It was reported this week that Spotify may be on the verge of offering artists like Taylor Swift and Adele the option of offering their music only to members who have paid subscriptions to the service.
Though, as Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls points out, “To think that every artist is going to want to use the same tools the same ways is misleading. Because your ‘Taylor Swifts’ and the 1 percent of pop artists who have the ability to kind of control traffic and throw their weight around have such a different agenda and kind of power than the garage band down the street.”
Palmer joined us on the show to talk about giving artists more choice, and why going digital isn’t necessarily the only answer for indie musicians.
Click the media player above to hear Amanda Palmer in conversation with Marketplace Tech host Ben Johnson.
New research commissioned jointly by music body BPI and the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA), reveals that music consumption has entered a new multi-channel era, in which fans increasingly stream for their daily music needs but also like to buy, collect and gift the music they most enjoy on CD and vinyl.
With surging sales of vinyl albums (up 50 per cent year-to-date) and a softening in the decline of CD sales in recent years, the research suggests physical formats may be more resilient in the multi-channel era than most commentators predicted. Indeed, it indicates that, for many fans, on-demand access and ownership models represent a winning combination.
The online survey1 by AudienceNet, conducted last month, shows that two thirds (66 per cent) of music fans consider themselves ‘multi-channel’ listeners –with as many as 69 per cent of the survey respondents either agreeing or strongly agreeing with the statement: I stream to discover music and see what’s popular, but when I come across something I love, I like to buy it.
Table 1: Multi-channel profile – percentage of music listening from each source (base: all respondents)
The survey suggests this emerging trend is not confined to the baby-boomers who grew up when music was only available on physical formats, but extends to so-called Millennials – the new generation of younger consumers who have grown up in the digital age.
Table 2: Multi-channel profile – percentage of music listening from each source – by age (base: all respondents)
Kim Bayley, Chief Executive Entertainment Retailers Association, comments: “This research suggests music fans are a great deal more nuanced in their approach to new forms of technology than they are sometimes given credit for. They understand there are some benefits which streaming can deliver better than CD or vinyl and vice-versa. It is important, therefore, that the industry responds to this and ensures that music is available how and when music fans want it.
“Luckily the UK has one of the most diverse music retail landscapes in the world, from thriving independents to ground-breaking digital services to the High Street, supermarket and Internet offerings. Preserving that diversity is key not just from the industry’s perspective, but also the music fan’s.”
Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive BPI and BRIT Awards, comments: “The enduring appeal of compact discs and vinyl has surprised many commentators who wrote them off years ago. But these physical formats still represent over 40 per cent of UK music consumption, after decades of success.
“Our new research explains why they remain so popular, even with music downloads and the explosion in audio streaming. It shows that, unexpectedly, streaming may be enhancing their appeal to many fans, who appreciate the immediacy and convenience of services like Spotify, Apple Music and Google Play to discover and enjoy a huge range of new music, but still want to own and collect albums by artists they truly love.”
Such multi-channel consumers increasingly look to streaming services, both paid-for subscription and free ad-funded, including Spotify and Deezer, as well as paid-for subscription only – Apple Music, Google Play and Tidal, for discovery, curation and the connected experience they offer.
The Official Charts last year recorded 13.7 billion audio streams in the UK – a total likely to double again and reach a new landmark of 25 billion audio streams in 2015. Streaming is also on course to eclipse downloads as the most popular digital format.
At the same time, however, many fans value the opportunity to also purchase music by the artists they love, whether on CD, vinyl or downloads. This is driven, the survey suggests, by a desire to emotionally engage with the recording and the cover artwork that comes with it – to own, collect and interact with it.
One of the key considerations that reinforce the appeal of CD and, increasingly vinyl also, remains the ability to purchase it as a gift for family and friends. One in five (22 per cent) of the respondents say they purchase CDs to give as gifts. Gifting is listed in the top five reasons for why a CD purchase is made, with around two thirds (65 per cent) of people who only buy CDs citing it as a reason for their purchase, but nearly 8 in 10 (79 per cent) of those who both buy CDs and pay to stream music listing it as a factor when making a purchase.
