Analyst claims Instagram will make $14bn of revenues this year
Facebook doesn’t break out revenues for Instagram when publishing its financial results – just like Alphabet doesn’t give standalone figures for YouTube. That leaves a gap for analysts to fill
RealNetworks doubles its stake in Napster for up to $40m
RealNetworks has announced that it has doubled its stake in music-streaming service Napster to 84%, after agreeing a deal with co-owner Columbus Nova Technology Partners. RealNetworks is paying $1m in cash up-front,
The top three artists on YouTube last week were all from India
Guess who the most popular musician in the world was last week based on YouTube views? Not Ariana Grande, who’s currently Spotify’s top artist: she was only 21st in YouTube’s
RIAA-backed report explores labels’ changing role in music
We’ll be blunt: anyone who tells you that labels are dead is talking out of their trumpet. But anyone who tells you that an artist can’t succeed without a label
Record Union wants indie acknowledgment from streaming playlists
Digital music distributor Record Union has launched a campaign targeted at music-streaming services on behalf of independent artists. But it’s not demanding higher royalties or more playlist slots, but rather some way of
Spotify’s artist-block feature isn’t just about R. Kelly
When news emerged that Sony’s RCA label had parted ways with R. Kelly, campaigning group UltraViolet called on Spotify and other streaming services to (once again) take action against this
Spotify’s flagship Afro Hub playlist passes 400k subscribers
Spotify launched its Afro Hub in October 2018, as a showcase for the music of sub-Saharan Africa, even though the streaming service is so far only available in South Africa