Hulu’s new virtual reality music docu-series has arrived, and the premiere episode is an immersive glimpse into the world of rap star Lil Wayne. The series, called “On Stage,” debuted Thursday through the streaming service’s VR app. Episodes can also be viewed traditionally on Hulu. In the premiere episode, Wayne takes cameras along as he…
How 6LACK Went From Atlanta Battle Rapper To Budding Superstar
It’s not easy for young artists to stand out. Great music is the first requirement, but it also takes something else—something beyond just the music—to makes fans gravitate towards an artist. In 2017, a personal connection has become a necessity as well. By looking at the rabid fanbase he’s amassed (his recent No Ceilings show with Pigeons…
‘TRADITIONAL MUSIC PUBLISHING DOESN’T HELP ARTISTS AT A CERTAIN LEVEL’
A decade ago, Sentric Music founder Chris Meehan was studying at Liverpool’s Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) – while trying to make a decent fist of chaperoning the careers of local bands. One day, he got hold of the publishing contract of one of his acts – and it blew his mind. “We looked through…
How To Use Pandora AMP To Score 50,000 Video Views In 3 Days
This is a story about how my band Smalltown Poets used artist data to leverage success for our music. Over the course of five days, a simple video post on Facebook netted us over 55,000 views, 806 shares, 500 new followers, 150 song downloads, 20 album downloads, and thousands of streams on Spotify and Apple Music. It was so simple! There was…
LIVE NATION ACQUIRES LYTHAM FESTIVAL OWNER CUFFE & TAYLOR
The business, which was founded in 2009 by Daniel Cuffe and Peter Taylor, is focused on festivals and promoting artists in novel and non-traditional outdoor venues. Michael Rapino, Live Nation Entertainment President and CEO, said: “Our mission at Live Nation has never been clearer. We want to connect fans with the artists they love,…
Who Really Benefits From Competition in Music Streaming?
Let’s talk about business for a minute, or more specifically, competition within it. Let’s define competition in business like we’re writing the introduction to a boring high school graduation speech: the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines competition (as it relates to business and economics) as “the effort of two or more parties acting independently to secure…
Sprint Purchases 33 Percent Stake in Jay Z’s Tidal
Nearly two years after first denying a rumored investment, Sprint has announced its acquisition of a 33 percent stake in Jay Z‘s competitive streaming service Tidal. The partnership will provide Sprint’s 45 million customers with “unlimited access” to exclusive artist content. Anyone with a preexisting Tidal subscription, meanwhile, will experience no change in their service. “Sprint shares our…
Alex da Kid Re-Ups His Label With Universal Music Group
In the five years since Alex Da Kid launched KidInAKorner in partnership with Interscope Records, the British-born, Grammy-nominated producer (real name: Alexander Grant) has landed nine songs in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and five top 10s — among them “Love the Way You Lie” by Eminem (featuring Rihanna) and Imagine Dragons‘ “Radioactive,” reaching Nos. 1 and 3, respectively. Universal…
How To Use Soundcloud To Drive iTunes Sales
[Editor’s Note: This blog was written by Janelle Rogers, the founder of Green Light Go Publicity, a music PR firm which helps up-and-coming musicians reach their audience.] There’s no doubt that convincing fans and music listeners to buy music in 2017 can be an uphill battle. For nearly 20 years the music consumer has been conditioned into downloading…
