Tag: Music News

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This Week In Music (September 2, 2022)

music news

From Blackpink’s eye-popping PUBG event to the ‘Car Thing’ fire sale, we’ve gathered the biggest music news of the week.

September is here. Before you go making Billie Joe Armstrong jokes, please know we have no patience for it. Green Day wrote a hit song about grieving a dead parent, so now they become a punchline for one month each year? Nope. We have no interest in that.

It’s weird how moving from August to September feels like an event where the transition between others months does not. Almost overnight, our culture shifts from summer to fall, and it’s suddenly cool to wear hoodies again. We aren’t complaining.

We are in the final phase of multiple developments months in the making. Before the next edition of this post is live, our team will have deployed said update and made it available to our global client base.

We cannot ease your workload or give you more hours in the day, but we can help you stay informed. Below you’ll find the biggest stories of the week, all covered by the best outlets in tech and entertainment. Click around, learn what’s happening, and use the weekend to prepare for the end of the month.

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 Music News Of The Week

Millions watch Blackbpink perform in PUBG Mobile

The in-game concert was promoted globally in physical locations including Times Square in New York, with Vincent Wang, Head of PUBG MOBILE Publishing at Tencent Games, calling the tie-up with the K-pop group, “PUBG MOBILE’s biggest partnership yet.”

Running over two weekends in July, the “immersive audio-visual experience” was watched by 15.7 million viewers globally across the concert series.

Additionally, the music video for the track Ready For Love, which was released as part of the partnership, has now been watched over 146 million times since its launch.

The concert won the ‘Best Metaverse Performance’ at the MTV Video Music Awards over the weekend, from a shortlist that included Ariana Grande in Fortnite, Charli XCX in Roblox, and Justin Bieber in Wave.

TikTok Propels a Ghost Song From 2019 To The Top Of The Charts

Swedish rockers Ghost earn their first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hard Rock Streaming Songs chart, as “Mary on a Cross” crowns the list dated Sept. 3.

In the Aug. 19-25 tracking period, the song vaulted by 48% to 4.9 million official U.S. streams, according to Luminate.

Originally released as part of a two-song single in 2019 (longside “Kiss the Go-Goat”, “Cross” has been revitalized in recent weeks due to a trend using both the original and an altered version of the song on TikTok.

“Cross” also debuts at No. 11 on Rock Streaming Songs.

Accessible Festivals Announces New Grant Program Giving Concert Tickets to Disabled Music Fans

Accessible Festivals has announced a new program to give free concert tickets to fans with disabilities. The Dan Grover Memorial Ticket Grant Program will provide tickets to major music festivals including Austin City Limits, Electric Daisy Carnival, Lollapalooza, BottleRock Napa Valley, Rolling Loud New York, Stagecoach, and more.

The program is spearheaded by Austin Whitney, founder of Accessible Festivals, and was inspired by his own experience attending concerts as a disabled person. A 2007 car accident left Whitney paralyzed from the waist down, causing him depression and anxiety. That year, he was able to attend the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, which helped him get through the difficulties of adjusting to life with disabilities.

“Ultimately my business life is all about working to improve festivals for people with disabilities and working promoters to reduce their liabilities and improve their businesses for all things ADA [Americans With Disabilities Act],” Whitney shared with Billboard. “At the end of the day, the mission of the company is very tied to a social purpose which is making helping people with disabilities find and attend music festivals which can be transformative events.”

Spotify Selling Remaining ‘Car Thing’ Inventory for $30

Spotify’s Car Thing had a short-lived life. Announced in spring 2021, the car accessory made it easier to interface with the Spotify app on your phone. It was of limited use, and as we noted in our review, it just made more sense to use your phone that you needed to have access to anyway. In late July this year, the music streaming giant announced that Car Thing would not be a thing anymore. Soon after the news, Spotify had a fire sale on the accessory, dropping it to $45—a 50% discount from its retail price. If you were patient and did not pull the trigger on the accessory, you can now get it for an even lower price.

Spotify is running a Back to School sale on the Car Thing, offering it for just $30. That’s a massive $60 discount off its $90 MSRP. If you are somehow still interested in the accessory, this is perhaps the deal you should not miss. With Car Thing no longer in production, the deal is unlikely to come back once Spotify exhausts its stock. Unlike the last deal, there’s no coupon code you need to use here. Just head over to Spotify’s store and buy the accessory.

SONG OF THE WEEK: Pierce The Veil – “Pass The Nirvana”

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Industry News News

This Week In Music (August 26, 2022)

From the world’s first canceled AI musician to iHeartMedia’s Fortnite debut, we’ve gathered the biggest music news stories of the week.

If you’re reading this—congratulations! You’ve survived another month in 2022 and made it through the summer. Everywhere you look, kids are returning to school, temperatures are beginning to fall, and the sun is staying in bed a bit later each morning. The leaves will soon change, but first, we must survive the early fall album release bumrush that occurs every September and October. That’s right! The busiest time of year is here, and we’ll support you every step of the way.

We’re working hard on exciting new developments for Haulix that will be revealed in the coming weeks. These changes completely rethink our business and how we can help the music community connect. You probably have a lot of questions, but that’s all we can say for now.

We cannot ease your workload or give you more hours in the day, but we can help you stay informed. Below you’ll find the biggest stories of the week, all covered by the best outlets in tech and entertainment. Click around, learn what’s happening, and use the weekend to prepare for the end of the month.

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 Music News Of The Week

The Sudden Rise And Fall of FN Meka, An AI Rapper

Presented in its worst possible light, the FN Meka controversy — in which Capitol signed, and then quickly dropped, a virtual rapper that used the N-word in its songs and was depicted in racially stereotypical scenarios in videos — seems like an inconceivable blunder. But a closer look at the details, along with conversations with sources close to the situation, suggests that, while inexcusable and loaded with oversights, Capitol’s role in the FN Meka fiasco may not have been as insensitive as it might seem.

However, above all, it is yet another glaring result of the lack of diversity throughout the music industry — not just at Capitol, not just at major companies, but everywhere.

TikTok Is Testing ‘Nearby,’ A Feature Highlighting Hyper-Local Content

After it was spotted in testing by several users, TikTok has confirmed that it’s currently experimenting with a new ‘Nearby’ content feed, in addition to the current ‘For You’ and ‘Following’ tabs.

