INDUSTRY
MTN donates 300,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines to Nigeria
The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 said it received 300,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines from MTN Nigeria. Speaking at the National briefing, the Chairman of the PTF and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha said: “Yesterday, Sunday, March 21, 2021, the PTF received 300,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines from MTN Nigeria. “This is acknowledged with thanks as we encourage other partners to contribute towards the fight against COVID-19.” Recall that the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, had said that the first part of the 1.4 million doses promised to be donated to Nigeria would be delivered by end of February, while the remaining balance would be delivered by end of March, 2021. Mustapha also said: “The disclosure that Nigerian...
England and Wales Push for Women’s Safety via Police Patrols in Nightclubs
A new plan proposed by the British government seeks to station uniformed and plainclothes police officers within bars and nightlife venues in England and Wales. The plan was introduced as a means of protecting women from harassment and abuse at the hands of predatory offenders. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a “series of steps” being taken to improve safety measures for women after a proposal for a national registry of stalkers was rejected by the House of Lords, The Guardian reports. The proposal, Project Vigilant, includes an additional £45 million that will go toward the “Safer Streets” fund to improve CCTV and lighting in neighborhoods. Johnson’s plan would also seek to place officers in parks and public areas...
Clubhouse and the Music Industry: Tips and Tricks for Utilizing the App to Elevate Your Career
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn’t uncommon to find music industry executives, artists, and other key players in the business hanging out at bars, music venues, and industry conferences. However, with the unprecedented closure of most live entertainment spaces, the industry has been forced to find a new hangout spot. Launched in April 2020, Clubhouse was there to save the day, providing a safe space for professionals to get together and continue their conversations. What is Clubhouse? Clubhouse is a social networking platform that allows users to host and join real-time, audio-only conversations. The app features the communal interaction of social media apps like Instagram and combines it with the informational aspects of digital seminars often found on Zoom. Users can ju...
New Survey Reveals COVID-19 Has Influenced DJs to Stop Pursuing Music Careers
One year into safety regulations and social distancing measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the news that many DJs and other live performers have had to change career paths may still come as a shock to some, but it’s an ugly truth in a locked-down world. According to a new survey by Pirate.com, 70% of responding DJs in the United Kingdom have been forced to retrain in other fields. While 29% of those DJs have moved into music production, a whopping 26% of respondents shared that the pandemic has made them less likely to pursue a career in the music industry altogether. “I was running club nights in Glasgow,” said one anonymous respondent. “After cancellation clauses in contracts and flight companies going bankrupt, we’ve lost everything we’d investe...
NCC boss: Over $70 billion spent on telecoms infrastructure in Nigeria
Vox Media Over $70 billion have been invested in telecommunications infrastructure deployment in Nigeria since the liberalisation of the industry in 2001. The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, who made this known said the amount represented a larger chunk of local and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) attracted into the sector within the period. Danbatta made the remarks on Thursday while delivering the Bullion Lecture 2021 Edition organised by the Centre for Financial Journalism (CFJ), Lagos. According to him, the investment in infrastructures has boosted the economy and provided more opportunities for more Nigerians have access to telecoms services. “Today, the number of active telephone lines being used by Nigerians has signi...
Dutch Government-Backed Clubbing Event Expected to Enhance Nation’s Reopening Plans
A study at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam was recently conducted with a sample of 1,300 attendees as the Dutch government continues to analyze its regulations and plans for reopening. Event attendees were split into five pockets—four with 250 attendees and one with 50—and each group was asked to comply with varying sets of rules. One group was asked to wear a mask at all times, while another was given a fluorescent drink and encouraged to sing to the music so as to give the resaerchers an impression on how droplets spread. Demand for the experimental culbbing event was astronomical with over 100,000 applicants vying for tickets. The show, which was soundtracked by a star-studded lineup of DJs such as Sam Feldt, Lady Bee, and Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, sold out in 20 minutes...
