This new weekly roundup will look at the cogs, bolts and inner machinations that whir behind the artists we all love so much. Expect news about music platforms, labels and technology all summed up in easy-to-digest morsels.
This week has been dominated by the giants of streaming, Spotify and YouTube - but Bandcamp also attempt to grab a slice of the volatile action.
Bandcamp unveils subscription service
The online music bazaar has shared details of its "direct-to-fan subscription platform" that will put it in competition with the likes of Drip.fm, Spotify and Rdio.
The company's CEO Ethan Diamond explained to The Guardian: “We’re giving every artist the ability to create a subscription service of their own on the site... another element of this is that any artist can choose any number of items from their back catalogue to give to subscribers as a bonus when they subscribe.”
The idea is that each artist will set their own rates and choose which sounds they want to make available.
BPI's Music Export Growth Scheme to fund Kindness, Wild Beasts and more
Earlier this year, it was announced that the likes of Metronomy, Slow Club and more would receive between £5000 and £50,000 in government funding in the hope that the UK's musical boom could extend even further. The money was earmarked for tour costs, studio fees and for hiring support staff (roadies, session musicians etc.).
Now, a scant six months later, Andy Burrows, Esben And The Witch, Femme, Happyness, Hollie Cook, Jo Hamilton, Jo Harman, Kindness, Kyla La Grange, Lewis Watson, Mamas Gun, Morning Parade, Pulled Apart By Horses, Steve Wilson, Tom Vek, Wild Beasts and Wolf Alice have been announced as beneficiaries. If you want to apply, head here (deadline closes Monday 17 November).
Femme said of the scheme: “Without the support of the MEGS fund I would not have been able to accept Charli XCX’s personal invitation to go on tour with her in the USA this year. As an independent artist it’s support from schemes like MEGS that enable me to survive in an ever-changing and challenging music industry.”
Taylor Swift vs. Spotify
They're still arguing. In the latest development Swift's management have rebuked claims that the 1989 star stands to lose a hefty few million from ditching the service. The saga continues.
YouTube 'Music Key' and inks deal with Merlin
It's a busy week for Google's giant baby. Firstly, they penned and wrapped a lucrative deal with "indie label digital rights agency" Merlin (who represent around 20,000 indie labels), something that the rights company had been roadblocking for a while after disagreements on terms. This seems to have paved the way for...
YouTube's Music Key. Essentially a 'freemium' subscription service tailored for mobile services (though available online too)
CMU's Chris Cooke says: "The first bits are going live as we speak, premium – which, technically, is the Music Key bit – will go live in invite-only beta-form in seven markets including the UK, before being properly rolled out in 2015." Find in-depth details of the service here.
- Charli xcx to headline 2025 edition of We Love Green Festival
- Karma Sheen joins the lineup for SON Estrella Galicia's return to Two Palms in Hackney
- Moses Sumney and ANOHNI join forces on cover of "Is It cold In The Water?" by SOPHIE
- Dua Lipa details new album, Dua Lipa Live From The Royal Albert Hall
- Goat Girl return with new single, "gossip"
- Kim Deal shares album title track, "Nobody Loves You More"
- The Murder Capital announce new album, Blindness
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