In Spotify era, many musicians struggle to make a living
Making a living in the industry is increasingly hard for most songwriters and musicians in the streaming era. Royalties tend to be meager, while many say concerts produce less revenue.
Recordings
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John Mellencamp still has plenty of fight left in him
Now, at age 70, after a lifetime of speaking his mind, the Indiana artist doesn’t hesitate to name his adversaries.
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Vinyl record plants struggle to keep up with resurgent demand
Although online streaming accounts for most music-industry revenue, vinyl pressing plants can’t keep up with the renewed desire for records—the format considered obsolete after the rise of compact discs in the late 1980s.
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Album, CD business booms for one firm, even as streaming grows
Over the last decade, streaming sites and compressed file-sharing technologies such as MP3 have chased most “physical” media from the forefront of the audio and video recording industries. But Chip Viering sees that as an opportunity.
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Articles
Global Beatles Day: A holiday founded with love in Indianapolis
Since 2009, Indianapolis resident Faith Cohen has led a grassroots effort to prop up the most popular rock band in history.
Big screen Michael Jackson
“This Is It” hits theaters today for an alleged limited run. Will you be there?
Does anyone miss music mags?
Slate has an interesting piece running about the death of music magazines. Writer Jonah Weiner points to the folding of Vibe and Blender, lay-offs at Spin, and staff cuts at Rolling Stone. He further notes te notes the challenges faced in covering music…
NYC pt. 1: Road plays
For the next few posts, I’ll be logging in from New York City, where I’m on a multi-tasking trip that includes a trio (at least) of Broadway shows to review. I also will be reporting from BookExpo America, the publishers/booksellers…
Mellencamp on today’s music biz
Over at the Huffington Post, John Mellencamp has gone on at length about the state of the music business today.
Some excerpts:
–“Sadly, these days, it’s really a matter of ‘every man for himself.’ In terms of possibilities, we are but…
The incredible shrinking diva
“Traditionally, it isn’t over until the fat lady sings. But it seems it will soon be over for the singing fat lady.”
So opens a piece in The London newspaper The Independent concerning the slimmer and fitter brand of opera…
Latest B’way cast recordings
With a new season starting on Broadway, I thought it a good time to give a listen to a stack of cast recordings of 2007/2008 shows. More than the original production, I believe, the cast recording is what encourages future…