Being an artist is hard enough without having to manage the mini-department store that is your merch - luckily there are a number of tools out there designed to lessen the headache of keeping up with orders and streamlining sales.

Recent news that the down on its luck social network Myspace fried a dozen years of media due to a server error should have artists and professionals alike scrambling to make sure they have a multitude of backups for their precious data.

In an ere where almost everything is billed as "social," streaming music is a surprisingly outlier. Given music's power to bring people together, streaming would seem ripe as a social hub. Facebook could fill that void - without ever launching its own streaming service.  But, as MIDiA's Mark Mulligan points out, so far Facebook + music are more about promise than delivery.

Song Stories, hosted by Hypebot contributor Kyle Bylin, explores how music changes people's lives and impacts the places they live in. This week's episode features Eric Gilbert, who is the co-founder and director of Treefort Music Fest, a music festival in Boise, IA. The festival proudly shines a spotlight on regional music, literature, art, food, and beer. We talk about why the festival came to be and how it has impacted Boise's national reputation and local music scene.

With the ubiquity of music access and a lack of any need for patience, the term "skip-rate" has crept into the modern music industry lexicon, and some new data behind why and when consumers are skipping songs (and thereby not generating revenue for the artist) has many in the industry concerned.

In an effort to combat some of the negative press it's been receiving over its efforts to keep down songwriter royalty rates, Spotify is planning to hold a series of "town halls" where songwriters can air their concerns, a tactic the streaming company tried in 2014, with less than ideal results.

Improving as a musician without practicing is impossible, and practicing without a space to do it in is similarly difficult. In this piece we explore how to allocate the optimal practice space with regard to temperature, humidity, and tech needs.

Music licensing platform Songtradr has completed a Series B capital of US$12 million to support acquisitions, growth and product development. This round brings Songtradr’s total funding to date to $21.5 million.

The Library of Congress announced Wednesday (March 20) that songs performed by Jay-Z, Cyndi Lauper, Neil Diamond and Nina Simon are among 25 recordings being inducted to the National Recording Registry.

Splice has raised $57.5 million in a Series C round to expand its music sample subscription service and other artist services. The startup also announced that it has paid $15 million in royalties since launching in 2013 to creators who offer samples through the company's artist-to-artist service, Splice Sounds.

UPDATE 2: Tencent Music [TME] stock took a hit Wednesday after the streamer's first post-IPO report to investors included a $127 million quarterly loss. Tencent stock closed Wednesday at $16.66 USD, down $1.91 or 10.29% and fell another 1% in after hours trading.

THURSDAY 3.21.19

Music Business News From Around The Web

Updated continuously under the More News tab

Respected music and entertainment industry analysts MIDiA have just published its latest global music forecasts, with revenue and user numbers projected through 2026.

As with everything else that takes place live, Facebook Live moments can be an unpredictable beast, and using the tool successfully means being prepared for mishaps and pitfalls. Here we look at six essential tips from the from the Facebook Live team.