Global

1. North Korea Reportedly Orders New Crackdown on Banned Music

   July 28, 2015 12:58 PM EDT When North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un isn’t taking submarine rides or executing his own family members , he's banning music in the world’s most closed society. South Korea-based Daily NK is reporting that the “great successor” has ordered ho ...

2. 'Russian Facebook' Settles Piracy Dispute With Sony Music

   July 28, 2015 9:16 AM EDT Russia's largest social networking website VKontakte has signed a goodwill agreement with Sony Music, a move that could potentially become a game changer for the Russian music industry. "The litigation between Sony and VKontakte was canc ...

3. Russian Leaders Consider Lauching 'Incubator' to Create Patriotic Pop Stars

   July 27, 2015 12:32 PM EDT Russia plans to create a media group focused on promoting local "patriotic" artists, making sure that they communicate messages in line with official ideology. The Russian business daily Vedomosti reported that a letter was sent to Presi ...

4. China Stocks Suffer Biggest Drop Since 2007

   July 27, 2015 8:57 AM EDT The Chinese government's attempts to calm the country's volatile stock markets appeared to have failed as stock prices on the Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong exchanges plummeted on Monday after a recent market rebound.  Bloomberg report ...

5. Spain Says 'Sí' to Streaming, Recording Biz on the Rise

   July 27, 2015 3:00 AM EDT Streaming has saved Spain’s music market, according to a new report from Spanish industry association Promusicae, which cites gains in streaming of almost 40% in the first six months of 2015, compared to the same period last year. Overall, music s ...

6. Streaming Crosses 500 Million Weekly Landmark in U.K., Double Over Last Year

   July 24, 2015 7:01 PM EDT The number of weekly audio streams in the United Kingdom has crossed 500 million for the first time, new data from labels trade body BPI and Official Charts Company (OCC) have revealed. The landmark figure was reached on the chart week ending Thur ...

7. Bruno Crolot, Director of Midem, Announces Departure

   July 24, 2015 4:45 PM EDT Bruno Crolot, director Midem, the annual music business conference that takes place in Cannes, France, has announced his departure from that position. Crolot oversaw four years of Midem, and is exiting before the event celebrates its 50th annivers ...

8. Russian Collection Societies Consolidate to Ease Royalty Process

   July 24, 2015 12:37 PM EDT Russia’s three accredited collecting societies that deal with author and neighboring rights, have announced they are merging in a move that is set to simplify procedures for royalty collection. The new organization is to be called the culture prof ...

9. Peter Jones, Writer of Books on Beatles and Stones and Former Billboard and Record Mirror Editor, Dies at 85

   July 23, 2015 10:57 AM EDT Peter Jones, a widely-respected British music and show business journalist whose distinguished resumé included a 25-year association in senior roles with Billboard, died on July 10. He was 85. Jones was a much-loved figure on the U.K. scene for de ...

10. Alibaba Announces Launch of Music Division

    July 22, 2015 10:49 AM EDT Alibaba, the Chinese web commerce giant whose stock serves double-duty as Yahoo's revenue shield , has announced the formation of a division to focus on the music industry. The company's news site, Alizila , reported on June 20 that Alib ...

11. U.K. Government Mulls Lengthening Maximum Sentence for Piracy to a Decade

    July 22, 2015 8:00 AM EDT The maximum sentence for online copyright infringement could rise from two to 10 years imprisonment in the United Kingdom, according to new proposals outlined by the British government.     The increased penalties form part of a consultation to ta ...

12. Taylor Swift Tops Ed Sheeran in Nielsen's Mid-Year Report for Canada; Streaming Keeps Growing

    July 20, 2015 10:34 AM EDT Digital album sales are up 10 percent and vinyl LPs up 40 percent in Canada, compared to 2014, according to the 2015 Nielsen Mid-Year Music Canada Report issued Friday. The data, which covers the 6-month period of Dec. 29, 2014 to June 28, 2015, a ...

13. Polaris Music Prize Short List: Drake, New Pornographers, Caribou Make the Cut

    July 16, 2015 12:58 PM EDT The short list for the 2015 Polaris Music Prize , honoring Canada's album of the year, was announced Thursday morning at The Carlu in Toronto. The list was revealed by veteran children's music entertainer Fred Penner , who will also host ...