Spotify’s 10 Highest-Earning Artists Have Raked in a Combined $337 Million
An analysis published by financial publication Top Dollar has revealed Spotify‘s top earners and assets—and the numbers are eye-popping. Perhaps not surprising, Drake is the current king of Spotify with a take of $52.5 million in earnings generated from his 21.5 billion streams. His haul is unmatched, even by J Balvin, who took the #2 spot on the outlet’s “Spotify Rich List” by netting $37.9M. The first sighting of dance music producers comes at #16 with The Chainsmokers, who’ve generated an impressive 7.2 billion streams and $17.7 million. Calvin Harris has taken home a cool $14 million so far, landing him at #25. Drake, Post Malone, Ariana Grande, Bad Bunny, and more landed on Top Dollar’s “Spotify Rich List.” c/o Top Dollar ...
Stream Now: Documentary Exploring Gender Inequity in EDM Hits Streaming Platforms
To coincide with International Women’s Day, Underplayed, a documentary exploring gender inequity in EDM, has officially hit streaming platforms. Starting today, March 8th, you can watch Underplayed on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Apple TV, and Google Play, among other major streaming services. The film provides timely commentary on the blatant gender gap present in electronic music via interviews with many of the scene’s most prevalent artists, such as TOKiMONSTA and REZZ. “I feel like I’ve really had to prove myself more so than men, and I think a lot of women will tell you the same thing,” famed DJ and music producer Alison Wonderland told EDM.com in an October 2020 interview. “I had to work really hard for credibility as an artist.” The 20...
British Festival Directors Want Government to Require COVID-19 Vaccination for Event Attendance
Tickets to live music events in Great Britain have sold like hotcakes since the British government’s recent rollout plan for recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the plan is liable to change based on the assessment of its efficiency over time, fans are hopeful that normalized live music events will resume in June 2021. British festival directors and organizers are skeptical, however, and worried about the potential consequences of a restriction-free post-pandemic landscape. According to The Guardian, many of those organizers are petitioning for the government to mandate vaccination status in order for the public to attend in-person mass gatherings. “A lot of us want to urge government to follow the example set up already in other areas, like travel, where peop...
Audius’ $AUDIO Token Reaches All-Time High, But Payouts are Still to Come
Music streaming service Audius has seen a recent surge of popularity since its beta phase in October 2019 and ensuing public launch a year later. The controversial blockchain-powered platform’s cryptocurrency token, $AUDIO, has hit a new all-time high after Audius surpassed 3 million active users, according to Cointelegraph. The report claims that the beginning of March 2021 saw the price of $AUDIO go from a low of $0.38 to a new all-time high of $0.79 on March 4th, and spike from $3 million to a record $55 million trading volume. While that’s certainly good news for the project and its decentralized approach to music streaming, Audius still hasn’t publicly shared information on how or when its users will obtain $AUDIO. According to an&...
Uzee Usman: Piracy is endangering Kannywood industry
Nigerian filmmaker, actor, and CEO of Uzee Concept, Uzee Usman, has called on the government to help kick piracy away in the movie Industry, particularly in Kannywood. He made this known during an interview with newsmen at the movie shoot of White Blood (Farina Mini) in Abuja recently. He said though no doubt that the Nigerian film industry is growing fast, what requires greater attention is the problem of piracy, which has become a menace that has eaten deep into the industry and may grind it to a halt. He pointed out that although Nigeria has laws against piracy, it remains a thriving business partly due to poor implementation of copyright laws, a near-lack of prosecution of offenders, and corruption in governance agencies. He added that it’s still becoming a huge problem in the northern...
New York to Resume Limited Capacity Concerts in April 2021
Governor Andrew Cuomo is ready to relax restrictions on gatherings in New York, a decision that will allow for live performances to once again resume in the state, effective April 2nd. At a recent news conference, Cuomo stated that venues will be able to reopen at limited capacity. Gatherings will be limited to operating at 33% capacit, and will include a cap of 100 patrons indoors or 200 for outdoor events. The limits will be extended to 150 patrons indoors or 500 for outdoor events if all attendees provide negative tests prior to entering the events. Upon reopening, attendees will be expected to continue social distancing and wearing masks, according to The New York Times. In response, Actors’ Equity Association, a labor union representing actors and stage managers in the ...
