Merck Mercuriadis on Kanye West: 'I'll help him whenever he needs my help'

Plus some bold predictions about the likes of Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran, Beyonce, Bieber etc.

https://www.musicweek.com/publishing/read/merck-mercuriadis-on-kanye-west-i-ll-help-him-whenever-he-needs-my-help/084087

Are We at the Dawn of A&R Data Wars?

https://music-tomorrow.com/2021/07/are-we-at-the-dawn-of-ar-data-wars/

TikTok Royalties : How are they calculated?

https://www.horusmusic.global/tiktok-royalties-how-are-they-calculated/

How YouTube Serves 2B Monthly Music Users Without Human-Curated Playlists

https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/streaming/9588627/youtube-music-algorithm-curation-explained/

What is Spotify popularity index?

https://help.chartmetric.com/en/articles/1560578-what-is-spotify-popularity-index

How a 22-year-old CEO built a TikTok empire with Gen Z media brand Flighthouse

https://www.businessinsider.com.au/flighthouse-ceo-tiktok-empire-create-music-group-2021-5

How TikTok Chooses Which Songs Go Viral

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-22/how-to-go-viral-on-tiktok-like-megan-thee-stallion-play-the-app-s-game

Glass Animals: How Heat Waves became the ultimate sleeper hit

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-56667366

Anonymous Songwriters Group Calls for Artists to Stop Demanding Royalties for Songs They Didn’t Write

https://variety.com/2021/music/news/songwriters-group-artists-stop-taking-royalties-pact-1234939379/

24kGoldn Became a Pandemic Pop Star. Now Comes the Real-World Test.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/23/arts/music/24kgoldn-el-dorado.html

Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding on the move away from traditional verse chorus structure in songwriting

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/03/14/opinion/pop-music-songwriting.html

HOW MANY ARTISTS ARE GENERATING $50K+ A YEAR ON SPOTIFY? OVER 13,000. Loud & Clear.

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/how-many-artists-are-generating-more-than-50k-a-year-on-spotify-over-13000/

Which Artists Have Earned the Most From Spotify?

 https://www.accrediteddebtrelief.com/blog/which-artists-have-earned-the-most-from-spotify/

how TikTok turned into a viral pop star factory

https://www.vice.com/en/article/akdpb5/tiktok-viral-musicians

How much do I earn per stream on Spotify?

https://www.igroovemusic.com/blog/wie-viel-erhalte-ich-pro-stream-auf-spotify.html?lang=en

WTF is an NFT? Allow Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda to explain

https://www.inputmag.com/culture/linkin-park-mike-shinoda-happy-endings-nft-interview

How much TikTok influencers can earn from song promotions, according to 2 music marketers

https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-music-marketers-explain-pay-rates-for-influencer-campaigns-2020-12

Wolfgang Boss interview

https://variety.com/2021/music/news/hvme-goosebumps-travis-scott-flip-wolfgang-boss-1234908312/

MERCK MERCURIADIS FACES THE FUTURE… AND STARES DOWN HIS CRITICS

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/merck-mercuriadis-faces-the-future-and-stares-down-his-critics/

What You Can Learn From Russ Sharing His Income Statements

https://www.rootnote.co/what-you-can-learn-from-russ-sharing-his-income-statements/

The Dark Side Of Spotify

https://youtu.be/whQ8UBoz-To

Equitable streaming payments and unintended consequences on artist income

https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2021/02/equitable-streaming-payments-and-unintended-consequences-on-artist-income-mark-mulligan.html

The Weeknd on the Crew That Boosted Him From 'Basically Homeless' to the Super Bowl

https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/9516909/the-weeknd-xo-records-billboard-cover-story-interview-2021/

music industry terms by Kindness

https://www.notion.so/MUSIC-INDUSTRY-TERMS-by-Kindness-8b7a605239b44067ba371531aeff34a8

good stuff on the economics of streaming from Bob Lefsetz and one of the Presidents of the United States of America

https://lefsetz.com/wordpress/2021/01/14/streaming-2/

https://lefsetz.com/wordpress/2021/01/19/mailbag-21/

'We've Never Seen Anything Like This': Spotify Reacts to Olivia Rodrigo's Record-Breaking 'Drivers License'

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9511182/olivia-rodrigo-spotify-hit-success/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily&utm_term=daily_digest


https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/olivia-rodrigo-drivers-license-song-drama-sabrina-carpenter-joshua-bassett?fbclid=IwAR2Aq0ceWH2_N3Zv5EkXE2JudOczu2p2y9rQu3kt6H0UO908VDsvAyU5uAs

The 2021 State Of Pop Address by Chris DeVille

https://www.stereogum.com/2112006/the-2021-state-of-pop-address/columns/the-week-in-pop/

Spotify Wrapped Was Developed By An Intern In 3 Months

https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2020/12/spotify-wrapped-was-developed-by-an-intern-in-3-months.html

Variety's list of 2020 hitmakers

https://variety.com/lists/hitmakers-2020-full-list/ben-mawson-and-ed-millett/

MEET RICKY DESKTOP, THE MOST VIRAL BEATMAKER ON TIKTOK

https://www.theverge.com/21504619/ricky-desktop-tiktok-beat-creator-interview-musician-viral-hits

More Than 18,000 Musicians Are Demanding a Penny Per Stream from Spotify

https://www.vice.com/en/article/k7awev/union-of-musicians-want-penny-per-stream-from-spotify?utm_source=sendinblue&utm_campaign=17_November_2020_-_Full__Trial&utm_medium=email

The intersectional style guide

https://medium.com/@yasminlajoie/the-intersectional-style-guide-679b2bf02fc1

SPOTIFY IS LETTING RECORD LABELS INFLUENCE PERSONALIZED RECOMMENDATIONS… SO LONG AS THEY PAY FOR IT IN ROYALTIES

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/spotify-is-letting-record-labels-influence-personalized-recommendations-so-long-as-they-pay-for-it-in-royalties/

BTS’s Loyal Army of Fans Is the Secret Weapon Behind a $4 Billion Valuation

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/14/business/bts-ipo.html

Daniel Ek interview about his leadership style

https://www.theobservereffect.org/daniel.html

Pay-for-Play Was Banned From Radio -- But Texts Reveal It May Still Be Thriving

https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/features/pay-for-play-radio-texts-1067691/?curator=MusicREDEF

