Google Takes First Step to Unified Music Offering; HitsMeUp Set to Debut

Google Takes First Step to Unified Music Offering — variety.com 
 Google combined the teams as a first step towards a unified music subscription service.

HitsMeUp, New Music Platform Started by Nashville Muisc Biz Vets, Announces March Launch — www.billboard.com

HitsMeUp, a new digital platform for music videos with exclusive behind-the-scenes content, live streamed concerts, interviews and more, has announced a March 3 launch.

New York Times Offers Free Spotify to Boost Subscribers — adage.com 
 The publishing industry hasn’t marketed itself and its products well, according to the Times.

Blockchain to Disrupt Balance of Power in TV, Music and Film Industry — cointelegraph.com 
 Our London correspondent Nick Ayton investigates the music, television and film industry where the ‘fat cats’ won’t be quite so happy as before — all because of Blockchain.

How Spotify Is Betraying Its Vision, And Why It Will Harm Their Growth — medium.com 
 Actually, probably 87,511 followers in the brief moment you scrolled down. With such a big following you would say that I must be one of Spotify’s biggest advocates, right? Well I’m not. Not anymore…

Amazon Prime Music Subscriptions Up 50 Percent Last Year, Study Says — www.billboard.com 
 According to a new study, Amazon Prime Music subscribers rose 50 percent in 2016 over the year prior.

For Continued Growth, Music Streaming Needs Product & Pricing Innovation — www.hypebot.com 
 Issues with pricing are nothing new in the streaming economy. Although $9.99 remains something of a standard, many company’s are working to ease customers in with steeper discounts, with the result of devaluing the service, and the industry is in need of a more stable pricing strategy.

Change Is Afoot In Music Video — musicindustryblog.wordpress.com 
 Music video’s two power players are both in the news for strategic resets. On the one hand YouTube has announced that it is merging its YouTube Music and Google Play Music teams while on the other hand Vevo has announced it is postponing the launch of its subscription service in favour of prioritising global expansion.

How Spotify Created a Profitable New Way for Consumers to Obtain the Music They Listen to — www.entrepreneur.com 
 Its popular service, which grew virally, is free to the majority of users but still turns a profit.