Exploration Weekly - UK MPs Call for “More Focus” on Fair Pay / “BBC Music Introducing” to Be Axed / Songwriters Hall of Fame Inductions on June 15

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In this newsletter:

Members of the UK Parliament are calling for “more focus” on making sure that creators and performers are getting paid fairly in a follow-up report from the economics of music streaming investigation.

Music industry trade bodies like Music Venue Trust and LIVE wrote an open letter to the BBC about saving “BBC Music Introducing” from being cut, stating that the show is “unique” and is “especially important in left behind communities”.

Gloria Estefan, Snoop Dogg, Teddy Riley, Sade Adu, Liz Rose, Glen Ballard and Jeff Lynne will all see inductions into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 15 in New York City. Chairman Nile Rodgers announced, “We are…very proud that we are continually recognizing some of the culturally most important songwriters of all time…”.

Now, the details...

Exploration Weekly - January 20, 2023
Compiled by Heidi Seo

MPs Call for “More Focus” on Music-Maker Remuneration in Economics Of Music Streaming Update

MPs on the UK Parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee have called for “more focus” on “ensuring creators and performers receive a fairer cut of the money made from streaming music” in a short follow-up report to their previous investigation into the economics of music streaming. The new report follows a hearing in November where the select committee reviewed what work had been undertaken following the publication of its original report back in July 2021.

Music Industry Trade Bodies Urge BBC Not to Kill “BBC Music Introducing”

A group of music industry trade bodies has published an open letter to BBC about saving ‘BBC Music Introducing’ from being axed. “[The show] is a fundamental cog in the machine of the grassroots sector,” the letter argues. “This work is not done by any other broadcaster; it is unique. Its reach extends to every corner of the country and it is especially important in left behind communities, where access to music and music opportunities is already incredibly challenging.”

Gloria Estefan, Snoop Dogg, Sade to Be Inducted Into Songwriters Hall of Fame

Gloria Estefan, Snoop Dogg, Teddy Riley, Sade Adu, Liz Rose, Glen Ballard and Jeff Lynne will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 15 during the organization’s 52nd annual induction and awards gala in New York City. “It all starts with the song and the songwriter,” Chairman Nile Rodgers said. “We are therefore very proud that we are continually recognizing some of the culturally most important songwriters of all time and that the 2023 slate represents not just iconic songs but also diversity and unity across genres, ethnicity and gender, songwriters who have enriched our lives and, in their time, literally transformed music and the lives of billions of listeners all over the world.”

YouTube Shorts Isn’t Just Getting Ads. New Thumbnails and Analytics are Coming Soon

As the TikTok competitor YouTube Shorts prepares for the February 1st launch of its revenue-sharing program, it is rolling out updates that will help creators optimize their short-form content. During the January 11 episode of YouTube’s Creator Insider, YouTube revealed tools that are designed to increase micro-video viewership: 1) a “new card in the YouTube analytics tab” that breaks down a channel’s subscriptions by content type, 2) a new card on the mobile version of YouTube Studio that shows creators which videos their viewers are watching, and 3) Shorts users on Android can now select a specific frame from a video to serve as the clip’s preview image.

Spotify Just Added 10,000 New Arabic Songs to Its Platform Via a Licensing Deal with Rotana Music

Spotify has signed a licensing deal with Rotana Music, which is claimed to be the largest record label in the Middle East. The deal brings over 10,000 Arabic songs to the Spotify platform. Rotana also struck an agreement with TikTok on January 11 and signed a partnership with MENA-focused music streaming service Anghami in April last year.

Coachella to Livestream Free on YouTube Through 2026

YouTube and Goldenvoice, producer of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, renewed their exclusive livestream and content partnership for the annual event through 2026. The upcoming Coachella 2023 festival will mark the 11th year that YouTube is serving as its exclusive worldwide livestreaming partner. Coachella, which is North America’s largest music festival, has already sold all of its 125,000 per-day tickets for this year’s run.


Roblox Reports Strong December Metrics with 61.5 Million Daily Users

Roblox reported its December 2022 metrics on Tuesday, revealing that it had 61.5 million daily active users that month – up 18% year-on-year. The hours they spent on the gaming platform were up 21% to 4.7 billion while estimated bookings – a marker of money spent by Roblox users on the platform’s Robux currency – grew by 17-20% to $430 million - $439 million.

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