Com O IPO Em vista Spotify Termina As Conversas Em Comprar A SoundCloud

With IPO in Sight, Spotify Reportedly Ends Talks to Buy SoundCloud

Those rumored talks between Spotify and SoundCloud, regarding a possible buyout of the latter, have come to an end. That's according to TechCrunch, which cites a knowledgeable source at Spotify as indicating the company bailed on the idea because it didn't want to add any wrinkles to a potential IPO next year. Reps at Spotify and SoundCloud did not immediately return requests for comment.

The Financial Times reported in September that the two parties were in "advanced talks" about an acquisition. Sale talks are nothing new for SoundCloud, which reportedly put itself up on the market for $1 billion over the summer, just months after launching its on-demand streaming service Go.

According to the FT, Spotify has passed on acquiring SoundCloud on two previous occasions over the years. This time, however, Spotify reportedly got cold feet because it foresaw major headaches in the licensing process tied to SoundCloud's larger catalog of non-label tracks, including its cache of DJ remixes.

Read more: Can Spotify Survive the Impending Storm As It Prepares to Go Public?

As previously reported, Spotify is under pressure to go public because in March it raised $1 billion in convertible debt, which can be exchanged to equity, under terms that grow less favorable as time passes. Spotify boasts 100 million-plus monthly users, with 40 million paid. Following close on its tail is Apple Music, which this week announced it has 20 million paid users. Amazon recently entered the on-demand streaming market, with Amazon Music Unlimited, and Pandora just (finally) unveiled its own all-in-one entry into the market.

Nielsen Fala Em Comprar a Gracenote

Nielsen in Advanced Talks to Purchase Media Data Specialist Gracenote: Report

Nielsen is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire entertainment metadata specialist Gracenote. 

Variety first reported the news that Nielsen was discussing the purchase from Tribute Media for $450–500 million, citing unnamed sources. An announcement could come as soon as this month, it claimed. 

If the acquisition does happen, Nielsen will use Gracenote's automatic content recognition technology that's integrated into most TVs from major manufacturers to more accurately measure what consumers are watching with a larger sample size. As well, there's likely hope that this could provide a window into viewership for online video services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, which do not publicize their data. 

Read more: Gracenote Develops Video Playlisting, Search Help for Pay-TV Providers

Tribune Media acquired Gracenote from Sony in 2013 for $170 million. 

Neither Nielsen nor Tribute Media have publicly commented.  

Fazer Uma Tour- Vantagens e Desvantagens

Touring Advantages/Disadvantages From Less Than Jake

Chris DeMakes @lessthanchris is a singer, guitarist, and songwriter in the legendary ska/punk band Less Than Jake @LessThanJake. For the last 22 years he and his bandmates have toured the world many times over. Having toured almost nonstop for most of his career, as well as playing more Vans Warped Tour dates than any other act, Chris brings a special perspective most musicians can only dream of.

Recently Chris sat down with Music Clout @musicclout to share some of his thoughts on the advantages/disadvantages of being a touring musician.

Music Clout: What would you say are some of the biggest advantages of touring all the time?

Chris DeMakes: Well, as you are aware, the music industry has changed significantly over the last 20 years. Gone are the days where I could just sit around and go out to the mailbox every three months and pull out a fat royalty check. The internet changed the game. File sharing changed the game. Nobody pays for music anymore. Musicians these days have to make their money on their live shows and by selling their merchandise. Those royalty have dried up or gotten significantly smaller, but rent still needs to be paid, car payments still have to be paid, so it’s important for bands wanting to make a living to get out on the road…..Even bands you wouldn’t think would still be touring. Go on Pollstar@Pollstar sometime, type in a washed up band you wouldn’t even think would still be touring, i.e. Loverboy @loverboyband and you will probably see they’re playing some obscure bar or casino somewhere. Why? Because nobody is buying music and like the rest of us, they have bills to pay.

Music Clout: Conversely, what are some of the biggest disadvantages?