As it sounds, TikTok’s Nearby feed displays content posted by users in your current location.

That could enable TikTok to showcase locally relevant updates which relate to your interests.

As explained by TechCrunch:

“For example, if your For You page often displays restaurant recommendations or must-see hiking spots, the Nearby feed should show you videos of restaurants and hiking trails that are near you.”

Deezer Revenue Grows Despite Lost Subscribers

Streaming service Deezer has published its latest financial results, revealing that its revenues grew by 12.1% year-on-year in the first six months of 2022.

That meant revenues of €219.4m ($219.6m) split between Deezer’s consumer business (up 12.2% to €155m) and its B2B revenues (up 7.9% to €57.6m). Its home country France accounted for €132.4m of Deezer’s revenues in the first half of this year though: 60.3% of the total, only slightly less than the 60.9% for the same period last year.

How about subscriber numbers? They actually fell from 9.7 million at the end of June 2021 to 9.4 million a year later. Deezer lost 200,000 net direct (consumer) subscribers over that time, and 100,000 B2B subscribers. The company says that’s because it implemented “a significant reduction of unprofitable spend in non-core long tail markets”, while exiting Russia earlier this year lost it 104,000 subscribers alone.

Deezer is predicting €455m of revenue for the calendar year 2022, up 14% year-on-year. As a reminder of the competition it faces, Spotify posted €2.86bn of revenues for Q2 2022 alone. Newly a public company, Deezer’s market cap is €486.5m at the time of writing.

iHeartMedia Plans to Host Metaverse Concerts In ‘Fortnite’ Virtual World

iHeartMedia has launched its first virtual world on Fortnite, called iHeartLand, as the company extends its marketing investments into the metaverse and toward younger audiences.

iHeart, which brought in $954 million in revenue during the second quarter, first announced plans in January to launch its own branded virtual world on platforms like Roblox as part of the radio giant’s larger Web3 strategy. Wednesday’s launch of iHeartLand in Fortnite marks the first unveiling of iHeartMedia’s virtual world and will serve as the testing ground for future iterations of iHeartLand on other world-building games, executives told The Hollywood Reporter.

iHeartLand was created by the game developer Atlas Creative using Fortnite’s creative mode and includes a main stage, multiple mini-games and an iHeart “headquarters,” which features a recording studio and a replica of the tunnel entrance to iHeart’s headquarters in New York City.

Players will get to explore the virtual island, play the games, take selfies on the red carpet and view performances on the main stage, called State Farm Park, which is expected to host 20 events in the next year with musicians and popular iHeart podcasters. At launch, the mini games will include a car racing game on an iHeart-shaped racetrack, an obstacle course set in the clouds, a building game and a musical chairs–esque game that requires players to jump from various colored tiles and avoid landing on certain colors. Playing these games will give users the chance to earn “gold,” which is a currency specific to iHeartLand on Fortnite and can be spent on items like fireworks and Boogie Bombs, a grenade-like object that forces players’ avatars to dance.

SONG OF THE WEEK: Lorna Shore – “Cursed To Die”

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Industry News News

This Week In Music (August 19, 2022)

From audio reactions on Spotify to the latest streaming scam, we’ve gathered the need-to-know music news of the week.

Welcome to the thirty-third Friday of 2022. We are over 3/5 of the way through the year for those keeping count. While kids head back to school and temperatures begin to cool, the music industry is preparing for an incredibly busy fall release and tour season. We feel for you if you’ve got dates or records to promote. It’s a warzone out there, but still—we wouldn’t do anything else.

We’re working hard on exciting new developments for Haulix that will be revealed in the coming weeks. These changes completely rethink our business and how we can help the music community connect. You probably have a lot of questions, but that’s all we can say for now.

We cannot ease your workload or give you more hours in the day, but we can help you stay informed. Below you’ll find the biggest stories of the week, all covered by the best outlets in tech and entertainment. Click around, learn what’s happening, and use the weekend to prepare for the end of the month.

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 Music News Stories Of The Week

Spotify Testing Audio Reaction In Vietnam

Swedish music streaming platform Spotify is working on a new feature to let users post audio comments or reactions to music playlists.

A Reddit user in Vietnam first spotted this Spotify experiment, reports The Verge.

“So what do you think? Record an episode to share your thoughts on the playlist,” read the interface.

Below the notification is a record button to start the audio recording.

There are also some simple editing options like being able to add background music and tags.

The reaction feature seems to be accessible via a microphone icon on the playlist’s page, the report noted.

“We are currently running a limited test of in-app audio creation, but have no further details to share at this time,” the company was quoted as saying.

Audiomack Introduces ‘Premier Access’ For Fans

Artist-first music streaming and discovery platform Audiomack announced the debut of Premiere Access, a industry-leading feature that allows artists to reward their biggest fans by making a unreleased projects available on Audiomack before the general release.

“Artists deserve the most powerful tools possible to build their work into financially thriving enterprises,” Audiomack VP of Product Charlie Kaplan said. “Music companies have the opportunity and obligation to enable creators to explore diverse means of monetization and help realize their work’s financial potential.”

For musicians on Audiomack, Premiere Access offers a brand-new revenue stream that goes beyond standard streaming. Now that they are signed up for the Audiomack Monetization Program (AMP), artists can upload their work to Audiomack, use the Premiere Access function, and choose the duration of exclusivity for their release’s backers.

Bad Bunny Tops 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards Finalists

Puerto Rican hitmaker Bad Bunny leads the list of finalists for the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards, with a staggering 23 nods across 13 categories. (The only other artist to ever score that many is Ozuna in 2019.)

Bad Bunny is up for artist of the year, tour of the year, Hot Latin Songs artist of the year, male, and top Latin album of the year for his chart-topping album Un Verano Sin Ti, which is back at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart this week for an eighth nonconsecutive frame on top.

Following Bad Bunny is Colombian star Karol G with 15 entries in 11 categories, a record number of nods for a female artist. (The old record was held jointly by Jenni Rivera, who had 12 nods in 2014, and Shakira, who had 12 in 2018.) Karol G’s categories include artist of the year and Hot Latin Songs artist of the year, female, as well as Hot Latin Song of the year, vocal event, for her Becky G collab “MAMIII.”

Artists Are Manipulating Metadata To Game Spotify’s Algorithms

What if tagging the wrong artist pages was not just a headache to resolve but also a money-making scheme?