What "Record Deal Simulator" is really telling us

https://www.patreon.com/posts/what-record-deal-42247525

How BTS and Its ARMY Could Change the Music Industry

https://variety.com/2020/music/asia/bts-fans-army-music-industry-1234786977/

includes Lyrah's per-stream rate for Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal and others

https://www.patreon.com/posts/42108049

Pete Ganbarg interview

https://celebrityaccess.com/2020/09/25/interview-atlantic-atcos-pete-ganbarg/

Anthony Hamer-Hodges summarises and estimates royalties for Kanye's record deals

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1BjKbaQqzWv5eFmA4kvdw2dH9j3IJwyMJ4qJmaqxEYvk/edit#gid=1193077322

Record deal simulator

https://dealsim.createos.app/

TikTok has been saved. But for music, is that a good thing?

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-09-23/tiktok-streaming-video-trump-ritt-momney?curator=MusicREDEF

Kanye West’s War Against Record Contracts Could Actually Work — for Kanye, Anyway

https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/features/kanye-west-universal-masters-war-1064225/

Secrets of K-Pop and the Korean Music Industry With Bernie Cho, Part 1

https://blog.chartmetric.com/k-pop-korean-music-industry-bernie-cho-part-1/

is it a good (Spotify) playlist?

https://www.isitagoodplaylist.com/

Will Hipgnosis actually work?

https://mailchi.mp/cheriehu/hipgnosis?e=c236e1e965&curator=MusicREDEF

Is Spotify killing the top 40?

https://qz.com/1899097/is-spotify-killing-the-top-40/

5 GOLDEN RULES OF SONGWRITING – FROM STEVE MAC

 https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/5-golden-rules-of-songwriting-from-steve-mac/

Inside TikTok’s Hidden Hit Machine

 https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/features/tiktok-music-industry-hits-1043154/

BTS’S DYNAMITE TOPPED 12.6M STREAMS ON SPOTIFY ON DAY ONE – BUT 4.9M OF THEM WERE DISCOUNTED FROM ITS CHART

 https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/btss-dynamite-topped-12-6m-streams-on-spotify-on-day-one-but-4-9m-of-them-were-erased-from-its-chart/

What will Trump’s TikTok ban mean for music?

 https://thefortyfive.com/opinion/what-will-trumps-tiktok-ban-mean-for-music/

Spotify's Pollen playlist gets 20,000 submissions a week!

 https://www.complex.com/music/2020/08/spotify-successful-playlist-made-pollen?curator=MusicREDEF

You Have a TikTok Hit! Now, Quick — Change the Title

 https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/features/tik-tok-hits-changing-titles-983383/

Richard Russell has done so many interviews recently, but they're all worth reading, and they all say something different

 https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/richard-russell-its-alright-to-feel-fear-so-long-as-you-ignore-it/

DITTO MANAGEMENT ON GOING TOP 5 IN THE UK: ‘WE’RE NOT IN THE OLD SCHOOL MUSIC INDUSTRY CLUB – WE’VE GOT DATA INSTEAD!’

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/ditto-management-on-going-top-5-in-the-uk-were-not-in-the-old-school-music-industry-club-weve-got-data-instead/

Spotify's provider directory of preferred distributors

https://artists.spotify.com/directory/distribution

When Roy LaManna founded Vydia in 2013, he had a simple elevator pitch: like TuneCore, but for video.

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/vydia-roy-lamanna-this-new-generation-of-managers-dont-know-the-rules-and-therefore-dont-abide-by-the-rules/

TikTok turned his song into a creepy meme — until fans took it back

https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/18/21329534/absofacto-daddy-daughter-pov-meme-csa-abuse-response

Curtis Waters, TikTok king: 'There are no gatekeepers to the industry anymore'

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jul/19/curtis-waters-is-the-next-big-thing-in-pop-thanks-to-a-music-clip-on-tiktok

TikTok Breaks Big Hits, But It’s Still Struggling to Break Big Stars

https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/features/tiktok-one-hit-wonders-1028449/?curator=MusicREDEF

The TikTok War

https://stratechery.com/2020/the-tiktok-war/

A comprehensive guide to TikTok’s biggest hits

https://thefortyfive.com/opinion/tiktoks-biggest-hits/

Moe Shalazi interview

https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/features/moe-shalizi-marshmello-music-business-profile-1025357/?curator=MusicREDEF

Brian Lee interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/when-it-comes-to-songwriting-im-like-you-dont-know-my-pain-so-get-the-hell-out-of-here/

Head of Songwriter and Publishing Relations Jules Parker Explains How Spotify Is Bringing Behind-the-Scenes Creators Into the Spotlight

https://newsroom.spotify.com/2020-07-08/head-of-songwriter-and-publishing-relations-jules-parker-explains-how-spotify-is-bringing-behind-the-scenes-creators-into-the-spotlight/

pop music is getting faster and happier

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53167325

Songwriters Are Already Fighting For Better Pay. But in 2021, They Face an Even Bigger Battle against Spotify and Amazon

https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/features/songwriters-spotify-amazon-crb-royalties-war-1015116/?fbclid=IwAR18CHEUjc9s4_CRJx69Va4KNtCU7dK5Kc1s2uSLmWQq99gh0JeW1CklztU

Artists are Learning How it Feels to be a Songwriter

https://www.midiaresearch.com/blog/artists-are-learning-how-it-feels-to-be-a-songwriter/

One Month Anniversary of Buying Plays

https://alecbowman.com/2020/06/04/one-month-anniversary-of-buying-plays/

Why Apple's Platoon Is Offering African Artists Advances — and Healthcare

https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/9387691/apple-platoon-denzyl-feigelson-interview 

“THE SITUATION IS EXISTENTIAL”: HOW THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IS AFFECTING MUSIC ROYALTIES

https://www.synchtank.com/blog/the-situation-is-existential-music-royalties-in-a-pandemic/

TikTok Statistics – Updated May 2020

https://wallaroomedia.com/blog/social-media/tiktok-statistics/

MoZella interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/mozella-i-got-crumbled-into-little-pieces-and-then-i-rebuilt-and-through-the-rebuilding-i-became-a-lot-more-fearless/