Chris DeMakes: Syphilis, divorce, anger, resentment...Need any more? Kidding (laughs), seriously though, touring can be tough. It can be expensive, as you know in the last 10 years gas prices have gone through the fucking roof. When gas prices were $1.20/ gallon it was a lot easier to take you van or bus around the country and play shows. Now gas is like $4.00/ gallon, touring is harder, cause we just can’t start charging 40 to 50 dollars for our T-shirts, because no one will by them. The prices for hotels has gone up, but our ticket prices have stayed relatively the same, cause our fans just can’t afford it. If we start charging $40 to $50 for our shows, people aren’t going to come see Less Than Jake…...I missed weddings and funerals, I’ve witnessed divorce, not only in mind band, but other bands as well. Listen, I’m not complaining, this is what I chose to do. This is what I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it (laughs).

Music Clout: How has being on the road so often, allowed you to become a better musician?

Chris Demakes: It has allowed my band and I hone our craft. Less Than Jake is known for having a live show. We didn’t just show up one day and we were great live. We had to work on it. The more shows you do, the more comfortable you become up on stage…. After 20 plus years, it’s still fun. We just got back from playing in front of 5,000 people in Quebec City and it was a blast. You get us up in front of a big crowd and we bring the party. We’ll bring a good time and that’s why we still work.

Music Clout: Chris, thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with us. We’ll be looking out for you on the road.

Chris DeMakes: Anytime bro.

Look for Less Than Jake this October on their Canadian tour, as well as Chris Demakes’ solo project, Ska Goes Solo, on tour in early 2015.

Check out Music Clout’s list of Gigs and Music Festivals currently looking for artists to book. 

RokBlok - Permite Você Tocar Qualquer Vinil Em Qualquer Lugar - Video

This toy truck allows you to play any record anywhere you want

If your vinyl is sitting around gathering dust, this may be the trick to playing them more. The RokBlok is a Kickstarter backed product that drives in circles around your record, and plays the music through its own speaker — or a bluetooth-enabled one nearby.

RokBlok is the world’s smallest wireless record player, that plays your favorite records by lightly riding on top of them. Rock out to your favorite albums anywhere, using it’s built in speakers, or wirelessly connect your favorite bluetooth speakers or headphones for a bigger sound.

Os 20 Melhores Albums Do Ano De Acordo Com Os Críticos (EU) Você Concorda?

RANKED: The 20 best albums of the year, according to critics - Do you agree?

First of all thanks to John Lynch for this article.

2016 was a whirlwind year in music, punctuated by blockbuster releases, a handful of masterful albums, and the loss of some iconic artists.

From the critical dominance of the Knowles sisters — Beyoncé and Solange — to the final LPs from legendary acts like David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, and A Tribe Called Quest, 2016 has produced many innovative, affecting, and memorable works.

We turned to the review aggregator Metacritic to find out which albums critics have gravitated to and praised the most this year. The resulting list includes the expected big names alongside a few lesser-known artists with remarkable works.

Here are the top 20 albums of the year, according to critics' scores on Meteoritic:

20. Ian William Craig — "Centres"

Fat Cat

Critic score: 86/100

User score: 7.5/10

What critics said: "There's an addictive, hypnagogic quality to this ghostly combination of ambient noise, treated vocals and bursts of static." — Uncut

19. Maxwell — "blackSUMMERS'night"

Columbia

Critic score: 86/100

User score: 8.2/10

What critics said: "Maxwell's transcendent falsetto and the soulful jazz, electronic and soul arrangements need no cohesive story line to make them resonate." — Los Angeles Times

18. Michael Kiwanuka — "Love & Hate"

Interscope

Critic score: 86/100

User score: 8.4/10

What critics said: "This is an album that sounds like a world of music in itself." — The Telegraph

17. Sturgill Simpson — "A Sailor's Guide to Earth"

Atlantic

Critic score: 86/100

User score: 8.0/10

What critics said: "'Sailor's Guide' is classic album length — nine songs, 39 minutes — and best heard in one sitting; this is Nashville craft less as pop science than as expansive headphone storytelling." — Rolling Stone

16. Ital Tek — "Hollowed"

Planet Mu

Critic score: 86/100

User score: 7.8/10

What critics said: "No other album made by the countless electronic composers delves this deeply into places people fear to face." — PopMatters

15. Bon Iver — "22, A Million"

Jagjaguwar

Critic score: 87/100

User score: 8.2/10

What critics said: "The wonder of '22, A Million' is how beautifully he melds the disparate forms — inside and outside, acoustic and digital, past and future, ground level and interstellar. It's a stunning record, well worth the wait." — Spin

