Digital Music News (digitalmusicnews.com)

Taylor Swift Is an ‘Indie’. Time to Change the Definition?

December 3, 2010

Seems like someone is always stumping, championing, or advocating for the 'indie'. And groups like AIM, A2IM, Merlin, and until recently - eMusic - have been built around the concept. But what is an indie e... Read More...

LimeWire Is Officially F*ked. Long Live LimeWire

Paul Resnikoff

December 3, 2010

What happens when high-flying P2Ps finally get fried? The real fun begins! But for now, there's nothing amusing for founder Mark Gorton, CEO George Searle, and the other remaining crew members. This pira... Read More...

Let’s Face It: Google’s Still a Piracy Whorehouse. It’s Just Getting Cleaned Up a Little

Paul Resnikoff

December 3, 2010

Good news: Google is now responding to takedown requests within 24 hours. But what was it before? 48 hours? 72? 24 days? It's always nice when a multi-billionaire reaches out to the little guy, but let's not pretend this is a huge sea-change. It's stil... Read More...

Be Honest: Are You Wearing Protection?

Paul Resnikoff

December 2, 2010

There are few pleasures greater than extremely loud music, especially when ridiculous amounts of bass are involved. But are you putting your ears through the ringer? As in, are they ringing loudly after every... Read More...

Is the Right Hand Talking to the Left? The OnSmash Situation

Paul Resnikoff

December 1, 2010

(#musicindustry, #rap) Dozens of pirate and counterfeit sites were yanked down over the Thanksgiving holiday by the US Government, and most were asking for trouble. But serious questions now surround a number ... Read More...

And Now, 100 Not-So-F*ked Music Companies

Paul Resnikoff

December 1, 2010

We recently dug up 100 completely f*ked music companies, a stark reflection on a punishing space. Those were mostly dead companies, but what about the future? Who's not only not f*ked, but pushing the space forward? Well, here’s a list of companies (or ... Read More...

Why Vinyl Is the Next Format to Crash

Paul Resnikoff

November 30, 2010

We already know the story on a-la-carte song downloads – they're flat and declining in the US (down 0.2 percent during the first half). And, after three quarters this year, digital albums sales are also look... Read More...

The Average Age of a Top-Touring Artist: 46

Paul Resnikoff

November 29, 2010

Is it any wonder that younger fans are leaving the building? The latest figures show a mass exodus of 12-to-24 concertgoers, thanks partly to recessionary effects. But even in good times, $100+ seats are t... Read More...

Give Them Credit: More Than 80% of Mainstream Songs Are Written By the Artist

Paul Resnikoff

November 24, 2010

Who's actually writing their own music these days? That can be a complicated question, though in the eyes of the law, the publishing credit determines whether a performer actually wrote the song. And this is more than just a technical distinction: a writin... Read More...

Down Boy! TuneCore CEO Frothing at Digital Music News… Again

Paul Resnikoff

November 24, 2010

Last week, we wrote an article about iTunes Connect, which allows direct uploading of content into the iTunes Store. That system is currently very artist- and user-unfriendly, and even Apple recommends going t... Read More...

Want Serious Success? Then Start Losing Everything, Right Now

Paul Resnikoff

November 24, 2010

What will we be laughing at five years from now? The notion that somehow, direct-to-fan connectivity means that fans will care or connect. That somehow, just having a straight fan connection is more importa... Read More...

Songkick Faces Collapse After Burning Through $61 Million In Funding

Oh No: 87% of British Musicians Make Less Than £16,000 Annually

Paul Resnikoff

November 22, 2010

Forget about shooting the messenger, we're waiting to have our bodies dragged through the streets by starving artists. But recent, UK-specific stats shared with Digital Music News continue to paint a treacherous financial picture for musicians. And this ... Read More...