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Music 2.0

By Kelly Faircloth 11/15/12 2:30pm

Music 2.0

Spotify playlist (screengrab)

Are Pandora and Spotify Scrimping on Music to Attract ‘Speculative Capital’?

Earlier today, the Verge reported that Spotify, the music player that ratted you out to Facebook that one time you listened to Kenny G holiday hits, is rolling out a beta version of a browser-based web app. The feature was in high demand and should give the company a boost against competitors like Rdio.

At least one artist, however, has a few questions about how this whole streaming music business is supposed to work in the long run. Read More

By Kelly Faircloth 10/10/12 12:59pm

Music 2.0

Music to spank to! (Photo: twitter.com/SmartBitches)

FYI, Pandora’s Extensive Catalog Now Includes Hits From 50 Shades of Grey

Does it ever seem like Pandora’s sourcing is a little… off? You’ll hear a golden oldie, only to look and see it’s been pulled from some random soundtrack to a forgotten, shitty movie. “That’s weird,” you’ll think, before diving back into your workday.

Well, the trend appears to have reached ludicrous new heights. Spotted today, by romance book blogger Sarah Wendell: Read More

By Jessica Roy 9/19/12 5:55pm

Music 2.0

Mr. Braun did not wear a Mickey Mouse shirt.

Scooter Braun and Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino Talk Music Industry Disruption at Google Event

Betabeat arrived at Google’s Big Tent event at the Skylight West building just in time for the Trends and Transformations in Music panel. Moderated by Billboard editorial director Bill Werde, the topic du jour was how the Internet and social media have ushered in a new era of music production.

In attendance were Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino and none other than Scooter Braun, Justin Bieber’s talent manager and the man credited with discovering America’s favorite heartthrob. (Sadly, there appeared to be zero Beliebers in the audience, as no piercing screams rang out during the program.) Read More

By Margaret Nickens 6/19/12 6:31pm

Music 2.0

Panelists at New Music Seminar Tech Summit.

Why Investors Don’t Want to Back Your Music Startup

The problem, as one philosophically-minded audience member pointed out, is that there are too many problems in the music industry. It certainly felt that way Tuesday afternoon at the New Music Seminar Tech Summit, “Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained – A Look at the Digital Music Vertical.”

The discussion at the AMC Loews Theatre focused on the difficulty of acquiring investment as a music industry startup, the issues with music copyright laws, the free-downloading plague and innumerable other chinks in the business.

To bring an investors viewpoint into the mix, Chris Fralic, a partner at First Round Capital, explained why many financers are hesitant to back music-technology startups. Read More

By Adrianne Jeffries 11/21/11 11:10am

Music 2.0

sellsell

Artists and Labels B!&$* About Spotify

“Got paid £8 for 90,000 plays. Fuck spotify,” tweeted the London-based producer Jon Hopkins last week, comparing it to radio which pays “about £50 for each play.” His sentiments were echoed by U.K. producer Four Tet, who added “Spotify owned by majors who make money from shares and don’t care about paying artists.”

The tweet, coupled with news that another label, coupled with news that more than 200 labels were leaving Spotify with the distributor STHoldings, touched off a rehashed debate about online music distribution. Read More