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☆ 13 innovative AI startups creating music tools for artists, record labels, and other creators
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Nhari Djan | Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Insider asked industry pros and readers to tell us which AI music startups showed promise. Artificial intelligence is on the rise in the music industry. Startups and established companies alike are building AI tools to help artists, record labels, and audio engineers work more efficiently. The category is sparking both excitement and apprehension as industry professionals consider AI's potential impact on the creative process. But some industry professionals worry the process of training AI models with song catalogs could lead to a wave copyright violations.

☆ I Direct Music Videos — the Bigger the Artist, the More Stressful the Job
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Eboni Boykin-Patterson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Courtesy of Neil FavilaMusic video director Hannah Lux Davis grew up watching TRL and always loved music videos. I took out a student loan to pay for my first two official music videos. I always loved music videos and was very passionate about them. I grew up watching MTV's music video show "TRL," and was inspired to be a director by music videos from Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Christina Aguilera, and Janet Jackson. They assume some artists get more money for a video, so they're comparing their videos to other artists' videos.

☆ Here are Wednesday's biggest analyst calls: Meta, Charles Schwab, Apple, Spotify, Tesla & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Barclays reiterates Charles Schwab as equal weight Barclays said Street estimates are too high for Charles Schwab. Guggenheim upgrades Spotify to buy from neutral Guggenheim said Spotify shares present an attractive investment opportunity. Barclays upgrades Nike to overweight from equal weight Barclays upgraded the apparel giant after its strong earnings report on Tuesday. " Barclays reiterates Nvidia as overweight Barclays said Nvidia is still the "king" of AI after the company's GTC conference event Tuesday. Goldman Sachs reiterates Tesla as buy Goldman said Tesla is a key beneficiary of the Inflation Reduction Act.

☆ Streaming boosts recorded music revenue, China market growing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Among the trends highlighted by the IFPI, a trade body for the recorded music industry, were China nudging into the top five markets globally for the first time, and income from the use of recorded music in adverts, film, television and games, rising by 22.3%. Subscription audio streaming revenues rose 10.3% to $12.7 billion, IFPI said, adding there were 589 million users of paid subscription accounts by end-2022. Overall, streaming accounted for 67% of total recorded music revenues. Global music revenues enjoyed their eighth consecutive year of growth. Puerto Rican singer and rapper Bad Bunny's "Un Verano Sin Ti" topped the 2022 IFPI Global Albums Chart while Britain's Harry Styles won the IFPI Global Single of the Year Award 2022 for hit "As It Was", the body said last month.

☆ TikTok is using SoundOn to take on the entire music industry as it queues up creator marketing and hires an A&R lead for North America
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Dan Whateley | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The company is using its editorial influence on TikTok, Resso, and CapCut to promote SoundOn songs. Would it eventually roll out a standalone music streaming service, as a May 2022 trademark filing from its parent company ByteDance suggested? The company is now offering editorial placements to some SoundOn artists across TikTok, ByteDance's music streaming app Resso, and its video-editing app CapCut. These placements, which include being featured in high-traffic playlists, offer SoundOn users a unique path to being discovered. TikTok's parent ByteDance previously sought to hire for a similar A&R role in Jakarta, Music Business Worldwide reported in May.

☆ Shania Twain on her new album, global tour and the lack of women in country music today
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Tania Bryer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailShania Twain on her new album, global tour and the lack of women in country music todayShania Twain, five-time Grammy award winner and the best-selling female artist in country music history, talks about losing her voice, coming back with her new "Queen of Me" album, her upcoming global tour, and why there are far fewer women in the country music industry today.

☆ Shania Twain says the country music industry has regressed for women artists
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"You know, male executives, most of the studio musicians were men, most of the managers were men, it was just more male-dominated in every sense. She recalled bracing herself to enter rooms with her female manager, and experiencing sexism and challenges that male artists weren't coming up against. They were embracing my way of making my music and my way of visualizing my music through photography and videos." Twain said this is shown by fewer new female artists emerging in country music than there once were, while the charts are typically dominated by men — or women collaborating with men. "Total annual spins" for male artists in radio's year-end reports increased from 5.8 million in 2000 to 10.3 million in 2018 for male artists; as spins for women fell from 2.8 million to 1.1 million over the same period.

