Snoop Dogg buys Death Row Records, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek defends his decisions, and more in this week’s music news roundup.
The first full week of February 2022 did not disappoint. It seems like every day this week, one or more major stories rocked the music world. From the ongoing controversy surrounding Spotify and its questionable investments in podcast hosts to some of the biggest revenue numbers since pre-COVID, this week made an impact felt in every corner of the industry.
We cannot ease your workload or give you more hours in the day, but we can help you stay informed. That is why we are thrilled to introduce This Week In Music, a brand new weekly column highlighting the best and most talked-about stories throughout the music industry. Each Friday, we will post links to various need-to-know articles and information.
But let’s be honest. There is no way we can hope to cover everything that happens. If you see a headline we missed that people need to know, please do not hesitate to send james@haulix.com an email. We’ll include your links in the next update.
The Biggest Stories In Music This Week
Snoop Dogg buys Death Row Records
A full-circle moment for the history books occurred earlier this week, and it’s one music students will be studying for years to come. Rapper-entrepreneur Snoop Dogg, who rose to fame during the 1990s on Death Row Records, has acquired the label’s brand from MNRK Music Group, which is controlled by private equity funds managed by the investment firm Blackstone, the firm announced on Wednesday.
Spotify’s Cancellation Page Traffic Spikes as “Rogan” Controversy Continues
Say what you will about the current debate surrounding Joe Rogan and Spotify. Still, it is incredibly rare for any media-related story to dominate headlines for more than a week. The traffic to the cancellation page for Spotify Premium has jumped in recent weeks as the audio streaming company faces a wave of backlash over its support for podcaster Joe Rogan, an analytics firm told CNN. The analytics firm, SimilarWeb, told CNN Tuesday night that it had seen traffic to the cancellation page spike 196% week-over-week in its most recent set of data.
Meanwhile, Rumble, a video startup, offered Rogan $100 million for a four-year exclusive deal involving podcast. Rogan declined the deal, which was similar to the amount Spotify reportedly paid for his podcast and recommitted to the streaming giant in the process.
Big 3 Major Labels Report MASSIVE 2021 Paydays
Our friends at MBW have spent the last several weeks crunching numbers related to industry earnings in 2021. This week, the site found that the big three labels—WMG, Universal, and SONY—made a combined $20 BILLION last year.
Here’s how the ‘Big Three’ did it:
- Warner Music Group (which announced its calendar Q4 figures today) generated USD $5.58 billion across its global music publishing and recorded music divisions in calendar 2021, according to MBW’s calculations;
- Sony Corp (which announced its calendar Q4 figures last week) generated USD $7.49 billion across its global music publishing and recorded music divisions in calendar 2021, according to MBW’s calculations
- Universal Music Group generated USD $7.21 billion across its global music publishing and recorded music divisions in just the first nine months of 2021 – not including Q4 – according to MBW’s calculations;
- All of that combined comes to a sweet, sweet $20.28 billion.
Longtime Haulix clients The Pocket Gods have developed a unique solution to their problems with Spotify. The English rock band is currently making headlines with plans to record and release a 1,000 track album comprised entirely of 30-second songs. The tracks are long enough to be counted as legitimate streams by Spotify but run much shorter than the average song.
Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Announces Nominees for 2022 Class
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its 2022 nominees on Wednesday (Feb. 2), revealing the 17 acts eligible for induction into the Rock Hall’s Class of 2022.
Indie auteur Beck, rock hitmaker Pat Benatar, art rocker Kate Bush, new wave oddballs Devo, new wave chart-toppers Duran Duran, hip-hop heavyweight Eminem, synth-pop duo Eurythmics, heavy metal fixtures Judas Priest, Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, political rock outfit MC5, proto-punks New York Dolls, country legend Dolly Parton, rap-metal outfit Rage Against the Machine, R&B hitmaker Lionel Richie, pop singer-songwriter Carly Simon, alt hip-hop icons A Tribe Called Quest and pop vocal pro Dionne Warwick are all nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022.
SONG OF THE WEEK: Mammoth WVH – “Epiphany”
Wolfgang Van Halen may be the song of rock’s greatest guitarist, but the debut album from Mammoth WVF proved the young rocker has more than enough talent to escape his legendary father’s shadow. The record speaks to a life lived in the space between reality and the fiction we sell ourselves in the media. It’s a dense and, at times, heartbreaking account of giving your all in search of something you may never find, and we cannot get enough.
This week, Mammoth WVH gave the song “Epiphany” a proper single push by releasing the track’s official video. Check it out:
