All articles tagged with #independent artists
Paramore announces their decision to continue as independent artists after their contract with Atlantic Records ends, expressing excitement for a long career in the music industry. The band will serve as official Record Store Day ambassadors for 2024 and recently won two Grammy Awards. They also plan to perform at Lollapalooza Brasil and join Taylor Swift for the "Eras Tour."
The GRAMMY House event, "A Celebration Of Women In The Mix," brought together women from across the music industry to celebrate their achievements and address the ongoing need for gender parity. Keynote speaker Ty Stiklorius shared emotional stories and highlighted the challenges women face in the industry, while performances and panel discussions emphasized the importance of representation and support for women in music. The event also honored Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz at the Recording Academy Honors, and featured a panel on independent music, discussing the impact of AI and the challenges faced by independent artists in the music industry.
Ahead of the 66th GRAMMY Awards, GRAMMY U Representatives took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Crypto.com Arena to see the production process, while a panel discussed independent music at GRAMMY House. The 2024 GRAMMYs will feature a special In Memoriam segment honoring Tony Bennett, Sinead O'Connor, Clarence Avant, and Tina Turner, with performances by Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Jon Batiste, and Fantasia Barrino. Additionally, a video explores the bond between Davido and his creative director, Tycoone, and Victoria Monét's journey from hit songwriter to Best New Artist nominee at the 2024 GRAMMYs.
Small and independent music venues are struggling to keep ticket prices affordable as inflated operating costs eat into their profits. While larger venues have seen business return to pre-pandemic levels, smaller venues are still facing challenges. Operating costs have increased significantly, including expenses for beer, ice, and insurance. Additionally, the trend of younger music fans drinking less and the legalization of marijuana in many markets have impacted bar sales, a significant source of revenue for music venues. Venue owners are grappling with the difficult task of balancing marketing different acts, taking risks on newer performers, and adapting to changing economic landscapes. Many owners are in the business for the love of music and community, rather than making a lot of money, and they hope for more support and recognition at the state and private foundation levels.
Spotify is reportedly planning to pay even less in royalties to artists who don't already have a large number of streams. The streaming service is restructuring its royalty system and will de-monetize tracks that previously received 0.5% of Spotify's royalty pool. The new system will benefit more established artists and labels, as tracks will need to reach a minimum number of annual streams before generating royalties. Spotify also plans to penalize distributors and labels for "fraud" in uploaded tracks and impose minimum play-time requirements for non-music tracks. While major labels are likely to sign on, this change may discourage smaller labels and independent artists from keeping their music on Spotify, potentially widening the income gap between big stars and smaller acts.
CD Baby, an independent music distributor, has announced that it will no longer distribute physical products such as CDs, vinyl, cassette tapes, or DVDs. The company will continue to offer digital distribution services to platforms like Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music. Customers have 60 days to pay for their inventory to be returned before it will be recycled. CD Baby was one of the first internet-based retailers that focused on selling CDs for independent artists and was acquired in 2019 for $200 million by Downtown Music Holdings.