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Business News
Music business trends in 2014
By Chris Cooke | Published on Wednesday 24 December 2014
This year we launched CMU Premium, a new service for the busy music business professional, providing a handy weekly news digest and regular reports analysing key music business trends. You can read ten articles from this year’s reports below. To go premium and get so much more from CMU for just £5 a month click here.
The emerging digital spectrum, and the challenge of freemium
The record industry is half way through a decade of digital experimentation, so it’s no wonder the debates have been lively. In this article from the latest CMU Report, we recap digital to date, discuss the ‘digital spectrum’ that is emerging, and explain how the current freemium services screw it all up. [READ MORE]
As the GRD runs aground, what next?
Earlier this year the music publishing sector’s Global Repertoire Database project was shelved. Other than the millions already spent on the venture, why does this matter? This article from October explores the complexities of copyright ownership and why they are hindering the music rights sector in the digital age. [READ MORE]
What one thing could Google do to placate the labels in 2014?
Ah, Google, both a valued business partner and much criticised irritant for the music industry. But what one thing could Google do to placate the record labels? It’s pretty simple, help make web-blocking – the industry’s favourite anti-piracy tactic in 2014 – actually work. In this article from October we explain how. [READ MORE]
What one thing could the labels do to placate artists in 2014?
Have artists ever been so involved in debates about the music industry? Surely not, and that’s a great thing (it’s a good job they can sign up to CMU for the lowdown). Though most artists still feel they are being left in the dark about too many things when it comes to digital. As we discuss in this article from October. [READ MORE]
How could we better communicate copyright?
When a government-led alliance between the content industries and internet service providers was announced earlier this year yet another commitment was made to educate the masses about copyright. But what does that mean? This article from October reckons the industry should start at home – find out why. [READ MORE]
The real revolution is direct-to-fan
“Don’t let the rise of the streaming services distract you”, said CMU Business Editor Chris Cooke at The Great Escape in May, “the real opportunities lie in direct to fan”. Then everyone got distracted by the rise of the streaming services again. Check this keynote from TGE 2014 on the real revolution in music. [READ MORE]
Dan Le Sac on what artists really think about streaming
A stand out session from this year’s CMU Insights-programmed Great Escape Convention was Dan Le Sac discussing our survey of artists on all things digital. Despite the Thom Yorke and Taylor Swift moments, most artists are pro-streaming, they just want to know what the hell is going on behind the scenes. Dan explains in this May report. [READ MORE]
How to stand out in such a crowded festival market?
Moving on to live, another strand at The Great Escape this year focused on the ever-crowded festival market, including the results of our survey of music editors on the way major music events are PRed. As promoters start promoting their 2015 festivals, there’s lots of useful tips in this summary of that research from back in May. [READ MORE]
Ticketing questions of both the primary and secondary kind
More on the live sector, and secondary ticketing continued to be a subject of debate this year, mainly in the Houses Of Parliament. Though elsewhere, as much was was said about the issues many consumers have with the primary ticketing market. This article from March considers both of the ticketing debates. [READ MORE]
Game Changers at M For Montreal
CMU visited the M For Montreal festival last month and caught up with the five experts who discussed digital innovations and developments at the event. Read interviews with each of them here, on making digital music visual, the impact of streaming on radio, and developments in direct-to-fan, music-making tech and digital marketing. [READ MORE]
