jason hirschhorn's @MusicREDEF: 03/09/2023 - Vertical Killed the Radio Star, Billion Dollar Man, House Music Swindle, Turnstile, Lil Yachty...

When you effectively create something powerful enough to move the bulls*** out of the way, all kinds of forces and energies may not like that. They may seek to corrupt and discourage, to disrupt and distract, to divide, and sabotage. Open in browser Thursday March 09, 2023 Ms. Lauryn Hill at the Stockholm Jazz Festival, Stockholm, Sweden, July 19, 2005. (Fredrik Persson/AFP/Getty Images) quote of the day "When you effectively create something powerful enough to move the bulls*** out of the way, all kinds of forces and energies may not like that. They may seek to corrupt and discourage, to disrupt and distract, to divide, and sabotage." - Ms. Lauryn Hill rantnrave:// Vertical Killed the Radio Star SPOTIFY has officially rolled out its new vertically swiped, video-rich interface, and if it reminds older users of old MTV and younger ones of current TIKTOK, neither of those associations seems to be accidental. DANIEL EK told Billboard after Wednesday's "Stream On" event that he grew up on (and learned how to speak English from) MTV and that the music industry's long-ago leap from radio to TV made things "a hell of a lot better." But he also said he takes inspiration now from his two young kids, and they and their peers "are more interested in visual discovery, and all those things that they're used to because of all the other apps and platforms and other stuff." So stream on, but also swipe out. Between "Stream On" and Spotify's updated "Loud and Clear" website, EK and team rolled out a bunch of big numbers, including the nearly $40 billion it's paid out to rights holders in the 15 years it's been in business ("That makes us the single biggest source of revenue for the entire music industry," Ek said) and the more than 10,000 artists who "generated" at least $100,000 in royalties in 2022. (The quotes around "generated," a fuzzy word that clouds the issue of who actually received those royalties, are mine. Still an impressive number, for whoever was on the receiving end.) They introduced a variety of new bells and whistles, including merch and tour integrations for artists, a pre-save button for upcoming releases and an AI-assisted "smart" playlist feature, and introduced us to the human voice and human programmers behind Spotify's AI "DJ," as if to reassure us the machines aren't entirely in charge. Not yet. And then they spent quite a bit of time reminding us they do podcasts, too, and they want to do more of them and offer their makers more bells and whistles, too. Spotify, for better and for worse, shall not live by music alone. The company has talked about itself in recent years as an "audio" company rather than a "music" company. But Ek seemed to emphasize another word Wednesday: "creators," which potentially telegraphs an even wider universe than "audio." "What we're building here at Spotify," he said in his introductory remarks, is "the best home for creators." The only thing limiting what, er, ridiculousness might lay ahead, as we continue scrolling vertically through Spotify's ever-expanding feed, is the company's imagination. Etc Etc Etc Music's new billion dollar player (or maybe not quite?)... UNIVERSAL MUSIC and agencies including CAA, WME and WASERMAN MEDIA GROUP are among the music companies that have lined up behind LIVE NATION's "FAIR Ticketing" proposal for federal anti-scalping legislation... Replacing human DJs "is the furthest thing from our mindset," says CEO of the company behind RADIOGPT, which seems designed to do exactly that... LAINEY WILSON, KANE BROWN, CODY JOHNSON and JELLY ROLL are the top nominees for the CMT MUSIC AWARDS, to be held April 2 in Austin... Real EARTH, WIND & FIRE versus fake Earth, Wind & Fire. Rest in Peace CHAIM TOPOL, the Israeli actor/singer best known for playing Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof" both onscreen in Norman Jewison's 1971 film and in thousands of stage performances around the world. The Jerusalem Post said he was "Israel's most famous export since the Jaffa orange"... Jazz singer TONI HARPER... Country pedal steel player (and founder of the internet's popular Steel Guitar Forum) BOBBY LEE. - Matty Karas, curator superstar Bloomberg Apple's Money and Snoop Dogg's Songs Back This $1 Billion Music Startup By Lucas Shaw Former Apple executive Larry Jackson Jackson is pitching his company, Gamma, as an alternative to traditional record labels, which many artists feel have taken advantage of them. Gamma is promising artists more control over their work by agreeing to long-term licenses instead of ownership. DJ Mag The Great House Music Swindle By Harold Heath Chicago's Trax Records released some of the