14. CD-Loving Germany Sees 86 Percent Jump In Streaming, Sales Increase

    July 15, 2015 8:48 AM EDT The German music market increased sales by 4.4 percent in 2015’s first half compared to 2014, according to a report released Wednesday by Germany's Federal Music Industry Association (BVMI).  The revenue from physical and digital music sales ...

15. The Digital Potential in African Music Markets: Where Growth Could Come From

    July 13, 2015 3:17 PM EDT Hopes are high for music sales in emerging markets. As smartphone ownership becomes commonplace and more legal options become available, a huge number of consumers from Africa to South Asia can tap into legal music services. But what can be reaso ...

16. BBC Retakes Mercury Prize Broadcast Rights

    July 08, 2015 4:34 PM EDT The BBC has won back the broadcast rights for the Mercury Prize after a three-year absence during which it featured exclusively on rival British TV network Channel 4. The shortlist of this year's 12 nominated albums will be announced on digit ...

17. BMG Acquires Music Catalog Sampled by Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Usher

    July 08, 2015 7:54 AM EDT The 1979 funk track that inspired a recent Mark Ronson / Bruno Mars hit and led to Michelle Obama showing off some of her finest dance moves has a new home. “Oops Upside Your Head,” which saw The Gap Band eventually receive co-writing credits on “ ...

18. Streaming Continues to Explode in Britain, Record Sales Inch Up

    July 07, 2015 12:15 PM EDT Continued growth in streaming and a softening decline in CD and download sales helped lift UK music sales in the first six months of 2015, according to new figures released by British labels trade body BPI. Using the Album Equivalent Sales (AES) m ...

19. NME Announces Overhaul, to Relaunch With Free Print Run

    July 06, 2015 2:37 PM EDT Influential British music magazine NME is to become a free title from September, publisher Time Inc. has confirmed.   In its 1970s heyday, the weekly magazine sold in excess of 250,000 copies, but over the past decade sales have steadily slipped t ...

20. SOAK, Lonelady and More Get Funding From the U.K. Government's 'Growth Scheme' Program

    July 06, 2015 11:44 AM EDT The next generation of British talent is getting a helping hand from the U.K. Government in a bid to boost overseas sales. Introduced last year, the Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS) provides financial support to a number of small and medium-sized ...

21. German Court Orders YouTube and Google to Provide Info Copyright Offenders

    July 02, 2015 3:13 PM EDT YouTube and Google must immediately take action to block videos if they are notified by authors, artists and publishers about concrete copyright infringements, according to a new ruling by a Hamburg regional court on July 1. "What obligations ...

22. Canada Offically Extends Copyright Term to 70 Years

    June 25, 2015 10:44 AM EDT Two months after the Conservative government’s Economic Action Plan 2015 for Canada included its intention to amend the Copyright Act from 50 years to 70 years, the bill has been given royal assent and is now law. That ensures that song records wi ...

23. How Much More Do Publicists Earn Than Music Journalists? Find Out

    June 23, 2015 3:51 PM EDT WHO MAKES WHAT: Journalists |   Booking Agents | Artist Managers | Music Publishing | Top Earners | Label Execs | Artists, Big & Small  |  Radio & TV  |  Digital/Streaming  |  Touring * PARTNER:  Even before consolidation decimated the rec ...

24. Canadian Performing Rights Group SOCAN Celebrates Randy Bachman, The Weeknd and More at Annual Gala

    June 23, 2015 3:09 PM EDT Songwriters Randy Bachman, Dallas Green, Magic!, The Weeknd , “Born To Be Wild” songwriter Mars Bonfire and manager/record exec Bernie Finkelstein were among the honorees at the 2015 SOCAN Awards last night at Toronto’s Westin Harbour Castle. The ...

25. Latin Noise: Latin Voices Silent Against Donald Trump's Hateful Remarks

    June 22, 2015 8:32 PM EDT It took a while for Donald Trump's words to sink in. On June 16, when the businessman announced his bid for presidency, the very first issue he addressed, barely a couple of minutes into his speech, was immigration; specifically immigration c ...

