120K tracks uploaded daily to Spotify & streamers, up 28.4% this year120,000 new tracks are uploaded to music streaming services every day, according to Luminate data shared at last week’s Music Biz Conference. That’s up 28.4% from an average of 93,400. Continue reading
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Snapchat teams up with Republic Records to launch virtual ‘Band Tees’ merchDebut collection features 'digital merch tops' from Greta Van Fleet, Jonas Brothers, Kim Petras, Lil Wayne, Metro Boomin and Nicki Minaj
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AI will unlock creation rather than consumptionUnlike most new technology hype cycles, the impact of AI on the world is already surpassing expectations. The current hype around AI far exceeds that of more recent tech, such as VR, NFTs, and 3D printing. This is in part because AI represents a crucial part of the architecture of tomorrow’s internet, along with various web 3.0 technologies, rather than being just another new tech product. AI continues to shape the music industry’s contemporary narrative. News sites regularly reference new statements from industry execs and announcements from new companies, while AI dominates discussions both on and off stage at industry events. Of course, AI is a catch-all term that refers to a massive variety of applications even within music. Even with this caveat, it is clear that it is going to reshape the future of music, culture, business and, ultimately, society. However, as impactful as this change might be, it will help turn back the clock for music to how music was before the recorded music business came to the fore.

Prior to the establishment of the recorded music business, music was a participatory experience. Whether that be a 19th century family gathering around a piano on a Sunday, mediaeval peasants singing along with a travelling bard, or the majority of 16th–18th century European populations singing hymns in church. Recorded music used quality to build walls between listeners and performers. The vast majority of people could never expect to sound as good as a piece of recorded music. However, the trend started to reverse with the introduction of music production software and sample culture, re-democratising the means of production, while streaming and social media combined to democratise the means of digital distribution.

In the 2020s, these technologies have accelerated scale and capability, supported by the proliferation of online learning (e.g., Masterclass) and skills sharing platforms (e.g., Fiverr), making it easier than ever for aspiring music creators to release good quality music. In 2022, the number of artists direct (i.e., self-releasing artists) reached 6.4 million, a 16.8% increase from 2021. While the music creator economy continues to grow; the even more transformative potential lies in the consumerisation of these technologies – much like Teflon making its way from NASA spaceships to kitchen pans.

Assistive AI is already well established in music creation (e.g., iZotope’s Neutron 4, Splice’s CoSo). It is a relatively small step to further simplify user interfaces, making them ready for consumer primetime. When combined with generative AI, anyone with a smartphone has the ability to create convincing-sounding music as easily as they would take a photo – a process that was far more difficult to do to a high standard before the consumerisation of digital photography by smartphones and Instagram.

The crossover between music creation and social media is still in its early days, largely confined to TikTok duets and Snapchat’s Sounds lens, but it is approaching a tipping point and AI is about to push it over the edge.

In 2011, I wrote a report entitled Agile Music in which I suggested that music’s creative full stop was going to be erased, with songs evolving beyond the static full stop. Endel’s UMG deal shows us that this future is coming to pass. The report laid out the ‘3 Cs’ framework:

Customise

Create 

Contribute

AI is the technology that will unlock this new paradigm. Music will not only become better adapted to our behaviour, but it will also make music participative again. While record labels are focused on the copyright and volume / stream dilution threats AI poses (and they are very real threats), the truly exciting potential is making music something that all consumers can use as an expressive medium, rather than simply consuming. Is that the same as ‘real’ music? No, but just as TikTok is not the same as Netflix, the marketplace will inevitably delineate between places to create versus consume. Then, maybe, just maybe, the whole volume risk will become moot.

If you liked the themes in this blog post, check our latest report: AI and the future of music – The future is already here

Is Artificial Intelligence a Creative’s Friend or Foe? How Creators can move with AI, not against itAI is generating paradigm-shifting revenue opportunities and creative tools for musicians, writes Inder Phull of interactive music ecosystem PIXELYNX, and we’ve barely scratched the surface of what can be achieved.. Continue reading
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7 Twitter hacks you need to know aboutStay up-to-date with the way of the Twitter algorithm so your posts can be successful. Like, did you know hashtags aren’t helping you? by Randi Zimmerman of Symphonic Blog Truly. Continue reading
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Tina Turner, legendary singer, passes away, aged 83"With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model."
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Kilometre Music Group acquires catalog of Grammy Award-winning songwriter Tourist, secures $50m credit facility with Pinnacle FinancialWilliam Phillips (pka Tourist) co-wrote Sam Smith’s Grammy-winning hit 'Stay With Me'
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Violinist Joe Deninzon Joins KansasThe band KANSAS has announced the addition of violinist/guitarist Joe Deninzon to the band. He is replacing the departing David Ragsdale.

Joe Deninzon has been hailed by critics as “The Jimi Hendrix of the Violin,” because of his innovative style on the “Viper” seven-string electric violin. Joe is the lead singer and violinist for the progressive rock band, Stratospheerius, which has just released their 6th album—a box set with double live CDs/DVD-Blu-rays-- “Behind the Curtain (Live at ProgStock)” (Melodic Revolution Records). He can be heard on over a hundred albums and jingles as a violinist and string arranger.

