Streaming
Spotify Introduces New Personalized Mixes Based on Artists, Genres & Decades
Spotify has introduced “Spotify Mixes,” a new family of personalized playlists based on users’ favorite artists, genres and decades which begin rolling out to both free and premium global users today (March 31). The new playlists, which were first teased at Spotify’s virtual “Stream On” event last month, are inspired by Daily Mix, which Spotify says is its most popular personalized playlist among users. Now, Spotify is adding three new mix categories: Artist Mix, Genre Mix and Decade Mix. Each mix category will include several playlists which are “rooted in familiarity,” according to Spotify’s blog post announcement, “meaning that you won’t just hear your favorite artists, but your favorite songs from those artists.” However...
Australia’s Recording Industry Posts Growth During Pandemic
Again, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and the myriad streaming brands powered the market, posting total growth of 14% in 2020, for income of A$362 million ($275 million). If there’s one sour note to be gleaned from the numbers, it’s the slowing rate of growth for subscription services, which had raced to 30% growth in 2019. Vinyl albums are another bright point, spinning A$29 million ($22 million) in sales, up 32% versus the previous year. Sometime in 2021, the vinyl market will overtake the CD business, once a powerhouse format that’s now worth just 5.6% of the total market. Digital single and album sales continue to trend down, shrinking by 27% year-on-year. Downloads now represent just 6% of the total market. ARIA’s trade results were reported with no fanfare, and were oversh...
What’s Streaming on Netflix in April 2021
Netflix is taking everyone to Dollywood in April 2021. MusiCares’ 2019 star-studded tribute to Dolly Parton is heading to the streaming giant. The concert film features Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus, Kacey Musgraves, Shawn Mendes, Brandi Carlile, Katy Perry, Leon Bridges, Chris Stapleton, and many more. Right behind the music legend is Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer’s new comedy Thunder Force, a second season of The Circle, and the premiere of Flying Lotus’ new anime series Yasuke that features the voice of Lakeith Stanfield. Elsewhere, there’s the Idris Elba-starring Concrete Cowboy, Jamie Foxx’s new series Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!, Toni Collette’s sci-fi drama Stowaway, and the three-part docuseries Life in Color with David Attenborough. In terms of archival additions, subs...
What’s Streaming on Shudder in April 2021
Dust off your costumes because Shudder is once again celebrating Halfway to Halloween Month in April. Like last year, the spooky streaming service has curated a candy-coated collection of content that should leave you screaming in pastels. “Some do Christmas in July but at Shudder we celebrate Halloween in April to mark the halfway point to the greatest holiday of the year,” says Craig Engler, general manager of Shudder. “‘Halfway to Halloween Month’ is going to be the biggest month of programming in Shudder history with new movies, series, a killer documentary and more.” He’s not kidding. This month sees the return of both Creepshow and The Last Drive In with Joe Bob Briggs, the 2021 FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards, another four hours of horror nostalgia with In Search of Darkness: Part II, and ...
SoundCloud Taps 9 Artists for ‘First on SoundCloud’ Accelerator Program
The campaigns will additionally entail introductory profiles by SoundCloud guest editor and music journalist Kiana Fitzgerald; original content such as artist interviews and exclusive behind-the-scenes peeks at their first photoshoots; features on the new “First on SoundCloud” playlist on the SoundCloud homepage; career development from SoundCloud’s music industry veterans and experts; and a live event that will bring together the selected artists with the SoundCloud community. Each of the artists will receive a further lift by having their participation in the accelerator announced by artists and tastemakers including D Smoke, Rico Nasty, creative photographer and designer Ciesay of Places + Faces and NBA star De’Aaron Fox. Since its inaugural edition in 2018, First on SoundClou...
SoundCloud Names Drew Wilson COO & CFO
In his new role, Wilson will oversee all of SoundCloud’s finance and operations, including workplace and people function. He’ll report directly to SoundCloud CEO Michael Weissman, who was tapped to succeed Kerry Trainor in the role in December 2020. Wilson’s hire comes amid a host of recent changes at the streaming service, including the recent introduction of a “user-centric” royalty system for some of its artists, which pays out based on how many fans listen to their music as opposed to the number of times it gets streamed. That implementation, which is slated to coincide with Wilson’s first day on the job on April 1, will make SoundCloud the first major streaming platform to pivot away from the stream-based royalty payment system that has long been the standard among DSPs. So...