14. Nails — "You Will Never Be One of Us"

Nuclear Blast

Critic score: 87/100

User score: 6.2/10

What critics said: "Nails constructs towers of noise tall enough to blot out the sun." — The AV Club

13. Mitski — "Puberty 2"

Dead Oceans Records

Critic score: 87/100

User score: 8.4/10

What critics said: "A visceral work that shares the immediacy of classic punk and confessional singer/songwriter fare at once, 'Puberty 2' takes listeners behind closed doors with the kind of no-holds-barred lyrics that are likely to leave a lasting impression." — AllMusic

12. Frank Ocean — "Blonde"

Boys Don't Cry

Critic score: 87/100

User score: 8.4/10

What critics said: "'Blonde' is dewy, radiant and easeful, with an approach to incantatory soul that evolves moment to moment. It's feverish but unhurried, a slowly smoldering set that's emphatic about loneliness." — The New York Times

11. Angel Olsen — "My Woman"

Jagaguwar

Critic score: 87/100

User score: 8.3/10

What critics said: "Her lyrics have the conviction of someone like Fiona Apple: a profoundly individual presence that centers, above all, on self-reliance, on searing autonomy, on the act of becoming. 'My Woman' does this more vividly and lucidly and daringly than before." — Pitchfork

10. David Bowie — "Blackstar"

Columbia Records

Critic score: 87/100

User score: 8.8/10

What critics said: "There are more than enough narratives to follow down the rabbit hole here, and themes and imagery so dense they could probably be dissected for days or even weeks. Most of all, though, it's the kind of album that works beautifully as a physical experience." — Entertainment Weekly

9. Robbie Fulks — "Upland Stories"

Bloodshot Records

Critic score: 87/100

User score: 3.5/10

What critics said: "A continuation of the warm folk, fiddle, and banjo style of 2013's 'Gone Away Backward,' here Fulks continues proving he's one of music's best song craftsmen." — Austin Chronicle

8. Common — "Black America Again"

Def Jam

Critic score: 87/100

User score: 7.6/10

What critics said: "One of the year's most potent protest albums." — Chicago Tribune

7. Radiohead — "A Moon Shaped Pool"

XL Records

Critic score: 88/100

User score: 9.1/10

What critics said: "Drawing on the embattled, hopeful possibilities of early Seventies soul, rock and folk, its chamber-classical and folk instrumentation allows for pleasure as well as despair. This is a Radiohead album to make you feel, better." — The Independent

6. Drive-By Truckers — "American Band"

ATO

Critic score: 88/100

User score: 7.8/10

What critics said: "Eloquently plainspoken as ever about the pressing issues we face as a nation, they've made an album multiple decades into their career that establishes them as more directly relevant than ever." — Slant Magazine

5. Solange — "A Seat at the Table"

Columbia

Critic score: 89/100

User score: 8.2/10

What critics said: "The album radiates universal beauty and truth in the tradition of Stevie Wonder and Minnie Ripperton — and the whole world could simply use more of that." — Entertainment Weekly

4. A Tribe Called Quest — "We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service"

Epic

Critic score: 89/100

User score: 8.8/10

What critics said: "This is no nostalgia trip or callous comeback. It's a giant exclamation point on the end of a brilliant career." — AllMusic

3. Leonard Cohen — "You Want It Darker"

Columbia

Critic score: 92/100

User score: 8.2/10

What critics said: "Following a string of records that have each felt like a swan song, 'You Want It Darker' may be Cohen's most haunting LP." — Rolling Stone

2. Beyoncé — "Lemonade"

Parkwood Entertainment

Critic score: 92/100

User score: 7.6/10

What critics said: "Here, we see Beyoncé fully coming into her own: wise, accomplished, and in defense of herself." — Consequence of Sound

1. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds — "Skeleton Tree"

Bad See Ltd.