Deninzon has performed and/or recorded with the Who, Bruce Springsteen, 50 Cent, Sheryl Crow, Ritchie Blackmore, Alex Skolnick, Smokey Robinson, Les Paul, Peter Criss from KISS, Michael Sadler, Renaissance with Annie Haslam, Kurt Elling, and as a soloist with Jazz at Lincoln Center and the New York City Ballet. A BMI Composer’s Grant recipient and winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, he has written solo works for violinist Rachel Barton Pine, and in 2015, premiered his Electric Violin Concerto with the Muncie Symphony Orchestra.

Joe holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Violin Performance from Indiana University and a Master’s in Jazz Violin from Manhattan School of music. 

KANSAS original member and drummer Phil Ehart comments, “We are extremely excited for Joe Deninzon to be the newest member of KANSAS. We believe KANSAS fans will enjoy what Joe will bring to the band. We are excited to kick off the KANSAS 50th Anniversary Tour. As the paragraph in the band’s first album said, ‘KANSAS IS A BAND’ and we remain so to this day.”

Deninzon adds, “As a lifelong fan of Kansas, I am overwhelmed and humbled to have been invited to join this legendary band! I have the deepest respect for Robby and David and will do my best to honor and build on their musical legacy.”

Joe Deninzon’s first performance with the band will be in Pittsburgh, PA on June 2 at the Benedum Center during the premier date of the KANSAS 50th Anniversary Tour – Another Fork in the Road.

A complete list of KANSAS 50th Anniversary Tour – Another Fork in the Road - can be found at KansasBand.com.

Bandsintown, Spotify add Microsoft Bing and ChaptGPT pluginsMicrosoft went all in on ChapGPT this week, and two music companies – Bandsintown and Spotify – are helping to lead the charge. Microsoft’s Bing is now the default search. Continue reading
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QUICK HITS: 25% off Soundfly • Easol Resale • DAAVI buys 2 AI music startups • boomboxio raises $7MSoundfly, whose content is a favorite of the Hypebot community, is having a 25% off sale on the monthly and annual subscriptions to its extensive course offerings for musicians, through. Continue reading
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Social platforms are becoming one-stop-shop for all entertainment [MIDiA]Social platforms are working to cover all the bases for all forms of entertainment. What does that mean for music and the music industry? by Hanna Kahlert of MIDiA Research Social. Continue reading
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Concord Signs Nana RoguesConcord Music Publishing today announced a new global publishing agreement with producer-singer-songwriter Nana Rogues, best known for producing and co-writing hits for global artists including Drake (including his 2017 global hit “Passionfruit” which is his 3rd highest streaming song at over 1.3bn), Dave, Future, J Hus, Zara Larsson, Skepta, Stormzy and Wiz Kid.

The new deal with Rogues includes his catalogues alongside all future works.

A winner of multiple awards including a BRIT (Dave, Psychodrama), Billboard (Drake, Scorpion) and nominations for a GRAMMY, in 2018 he achieved a major breakthrough co-writing on Drake’s record breaking single “Don’t Matter To Me” featuring Michael Jackson which at the time, broke the single-day streaming record on Apple Music and Spotify.

Kim Frankiewicz, EVP Worldwide A&R at Concord Music Publishing says, “There is often a lot of hyperbole in this business, but Nana is the real deal; he’s one of the most versatile writers out there, and we are delighted that he’s accepted to join the Concord family at this stage of what undoubtably will be a very successful career”.

Harri Davies, Senior A&R Director at Concord Music Publishing adds, “Nana is an exceptional producer with a remarkable work ethic. We are absolutely delighted that he chose Concord as caretakers of his hit-laden catalogue whilst also entrusting us as the home of his future song writing output”.

Nana Rogues comments, “I'm really looking forward to this next chapter in my career, Concord are a major player that understands my vision and sound. Together as a team we will be putting out great feel-good music that transcends across the world!”

Manager Dani Stephenson of Straight Forward Music adds, “We're ultra-excited to be working with Concord, an innovative publisher and top tier team, one that really understands Nana and how to take him and his catalogue to the next level. Nana is one of the most talented creatives I have the pleasure of knowing. His authenticity is art in its truest form, a genuine musical pioneer who has created timeless music that will forever be a moment in time for many generations to come”.

Originally from Hackney, London, Nana Rogues has proven himself to be one of the most versatile producer-songwriters of the moment, showcasing his one-of-a-kind style, with a vast array of musical vibes that’s moving the needle in today’s Top 40.

In 2019 Nana launched as an artist featuring on releases with Raye “Confidence” and Honne “I Got You” and “To The Max” featuring” Wiz Kid. More recently, he’s co-produced on KSI’s single “Number 2” featuring Future and 21 Savage on the number #1 chart topping album All Over The Place and produced on “We’re All Alone” which features on Dave’s new album called We’re All Alone In This Together. Nana is currently in the studio working with Dave, WizKid and Wiz Khalifa.

Photo: Left to Right – Kim Frankiewicz, Nana Rogues, Harri Davies, Dani Stephenson

‘Japanese acts account for nearly 90% of all tickets sold for live music events in Japan.’MBW's World Leaders series interviews Kaori Hayashi, CEO of Japan-headquartered concert promoter HIP (Hayashi International Promotions)
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SoundCloud, chasing profitability, cuts another 8% of employee headcountThe news was confirmed today (May 23) in an internal memo to staff from SoundCloud CEO, Eliah Seton, obtained by MBW
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Fix The Tix asks artists to sign letter demanding Congress limit scalping, fix ticketingThe new Fix The Tix Coalition is asking artists to sign a letter to the U.S. Congress calling on them to limit ticket scalping and fix the broken concert ticketing. Continue reading
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