Last week, I walked into Walgreens just like I have hundreds of times before. But this time, I walked out without ever reaching into my pocket for my wallet. I didn’t even need to grab my phone. Instead, I paid for my toothpaste with my watch. Did I feel like a bit of an asshole?…

As part of its attempt to get into the ticketing business, Amazonis selling tickets to an upcoming festival sans the obnoxious service charge. One of the things that everyone hates is the service charge attached to a concert ticket when you buy it from a broker and even directly from the box office. Amazon may finally put an end to that as it’s…

In an era when income is measured in the fraction of a penny earned as music is streamed, shared and otherwise exploited across the globe, proper compensation of creators is an issue of growing urgency.  But there may be an answer, if we can understand and embrace it, says music business scholar and entrepreneur George Howard in this first of…

There’s a headline a lot of people thought they’d never see. Fully-licensed streaming service Napster, still known as Rhapsody in the US market, says it has enjoyed the fastest growth period in its 13-year history over the past 12 months. As a result, it’s announced that it has now topped 3 million legal music subscribers…

Music and video content from SFX’s Beatport, including exclusive music releases previously available only on Beatport and programming from SFX festivals and events, will now be available on Spotify. Beatport, which began in 2004 as an online music store for DJs, has developed into a global platform where fans, DJs, and creators can connect and share music….

McDonald’s, Nordstrom, Home Depot and Walgreens are some of the brands currently running ads on Apple’s new streaming service that launched June 30. Last month, Apple unveiled Apple Music—its app combining iTunes, radio programming, a live show called Beats 1, and a social-media portal for artists called Connect….

Critics of Apple’s surcharge for in-app purchases, as well as rules meant to keep that money flowing, have a powerful new friend in Washington. Sen. Al Franken(D-Minn.) on Wednesday sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Federal Trade Commission chairwoman Edith Ramirez, asking them to review Apple’s policies for possible anti-competitive behavior….

She spent three years at the cable network, where she was president of programming. Susanne Daniels has revealed her next move. The former president of programming at MTV, who announced her departure this morning, will be joining YouTube as vice president originals. …

Halfway through 2015, some countries’ recorded music markets are receiving positive report cards. Mid-year revenue numbers from a handful of countries show streaming revenue drove growth in recorded music revenues, gains possible because declines in CD and download revenues were modest and manageable. Countries yet to release revenue data may not have had the same…

While many artists focus on building up the hype surrounding their album release, it takes a different sort of sustained effort to make sure your music has a long-lasting impact….