Dylan Smith

With IPO Plans on Ice, Warner Music Officially Plants a Flag In India

March 9, 2020

Warner Music India managing director Jay Mehta (photo: WMG) With markets around the world reeling from the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and corresponding fears, Warner Music has put its previously ... Read More...

Austin Fundraiser Emerges to Help Businesses Impacted by SXSW Cancellation

Dylan Smith

March 8, 2020

SXSW host city Austin, TX (photo: Avi Werde) The ‘Banding Together ATX’ fundraiser aims to compensate businesses, artists, and professionals affected by SXSW 2020’s cancellation. In the wake of SXSW’s cancel... Read More...

Coachella’s Fate Hangs In the Balance as Health Officials Assess the Situation

Dylan Smith

March 8, 2020

A local health official remains noncommittal on Coachella; says he can cancel the much-anticipated music festival if needed. Coachella is still on, but Riverside County’s health officer, Dr. Cameron Kaiser, ... Read More...

Tool Concert Attendee Diagnosed With Coronavirus In New Zealand

Dylan Smith

March 6, 2020

Spark Arena (photo: Georgianixon21 CC by SA 4.0) New Zealand’s fourth coronavirus (COVID-19) sufferer attended a Tool concert last week, potentially infecting hundreds of guests. The show in question took pla... Read More...

Yeasayer’s Black Panther Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Against The Weeknd Will Begin in April

Dylan Smith

March 6, 2020

Experimental rock band Yeasayer’s Black Panther copyright infringement lawsuit against The Weeknd is set to initiate in April, according to a new filing. Specifically, United States District Judge Lorna G. S... Read More...

Collision Conference (Attendance: 30,000) Cancels, Issues Refunds, and Goes Completely Virtual

Dylan Smith

March 6, 2020

Collision Conference, a massive annual gathering for business professionals and tech startups, has canceled the physical edition of its 2020 event in response to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic. ... Read More...

Pex Acquires Dubset as the EU Copyright Directive’s Implementation Deadline Approaches

Dylan Smith

March 6, 2020

Proprietary music-fingerprinting and rights negotiation platform Pex has acquired Dubset, a licensing platform for DJ mixes, live performances, and other, similar original content. Dubset has focused on enab... Read More...

Warner Music, Sony Music, Universal Music Pulling Out of SXSW

Dylan Smith

March 6, 2020

Downtown Austin, TX (photo: Cosmic Timetraveler) The Big Three record labels — Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment — have joined the ever-growing list of companies and prof... Read More...

Kendrick Lamar Launches a Mysterious New Media Company

Dylan Smith

March 5, 2020

Rapper Kendrick Lamar announced today that he’s founded a new company, pgLang. Though the brand’s website has gone live and Lamar has set out to promote the business, it’s unclear at this time exactly what se... Read More...

Is Coachella Getting Cancelled?

Dylan Smith

March 5, 2020

As the Coronavirus rages on, Coachella could be the next major music festival to cancel. To the disappointment and frustration of thousands — and perhaps millions — the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemi... Read More...

SiriusXM Is Going Big on Premium Concert Re-Broadcasts — U2, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish Shows On the Slate

Dylan Smith

March 5, 2020

On-demand music is obviously huge. But what about on-demand concerts? Now, SiriusXM plans to test that question by replaying exclusive concerts throughout March —including Billie Eilish and Lady Gaga performa... Read More...

R. Kelly Faces Charges of Spreading Sexually Transmittable Diseases

Dylan Smith

March 5, 2020

Battling on Multiple Fronts: R. Kelly’s New York lawyers refute STD-related charges as the rapper pleads not guilty in Chicago. R. Kelly is now facing felony charges in New York, Minnesota, and his native Ch... Read More...

Sync Licensing: It's Much Bigger Than TV, Film, and Commercials

Unauthorized Music Usage on TikTok Can Cost Brands Big — But There’s a Way to Avoid Expensive Licensing Headaches

Sync Licensing Is Evolving — Now There’s a Comprehensive Analysis of the Music Industry’s Most Exciting Segment

How Sync Licensing Helped Musicians Thrive When Live Music Was Paused

Kate Bush Thanks Stranger Things Fans for Giving ‘Running Up That Hill’ a New Lease on Life

Here’s How Apple Has Dominated Sync Licensing for Two Decades Running

The Methodology Behind Great Sync: A Breakdown for Brands, Content Creators and Supervisors

Our Latest Podcast: Latin America Has 640 Million People. Why Are Fewer Than 5% of Them Paying for Streaming?

Spotify Is Riddled With Fake Streams — Or Is It? Our Latest Podcast

Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music Are Only Getting Bigger — Which Is Great News for Niche Streaming Platforms

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

How to Game the Billboard Charts (And Why You Shouldn’t)

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

With IPO Plans on Ice, Warner Music Officially Plants a Flag In India

Austin Fundraiser Emerges to Help Businesses Impacted by SXSW Cancellation

Coachella’s Fate Hangs In the Balance as Health Officials Assess the Situation

Tool Concert Attendee Diagnosed With Coronavirus In New Zealand

Yeasayer’s Black Panther Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Against The Weeknd Will Begin in April

Collision Conference (Attendance: 30,000) Cancels, Issues Refunds, and Goes Completely Virtual

Pex Acquires Dubset as the EU Copyright Directive’s Implementation Deadline Approaches

Warner Music, Sony Music, Universal Music Pulling Out of SXSW

Kendrick Lamar Launches a Mysterious New Media Company

Is Coachella Getting Cancelled?

SiriusXM Is Going Big on Premium Concert Re-Broadcasts — U2, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish Shows On the Slate

R. Kelly Faces Charges of Spreading Sexually Transmittable Diseases

Author Dylan Smith