SoundCloud confirms $60 million in new investment, so where next?
Audio-sharing platform SoundCloud confirmed last week that it had raised further investment from the likes of Institutional Venture Partners and the Chernin Group.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the digital firm secured $60 million in the latest round of financing, which was actually completed late last year, valuing the company at around $700 million. A spokesman for the business told the Journal that the new loot would "allow SoundCloud to grow more rapidly in product, personnel and expansion in mobile efforts".

SoundCloud has at times positioned itself as the "YouTube of audio", and that line seems to have appealed to IVP. The investment firm's Somesh Dash and Dennis Phelps wrote in a blog post last week: "Our core investment thesis for SoundCloud is centered around our belief that [it] will become the dominant online digital delivery platform for audio in much the same way that YouTube has become the dominant online platform for video".

But, of course, to date, while SoundCloud has operated akin to YouTube in providing tools via which rights owners can distribute their content for free, it hasn't taken the next step in helping content firms monetise their output. Its business model is based on upselling premium services to the content owners (more capacity and analytics), rather than selling advertising (or even subscriptions) around its users' audio and taking a cut of the money.

Given how much the internet advertising space is dominated by a few major major players, and how tricky, therefore, it is to make ad-funded internet businesses work, there is a logic to SoundCloud's approach to date. Though it is based on the assumption that content owners continue to recognise the promotional value in making their audio available for free via the SoundCloud player on their own sites and social networks, and/or to the SoundCloud community of content consumers.

But, even though SoundCloud remains popular amongst artists, producers, A&Rs, bookers and music journalists, for artists and labels it is arguably sensible to direct fans to tracks on YouTube or Spotify-type platforms, where the content distributor pays a royalty. The per-play pay outs may be tiny, but they are better than zero. And where an artist or label doesn't own all the rights in a track, their content is much less likely to be blocked on YouTube and Spotify, because the other rights owners will also receive royalty payments.

Which means that every time SoundCloud secures new investment, rumours run rife that the firm is busy negotiating YouTube-style licensing deals with the record companies and music publishers. Though such deals would shift the SoundCloud business into a very different domain, and one where most of the leading players are operating at a much higher loss at the moment. Unless, perhaps, SoundCloud could strike up a Vevo-style arrangement with the majors, whereby the company helps the labels to monetise their SoundCloud content, but puts the ad-selling onus onto the content owners by promising them a bigger cut.

It will be interesting to see how this all develops in 2014.

Research questions efficiency of three-strikes
The effectiveness of graduated-response anti-piracy systems has always been debated, with research both bigging up and doing down just what can be achieved from having internet service providers write to suspected file-sharers, usually threatening some kind of sanction if they don't stop their evil file-sharing ways.

The most recent report disses such systems, reckoning that the three-strikes process introduced in France - one of the more draconian initiatives on paper, albeit with relatively little bite in practice - achieved approximately nothing. The report, from American and French researchers, is based on a survey of 2000 net users in France.

According to Torrentfreak, the researchers conclude: "Consistent with theoretical predictions, our econometric results indicate that the Hadopi [three-strikes] law has not deterred individuals from engaging in digital piracy and that it did not reduce the intensity of illegal activity of those who did engage in piracy. While several factors affect the perceived probability of detection under the law, our results show that the propensity to engage in illegal file-sharing is independent of these beliefs".

The researchers also noted that for those net users with closer links to the piracy community - a classification based on the piracy chat in said users' social networks - the introduction of three-strikes in France, which targeted exclusively P2P file-sharing, pushed file-sharers down other routes to accessing unlicensed content.

Which means that the three-strikes system is more likely to catch less prolific file-sharers who, the researchers noted, were less likely to switch to other sources of content, but still continued to file-sharer despite the high profile launch of the French three-strikes system.

The researchers said: "There is evidence that the law encourages internet users who better understand the law and alternative piracy channels (those with many digital pirates in their social network) to substitute away from the monitored P2P channel and to obtain content through unmonitored illegal channels".

While the research seems to confirm that the introduction of three-strikes does not act as a deterrent to file-sharing, even when the launch of the anti-piracy measures is high profile, what isn't clear here is what impact actually receiving a warning letter has. It should also be noted that France's three-strikes system, as a result of a shift in opinion in the country's political community, never properly got to the net-suspension stage which, if enacted, might have had more impact in terms of deterrent.

