Bits & Bytes 7/7

INFLUENCING EMERGING MUSIC TECH CULTURE

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THIS WEEK IN MUSIC x TECH

JULY 7, 2015

Now that the dust has settled after Apple Music’s start last week, people are beginning to notice the great (and the not so great) things about the service. 

Apple’s Beats Radio station was a great move on Apple’s part. By announcing new Beats curators like Soulection and Dr. Dre, Apple can tap into these artists’ fanbases for their own service. Some other factors that give Apple a leg up on the competition are its incredible music recommendation service and the combination of Apple Music with user’s old iTunes libraries.

But not everything is going according to plan for Apple. A lot of Apple Music’s features feel clunky compared to Spotify’s streamlined interface. Artists are having a hard time figuring out how to upload music to Apple Music profiles, and users are having a hard time figuring out how to even make the upgrade to Apple Music on iTunes. But knowing Apple, it’s only a matter of time before they turn the service around into a smoothly functioning powerhouse. It doesn’t seem like Apple Music has released the streaming service to kill Spotify, but still, only time will tell.

-Jesse K // CEO, NUE Agency

There are already a lot of services similar to Apple Music, and they all have their own unique feature set. In order to make Apple Music big, Apple needs to lure users who’ve been using competing services for years and have accumulated a large collection of music on the service.

While Apple Music is still a long way from being perfect, there are a few things the service manages to do even better than Spotify - find out here! 

Warning to DJs and music fans: iTunes 12.2 can corrupt your music library. If you're considering upgrading to the latest version of iTunes, rethink or upgrade with extreme caution. More details here! 

Indie music bible the NME will soon be given away free after 63 years. And sadly, music will saly be downgraded as their focus moving forward, in hopes of becoming more influential. 

No more New Music Tuesdays, for one. Experts say the move to a standardized release is more logical in a music industry increasingly driven by digital sales and streaming. Find out why it's now Friday!

Facebook just launched a video monetization program for creators and soon will be running a test program to bring music videos chosen by the labels to news feeds. Ad rev splits would be 55/45. 

GiggedIn offers services to help event organizers & artists engage fans to maximize their chances of selling out shows. Here's exactly why this company just raised half a million dollas. 

Music roducers not only help capture the sound in the studio but they are also discovering new talent and developing the artist's sound. It's important for them to understand their relationship and rights.