Dylan Smith

Burning Man Hires Former Trump Campaigner to Help Fight U.S. Government Searches

Trump Signs $2.2 Trillion Stimulus Package Into Law — Early Music Industry Reactions Are Positive

March 27, 2020

President Trump has officially signed the much-anticipated $2.2 trillion aid package (the CARES Act) into law. The stimulus, which is the largest in American history, provides support to medical facilities, b... Read More...

Apple Music Launches In-App Banner Alerts for New Music

Dylan Smith

March 27, 2020

A new Apple Music feature is allowing fans to receive updates when their favorite artists release music and videos. Apple Music users are being alerted of the feature via pop-up notification, which also prov... Read More...

Patreon Sees a Surge of 30,000 New Creators In One Month

Dylan Smith

March 27, 2020

With the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic preventing artists in the United States and much of the world from working traditionally, many are attempting to earn a living remotely. And in a testament to the dept... Read More...

Netflix Pledges $100 Million to Film and Television Crew Members, Indirectly Benefiting Music Licensors

Dylan Smith

March 27, 2020

Photo Credit: Unsplash Netflix has established a $100 million fund to assist on-set crew members financially during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In keeping with a nationwide shutdown, Netflix halted ... Read More...

Help Musicians Is Sending £500 Checks to British Musicians — Here’s How to Apply

Dylan Smith

March 26, 2020

Help Musicians, a near-century-old charitable organization that supports artists during times of financial difficulty, is offering £500 ($610.12) checks to musicians who’ve been impacted by the coronavirus (C... Read More...

Music Producers In Britain Are Losing 70% of Their Income, MPG Report Claims

Dylan Smith

March 26, 2020

According to a report from the United Kingdom’s Music Producers Guild (MPG), domestic music producers are losing approximately 70 percent of their income—and facing dire financial straits—because of the coron... Read More...

Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Against The Weeknd Is Placed on Pause

Dylan Smith

March 26, 2020

The Weeknd performing in 2012. Photo Credit: David Hwang Experimental rock band Yeasayer’s Black Panther copyright-infringement lawsuit against The Weeknd has been postponed because of the coronavirus (COVID-... Read More...

Governors Ball, Isle of Wight, & Download Festivals Cancelled Due to Coronavirus Concerns

Dylan Smith

March 26, 2020

Governors Ball entrance in 2016 (photo: Zusowski) The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in the cancellation of three more high-profile music-industry events, as organizers nixed the 2020 Governors ... Read More...

JioSaavn Drops Subscription Prices by 75% to Undercut Spotify In India

Facebook Reportedly Eyeing a 10% Stake In JioSaavn Parent Company

Dylan Smith

March 26, 2020

Facebook is considering purchasing a 10 percent stake in Reliance Jio, a major cell phone service provider in India and the parent company of popular music-streaming service JioSaavn. The deal hasn’t yet bee... Read More...

Good News: Musicians and Freelancers Included In Senate’s $2.2 Trillion Stimulus Bill

Dylan Smith

March 26, 2020

The U.S. Senate Floor. The Senate’s $2.2 trillion stimulus package contains support provisions for gig workers and freelancers, in addition to measures designed to help small businesses, individuals, and othe... Read More...

Hipgnosis Acquires Sam Hollander's Music Catalog

Hipgnosis Songs Fund Stock Bounces Back After Near-20% Drop

Dylan Smith

March 26, 2020

The Hipgnosis Song Fund, which pools investments to purchase song catalogs, has experienced a solid stock-price rebound following a value decrease resulting from the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Hipgnosis ... Read More...

Tunecore CEO Scott Ackerman Is Officially Stepping Down

Dylan Smith

March 25, 2020

Tunecore, a longtime digital music distribution service, announced today that Scott Ackerman will step down as CEO next month. Ackerman has officially served as the company’s CEO since 2014, and his last day... Read More...

Author Dylan Smith