☆ 'I had to be relentless': Shania Twain discusses overcoming sexism in the music industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email'I had to be relentless': Shania Twain discusses overcoming sexism in the music industryShania Twain says the situation for women in the country music industry has regressed since her meteoric rise to stardom. Speaking to CNBC's Tania Bryer, the global icon said she overcame challenges by being "relentless."

☆ Kakao Strikes Back in the Battle of K-Pop Empires
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Jacky Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

South Korea internet company Kakao is flashing its checkbook to secure a seat at the pinnacle of the country’s popular music industry. Entertainment company Hybe, manager for global K-pop sensation BTS, will need to pay up if it wants to compete. Kakao, together with its entertainment unit, on Tuesday made a tender offer of nearly $1 billion for 35% of K-pop label SM Entertainment. The high bid price shows Kakao’s determination to take control of one of the largest K-pop labels. Kakao had already bought nearly 5% of SM, which manages bands like Super Junior and Aespa, last week in the market.

☆ Seeking nominations for the top generative AI startups and tools in the music industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Nhari Djan | Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Insider is compiling a list of the top generative AI startups and tools in the music industry. We want to hear from you about the most promising AI tools for labels, artists, and others in the music business. This year, we're looking for the generative AI startups and tools that are transforming the music business. From music generators, to fan engagement tools, to AI music management, we want you to tell us which AI music tools should be on our radar. Please submit your nominations for the most-promising generative AI music startups and tools here by March 14, or enter the information below:

☆ Guns N' Roses and Arctic Monkeys to headline Glastonbury along with Elton John
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Sumaya HishamLONDON, March 3 (Reuters) - Guns N' Roses and Arctic Monkeys will join Elton John as headliners at the Glastonbury Festival in June, organisers said on Friday, drawing attention to the largely male line-up of its biggest performers this year. The festival's official poster gave U.S. rapper Lizzo joint headline billing but she was the lone, high-profile female performer among the main acts this year. Paul McCartney, 80, played last year's Glastonbury, as the festival returned from a three-year absence due to the coronavirus pandemic. While English rock act Arctic Monkeys will be making their third appearance as headliners at Glastonbury following the release of a new album in October, it will be the first time for American rock legends Guns N' Roses, who will be touring Europe in June. Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar, Editing by Paul Sandle and William SchombergOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Hong Kong/Seoul CNN —The billionaire mastermind behind some of the world’s biggest K-pop stars is pushing back on accusations that he’s trying to monopolize the Korean music industry. “It wouldn’t be correct to say that we’re trying to take over the whole industry,” Bang told CNN in an exclusive interview in Seoul. Bang Si-Hyuk, who chairs the HYBE management agency, spoke with CNN's Richard Quest on Tuesday. “When the two companies are combined, a monopoly and oligopolistic group of companies that account for approximately 66% of total market sales will be created,” it told CNN. The company would then announce the outcome and next steps, it told CNN on Friday.

☆ Artists and labels are sliding songs into augmented-reality filters on TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram to promote music
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AR effects are on the rise on Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram, appearing across billions of videos. Artists, labels, and music marketers are finding new ways to promote tracks via these AR filters. "If you do come up with a cool AR filter, it's easier for the regular user to create a TikTok with than to create a dance." "Artists will hire AR creators to make effects for specific pieces of music," Chris Barbour, Meta's AR partnerships director, told Insider. As with any trend on social media, originality is important for helping an AR effect spread, Yoder said.