Scooter Braun interview

https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/scooter-braun-interview-2020?curator=MusicREDEF

Tha Lights Global interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/podcast/since-2018-theres-been-three-crazy-deals-in-the-record-business-i-did-two-of-them/

This Is How Much YouTube Paid Me for My 1,000,000 Viewed Video

https://onezero.medium.com/this-is-how-much-youtube-paid-me-for-my-1-000-000-viewed-video-1453cad73847

At Work With Justin Lubliner, the Twenty-Something Who Signed Billie Eilish

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/justin-lubliner-billie-eilish-at-work-987311/

GLOBAL SPOTIFY CHART STREAMS ROSE 3% LAST WEEK – BUT FELL AGAIN IN THE UNITED STATES

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/global-spotify-chart-streams-rose-3-last-week-but-fell-again-in-the-united-states/

2019-2020 Streaming Price Bible : YouTube is STILL The #1 Problem To Solve

https://thetrichordist.com/2020/03/05/2019-2020-streaming-price-bible-youtube-is-still-the-1-problem-to-solve/?curator=MusicREDEF

Spotify's head of music explains playlisting

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dannyross1/2020/03/02/spotifys-head-of-music-explains-playlisting/#51bbf65823a2

Engineering A Hit: What Makes Songs Viral on TikTok?

https://medium.com/@ogochukwuakamelu/engineering-a-hit-what-makes-songs-viral-on-tiktok-84e57be7aa5

How Do You Get a Hit Song? Spotify Says to Pitch It

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/spotify-artists-playlist-submission-958384/?curator=MusicREDEF

How many users do Spotify, Apple Music and other big music streaming services have?

https://musically.com/2020/02/19/spotify-apple-how-many-users-big-music-streaming-services/

A YEAR AFTER TRYING TO CUT SONGWRITERS’ PAY, SPOTIFY BOOSTS WRITER VISIBILITY WITH LAUNCH OF PAGES FEATURE

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/a-year-after-trying-to-cut-songwriters-pay-spotify-boosts-writer-visibility-with-launch-of-pages-feature/

WHY A TIP JAR ON SPOTIFY IS A BAD IDEA

https://8sided.blog/why-a-tip-jar-on-spotify-is-a-bad-idea/

the marketing genius of Lil Nas X

https://marketingexamples.com/viral/lil-nas-x

Spotify: in tune

https://ftalphaville.ft.com/2020/02/05/1580911793000/Spotify--in-tune/

Voisey is the TikTok for music creation

https://musically.com/2020/01/27/music-ally-startup-files-voisey-is-the-tiktok-for-music-creation/

Make some noise, India! Western bands are looking to Asia to advance their careers

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/make-some-noise-india-western-bands-are-looking-to-asia-to-advance-their-careers-n7kxv2j2m

In 2019, Producer Management Was a Booming Music Business

https://variety.com/2019/music/news/music-producer-songwriter-management-top-companies-1203451660/

Five ways music changed in the 2010s

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-51061099

The Man Who’s Spending $1 Billion to Own Every Pop Song: interview with Merck Mercuriadis

https://marker.medium.com/the-man-whos-spending-1-billion-to-own-every-pop-song-75df0024155b

'Do something weird that works on TikTok': how to write a pop smash in 2020

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jan/03/do-something-weird-that-works-on-tiktok-how-to-write-a-pop-smash-in-2020

Ellie Goulding and Billie Eilish Are Streaming’s New Normal

https://musicindustryblog.wordpress.com/2020/01/03/ellie-goulding-and-billie-eilish-are-streamings-new-normal/

review of Playlist Push

https://www.edmsauce.com/2019/12/19/is-playlist-push-legit/

Estranged From Mariah Carey, ‘All I Want for Christmas’ Co-Writer Calls No. 1 ‘Bittersweet’

https://variety.com/2019/music/news/mariah-carey-all-i-want-for-christmas-co-writer-walter-afanasieff-interview-1203447527/

Brandon Creed interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/brandon-creed-real-artists-are-breaking-very-big-very-fast-because-theres-a-thirst-for-superstars/

interview with Lorem's Spotify playlist curator

https://www.complex.com/pigeons-and-planes/2019/12/lorem-spotify-playlist?curator=MusicREDEF

Simon Dunmore interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/defected-is-not-a-record-label-anymore-were-much-more-than-that/

Elliot Grainge interview

https://variety.com/2019/music/features/elliot-grainge-10k-projects-tekashi-6ix9ine-trippie-redd-1203423051/

The making of Ariana Grande's Thank U Next with Social House

https://genius.com/videos/The-making-of-ariana-grande-s-thank-u-next-with-social-house-tbhits?curator=MusicREDEF

watch Lizzo make 'Juice'

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/23/arts/music/lizzo-juice.html?curator=MusicREDEF

‘The best way to ensure nobody ever hears your music is to release it’: Warner Music’s Scott Cohen

https://themusicnetwork.com/scott-cohen-keynote/?fbclid=IwAR1nqcMxtIs_62K1YsEs4JJKhMCfU3buva8EEVxSVIex_LBl_3LWqD5DiQo

Why Spotify May Soon Have a Big TikTok Problem

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/spotifys-tiktok-problem-916871/

SPOTIFY EXECS PRAISE TIKTOK OWNER’S NEW SPOTIFY RIVAL… WHILE TRASHING APPLE AND AMAZON MUSIC’S REACH

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/spotify-execs-praise-tiktok-owners-new-spotify-rival-while-trashing-apple-and-amazon-musics-reach/

The Anatomy of a Tik Tok hit

https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/the-anatomy-of-a-tiktok-hit/?curator=MusicREDEF

CAN AWAL PROMOTE ARTISTS ON US RADIO AS EFFECTIVELY AS A MAJOR LABEL?

