Streaming Services Push Recorded Music Business To Highest Revenue In A Decade

[Teasing the Korean]

I listen to Pandora all day long at work.  I created an electronica station.  It's the best music for me to work to.  I don't do premium; I can live with the occasional commercial.  I guess they are making money from me through their advertising.  

 

[JSngry]

Just had a look at the "new" Live 365...they aren't on Roku anymore, and their web site promises all different kinds of classical music, "From Solo Piano all the way to Avant-Garde", but this is what they actually have. Pitiful!

https://live365.com/listen?query=classical%20music

The old Live365 was the greatest streaming experience I've ever had. Specialty stations out the ass, and I heard I don't know how much stuff that stopped me dead in my tracks, and with their interface that let you tell them to send you details about the track, including album it was from, geez, that's money spent all day long (usually figuratively, but a few time literally).

[Scott Dolan]

Holy moly...

I counted one whole actual Classical station.

That’s too bad. My father was a huge fan of the original Live365. I’ll have to ask him if he still uses it. 

[JSngry]

Not to go off on a tangent here, but as dicey as jazz seems to be in the marketplace, modern classical makes it look like Classic Rock in comparison.

[Scott Dolan]

On 3/1/2019 at 10:42 AM, JSngry said:

Not to go off on a tangent here, but as dicey as jazz seems to be in the marketplace, modern classical makes it look like Classic Rock in comparison.

This I could not agree with more. 

While I’ve certainly not done a scientific study, I’d wager that European-style Free Improvisation outpaces modern Classical as well. 

Bloop

Edited May 20, 2019 by Scott Dolan

[JSngry]

and yet, still, the present-day composer refuses to die.

[medjuck]

I recently discovered that a couple of my friends usually have their Pandora tuned to "The Bill Evans Station"  (or something like that).  It's mostly, but not just, Evans's music.  They keep it on almost constantly.  These people are not big jazz fans so presumably others have also found this station.  Does this mean that the Evans estate now gets meaningful income from Pandora? 

[Chuck Nessa]

no

[Teasing the Korean]

I assume you guys mean "contemporary" classical and not "modern" classical. 

[JSngry]

I meant modern, but sure, we can go with contemporary if you like?

49 minutes ago, medjuck said:

I recently discovered that a couple of my friends usually have their Pandora tuned to "The Bill Evans Station"  (or something like that).  It's mostly, but not just, Evans's music.  

Panodra is not allowed to play the same artist more than one time every 15-20 minutes or so? That's just leader dates, though.

[medjuck]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

I meant modern, but sure, we can go with contemporary if you like?

Panodra is not allowed to play the same artist more than one time every 15-20 minutes or so? That's just leader dates, though.

Huh? Maybe I wasn't listening to Pandora (I thinkI was) but they were playing 3 or four Evans tunes in a row. 

https://www.pandora.com/artist/bill-evans/ARrwKcVZzxzbkx9

Edited May 20, 2019 by medjuck

[JSngry]

Was Evans playing on all of them?

[medjuck]

4 hours ago, JSngry said:

Was Evans playing on all of them?

Yes. 

[JSngry]

That's not been my Pandora experience at all. They never cluster the same artist like that. Then again, I use the free service. Maybe premium plays by different rules.

[medjuck]

I don't seem to even have the free service but if you do try that link I gave and see what happens. 

Actually I just clicked on that link and without my logging in (not that I'd know how) I've just heard three Bill Evans cuts in a row-- though one was with Jim Hall. 

Edited May 20, 2019 by medjuck

[JSngry]

Wow. I wish I could get my Pandora to act like that.

[Д.Д.]

On 2/27/2019 at 8:41 PM, sonnymax said:

The recorded music industry in 2018 logged its best year in a decade, generating $9.8 billion in revenue thanks to a big jump in consumer acceptance for subscription streaming music services.

Yes, but we need to keep things in perspective, this is still less than a half of 1999 figures. 

[Coda]

This is a great article full of nice info-graphics on the streaming industry. 

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/how-music-streaming-money/?fbclid=IwAR3uFRbiKAZUokDoHcO3N-zTx-TUGKkPdPOzdbguV-20kCITQH66Fh4CMvQ

It ends with this depressing statement:

Currently, artists can increase their chances of being featured on more playlists and ultimately earn more money by altering their music based on streaming platform algorithms. For example, artists only get paid if their song is listened to for 30 seconds, which results in much shorter songs that open with the chorus to keep the listener’s attention.

While streaming platforms continue to provide more avenues for artists to get in front of the right ears, many industry critics argue that music is no longer about creating something for pure enjoyment, but rather about using a formulaic approach to make more money.

Is the future of music safe in the hands of tech giants?

[sonnymax]

19 hours ago, Coda said:

 ... many industry critics argue that music is no longer about creating something for pure enjoyment, but rather about using a formulaic approach to make more money...

Pretty much sums up my opinion of most of the music industry for the past, um let's see..., oh yeah, forever.

[felser]

Not sure what's more depressing, the horrid "ran the grammy tables" song (though it does have a catchy bassline) or the horrid "cowboy rap" song that was #1 for 19 weeks.  I'm 30 years past caring anymore about what's new/current in the pop world.   Grunge and New Jack together killed it for me when I came to realize there was absolutely nothing on mainstream radio I wanted to hear.  Very few exceptions since then.

[Д.Д.]

Interesting developments in the music industry.

Apparently, Universal renegotiated royalty model with Deezer, one of the smaller streaming services. Now the streams of "professional" artists will be given the double weight compared to those by "non-professionals" when royalty pay-outs are calculated. In some cases, "non-professional" streams won't be receiving any royalties at all. How do they define "professionals" you ask? Well, these are the artists who generate more than 1000 streams per month on Deezer. Those who have less are classified as "non-professional" or, as per Deezer CEO, "noise" (AI algorithms will take care of determining which tracks are fully fledged "noise" and which are merely "non-prefessional"). Says Universal's Chief Digital Officer (yes, they have a position like this): [the new royalty model would] ensure we are better supporting and rewarding artists at all stages of their careers, whether they have 1,000 fans or 100,000 or 100mn". It's all about the (professional) artists, you see? Universal's Chief Non-Analog Officer also does mention that the move will be "revenue positive" for Universal (coincidentally, I guess).   

Given that Universal (together with Sony and Warner) have streaming services by whatever passes for their balls, the deal is very likely to be replicated with the big guys like Spotify, Apple and amazon. But I would assume with them the "professionality" threshold will not be Deezer's paltry 1000 streams per month - it will be 10 times higher. This would essentially cut off 99% of the living jazz musicians (10 dead jazz legends - or whoever controls their music - will still be OK). You know, all these people who by uploading their non-professional noise prevent Taylor Swift and Drake from being rewarded fairly.