most influential records in house history, but decades later, many of the artists behind them are still waiting to be paid. Harold Heath investigates the long and complicated history of one of house music's most infamous labels. The Verge Spotify's new design is part TikTok, part Instagram, and part YouTube By David Pierce Spotify wants to be much more than a music player. So its app is turning into much more than a bunch of album covers. Billboard Daniel Ek on Spotify's Next Step: It's a Chance for Artists to 'Build Connection' By Jason Lipshutz "If you want to find out what Spotify is going to do... look for a big consumer need and a big creator need," Ek tells Billboard. "That's when we will do something." Pitchfork 'Hotline Miami' and the Rise of Techno in Ultra-Violent Video Games By Nina Corcoran Spurred by "Hotline Miami" a decade ago, indie game developers love to pair adrenaline-pumping electronic music with sleek kills. We dig into the game's influence with its creators and the psychological reasons why this combo works. Chicago Reader The great touring gamble By Leor Galil Hitting the road is supposed to be how indie musicians survive the privations of the streaming economy. But it's fast becoming another source of financial risk. TuneCore Be the Change: Gender Equality in the Music Industry 2023 [PDF] "Be the Change: Gender Equality in the Music Industry" returns for its third year providing an intimate look into the experiences of communities in the music industry and how gender-based discrimination impacts them. The New York Times Celebrating De La Soul, With Questlove By Jon Caramanica, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Joseph Patel A conversation about the group's impact and legacy as its music finally arrives on streaming services, just weeks after the death of one of its rappers, Dave Jolicoeur. The Ringer Turnstile Broke Hardcore. Now What? By Michael Tedder With a breakout album and crossover appeal, the Baltimore band took hardcore music to places previously thought unimaginable. Does that mean the next wave of punk's most misanthropic subgenre is ready for the spotlight? The Guardian 'I was the Spotify of the 1980s!' The Italian pirate mixtape empire that brought pop to the people By Giorgio Ghiglione Started from an illegal market stall, Mixed By Erry became Italy's third biggest record label -- until police cracked down. A new film asks whether the founders were heroes or criminals. sweetest thing Billboard Lil Yachty On His Big Rock Pivot: 'F*** Any of the Albums I Dropped Before This One' By Lyndsey Havens With his adventurous, psychedelic new album, 'Let's Start Here,' he's left mumble rap behind -- and finally created a project he's proud of. The Face RXK Nephew is America's weirdest rapper By Dylan Green His outrageous lyrics take shots at high-profile celebrities and peddle bizarre conspiracy theories. Plus he's dropped more music than anyone could possibly have time to listen to. Vulture The Rise of the Sped-Up Remix By Reanna Cruz Music's hottest new trend is the Chipmunk effect. How did we get here? BBC News BBC cuts to classical singers and orchestras labelled 'utterly devastating' By Paul Glynn The BBC Singers will be closed, while there will also be cuts to three BBC English orchestras. Dazed Digital Fever Ray: 'You have to dare yourself to be vulnerable' By Jake Hall The elusive artist talks to Jake Hall about their long-awaited new album, Radical Romantics - a radical interrogation of what 'love' means in a capitalist, heteronormative world. Music Ally 15% of tracks uploaded to Spotify generate 95% of its royalties By Stuart Dredge Spotify has updated its 'Loud & Clear' website with some new figures on its payouts to rightsholders, as well as artist royalties. Music Business Worldwide He built TikTok's music AI tech. But he says robots will never replace human songwriters By Tim Ingham and Ed Newton-Rex Ed Newton-Rex joins MBW's podcast to talk AI, TikTok, and why we shouldn't be scared of the robots. HipHopDX How J. Cole Really Makes Music By Jeremy Hecht and Kevin Bernardez This video is about what J. Cole is like in the studio, straight from the mouths of Kendrick Lamar, Eminem and Kill Edward. NPR Music RETRO READ: The Many Voices Of Lauryn Hill By Zoe Chace The story of her voice is the story of a generation. what we're into Music of the day "I Gotta Find Peace of Mind" Ms. Lauryn Hill From "MTV Unplugged No. 2.0" (2002). Music | Media SUBSCRIBE Suggest a link "REDEF is dedicated to my mother, who nurtured and encouraged my interest in everything and slightly regrets the day she taught me to always ask 'why?'" Jason Hirschhorn CEO & Chief Curator HOME | ABOUT | SETS | PRESS Redef Group Inc. LA - NY - Everywhere Copyright ©2021 UNSUBSCRIBE or MANAGE MY SUBSCRIPTION