Academy Awards To Change Nomination Process For Best Original Song Oscar
Five songs will be nominated for Academy Awards in the Original Song category after the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences approved additional rules for the 85th Academy Awards.
Changes in the Original Song category were the most significant of the board¹s rule changes.
The academy spells it out: During the nominations process, all voting members of the music branch will receive a reminder list of works submitted in the category and a DVD copy of the song clips. Members will be asked to watch the clips and then vote for not more than five achievements in the category. The five achievements receiving the highest number of votes will become the nominations for final voting for the award.
The academy has tossed out a math-heavy system of the last two years that resulted in the category looking barren as only two songs were nominated last year and four the year before.
A maximum of two songs may be nominated from any one film. If more than two songs from a film are in contention, the two songs with the most votes will be the nominees.
Spotify’s Boyfriend Hits a Brand New Low
Just a lazy, late-August summer day ahead a three-day weekend. And the worst day yet for Facebook on Wall Street. As of this writing, shares of FB are grovelling above $18, based on continued investor skepticism over Facebook’s flimsy model.
This is now a huge problem for Spotify, which is now effectively married to a company with serious monetization, valuation, and long-term survival questions. Indeed, it seems that Facebook is dragging down everyone, but Spotify has almost irreversibly structured its application around Facebook logins and sharing functionality.
Perhaps the more insidious tie-ins are financially oriented. Spotify gives lip service to subscriber gains and profitability, but all of that is speculative at best. The real bonanzas here have little to do with actual profitability, and everything to do with frothy IPOs and ridiculous acquisition multiples. This is classic Silicon Valley-meets-Wall Street gamesmanship, which is exactly the reason why investors like Goldman Sachs are at the table in the first place.
The question is whether a Facebook-hitched tech company will ever float again. Souring analyst sentiment, corrosive insider trading, executive departures, and a looming leadership crisis spell serious trouble, which means Spotify’s grandiose IPO and liquidation plans are also in serious trouble.
Facebook is plunging for a reason, though respectable companies sometimes have crappy stocks. The deeper question is whether Facebook is even around when we all grow up. I’m not sure anyone really knows the answer to that question. [DigitalMusicNews]
The Extremely Chaotic State of Music Pricing Today
No wonder music fans are confused! Here’s a sampling of some of the most popular ways to pay (or not pay) for music today… [DigitalMusicNews]
Pensado’s Place #81 – Producer, Engineer, and Author: Ken Caillat
In the 81st episode of Pensado’s Place, Dave and Herb are joined by GRAMMY Award-winning producer, engineer, and author, Ken Caillat. Ken co-produced and co-engineered Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 album, Rumours which won the GRAMMY for Album of the Year. His work and experience on Rumours served as the basis for his book “Makring Rumours”. Also the father of singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat, Ken produced her albums Coco, Breakthrough, and All of You.
This Week’s Album Sales
Bolstered by strong sales from the Christian market, tobyMac should win the fight for #1 next week, the first Christian/gospel artist to do so in recent memory. Here’s how it looks headed into the Labor Day weekend, with no releases selling in six figures:
*tobyMac (Forefront) 60-65k
*Slaughterhouse (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope) 50-55k
Trey Songz (Atlantic) 40-45k
*Alanis Morissette (Collective Sounds) 35-40k
Now 43 (Capitol/EMI) 30-35k
2 Chainz (Def Jam/IDJ) 27-30k
Adele (XL/Columbia) 21-24k
fun. (Fueled By Ramen) 19-22k
Maroon 5 (A&M/Octone) 19-22k
Rick Ross (Def Jam/IDJ) 18-21k
Justin Bieber (Island/IDJ) 17-20k
One Direction (Syco/Columbia) 17-20k
Zac Brown Band (Atlantic) 14-17k
Lumineers (Dualtone) 13-15k
DJ Khaled (Cash Money/Republic) 13-15k
Of Monsters & Men (Republic) 13-15k
Carrie Underwood (19/Arista Nashville) 13-15k
Luke Bryan (Capitol Nashville/EMI) 13-15k
*Debuts (8/30p) [HitsDailyDouble]
10 Mistakes Artists Always Make
Shouts to Rap Rehab for coming up with this dope list. I’ll skip right to the countdown, cause I know that’s all you care about. Read on below:
Mixtapes: I noticed a lot of artists will spend money on studio time, features and beats to record a mixtape but spend no money or very little money on getting the product (Mixtape) out to the people. Marketing and promoting a product is just as important as the product itself. I personally think it’s better to just push one song and spend money on marketing and promoting it, instead of doing a whole mixtape.
