2020 has been nothing short of eventful for the music industry. Despite the cancellations of live events, concerts, and more, the music industry continues to evolve and adapt to today’s pandemic-driven climate. Be sure to catch up on all that has happened throughout the month of November as we enter the final month of this frenzied year.
US Music Bodies Lobby Congress for More Covid-19 Relief
A group of US music industry professionals are lobbying Congress for more relief amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and its effect on live music specifically. Their letter to Congress outlines five things that the industry bodies want from legislators at this point in the pandemic, including a request to extend existing benefits that have helped musicians and their teams survive, as well as to expand and pass the proposed ‘Save Our Stages Act’ to give more support to music venues. Read more here.
Bandcamp Adds Ticketed Live Streams for Virtual Concerts
Bandcamp launched a ticketed live stream service for virtual concerts yesterday called Bandcamp Live. The streaming service lets artists make money from live performances online, and may help some of the independent musicians who favor Bandcamp recoup money lost in canceled tours. Artists will be able to set prices for tickets, notify followers when they go on sale, and even offer a virtual merch table. Read more here.
Former Musical·ly President Invests in Gen-Z Social App F3
Former Musical·ly president Alex Hofmann is one of the largest investors in the F3 social app in its $3.9m seed funding round, which has just been announced. F3 launched in 2018 as a way for Gen Z individuals to connect with each other from around the world. Today it has more than 25 million registered users. Its interface combines a dating app swiping feature with a stories presentation. Read more here.
Bob Dylan Sells His Songwriting Catalog in Blockbuster Deal
Universal Music Publishing Group announced that it had signed a landmark deal to purchase Dylan’s entire songwriting catalog of more than 600 songs in what may be the biggest acquisition ever of a single act’s publishing rights. Dylan’s deal includes 100 percent of his rights for all the songs of his catalog, including both the income he receives as a songwriter and his control of each song’s copyright.The price was not disclosed, but is estimated at more than $300 million. Read more here.
Peloton Rival Echelon Launches Fully-Licensed Music Offering for Fitness Classes
UK-based fitness brand (and Peloton rival) Echelon has launched a fully-licensed music offering with MediaNet, a music distribution and rights management platform designed for business use. Seattle-headquartered MediaNet will provide licensing, catalog, and rights management services for Echelon through its MediaNet Enterprise product integration, which allows music applications to access over 85 million tracks. Read more here.
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