How Spotify Could Become the New iTunes; Apple Music Hits 27 Million Subscribers

How Spotify Could Become the New iTunes — concurrentmedia.com

Recommendation algorithms are becoming the new DRM.

Verizon mulling Pandora investment if SiriusXM deal fails — nypost.com 
 Verizon is eyeing a possible $100 million investment in Pandora Media if the online music streamer fails to reach a deal this week for an outright sale to…

Apple Music Hits 27 Million Subscribers — www.billboard.com

During Apple’s Worldwide Developer Confernce today out of San Jose it was revealed that Apple Music now has some 27 million subscribers, up from the 20 million figure that’s been bandied about since last December, and some 40 million songs in its catalog.

Napster and Rakuten Partner to Grow Music Streaming in Japan — platformandstream.com

Napster announced a new partnership with Japanese internet services company Rakuten to enhance Rakuten’s on-demand music streaming service, Rakuten Music. Napster will deliver song playback and curated playlists from its catalog to Rakuten Music, with a total of over 20 million songs to be added by fall 2017.

King Bach Connects with LiveXLive as Contributing Social Editor, Content Creator — platformandstream.com 
 LiveXLive Studios announced that Andrew B. Bachelor, better known as social media star King Bach, has signed on to create original content for LiveXLive, the worldwide premium live music video streaming network, and act as a Contributing Social Editor.

Sony Merges RED Into the Orchard: What the Music Giant’s Latest Consolidation Means for Indie Labels — www.billboard.com 
 Sony Music Entertainment, which owns the Orchard and RED, two of the three largest independent distributors in the U.S., will merge the two into one global company operating under the Orchard brand.

Spotify’s Prospects Hinge on Echoing Netflix’s Success — www.theinformation.com 
 Spotify’s stock has leapt to a $13 billion valuation on the secondary market, up from around $8 billion at the end of last year. It reportedly wants to go public at that new price.Whether that price is justified depends on the answer to a question that investors are asking: How much is Spotify …

Nigeria’s Afrobeats Music Scene Is Booming, but Profits Go to Pirates — mobile.nytimes.com

Forcing a smile, Seyi Shay, a music star in Nigeria, stood for hours under the hot lights of a film studio to record a video. Three changes of clothes, two wigs and multiple touch-ups later, she was still at it, singing snippets of the song over and over.

Spotify Just Hired 2 Former WPP Execs to Take Closer Aim at Ad Agencies and Auto Brands — Platform & Stream — www.adweek.com 
 Spotify announced two new executive roles today to cozy up to ad agencies and automotive brands. The digital music service has hired Angela Solk as its global head of agencies.

Top Apple Music Exec Bozoma Saint John To Exit — www.hypebot.com 
 Bozoma Saint John, one of Apple Music’s most visible executives, is reportedly exiting the company. Saint John had been Pepsi’s head of music and entertainment before joining Beats Music just a few months prior to Apple buying the music streamer and headphone manufacturer.

“Sgt. Pepper” at 50: Why doesn’t the greatest album ever have more hits? — www.economist.com 
 “IT WAS 20 years ago today”, Paul McCartney roared at the album’s opening, that “Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play.” Make that 70. Released in Britain on May 26th 1967, and in the United States a week after, “Sgt. Peppers’ Lonely Hearts Club Band” would become one of the most celebrated records of all time.