Author: IndieMusic

By Amy X. Wang Record industry revenue is on the rise. Off the still-rising success of streaming, label executives say they’ve got “money swirling around.” Warner reportedly gave 17-year-old Lil Pump a $8 million record deal. There’s finally profit in music again after two decades of dismal decline. Yet none of this means much to the average American musician, who is still not getting enough income to cover living expenses, according to a new report. In a survey of 1,227 U.S. musicians released last week by the nonprofit Music Industry Research Association, in partnership with MusiCares and the Princeton...

Spotify is reportedly offering advances and appealing business terms to independent artists in hopes of convincing them to license their music directly with the streaming music app instead of going through a third-party distribution service. Billboard reports that some of the company’s deals have promised artists and their management “several hundred thousand dollars as an advance fee for agreeing to license a certain number of tracks by their independent acts directly to Spotify.” “In some cases,” Billboard says Spotify is offering a 50 percent cut of per-stream royalty rates. That’s less than the percentage major labels earn, but artists...

The Crypto Lark with 75k+ YT subscribers is seeking Music for his live feeds about Cryptocurrency, email thecryptolark@gmail.com with your information and music links. As mentioned at 11:13 in the following...

By C. Edward Kelso Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer Matt Sorum, formerly of Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, is lending his name and experience to a new crypto funding project, Artbit, in an effort to eliminate the age-old middle-person between artists and consumers. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer Matt Sorum explains, “My interest is in cutting the middleman. That’s been something on artists’ minds for years. There’s all these people you got to pay along the way. With blockchain, imagine if you bought a song online for 99 cents and that money was automatically...

By Stephen Lepitak Ride-sharing app Lyft is using its sponsorship of SXSW as the official partner of the festival to heighten its support of local music in the city. The company has supported the festival, which started as, and continues to be, a major music festival through a number of initiatives for the duration of SXSW. This has included Lyft House, a branded pit stop area for drivers to relax, eat, drink and play computer games when in need of a rest from the slow traffic that is caused by festival congestion. “We elevate each other’s brands,” said Aaron...