Monday Nov. 17th,
Thoughts from the CEO:
Dear Music Streaming Innovators, Thank you Spotify, SoundCloud, Pandora, Beats, YouTube, and Shazam. Thank you for all of my favorite features that your platform offers me. Thanks for bringing the new music business to life & supporting my favorite artists. Thanks especially for helping me discover some of the hottest new acts!I simply wonder: why can't you just do what my iTunes library does for me? I'm looking for a streaming platform that can offer me playlists, robust catalogs, exclusives, a remix culture, visuals, sharability, and a community to amplify it all. This may sound like a long laundry list - but not in the world we live in. I'm not asking for anything impossible, so why are we still stuck in a fragmented-solutions-offered time?It doesn't seem like there are any best of all worlds scenario and unfortunately, I can't share my iTunes library with you. Looking FWD to seeing how YouTube changes the game, once Music Key launches - but I won't hold my breathe. In other news, check out the newly premiered Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars' song “Uptown Funk”. Feels like an instant classic and I'm loving it!Also, catch me speaking at the Clive Davis Institute for @ThePhatStartup's 1st Tech808 Conference. Get 50% OFF by using the promo code: #BossUp.
CURRENT CONVERSATION: @
YOUTUBE
YouTube Unveils Music Streaming Service, A Potential Spotify-Slayer
via Video Ink
- Music Key allows users to listen to music, without having to suffer through ads- Will include offline mobile access, exclusive content, curated playlists & neatly-compiled albums
- Users will receive subscription to Google Play Music, featuring 30M+ songs
MUSIC
DJs Can Ditch Booking Agents & Get Direct Gigs [Exclusive]via GigWax
- Paltform acts as marketplace for hosts and artists in a simple, digitalized manner
- DJ’s can view events looking for music & apply directly. Hosts can view DJ’s that applied, sample their music and hire!
- Future plans include ability to browse DJ profiles and a direct messaging system. Plus, it’s FREE.
TECH
Spotify Axes App Finder, Kills Soundrop & Its Listening Rooms
via Tech Crunch
- Soundrop, makers of popular group listening rooms, is shutting down - All efforts will be focused on Show.co, a marketing platform that was developed as a by-product of the success of those listening rooms- Company focused on embedding service in wider world, and expand presence in the face of new challenges
42 Major Artists Threaten to Boycott YouTube
- Irving Azoff threatens to remove 42 superstar-level artists (roughly 20K songs)
- Azoff started Global Music Rights, says "The way fans listen to music is evolving daily”- GMR combats abysmal royalties being paid to publishers, songwriters & artists by online heavyweights
Ubers WIll Soon Stream Passenger-Controlled Spotify Music
via Venture Beat
- How does it work? Request a car and your tunes will play via car speakers. - #SpotifyYourRide: Premium Spotify account ($9.99/mo) required to participate.- "Your driver, Uber, paces your life to the sound of Spotify" - Found in a 10 month old video, confirming partnership
Highlights From SF Music Tech Summit
via SF Station
- 16th edition of this summit took place with musicians, industry professionals, sound engineers and all types of music entrepreneurs - Speakers included 8tracks' David Porter, Bandcamp's Ethan Diamond and Pandora's Lars Murray- Builds community, gives fan experiences like meet-and-greet, signings and special
pops
Daniel Glass & Many More Discuss Launch of YouTube Music
via Billboard
- 7 reactions from the industry's most powerful players- INgrooves CEO calls for YouTube to rectify injustice: "[They are] responsible for more than 70% of consumption & less than 3% of revenue."- Daniel Glass excited about option for higher end quality audio
EDC Injects Nearly $1B into Local Economy of Nevada
- EDC boosted economy by an estimated $337.8 million, approaching the $1 billion dollar mark since it was forced to relocate in 2011
- Over 400K in attendance, almost 90% of attendees brought a friend and would recommend it again- Plans for the 19th annual EDC and its return to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be announced tomorrow
The Future of UI: More Like Listening To Music
via Giga OM
- Computing could become omnipresent & sophisticated enough that it recedes into background and only emerges when needed - Like music, it would be always available in the background, able to turn up or down on demand and consumed while user is multi-tasking- "If tech is more natural and less intrusive, it could help enable human connections and relationships"