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/can-awal-promote-artists-on-us-radio-as-effectively-as-a-major-label/

why streaming could really do with a Disney + insurgent

https://musicindustryblog.wordpress.com/2019/11/05/why-music-streaming-could-really-do-with-a-disney/?curator=MusicREDEF

Katie Vinten interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/the-songwriters-we-should-be-fighting-for-are-those-who-barely-make-a-living/

THE MARSHMELLO PLATFORM: GETTING VERTICAL THE SHALIZI WAY

https://hitsdailydouble.com/news&id=318320

snarky overview of Billie Eilish's breakthrough vis-a-vis Apple Music

https://www.getrevue.co/profile/pennyfractions/issues/penny-fractions-billie-eilish-the-exception-that-proves-the-rule-205262

How TikTok Holds Our Attention

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/09/30/how-tiktok-holds-our-attention?curator=MediaREDEF

a track's journey through playlists inc. Spotify

https://blog.chartmetric.io/a-tracks-journey-through-playlists-f053a59ba0bf

The Music Business Wants to Blow Up Copyright—and the Trump Administration Is On Board

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-18/the-music-industry-and-trump-want-to-blow-up-copyright-protection?curator=MusicREDEF

the story behind David Bowie's Space Oddity

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/david-bowies-space-oddity-turns-50-this-year-heres-the-story-behind-the-iconic-track/

The Hardest Song I Ever Chased - music supervisors

https://www.vulture.com/2019/09/the-hardest-song-i-ever-chased.html?curator=MusicREDEF

interview with Lewis Capaldi's manager Ryan Walter

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/how-lewis-capaldi-became-a-billion-stream-superstar-according-to-his-manager-ryan-walter/

Terry McBride’s (Nettwerk) Bigsound Keynote was so forward-thinking, it will bug you

https://theindustryobserver.thebrag.com/terry-mcbrides-nettwerk-bigsound-keynote/

Songwriters Aren’t Getting Paid Enough and Here’s Why

https://www.midiaresearch.com/blog/songwriters-arent-getting-paid-enough-and-heres-why/

How Data Is Making Hits and Changing the Music Industry

https://www.complex.com/music/2019/09/data-changing-music-industry?curator=MusicREDEF

are any real people reading this blog?

I don't remember ever publicising it anywhere, but it's getting a lot of views.

If you're a real person and you're reading this, it would be great to hear from you!

How Much Does Streaming Actually Pay Musicians?

https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2019/08/how-much-does-streaming-actually-pay-musicians-.html

With Music Publishing’s Gold Rush, an Opportunity for Producers to Cash In

https://variety.com/2019/music/news/music-producers-publishing-jeff-bhasker-deal-investment-banks-equity-1203307302/

4 Ways Artists, Labels Manipulate Spotify, Apple Streams and How It Hurts Everyone

https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2019/08/4-ways-artists-labels-manipulate-streaming-and-how-it-hurts-everyone.html

WHO IS THE BIGGEST HIT SONGWRITER WORKING TODAY?

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/who-is-the-biggest-hit-songwriter-working-today-2/

Memes Are the New Pop Stars: How TikTok Became the Future of the Music Industry

https://www.theringer.com/tech/2019/6/27/18760004/tiktok-old-town-road-memes-music-industry?curator=MusicREDEF

Ian Montone interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/ian-montone-music-is-fundamentally-important-to-people-its-not-disposable-nor-are-the-artists-who-create-it/

What is Happening to Streaming’s Superstars?

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/what-is-happening-to-streamings-superstars-845395/?curator=MusicREDEF

‘CREATIVITY IS A MUSCLE. IT MUST BE WORKED OUT. IT MUST BE PUSHED.’ Interview with Neil Jacobson

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/neil-jacobson-creativity-is-a-muscle-it-must-be-worked-out-it-must-be-pushed/

Pharrell Made Only $2,700 In Songwriter Royalties From 43 Million Plays Of 'Happy' On Pandora

https://www.businessinsider.com/pharrell-made-only-2700-in-songwriter-royalties-from-43-million-plays-of-happy-on-pandora-2014-12

Playlist stuffing and SEO. Gaming the system.

http://here.org.uk/2019/05/06/playlist-stuffing-and-seo-gaming-the-system/

Music's Big Players: One-Fifth of Streamers Drive Majority of Profits & Should Be a New Industry Focus (Op-Ed)

https://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/digital-and-mobile/8507294/musics-big-players-one-fifth-of-streamers-drive

Zoë Keating: Unrepresented songwriters deserve to be heard

https://medium.com/@zoecello/unrepresented-songwriters-deserve-to-be-heard-610d1f3cb706?curator=MusicREDEF

‘Be urself’: meet the teens creating a generation gap in music (on YouTube)

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/mar/29/be-urself-meet-the-teens-creating-a-generation-gap-in-music

‘Old Town Road’ proves TikTok can launch a hit song. ‘TikTok helped me change my life,’ says Lil Nas X

https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/5/18296815/lil-nas-x-old-town-road-tiktok-artists-spotify-soundcloud-streams-revenue?curator=MusicREDEF

Meet The Man Who Gave The World Justin Bieber - Scooter Braun again

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/amosbarshad/scooter-braun-justin-bieber?curator=MusicREDEF

INTRODUCING JUSTIN LUBLINER

http://hitsdailydouble.com/news&id=315869&title=INTRODUCING-JUSTIN-LUBLINER

‘Blurred Lines’ on Their Minds, Songwriters Create Nervously - article about plagiarism

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/31/business/media/plagiarism-music-songwriters.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes%20

how Billie Eilish and her brother and to a lesser extent her mum made Bury A Friend

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/01/arts/music/billie-eilish-bury-a-friend.html

Billie Eilish: A TEMPLATE FOR THE NEW-SCHOOL POP STAR

http://hitsdailydouble.com/news&id=315807

Bob Lefsetz interviews JO CHARRINGTON & NICK RAPHAEL ON SAM SMITH, WORKING WITH ARTISTS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD MANAGEMENT

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/jo-charrington-nick-raphael-on-sam-smith-working-with-artists-and-the-importance-of-good-management/

interview with the owner of Tileyard Studios

http://futureplacesstudio.co.uk/projects/tileyard-studios-kings-cross-london/

The uncomfortable truth about skip rates

https://haulixdaily.com/2019/03/skip-rates-attention-span

Moe Shalazi interview: MASTERMINDING MARSHMELLO: ‘HOW DO WE TURN THIS INTO THE NEXT DISNEY?’

