Things are constantly changing in the landscape of the music industry and it’s important to stay on top of trends and news updates, especially as an independent artist. We’ve got you covered with a weekly recap of the top stories you need to know.
Apple vs. Spotify
Although Spotify recently announced its partnership with Hulu (offering a new bundled subscription to both services through a single Spotify account), Apple Music has been making major moves as of late. Apple has now passed Spotify with 28 million U.S. subscribers compared to Spotify’s 26 million.
Lil Nas X Surpasses Drake’s One Week Streaming Record
“Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X has officially passed Drake’s record for most streams in a single week. “Old Town Road” topped Drake’s “In My Feelings” with 143 million streams, compared to 116.2 million for “In My Feelings.”
BTS Hits 5 Billion Streams on Spotify
BTS, the biggest Korean pop group in the world, just hit five billion streams on Spotify. Not only are they the first K-Pop group to achieve this milestone, but they also became the first Asian artists to do so.
Music Choice Gets Sued by SoundExchange
SoundExchange just sued the media company Music Choice (provider of music programming and music-related content for digital cable television, mobile phone and cable modem users). Music Choice was sued for undercutting royalties owed to SoundExchange.
HBO Taps Columbia Records for “Game of Thrones” Original Soundtrack
HBO is partnering with a major label for the first time in history. They reached out to Columbia Records to produce an all-original soundtrack for the series “Game of Thrones.” The project is set to drop in April featuring artists like Maren Morris, The Lumineers and The Weeknd.