☆ K-Pop’s Corporate Battle Royale Is Just Getting Started
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Jacky Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

South Korea’s Hybe, the agency behind boy band BTS, is seeking to gain control of SM Entertainment. The Korean pop music industry’s corporate-takeover drama is getting juicier—and the plot twists more outrageous. But shareholders in one of K-pop’s corporate titans will likely end up with a fat payoff when the dust finally settles. South Korea’s Hybe, the agency behind boy band BTS, is attempting to gain control of one of its biggest rivals, SM Entertainment. On Thursday, it upped the ante ahead of SM’s shareholder meeting at the end of March with a bespoke website featuring an open letter to SM investors.

☆ Bad Bunny's 'Un Verano Sin Ti' wins IFPI 2022 Global Album Award
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Puerto Rican singer and rapper Bad Bunny took the 2022 IFPI Global Album Award for "Un Verano Sin Ti" on Friday, becoming the first Latin American artist to win a Global Chart Award from the recorded music industry representative body. The all-Spanish, 23-track "Un Verano Sin Ti" was released in May to critical acclaim and topped the Billboard 200 album chart for 13 weeks. "We are incredibly excited to award Bad Bunny, the first Latin American artist to win an IFPI Global Award, with the Album of the Year Award," IFPI Chief Executive Frances Moore said in a statement. "His unique sound, encapsulated in his award-winning album 'Un Verano Sin Ti', has captured the world’s attention on a remarkable scale over the last 12 months." On Thursday, Styles won the IFPI Global Single of the Year Award 2022 for his hit "As It Was".

☆ The Senators who grilled Ticketmaster's executives over Taylor Swift tickets want the Department of Justice to keep examining the company's merger with Live Nation
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Amy Klobuchar and Mike Lee are asking the DOJ to keep examining Ticketmaster and Live Nation. The letter and hearing come after renewed interest in the 2010 merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation. Neither Live Nation Entertainment nor the Department of Justice immediately replied to Insider's request for comment. The senators note that, following their hearing on Ticketmaster and Live Nation, they, like Swift, had a question. They said they asked how many concerts every year were simultaneously promoted by Live Nation and ticketed by Ticketmaster.

☆ Harry Styles tops IFPI global singles chart with hit 'As It Was'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 23 (Reuters) - British singer-songwriter Harry Styles added to his Grammy and BRIT Awards triumphs on Thursday when his chart-topping hit "As It Was" won the IFPI Global Single Award for 2022, the recorded music industry representative body said. The prize is given to the music artist scoring the world’s best-selling single of the year across all digital formats. The synth-pop track, from Styles' third studio album "Harry's House", was released in April and topped charts around the world. "Harry's House" won album of the year both there and at the Grammys. “Harry first received an IFPI Award as part of One Direction when we first launched the IFPI Global Recording Artist Chart 10 years ago," IFPI Chief Executive Frances Moore said in a statement.

☆ YouTube creators testing its new song-licensing feature are feeling sticker shock from prices as high as $18,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Dan Whateley | Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Some Creator Music licenses have a set price, while others have custom pricing based on a channel's size. Prices for a song license in Creator Music can vary widely based on a creator's subscriber count. Music rights holders regularly crack down on brands that use songs in social-media posts without paying for a license. YouTube has gradually introduced features over the past decade-and-a-half to compensate music rights' holders on its platform. The company is also setting aside revenue for music rights holders as it introduces revenue-sharing on Shorts this month.

☆ Boy Band BTS’s Next Hit: A Boardroom Drama?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Jacky Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BTS member Jung Kook performing during the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Qatar last year. The Korean pop-music industry’s influence has swept around the world in the past couple of decades. It is also producing gripping corporate drama: A potential bidding war is brewing, involving two of the largest companies in the K-pop industry. South Korea’s Hybe, the agency behind boy band BTS, launched a tender offer on Friday to buy a quarter of its rival SM Entertainment. It has also agreed to purchase a 14.8% stake from SM’s founder Lee Soo-man.

