Tag Archives: music-industry

Timbaland‘s been busy. Over the last year, while the producer was introducing the world to Verzuz and brokering deals with Apple Music and Peloton, he was also quietly putting finishing touches on a new platform called Beatclub — an early version of which went live a few months ago. The …

Racism is baked into the foundation of the modern music industry. The business took the first steps to grapple with its role in perpetuating and profiting from racism last year, when Jamila Thomas (now at Motown Records) and Brianna Agyemang (Platoon) launched a movement called #TheShowMustBePaused shortly after the murder …

The copyright bonanza in the music business continues. On Monday morning, Concord Music Publishing announced the purchase of Downtown Music Holdings’ entire portfolio of 145,000 owned and co-published music copyrights. Here are just some of the stars with songs included in the deal: Adele, Aretha Franklin, Beyoncé, Blake Shelton, Bruno …

In Rolling Stone‘s series At Work, we go behind the curtain with decision-makers across the fast-changing music business — exploring a range of responsibilities, burgeoning ideas, advice for industry newcomers, and more. Read earlier interviews here. Abou “Bu” Thiam owes a lot to his brother, Akon. “I was Akon’s A&R …

In Rolling Stone‘s series At Work, we go behind the curtain with decision-makers across the fast-changing music business — exploring a range of responsibilities, burgeoning ideas, advice for industry newcomers, and more. Read earlier interviews here. Eight years ago, Tunde Balogun and Sean Famoso were Georgia State students frustrated by …

Mississippi indie label Fat Possum Records was deep into shipping copies of veteran punk band X’s first album in 27 years, Alphabetland, when they were faced with an unprecedented problem: How do you fit 1,000 vinyl records into a postal worker’s Jeep Cherokee? Shipping records in the past hasn’t really …

See you next year, literally. In the last few days, the world’s three biggest label groups have all sent out internal memos alerting their U.S. employees that remote work will continue through to January 2021. In the memos, obtained by Rolling Stone, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, and Warner …

Engaging with one’s audience is a golden rule of marketing — and R&B star 6lack is doing that in droves with his new EP 6pc Hot, which drops on Friday and aims to promote open dialogue around race and community. The set is coming with an eclectic all-out marketing campaign …

Radio personality Kevin Ryder was “baffled” by KROQ’s “cold, heartless attitude” when he and his morning-show team were fired at the end of March. The station has long been an alternative/rock staple in Los Angeles, the second-largest market in the country, and Ryder had been on the air for more …

Earlier this year, the internet-famous dancer Toosie received a message from the biggest star on the planet. “Drake hit me up and was like, ‘Yo, I need your help,’” Toosie told Rolling Stone. The rapper sent over a verse and a hook to a song that didn’t yet have a …