INDUSTRY
Las Vegas Nightlife Was In a Rut—Then Zouk Group Came Around
If the pandemic proved anything, it was that even the mightiest could fall. Case in point was Las Vegas, a city whose economy was dependent on sin but suddenly found itself devoid of sinners. In March 2021, the number of visitors to Las Vegas dipped a staggering 49.5% compared to March 2019, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. But the numbers were only part of the story. If you visited Vegas during the pandemic, odds are you saw a shell of the hedonistic lotusland you once knew. Masks concealed the unbridled joy of a newlywed couple who hit blackjack; sanitizer stations replaced water fountains; and understaffed teams trudged around sticky, soda-stained casino floors under constant threat of being furloughed. So when Zouk Group came around, Las Vegas was in a rut....
Electronic Artists Win Big In User-Generated “Reddit Grammy Awards”
The Grammy’s have had a tumultuous past, and many artists are turning away from them entirely. So one Redditor took matters into their own hands. The “Reddit Grammy Awards” was forged by a Reddit user who listened through 7,500 songs posted to platform by unheralded independent artists. Last year, they listened to more than 15,000 songs. Similar to the Grammys, these awards includes various genres, including electronic, classical, breakbeat and more. The electronic song of the year was “Burn” by mistral, an artist based in Glasgow. Other winners include Sonar Seven’s “Sunbird” for Bass House, Vrdnyn and Summer School’s “Hurt No More” for Disco House, and Latch’s “Wasteland” for House. Scroll to Co...
Songwriters May Get a 32% Increase In Mechanical Royalties for Downloads and Physical Products
The Copyright Royalty Board has reportedly been asked by major rights holders and publishers to increase mechanical royalties for physical products by 32%. This increase would raise the mechanical royalty rate from 9.1 cents to 12 cents per track for physical products (CDs, vinyl), downloads, ringtone, and music bundles, per Variety. The 9.1 cents rate was set back in 2008 at the beginning of the Phono IV process, which involves royalties for both physical and digital formats. Supporters of the motion to the CRB, who requested an increase to 15 cents, included major label members of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), and the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI). It would mark a major win for songwri...
MusiCares Launches Free Virtual Event Series for Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental health has never been more important in the music industry. After suffering blow after blow over the past two years due to the pandemic, music professionals around the globe were stripped of their income streams—and livelihoods. But as the music industry trends up, MusiCares wants the mental health of its professionals to grow in lockstep. The RIAA’s MusiCares program provides creatives around the globe with mental health awareness resources. In support of Mental Health Awareness Month, they’ve launched a free series of events that are open to all. You can check out the programming, courtesy of a press release MusiCares shared with EDM.com, below. Click the hyperlinks to register. Scroll to Continue Recommended Articles In addition to MusiCares̵...
DanceSafe Upgrades Drug-Checking Instructions for Maximum Harm Reduction
Non-profit organization DanceSafe has officially released their updated drug-checking instructions. Although they have always been precise and user-friendly, these lifesaving guides are now as transparent as possible so anyone can understand and use them correctly. “After over a year, many 12-hour co-working days, blood, sweat, tears, discussions with global allies in drug checking, nit-picky editing, designing and redesigning and redesigning, we’ve completely upgraded ALL of our drug checking instructions,” DanceSafe announced in an Instagram post. “We’re really proud of them. Please take advantage of them.” Now shipping with every new order, the instructions are also available as PDFs on the DanceSafe store product pages. Operating under the principles...
Electronic Music Industry Tops $6 Billion In 2021, Makes Key Strides In Web3: IMS Business Report
According to the newly published annual IMS Business Report 2022, electronic music continues to have an optimistic growth trajectory in a variety of key areas. As a sector, electronic music was valued at $6 billion in 2021, which is up 71% from 2020, but down 20% from 2019. Throughout the report, encouraging signs of the industry bouncing back in the aftermath of the pandemic continue to be apparent. Metrics including the number of festivals that book electronic artists and the quantity of search results for flights to Ibiza are up significantly year-over-year, but there’s still ground to cover when it comes to achieving the pre-pandemic levels of 2019. While the world was in a variable state of lockdown over the last two years, dance music made key strides in the digital arena. In 1...