Nevertheless, the report will provide new ammunition to those who argue that three-strikes is an expensive, excessive anti-piracy measure with limited potential for actually combating online infringement.

Nic Tasker confirms Young Turks imprint, Whities
Nic Tasker, some-time boss of programming at the Boiler Room, has just launched Whities, a new alt-dance imprint under the Young Turks label.

Still in its infancy, Whities' first release will be a dual-sided single from German/Italian pairing Terron, titled 'Nº 3 Proportion/Nº 17 Governing'.

Stream A-side 'Nº 3 Proportion' here.

Live industry needs to improve booking processes for 'accessible tickets'
Live music accessibility charity Attitude Is Everything reckons that the live sector is missing out on 2.5 million ticket sales a year - equal to about £66 million in annual revenue - because while promoters make events accessible to deaf and disabled customers, they are not making it easy for said music fans to buy tickets.

In the group's latest State Of Access report, Attitude Is Everything says that 83% of the disabled gig-goers it surveyed were put off buying tickets because of inaccessible booking systems. So called 'accessible tickets' are often sold via telephone booking lines, rather than online, which make it harder for customers who require such tickets to make a purchase.

AIE is now working with the Society Of Ticket Agents & Retailers to facilitate a working party involving the likes of Ticketmaster, See Tickets, Ticketline and Eventim to tackle this problem.

AIE's CEO Suzanne Bull told CMU: "The State Of Access Report demonstrates the value of our dedicated team of mystery shoppers, who have identified barriers to overcome in terms of accessible ticketing policies. But our ethos is about working in partnership with the music industry to find solutions, so we're confident that our findings will lead to an improved live music experience for deaf and disabled music fans in the UK".

Meanwhile, giving his association's support for the new working party initiative, STAR's Jonathan Brown added: "STAR is very pleased to be working with Attitude Is Everything as we look together at how the experience of buying tickets online can be improved for deaf and disabled concert goers. STAR and its members are committed to the highest possible standards of service and information for the ticket buying public and we consider the possibility of these improvements to be a high priority in our work in 2014".

Reading independent to rebrand as Jack FM
Reading-based independent station Reading 107 is the latest UK radio outfit planning to relaunch using the Jack FM name and programming format.

The Jack brand is owned by Canadian company SparkNet, and licensed to radio firms in North America, the UK and Russia. Jack FM Berkshire will be the sixth station using the format in the UK.

Confirming the upcoming format switch, Reading 107 MD Sue Reynolds told CMU: "People want to be entertained when listening to the radio, which Jack will deliver, instead of patronising them. We have a responsibility to our advertisers to deliver an audience, and Jack FM will achieve that quickly".

Meanwhile SparkNet President Pat Bohn added: "We are really looking forward to working with Reading. Their excitement at bringing Jack to their community is contagious and we can't wait to help them go live".

Neil Young to launch Pono at SXSW
Neil Young's long-awaited high-audio-quality digital music service Pono is set to launch at South By Southwest in March. The news was revealed during a speech Young gave at a pre-Grammy event last week staged by the producer wing of the Recording Academy in the singer songwriter's honour.

According to Hypebot, Young said: "Being impressed by something, and how cool it is, and how sharp it is, and how snappy it is, is one thing, and that translates into almost any media. But when you're singing something very soulful from your heart, and the echo is perfect and everything's great and you're using maybe an acoustic chamber and everything sounds great, and then you listen to it and you love it, but you hear it somewhere else and it's gone - that's terrible".

He went on: "We don't like that. Not many of us like that, we're not happy about it. So we're trying to change that, and we're trying to make it better. We're trying to make music sound technically better, and that's what I want to do. So we have a player that plays whatever the musicians made digitally, and that's going to come out. We're announcing that at SXSW, we're introducing it, it's called Pono, and that's my commercial, thank you very much".

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IMS to move to Hard Rock Hotel
The International Music Summit in Ibiza will take place at the island's new Hard Rock Hotel this year, moving from the Ibiza Gran Hotel, where it has taken place since 2009. Assuming that the Hard Rock Hotel opens on 18 May as planned, of course. IMS itself takes place from 21-23 May.

Says IMS's Ben Turner: "This is a major opportunity for us to create a new home as we expand with the genre and with the ambitions of our delegates. We are impressed with the work of the Hard Rock group and feel we are in good hands. The irony of the history and name of the hotel is not lost on us - this is a true reflection of how our music is seeping into mainstream culture worldwide and continuing to break down barriers of entry".