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/masterminding-marshmello-how-do-we-turn-this-into-the-next-disney/

Here’s How Spotify Can Fix Its Songwriter Woes (Hint: It’s All About Pricing)

https://musicindustryblog.wordpress.com/2019/03/11/heres-how-spotify-can-fix-its-songwriter-woes-hint-its-all-about-pricing/

How the Danish Justin Bieber Made It Big in China

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-03-12/so-you-want-to-be-a-pop-star-in-china

Kobalt is a major label waiting to happen

https://musicindustryblog.wordpress.com/2019/03/06/kobalt-is-a-major-label-waiting-to-happen/

the world's biggest songs of 2018

https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/camila-cabellos-havana-revealed-as-the-worlds-biggest-song-of-the-past-year__25738/

The TikTok Takeover: How Gen Z’s New Favorite App Is Turning Memes Into Hits

https://genius.com/a/the-tiktok-takeover-how-gen-z-s-new-favorite-app-is-turning-memes-into-hits?curator=MusicREDEF

Teen Musician Rejects $3M Deal: No Need For Label Thanks To Internet

https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2019/02/teen-musician-reject-3-million-record-deal-no-need-for-a-label-curtesy-of-the-internet.html

What Beatles 2018 Success Says About Streaming's Future

https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2019/02/what-beatles-2018-success-says-about-streamings-future.html

Pitch imperfect: ‘This process of trying to get on (Spotify) playlists is becoming borderline farcical’

https://musically.com/2019/02/15/pitch-imperfect-playlists-farcical/

streaming versus radio - with graphs!

http://thedataface.com/2019/01/culture/streaming-vs-radio?curator=MusicREDEF

Clouting Our Judgment: Are Labels Overspending for SoundCloud Hype? (Guest Column)

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/clouting-judgment-labels-overspending-soundcloud-200058409.html?guccounter=1

The Gatekeepers of SoundCloud Rap

https://www.vulture.com/2018/12/the-gatekeepers-of-soundcloud-rap.html

Jonathan Dickins interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/jonathan-dickins-on-adele-working-with-labels-and-what-makes-a-great-manager/

Forbes Marshmello interview

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2018/11/07/forbes-30-under-30-cover-story-how-marshmello-became-a-44-million-dj/?curator=MusicREDEF

Milk & Honey interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/lucas-keller-lots-of-people-told-me-that-managing-songwriters-and-producers-wasnt-a-real-business/

John Janick interview

http://hitsdailydouble.com/news&id=314109

PROFITS, PAYMENTS AND PODCASTS: 5 TAKEAWAYS FROM SPOTIFY’S Q3 EARNINGS CALL

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/profits-payments-and-podcasts-5-takeaways-from-spotifys-q3-earnings-call/

Ditto Music interview laying into major labels

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/ditto-music-lee-parsons-interview-749510/?curator=MusicREDEF

Chance the Rapper on Apple Music and streaming exclusives

https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2018/10/09/chance-the-rapper-apple-music-streaming-exclusive/

Jamie Oborne interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/the-1975-are-the-best-band-in-the-world-like-unquestionably-the-best-band-in-the-world/

Justin Tranter interview

https://www.playboy.com/read/school-of-pop-how-justin-tranter-became-the-man-behind-almost-every-song-you-love

SPOTIFY’S DIRECT DISTRIBUTION DEALS: WHAT DO ARTISTS GET PAID?

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/spotifys-direct-distribution-deals-what-do-the-artists-get/

Spotify testing tool to allow artists to upload music directly

https://musically.com/2018/09/20/spotify-tool-artists-upload-directly/

Dan Wilson interview

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dannyross1/2018/09/05/from-adele-to-halsey-this-hitmaker-sees-no-closing-time/#2e7c79a62024

Valerie Simpson interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/songwriters-should-be-prepared-to-go-through-a-lot-of-stuff-to-get-to-the-real-thing/

Dre London interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/dre-london-my-ambition-to-build-an-empire/

interview with Zach Gurka of Ground Up Mgmt

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dannyross1/2018/07/27/from-dua-lipa-to-the-chainsmokers-this-music-manager-creates-new-rules/#2a89c6d472c5

the songwriting camps where pop's biggest hits get crafted

http://www.vulture.com/2018/08/the-songwriting-camps-where-pops-biggest-hits-get-crafted.html

The Evolution of Country Music in Nashville

http://www.vulture.com/2018/08/the-evolution-of-country-music-in-nashville.html

Spotify’s playlist for global domination - Daniel Ek interview

https://www.fastcompany.com/90205519/spotifys-playlist-for-global-domination?curator=MediaREDEF

Jean-Paul Goude's best photograph: an androgynous Grace Jones

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/aug/01/jean-paul-goude-best-photograph-grace-jones-nightclubbing

Spotlight: Commission Music Co-Founders on Breaking Lil Dicky & MadeinTYO, Being Bigger Than an Indie Label

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8465783/commission-martini-neumann-lil-dicky-madeintyo-spotlight-interview

MERCK MERCURIADIS WANTS TO RAISE A BILLION DOLLARS. AND THEN HE WANTS TO CHANGE THE FACE OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS.

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/merck-mercuriadis-wants-to-raise-a-billion-dollars-and-then-he-wants-to-change-the-face-of-the-music-business/

Millions of Followers? Yes, But Some Top Spotify Playlists Fall Short on Engagement

https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8463174/spotify-playlists-engagement-analysis-study?curator=MusicREDEF

Matt Pincus interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/matt-pincus-this-is-probably-the-most-exciting-time-i-can-remember-in-the-music-business/

Tap Mgmt interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/artists-have-the-best-chance-of-success-when-they-get-things-rolling-themselves/

Quality Control interview

http://hitsdailydouble.com/news&id=312319

Jamie Hartman's tips for songwriters

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/people-in-the-music-business-often-do-and-say-cruel-things-in-order-to-elevate-themselves-avoid-these-people/

what to do if a band's name is similar to yours

http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2018/06/trademark-101-what-to-do-if-a-bands-name-is-similar-to-yours.html

