INDUSTRY
Apple Music Jabs Spotify With Controversial Newsletter: Read the Full Statement
A recent newsletter dispensed by Apple Music has delivered a conspicuous jab at Spotify for the platform’s polarizing payment model. While the newsletter doesn’t directly mention Spotify by name, the parallels are easy to discern. The statement paints a striking picture about how Apple Music handles its payouts to artists and songwriters. One of the major takeaways from Apple Music’s newsletter stems from the company’s assertion that they “do not ask anyone to accept a lower royalty rate in exchange for featuring.” This is a blatant attempt to twist the knife into Spotify’s contentious “Discovery Mode” algorithmic feature, which gives artists the option to have their music boosted by the platform’s a...
Chanchangi braces up to resume flight operations
Nine years after ceasing operations, Chanchangi Airlines Nigeria Limited is set to return to the country’s airspace. With its head office in the Chanchangi Office Complex in Kaduna, Nigeria, the airline had operated scheduled domestic passenger services. The Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt Musa Nuhu, who disclosed the plan Friday said the Kaduna based airline is preparing a comeback. He gave the hint while explaining the high demand for air travels in the country, saying that “Chanchangi wants to come back and they want to use ATR. They are planning to come back. The demand is there.” Capt Nuhu equally observed a new trend in airline operations where operators are now shifting to smaller aircraft against the bigger ones. The DG said: “You mentioned th...
Afe Babalola seeks sweeping reforms in judicial system
File Photo Senior Advocate and founder of Afe Babalola University, Aare Afe Babalola, has made case for urgent far-reaching reforms in the country’s judicial system particularly in the area bothering on the retirement of judges and aftermath. Babalola also reiterated the need to change the structure of the country, saying, “It is restructuring that would enable each state to curb insecurity, unemployment, poverty, defective justice system and do away with failed leaders. The ABUAD founder, who spoke during the virtual book launch in honour of retired Supreme Court justice, Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, which he chaired, said, “The only change that can change the country for the better and pave way for the enhancement of one Nigeria is the change that changes the structure of Nigeria. “It is ...
Electronic Music Inclusion Initiative Launched to Combat Discrimination and Harassment
A new inclusion initiative has been launched by a number of major electronic music brands to combat discrimination and harassment in the industry. Pioneer DJ, Beatport, Sentric Music Group, AFEM, Mixmag, RA, IMS, and Women in CTRL have partnered up with InChorus, a groundbreaking data collection platform, to launch the Electronic Music Inclusion Initiative (EMII). The objective behind the project is to take a data-led approach in order to foster more a more inclusive dance music ecosystem. According to Mark Grotefeld, Pioneer DJ’s General Manager, EMII will “push for systemic change across the industry” in its goal to empower those who have been marginalized. The proof is in the pudding when it comes to EDM’s discrimination problem. Of all the artists in t...
3LAU, Ashton Kutcher, Mark Cuban, More to Judge Shark Tank-Like NFT Funding Contest
As the NFT mania rages on, a new Shark Tank-like competition is set to debut with a number of high-profile judges. NFTs: The Pitch is a go following a $1 million funding round by Sound Ventures, a major venture capital firm founded by Guy Oseary and famed actor and entrepreneur Ashton Kutcher. Both execs will appear as judges on a panel that also includes billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, iconic hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg, and electronic music producer 3LAU, among others. Details on the contest’s format and distribution plan are scarce at this time. Variety reports that on April 21st, finalists will participate in a live virtual pitch session with the judges. However, the discussions will not be streamed live to the public, according to the competition’s websit...
Kitchen Rave: Spotify Data Proves That Despite Uncertain Times, Dance Music Thrived During the Pandemic
This year in numbers has shown that dance music has the ability to meet any moment. A new data-driven blog post by Spotify takes us behind the scenes to showcase the dance music boom happening online, despite uncertainties posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic. There seems to be a new sense of optimism in the air, especially with vaccines in distribution, that life will once again return to normal. January seemed to mark the start of a meteoric trend, as 80,000 Spotify playlists have since been created worldwide with “dance” included in the title. In some areas like the UK, the trend towards dance streaming is accelerating, with a 26% increase in playlists containing “kitchen rave” in the title having been created in the last 90 days alone. Familiar faces are l...
