972 film starring Peter O'Toole and has enjoyed four Broadway revivals.
L'Wren Scott, a fashion designer and the longtime girlfriend of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, was found dead Monday of an apparent suicide in her Manhattan apartment, police said, according to the New York Daily News. A law enforcement official speaking on the condition of anonymity confirmed Scott's death with the Associated Press.
Quotes of the week
AND ANOTHER REASON WHY THE TALKING HEADS ON 24/7 NEWS CHANNELS ARE NOT WORTH LISTENING TO:
"Is it preposterous" to consider a black hole as a possibility?"
-- CNN's Don Lemon, entertaining all sorts of theories about the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, including the chance something "supernatural" happened. (Editor's note: Uh yeah, Don, it is preposterous. Do the science homework before you ask such moronic questions)
The B-Side - 'Blips'
THE ONION (www.theonion.com) STORY OF THE WEEK:
Nation Demands More Mind-Blowing Guitar Solos
WASHINGTON—Voicing their calls for heavy distortion and completely bad-ass riffs, millions of Americans across the country fervently demanded a significant increase in the number of mind-blowing guitar solos Monday, sources nationwide confirmed.
Highlighting an unmistakable dearth of epic, amazing solos in recent years, Americans of all ages have reportedly called on the nation's musicians to play technically difficult licks on their electric guitars, preferably at lightning-fast speeds, stressing the importance that the solos be both "loud as hell" and "totally insane."
Read the rest and laugh: Nation Demands More Mind-Blowing Guitar Solos
The Music Industry Past, Present & Future, And The Internet I answer questions on EconTalk
I did an interview about the industry and the Internet at EconTalk with host Russ Roberts. Russ is also a professor of economics at George Mason University, blogs at Cafe Hayek, and has written three novels that teach economics. He's also the co-creator of the Keynes-Hayek rap video. (And if your understanding of the economic meltdown that occurred needs to be enlightened, this video will do it)
In the interview we talk about the evolution of the music industry, the impact of the digital revolution, and I give my reasons for believing in the virtues and potential of the Internet in enhancing the music industry. I point out, as I have many times here in the newsletter, that the internet allows numerous artists to make money from their music and it can enhance revenues from live performances by expanding an artist's base. We also discuss the challenges facing record companies and I suggest that the full potential of the Internet as a distribution channel has yet to be fully exploited. There's a lot of ground covered, but based on the comments already posted of those who have tuned in, they've enjoyed it.
Read more about it by clicking here.
Smart Marketing Consulting Services
Smart Marketing Consulting Services has been in business sixteen years, and consults clients in the music, entertainment, attraction, media, and technology industry on branding, marketing, online exploitation, maximizing new media, and more.
"And the beat goes on, the beat goes on ... drums keep poundin' rhythm to the brain."
"Work is life, you know, and without it, there's nothing but fear and insecurity." -- John Lennon
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