Twitter thread about Spotify usage and how to get on Discover Weekly

https://twitter.com/cheriehu42/status/1001809657478963200

Daniel Glass interview

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dannyross1/2018/05/23/meet-the-music-exec-taking-bands-from-the-fringes-to-the-grammys/#2deef1475b13

Post Malone's Manager Dre London On Secrets to Success -- And Singer's Plans to Launch Own Label

https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8457392/post-malone-manager-dre-london-label-interview-photos?curator=MusicREDEF

songwriting and anxiety

https://somethinghonest.blog/index.php/2018/05/13/songwritingandanxiety/

How American R&B Songwriters Found a New Home in K-Pop

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/american-rb-songwriters-talk-writing-k-pop-hits-w519033?curator=MusicREDEF

SPOTIFY Q1 2018 RESULTS: FULL STREAM AHEAD

http://www.midiaresearch.com/blog/spotify-q1-2018-results-full-stream-ahead/

SWEDEN MIGHT JUST HAVE SHOWN US WHAT THE FUTURE OF MUSIC REVENUES WILL LOOK LIKE

http://www.midiaresearch.com/blog/sweden-might-just-have-shown-us-what-the-future-of-the-music-revenues-will-look-like/

How This Startup Is Finding Millions in Unclaimed YouTube Revenue For Artists and Labels

https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8357947/create-music-group-youtube-revenue-recovery-artists-labels?curator=MusicREDEF

‘We’ve got more money swirling around’: how streaming saved the music industry

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/apr/24/weve-got-more-money-swirling-around-how-streaming-saved-the-music-industry?curator=MusicREDEF

how Ed Sheeran's Shape Of You was written

https://www.nytimes.com/video/arts/music/100000005469604/ed-sheeran-shape-of-you.html

how Zedd's The Middle was written

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/22/arts/music/diary-of-a-song-the-middle-zedd-maren-morris-grey.html?curator=MusicREDEF

Platoon interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/platoon-denzyl-feigelson-saul-klein-artists-are-telling-other-artists-about-us/?curator=MusicREDEF

musicologists post-Blurred Lines

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/music-copyright-after-blurred-lines-experts-speak-out-w518206?curator=MusicREDEF

Mark Mulligan on Spotify looking forward

https://musicindustryblog.wordpress.com/2018/04/03/spotify-dpo-day/

Billboard Dance Power Players 2018

https://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/8258223/billboard-dance-power-players-2018-the-managers-live-leaders-tastemakers?curator=MusicREDEF

Spotify Saved Music. Can It Save Itself?

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-23/spotify-saved-music-can-it-save-itself?curator=MusicREDEF

Inside The Chainsmokers' Plan to Rethink the Album Cycle

https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8257719/inside-the-chainsmokers-plan-rethink-album-cycle?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BB%20MASTER%20Record%20Labels%20Update2&utm_term=biz_recordlabel

interview with Carl Hitchborn of High Time (The Hunna, Coasts)

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/carl-hitchborn-i-realised-that-no-one-in-the-music-business-really-knew-what-they-were-doing/

smart speakers

http://musically.com/2018/03/21/smart-speakers-impact-music/

Inside the booming black market for Spotify playlists

https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/spotify-playlist-black-market/?curator=MusicREDEF

explanation of breakage in the streaming era

http://hitsdailydouble.com/news&id=310836

KOBALT INVESTS $150M IN INDEPENDENT ARTISTS TO CHALLENGE ‘STUPIDITY’ OF TRADITIONAL MAJOR LABEL DEALS

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/kobalt-invests-150m-in-independent-artists-to-challenge-stupid-traditional-major-label-deals/?curator=MusicREDEF

interview with Frazer T Smith

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-43224339

10cc - how we made I'm Not In Love

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/feb/26/10cc-how-we-made-im-not-in-love

interview with Phil Harvey and Dave Holmes (Coldplay)

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/they-played-a-tiny-cafe-there-were-four-people-in-the-audience/

Keith Rosencraft indeed... how soon they forget.

how Stockholm, Sweden became a dominant force in global pop music

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/how-stockholm-became-a-dominant-force-in-global-popmusic/article37541953/

So Much for Conversion: Apple Set to Pass Spotify in Subscribers

https://musictechpolicy.com/2018/02/04/so-much-for-conversion-apple-set-to-pass-spotify-in-subscribers/

Charlie Puth Takes Charge: The 'Attention' Singer on His New Critical Acclaim and Why His First Album Was 'Not Me At All'

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/magazine-feature/8097384/charlie-puth-voicenotes-interview-billboard-cover-story-2018?curator=MusicREDEF

Here’s Why Migos, Drake, and Rae Sremmurd Are Releasing These Giant, Bloated Records

https://consequenceofsound.net/2018/02/heres-why-migos-drake-and-rae-sremmurd-are-releasing-these-giant-bloated-records/?curator=MusicREDEF

2017 Streaming Price Bible! Spotify per Stream Rates Drop 9%, Apple Music Gains Marketshare of Both Plays and Overall Revenue

https://thetrichordist.com/2018/01/15/2017-streaming-price-bible-spotify-per-stream-rates-drop-9-apple-music-gains-marketshare-of-both-plays-and-overall-revenue/

The Future of the Streaming Economy: 5 Things to Watch

https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8095788/future-streaming-economy-5-things-to-watch-jordan-bromley

Minty Fresh: Spotify Makes a New Home for EDM - Chartmetric data

https://blog.chartmetric.io/minty-fresh-spotify-makes-a-new-home-for-edm-62eccfee2b09

Bruce Allen interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/bruce-allen-artists-today-have-more-power-than-they-realize/

How Ed Sheeran and co. wrote Shape of You

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/20/arts/music/ed-sheeran-shape-of-you.html

Electric Feel management

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8055046/electric-feel-management-interview-post-malone-camila-cabello?curator=MusicREDEF

Jo Charrington interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/ar-isnt-something-you-can-just-wake-up-and-do-it-takes-time/

catalogue is king on streaming services

http://here.org.uk/2017/12/07/catalogue-is-king/

DOES THE MUSIC INDUSTRY’S DEFINITION OF ‘CATALOGUE’ NEED AN UPGRADE?

