Dylan Smith

Matt Simons Takes Legal Action Against UMG Over Allegedly Unpaid “Catch & Release” Royalties

May 7, 2021

Matt Simons performing live in Berlin in 2016. Photo Credit: Denis Apel “Catch & Release” singer-songwriter Matt Simons has taken legal action against Universal Music Group’s Republic Records for allegedl... Read More...

PRS Issues a 10% Backdated Livestream Tariff — Not Everyone’s So Thrilled With the ‘Discount’

Dylan Smith

May 7, 2021

PRS for Music has officially issued a 10 percent backdated livestream tariff – though not everyone is thrilled with the rate’s temporary “discount.” The 107-year-old UK collecting society – which in late Jan... Read More...

Live Nation Stock (LYV) Surges as Live Concerts Come Back to Life — “Fans Are Buying Tickets Faster Than Ever Before”

Dylan Smith

May 7, 2021

Ahead of crowd-based entertainment’s full-scale return, Live Nation stock (LYV on the NYSE) is surging. At the time of this piece’s publishing, Live Nation stock (LYV) was up 5.78 percent from yesterday’s cl... Read More...

most popular music streaming services 2021

Songwriters Demand a Streaming Music Overhaul — “There Is No One Single Magic Solution But Rather Several Key Changes Required”

Dylan Smith

May 6, 2021

The European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA) is calling for streaming reform. Photo Credit: Filip Havlik The European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA) has officially called for “both policy mak... Read More...

Cardi B to Discuss Settlement of Years-Running ‘Back Tattoo’ Lawsuit

Dylan Smith

May 6, 2021

In October of 2017, one Kevin Brophy Jr. sued Cardi B over the back tattoo of a model (the6atsix) featured on the cover of her Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1 mixtape. Now, after nearly four years of litigation, ... Read More...

XXXTentacion Unreleased Songs Will Soon Be Auctioned as NFTs

Dylan Smith

May 6, 2021

Unreleased music from (and footage of) “SAD!” artist XXXTentacion will soon debut as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). YellowHeart – The Chainsmokers-backed ticketing and non-fungible token platform behind Kings o... Read More...

$70 Million Distributed to Musicians by the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Fund

Dylan Smith

May 5, 2021

The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) and SAG-AFTRA have distributed a record high of $70 million to non-featured performers via their Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund (IPRDF). AFM and SAG... Read More...

Following WMG’s Wave Investment, Deezer Backs Livestream-Concert Platform Dreamstage

Dylan Smith

May 5, 2021

Photo Credit: Heshan Perera Days after Warner Music Group announced that it had invested in virtual-concert platform Wave, Deezer has backed Dreamstage, “a U.S.-based live music streaming startup.” Paris-hea... Read More...

Major Labels Pursue Legal Action Against Vimeo In Italy

Dylan Smith

May 5, 2021

Venice, Italy. Photo Credit: canmandawe The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is officially pursuing legal action against Vimeo over the New York City-headquartered video-sharing se... Read More...

Warner Music Group Crosses $1 Billion In Recorded Music Revenues In One Quarter

Dylan Smith

May 4, 2021

Warner Music Group (WMG) earned $1.059 billion from recorded music during 2021’s initial three months – a figure that represents a 17 percent uptick from the same stretch in 2020. The Big Three record label ... Read More...

The Weeknd Refuses to Walk Back Grammys Boycott Despite the Elimination of ‘Secret Committees’

Dylan Smith

May 4, 2021

Though the Recording Academy recently voted to eliminate “nominations review committees” – referred to as “secret committees” by some – The Weeknd isn’t yet ready to end his Grammys boycott. To recap, The We... Read More...

Red Hot Chili Peppers Sell Their Entire Catalog for $140 Million

Dylan Smith

May 4, 2021

The Red Hot Chili Peppers performing live in 2019. Photo Credit: Raph_PH The Red Hot Chili Peppers have sold their entire catalog to Hipgnosis in a deal that was reportedly worth north of $140 million. The 3... Read More...

Songtradr Joins the Growing Music Industry Recovery Effort — Donates All Sync Commissions to Musicians

Sync Music Is Bouncing Back In 2021 — But What are the Emerging Trends?

Thinking About Creating Custom Compositions for Your Project? A Breakdown of the Options

Yes, Composers Can Make Money In Sports — Meet One of the Top Programmers In the Field

What I’ve Learned About Live Streaming — 3 Musicians Share Their Hard-Learned Lessons

How to Make It In the Music Industry — Two Behind-the-Scenes Professionals Break It Down

Music in Advertising: Here’s How Industry Pros Select Songs for Placement

Podcast: Beyonce's Band Leader's 16 Tips for Turning Pro

Meet the Artist Who Is Literally Saving His Fans’ Lives — Our Latest Podcast

How to Game the Billboard Charts (And Why You Shouldn’t) — Our Latest Podcast

Stop Chasing Playlists and Start Building a Music Career — Our Latest Podcast

‘Bone Conduction’ Headphones Don’t Go Over Your Ears — But Still Transmit Sound to Your Inner Cochlea

Now That the Music Modernization Act Has Passed, Who’s Gonna Run the Damn Thing?

Investing In Music Catalogs? It Ain’t All Daisies & Butterflies — Our Latest Podcast

Matt Simons Takes Legal Action Against UMG Over Allegedly Unpaid “Catch & Release” Royalties

PRS Issues a 10% Backdated Livestream Tariff — Not Everyone’s So Thrilled With the ‘Discount’

Live Nation Stock (LYV) Surges as Live Concerts Come Back to Life — “Fans Are Buying Tickets Faster Than Ever Before”

Songwriters Demand a Streaming Music Overhaul — “There Is No One Single Magic Solution But Rather Several Key Changes Required”

Cardi B to Discuss Settlement of Years-Running ‘Back Tattoo’ Lawsuit

XXXTentacion Unreleased Songs Will Soon Be Auctioned as NFTs

$70 Million Distributed to Musicians by the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Fund

Following WMG’s Wave Investment, Deezer Backs Livestream-Concert Platform Dreamstage

Major Labels Pursue Legal Action Against Vimeo In Italy

Warner Music Group Crosses $1 Billion In Recorded Music Revenues In One Quarter

The Weeknd Refuses to Walk Back Grammys Boycott Despite the Elimination of ‘Secret Committees’

Red Hot Chili Peppers Sell Their Entire Catalog for $140 Million

Author Dylan Smith