What if obscure artists were profiting by purposely tagging big-name artists as primary collaborators, thus reaching said artists’ fanbases via algorithmic music delivery systems like Spotify’s Release Radar?

This is the story of an artist/record label, variously known as Diversify and Variegate.

SONG OF THE WEEK: Chuggaboom – “Should Have Been”

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Industry News News

This Week In Music (August 12, 2022)

From Spotify’s ticket deals to WMG’s Meta agreement, we’ve gathered the need-to-know music news of the week.

We’re publishing this post on August 12, which means everyone reading it has survived the dog days of summer amid the hottest year on record. Stretching July 3-August 11 each year, the dog days are known for their unbearable heat. 2022 is certainly not short on sunny days, so we hope you’re finding ways to keep cool.

We’ve spent the last several weeks working on exciting new developments for Haulix that will be revealed in the months ahead. These changes completely rethink our business and the ways we are able to help the music community connect. You probably have a lot of questions, but that’s all we can say for now.

We cannot ease your workload or give you more hours in the day, but we can help you stay informed. Below you’ll find the biggest stories of the week, all covered by the best outlets in tech and entertainment. Click around, learn what’s happening, and use the weekend to prepare for the end of the month.

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 Music News Stories Of The Week

Weezer Cancels Broadway Shows Citing ‘Low Ticket Sales’

Weezer canceled its September Broadway residency due to “low ticket sales and unbelievably high expenses,” frontman Rivers Cuomo announced.

The Los Angeles rock band had planned a six-night stand at the Broadway Theatre to celebrate its “SZNZ” project, which consists of four 2022 releases that correspond with the four seasons.

“I just learned that our Broadway shows have been cancelled (due to low ticket sales and unbelievably high expenses.) I’m very sorry to be telling you this now after we’ve already invested so much time, thought, and emotion,” Cuomo, 52, wrote on the band’s Discord server Wednesday.

Instagram Begins Copying BeReal, Its Latest Competitor

Instagram appears to be missing the essence of why people even enjoy BeReal, even though Instagram is obviously riffing off of BeReal and not Frontback. BeReal is arguably more like Wordle than it is like Instagram or Frontback, despite the two-camera aspect being entertaining (which other writers have also pointed out). BeReal is more about the daily habit of sharing something with your pals than it is about the actual images.

Reportedly, Instagram adopts the Stories feature while Snapchat introduces it. Due to TikTok’s excessive popularity, Instagram switched to short-form videos. Here’s another for the list right now. Reels, Instagram’s TikTok clone, now has a function called Dual that enables simultaneous recording with both the front and rear cameras. This feature was discreetly added this week.

It has a striking visual resemblance to BeReal, the popular social app that has been around for two years and is presently ranked No. 1 on the App Store. BeReal bills itself as the anti-Instagram and was founded in France by former GoPro employees Alexis Barreyat and Kévin Perreau.

WMG Inks Revenue-Sharing Deal with Meta

Warner Music Group has become the latest major music company to announce a fresh licensing deal with Meta. The agreement will enable WMG and its artists to receive a portion of revenue from the use of licensed music on Facebook creators’ posts.

The deal was confirmed by Warner Music Group CEO Steve Cooper during an earnings call on Tuesday (August 9), nearly two weeks after rival Universal Music Group revealed that it had formed a similar partnership with the Facebook owner.

It appears that UMG’s deal with Meta was struck in calendar Q2; Warner’s quickly followed in early Q3.

Meta recently announced that it will start directly sharing a proportion of advertising revenue with music rights holders for certain user-generated video content on Facebook that is 60 seconds or longer.

Meta’s decision follows years of debate over how social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok pay publishers and record labels for the use of their music in videos and how these platforms protect the copyrights of licensed songs.

Spotify Tests Selling Tickets Directly To Fans

Spotify’s testing a new website to sell concert tickets directly to fans, as first reported by Music Ally. The site, dubbed Spotify Tickets, currently has a limited selection of upcoming US-based concerts for participating artists like Limbeck, Tokimonsta, and Annie DiRusso.

Spotify already partners with Ticketmaster, Eventbrite, and See Tickets to sell tickets through its new Live Events Feed, where you can browse nearby shows and purchase tickets through a third party. The new Spotify Tickets site, however, lets you buy tickets through Spotify itself.

As pointed out by TechCrunch, the site’s legal page states the company sells tickets “on behalf of third parties which can include venues, event promoters, fan clubs and artists as their disclosed ticketing agent.” This means that Spotify doesn’t set the prices of its tickets, and that it will also charge customers a booking fee that it will disclose during checkout.

Germany’s Music Business Is Growing, Up 5.5% YOY

The numbers are in. Germany’s record business generated revenues of $1 billion (€967 million) in the first six months of this year from physical music sales and streaming.

That total revenue figure of €967 million (on a retail basis) marked an increase of 5.5% compared to the same period last year for the world’s fourth largest recorded music market.

According to new figures, for H1 2022, published by German Music Industry Association (BVMI) today (August 11), Germany’s revenue haul was driven by audio streams.

Audio streaming grew 9.1% YoY in the first half of the year and now accounts for 73.3% of the recorded music market’s total revenues.

SONG OF THE WEEK: Fit For A King – “End (The Other Side)”

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News

This Week In Music (July 29, 2022)

From Facebook’s new revenue-sharing deal with musicians to Joni Mitchell’s return, we’ve gathered the biggest music news stories of the week.

Buckle up, everyone! The final full week of July 2022 was a whirlwind of news and activity. Maybe it’s because we’re nearing the busy fall release schedule, but free time is in short supply. The industry needs this fall to continue its successful recovery from the COVID-19 shutdown, but rising sickness rates—not to mention concerns over the MonkeyPox—have some analysts concerned. As for you and I, our only option is to keep on keeping on. At least we have one another!

We cannot ease your workload or give you more hours in the day, but we can help you stay informed. Below you’ll find the biggest stories of the week, all covered by the best outlets in tech and entertainment. Click around, learn what’s happening, and use the weekend to prepare for the end of the month.

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 Music News of the week:

Meta Unveils New ‘Revenue Sharing’ Model For Music Licensing

Meta announced today that creators on Facebook can now earn money through their Facebook videos that use licensed music. The company is launching “Music Revenue Sharing” to allow video creators to include licensed music in their videos on Facebook and earn a share of in-stream ad revenue. The company says this opens up a new way for both creators and music rights holders to earn money. Although creators have been able to use licensed music in videos, they haven’t been able to monetize them until now.

