Month: April 2017

Musical.ly syncs up with Apple Music

The music app gets to expand its global reach; Apple gets a new marketing partner. Apple is linking up with Musical.ly, the popular music video app. Musical.ly lets its users create and share their own music videos, using snippets of songs. Starting on Friday, Apple Music will be one of the services that supplies the…


Why Jay Z Removed Most of His Music from Spotify

American rapper and musician Jay Z has removed most of his music from the streaming service Spotify, leaving behind only a few early albums and collaborations with other artists. Among the remaining Jay Z albums on Spotify are his 1997 records In My Lifetime Vol.1 and Reasonable Doubt, as well as 1998’s Vol. 2 Hard…


Kendrick Lamar and Zane Lowe on Beats 1 [Full Interview]


Scott Borchetta on ‘The Launch,’ His New A&R-Based Artist Discovery Show

  Think you can sing the next hit song? That’s the question on The Launch submission page, open to singers around the globe. Big Machine Label Group’s Scott Borchetta, who spent two seasons as a mentor on American Idol, including the final last year, is back at it with the launch of The Launch, which is his spin on a…


Brands going to music festivals need to hit the right notes

The best non-music related activation at Coachella, the HP Antarctic Dome, gave festivalgoers a break from the heat and a trippy video experience, says the head of strategy of KidinaKorner.   People seeking a break from the heat (yes, the Antarctic is air conditioned) step inside a planetarium-style theater showcasing what can only be described…


Kendrick Lamar Walks Back Comment on Releasing More Music, Plugs Upcoming TDE Tour Instead

Kendrick Lamar performs at Coachella Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club on April 16, 2017 in Indio, Calif. After teasing that he had “more music” during his Instagram livestream at a DAMN. album signing in Compton on Thursday (April 20), Kendrick Lamar took to Twitter to set the record straight. “KenFolk. ThankU 4 the desire of always anticipating…


Technology’s pros and cons for music are clear to legendary producer Don Was

“There’s a tremendous amount of inequity now for artists in the digital music world, and that’s a major concern,” says Blue Note Records honcho and bass guitarist Don Was. (Courtesy photo)   “There’s good and bad,” said Don Was, who is more qualified than most to discuss the pros and cons of technology in music….


The 12 Best Moments From Coachella Weekend One 2017

Lady Gaga performs on the Coachella Stage during day 2 of the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival (Weekend 1) at the Empire Polo Club on April 15, 2017 in Indio, Calif. Coachella Weekend 1 is officially a wrap but the memories of the desert wonderland are still fresh. With three top-notch headliners — Radiohead, Lady Gaga and Kendrick Lamar —…


Apple Music Launches ‘Up Next’ Developing Artist Program With 6lack

  Apple Music today announced it is throwing its considerable weight (well-over 20 million subscribers at last count) behind developing artists with a new program called Up Next. The initiative kicked off today with artist 6lack (aka Ricardo Valdez), a 24-year-old rapper from Atlanta. As part of the program 6lack will appear on tonight’s (April 20) The…


Imagine Dragons striving for “more mature” sound on third album

  Imagine Dragons ‘ new track “Believer” is the lead single from the band’s forthcoming third album, the follow-up to their 2015 sophomore effort,Smoke + Mirrors .  And as guitarist Wayne Sermon tells ABC Radio, the band felt that “Believer” was the “perfect way to start off this record cycle.” “I think it really reflects where…