Critic score: 95/100

User score: 8.2/10

What critics said: "No other record released this year will provoke such conflicting emotions in you. 'Skeleton Tree' is both beautiful and harrowing, hard to listen to but even harder to look away from." — NME

Indústria Musical Disputa Pagamento De US $ 1 bilhão Ao YouTube

Music Industry Disputes YouTube’s $1 Billion Payout

IFPI criticises Google’s “unexplained numbers on what it claims YouTube pays the music industry”

On Tuesday, YouTube announced that it paid out more than $1 billion in ad revenue to the the music industry over the last 12 months. “As more advertising dollars shift from TV, radio and print to online services, the music industry will generate even more revenue from ads,” wrote Robert Kyncl, YouTube’s chief business officer, in a blog post. Today the the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, or IFPI (a trade group representing the global record industry), took issue with YouTube’s announcement. In a statement, the IFPI called the $1 billion figure an “unexplained” claim. The organization also reiterated the record industry’s argument earlier this year that YouTube pays an unfair rate for music due to a “value gap” under existing law. Read the IFPI’s full statement below.

Google has today issued more unexplained numbers on what it claims YouTube pays the music industry. The announcement gives little reason to celebrate, however. With 800 million music users worldwide, YouTube is generating revenues of just over US$1 per user for the entire year. This pales in comparison to the revenue generated by other services, ranging from Apple to Deezer to Spotify. For example, in 2015 Spotify alone paid record labels some US$2 billion, equivalent to an estimated US$18 per user.

YouTube, the world's largest on-demand music service, is not paying artists and producers anything like a fair rate for music. This highlights more than ever the need for legislative action to address the "value gap" that is denying music rights holders a fair return for their work.

A YouTube spokesperson directed Pitchfork to Kyncl’s statement in the blog post that shifting ad spending will boost the music industry’s ad revenue. Kyncl acknowledged in the post, “To achieve this, there is a lot of work that must be done by YouTube and the industry as a whole, but we are excited to see the momentum.”

Apple Music Esta Crescendo Mas Ainda Não Alcançou O Spotify

Apple Music Is Growing But Still No Match for Spotify

First of all thanks to  

Don Reisinger

 for this article.

But Spotify has been around for a longer period.

Apple Music’s star is rising, but it’s still trailing its chief competitor.

Speaking to Billboard and the BBC on Wednesday, Apple executives said that Apple Music now has 20 million paid subscribers worldwide, a 15% jump from the 17 million paid subscribers the company had in September. Apple told Billboard that its Apple Music subscribers come from more than 100 countries around the world, and more than 50% of them are living outside the U.S.

Apple released Apple Music about a year-and-a-half ago as a response to growing consumer interest in streaming instead of downloading digital music. Apple Music offers millions of tracks as well as curated playlists based on user taste. It’s running across Apple’s mobile devices, like the iPhone and iPad, as well as Macs.

To build its user base, Apple  AAPL 0.98%  has used the bundled applications to target its millions of customers around the globe who own its iPhones and Macs, and partnered with artists like Taylor Swift and Drake. The iPhone maker has also offered exclusive access to content to attract popular musicians’ fans.

While that has all apparently paid off, it comes at a cost. Apple told Billboard that 60% of its Apple Music customers haven’t bought a single track from iTunes in the last year. Digital downloads, which are still available through iTunes, were once the lifeblood of Apple’s music business.

Apple Music is also facing headwinds in its bid to become the dominant music source. The service is competing in a highly fragmented market with popular competitors like Spotify, Pandora  P 0.51% , and artist-backed Tidal. And although Apple Music is growing at a rapid clip, it’s far from supplanting the market leader.

In September, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek responded to Apple touting its then 17 million paid subscribers, saying that his company now has a market-leading 40 million paid customers. Neither Ek nor Spotify has said how many paid subscribers the company has now, but even if its growth is static, Spotify has twice as many paid subscribers as Apple Music.

Spotify had 30 million paid subscribers in March, suggesting the company added more than 1.6 million paid subscribers per month between March and September. Apple has added 3 million paid subscribers in three months, or an average of 1 million paid subscribers per month. If that pace continues, Spotify could open an even wider lead on Apple Music.

Regardless, Apple Music and Spotify are generating significant sums of revenue on their services. Apple Music pricing starts at $9.99 per month for individuals and jumps to $14.99 per month for up to six people listening on the same account. Apple also offers a $4.99-per-month student membership. Spotify offers identical prices on its paid individual, family, and student memberships.