Videos: A lot of artists get a video made and just post it on Facebook and Twitter. It takes more than those two social networks for your video to get some decent views. You need presence on media and blog sites too. Also, I notice some artists have no description about the video or any type of contact info. How do you expect people to get in touch with you if they run across your video on Youtube.
Read the rest after the jump!
Performance: A lot of artists perform at the same venues over and over which is filled with the majority of other artists. It’s only so far your buzz can grow from performing in the same areas, at the same venues. You should branch out to other cities and perform, meet and network with new faces every month.
Promoting On Social Media: I noticed a lot of artists sit on Facebook and Twitter and promote their music and shows to the majority of other artists. It’s true that you can turn another artists into a fan, but your main focus should be to get regular people (people who don’t make music) to become a fans.
Radio: I see this way too often. Artists trying to get their song on the radio and don’t even have the song registered with BDS or Mediabase. Getting your music played on radio and not having your music probably registered is pointless. You have no way of proving to a label that you are getting radio spins.
Graphics: I see a lot of artists put out low quality mixtape cover designs or flyers for their show performance. Your mixtape cover or flyer could be the deciding factor in whether or not someone takes the time to listen to or download your mixtape or show up at one of your shows.
Misuse of Social Media: This is a real BIG mistake that artists make. A lot of artists sit on Facebook and Twitter all day spamming people with your music links. Mentioning or posting links on random people’s Facebook wall who don’t know you is the quickest way to get you blocked or ignored. It’s best for artists to hold a short conversation with a person and ask them to check out your mixtape, video, or song. Try it. I promise you that you will get more people to listen to your music and give you feedback.
Contacting DJ’s: A lot of artists expect a DJ to play their music in the club, on the radio during their mixshow, or add it to one of their mixtapes when in fact, your music is not industry quality or your song is not club or radio material. That will mess up a DJ’s name if he plays your song and bore the crowd or audience. Make sure your song is professionally mixed and mastered.
Copyright and Publishing: Way too many indie/upcoming artists are uploading their music to the internet and sending it to A&R’s, DJ’s, or label reps, but don’t have their music copyrighted and published. That should be the first thing you do when you finish recording a song. People can steal your music if the proper paperwork has not been filed. And trust me when I say it has been done plenty of times.
Campaigning: A lot of artists don’t do a music campaign before and after releasing a mixtape, video, or song. Announcing it via Twitter and Facebook isn’t enough. It’s only so many people you can actually reach out to doing only those two things. Contact media/blog sites and see how you can get your music submitted for posting consideration. Contact radio stations, whether internet, commercial, or college radio, and set up interviews before and after you release a song or mixtape. Find out what events and showcases are going on in your state and contact the event planner to see if you can book a performance slot and make sure you bring cds and merchandise to sell or pass out. Also, contact your local newspapers for press coverage.
Kreayshawn Goes Punk with Kid Cudi, Clicks with 2 Chainz on Debut
Somethin ‘Bout Kreay, which she describes as a “musical ride through time.”
Due September 18, the project features the singles “Gucci Gucci,” “Go Hard (La.La.La),” and the 2 Chainz-assisted “Breakfast (Syrup),” with contributions from Chippy Nonstop, V-Nasty, Sissy Nobby, Jean Baptiste, Diplo, and Kid Cudi, who appears on “Like It or Love It.”
The WZRD frontman plays guitar riffs on the punk-influenced record. “It came together really organically, just how punk music does come together in a whatever, f**k it type of mood, and it ended up becoming something really cool,” said Kreay, whose mother was in an underground punk band.
