Apple Is Exploring a Sizable Equity Investment in Bankrupted iHeartMedia

With an investment in iHeartMedia, Apple could finally catapult its Beats Radio offering into the mainstream.  Let’s see how this plays out. According to a new report, Apple wants a slice of the iHeartRadio pie. Sources speaking with the Financial Time…

Exclusive: U.S. Court of Appeals Upholds Webcaster Royalty Rates for 2016-2020

The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. has just issued its determinations for webcaster royalty rates for 2016-2020. Yes, there’s something else going on in Washington this week. Today (September 18th), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Di…

Americans Listen to 151 Minutes of Music Each Day

So, just how much music do you really listen to?  And, how do you spend your music listening time? In Audio Monitor US 2018, a joint study on music habits in the US, Music Biz and AudienceNet have found most Americans still listen to more music on the …

You May Have a Hit Song and Not Even Know About It

When it comes to radio, the music industry is still primarily based on reporting.  This means that mistakes and inaccuracies happen all the time.  My vision is to have a transparent music industry based on monitoring, instead of reporting, so that in t…

Irving Azoff’s GMR Faces a Serious Legal Setback Against US Radio Stations

Expect the bitter fight between Irving Azoff’s Global Music Rights and the Radio Music Licensing Committee to continue dragging on. Several years ago, influential manager Irving Azoff had an idea.  Why not start a performance rights organization (PRO) …

Charlamagne Tha God’s Job Is In Jeopardy Following Underage Rape Charges

On Wednesday, a petition demanding that iHeartMedia fire “The Breakfast Club” morning radio show host Charlamagne Tha God was placed on the Care2 Petitions site by Derrick Real.  The petition labeled Charlamagne a ‘child predator&#821…

So, What Should Radio Pay Songwriters, Anyway?

Has the RMLC undercut its rates to BMI thanks to misleading market data?  Or has BMI exaggerated its total market share? Several weeks ago, and after two years of negotiating, the Radio Licensing Music Committee (RMLC) filed a petition in federal court…

iHeartMedia Still Owes Artists $16.4 Million. Now, It Wants to Pay Itself $108 Million in Bonuses

iHeartMedia has proven that filing for bankruptcy can lead to a very solid payday.  Well, not for the artists, labels, and PROs it owes. Last March, underscoring Digital Music News’ theory a year earlier, iHeartMedia filed for bankruptcy. Ju…

The DJ Who Supposedly Groped Taylor Swift Gets a New Job — And His Career Back

He lost his career after Taylor Swift accused him of groping.  Now, deejay David Mueller has a new job at a Mississippi radio station.  That station has already received a bomb threat. According to Taylor Swift, Denver-based radio deejay David Mueller …