With this new feature, whenever a creator uses licensed music in their videos on Facebook that are 60 seconds or longer, they can earn money on certain videos through in-stream ads. Creators will receive 20% revenue share on eligible videos, with a separate share going to rights holders and to Meta, though the company declined to share specifics.

Meta says Facebook Reels are not eligible for monetization through Music Revenue Sharing at this time. It’s possible that the company may expand Music Revenue Sharing to Reels in the future.

HarbourView Equity Acquires Country Catalog From Brad Paisley, Lady A

HarbourView Equity Partners, the global alternative asset management company founded by Sherrese Clarke Soares, has acquired the recorded music rights catalog of country star Brad Paisley and the publishing catalog of multi-Platinum band Lady A.

Paisley is one of the genre’s most decorated solo artists. Over the past 20 years, Paisley’s songwriting and showmanship have won him numerous awards, including three Grammys, two American Music Awards, 14 CMA Awards and 15 ACM Awards, among others. A member of the Grand Ole Opry since 2001, Paisley has written 21 of his 24 No. 1 hits, and became the first artist to achieve 10 consecutive Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 singles, amassing nearly 4 billion on-demand streams throughout his catalog.

Since their debut over a decade ago, Lady A has ushered more than 18 million album units, 34 million tracks sold, nearly five billion digital streams and 11 No. 1 hits. The trio, which consists of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, earned the biggest first week streams of their career with their No. 1 album Ocean. Known for their 9x Platinum hit “Need You Now,” which is the highest certified song by a country group, they have earned CMA Vocal Group of the Year trophies three years in a row, as well as five Grammy awards, Billboard Music Awards, and more, and were recently inducted as members of the Grand Ole Opry.

Since launching nine months ago, HarbourView has acquired over 35 catalogs to date. Paisley and Lady A are the first publicly announced catalog transactions in the country genre. Other catalogs HarbourView has acquired include Hollywood Undead, Dre & Vidal, and Luis Fonsi.

All Instagram Videos Shorter Than 15 Minutes Are Now Reels

It’s not easy being one of the world’s biggest social media platforms. You’ve got to keep tweaking the formula to stay relevant for new audiences and against new competitors, but every change risks alienating some of those who use the app. Instagram’s been alienating stills photographers for some time buy betting big on video – particularly its TikTok-inspired Reels. But the social media giant has clearly decided this is where its future lies.

It’s just announced a raft of updates for Reels, which is going to make them even more ubiquitous. Almost all video posts will now automatically be shared in the Reels format whether users like it or not. And, unless you opt out, people will be able to use any of your public posts (including still images) in their own Reels. If you’re a creative who uses Instagram to promote your work but haven’t yet adopted Reels, now might be the time to get started with our Instagram Reels tutorial. Or if you’ve decided that you’ve had enough altogether, see how to delete an Instagram account.  

Apple Music Announces Student Plan Price Increase

Apple Music has raised the subscription price of its student plan in the US, UK, and Canada, as first reported by 9to5Mac (via TechCrunch). While it’s increasing the price from $4.99 to $5.99 / month in the US and Canada, student users in the UK can expect a similar jump from £4.99 to £5.99 / month.

Apple hasn’t acknowledged the changes yet, but the new pricing information is currently available on Apple Music’s webpage. Students subscribed to Apple Music have also started seeing the price increase on their iPhones and iPads’ subscription pages. It’s unclear when exactly Apple implemented these changes, but, as 9to5Mac points out, it was likely rolled out sometime between June 21st and the 23rd — an archived Apple Music webpage shows the old £4.99 student price on the 21st.APPLE QUIETLY UPPED THE SUBSCRIPTION PRICE FOR STUDENTS ACROSS SEVERAL COUNTRIES IN MAY

Apple Music’s student plan, which is reserved for those enrolled in a college or university, was previously the most affordable full-featured plan on offer. Pricing for the $9.99 / month individual and $14.99 / month family plans remain unchanged, and the same goes for the $4.99 / month voice plan. While students might look to the voice plan as a way to save an extra buck, it offers more limited access to Apple Music, as you can only control it through Siri.

The Return Of Joni Mitchell

Some of the celebrity guests at Joni Mitchell’s private hootenannies have sworn that she has been an enthusiastic participant in the living room sessions in her Santa Barbara-area home. But until now, most fans had to take these reports on faith. At the Newport Folk Festival on Sunday, an all-star Mitchell tribute concert proved to also include a surprisingly full-scale return to public singing by the star herself.

The 13-song “Joni Jam” had Mitchell getting by with a little help from guest vocalists Marcus Mumford, Celisse, Wynonna Judd, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes and the organizer of the set, Brandi Carlile. But Mitchell was clearly the vocal star of the set as she took on numbers from classic originals “Both Sides Now,” “Big Yellow Taxi” and “The Circle Game” to a few of her favorite songs: “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” Gershwin’s “Summertime” and “Love Potion #9.”

While seated for most of the set — as were those around her, in an ensemble that also included Lucius, Allison Russell, Blake Mills, Shooter Jennings and Phil and Tim Hanseroth — she and the others stood for moments like an extended bit of guitar playing she did on “Just Like This Train.”

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Industry News News

This Week In Music (July 22, 2022)

From Springsteen’s ticket prices to a lack of interest in new music, we’ve gathered the biggest music news stories of the week.

July is chugging along, the hot temperature isn’t the only thing heating up. Artists from all walks of life are experiencing a boom of interest thanks to better weather, and professionals are hard at work making the most of the moment. Consider this a reminder to go outside and touch the grass. You deserve to feel the wind in your hair while your favorite songs play at a loud volume. Don’t let the consumer have all the fun.

We cannot ease your workload or give you more hours in the day, but we can help you stay informed. Below you’ll find the biggest stories of the week, all covered by the best outlets in tech and entertainment. Click around, learn what’s happening, and use the weekend to prepare for the end of the month.

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 Music News of the week:

Ticketmaster’s Dynamic Pricing Causes Headaches For Springsteen Fans

Fans buying tickets for Bruce Springsteen’s US arena tour were shocked to find many seats halfway back in each venue selling for $4,000-5,000 and even less desirable seats priced at $1000-$2000.