After her murderous collaboration with 2 Chainz on his 2011 mixtape T.R.U. REALigion, she reconnected with Deuce on “Breakfast (Syrup).” “We just have a lot of good chemistry as far as us being really open and funny and carefree and stuff like that, and I think that’s why we make a good little pair. We’re so opposite that opposites attract.”
One rapper she wasn’t able to get on the album was Waka Flocka Flame. “I really wanted a Waka Flocka feature on my album, but I just missed it,” said the 22-year-old, who will launch her “Group Hug” tour in November. “I definitely feel like my next collaboration has to be with Waka Flocka or I’m not collaborating ever again.” [Rap-Up]
Breakfast Club Interviews Keyshia Cole
With her Boobie by her side, Keysh appeared on Power 105 this morning to discuss marriage, her brief hiatus from music, forthcoming LP Woman To Woman, BET reality show Family First and more.
Top 10 Tracks of the Week
TOP 10 TRACKS OF THE WEEK: The leaderboard is once again topped by Taylor Swift, whose latest retains its momentum, and then some, while Maroon 5’s “One More Night,” the second single from Overexposed, goes #7-4-2, adding another 25k. The lone newcomer is Neon Trees’ “Everybody Talks,” which jumps five slots to #10.
1. Taylor Swift, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” – 307k
2. Maroon 5, “One More Night” – 195k
3. Flo Rida, “Whistle” – 180k
4. Fun., “Some Nights” – 169k
5. Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen, “Good Time” – 144k
6. Justin Bieber f/Big Sean, “As Long As You Love Me” – 131k
7. Carly Rae Jepsen, “Call Me Maybe” – 122k
8. Phillip Phillips, “Home” – 109k
9. Cher Lloyd, “Want U Back” – 107k
10. Neon Trees, “Everybody Talks” – 99k
In a shocker, Mumford & Sons’ “I Will Wait” plummeted from #10 to #27 in its third week on 51k in sales, 50% of last week’s total. [HitsDailyDouble]
Kendrick Lamar Pushes Back Album Release
Kendrick Lamar fans will have to wait a little longer to get their hands on his album. The Compton rapper’s highly-anticipated debut has been pushed back a few weeks.
Interscope Records has officially announced Monday, October 22, as the new release date for good kid, m.A.A.d city. It was previously slated for October 2.
Crowned the “new King of the West Coast” by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, the 25-year-old captured the attention of Dre with his 2010 mixtape O(verly) D(edicated) and earned wide praise with his indie-issued album Section.80. Earlier this year, he performed alongside his mentor Dre at Coachella.
So far, the album has spawned the Dre-assisted single “The Recipe” and the T-Minus-produced “Swimming Pools (Drank).” He has also recorded a collaboration with Lady Gaga called “Partynauseous,” which is expected to make the cut.
Prior to the album’s release, Kendrick will headline the “BET Music Matters” tour with special guests Stalley, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock. See an itinerary below.
Kendrick Lamar Tour Dates
Sept. 7 – Norfolk, VA – The Norva
Sept. 8 – Richmond, VA – The National
Sept. 11 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore
Sept. 12 – Baltimore, MD- Rams Head
Sept. 13 – Philadelphia, PA – TLA
Sept. 14 – Washington, DC – Howard Theater
Sept. 15 – New York, NY – Terminal 5
Sept. 16 – Boston, MA – The Wilbur Theater
Sept. 19 – Toronto, ON – Sound Academy
Sept. 20 – Detroit, MO – Royal Oak
Sept. 21 – Minneapolis, MN – Epic
Sept. 22 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave
Sept. 23 – Chicago, IL – The Congress
Sept. 25 – Tallahassee, FL – The Moon
Sept. 26 – Tampa, FL – The Ritz Ybor
Sept. 27 – Miami, FL – The Fillmore
Sept. 28 – Orlando, FL – Plaza Live
Sept. 29 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
Sept. 30 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
Oct. 1 – Baton Rouge, LA – Varsity Theater
Oct. 6 – Fresno, CA – Big Fresno Fair
Oct. 7 – Pozo, CA – Pozo Saloon
Oct. 8 – Denver, CO – The Ogden Theater
Oct. 9 – Blacksburg, VA – Burruss Auditorium – Virginia Polytech University
Oct. 10 – San Diego, CA – SOMA
Oct. 11 – Phoenix, AZ – Celebrity Theater
Oct. 13 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theatre
Oct. 14 – Seattle, WA – The Neptune
Oct. 16 – San Francisco, CA – Regency Ballroom
Oct. 17 – Los Angeles, CA – Club Nokia
Oct. 18 – Pomona, CA – Fox Theater
Oct. 19 – Las Vegas, NV – Hard Rock Cafe
Oct. 20 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
Oct. 26 – Morgantown, WV – WVU Collisuem – West Virginia University
[RapUp]
MusicSpray Offers Lifetime Distribution for $99
With the fallout of Jeff Price and Peter Wells leaving TuneCore, the business practices behind digital distribution companies have certainly taken center stage in recent weeks, with many musicians now taking a closer look at whom they entrust their catalogs with. While a plethora of options still exist from familiar names like CD Baby, ReverbNation or Ditto Music – each with similar, yet uniquely different pricing structures – one South Korean startup is hoping to shake up the game byoffering a distribution model not yet seen before.
