Music Industry News

More Musicians Making More Money Now Than Ever

Source: HypeBot
October 21, 2010

Nick Mason of Pink Floyd got interviewed by BCC. He's been appointed to co-chairman of the Featured Artists' Coalition and is challenged with the task of giving acts advice on how to navigate the new industry climate. Like others, Mason recants that it's tougher to make a living off music. It's difficult to break through. Pink Floyd had opportunities that other groups just won't get today. And imagine that, back then, without buying a record, fans couldn't hear music. There ...

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Begging to Spend Money at Best Buy on Music

Source: HypeBot
October 21, 2010

James Zahn, Editor of Kik Axe Music, shared a harrowing account of his attempt to purchase music at Best Buy. He starts his story of by acknowledging that the sad state of the record industry is nothing new. However, due to a recent incident of his at Best Buy, he felt it was worth discussing the experience that fans, like himself, are having when they try to buy music. He questioned, 'should I really have to beg to money on ...

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The Hard-Knock Life of Superfans and Musicians

Source: HypeBot
October 21, 2010

In his column for a Seattle Weekly blog, singer and songwriter John Roderick gets to the heart of the tension between superfans and musicians. Together, they walk a thin line. Superfans do work on behalf of the groups they love. Only to find themselves neglected or taken for granted down the road. New fans come along and the group isn't able to give them the access they crave. Superfans get disappointed. They're happy to see groups grow and gain more ...

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Japanese Robots Hope to Destroy the Music Industry as We Know It

Source: HypeBot
October 21, 2010

Japanese engineers have now developed a fembot that can sing J-pop, calling into stark question the future of human pop singers. According to technology blog Popsci, the robot, an HRP-4, was developed using breath-analysis software and mouth movement observation based on human models. The divabot blinks and opens her mouth appropriately as she sings, mimicking the patterns of a human singer. Watch The Video The singing is not a track recording, but instead actual singing using a technique called 'robotic ...

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A Look at the Death of the Record Industry in 1980

Source: HypeBot
October 20, 2010

If you had your doubts that the 'sky is falling' on the record industry, this video will seal the deal. Growth is slowing; there aren't enough super-sellers to bring revenue back. Albums are over shipped and stores are sending them back. Fans have access to too much free music. Rock is no longer viable. Fans just don't have to buy record anymore in order to hear music and the industry is in hard times. Major companies are folding. Layoffs are ...

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Imeem's Dalton Caldwell: Why It Still Totally Sucks for Music Startups...

Source: Digital Music News
October 19, 2010

(#musicindustry) Want a quick primer on why talented entrepreneurs and investors are running from music? Then, look no further than Imeem founder Dalton Caldwell, just another statistic in a long line of talented entrepreneurial corpses. Speaking at Y Combinator's Startup School, Caldwell discussed a myriad of problems for a myriad of different music models, most of them hopelessly discouraging.

This is a rap you've heard before. Inextricably complicated licensing mazes, over-litigious and demanding labels, and royalty floors that make profitability ...

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Berklee, MIDEM and Harvard Found Rethink Music Conference, Offer $50,000 Innovation Prize

Source: HypeBot
October 19, 2010

Berklee and MIDEM are launching the Rethink Music conference on April 25-27 in Boston, and have issued a call for new ideas with a $50,000 prize attached. Presented in association with Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet & Society and Harvard  Business School the Rethink gathering will examine the business and rights challenges facing the music industry in the digital era and formulate solutions. Music industry stakeholders will join legal, business and academic experts to discuss possible new business models ...

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Victory Records Funds Worst Anti-Piracy Psa Ever

Source: HypeBot
October 19, 2010

Victory Records hired comic Gilbert Gottfried to star in an anti-piracy PSA where he repeatedly tells music pirates to go fuck themselves. It's hard to say where this plan went wrong. One writer noted that there's quite a a bit of irony behind the company funding a video to tell fans that they need to start purchasing music, because some say that Victory has a long history of not paying artists themselves. The arguments made in the video are terrible ...

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