Category Archives for "Commentary"
September 14, 2022
We’re Living In An Online Entertainment World, So Is The Social Universe Over?
Report after report has given us data that both Facebook and Instagram have a user retention problem, and it’s all because of the rise of TikTok. The problem is that most reports just give you the results and don’t really dig into the reasons behind the numbers. But here’s a secret that no one is […]
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July 21, 2022
- in Commentary by Bobby Owsinski
Mic Developer Eric Heiserman, High-Quality Bluetooth Audio, And The End Of Music Genres On My Latest Podcast
On my latest podcast episode: Mic developer Eric Heiserman of Heiserman Audio, perhaps the closest to a vintage mic sound you’ll ever get. The end of music genres may be near in favor of some more practical for today’s consumers. The latest Bluetooth LE standard – finally CD quality 44.1Hz/16 bit wireless audio. Listen to […]
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May 25, 2022
- in Commentary by Bobby Owsinski
Making Your Way In The New Music Business
It doesn’t matter which generation you represent, there are general truisms about the music business that can be misunderstood, underestimated, or just overlooked. Some have changed or the years and some have stayed the same, but the fact of the matter is that unless an artist is aware of the big picture, it’s likely that […]
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February 8, 2022
- in Commentary by Bobby Owsinski
Why The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Doesn’t Need To Exist
The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame just announced its 2022 nominees and the list is long. From Duran Duran, Eminem, Dolly Parton, Pat Benatar, Beck and even the MC5 (and 11 more), the list every year generates a ton of press and a general yawn from musicians. The big question is, why is there a Hall Of Fame […]
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December 30, 2020
- in Commentary by Bobby Owsinski
Let’s Ban These Tech Words In 2021
We’ve heard some of these tech words and phrases so much that they now hold no meaning, so it’s time to stop using them. Yep, tech words, phrases, and jargon have now seeped in the music business (especially music tech), but we can save ourselves in the new year with a little awareness. Below is […]
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August 24, 2020
These Are The Top Artist Money Makers Of 2019
It’s always interesting to see exactly who’s making all the money in the music business, and sometimes the results can be surprising. Every year Billboard releases a top Money Makers chart based on data for the previous year, and this year is particularly interesting. Let’s look at the top 10 money making artists. Remember that […]
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December 10, 2018
American Pop Music No Longer The Global King, But Its Christmas Music Can’t Be Beat
One of the ways I used to gauge the magnitude of a hit was if I could walk down a street in another country and hear it blasting from the bars and shops. Since the 80s when I began to travel a lot, this little test has never let me down, as it’s been a […]
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August 27, 2018
- in Commentary by Bobby Owsinski
Should The Music Industry Be Worried About Teen Social Media Cord Cutting?
We all spend an enormous amount of time online these days and for many of us much of that comes by way of our smartphones. In fact, studies indicate that the younger the demographic, the more likely they’ll be tied to their phones. That’s generally been a good thing for the music industry since streaming […]
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August 1, 2018
Here’s Proof That The Album Is Almost Dead
Since the 70s it’s been a dream of musicians to release an album. A deal with a major label and subsequent best-selling album release was the epitome of what we all worked for. Today the album is fast becoming a relic of the past and you need look no further than Drake’s Scorpion album as […]
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May 28, 2018
Music Video Distribution Won’t Change Much As Vevo Finally Succumbs To YouTube
I wonder how many times YouTube viewers watched an “official” music video from their favorite artist and saw the Vevo logo on the video or in the song’s description. I wonder how many actually thought to themselves, “What the heck is a Vevo?” That, my friends, was the main problem of the major record labels’ […]
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May 23, 2018
Why Record Labels Hate Free Streaming Tiers So Much
If you were to poll record label execs off-the-record on which music streaming service they like the most in a strictly business-sense, chances are that Apple Music would end up as the clear winner. Why? Apple has steadfastly refused to institute a free ad-driven tier. Even though labels, artists, songwriters and publishers realize revenue from […]
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May 14, 2018
Pandora Learns That More Ads Doesn’t Equal More Subscribers
The streaming music service Pandora has been in financial difficulty for quite a while now, and it really needs to generate more revenue to stay afloat. One of the things that it tried was to increase the number of ads served up to free users, but it looks like that strategy has backfired. Everyone hates […]
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May 9, 2018
Sweden May Be Telling Us About Streaming’s Future
The latest IFPI annual study on last year’s global music sales has posted and there’s a wealth of data there, although no surprises. There is one piece of data that Mark Mulligan of the Midea research group dug out that may give us a look at the future of streaming. Mark noted that IFPI’s report showed […]
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April 30, 2018
- in Commentary by Bobby Owsinski
The Music Business Doesn’t Need Saving
If I read one more gratuitous click-bait headline that says, “Streaming Is Saving The Music Business,” or “Blockchain Is Going To Save The Music Business” I think I’m going to scream. The recorded music business surely is facing many problems now, had them in the past, and will have them in the future, but to […]
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March 19, 2018
Why Spotify’s Investors Seem To Have Little Confidence In Its Future
Spotify’s direct listing on the New York Stock Exchange is coming on April 3rd and there’s already been plenty written about this unusual tactic. Much of the reasoning for the move coming from the company seems to circle around the fact that underwriting a traditional IPO costs too much, so there will be considerable savings by avoiding […]
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