Spotify Launches “Loud & Clear” Initiative Aimed At Increasing Transparency
A new data-driven initiative from Spotify called Loud & Clear aims to provide increased transparency around the economics of streaming. “Questions and concerns about artist income from streaming have been around for over a decade, and in many ways, we feel we’ve been too quiet on the topic,” the streaming site reads. “Our aim with this site is to provide a valuable foundation for a constructive conversation.” The new initiative tackles both the macro- and micro-economic picture, starting first by broadly informing readers on the impact of streaming to the music industry as a whole, and then breaking down the mechanics and stakeholders within Spotify’s business model. In many ways, Loud & Clear reads like a direct rebuttal to music rights holder organiz...
Apple Music Expands ‘Up Next’ Spotlight Program, Reveals New Class of Featured Artists
The artists to be featured at launch are: Peach PRC (Australia/New Zealand), Pressa (Canada), Noé Preszow (France), Lune (Germany), Prabh Deep (India), Dongurizu (Japan), Nicki Nicole (Latin America), prosto Lera (Russia), Blxckie (South Africa), Baby Queen (UK) and Morray (U.S.). Each of the chosen artists, who are handpicked by Apple Music editors from across the globe, will be featured across Apple Music’s new localized, genre-agnostic Up Next playlist. Since launch, Up Next has featured a host of then-emerging artists who have since gone on to greater fame, including 6lack, H.E.R., Greta Van Fleet, Khalid, Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny, Juice WRLD, Summer Walker, Megan Thee Stallion, Burna Boy and Conan Gray, among many others. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates O...
Puscifer to Perform Money Shot in Its Entirety for Upcoming Livestream Concert
Puscifer have announced their second livestream event, dubbed “Billy D and the Hall of Feathered Serpents Featuring Money Shot by Puscifer”. The virtual concert goes live on April 17th at 5 p.m. ET and will be available for on-demand viewing. As the name implies, Puscifer will be performing 2015’s Money Shot in its entirety, reviving the Lucha Libre wrestling themed performances of that album cycle. And like the band’s previous cinematic livestream, the upcoming show promises eye-popping costumes and set pieces, with Puscifer performing at the historic Mayan Theater in Los Angeles. “In this prequel to his alleged abduction during Existential Reckoning, we find Billy D trudging through what has been referred to as the Bermuda Triangle of the Southwest,” singer Maynard James Keenan explained...
UMG Signs Expanded Licensing Deal with African Streaming Service Boomplay
Under the deal, UMG content will now be available via Boomplay in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, DRC, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea Conakry, Guinea- Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Sao Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tchad, Togo and Zimbabwe. Markets covered under the 2018 agreement were Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia. “Since our original deal with UMG, the African music industry has seen exponential growth and made huge strides towards being the next powerhouse that it should be,” said Boomplay dir...
International Creators Gather For ‘Justice at Spotify’ Protests
On Monday, the U.S.-based Union of Musicians and Allied Workers took a more hands-on approach when it led a worldwide demonstration on the doorsteps of Spotify offices. Among its demands, the Union is calling for a 1 cent per stream royalty rate, greater transparency from Spotify, and an end to lawsuits targeting artists. Artists and music industry professionals gathered in 31 cities, including 10 in the United States, under the banner of #JusticeAtSpotify. “Spotify has long mistreated music workers, but the pandemic has put the exploitation into stark relief,” comments UMAW organizer and artist Mary Regalado, Pitchfork reports. “The company has tripled in value during the pandemic, while failing to increase its payment rates to artists by even a fraction of a penny. Musicians all over the...
Korn to Stream Concert from Set of Stranger Things: Drive-Into Experience
Korn have announced a livestream performance, dubbed “Korn: Monumental”, that will see the band performing from within the setting of Stranger Things: The Drive-Into Experience in Los Angeles. The concert goes live globally on April 24th. The virtual show is Korn’s first livestream event. To celebrate the occasion, they’ll be playing rare deep cuts and select tracks from 2019’s The Nothing for the first time ever, as the band was unable to properly tour in support of its most recent album due the pandemic. “We hope you take part in this experience with us,” frontman Jonathan Davis said in a press release. “And though it is not the same as performing live with you here, we still want to bring you some great music and a fun show.” Korn will be performing amidst scenes from the popular Netfli...