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/music-industrys-definition-catalogue-need-upgrade/

How YouTube Is Leveling the Playing Field for Indie Artists

https://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/record-labels/8055090/how-youtube-is-leveling-the-playing-field-for-indie-artists

the most streamed music of 2017

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42225469

How Not To Be A Chart Chump in the race for Xmas no. 1

https://medium.com/@ChartUpdate/how-not-to-be-a-chart-chump-97d4e4a5ffa3

interview with BEN COOK & ED HOWARD

http://hitsdailydouble.com/news&id=309505

SPOTIFY TALKS PLAYLISTS, SKIP RATES AND NF’S NORDIC-FUELLED SUCCESS (#SLUSHMUSIC)

http://musically.com/2017/11/29/spotify-playlists-skip-rates-nf/?curator=MusicREDEF

how Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones made Thriller

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/thriller-how-michael-jackson-quincy-jones-made-bestselling-album-w512987?curator=MusicREDEF

POLYDOR SAYS IT’S ‘AT THE FOREFRONT OF BREAKING UK ACTS’ AFTER BRITS CRITICS’ CHOICE RESULT

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/polydor-says-its-at-the-forefront-of-breaking-uk-acts-after-brits-critics-choice-result/

Despacito - and incredible stats about how much music is added to Spotify

http://musically.com/2017/11/28/umg-jonathan-dworkin-despacito/

Who We Be: Austin Daboh Interviewed

http://clashmusic.com/features/who-we-be-austin-darbo-interviewed

EPIDEMIC SOUND GIVES ITS SIDE OF THE SPOTIFY ‘FAKE ARTISTS’ CONTROVERSY

http://musically.com/2017/11/20/epidemic-sound-spotify-fake-artists/

This Is What Post-IPO Life Will Look Like For Spotify

https://musicindustryblog.wordpress.com/2017/11/17/this-is-what-post-ipo-life-will-look-like-for-spotify/?curator=MusicREDEF

How Scooter Braun Went From Promoting Parties to Building An Entertainment Empire | Blueprint

Return of the Top 40 Troubadour: How Singer-Songwriters Reclaimed Pop Radio

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8015081/top-40-singer-songwriter-radio  

WISDOM: A PORTRAIT SERIES B R I A N M E S S A G E

http://themanifesto.co/brian-message/

From El Paso To Platinum: How Khalid Moved One Million Copies Of ‘American Teen’

https://genius.com/a/from-el-paso-to-platinum-how-khalid-moved-one-million-copies-of-american-teen

Latin Power Players 2017

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/8022282/latin-music-power-players-2017-list

What's Behind YouTube's Struggle to Place Ads On Music Videos?

http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/legal-and-management/8022326/whats-behind-youtubes-struggle-to-place-ads-on-music

Spotify Reveals the Nominees for the 2017 Secret Genius Awards

https://news.spotify.com/sg-en/2017/09/28/spotify-reveals-the-nominees-for-the-2017-secret-genius-awards/

interview with Kobalt's Willard Ahdritz

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/kobalt-willard-ahdritz-building-company-future-music-business/

good article about digital ideas

https://blog.usejournal.com/why-the-music-industry-gets-digital-so-wrong-dd15cfeca5c1

Benny Blanco interview

http://hitsdailydouble.com/news&id=309066

WHY THE RELEASE RADAR PLAYLIST IS SPOTIFY’S SECRET WEAPON

http://musically.com/2017/10/26/release-radar-playlist-spotify/?curator=MusicREDEF

Louis Bell on Co-Producing Post Malone's No. 1 Hit 'rockstar': 'We Weren't Thinking of the Hot 100 At All'

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8006781/louis-bell-rockstar-post-malone-interview

great interview with Poo Bear

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/ive-never-felt-like-ive-really-made-it-in-the-music-business-and-i-never-want-to/

the 20 best pop songwriters in 2017

http://www.laweekly.com/music/the-20-best-pop-songwriters-in-2017-8763662?curator=MusicREDEF

what Spotify can learn from the Roman slave trade

https://musicindustryblog.wordpress.com/2017/10/13/what-spotify-can-learn-from-the-roman-slave-trade/

great interview with Chance The Rapper's manager

http://www.complex.com/music/2017/10/blueprint-with-pat-corcoran?curator=MusicREDEF

I Wrote a Hit Song With Justin Bieber. Want to See My Royalties?

https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2017/10/03/hit-song-justin-bieber-royalties/

Five times Clive Davis changed the course of music, including sending Springsteen back to write more singles

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41482660

the most followed Spotify curators

https://www.edmsauce.com/2017/09/26/most-followed-spotify-curators/

Uncovering How Streaming Is Changing the Sound of Pop

https://pitchfork.com/features/article/uncovering-how-streaming-is-changing-the-sound-of-pop/?curator=MusicREDEF

Bloody Slippers: The Fairy-Tale Come-up of Cardi B

https://www.theringer.com/2017/9/21/16345124/cardi-b-bodak-yellow-career-rap-rise-nicki-minaj?curator=MusicREDEF

how reggaeton became a global phenomenon on Spotify

http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2017/09/how-reggaeton-became-a-global-phenomenon-on-spotify.html

interview with Stuart Camp about Ed Sheeran

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/stuart-camp-ed-sheeran-weve-never-disagreed-over-anything-major-99-of-the-time-we-think-the-same-way/

fake Instagram followers

http://mediakix.com/2017/08/fake-instagram-influencers-followers-bots-study/#gs.yxWXccQ

A load of articles about songwriters compiled by MusicREDEF

https://redef.com/set/music-set-1497381154674

Lana Del Rey's Instagram and visuals

http://www.thefader.com/2017/07/13/lana-del-rey-social-media-instagram-essay-lust-for-life

http://www.musicweek.com/labels/read/she-does-everything-on-her-own-terms-polydor-co-presidents-tom-march-and-ben-mortimer-dissect-lana-del-rey-s-no-1/069296

Randall Wixen interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/randall-wixen-there-are-an-immense-number-of-songwriters-not-making-enough-money-to-live-on/

The Big Bet - streaming and majors labels in the US - from Hits

http://hitsdailydouble.com/news&id=307537
http://hitsdailydouble.com/news&id=307543

FORGET ABOUT FAKE ARTISTS – IT’S TIME TO TALK ABOUT FAKE STREAMS.

