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When Radio Attacks! 1

by Langston • Uncategorized • Tags: , , , ,

Entertainment website EUR Web is reporting that African-American based media-company Radio One has banned all of Matthew Knowles’ Music World related music from their 69 radio stations worldwide. The ban is the result of a lawsuit filed by Radio One’s sister corporation, TV One has against Knowles. Knowles’ gospel catalog (which includes Leandria Johnson, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, and Juanita Bynum)  has been removed from Radio One’s 12 gospel themes stations, while old music from Beyonce and Destiny’s Child have been yanked from their pop stations.

This situation is similar to the Houston 97.9 KBXX’s ban of Houston artist Trae the Truth. The Box, a Radio One station, banned Trae’s music after he made disparaging remarks about one of their DJs. In addition, The Box fired their own DJs for associating with him. This local radio banned significantly delayed the release of Trae’s forthcoming album, as his label refused to release the album without local radio support. In response, Trae sued 97.9 the Box for sabotaging his career. He eventually dropped the lawsuit.

As Fredara Mareva recently noted radio remains a powerful force in the music industry. Despite the presence of various forms of new media, radio is the key vehicle through music is mass disseminated. Bans, such as the ones imposed on Knowles and Trae, could have immensely damaging effects on the careers of artists and the vitality of labels. Despite the possible consequences, artists are not simply waving the white flag. In Houston, artists and fans responded to Trae’s banned by investing in independent and online radio stations. Even Matthew Knowles has noted that his ban has given him the opportunity to explore other media outlets. The power struggle between corporate radio and artists/labels can only help those outlets outside the commercial power structure.

Stay tuned for the outcome of the Radio One vs. Mathew Knowles drama.

5 Thoughts on PJ Morton Signing with Young Money Cash Money Billionaires 0

by Fredara Mareva • Uncategorized • Tags: ,

So yesterday, the very talented musician/songwriter/singer PJ Morton announced via his Twitter that he’d signed with Young Money Cash Money Billionaires. Now I won’t front like I’m his #1 fan, but I am familiar with his music and I root for his success. But, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that this deal gives me pause. Post pause these were my thoughts on it.

  1. Hopefully the New Orleans connection between Pj and YMCMB gives them a good understanding of each others. Since everybody is a N.O. seems like they should have a greater understanding of what the other party does well.
  2. PJ has an image problem. Lots of people incorrectly think he’s a gospel singer (it doesn’t help that his father is Bishop Paul S. Morton).
  3. Soul music fans are even worse than hip hop fans when it comes to policing associations. I don’t doubt that many PJ fans and the target audience for PJ’s music will react with skepticism, like “how you gonna sell me “Every Girl“  AND “The One?” The last thing either side wants to see is PJ singing hooks on Weezy songs or Cory Gunz verses on PJ songs. It’s a tricky balance that a company that is SO identified with a certain kind of music is going to have to adeptly navigate.
  4. YMCMB has been on an acquisition binge lately, so hopefully they’re implementing strategies that we don’t fully understand yet, but will make sense in the long run. Maybe
  5. These are the kinds of deals that could work. One thing YMCMB has excelled at is reinventing the “cash money” image and keeping its finger on the pulse of what’s hot. Unfortunately, one thing has repeatedly failed at is trying to branch out from its core pop hip hop sound.

So real talk. Against my reservations I’m rooting for this deal to yield positive results because if it does that can help raise profile (and profitability) of lots of other Black indie artists. YMCMB has the kind of money and resources that can help artists like PJ reach the next level. BUT the deal has to make sense and the music has to be fantastic. I just hope PJ gets to be PJ and do more than this:

Throwing Rocks at The Throne 0

by Langston • Uncategorized • Tags: , , , , ,

Soul singer Syl Johnson recently sued Kanye West, Jay-Z, Def Jam, and Universal, claiming that portions of his song “Different Strokes” was used on the Watch the Throne song “The Joy” without any clearance, credit, or compensation. According to Billboard Magazine, both Kanye and Jay will not admit that “The Joy” samples Johnson’s work. Much more interesting, however, is West’s lawyer’s suggestion that Johnson’s song may not be subject to federal copyright because it was recorded prior to 1972.