These were not scalped or resale tickets, but rather primary tickets sold by Live Nation its owned ticketing company Ticketmaster and their new Platinum dynamic pricing system.

“Platinum” tickets, which can be placed by the promoter anywhere in the arena from the front section to the back rows, fluctuate in price much like an airline ticket in reaction to supply and demand.

WMG Sign On To Soundcloud’s Fan-Powered Royalty System

When SoundCloud launched its artist-friendly fan-powered royalty system last year, the model was only available for independent artists subscribed to the streamer’s paid tiers. Now, SoundCloud has inked its first major label partnership with Warner Music Group, whose artists can now earn fan-powered royalties on the platform too.

Since the early 2000s, artists and record labels alike have struggled to figure out how musicians can make a living when it’s so easy to download .mp3s online. New models like music streaming on Spotify can feel like a stop-gap, though, since payouts from these services can be paltry if you’re not Lizzo or Olivia Rodrigo.

Spotify pays artists via a pro-rata model, which means there is a large pot of money that gets divided among all artists depending on how many streams they each get. But that means that the success of superstar musicians can inadvertently take away from the payouts of up-and-coming performers.

The user-centric model, or what SoundCloud calls fan-powered royalties (FPR), is designed to level the playing field for smaller artists.

Pat Benatar Won’t Perform “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” Out of Respect To Shooting Victims

Amid the endless gun violence in the United States, Pat Benatar is taking a stand by choosing not to sing her 1980 hit, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” on her current tour.

“We’re not doing ‘Hit Me With Your Best Shot’ and fans are having a heart attack and I’m like, I’m sorry, in deference to the victims of the families of these mass shootings, I’m not singing it,” she said in a new interview with USA Today. “I tell them, if you want to hear the song, go home and listen to it. [The title] is tongue in cheek, but you have to draw the line. I can’t say those words out loud with a smile on my face, I just can’t. I’m not going to go on stage and soap box – I go to my legislators – but that’s my small contribution to protesting. I’m not going to sing it. Tough.”

BMG Acquires Back Catalog of Jean-Michel Jarre

The torrent of catalog acquisitions continues and this time, its BMG who announced it has acquired the entire music publishing back catalogue of pioneering French electronic musician Jean-Michel Jarre.

The deal includes the rights to Jarre’s classic hits such as Oxygene and Equinoxe along with Jarre’s writer’s income stream. The agreement expands upon BMG’s previous acquisition of the sound recordings for Jarre’s first three albums that came as part of their purchase of the indie label Francis Dreyfus Music in 2012.

A towering figure in the French electronic music scene, Jarre has generated 85m album sales over his career and has performed in front of some of the biggest audiences in history, including the Paris Bastille Day concert 1979 (1m people), Houston 1986 (1.3m people), Paris-La Défense 1990 (2.5m people) and Moscow 1997 (3.5m people).

“This partnership with BMG means a lot to me. Hartwig Masuch and the entire team have been part of my family for many years. Moreover, I am pleased that my publishing back catalogue is sheltered here in Europe and that my work will continue to grow in such good hands. Today is a new start allowing me to develop fresh ideas and giving me the means to explore new territories. Together we will thrive,” Jean-Michel Jarre said.

New Music Is Becoming Less Popular, Report Finds

Music Business Worldwide reports on the results of this new mid-year report from Luminate, the market monitor formerly known as MRC Data/Nielsen Music. The report looks at a metric called total album consumption, which takes into account streams, downloads, and digital and physical music sales. According to Luminate, the consumption of new music — defined as anything that came out within the last 18 months — is down 1.4%, or about two million equivalent album-sales, compared to the first six months of 2021. This is during a time when total album consumption went up 9.3%. So it’s not just the market share of new music that’s going down; it’s the actual consumption of the stuff.

By contrast, consumption of catalog music, defined as anything that’s at least 18 months old, doing great; it’s up 14% compared to last year. Thus far in 2022, catalog music accounts for 72.4% of the market, compared to 27.6% for new stuff. Even with hyped-up new releases from big stars like Drake, the Weeknd, and Kendrick Lamar, new records just aren’t making the same kind of cultural impact.

There are a couple of other factors worth considering here. For one thing, a lot of the old music that’s doing well isn’t really that old; more than a third of that catalog consumption is of music that came out between 2017 and 2019. Also, streaming offers us a chance to see what people actually listen to, rather than just what they buy; in the pre-streaming era, these data collectors couldn’t tell if you were just listening to the old records that you already owned. And old music has always been popular; the Beatles’ 1 is still the biggest-selling album of the 21st century. Still, it’s pretty striking that nostalgic consumption is completely overwhelming the hunger for anything new.

Song Of The Week: Slipknot – “The Dying Song”

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Industry News News

This Week In Music (July 8, 2022)

From Stranger Things’ Metallica moment to Irv Gotti selling his masters, we’ve gathered the week’s biggest music news.

Another wild week of music business is in the books! The last seven days have seen legacy acts brought to the front page of virtually every entertainment publication while other icons sold their masters for big-time bucks. Elsewhere, tech companies continued plotting the industry’s future as crypto bros panicked over the ongoing devastation to the NFT marketplace. It was absolute chaos, but what else would you expect? Nobody gets into this business for a calm and relaxing existence.

Whether you’re toiling away on a new release or helping your favorite artist plot their global takeover, we know how difficult it can be to stay abreast of everything happening in music. We cannot ease your workload or give you more hours in the day, but we can help you stay informed. Below you’ll find the biggest stories of the week, all covered by the best outlets in tech and entertainment. Click around, learn what’s happening, and use the weekend to prepare for the end of the month.

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 Music News Stories Of The Week

Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets’ earns 400% increase in streams post-‘Stranger Things’

Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” is the latest recipient of the coveted post-“Stranger Things” bump.

According to Billboard, the title track off the metal legends’ 1986 album has seen a 400% increase in streams since it was used in the season four finale of the Netflix sci-fi series.

While that certainly is a major bump, “Master of Puppets” still has a long way to go if it hopes to match the resurgence of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” which soared all the way to the top five of the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 after its use in an earlier episode of “Stranger Things” during the fourth season.

Metallica previously commented on the show’s use of “Master of Puppets,” which is heard during a significant scene involving the Dungeons & Dragons-loving character Eddie Munson, sharing that they were “beyond psyched” about the song’s placement.