Table 3: Music purchasing – totals for buying, receiving & giving (base: all respondents)
Up to 40 per cent of albums are purchased in the final quarter of the year, when Christmas-related gifting is at its peak. With major new albums now out, including Adele’s record-breaking 25, as well as heavyweight offerings from the likes of Coldplay, One Direction, Little Mix, Justin Bieber and the King himself, Elvis Presley – which is selling heavily on CD – and extended edition albums from Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith, this Q4 promises to be a potentially strong year-end for the physical format.
Just over four in ten (44 per cent) of those surveyed, and who pay to stream, believe the introduction of streaming has either increased (13 per cent) or maintained (31 per cent) their spending on CDs. Whilst other respondents may spend less on CDs or no longer buy them, the positive relationship between a significant segment of subscription streamers and physical consumption has not previously been studied.
When it comes to vinyl nearly half (48 per cent) of the respondents who also pay to stream indicated they are now either spending more (19 percent) or at least maintaining their spend (29 per cent). Again, there are other respondents who are now buying less vinyl or none at all, but the fact there is an increase in vinyl purchasing among a relatively large group of streamers is noteworthy.
Demand for CD continues to decline in relation to the music market, but there are signs this rate may be slowing. In 2012 sales dropped by a fifth (20 per cent), in 2013 by 13 per cent, but by 2014, when demand for streaming arguably really took off, the decrease was down to 8 per cent. In the first half of 2015 this figure stood at 6 per cent, with CD still accounting for over 60 per cent of albums sold – and worth around half a billion pounds to the UK recorded music market when combined with vinyl sales. ERA figures additionally show there are now more than 10,000 High Street outlets that stock CD and vinyl across the UK.
Vinyl presents an even more encouraging picture. Whilst its appeal remains relatively niche (at 2 per cent market share), it has shown remarkable growth since 2007, when only 205,000 copies were sold. Official Charts data for 2015 to date shows LPs are on track to eclipse the 2 million unit mark for the first time in over 20 years. Much of the impetus has come from the independent retail community, which launched Record Store Day in 2006, whilst chains such as HMV have doubled the floor-space dedicated to vinyl in recent years and just this month Tesco announced it is stocking vinyl LPs. The format is particularly popular with Rock bands, ranging from heritage acts Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden and Oasis to more recent groups as Arctic Monkeys and currently Royal Blood, whose fans see vinyl as a ‘badge of honour’.
The research throws up encouraging insights for streaming services and high street and online retailers alike. Just over a third (34 per cent) of the respondents would like to see more ‘one-stop-shop’ services, where they can stream, but also go on to buy CDs or vinyl or download music. It’s interesting that leading streaming service Spotify is currently experimenting with a High Street pop up shop within Top Shop. The respondents who also like to buy CDs and vinyl could be tempted to buy greater quantities if there were more exclusive tracks and limited edition content, priority access to gigs and discounted merchandise.
Table 4: Buying more CDs – what would tempt them? (base: all respondents)
The research shows there are a number of factors which encourage CD and vinyl purchasing. Chief among these for multi-channel consumers is the ability to pay a one-off price to own permanently – 90 per cent for CD rising to 95 per cent when it comes to vinyl. Collecting (83 per cent and 97 per cent for CD and vinyl respectively) also ranks highly, alongside sound quality (92/94), the store/browsing experience (81/90), and having cover artwork (76/91)
Table 5: What is important when buying & owning CD (base: all respondents)
Table 6: What is important when buying & owning vinyl (base: all respondents)
Check out Daniel Radcliffe‘s original screen test for the role of Harry Potter. He made his acting debut at 10 years of age in BBC One’s 1999 television film David Copperfield, followed by his cinematic debut in 2001’s The Tailor of Panama. At age 11, he was cast as Harry Potter in the first Harry Potter film, and starred in the series for 10 years until the release of the eighth and final film in 2011.