Music Spray is a South Korean digital distribution startup that offers unlimitedlifetime digital distribution to iTunes, Amazon and more for a one-time fee of $99. Musicians can release as much content as they want, for as long as they want, forever with no yearly membership fees. Music Spray is powered by Pison Contents, the exclusive online distributor for iTunes in Korea and releases their music to other leading music distribution sites like Melon and Bugs Music, the two largest and most famous music sites in Korea.A unique model indeed, but there already exist a few complications for wider audiences outside the Korean market. Most obviously, only the Korean language is available, but the company has said that many other languages including English and Chinese will be supported later this year. When the multi-language version becomes available, musicians around the globe will be able to release content onto the global market.
Another big question mark looms in the company’s future. While still new and reportedly seeing considerable traction, it’s still too early and tough to gauge whether or not Music Spray will be around as long as the terms of their distribution model (forever), even after they’ve expanded to become multi-lingual. Some would also argue that perhaps the concept of $99 lifetime digital distribution is too good to be true and not very sustainable, as bookkeeping alone and other practices being a major yearly cost for distributors.
Either way, Music Spray is an interesting entry that can offer a unique solution for musicians while claiming an uncovered territory in the digital distribution space. We’ll be sure to keep an eye on them as they grow and expand overseas. [Allindstrom]
Universal Music Group Reports Quarterly Revenue Gain
Universal Music Group today reported 88 million euros ($110.4 million) in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization on revenues of 961 million euros ($1.2 billion) in its quarterly earnings report. That’s up slightly from the 86 million euros in EBITDA posted in the second quarter of the prior year, when revenues were 982 million euros.
For the first half of the year, UMG reported 156 million euros in EBIDA on revenues of 1.9 billion Euros. That represented an 18.2% increase from the 132 million in EBITDA reported in the first half of 2011, when revenues were $1.86 billion.
In its earnings press release, the company said that its revenues were boosted by releases from “Justin Bieber, Madonna, Nicki Minaj and Les Enfoirés bolstered by the breakthrough success of new artists such as Lana Del Rey and Gotye.”
The company also said it had enjoyed increased music publishing revenues and improved recorded music sales in North America and noted that an 8.9% increase in digital sales and higher license income almost offset the falling demand for physical product and lower merchandising revenues.
The company also said that UMG sales in the second half of 2012 will be boosted by new album releases from the Killers, No Doubt, Robbie Williams, Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, Florent Pagny, Girls Generation, Diana Krall, Eros Ramazzotti and Alejandro Sanz.
Meanwhile, Vivendi, UMG’s parent company, reported adjusted net income of 706 million Euros ($885.9 million) on revenues of 6.97 billion euros ($8.7 billion), for the quarter ended June 30. That represented a 20.1% decline from the adjusted net income of 884 million euros posted in the second quarter of the prior year, when revenues were nearly 7.1 billion euros.