“We were all stoked to see the final result and when we did, we were totally blown away,” the band said.

Irv Gotti Sells Murder Inc. Master Recordings In Reported $300 Million Deal

Irv Gotti has sold his stake in Murder Inc’s master recordings in a deal worth a reported $300 million.

Irving Lorenzo founded Murder Inc in 1999 following his success at Def Jam Records. The label helped launch the careers of artists like Ja Rule, Ashanti, Charli Baltimore, and many others. The deal sees Irv Gotti sell a “50% ownership stake of his masters, with additional funding for various film and television projects.”

Gotti sold his stake to Olivier Chastan’s acquisition vehicle, Iconoclast. The Los Angeles-based firm entered the music rights acquisition space in February 2022 following the purchase of Robbie Robertson’s music publishing, name, likeness, and recorded music interests.

YouTube Touts Success Of TikTok Rival, Shorts

In data shared exclusively with Bloomberg, the social media site said artists are using Shorts, its TikTok competitor, to rapidly grow their subscribers. In addition to JVKE, others benefiting from the product include singers Madilyn Bailey, Cooper Alan and Emeline, who increased their subscriber counts by 480,000, 290,000 and 150,000, respectively.

“It is a very important opportunity that both the fans and the artists have,” Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s global head of music, said in an interview.

Cohen is excited about the music industry’s opportunity in the short-form space, though he’s also “deeply concerned” some viewers might only watch short-form content without exploring an artist’s deeper, longer-form work, like music videos and interviews. He called short-form videos that don’t link to long-form content “junk food.”

“I think short-form video could help crowdsource and make it easier for kids to find the soundtrack of their youth, but then you have to be prompted, and it has to lead you [to long-form content], so it’s not empty calories, but it leads you to learning and discovering and becoming a fan,” Cohen said.

Crosby, Stills, & Nash Return to Spotify

Crosby, Stills & Nash music can now be streamed on Spotify once again, five months after David Crosby, Graham Nash and Stephen Stills requested their labels remove their recordings in support of Neil Young‘s decision to leave the streaming service.

Their music is available via Spotify as of Saturday (July 2). CSN will donate proceeds from streams to COVID-19 charities for at least a month, a source tells Billboard.

In February, the band members commented, “We support Neil and we agree with him that there is dangerous disinformation being aired on Spotify’s Joe Rogan podcast. While we always value alternate points of view, knowingly spreading disinformation during this global pandemic has deadly consequences. Until real action is taken to show that a concern for humanity must be balanced with commerce, we don’t want our music — or the music we made together — to be on the same platform.”

SONG OF THE WEEK: Parkway Drive – “The Greatest Fear”

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This Week In Music (June 24, 2022)

From the debut of Twitter Notes to Spotify’s renewed focus on community, we’ve gathered the biggest music news stories of the week.

Summer is officially here, and the temperature isn’t the only thing hitting all-time highs. Artists from all walks of life are experiencing a boom of interest thanks to better weather, and professionals are hard at work making the most of the moment. Consider this a reminder to go outside and touch the grass. You deserve to feel the wind in your hair while your favorite songs play at a loud volume. Don’t let the consumer have all the fun.

We cannot ease your workload or give you more hours in the day, but we can help you stay informed. Below you’ll find the biggest stories of the week, all covered by the best outlets in tech and entertainment. Click around, learn what’s happening, and use the weekend to prepare for the end of the month.

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 Music News Stories Of The Week

Twitter Begins Testing Twitter Notes, Which Are Basically Blogs for Twitter

Twitter is trialing a new longform format that will let you shoot well past 280 characters, meaning you may no longer have to relay your humorous anecdotes via numbered tweet threads. Called Notes, the new feature enables users to write entire articles straight onto the social media platform, and even include photos, videos, GIFs, and tweets.

“From the rise of the screenshot announcement Tweet to the newsletter boom, a new reality became clear: people were writing long elsewhere, and then coming to Twitter to share their work and for the conversation surrounding all those words,” said Twitter’s Rembert Browne in one of Twitter’s first Notes. “With Notes, the goal is to fill in that missing piece and help writers find whatever type of success they desire.”

The feature is currently being tested by a small selection of writers based in the US, Canada, the UK, and Ghana, with the trial expected to run for two months. A Notes tab is also being added to these users’ Twitter profiles, under which you’ll be able to see all their published Notes.

Aiming to provide Twitter users with more flexibility and control, Notes’ rich-text editor will enable writers to bold, italicise, and otherwise format their words. Titles are limited to 100 characters, but the body of a Note can reach up to 2,500 words before Twitter cuts you off — more than enough space to explain your passions. (Writers still have to stick to Twitter’s rules though, so no lengthy treatises inciting violence.)

Spotify is building ‘Community,’ a new tool that integrates your friends’ listening habits into your user experience.

Spotify is developing a new feature called Community that would allow mobile users to see what sort of music their friends are streaming in real time as well as what playlists they’ve recently updated in a dedicated place in the app. The company today offers a similar “Friend Activity” feature on the desktop but had limited users’ access to that same Friend Activity on mobile devices.

Reached for comment, Spotify confirmed the feature was in the early testing phases but declined to share more details.

The company’s roots as a social music streaming app had helped the company grow in earlier days by leveraging its Facebook integration to build out its friend graph. But, in later years, Spotify looked more toward personalization features to give it an advantage over streaming rivals. Playlists customized to the individual listener — like Spotify’s flagship Discover Weekly, for example — had been helping to attract and retain users more than seeing what friends streamed. As a result, the company’s focus on users’ personal friend networks was de-emphasized in the product.

Steve Cooper Exits WMG, Hunt For New CEO Begins

Steve Cooper, CEO of Warner Music Group for the past 11 years, will step down next year, a rep for the company confirmed to Variety. The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

The transition will be a gradual one, the rep emphasized, as the company seeks a suitable successor. Cooper, 75, said he has instructed the board to begin the search for his successor, and that he and the board expect the transition to take place by the end of 2023, according to an internal email that appears in full below.

Warner is the third-largest major music group, after Universal and Sony, Warner Music-owned labels include Atlantic — which is the most consistently successful major label in the business — Elektra and its flagship Warner Records, along with the third-largest music publisher, Warner Chappell Music. Its top current acts include Ed Sheeran, Lizzo, Dua Lipa and others.