26. Spotify's Daniel Ek, SoundCloud Founders Top Out List of European Tech Titans

    June 22, 2015 12:35 PM EDT The Financial Times has released its list of the most influential European tech leaders, and -- surprise? -- music made a strong showing throughout. At the top of the list you'll find Spotify co-founder Daniel Ek, who they call a "a rock ...

27. UK Music Industry Wins 'Vitally Important' High Court Case Over Personal Copying

    June 19, 2015 11:52 AM EDT The U.K. music industry has successfully challenged the British Government over changes in copyright legislation that it claims fail to offer fair compensation for musicians, composers and rights holders. The so-called "private copying except ...

28. Russian Rock Festival Kubana Loses Venue After Orthodox Church Protests

    June 18, 2015 12:41 PM EDT Local authorities in Russia's Kaliningrad exclave have canceled Kubana, the country's biggest outdoor rock festival, which was supposed to feature major foreign and local acts. But organizers are still hopeful they'll be able to fin ...

29. Canadian Indie Group Announces New 'Road Gold' Certification

    June 17, 2015 5:04 PM EDT The Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) has added a new music industry certification program called road gold, awarded to Canadian artists that have sold in excess of 25,000 tickets on their national headlining or co-headlining tours wit ...

30. British, Swedish and German Collection Bodies Unite, Look to Simplify Digital Royalties

    June 16, 2015 1:40 PM EDT Three of Europe’s biggest collection societies, PRS for Music, STIM and GEMA, have been granted clearance from the European Commission to establish a pan-European online music rights licensing and processing hub. The one-stop service will enable f ...

31. Russia to Hold Eurovision-Style Song Contest to Escape the Original's 'Degrading Moral Values'

    June 16, 2015 12:48 PM EDT Russia's defense ministry plans to hold a song contest as an alternative to Eurovision amidst local officials and politicians' criticisms of the European competition for allegedly promoting "degrading moral values." "We ar ...

32. British Live Market Worth $4.8 Billion, Draws 9.5 Million

    June 16, 2015 9:54 AM EDT From the rolling green fields of Glastonbury festival to sell-out runs at London’s cavernous O2 arena, the United Kingdom’s vibrant live music scene continues to be a huge draw to millions of international visitors, according to new figures from u ...

33. Two Double-Edged Swords: Line Music Launches in CD-Loving Japan as Apple Music Looms

    June 12, 2015 12:10 PM EDT Line, the extremely popular messaging app based in Japan, has officially launched its streaming app in its home country, following a rollout last month in Thailand. The app isn't the first streaming service in Japan, but it is (currently, and ...

34. Rave, Rap and the Remix: The Jamaican Sound System's Influence on Popular Music

    June 11, 2015 1:24 PM EDT As thousands converged on the original Woodstock grounds in Bethel, N.Y. over Memorial Day weekend for the dance festival Mysteryland USA, another event took place simultaneously in Fort Lauderdale, Fl., celebrating the direct forerunner to the su ...

35. Russians Will Be Getting a Steep Discount on Apple Music

    June 11, 2015 12:29 PM EDT Although the monthly subscription fee for Apple Music in Russia is reportedly going to be around $3 -- much lower than the already announced $9.99 fee for the US market -- the company might have a problem persuading Russian customers, used to free ...

36. Lotus Booking and Charco Spain Merge to Create New Unified Agency

    June 11, 2015 9:37 AM EDT Two major booking agencies on opposite continents -- Lotus Booking in Chile and Charco in Spain -- have joined together to create a new booking and management company, Charco Chile, that will integrate acts from both. Based in Santiago de Chile, C ...

37. Adele's '21' is the U.K.'s Best-Seller of the Decade

    June 11, 2015 3:46 AM EDT It’s official: Adele’s 21 is the biggest-selling album of the decade to date in the U.K.  The British singer’s all-conquering sophomore set has sold more than 4.75 million copies in her homeland to hold-off a challenge  for top honors  from homegr ...