Analysts: Printing currency could hurt economy
Analysts have expressed concerns over a recent claim that the federal government resorted to printing money to augment the monthly allocation to the three tiers of government, warning that it could heighten inflationary pressure with dire consequences for the country’s exchange rate and economy. The analysts, in separate interviews with newsmen, warned that a sustained policy of printing the currency, if not well managed, would hurt the economy. The concern came on the heels of recent revelation by Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, that due to the dwindling revenue in the face of declining oil revenue arising from the growing sources of alternative sustainable energy, the federal government had to print money to augment the amount available for sharing by the federal, state and lo...
A Bitcoin-Inspired Artist Has Launched a Micropayment Plugin for DJs and Music Producers
Bitcoin activist artist Cryptograffiti has launched a new micropayment plugin designed to generate new cryptocurrency revenue streams for DJs and music producers. The announcement came with an accompanying live DJ set by Cryptograffiti that was performed at San Francisco’s US Mint, where the artist publicly demonstrated the new revenue sharing system. “The event entitled ‘Strikes Twice’ is named after the new plugin’s ability to automatically split micropayments into separate addresses,” Cryptograffiti said in announcement shared with Bitcoin Magazine. “If live stream viewers enjoy one of the tracks played during the event, they can send bitcoin tips to a static QR code that splits the payment based on the track being played at the t...
Judge Rejects ARTY’s Copyright Lawsuit Against Marshmello Over “Happier”
After two years, a judge has finally put an end to the lengthy legal battle between dance music producers ARTY and Marshmello. The copyright suit was filed in May 2019 after ARTY claimed that Mello had stolen the melody of his 2014 remix of OneRepublic‘s “I Lived,” subsequently recycling it for the 2018 hit single “Happier” with Bastille. Dan Smith, the British band’s frontman, was also named in the copyright suit along with producer Steve Mac. The decision came down on Thursday in favor of Marshmello, Smith and Mac, with California US District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez ruling that ARTY had no grounds to sue under the terms of his “I Lived” contract with OneRepublic. “I acknowledge and agree that ...
Swedish House Mafia Signs With Sal Slaiby, Manager of The Weeknd
After a tumultuous couple of years on the managerial side of their career, Swedish House Mafia has found a new manager to take the reins. According to Billboard, the powerhouse trio has signed with The Weeknd’s manager Sal Slaiby. Slaiby is a prolific manager in the music industry with some of the most recognizable names in the game on his roster. He’s helped support the commercial success of Doja Cat, French Montana, and Ty Dolla $ign, to name a few. Swedish House Mafia at Ultra Europe in 2019. Rukes Earlier this year, Swedish House Mafia amicably parted ways with their label, Colombia Records, as well as severed ties with their manager Ron Laffitte of Patriot Management. Laffitte took over for their longtime manager Amy Thomson in 2018 after the trio’s surpri...
Indoor Concerts and Other Private Gatherings Can Return in California Starting April 15th
As it starts to get warmer and warmer outside, we’re constantly reminded of the sense of freedom that the spring and summer months bring. California, once considered the nation’s “coronavirus epicenter,” is now the state with the lowest positivity rate in the country. As case continue to decline, the California Department of Public Health announced that starting April 15th, indoor theaters and concerts—among other private gatherings—will be allowed. Although the news is exciting, these processes will most likely continue to move at a slow pace as venues navigate the mercurial nature of reopening. If your county is in the most restrictive purple tier, indoor gatherings will remain dormant. This phase of reopening will only apply to counties in the red, oran...
Blockchain-Powered Streaming Platform Audius Announces Foray into NFTs, Audius Collectibles
Rising blockchain-based streaming platform Audius has seen some massive growth this year. The service now boasts over four-and-a-half million active monthly users and its in-house cryptocurrency token, $AUDIO, has become more valuable than ever. With the rising popularity of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, it only seems natural that Audius’ next big move would be to breach into the space. That’s exactly what the streaming platform is now set to do after Audius announced its newest feature, Audius Collectibles, today. Dillon Francis’ NFTs on his Audius Collectibles tab. CoinDesk Audius Collectibles will make it possible for artists to showcase and merchandise their own unique NFTs through the platform, providing a direct-to-fans approach. The goal is to make...
