This Week In Music Publishing 12.3.11

Spotify is making the leap from music streaming service to music platform with the launch of Spotify Apps. Launch partners like Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and Last.fm are trying to help solve one of Spotify’s biggest problems, music discovery, with apps designed to better highlight new music. Spotify also announced huge growth in its customer base, which we’re hopeful is a sign of good things to come – and more royalty payments.

• Meanwhile, Spotify board member Sean Parker’s original baby, Napster gets killed off (CNN Money)
• The battle between UMG and Grooveshark heats up (Hypebot)

MORE:

• Grammy nominations are in with Kanye, Adele and Bruno Mars leading the charge (Billboard)
• APRA/AMCOS report record revenues and ‘remarkable’ growth in digital (Billboard)
• Aurotone Network is aiming to revolutionize music licensing (Billboard)
• Video: Merlin CEO, Charles Caldas, talks the future of music (Billboard)
• Elvis Costello wants you to steal his box set (Los Angeles Times)
• New documentary gives insight into DIY lifestyle (Hypebot)
• Shazam buys back its audio recognition IP from BMI (Techcrunch)

This Week In Music Publishing is curated by Jon Ostrow for music publishing rights management provider Songtrust.