Anti-piracy action in Brazil targets hundreds of websites and apps

Law enforcement agencies in Brazil have blocked or seized the domains of hundreds of websites and apps accused of utilising and/or distributing unlicensed music in a coordinated action as part of an on-going anti-piracy initiative called Operation 404.

226 websites and 461 apps were targeted in the action, which was supported by local music industry trade group Pro-Música Brasil and the International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry, and which saw Brazilian police and the country’s Ministry Of Justice liaising with cyber and IP crime experts in both the US and the UK.

The high number of apps targeted is particularly interesting, given apps that use music without licence are becoming a top piracy gripe for the music industry.

Commenting on the operation, IFPI’s Director Of Global Content Protection And Enforcement Melissa Morgia says: “As a result of the coordinated work of the Brazilian authorities, together with agencies in the US and the UK, these actions have seen the highest number of unlicensed music services disrupted as part of the Operation 404 campaign. We thank and commend all the authorities and agencies involved in carrying out these actions for their ongoing collaboration and support in protecting music creators’ content.”

Spotify and YouTube Publish Trend Reports on Gen-Z Consumption Habits

Spotify published its fourth annual Culture Next Trends Report yesterday to tie in with the Lions, including the claim that 18-24 year-olds played more than 578bn minutes of music on Spotify in 2021. “16 billion more minutes than Millennials”. Other stats on Gen-Z: 68% of them like listening to and watching media from early decades; 67% use podcasts and music to cope with stress and anxiety; and 59% believe “life was better before social media”.

YouTube, meanwhile, has published its own new Culture & Trends report focusing on Gen-Z, both as YouTubers and viewers. Among its findings: 85% of Gen-Z have posted video content online; and 65% are more interested in content “that’s personally relevant to them” rather than simply “the content that lots of other people talk about… many younger users are opting out of the watercooler discourse”.

There’s plenty more to parse in both reports.

SONG OF THE WEEK: Fit For A King – “Reaper”

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This Week In Music (June 17, 2022)

From surprise albums by Beyonce and Drake to YouTube’s take on Spotify Wrapped, we’ve gathered all the music news you need to know.

Three weeks into June, and life has yet to disappoint. As the temperatures continue to rise and more artists hit the road with summer sunsets on their minds, something about the season feels shockingly normal. As long as you don’t look at the news or spend too much time on social media, there is plenty to love about life at the moment. We have great music, new opportunities, and another day to chase our dreams. What more could you want?

We cannot ease your workload or give you more hours in the day, but we can help you stay informed. Below you’ll find the biggest stories of the week, all covered by the best outlets in tech and entertainment. Click around, learn what’s happening, and use the weekend to prepare for the end of the month.

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 MUSIC NEWS OF THE WEEK

Drake Drops Surprise Seventh Album, ‘Honestly, Nevermind’

Drake surprised followers Thursday with news that new music was coming and so it did.

“Honestly, Nevermind” dropped at midnight and has begun its race up the charts.

The album features Drake mostly singing instead of rapping.

“I let my humbleness turn to numbness at times letting time go by knowing I got the endurance to catch it another time,” he wrote in an editor’s note on his Apple Music artist page. “I work with every breath in my body cause it’s the work not air that makes me feel alive.”

YouTube Music Unveils Season Recap Playlists to Compete with Spotify Wrapped

YouTube Music has launched a new feature called seasonal recaps, a culmination of your top artists, songs, albums and playlists. “Spring Recap” will be the first recap that users can try. This acts as an expansion of its 2021 Recap experience introduced last year.

According to the company, it received positive feedback after rolling out its annual recap the previous year, wrote YouTube Product Manager Ayshaw Khan in a blog post. The recap, inspired by Spotify Wrapped, had offered users a look back at their year on the app. Now, YouTube is taking the concept further with seasonal rundowns.

“Similar to the 2021 Recap, you’ll find your personalized content in the Spring Recap landing page on the YouTube Music app along with your personalized Spring Recap playlist,” Khan wrote. “Want to tell your friends about your favorite songs of the Spring? Easily share your Spring Recap playlist and stats by simply tapping the arrow at the bottom of your stats card.”

Songclip Announces Strategic Partnership With the NMPA to Bring Music Licensing and Compliance to the App Marketplace

Songclip, the world’s only patented music clip company, today announced a strategic partnership with The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), the trade association representing all American music publishers and their songwriting partners. The partnership aims to facilitate music licensing and compliance within the global app marketplace.

During the NMPA’s Annual Meeting at New York’s Lincoln Center on June 15, 2022, NMPA President & CEO David Israelite outlined the NMPA’s app initiative to cease and desist applications who provide unlicensed music to their users and an enforcement plan of action to combat music infringement within the global app marketplace. Israelite also announced that Songclip will be a strategic partner of NMPA to facilitate licensing across the app marketplace.

Songclip works in partnership with the major labels, publishers and more than 7,500 independent licensing entities to provide a streamlined solution for licensing and integrating music “as a feature” within consumer applications. The Songclip API seamlessly integrates into any app, manages and facilitates search, catalog & compliance, licensing, royalty payments and reporting.

“We are excited to partner with Songclip in our effort to ensure applications use music legally and responsibly,” says NMPA President and CEO, David Israelite.

Beyoncé announces new album ‘Renaissance’

Beyoncé is back.

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has announced a new album, titled Renaissance, out July 29 according to a new listing for a Renaissance CD and products on her website. Several streaming services, including TIDAL and Spotify, also announced the forthcoming Beyoncé release on social media. No further details about the new album have been released.

Rumors of a new 2022 release first started to spread online June 9 after Beyoncé removed her profile pictures across all of her social media pages, with her highly organized fanbase the Beyhive theorizing the avatars signaled new material on the horizon.

Spotify Will Reduce Hiring By 25%

Spotify is reducing its new hiring by 25 percent as recession fears mount, according to an internal memo obtained by Bloomberg. It is unclear which parts of the business will be most affected.

Spotify is far from the only tech company to reevaluate its staffing as the stock market tumbles. Twitter and Meta each announced some degree of hiring freeze last month, and Netflix made headlines in April for its layoffs, particularly at in-house fan site Tudum.

During Spotify’s investor presentation last week, CEO Daniel Ek emphasized the company’s growth not only in subscriptions but in verticals beyond music like podcasting and, soon, audiobooks. But chief financial officer Paul Vogel did hint at the event that staffing could be affected by economic conditions.

