Sting: CD format is dying, app is 'new model'

This article courtesy of Music Week

The former Police front man seems particularly pleased with his own Sting 25 app, which can be updated time and time again following its released this week.

"People are going to stop buying CDs," Sting told Billboard. "People are going to stop selling and making them, so I am looking for different ways to get music to people, and the [app] at the moment seems to be the favourite … The app is the new model."

His Sting 25 app is released this week and accompanies a traditional CD box set. The app itself a selection of photos, lyrics, interviews and concert footage related to the musician's solo career.

"It's very full and can also be constantly updated, so it's not a static thing," Sting said. "It's organic."

Indie distributor pulls music from Spotify and other streaming services

An interesting article - courtesy of Music Week

14:29 | Wednesday November 16, 2011

ST Holdings has withdrawn all its music from streaming services, claiming they cannibalise revenue from sales.

The news emerged after drum and bass act Blu Mar Ten, who themselves removed their content from streaming services earlier this year, posted an announcement on their Facebook page revealing the move.

The announcement, billed as a “Word from our distributor about Spotify / Simfy / Rdio / Napster & all other streaming services”, read:

“’We have taken the decision to no longer provide content to any of the above streaming-type music services. This decision is based on the fact that the revenue from such services is negligible and these services cannibalise revenue from the likes of iTunes.’”

The announcement does not name their distributor but the band told Music Week it is ST Holdings, which describes itself as “a UK- based independent distributor, digital distributor and record label management company”, which specialises in “sourcing, manufacturing and supplying independent electronic music”.

The announcement goes on to list several stats from ST: in the third quarter of 2011 – the first full quarter in which the distributor supplied content to Spotify, Simfy, Rdio and Napster – ST’s digital revenue fell for the first time in its history, down 14%. iTunes revenue in the same quarter fell 24%.

Spotify, Simfy, Rdio and Napster accounted for 82% of all ST tracks 'consumed' in Q3 but only made up 2.6% of Q3 revenue. The announcement also revealed that Spotify paid £2,500 for 750,000 streams in the quarter.

“I can confirm that we have taken the decision to remove all ST Holdings-distributed content from the following music services, Spotify, Simfy, Rdio and Napster,” said ST owner Andrew Parkinson.

“Despite these services offering promotion to many millions of music listeners we have concerns that these services cannibalise the revenues of more traditional digital services. These concerns are confirmed in our own accounts and a recent study by NPD Group and NARM.”

The announcement has created some debate on the band’s Facebook page: Kirsty Hawkshaw, herself a singer and musician, posted, “I think if fans understood the stats and how important it is and how little money we earn these days they would invest in their artists more. Either that or it will be the age of Garage Band pop and nothing much else.”

However, Andrew Harvey, a fan of Blu Mar Ten, argued that Spotify had never stopped him from buying the band’s music on iTunes.

“In fact it's introduced me to a lot of stuff that's then led me on to purchase a hard copy or a download of an album etc,” he added. “But maybe... as it becomes more successful (to the point of changing people's listening and purchasing habits) then the royalties it pays out have to be readdressed...”

“As a distributor we have to do what is best for our labels,” Parkinson told Music Week. “The majority do not want their music on such services because of the poor revenues and the detrimental effect on sales.

“Add to that, the feeling that their music loses its specialness by its exploitation as a low value/free commodity. Quoting one of our labels ‘Let’s keep the music special, fuck Spotify’.

“All the labels we represent have been given the choice to have their music to Spotify, Simfy, Rdio and Napster. As of today, from the 238 labels we distribute, four have expressed that they would like to be on these services.”

The news comes weeks after it was revealed that Coldplay’s new album Mylo Xyloto was not available on music streaming services, although the band’s label EMI did not give a reason why

How artists really make money in the cloud

A great article here from Rolling Stone Magazine

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-new-economics-of-the-music-industry-20111025

Pandora's online radio service grows

The 11% growth (equivalent to 76,015 AAS) equals a year-on year increase of 85% for Pandora. Slacker was leading in terms of year-on-year growth, up 109%.

Its total AAS stands at 752,816 and is far ahead of its closest competitor, CBS Radio.

Clear Channel-owned iHeartRadio relaunched in September with a big marketing campaign and a beta version of its new service which undoubtedly helped boost growth by 10%.

These figures are compiled as part of Webcast Metric reports. (See graph, right

Music veteran's new take on creating a music vidoe

At a performance in America this week he gave cameras to members of the crowd who shot continuously throughout the song Chameleon.

He said before the gig: “We're doing something really special. What they're going to do is make a flip book [of photographs] that's going to sync to the music. It's like the audience is going to make the music video. That's why it's crowd-sourced."

The video is due to be released in December as part of a Canon promotional campaign.

Seventy-one-year-old Hancock picked up five awards at the first ever MTV Video Music Awards in 1984 for his song Rockit.

South By Soutwest 2012 deadline approaching

South By Southwest

Applications to perform at SXSW 2012 are closing November 4.  You need to get your EPK up and happening, plus your application via sonicbids.  More info via the SXSW website http://sxsw.com/node/9555

Note - there will also be a number of seminars/roadshows in Australia and we will forward information as soon as we have it

International Songwriters Competition deadline extended

The International Songwriters Competition

deadline has been extended to 1 November 2011.  A lot of opportunities judged by many brilliant internationally renowned artists and industry bodies.  http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/

Kibra wins Vanda & Young Songwriting competition

This news from APRA/AMCOS. 

Make sure you get on board next year.

Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition
Kimbra Announced as 2011 Winner
$200,000 Raised for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia

After receiving over 4000 entries from talented songwriters across the globe, APRA|AMCOS and Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia are proud to announce Kimbra (Kimbra Johnson) as the Winner of the 2011 Vanda and Young Songwriting Competition for her song ‘Cameo Lover’.

Voted by the 18 member music industry judging panel, Kimbra is joined by Catherine Britt in Second Place for her song ‘Sweet Emmylou’ and Gotye (pronounced Gore-ti-yeah, Wally de Backer) in Third Place for his song ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’.

What are the odds of succeeding WITH a record deal?

A great article here on record label deals in the "new world"

I think the main point is that labels using old business models are having less impact, struggling to survive and therefore either having to change their ways or disappear.

Peter

Further proof of continued difficult times for majors

16:25 | Tuesday February 1, 2011

By Ben Cardew

EMI has been sold to its major creditor, US bank Citigroup, raising questions about a possible sell off of parts or the whole of the company.

The acquisition, which means that the UK no longer has a major music label, came as a surprise; most experts were predicting an announcement in June when EMI-owners Terra Firma were expected to default on a debt covenant agreed in March.

http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?storycode=1044079