Dylan Smith

Scooter Braun, Alex Rodriguez Drop $30MM on Virtual Concert Startup Wave

June 11, 2020

Photo Credit: TCDisrupt / CC by 2.0 Virtual concert platform Wave has garnered $30 million in funding from an investment group that includes longtime Justin Bieber manager Scooter Braun and MLB great Alex Rod... Read More...

YouTube Expands Exclusive Partnership With Coachella as Full Line-Up is Revealed

Coachella and Stagecoach Festivals Officially Cancelled

Dylan Smith

June 10, 2020

Just 24 hours after Lollapalooza 2020’s cancellation, both Coachella and Stagecoach have been officially cancelled by local officials. Please note: the following report has been updated to include details of... Read More...

Travis Scott Faces Copyright Infringement Lawsuit for Lifting a Guitar Riff from Instagram

Dylan Smith

June 10, 2020

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Travis Scott performing in 2017. Photo Credit: Kenny Sun Rapper Travis Scott has been named in a copyright infringement lawsuit for allegedly stealing the guitar riff featured in his popular “Highest in the R... Read More...

Black Music Coalition Issues List of Demands for British Companies: ‘We Expect That These Long Overdue Steps Will Be Implemented’

Dylan Smith

June 10, 2020

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London, England. Photo Credit: Artur Tumasjan A number of black music executives have formed the Black Music Coalition and dispatched a firmly worded letter containing progress-minded demands for UK companies... Read More...

One Week Later — How’s Warner Music Group’s Stock Doing?

Dylan Smith

June 10, 2020

Photo Credit: Unsplash One week ago, Warner Music Group (WMG) returned to the stock market in a big way, with investors pushing its per-share value up by more than 20 percent – and adding almost $400 million ... Read More...

The Term ‘Urban’ Officially Removed From All Grammy Award Categories

Dylan Smith

June 10, 2020

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Amid ongoing protests over the death of George Floyd, the Recording Academy has removed the term ‘urban’ from multiple Grammy Awards categories, as part of a broad shift in its categorizations and rules. Rec... Read More...

Nearly 90% of US Independent Venues Face Permanent Shutdown Following COVID-19

Dylan Smith

June 9, 2020

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Photo Credit: Vishnu R Nair According to a newly published survey from the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), 90 percent of independent venues may be forced to permanently close their doors in the... Read More...

An Avicii Museum Is Officially Opening Next Year

Dylan Smith

June 9, 2020

A tribute museum for late Swedish DJ and producer Avicii, the Avicii Experience, is officially slated to open in Stockholm next year, as part of an expansive, seven-floor facility called Space Sweden. Organi... Read More...

New Metallica Song Features Lyrics Written Entirely by a Bot

Dylan Smith

June 9, 2020

Metallica's James Hetfield performing live. Photo Credit: Mark Wainwright A YouTube user has created a new Metallica-inspired song, “Deliverance Rides,” that features lyrics written entirely by a bot. One “F... Read More...

Norwegian PRO Warns of Serious COVID-19 Revenue Drops Ahead

Dylan Smith

June 9, 2020

Oslo, Norway, during a winter afternoon. Photo Credit: Gunnar Ridderström Norwegian performance rights organization (PRO) TONO revealed all-time-high earnings during its latest financial report, but warned th... Read More...

Hundreds of Music Companies and Artists Demand the Repeal of New York’s ’50-A’ Police Secrecy Law

Dylan Smith

June 9, 2020

Manhattan. Photo Credit: Oliver Niblett Many music industry companies and artists have signed a letter calling on Governor Andrew Cuomo and members of New York State Legislature to repeal New York’s “50-A” po... Read More...

SiriusXM Announces $1.5 Billion Debt Offering to Counter Coronavirus Ad Drops

Dylan Smith

June 9, 2020

Satellite radio mainstay SiriusXM has announced that it will issue $1.5 billion in senior secured notes as part of an effort to offset a coronavirus-fueled drop in ad revenue. The New York City-based company... Read More...

Author Dylan Smith