Music Biz Monday // 1.14

Every Monday, we’re sharing the latest news and information for the music industry and technology worldwide.

Get your learn on and stay in the know with Symphonic’s Music Biz Monday!

Four Ways The Business Of Music Videos Will Transform In 2019

Speaking at the Cardozo School of Law on December 5, 2018, YouTube’s Global Head of Music Lyor Cohen made an argument that initially seemed frivolous, but actually rings with a deeper truth:

“The music business used to be an audio business, and then it became an audiovisual business. Now, I think it’s going to become a visual audio business.”

Cohen didn’t just switch around the words “audio” and “visual” for fun: the new economics of digital music and media arguably demand it.

\\ Read more on Forbes  //

Spotify’S Global Monthly Active Users Top 200M, Up By 20M In The Past Six Months

Spotify now has more than 200m monthly active users (MAUs) around the world.

The news was broken by the service’s communications chief Dustee Jenkins, at CES in Las Vegas.

Speaking in an interview yesterday (January 10), Jenkins revealed that the service had broken through the 200m barrier – a milestone which was surpassed at the close of 2018.

\\ Read more on Music Business Worldwide //

Sony Unveils a Brand-New 3D Audio Format — Introducing ‘360 Reality Audio’

Forget 5.1 audio surround. Sony Corporation is introducing something far more immersive.

For those at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, this is one of the more interesting innovations — at least for those into audio. And alongside its announcement, Sony’s ‘360 Reality Audio’ already has a number of important partners lined up. That includes Deezer, nugs.net, Qobuz, TIDAL, Live Nation, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment, all of whom are either collaborating on the format itself or planning to offer it in the future.

So what is 360 Reality Audio, anyway?

\\ Read more on Digital Music News //

5G Is Coming: So What Does This Mean for Music (If Anything)?

5G was the hot topic at CES 2019, with numerous companies sharing their ambitious plans.

This is more than just an enhancement for mobile telephony.

5G has the potential to make loading websites, streaming music, and downloading up to 10 times faster than 4G. The United States isn’t expected to see the first 5G-compatible networks until 2020, but that hasn’t stopped telcos from openly bragging.

\\ Read more on Digital Music News //

Tidal Is Now Under Federal Criminal Investigation in Norway

In trouble for ‘fake streams.’

Økokrim – the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime – has launched an investigation into Tidal’s practices.

First State Attorney Elisabeth Harbo-Lervik confirmed that the investigation started last autumn.

\\ Read more on Digital Music News //