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/forget-about-fake-artists-its-time-to-talk-about-fake-streams/

interview with Athena Koumis, Spotify editor of Fresh Finds playlist

http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2017/07/her-job-is-to-curate-official-spotify-playlists-of-emerging-artists-video.html

Spotify's Tuma Basa On Curating RapCaviar, What Not to Do When Pitching and Why He's No 'Gatekeeper'

http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/digital-and-mobile/7866036/spotifys-tuma-basa-on-curating-rapcaviar-what-not-to-do?utm_source=twitter

Desmond Child interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/i-joined-a-cult-for-4-years-and-lost-1m-but-maybe-in-the-end-i-won/

The Streaming Problem: How Spammers, Superstars, and Tech Giants Gamed the Music Industry

http://www.vulture.com/2017/07/streaming-music-cheat-codes.html?curator=MusicREDEF

Fake Hits, and why the chart should only count elective plays on streaming services

http://www.de-online.co.uk/2017/07/02/fake-hits

Jonathan Dickins interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/jonathan-dickins-september-its-important-not-to-take-anything-for-granted-in-this-business/

A Conversation with Matt Pincus and Ron Perry of SONGS/RECORDS

http://hitsdailydouble.com/news&id=307176

YouTube's Unofficial Dance Music Curators Take Their Brands Offline

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/7841133/youtube-unofficial-dance-music-curators-labels?curator=MusicREDEF

Spotify Sponsored Songs

https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/19/spotify-sponsored-content/?curator=MusicREDEF

How to Have a Number One Song on Spotify, the Easy Way

https://thump.vice.com/en_us/article/how-to-have-a-number-one-song-on-spotify-the-easy-way

great Justin Tranter interview

http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/7825801/justin-tranter-homophobia-music-industry-interview?curator=MusicREDEF

new Spotify initiatives

https://www.fastcompany.com/3068915/spotify-artists-streaming-playlists-data?curator=MusicREDEF

Julia Michaels interview

http://clashmusic.com/features/sorry-not-sorry-julia-michaels-interviewed

how a Danish Warner artist broke China

http://musically.com/2017/06/07/wmg-christopher-charts-china-midem/

Richard Russell of XL interview by The New Yorker

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/05/15/richard-russells-xl-recordings-empire

The Secret Hit-Making Power of the Spotify Playlist

https://www.wired.com/2017/05/secret-hit-making-power-spotify-playlist/

Who Decides What Gets Played On The Radio? More And More, It's Listeners

https://www.buzzfeed.com/reggieugwu/who-decides-what-gets-played-on-the-radio-more-and-more-its?curator=MusicREDEF&utm_term=.iiXYvV9q5#.fi9VBP7Jj

Alan McGee interview - quite funny in places

http://www.pias.com/blog/to-this-day-im-still-not-allowed-in-the-sony-building/

Jason Flom interview

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/unless-youre-100-sure-your-artist-is-wrong-go-with-their-vision/

Inside the Podcast That's Giving Pop Songwriters Their Due. 'And the Writer Is ...' host Ross Golan on why penning hits won't necessarily make you rich.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/inside-ross-golans-and-the-writer-is-podcast-w478768?curator=MusicREDEF

Why Can We Still Buy Music?

https://medium.com/attention-econome/why-can-we-still-buy-music-d1019361d994?curator=MusicREDEF

Distrokid on "free" internet distribution

https://news.distrokid.com/how-to-tell-if-your-music-distributor-is-ripping-you-off-d8c8e9e69fa1

Patreon on how to build a company culture that lasts

https://patreonhq.com/how-to-build-culture-that-lasts-dc25b086cefd

Taylor Swift on Ed Sheeran

http://time.com/collection/2017-time-100/4736211/ed-sheeran/?curator=MusicREDEF

interview with Philip Ginthör, CEO of Sony Music Entertainment GSA (Germany, Switzerland and Austria)

http://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/why-do-major-artists-keep-on-breaking-in-germany/

UNIVERSAL AND SPOTIFY’S DEAL IS AN EVEN BIGGER DEAL THAN IT LOOKS

https://www.midiaresearch.com/blog/universal-and-spotifys-deal-is-an-even-bigger-deal-than-it-looks/

Conor Maynard's guide to YouTube and Facebook

http://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/conor-maynard-interview-i-am-recognised-more-now-than-when-i-had-top-10-singles-every-month-a3494951.html

Savan Kotecha interview

http://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/music-is-about-emotions-and-connecting-people-not-about-money-or-ego/

Max Martin interview

http://storytelling.di.se/max-martin-english/

DISSECTING THE DIGITAL DOLLAR – EXTRACT 2 – SHARING VALUE

https://themmf.net/2017/02/10/dissecting-the-digital-dollar-extract-2-sharing-value/#.WJ5UPVWLRPZ

Jeff Bezos and Steve Boom interview

http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/7684981/jeff-bezos-steve-boom-amazon-power-100-cover

how Spotify balances employee autonomy and accountability

https://hbr.org/2017/02/how-spotify-balances-employee-autonomy-and-accountability

DISSECTING THE DIGITAL DOLLAR PART 2 – EXTRACT 1 – DIVISION OF REVENUE

https://themmf.net/2017/02/01/dissecting-the-digital-dollar-part-2-extract-1-division-of-revenue/

Projecting Trends: The Music Streaming Playlist Economy

http://blog.synchtank.com/projecting-trends-the-music-streaming-playlist-economy

Justin Tranter interview - every session should have a woman, black or gay in

http://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/being-an-artist-sucks-im-just-going-to-be-honest/

interview with Twenty One Pilots' manager

http://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/a-breakthrough-artist-is-a-much-more-complex-idea-than-a-breakthrough-song/?curator=MusicREDEF

Spotify financial numbers

https://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2017-01-03/is-daniel-ek-of-spotify-ready-to-save-the-music-business

lots of recent hit songs have ambiguous key centres

http://www.vox.com/culture/2016/12/26/13956220/top-40-ambiguous-key-centers-bieber-chainsmokers-adele

Bradley Walsh had the biggest debut album by a British artist in 2016

http://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/biggest-british-debut-album-2016-hang/