Prior to 1972, sound recordings were not subject to federal copyright law, but were regulated by state law and torts. The Sound Recording act of 1971 extended federal copyright protection to recordings fixed on or after February 15, 1972. According to the act, pre-1972 recordings, like Johnson’s, are not federally protected but remain governed by state common law and statutory provisions.

The federal copyright status of pre-1972 recordings continues to be the subject of much debate and conflict. Last year, Universal Music Group sued music streaming site Grooveshark over streams of its pre-1972 catalog. They argued that because this material was not under federal copyright regulation, then it could not be subject to DMCA safe harbor protection. In response, copyright attorney Joel Kellum created a list of 11 reasons why federal copyright does apply to pre-1972 music.  Kellum’s list, while compelling, offers nothing concrete.

If approached from this copyright angle, the Johnson/West case could have for reaching implications for musicians, labels, websites, and fans. What it highlights is the need for clear-cut, federal copyright legislation that governs all musics irrespective of production date.

Here is a pretty good article the Federalization of Pre-1972 Sound Recordings.

Radio is Dead. Long Live Radio. 1

by Fredara Mareva • Uncategorized • Tags: , , ,

Recently Arbitron (the organization that tracks radio ratings and rankings) released its annual December 2011 RADAR® 111 National Radio Listening Report. The report provides all kinds of useful stats, non moreso than this one. Radio, good old terrestrial radio, still reaches 93% of Americans over the age of 12.

Let that settle for s second.

That means despite the way damn near *everyone* complains about how crappy radio is we still listen to it. That means that if you’re an artist who isn’t getting radio airplay you’re probably *still* missing a chunk of your core fanbase. A graphic I’d really like to see is the overlap between radio listener and internet radio listeners. A breakdown of the time those listeners split between each would also be cool.

The report goes on to break down listenership by race and education level. Radio reaches 93% of African Americans and over 40 million Americans between 18-49 who are college educated. The biggest takeaway? Although internet music portals are plenty and are coming on strong, there’s still a helluva lot of work to do in order to permeate commercial radio’s stronghold.

Read more.

Spin’s Beautifully Complicated Hip Hop Industry 0

by Langston • Uncategorized • Tags: , , , ,

The above infographic was produced by Brandon Soderberg and Luke McCormick for Spin Magazine, with the goal of providing a visual guide of the increasingly complex hip hop industry landscape. While some of the labels are a tad on the corny side, I think it perfectly illuminates the magnitude and fragmentation of contemporary hip hop.

The artist placement is a bit perplexing, however. Aside from the stars, what makes one artist part of the industry and another in “The New Underground?” For instance, why are ASAP Rocky or El-P part of the industry while Das Racist and Big Krit are considered underground? An artist like Trae the Truth is essentially a regional artist who has a few big name friends. Does this make him part of the industry?

Based on what I see in this diagram, you basically have three categories in hip hop: Stars, Veterans, and Niche rappers. If each of the circles in this diagram represented a particular market, stars and veterans would each comprise a single circle and the rest would be the various niche markets present. There are many niches, and each offers opportunities to make consistent money. Non-stars should focus on solidifying and satisfying their niches before going for the gusto. Not everybody is going to be Jay-Z or even Wiz Khalifa, but there are efficient ways to make good money in the hip hop music industry.

Read more about this diagram here

Talented artist + savvy business person = success 0

by Fredara Mareva • Uncategorized

I once interviewed a former Motown executive who recounted a story with a memorable quote from Smokey Robinson.

Someone was talking to Smokey about the incomparable legacy of Motown and commenting on how Motown was successful because Detroit had all of this amazing talent. Smokey replied (and I’m paraphrasing here), every ghetto is full of Black kids who can sing and play, but what made Motown special is that we had Berry Gordy.

That’s the formula for success. Talent alone makes you makes you the featured soloist in your church choir, someone with business savvy and eye for opportunities is what makes you a superstar. If we’re 100% honest talent (unfortunately) isn’t even the priority in that occasion, the business part is. But business doesn’t have to be an 8-letter cuss word if there is a shared vision between artist and partner.