☆ YouTube creators testing its new song-licensing feature are feeling sticker shock from prices as high as $1,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Dan Whateley | Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Some Creator Music licenses have a set price, while others have custom pricing based on a channel's size. Prices for a song license in Creator Music can vary widely based on a creator's subscriber count. YouTube has gradually introduced features over the past decade-and-a-half to compensate music rights' holders on its platform. In 2015, it built a standalone music-streaming service called YouTube Music. The company is also setting aside revenue for music rights holders as it introduces revenue-sharing on Shorts this month.

PARIS, Feb 14 (Reuters) - LVMH (LVMH.PA) top label Louis Vuitton said on Tuesday it has hired Pharrell Williams to head artistic direction of its menswear designs, tapping a popular figure from the music industry to fill the high-profile position left vacant since the passing of star designer Virgil Abloh over a year ago. "Louis Vuitton is delighted to welcome @Pharrell as its new Men’s Creative Director", Louis Vuitton said in a tweet, confirming earlier reports from the Wall Street Journal and the French daily Le Figaro. loadingWilliams' first collection for the label will be shown in June during Men's Fashion Week in Paris, the brand added. Williams rose to fame in the music business as a producer and singer with hits including "Happy" and "Blurred Lines." "Happy," written for the animated movie "Despicable Me 2," earned Williams one of his two Oscar nominations.

☆ BTS agency HYBE seeks to take over K-pop rival SM Entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Heo Ran/File PhotoSEOUL, Feb 10 (Reuters) - South Korean entertainment company HYBE (352820.KS) said on Friday it will buy shares worth 423 billion won ($335 million) in rival SM Entertainment (041510.KQ), seeking management rights to strengthen its position in the K-pop industry. HYBE is the agency that manages K-pop mega band BTS. HYBE has also tendered an offer on Friday for SM shares held by minority shareholders, seeking to buy up to 25% of the rival agency with the intention of acquiring management rights. HYBE and SM Entertainment shares were up 6% and 16%, respectively, as of 11:05 a.m. (0205 GMT). Earlier this week, South Korean tech firm Kakao Corp (035720.KS) said it would acquire a 9.05% stake in SM Entertainment to pursue joint projects including global K-pop auditions.

Seoul/Hong Kong CNN —HYBE, the management agency behind superstar boy band BTS, will become the biggest shareholder of its K-pop rival, SM Entertainment. The South Korean entertainment giants announced the deal Friday, with HYBE set to pick up a 14.8% stake in SM Entertainment for 422.8 billion Korean won ($334.5 million). SM Entertainment’s shares soared 14.1% in Seoul on Friday, while HYBE’s stock jumped 6.4%. “This acquisition represents a major step by HYBE to integrate the global expertise of both companies to become a game changer in the global music industry,” HYBE said in a statement. On Thursday, it announced another major deal in the United States, saying it would acquire the owner of Quality Control, a hip-hop label that represents popular artists including Migos and Lil Yachty.

☆ Bryan Adams on touring, his new album and making music in the digital age
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Tania Bryer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBryan Adams on touring, his new album and making music in the digital ageRock superstar Bryan Adams talks to CNBC's Tania Bryer about his "So Happy It Hurts" tour, his music, his mother and his thoughts on the digital music industry.

☆ Exclusive: AFL-CIO wants bigger say in U.S. digital trade deals for workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - The Biden administration has made digital trade the centerpiece of its trade negotiations, and the AFL-CIO wants a bigger say in how the U.S. Trade Representative's office sets goals in this area, arguing they are too often dictated by big technology companies. The USTR is expected to soon propose text on the digital chapter in negotiations for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, the Biden administration's signature economic agreement. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai has pledged to create a "worker-centric" trade policy, but the AFL-CIO said digital trade negotiations too often make no mention of labor standards nor the workers who write software or support networks. "Corporations shouldn't dictate the rules of the global digital economy with no regard for working people," AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in a statement. Other AFL-CIO demands for digital trade negotiations include:- Requiring governments to enact strong policies to safeguard individuals' personal data as opposed to the current largely voluntary "self-regulation" model that has proven inadequate.

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