The only insight the conglomorate gave about its still pending acquisition of EMI Music was to note that approval had been received from Japan, New Zealand, and Canada.
Billboard.com
Frank Ocean To Perform On SNL Season Debut
Frank Ocean will be there to start the new season of SNL on September 15th, along with guest host Seth MacFarlane. Frank’s had somewhat of an up and down summer, releasing an acclaimed album but being forced to cancel a number of his shows which put in in the dog house with fans. Either way, Frank is in high demand these days so putting him on SNL is only natural. Let’s hope he tears it down and starts the season off with a bang.
Via Hypetrak.
Pandora Releases Financial Results
The NY Times recently reported it and now Pandora is confirming it. The good news is that total revenue is up over at Pandora, a 51% year over year increase, in fact. The bad news is that profits are nonexistent. Pandora announced a $5.4 million second quarter loss probably attributed to the higher royalties they’ve had to pay as listening has gone up. They’re not alone however, as Spotify is having similar issues. Keep your head up, Pandora. Here’s to hoping things get better.
Via Hypebot.
Hip-Hop Manager Chris Lighty Dies
The hip-hop community is mourning the loss of one of its pioneers. Manager Chris Lighty has died after reportedly committing suicide.
Hip-hop journalist Touré tweeted that Lighty shot himself. “Chris Lighty, smart and successful record exec, and an undeniably great guy, is dead. Self inflicted gunshot wound. Tragic,” he wrote.
As founder and owner of Violator Management, Lighty was instrumental in the careers of superstars including 50 Cent, Diddy, and Mariah Carey.
Some of his friends took to Twitter to express their sympathy. “R.I.P CHRIS LIGHTY THE MAN THAT SAVED MY LIFE!!!” tweeted Fat Joe. “I Would Be Nothing Without YOU!!! My Kids Appreciate YOU God Bless Chris Lighty.”
Nick Cannon also expressed his sadness. “I’m devastated right now. I can’t believe my big brother Chris Lighty is gone… He was a pioneer, a mentor, and a great friend RIP.” [RapUp]
September Album Release Estimates
SEPTEMBER SONGS, 9/18: We’ve been focusing on next month’s double-dip Super Tuesday in this space, and we’re not about to stop now—not with the promise of an escape from the seemingly endless summer doldrums. Here and immediately below are the latest first-week sales estimates for the latest releases from acts who have meant something commercially in the past. And if some of these numbers strike you as optimistic, bear in mind that this is an inexact science.
Nelly Furtado (Geffen) 25k
G.O.O.D. Music Compilation (Def Jam/IDJ) 200k
Carly Rae Jepsen (Schoolboy/Interscope) 100k
Michael Jackson, Bad – 25th Anniversary Edition (Legacy) 150k
The Killers (Island/ID J) 125k
P!nk (RCA) 200k
Wiz Khalifa (Atlantic) 250k
Additionally, Ne-Yo (Def Jam/IDJ) moves to November. (8/28a)
SEPTEMBER SONGS, 9/25: There may be fewer releases on the second Super Tuesday of the month, but they’re likely to collectively outsell the batch above, led by neo-folk-rock avatars Mumford & Sons.
Green Day (Reprise) 150k
Lupe Fiasco (Atlantic) 150k
Mumford & Sons (Glassnote) 400k
No Doubt (Interscope) 175k
Cher Lloyd (Syco/Epic) Barbra Streisand (Columbia) and Diana Krall (Verve) all move to October. (8/28a)
Maschine MK2 Controller, Custom color kits, and Maschine stand
Native Instruments released information about the refreshed/updated Maschine MK2 controllers with the color pads, similar to Traktor F1, as well as new customization kit options and a new Maschine stand.
Beatmaking with iMaschine and Ableton Live – Making Music With Apps
‘Making Music with Apps’ series Danny J Lewis shows you how you can put together professional sounding tracks on the move. In this tutorial he starts off with the beatmaking using Native Instrument’s iMaschine.
