Most musicians understand the importance of networking for their future careers in the music industry. Even if connecting with a publisher or label seems out of reach for you, our artists have found there are tips to successful networking. In this article, we’re sharing some tips on some do’s and don’t’s when approaching networking in the music industry.
Fashion and performance have been wed to the culture and values of the performer since musicians began to perform. But the added need to market recordings upped the ante for artists to develop on-stage personas that carried over to the recording side of the market. So, we had the dress “uniforms” of bands and music groups of the 1940’s through the mid 1960’s; the Mo-Town tuxedos, the do-wop ensembles, the mop head mod suited Brits. Group garb was homogenous. Even Elvis buffered his radical wardrobe with the level-headed ensembles of the Jordanaires. All of this finally gave way to the costume rock and the individualized garb of the late sixties and beyond.
The royalties paid by music streaming services have been under scrutiny this past month as major artists have called for better compensation. Taylor Swift, Aloe Blacc and Jimmy Buffett have all made public statements claiming that the current rates are unfair for the music creators.
Audiophiles rejoice! Americans and Brits can now stream over 25 million records in CD-quality format through the streaming service Tidal, which launched this week. The new music subscription service costs $20 per month. It features a similar user interface to Spotify and has already proven itself in a handful of European countries.
Millennials have a tendency to do things differently, and music consumption is no exception to that. They outspend most other groups and are much more connected on social networks to share what they like. Here are five key take-aways from Nielsen’s report on the 18-35 year olds that are changing the way music is marketed.
Last week was historically bad for the music industry. Weekly album sales figures dropped to their lowest point since Nielsen Soundscan began been keeping record in 1991. It was also the first week on record that sales of albums dropped below 4 million units. While multiple factors are blamed for the record lows, streaming is the undeniable catalyst.
The Recording Industry Association of America released its mid-year report recently, describing the trends of the music industry. While digital revenue sales have dropped, vinyl sales have spiked. Here are five key takeaways from the report as summarized by Billboard.
The music industry is changing so fast these days that anyone who claims to know what it will be like in 5 years might seem crazy. However, when an entertainment lawyer for digital music entrepreneurs has some thoughts on the future of the business, it’s worth at least hearing. Here’s the takeaway from Steve Gordon’s recent guest post on Billboard.
Apple is working on a new way to deliver and sell albums. According to TIME and Billboard, U2’s Bono has been collaborating with Apple to work on a new “interactive” album format that will allow fans to “play with lyrics and get behind the songs.” While no details have been released regarding new format, it’s likely Apple’s reaction to declining album sales over recent years to streaming.
The last true iteration of Apple’s iconic and world-changing MP3 player, the iPod, has been retired. Last week, as Apple announced new iPhones and a forthcoming Apple Watch, the iPod Classic quietly disappeared from their online retail store. This marks the end of an era that redefined our music listening habits and launched Apple on its path to become the most valuable company in the world.