By Kevin Cornell
Another YEAR is coming to a close, and TuneCore is here to fill all you independent artists in on some of the headlines you may have missed this past month.
Whether it’s music streaming, publishing, product updates, studies and reports, or op-eds, we’re rounding up some music industry must-reads for all of you looking to stay in touch with the business and advance a career!
39.9% of Global Revenue Belongs to the Indies
Whether you’re on an independent label or not, (or running your own), independent artists of all genres can take solace in this figure: 39.9% of global share (up .3% from the previous year). Overall indie label growth was at 10.9% and the future’s bright. Read more here.
New Charting Features On YouTube Music
Five new chart features have arrived in subscribers’ YouTube Music apps this month! Users can keep an eye on trending music globally and by country, and charts will be available in playlist form. This is a sign of YouTube focusing on new roll-outs for it’s expanding music app. Read more here.
UK Music A-Listers Call for Brexit Alternative
TuneCore stays out of politics, but it’s impossible to ignore the star-studded list of artists imploring the British government to find ‘an alternative to Brexit’. Our friends at Music Ally break it down a bit further, explaining why artists like Annie Lennox, Billy Bragg and Chrissie Hynde are concerned about the impact of this movement. Read more here.
App for Listening Habits on Apple Music Launches
If you’ve got fans who love to stream your releases on Apple Music but have FOMO about Spotify’s “Wrapped” feature, good news! The new app “Music Year In Review” does a deep dive of a users’ listening habits on Apple Music. The Verge goes into it further, and it might be a good one to promote to your fans. Read more here.
Pandora Continues to Impress In North American App Downloads
Despite its limited availability (North America only), Pandora’s mobile app showed up as the seventh top-grossing iOS app of 2018! TuneCore began letting artists submit their music for consideration on the streaming radio giant a while ago, and we’re always encouraged to see its user base grow and remain loyal. You should, too! Read more here.
Recorded Music Industry Has Sights Set on $20B in 2019
Streaming could make up over 50% of the total revenue it saw in 2018, which totaled out at $18.9B. Mark Mulligan of Midia Research predicts another $2B in streaming revenue next year – but says it’s likely to come from newer markets like Brazil, Germany and Mexico. Read more here.