Sweden’s own AVATAR have entered the studio to begin work on a new album this week, the followup to highly successful HAIL THE APOCALYPSE released in 2014, cracking the Billboard Top 200 Chart and debuting at #97. “Every band makes a point out of saying they’re pushing boundaries, but I see few who keep on challenging themselves the way we do.” says frontman Johannes Eckerström. “There is no formula, no cheapness, no shortcuts. We are once again embarking on a journey completely new to us.”
The new effort will be released next year by Entertainment One Music in the U.S. / Canada and Century Media overseas. Fans can get involved right off the bat too. The band has launched an Instagram campaign on their official website that diligently follows the band while they make progress in the studio.
The band will split their time between three studios throughout Europe with all of the music being made in the aptly named Castle Studios in Röhrsdorf, Germany. Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland andSpinroad Studios in Lindome, Sweden will also play a part in the process. AVATAR has tapped none other than Sylvia Massy to produce the yet to be titled release. “Avatar is an amazing band!” says Massy. She is perhaps best recognized for her work on 1993’s Undertow, the full-length double platinum-selling TOOL debut and her works with SYSTEM OF A DOWN. “The singer has the wild energy and charisma I love, and the players are relentless. The album we’re making is an epic. Each song powerfully stands on it’s own, but is only a piece of a larger story. This album is the project I’ve been dreaming about for years!”
The band has been on quite a run since HAIL THE APOCALYPSE was released, most notably for their music videos and visually stunning live shows. The band released three music videos off that record. One for the title track “Hail The Apocalypse,” hit single “Bloody Angel” and “Vultures Fly,” which just took home the LOUDWIRE Rock Video Of The Year. AVATAR will hit the road stateside in January with a highlighted performance scheduled aboard the ever popular ShipRocked Cruise. Click here for all tour dates. The band has also been confirmed to participate in Rock on the Range,Welcome to Rockville, Fort Rock, and Carolina Rebellion festivals in 2016.
After making more trips to the U.S. than ever before over the last two years, the band is ready to sink their teeth into a new album, Eckerström continues: “Avatar is growing higher and deeper and I am proud to say we are outdoing ourselves again. If we didn’t make sure to feel like this every time, we wouldn’t bother at all. I’m very excited, and you should be too.”
New York rock act CILVER has debuted a brand new single today exclusively via Revolver Magazine for their first single “I’m America.” The track is the first bit of new music we’ve heard from the band since the release of their previous EP, In My Head that came out in 2013. “I’m America” is the anthem that America needs today,”says vocalist Uliana Preotu. “It is an anthem for everyone and about everything that America is with the good and the bad. While the song is inspired from my personal story, it is the story of everyone who lives in and loves this country. It’s a song that sheds light about people’s journey to America, living in America, all the sacrifices everyone makes, and in the ene just how great this country is. It’s a beautiful place, you can drink the water!”
The single can also be heard on SiriusXM’s Octane channel starting today.
CILVER will release Not The End Of The World on March 18th, 2016 via Entertainment One Music, the first since signing with the indie label last year. The band’s own Leon Lyazidi produced the record with help from well known producer Johnny K, who executive produced. The band is eager to release their songs to the world, the band spent a good portion of the spring locked away in Groovemaster Studiosin Chicago. “This is the perfect time to release this record,” says Preotu. “A time where America is angry, frustrated, lost, but hopeful. The songs are honest and biographical to the point that every lyric made me cry as it transported me to important and memorable moments of my life. Moments of loss and hope, moments that every citizen and immigrant can relate to.”
Anchored by songwriting duo Uliana and guitarist Leon Lyazidi, the band has come a long way from their previous projects in New York City. What served as an artistic restart has turned into a runaway train of accomplishment that seems to be going faster as time goes on. The band signed a new deal with eOne Music last year. “eOne is real,” says Leon. “When we set out to launch Cilver, we were looking for people who ate, slept and bled music just like we did. eOne was clearly a cut above everyone else and we couldn’t be more excited to be part an amazing roster, led by a passionate and creative team.”
