This week in music commentary, industry insiders weighed in why music and tech shall forever be intertwined, the importance of not simply treating your career like one giant party, why radio isn't more thrilled about the recent boom in audio.

We have a plethora of tips for independent and DIY artists this week, as we offer advice on accessible and affordable marketing, provide a comprehensive look at effective social media marketing, look at some key resources for promoting your next album and much, much more.

This week on MusicThinkTank, contributors shared articles on some unconventional tips for writing music, how the UK festival scene has evolved over time, what goes on behind the scenes of sync and music supervision, and more!

In this flip back through the past week's music industry news, we revisit the play gap in men's vs. women's performance on the charts, Spotify's impressive showing over other streamers when it comes to installs, how Billie Eilish and her brother are redefining pop music from a tiny bedroom studio, and more!

This week readers went wild over Festify, Amazon launched a free ad supported music service, Live Nation Urban announced a series of events designed to empower female creatives, we got to peak inside Billy Eilish's bedroom and so much more.

Amazon and YouTube each just launched free music streamers. Like Spotify's free tier, both offer free ad-supported music. But despite the media hype, their goals are very different than Spotify.

While a recent Billboard headline proclaiming women to be dominating the Hot 100 might lead you to believe otherwise, a closer look at the data reveals the gender play gap to still very much be an issue in the music business.

In this piece, Jake Udell reflects on the how music companies are increasingly converging to become the same thing as they try to wear a growing number of hats in an effort to remain relevant in a rapidly changing industry.

Music marketing changed almost entirely in the last decade, and while variety of new tools and techniques are now available to artists, many of them require a significant investment. Here we look at seventeen different marketing tips that, while still effective, remain affordable to the average musician.

In 2019, music and technology have become more linked together than ever, with new tech advancement now part and parcel of every aspect of the music industry. In this piece, Patrick McGuire explores the historical context for this, and what happens technological change is put at odds with artists' values.

The Spotify app has passed 500 million installs on Android. In its last quarterly report, Spotify reported 207 million monthly active users, so the 500 million stat includes  people who are no longer using the app and reflect how Google calculates downloads and installs.

Universal Music Group announced it is expanding its presence in the world of podcasting via a new partnership with indie podcast publisher Wondery. Under the terms of the deal, podcasts produced by Wondery will have access to UMG’s catalogue and its roster of artists.

BBC Music has launched in the US, bringing its in-depth music journalism to a stateside audience. US produced content will be featured alongside the BBC's deep catalog and extensive coverage of global festivals, music news and more.

Amazon Music customers in the U.S. who do not have a Prime membership or subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited can now listen to a free ad-supported selection of top playlists and stations for free with Amazon Music on compatible Alexa-enabled devices.

FRIDAY 4.19.19

Music Business News From Around The Web

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