What a fascinating time in the music industry and in American history. This week the US switches regimes and brings in a new president with Trump. The same man who has been having major issues putting together his inauguration entertainment. It's a thin list with even a Bruce Springsteen cover band pulling out. This looks like an issue he may be facing with many artists he wants to engage with in the next four years. Hopefully in that time we'll all be in a better place.Meanwhile, Barack Obama might become the new President of Playlists. A fun position created by Daniel Ek after Obama jokingly(?) asked to be part of the fast growing company. Seeing how so many artists connected with Obama it wouldn't be so far out of the question. In any case both the music industry and America are hoping for a better world in the next four years and as Martin Luther King Jr. said "The time is always right to do what is right."
BEATS
Music Streaming Is Bigger Than Netflix One of the more deflating facts about the size of the global music streaming business has been banished to history. Across the past half-decade, the total number of people paying to subscribe to audio music services has trailed behind those shelling out for just one TV and movie service – Netflix. (Tim Ingham - MBWW)
Gregory Maffei, chairman of SiriusXM, has told some shareholders this week that the satellite radio company is still interested in buying Pandora. (Josh Kosman and Claire Atkinson - NYPost)
Jimmy Iovine Addresses Apple Music Expansion ReportsApple plans to expand into original TV series and movies and Jimmy Iovine hinted at what that might look like. "At Apple Music, what we're trying to create is an entire cultural, pop cultural experience, and that happens to include audio and video." (Kate Stanhope - Hollywood Reporter)
YouTube Launches “Super Chat” To Help Musicians Make Money From Live StreamsYouTube launched "Super Chat," a new way for musicians and creators to earn money. But alongside today's launch, YouTube discontinued another fan funding feature. (Bruce Houghton - Hypebot)
The Inside Story of BitTorrent’s Bizarre CollapseThe story of how a group of valley outsiders blew through the company’s cash and nearly left it for dead as they squandered millions on failed schemes, putting the company on course for collapse. (Jessi Hempel - Back Channel)
New Contracts, Same SystemEven as licensing agreements change, artists’ share of royalties from Pandora’s ad-supported radio service, the company’s greatest generator of royalties, and the way artists receive those royalties will remain the same as they ever were. What has changed is the legal structure underpinning those royalties. (Glenn Peoples - Pandora)
As Michael Lynton Exits, Will Sony Double Down on Hollywood or Sell?Having quietly become chairman of Snapchat's owner Snap, Inc. in late December -- while holding his position at Sony -- Lynton is landing softly with a new role and a pile of stock in that company, which is expected to go public in the not-distant future. The question is, where does his departure leave Sony Entertainment, especially its film studio? (Kim Masters - Billboard)
BYTES
In this episode, Solange takes apart the song “Cranes in the Sky” from her critically acclaimed album.
Nike partners with FKA twigs as Creative Director for the new Zonal Strength Tights campaign.
Korg Gadget, an all-in-one iOS production studio mobile suite is heading to the desktop.
A future trap production that reminisces about the past through delicate hip-hop beats and shimmering synth lines.
This week's newsletter was carefully curated by our editor Matt Voyno. If you think we missed something this week or have any suggestions/comments for next week's newsletter, let us know!