SONG OF THE WEEK: I Prevail – “Body Bag”

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This Week In Music (June 3, 2022)

From the untimely death of Bollywood singer KK to the incredible first-week debut of Zach Bryan, we’ve gathered all the music news you need to know.

The first week of June is nearly complete, and you’re still standing. Congrats! Go ahead and pat yourself on the back. Whether you conquered your greatest fears in recent days or merely managed to not get fired, you survived. You are now on the precipice of a weekend with boundless possibilities. Who knows!? Maybe you’ll even get a few minutes free from your devices.

We cannot ease your workload or give you more hours in the day, but we can help you stay informed. Below you’ll find the biggest stories of the week, all covered by the best outlets in tech and entertainment. Click around, learn what’s happening, and use the weekend to prepare for the end of the month.

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 MUSIC NEWS OF THE WEEK

After using TikTok to complain about TikTok requirements, Halsey’s label gives her a release date

Halsey’s next single has a release date — with or without a TikTok moment to fuel it. Capitol Records announced in a tweet Tuesday morning that “So Good” will come out June 9, with Halsey additionally declaring that the “fiasco” over its release is apparently over.

Curiously, the release date was framed as an open letter to Halsey, suggesting that the two parties may still be doing a lot of their dialoguing via social media right now, although the promise of “open dialogue” may be as much for the fans and other artists who have rallied behind Halsey in the dispute as for the artist.

“Halsey,” tweeted Capitol, tagging the singer, “we love you and are here to support you. We are committing to a release of ‘So Good’ on June 9th, 2022.

“We are an artist-first company that encourages open dialogue,” the statement continues. “We have nothing but a desire to help each one of our artists succeed, and hope that we can continue to have these critical conversations.”

Bollywood singer KK dies shortly after performance

Indian police said Wednesday they are investigating the death of star Bollywood singer Krishnakumar Kunnath, popularly known as KK, who died at age 53 after a concert.

The singer died shortly after performing at a college festival in Kolkata on Tuesday evening, prompting a wave of tributes.

He was rushed to hospital from his hotel at around 10:30 pm, where doctors pronounced him dead.

Aroop Biswas, a government minister in the eastern state of West Bengal, said KK had died of a “suspected cardiac arrest.” But police said they are probing whether he died an “unnatural death”, with media reports saying there were injuries to his face and head.

Elvis Has Left The Wedding Chapel Business

What hath Kravis wrought? Las Vegas’ Elvis-themed wedding industry is all shook up, after a series of cease and desist letters were issued at the behest of Authentic Brands Group. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, ABG controls the King’s merchandising as well as trademarks on “Elvis, “Elvis Presley,” “and “The King of Rock and Roll.” The letter told multiple wedding chapels that Elvis weddings were unauthorized in using “Presley’s name, likeness, voice image, and other elements of Elvis Presley’s persona in advertisements, merchandise and otherwise,” and that if they did not stop by May 27, they would be seeking legal action. “This could be very damaging to our industry,” Melody Willis-Williams, president of Vegas Weddings and Viva Las Vegas Weddings, told the R-J. “Most of us are small businesses, and we’re up against a superpower with a lot of money. It could kill us in lawyer fees to fight this.”

Elvis weddings have been synonymous with Vegas since Viva Las Vegas, in which Elvis has a Vegas wedding. So why now? Did ABG object to the fake wedding that Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker had after the Grammys? Maybe with the Baz Luhrmann biopic rearing its kaleidoscopic head, ABG felt it was time to protect its investment. Regardless of why, ABG has decided the time has come to TCB.

Zach Bryan sets the rock/americana/folk charts on fire

Zach Bryan achieves his first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Rock Albums and Americana/Folk Albums charts, as American Heartbreak debuts atop both rankings dated June 4.

As previously reported, the 34-track set also starts at No. 1 on Top Country Albums, where it’s likewise Bryan’s first leader.

In the May 20-26 tracking period, Heartbreak earned 71,000 equivalent album units, according to Luminate. Of that sum, 65,000 are from streaming equivalent units. That translates to the best streaming week for any LP on Top Rock Albums since the chart moved to a consumption-based methodology (from ranking sales only) in February 2017. It tops the 60,000 units accrued by Machine Gun Kelly‘s Tickets to My Downfall on the Oct. 10, 2020, survey.

Bryan’s 71,000-overall unit start is also the third-best for any release on Top Rock Albums in 2022, bested only by the bows of Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ Unlimited Love (98,000 units, April 16) and Machine Gun Kelly’s Mainstream Sellout (93,000 units, April 9).

On Americana/Folk Albums, Heartbreak claims the biggest week of the year in terms of units, surpassing The Lumineers‘ Brightside, which launched with 37,000 units (Jan. 29). It logs the top sum since Kacey Musgraves‘ Star-Crossed debuted with 77,000 units (Sept. 25, 2021). As on Top Rock Albums, Heartbreak tallies the biggest frame in terms of streaming units since the chart moved to a consumption model in 2017, more than doubling the 30,000 first-week streaming units for Musgraves’ Star-Crossed.

Spotify launches new site to help artists build their careers

Spotify for Artists has reorganized and revamped its extensive self-help offering as In Focus, a new free self-guided interactive site designed to help artists and their teams achieve career goals.

While centered on Spotify, In Focus goes well beyond it to offer tools, resources, and advice centered around five categories: Create, Promote, Connect, Earn, Learn. The help comes from the Spotify for Artists team, industry experts, and artists like Olivia Rodrigo, A$AP Ferg, Phoebe Bridgers, and dozens more.

In Focus features topics including:

  1. Growing streaming royalties and creating new sources of revenue
  2. Promoting music, reaching new audiences and building a brand
  3. Improving songwriting and honing your music-making craft

“We get it, the music industry today is complex – requiring artists and their teams to take on more responsibility than ever before,” says Rob Fink, Senior Brand Marketing Manager, Spotify for Artists. “We’re always chatting with artists about the biggest questions and aspirations they have in their personal career journeys, and we designed In Focus as a direct result of that feedback. We want to remove the guesswork, and help artists focus on what matters most to them so they can reach their music goals.”

Check out Spotify For Artists In Focus here.

SONG OF THE WEEK: Hank Williams Jr. – “Jesus, Won’t You Come By Here”

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