That’s why I like this Black Enterprise interview with T.I.’s manager/business partner Jason Geter. Handling T.I. can’t be an easy gig. I’m a huge Tip fan and he’s a nice guy in person, but his recent legal woes and prison stints make it hard to keep him marketable. (The era where the more times you’ve been shot, the more you sell is bygone.) But it’s commendable how T.I. has been able to sustain momentum while away and immediately regain momentum since his release from prison. Clearly T.I.’s media success is largely attributable to the hard work of Mr. Geter who’s been holding him down behind the scenes.

Read on

Spotify and the Indie Artist 1

by Langston • Uncategorized • Tags: , , ,

Independent artist (and game designer) Imphenzia wrote an interesting blog post about how Spotify fails to accomodate independent artists. Check it out here.

I recently asked an independent artist friend of mine whether he has considered Spotify as a possible marketing tool. He, like other indie hip hop artists, release tons of music for free, mainly through sites like Bandcamp and Reverbnation. A key drawback of this practice is that in order to expose the public to their music, artists must first drawn them to their webpages. This takes a web-saviness that the artists may or may not posses. Therefore, its possible that quality music may go unnoticed because the artist does not understand SEO.

On the surface, Spotify seems like a good solution to the aforementioned problem. If an independent artist were to put their music on Spotify, it would be immediately accessible to a worldwide audience. Rather than having to search for an artists bandcamp page, or navigate a complex website, all consumers have to do is search for artists names and click play. Because unfamiliar fans can listen for free (or virually free) they are more likely to take a risk and listen to a new artist. The indie artist’s music would be situated right along side that of major label artists in a primary music consumption vehicle, which adds an air of “legitimacy.”

Imphenzia, in his blog, argues that Spotify fails as a resource for indie artists. A key reason for this is the barrier of entry. Spotify requires that indie artists use aggregators to deliver their music. Aggregators, such as CDBaby or Record Union, are essentially digital distributors that package and deliver content to online retailers and streaming services. These aggregators typically have set up fees and take a percentage of any revenue generated.

I somewhat disagree with Imphenzia’s argument. Most aggregator fees are not that expensive and are a value considering the possible benefits. A 20-30 dollar setup fee and a small portion of download revenue  is worth the massive exposure. If indie artists looked at Spotify as a marketing tool and not as a retail vehicle, then they would see its true worth. Spending a little money on marketing can go a long way.

What Spotify really needs is a way to release free music, without having to deal with monetary considerations. Imphenzia’s suggestion that Spotify offer on-board controls for indie artists is a good one. Artists should be able to release free mixtapes and such without having to deal with aggregators.

Check out a list of music aggregators here.

Here is a guide to promoting music on Spotify.

Peace

Hello world! 2

by admin • Uncategorized

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Why Spotify Will Never Be Profitable 0

by Fredara Mareva • Uncategorized • Tags: , , , , ,

Great read from the folx over at hypebot:

In the article MP3.com founder, Michael Robertson, gets into how the big four three remaining record labels use their weighty leverage to squeeze all potential profitability out of streaming services such as Pandora, Spotify, Rdio, and others. As expected label lawyers use all kinds of complicated pricing models to charge streamers for content, high upfront costs, and mandatory music play reporting procedures to ensure their own continued profitability.

The truth is, I don’t blame the labels. They know that without access to their catalog, you Spotify/Rdio/Mog have absolutely NO business model. As much as I would like to see these services do even more to promote independent artists, I know full well that whatever meager profitability they get is going to be from the ability to provide The Beatles, Beyonce, and Beiber to the casual music fan. This is why, even as a paying Spotify customer who uses the service daily across several devices, I’m pessimistic about the company’s long-term prospects. The business model for these services must evolve. Lots of them rely on advertising revenue to help keep them afloat, but it’s going to take even more than that to maintain over the long haul. This is still a really young business area, so we’ll see how it continues to grow.

Read the full article here.

P.S. Spotify actually have access to The Beatles catalog (not surprising), I just like to use “The Beatles, Beyonce, and Beiber” to connote all things pop music.

 

 

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