After landing a management deal with The RSE Group (Slayer, Gojira, Ghost, Mastodon), representation from The Circle Talent Agency, and legal from Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP, 2014 and 2015 ended up as the band’s busiest years yet. The band gained traction touring as openers on the Revolver Magazine Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock tour with Sick Puppies and Lacuna Coil. Uliana was also featured in the Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock issue of the magazine and calendar. After a series of radio festivals and showcases, Cilver found themselves on a boat with Motorhead for the Motorboat Cruise this past fall. In similar fashion, the band also participated on the ShipRocked Cruisethis January, which sailed from Miami to the Bahamas.
The Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) is pleased to announce that Brian Hetherman has been appointed Interim Manager of MusicOntario, effective December 7, 2015.
“On behalf of our Board of Directors and staff, we are very excited to welcome Brian to the team. The breadth of his experience in and knowledge of our industry on both national and provincial levels will be an incredible asset to the organization,” says CIMA’s President, Stuart Johnston. “MusicOntario activities are in full swing, and with Brian’s vision, guidance and expertise, we look forward to delivering vital programming to best serve our artists and industry across Ontario in 2016.”
Brian brings with him over 25 years of experience in the music industry, with labels, funding organizations, professional associations, and with his own label, management and publishing companies, Curve Music and Cerberus Management, established in 2003.
“Music Ontario was created to give a presence and voice to Ontario-based artists and labels, and in my own small way through my various endeavours, I like to think I have tried to do the same thing,” say Brian. “It’s incredibly exciting to now be working with MusicOntario and to directly help strengthen the careers of Ontario’s emerging artists and music professionals, and our local industry in a much larger capacity.”
An industry veteran, Brian has extensive experience across all levels of the major and independent record label worlds, leading him to become the youngest head of A&R for both MCA Records and MCA Music Publishing (now Universal Music Group), a role he held until 2001. Brian’s leadership experience includes executive roles at organizations like FACTOR (Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings), Radio Starmaker, International Music Managers Forum, Music Managers Forum Canada, Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA), and the Musicians’ Rights Organization Canada (MROC), in addition to founding and heading Curve Music and Cerberus Artist Management.
With a #1 album in over 100 countries, back-to-back worldwide smash hit singles, and a 64-city North American tour that has sold out dates across the U.S. and Canada, global superstar Justin Bieberhas announced the international dates of his PURPOSE WORLD TOUR beginning September 14, 2016 in Berlin.
Fans will be able to see Bieber’s dynamic live show on the 30+ date tour, promoted by AEG Live’s Concerts West, which will travel through arenas across Europe including England, France, Germany, Spain, much of Scandinavia and more.
Fahlo members can purchase tickets for these shows before the general public beginning December 11th at 4pm local time. General public tickets will begin to go on-sale Thursday, December 17, 2015 at www.justinbiebermusic.com. Please see below for complete tour itinerary and check local listings for exact on-sale information.
The hype around Bieber’s new music has hit an all-time high and shows no signs of slowing down. With a global #1 album release in over 100 countries and consecutive #1 singles, the album is shattering records worldwide including a record for having 17 songs in the Hot 100 in one week (beating The Beatles and Drake) and a new Spotify record for global streaming with over 200 million album streams first week.
In addition to the album, orders are flooding in for PURPOSE signed CDs, vinyl and other limited edition items, exclusively via Justin’s online store. Go to: http://smarturl.it/JustinShop.
Justin Bieber – Purpose World Tour 2016 Dates
**All dates, venues and on-sale information are subject to change.
This holiday season, Right To Play invites you to journey back to your childhood and remember the joy of play – an experience that millions of children don’t get to have.
OMG, we earn how to be a, like, you know, hot model in the 1980s, featuring appearances by Denise Richards, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen and the headshot of the late Tom Bosley. Those shoes are totally vogue. Gnarly.
