HOT: Beats V. Spotify, The Payment Round
Since Apple acquired the Beats Music streaming music service last year, there have been a lot of comparisons between the service vs. Spotify. For the artist, Beats may have a leg up on Spotify, something that will likely translate into good PR for the Apple-run company. Independent musician David Harrell of The Layaways recently wrote a blog post comparing how the payouts stack up. He said Beats paid his band 1.801 cents per stream, while the group’s average income per stream on Spotify works out to .428 cents. Beats says its royalty payments are higher because it doesn’t offer a free version of its service, while Spotify has long said as its subscription base continues to grow, so will artist payments.
WARM: Everyone’s a Critic
The eccentric bent of funky rockers Primus is one of the biggest reasons the group has maintained a large following for the past 25 years. But the band isn’t for everyone. An Illinois mother took her distaste for Primus a little too far (OK, a lot too far) in January when she reportedly fired multiple rounds from her rifle into her TV while her cool kids (aged 6, 11 and 15) watched a Primus music video. The 40-year-old mother, arrested on multiple charges, recently pled not guilty in court; her trial is pending. The name of the video was not reported, but Primus bassist/singer Les Claypool has his suspicions, telling Relix, “I’ve been tempted to shoot at the TV when our videos come on as well. Especially that damn [‘Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver’] vid.” Second Amendment crusaders will no doubt support the mom’s right to shoot her own TV in her own house with her own gun, just as the Founding Fathers intended.
Sorry, Les and Illinois mom:
COLD: Let the SXSW Complaining Begin!
The musical portion of the South By Southwest conference/showcase in Austin, Texas, began this week and once again there has been a lot of talk about the overkill of corporate “branding.” The event began 28 years ago; complaining about the festival “selling out” began about 27-and-a-half years ago. Last year, the Doritos-sponsored stage became the face of sell-out complaints (mostly due to it being built to resemble a huge Doritos vending machine, as well as the reported $2 million fee Gaga was paid) and this year, McDonald’s appears to be the corporate boogieman. The fast food giant’s first foray into SXSWness got off to a bad start after the duo Ex Cops made public the company’s offer to play a McDonald’s showcase for “exposure” but no payment. The $97 billion company at first played the “everyone else does it” card, but reportedly changed its tune and will now pay artists. With money, not McNuggets.