This approach is all about making the most of the unique qualities of each app and recording the results into Ableton as audio clips. The advantage is that you are committing the sound that you have made to audio so there is no temptation to endlessly fiddle with the synth parameters or the intricacies of the midi patterns and you can get on with the task of arranging the parts to make that banging tune that your 8 bar loop had promised! http://www.pointblankonline.net/
UMPG extends worldwide publishing agreement with Darius Rucker
Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) has extended its worldwide publishing agreement with multi-platinum selling artist/songwriter Darius Rucker.
The agreement encompasses his forthcoming album as well as previous works, Learn to Live, and Charleston, SC 1966.
Kent Earls, executive vice president/general manager, UMPG Nashville said: “We’re thrilled to extend our already successful relationship with Darius Rucker.
“Darius has raised the bar with his upcoming album and we look forward to many more years of hit songs, including the newest single, True Believers.”
Rucker commented: “UMPG has been a partner from the beginning – since Learn To Live – and they are as passionate about my music as I am.
“For me, that’s what’s it’s all about. I can hardly wait to share this new music with the fans.”
Rucker’s platinum-selling debut album, Learn to Live (Capitol Records Nashville) went to No.5 on the Billboard 200 Top Albums chart and became No.1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums.
It produced three hit singles (Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It, It Won’t Be Like This For Long, and Alright) that reached No.1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. All of the songs were co-written by Rucker.
In 2009, he won top honors from the Country Music Association (CMA) including New Artist of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year at the Country Music Awards.
Rucker, managed by McGhee Entertainment, has sold over 25 million albums – both as a solo artist and as a member of the band Hootie & the Blowfish. [MusicWeek]
Liberty Media Raises Stake In SiriusXM Again To 48.8 Percent
John Malone’s Liberty Media continues to slowly raise its stake in Sirius XM Radio.
The satellite radio firm, led by CEO Mel Karmazin, reported in a regulatory filing late Tuesday that Liberty has bought additional stock to take its ownership from 48.1 percent to 48.8 percent.
It paid around $2.53 each for about 40 million shares in the roughly $100 million purchase.
The latest acquisition of Sirius shares by Liberty comes just weeks after the company’s most recent increase in its stake. Liberty management has said it plans to take control of Sirius, but has kept its options open for when and how.
Earlier this month, Liberty filed a second application with the FCC asking the agency for approval to take full control of Sirius by buying enough stock to take its stake to more than 50 percent.
Liberty management has signaled it could replace Sirius CEO Karmazin, whose contract expires at the end of the year, pay dividends, buy back stock and spin off its Sirius stake to Liberty investors once it takes control.
Digital Music Sales Expected To Grow 15%
Ovum also states they expect to “see high digital music growth in most regions across the globe, with exceptions being North America and Europe, where mobile music (ringback tones) is expected to actually decline by 5-7% (although this excludes unlicensed, non-music, and mobile subscriptions).”
“The decline in the growth rate of mobile music from previous forecasts is mainly due to the underperformance of ringback tones, the dominance of free ad-supported music, and data costs that are making over-the-air (OTA) mobile music less appealing to consumers,” said Ovum’s consumer telecoms analyst Mark Little.
Ovum concludes that the main driver of digital music in the forecast period will be subscriptions, due to it being “a format that can be easily bundled by service providers, as well as offered directly, resulting in increased penetration of subscriptions around the world”.
Ovum says the main driver of digital music will be subscriptions, due to it being “a format that can be easily bundled by service providers, as well as offered directly, resulting in increased penetration of subscriptions around the world.”
This comes as no suprise, as in western countries smartphones are utilized with subscription-based music services. However, Ovum states that telecommunications companies are helping to drive subscription growth with more mobile music bundles – pointing to significant growth in South & Central America, which have each seen over a 50% compound annual growth rate. [Allindstrom]
Sound Off with Peter Rosenberg from Hot97
“This ends when someone is no longer on the box, and I say that knowing it could be me.”
The NY Radio Wars have been heated all summer, and we felt it was necessary to hear from both sides of the FM dial. We sat down with Hot 97′s own Peter Rosenberg to discuss him landing the gig at WQHT, what happened at Summer Jam and the feud with Power 105.1. For more, log on to Allindstrom.com today. [Allindstrom]
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