[UPDATED] With the rise of streaming, the job of producer has declined to a much less lucrative position, as many producer deals are built around physical sales. Atlantic Records has found a way to cut into this limited revenue further, however, by retitling some albums as ‘mixtapes’ or ‘compilation albums,’…
Category archives: Retail & Vinyl
40% Say They Would Gladly Pay More For Music
How much will consumers pay for music? A new survey conducted by MusiComms of 5,000 consumers across all demographics and regions in the United States offered some surprising, contradictory and yet hopeful trends amoun music fans. A new MusiComms surveyed asked 5000 U.S. consumers questions like: How much will consumers…
What Music Has In Common With Bookstores And Swiss Watches [Jack Kelly]
Despite their turbulent sales histories and brushes with obsolescence, print on paper books and Swiss watches have both managed to make impressive rebounds and have of late shown steady profitability. Here we look look at some important takeaways that could potentially apply to the music industry. _________________ Guest post by…
Bandcamp Shares Impressive and Strange 2017 Stats
In a year end post filled with the usual irreverence and a deep-in-its-DNA love of music, Bandcamp Engineer Ben Walker shared impressive and unusual 2017 stats for the popular indie platform. ________________________________ 2017 on Bandcamp 500 bands set up a Bandcamp page every day 36,000 bands and labels used their…
Most Memorable Album Covers Of 2017
Although some may album art is a dead medium, it appears 2017 didn’t get the memo. Here David Deal looks at some of the most memorable album covers to be released in 2017, and what the artists were trying to communicate with them. ______________________ Guest post by David Deal of…
20 Most Popular Vinyl Colors Of 2017 [ DISCOGS ]
Music database and vinyl hub Discogs shares a data-driven list of the 20 Most Collected vinyl color variants released in 2017. Beginning with Radiohead’s 3xLP blue opaque variation of the ‘OKNOTOK’ reissue of ‘OK Computer’ and counting down to the Father John Misty Sub Pop release ‘Pure Comedy’ in aluminum…
Live Music Today: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
In this piece Joe Rinaldi reflects on the state of the live music industry, and how the rise of the streaming age and the drop off in retail sales has further increased the necessity of live performance for artists looking to make it in the music industry. ______________________ Guest post…
What Is SoundScan and How Is It Used?
SoundScan, a tracking platform owned and operated by Nielsen, allows artists to get a close and detailed look at how their music’s sales are performing on a week by week basis in both retail and non-traditional marketplaces. ________________________________ Guest Post by Ta’Rikah Jones of Symphonic Blog Have you ever wanted…
Indie Record Store Black Friday Sales Up 13.8%, reports CIMS
Black Friday sales reports from the Coalition Of Independent Music Stores are in and they were universally positive, according to Michael Bunnell, CIMS Executive Director. Less comprehensive data showed an up day on Small Business Saturday, as well. ____________________________________ Sales reports from most Coalition Of Independent Music Stores show Black…
This North American Indie Record Store Chain Grew From 8 To 82 Stores In 2017
Much like the recorded music industry, record stores are making a comeback. While the gains are modest, some new stores are opening successfully with a mix of vinyl, merch, used music and more. One independent chain has grown to 82 stores, fueled by the vinyl resurgence and guided by technology….