Music Biz Monday // 5.6

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!

Spotify tests placing podcast episodes alongside music recommendations

Spotify is spending millions to become a major player in podcasting, and today we got a look at how it might begin promoting shows: by placing suggested episodes into algorithmically generated playlists. A test seen by The Verge shows several short podcast episodes placed alongside personalized music suggestions in a playlist meant for the drive to work. Spotify doesn’t have a widely available podcast recommendation tool or offer curated podcast playlists right now, so this appears to be a look at what’s to come.

\\ Read more on The Verge //

Farewell, YouTube Premium? Video Platform Unveils Free, Ad-Supported Originals Offering

Despite the presence of more than 2 billion monthly active users (MAUs), YouTube executives are struggling to get people to sign up for its paid services. Notably, YouTube Premium & Music Premium.

\\ Read more on Digital Music News //

MUSIC GROUPS LAUNCH INTERACTIVE WEBSITE TO SHOWCASE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL IMPACT OF MUSIC IN THE US

A collective of US-based music organizations have launched a website showcasing the economic and cultural impact of recording artists and songwriters in every state of the country.

The interactive website, called 50 States of Music, aggregates various datapoints from throughout the industry to illustrate the economic and cultural impact of the US music industry throughout the country.

\\ Read more on Music Business Worldwide //

Spotify Adds 40,000 New Tracks Every Day [That’s Not A Typo]

During an earnings call Monday, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek shared that the streamer now offers 60 million tracks. The catalog continues to grow by a whopping 40,000 tracks every day, according to Ek.

\\ Read more on Hypebot //

Music industry takes aim at Fortnite over song royalties

The global phenomenon Fortnite recently attracted millions of fans to a virtual gig by the real-world DJ Marshmello and now songwriters and composers are seeking to use new copyright laws to receive their cut of royalties from music featured in the booming world of online gaming.

\\ Read more on The Guardian //

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

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