More info on the event here.

Adele working with Phil Collins
Following the hot gossip that a track titled 'Devil On My Shoulder' had been registered with US song society ASCAP with Adele as a co-writer, hibernating pop icon Phil Collins has now boasted of a collaboration with the 'Skyfall' singer, claiming it was she who sought him out to work on her TBC third LP, and not the other way around, as I'm sure you had all assumed.

Not that he even knew who she was, or anything. It's as Phil said to Inside South Florida last week, when he went: "I've just started to work with Adele. She contacted me to write together".

Oh, really. What else, Phil? Well, this: "I wasn't actuality too aware of her. I live in a cave but she's achieved an incredible amount and I really love her voice, and I love some of that stuff she's done. So, to me, it's always an eye-opener. Educational".

So if nothing else, we've learned that Phil Collins is, in fact, a bat, and that it's never to late to find out who Adele is. Educational.

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Lamb Of God to screen documentary in UK cinemas
Lamb Of God have announced that they will be screening their new documentary, 'As The Palaces Burn', in over 70 cinemas in the UK and Ireland on 6 Mar.

Following the 90 minute film, which follows the band on the final date of their most recent US tour, director Don Argott will take part in a Q&A with VH1's Eddie Trunk.

For details on where you can see the film, and to watch a trailer, go to asthepalacesburn.com

U2 to debut free iTunes single during Super Bowl, giving proceeds to (RED)
Bono and his band U2 will premiere a new Danger Mouse-produced single in an ad break during the Super Bowl, aka the big American Football game happening in America on 2 Feb.

The track is 'Invisible' (in title if not in form), and will be available for free on iTunes for 24 hours only (otherwise known as a day) after it debuts on the telly. U2's site states that, for every copy of the song fans download, Bank Of America will donate $1 to the charity (RED) - who'll give it over to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis And Malaria - to a total of $2m.

Prince staging PJ press meet at Lianne La Havas' place
Prince is going to do a press conference on 3 Feb, where he'll list a series of London-neighbouring shows to promote 'Plectrumelectrum', the first LP with his 3rdeyegirl venture.

He will confirm the gigs - no lie - whilst sitting in Lianne La Havas's sitting room, she having 'offered' out her flat to him as a joke after they had a 'jam sesh' at Prince's Paisley Park Studios. So the moral of this story is; don't toy with Prince, because he will show up at your house, probably in his PJs, with a convoy of journos and photogs, and eat all your food. Particularly if it's from Asda. Prince just loves Asda.

Gushing to the Guardian, La Havas said: "It is pretty unbelievable that Prince is coming to my house but it is true! It will be a pleasure to welcome him into my humble home and play some music with some dear friends by candlelight. I couldn't be more excited".

Grammys: Daft Punk win most gongs, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis marry most couples
Daft Punk may have won the most Grammys this weekend, including the all-important Album and Record Of The Year gongs, though four-prize winners Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Best New Artist amongst others, arguably stole the show with a live set that included the marriage of 33 couples live on stage and a guest appearance from Madonna.

And while the mid-award show nuptials might seem a little gimmicky, it was the conclusion of a performance of the hip hop duo's hit 'Same Love', the pro-gay marriage song that has been very much embraced by those campaigning on the issue. Both straight and gay couples got hitched during the Grammy sequence, overseen by Queen Latifah no less, which was a admirably bold move, especially for Grammy organisers, given that gay marriage remains a contentious issue, not least in the US.

According to reports, the 33 now married couples all responded to a call for engaged couplings interested in taking part in a televised mass wedding, though only found out in recent weeks that the event would take place during the Grammys. Though one of those being wed was Lewis's sister, who presumably had more of a heads up. According to The Guardian, Lewis said: "You never think you are going to win a Grammy. It is that thing that is so distant, it's the pinnacle, it's the apex, to be able to celebrate same love. My sister getting married tonight was so personal, I still have chills now".

'Get Lucky' collaborator Pharrell Williams provided some words for the customarily mute Daft Punk guys as they picked up five prizes in total, joking: "Well, I suppose the robots would like to thank... well, you know honestly, I bet France is really proud of these guys right now".

As you all know, there are flippin loads of Grammy gongs dished out each year, but here's a list of the winners of some of the more important ones...