Sam Feldt’s Creator Services Company, Fangage, Has Been Acquired By Triller
Sam Feldt‘s Fangage business is now officially part of Triller family. In a press release shared with EDM.com, the DJ and multi-Platinum dance music producer announced the sale of Fangage to the popular video-sharing platform for an undisclosed amount. Feldt started the business back in 2016 alongside his business partner, Nick Velten. Fangage’s mission was simple: create a platform for creators free of algorithmic complications. The platform seamlessly allows creators to share content and exclusives with their fans while providing them the confidence that each update is delivered to every fan that has opted in. With the sale completed, over 5,000 Fangage creators will become part of the Triller ecosystem. Scroll to Continue Recommended Articles “Triller’s vision is ...
IMS IBIZA Addresses Music Industry Recovery, Partners With Viberate for Data Insights
IMS Ibiza returns as one of the first major music industry gatherings after the two-year hiatus. To deliver the most accurate market insights for faster industry recovery, the prominent conference teamed up with Viberate. Viberate, the leading music research and analytics platform, will again provide data for the annual IMS Business Report and host the first exclusive analytics workshop for industry professionals. The IMS Business Report, powered by Viberate data and hosted by renowned audience expert David Boyle, will present key insights into the music industry that both seasoned experts and young visionaries can work with. Later, Viberate will host a hands-on session on the practical day-to-day use of data analytics. Each attendee will be officially certified for mastering their next-ge...
Build and Engage Your Online Following Like Top DIY Musicians Do
This upcoming online session will discuss an important 2022 “hack”: how to merge data with practical industry tips to create a killer audience strategy. Audience growth expert David Boyle has gathered extensive experience by working with David Guetta, Tinie Tempah and the EMI label. He will combine his knowledge with the latest data-driven promotional approaches to deliver a clear step-by-step guide on successfully tapping into social media and other online communities. Joining him will be David Halb, an MTV Award-winning drummer and self-made entrepreneur who is passionate about the business side of music. He works at Viberate, where he analyzes top-tier industry players. Catch the exclusive online course on Wednesday, April 20th at 12PM ET (6PM CET). The session is free of ch...
Open Letter From Congress Rips Spotify’s Controversial Discovery Mode, Seeks Financial Transparency
Congressional leaders representing the Caucus on Multicultural Media are taking issue with a perceived lack of financial transparency on the part of Spotify. In a recent letter dated March 26th and signed by Democrat Representatives Tony Cardenas, Yvette D. Clarke, and Judy Chu, the caucus raised concerns that the streaming giant’s controversial Discovery Mode presents artists with a “prisoner’s dilemma,” when it comes to their ability to monetize on the platform. Discovery Mode, unveiled in November of 2020, is a relatively new feature on the Spotify platform which allows artists the option to boost the visibility of their songs on the platform in exchange for a lower promotional royalty rate. As the letter identifies, however, there is the cha...
These Female “Filthy Beat Inspectors” Are Pushing the Needle In Dubstep Music Blogging
“We didn’t have anyone ‘showing us the ropes,'” remembers Christina Vessa, who launched the electronic music blog Dubstep FBI just two years ago. “It can be intimidating,” added Yesenia Vizcaya, Vessa’s cofounder. “[As a woman], I felt like I was being held to a higher standard and was having to go through extra hurdles to prove myself.” It’s no secret that the dubstep scene—from its artists and label execs to its managers and engineers—is especially male-dominated. But with Dubstep FBI and the platform it offers, Vessa and Vizcaya are determined to move the needle. “We often find ourselves being the only women in meetings,” Vizcaya said. The Dubstep FBI team has profiled LAYZ during her tour with Sullivan ...
The Changing Role of a Music Distributor in 2022
Words by Clayton Durant and Alex Jeffrey. Music distribution is nothing new. Even since the earliest days of music, distribution has been a critical component for driving the recorded and publishing business. However, the function of the music distributor has changed over the past few years as technology, consolidation, and the emergence of new, well financed companies has forced many to ask: “What is the role of the music distributor in 2022?” Today’s music business has found the convergence of independent artists and distribution to be one of the most important areas of growth. According to MiDIA, independent labels and artists increased their combined streaming market share to 31.5% in 2021. This growth comes alongside RIAA’s annual year-end data, which noted that the record...
