Author: Stuart Dredge

Snapchat gets virtual artist merch with Bitmoji ‘band tees’

Snap has announced the launch of ‘Band Tees’ within Snapchat: virtual t-shirts based on artists, starting with six Republic Records acts.
The post Snapchat gets virtual artist merch with Bitmoji ‘band tees’ appeared first on Music Ally.
Source: Music ally

Black Music Action Coalition publishes its latest industry report card

US-based campaigning organisation the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) has published its latest ‘Music Industry Action Report Card’.
The post Black Music Action Coalition publishes its latest industry report card appeared first on Music Ally.
Source: Music ally

Roblox financials reveal it now has 66.1m daily active users

It’s quarterly financials time for games platform Roblox, and its latest figures are very good.
In the first quarter of 2023, Roblox averaged 66.1 million daily active users, and those people spent 14.5bn hours on its service.
The post Roblox financials reveal it now has 66.1m daily active users appeared first on Music Ally.
Source: Music ally

Freshsound raises €2m for its self-serve sync licensing service

Swedish startup Freshsound launched its sync licensing platform in 2021, with the aim of helping clients in advertising, films, TV and games to speed up the process of clearing commercial tracks.
Having raised a €1.3m pre-seed funding round in 2022, now it has closed another round: €2m.
The post Freshsound raises €2m for its self-serve sync licensing service appeared first on Music Ally.
Source: Music ally

‘Leaked’ Frank Ocean tracks were actually an AI-generated scam

Here’s more evidence for our theory that the real problem with generative AI is what humans choose to do with it.
In this case, what someone chose to do was to create a bunch of deepfaked Frank Ocean tracks, claim they were leaks of real recordings, and sell them in an underground music collectors community for thousands of dollars.
The post ‘Leaked’ Frank Ocean tracks were actually an AI-generated scam appeared first on Music Ally.
Source: Music ally

WMG boss Kyncl talks streaming payouts and generative AI

Two topics loomed large in Warner Music Group’s quarterly earnings call yesterday. First, CEO Robert Kyncl’s views on current payout models in music streaming, and second, his thoughts on the impact generative AI will have on WMG, its artists and the wider music industry.
The post WMG boss Kyncl talks streaming payouts and generative AI appeared first on Music Ally.
Source: Music ally

Talking recorded music’s growth in 2022: ‘Emerging markets led the way’

This afternoon sees the publication of the IFPI’s Global Music Report: the annual assessment of how the recorded music industry is growing.
The post Talking recorded music’s growth in 2022: ‘Emerging markets led the way’ appeared first on Music Ally.
Source: Music ally

AI startup whose chatbot mimics Billie Eilish and Kanye West valued at $1bn

It’s been a busy messaging morning for Music Ally. “Who even are you lol?” asked Billie Eilish, before asking us for recommendations.
The post AI startup whose chatbot mimics Billie Eilish and Kanye West valued at $1bn appeared first on Music Ally.
Source: Music ally

Creative AI’s next big discussion: art, plagiarism, and copyright

Today Music Ally published its newest Sandbox Guide to Creative AI, which looks at how musicians and their teams can use AI as part of their marketing and content strategies, and in their creative processes. But alongside these exciting creative possibilities are some complicated – and as yet not fully answered – questions. What is the nature of artistry when using […]
The post Creative AI’s next big discussion: art, plagiarism, and copyright appeared first on Music Ally.
Source: Music ally

EC narrows its Apple music-streaming investigation to ‘anti-steering’ issues

The European Commission launched a pair of formal antitrust investigations of Apple in June 2020. Now there’s a development.
The post EC narrows its Apple music-streaming investigation to ‘anti-steering’ issues appeared first on Music Ally.
Source: Music ally

Music awards meet blockchain tokens for Universal Music Germany

Artists have been collecting physical awards for their sales (and now streams) achievements since the 1950s: gold, platinum, diamond etc. Now Universal Music Germany is adding a digital twist to the idea. It is working with German industry body BVMI and web3 startup Twelve x Twelve on a scheme that will complement (not replace) the […]
The post Music awards meet blockchain tokens for Universal Music Germany appeared first on Music Ally.
Source: Music ally

David Lowery raises the alarm over state-level ticketing bills

Musician, professor and artists’ rights campaigner David Lowery has raised the alarm about a draft bill in the US state of Georgia focusing on ticketing fees. “Simply a Trojan horse bill that seems to limit artist fan clubs, indie venues and others to sell face value non-transferable tickets to fans,” is how he described it […]
The post David Lowery raises the alarm over state-level ticketing bills appeared first on Music Ally.
Source: Music ally

Reservoir and PopArabia sue Anghami over publishing dispute

Middle Eastern music streaming service Anghami is being sued by Reservoir Media and PopArabia for copyright infringement. According to Billboard, the lawsuit was filed in Abu Dhabi just before Christmas, but has only come to light now. It names 12 works that the publishers believe are being infringed, with a mixture of international and Arabic […]
The post Reservoir and PopArabia sue Anghami over publishing dispute appeared first on Music Ally.
Source: Music ally

Bad Bunny had the biggest album but 2022 was big for K-Pop too

Last week, the IFPI crowned Taylor Swift as the top artist of 2022 globally, while announcing that Harry Styles had the biggest single of the year. The state was set for a battle between the two for the body’s final award: top album, right?. Not quite. Enter Bad Bunny, making history by becoming the first […]
The post Bad Bunny had the biggest album but 2022 was big for K-Pop too appeared first on Music Ally.
Source: Music ally