Album Of The Year: Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
Record Of The Year: Daft Punk Feat Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers - Get Lucky
Song Of The Year: Lorde - Royals
Best New Artist: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Best Country Album: Kacey Musgraves - Same Trailer Different Park
Best Pop Vocal Album: Bruno Mars - Unorthodox Jukebox
Best Rock Album: Led Zeppelin - Celebration Day
Best Alternative Album: Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires Of The City,
Best R&B Album: Alicia Keys - Girl On Fire,
Best Rap Album: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - The Heist
Best Dance/Electronica Album: Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

In the unlikely event that you care about any of the other awards, the full list of winners is here.

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Trevor Horn to play live at MPG Awards
Trevor Horn has announced that he will provide a little live performance as part of next month's Music Producers Guild Awards, where he'll be in the house to pick up an Outstanding Contribution prize. Horn plans to perform with his previously featured supergroup Producers, plus some "special guests".

MPG Chairman Steve Levine told CMU: "A live performance by Producers is quite a coup for the MPG and we're really thrilled that guests attending our 2014 Awards ceremony will have the opportunity to witness this unique performance. The MPG Awards are always a popular event on the music industry calendar because they are such a joyful celebration of the UK's recording talent, but when you get the chance to see a supergroup play live as well, you just know it's going to be a brilliant night".

The MPG Awards take place on 13 Feb.

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Fly Awards noms published
The nominations are out for the inaugural Fly Awards, which will take place at The Forum in London town on 6 Feb. Also confirmed is that Bombay Bicycle Club and Wild Beasts will both play at the event, alongside The Horrors, Peace and Thurston Moore.

Moore will also receive a Living Legend Award (providing he keeps fulfilling the 'living' bit up until 6 Feb presumably), while The Horrors will get an Outstanding Artistry prize and Parquet Courts will be honoured with an Album Of 2013 gong for 'Light Up Gold', which is being presented in association with Amazon, which possibly means the award will be presented on stage by a remotely piloted drone, and - good news for the Courts here - will be very tax efficient.

And now the list of noms...

Festival Of The Year: City Sound Project, Glastonbury, Liverpool Psych Fest, The Great Escape, Festival No 6, Reading & Leeds

Venue Of The Year: The Barfly (London), The Deaf Institute (Manchester), The Brudenell Social Club (Leeds), The Leadmill (Sheffield), The Lexington (London), Thekla (Bristol)

Song Of 2013: Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know?, Daft Punk - Get Lucky, Peace - Wraith, Haim - Falling, James Blake - Retrograde, Disclosure - White Noise feat AlunaGeorge

Ones To Watch 2014: Superfood, Wolf Alice, Fat White Family, Childhood, FKA Twigs, Chlöe Howl

Best Live Act: Haim, Arctic Monkeys, The Cribs, Savages, Peace, Swim Deep

Label Of The Year: Matador, Rough Trade, 4AD, Warners, Warp, Domino Recording Co

Local Hero: Sister Ray (London), Crash Records (Leeds), Banquet Records (Kingston-Upon-Thames), Record Collector (Sheffield), Head Records (Leamington Spa), Firebug (Leicester)

Artist Of The Year: Foals, Arctic Monkeys, Haim, Sky Ferreira, Janelle Monáe, King Krule

Azealia Banks hits out at Universal, begs to be dropped
As the world continues to wait for Azealia Banks' long-promised debut long-player 'Broke With Expensive Taste' (you're all still waiting, right?), the lady herself has been hitting out at her label Universal, seemingly blaming the major for the latest round of delays on that album.

Most recently due to land this month, the release of 'BWET' has been pushed back again to March. Seemingly pissed off about all this, Banks took to Twitter yesterday to admit she wished she'd signed to Universal's main competitor. Tweeting "I REALLY should have signed with Sony", she added: "Can someone at Sony buy me off of Universal please? I'm really in hell here".

Referencing back to her original label partner, London indie XL, she tweeted on: "I would literally give anything to be on XL right now". And then, back to dissing her current label further, she added: "I'm tired of having to consult a group of old white guys about my black girl craft. They don't even know what they're listening for or to".

And finally, admitting she was now "begging" to be let out of her Universal deal, she concluded: "Universal needs to just hand me over to another label who knows what to do with me".

So that'll all make for an interesting meeting at Universal HQ later today, in amongst the post-Grammy hangovers.