38. Cuban Artists Rolling in Foreign Money, Thanks to Topsy-Turvy Laws

    June 10, 2015 9:18 AM EDT Late one balmy spring night during Havana's 12th Biennial, young working-class men and women lounged on a stretch of sand dotted with folding chairs and umbrellas, an artificial beach created as an art installation on the capital's Malec ...

39. Rock Promoter Harvey Goldsmith: 'Live Aid Killed Creativity in the Music Business'

    June 09, 2015 3:21 PM EDT Veteran live music promoter, Harvey Goldsmith , issued some stark warnings for the future of the music business, calling for better collaboration between publishers, labels, promoters and collection societies and revealing how he thinks Live Aid c ...

40. EU Commisioner Talks Cross-Border Piracy and Spotify's Success in Midem Keynote: Watch

    June 09, 2015 10:01 AM EDT Andrus Ansip of the European Commission continued to make his case for a digital single market on Monday during a keynote interview at Midem. The former Estonian prime minister, who is the EU's pointman on all things DSM, focused much of his ...

41. Kobalt Announces Global Collection Society

    June 08, 2015 11:20 AM EDT Kobalt has formed what it describes as the world's first global digital collections society following last year's quiet acquisition of the American Mechanical Rights Agency, or AMRA. The independent music publishing company said it will ...

42. Tidal's Vania Schlogel Calls Streaming Agreements Complicated, Touts Music's Importance at Midem

    June 05, 2015 3:11 PM EDT At the MIDEM Conference in Cannes on Friday, Vania Schlogel, Chief Investment Officer of the embattled new streaming service Tidal, gave a talk that was long on talking points, charm and positivity but short on new information. It was the sort of ...

43. Merlin's Charles Caldas on Partnering with SoundCloud and the 'Imbalance of Power' That Threatens the Market

    June 05, 2015 11:19 AM EDT This week saw global independent rights group M erlin become the latest organization to partner with SoundCloud , following previous deals the streaming service had struck with Warner Music Group and the National Music Publishers Association.   Th ...

44. YouTube's User Personalization 'Going Granular' to Double Its Reach

    June 04, 2015 7:45 PM EDT YouTube is in the process of doubling its users, or trying to at least. And considering the video streaming service currently reaches more than 1 billion people, that should be quite the feat.  The key lies in tailored viewing experiences, accordi ...

45. 'Russian Google' Launches Internet Radio

    June 04, 2015 11:29 AM EDT Yandex, the Russian search engine giant, has launched a new ad-supported streaming music service, Yandex.Radio, which allows a user to listen to around 100 ready-made “stations” organized around moods, genres and time periods. The company says the ...

46. Brits Share of Global Market Hits Five-Year High

    June 04, 2015 9:44 AM EDT A new generation of British artists and performers, led by Sam Smith , Ed Sheeran , One Direction and Coldplay , has helped the U.K. grow its share of global music sales, according to new research from labels body BPI. In 2014, just over one in ev ...

47. Axel Among the Winners at Argentina's Premios Gardel 2015

    June 03, 2015 4:56 AM EDT Romantic pop singer/songwriter Axel was the big winner at Argentina’s Premios Gardel on  June 1 . Axel took home the Gardel de Oro, the top prize at the annual awards honoring Argentine music awards. He also won best album by a male artist for  Tu ...

48. Billboard Launches 'Billboard Radio China,' Asia's First Billboard-Branded Internet Radio Station

    May 28, 2015 9:33 PM EDT Billboard has launched Billboard Radio China, Asia's first Billboard -branded internet radio station. The new venture is in partnership with media and technology holding company Tork Limited with the intent of becoming the leading music desti ...

49. Modern Sky Grows Strawberry Festival Around China Despite Beijing Cancellation

    May 28, 2015 3:20 PM EDT Modern Sky Entertainment is one of the key indie music companies in China and it's taking a 360-degree role in building up the industry. Founded by Shen Lihui in 1997 as a way to distribute his friends and his own band's music, the compa ...

50. Merlin Partners With Asian Streaming Service KKBOX

    May 27, 2015 1:34 PM EDT Global independent rights group Merlin has signed a licensing deal with Asia's leading music streaming service, KKBOX. The partnership represents Merlin's first ever pan-Asian specific deal and covers the territories of Taiwan, Hong Kong ...

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