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Xiami Music

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China Gets MQA Studio-Quality Audio Streaming With Alibaba's Xiami Music

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Xiami will be the first streaming service in China to adopt MQA, a technology already in use by Tidal to stream hi-res music
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jul 18, 2019 - 12:33 pm

In the latest high-res audio victory heard 'round the world, Alibaba Group's Xiami Music announced plans to become the first music streaming service in China to adopt MQA studio-quality audio. Implementation of this pioneering technology will make Xiami the audio quality leader in China.

True to its name, MQA delivers "master quality authenticated" music in a file small enough to stream, and is already in use by Tidal. MQA decoders can be found in high-end equipment the world over; its technology enables the highest quality playback of the original recording on all devices, from smartphones to high-end home audio systems.

Long Yang, Director of Xiami Music said in a statement, "We are very proud to be the first music service in China to offer MQA, as we continue to push the technological boundaries in pursuit of improved sound quality to benefit our music fans and all musicians on our platform."

MQA will be introduced into the SVIP tier of Xiami Music iOS and Android apps, and all users will be offered a free trial for a limited period to kick the tires before subscribing. Even before this high-quality audio streaming becomes an option, China had already become the fourth largest market for sales of MQA devices. Plus, Xiami has attracted over 40,000 independent musicians, and its library contains over 500 million playlists and 20 million songs the platform's new offering will have immediate impact.

Mike Jbara, MQA’s CEO, added, "MQA is a consumer-centric technology company, driven by a commitment to deliver the master recording all the way through to the music fan, wherever and however they choose to listen – and it was clear from our first meeting that the Xiami team shared our vision."

China's revitalized recorded revenue market currently ranks seventh in revenue internationally, due in part to the efforts of streaming services like Xiami. The country also ranks fourth in terms of music streaming income, behind only the U.S., the U.K. and Germany. Now, with high-quality streaming options becoming available to Chinese consumers, the digital revolution will sound better than ever for millions of music fans.

Quality Sound Matters: Learn More About The Recording Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing Initiative

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SoundCloud

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SoundCloud Unveils New Artist Marketing Tool Called Promote

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Premier-tier users of the digital service can now self-manage their own promotional efforts to boost plays and grow audience
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Nov 12, 2019 - 3:35 pm

SoundCloud artists who have upgrated to Premier, the platform's premium-tier membership, now have a new promotional tool in their tool belt. Today the digital service launced Promote, a self-service feature empowering creators to boost plays and lift their songs to the top of listeners' feeds and mobile pages.

With Promote, Premier users can set their own budget and adjust advanced targeting options to, as SoundCloud's website puts it, "Get your music in front of our global tastemaker community." The promotional tool also allows artists to interact with fans and build real-time connections on the platform.

This new feature comes as part of the existing Premier plan, where artists get free distribution to every major music service with fast, direct payouts as well as, "Earn industry-leading revenue share on SoundCloud and keep 100 percent of your payouts from other services."

In order for artists to qualify for Premier and access the new Promote tool, they must be age 18 or older, be posting original music and have no copyright strikes against them and a minimum of 1,000 monetizable track plays on SoundCloud.

For more information, visit SoundCloud's Premier page.

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Ken Ehrlich

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Ken Ehrlich Announced As Executive Producer For 62nd GRAMMYs, Ben Winston Named New Executive Producer For 63rd GRAMMYs

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Ehrlich to celebrate his milestone 40th GRAMMY Telecast On Music's Biggest Night, Jan. 26, 2020
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jul 17, 2019 - 6:30 am

The Recording Academy announced Ken Ehrlich, longtime producer/executive producer of the GRAMMY Awards, will be the executive producer of the upcoming 62nd GRAMMY Awards, to be held on Jan. 26, 2020 in Los Angeles. The telecast will mark Ehrlich's milestone 40th anniversary of making Music's Biggest Night the must-see music awards show year after year. 

In his four decades as executive producer, Ehrlich has organized some of music's most iconic and memorable TV moments and, as the Los Angeles Times put it,  "redefined the way we experience live music on television." Since producing his first GRAMMY Awards show in 1980, he has become known for his signature touch: incredible and unexpected pairings such as Eminem and Elton John, Prince and Beyoncé, and Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, and Joe Walsh.

"To have been a part of the growth of the GRAMMY Awards into the preeminent music awards show of our time has been one of the highlights of my professional life, and I'm grateful to the Recording Academy and to our partners at CBS for their support and for trusting my vision over the past four decades," said Ehrlich. "I have also been the happy recipient of having an incredible group of people who have worked on the show over the years, and of course the most amazing cadre of musical artists who bring their own creativity and brilliance to the GRAMMY stage year after year. I want to wish my successor Ben the best as he assumes the executive producer role. I am confident that his abilities in all aspects of production will both ensure the legacy of the GRAMMY Awards and also instill a new creative direction for the show."

"Ken's imprint on the GRAMMY Awards and the music industry are well-known and represent the kind of work and vision that legends are made of," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of the Recording Academy. "Having worked closely with Ken for almost half of his tenure with the show, I have seen first-hand the vision, extraordinary musical knowledge, and passion he brings to every minute of the process, and the spectacular results and memorable GRAMMY Moments that have been delivered. It's an honor to celebrate his 40th anniversary with the GRAMMYs. I also recognize the wonderful opportunity ahead by bringing the immensely talented, innovative, and well-respected Ben Winston into the family, and we look forward to his enthusiastic and forward-thinking approach to presenting music on television."

The Academy also announced Emmy Award winner Ben Winston will become the sole executive producer for the 63rd GRAMMY Awards telecast in 2021. 

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Ben Winston

"It's an absolute honor to be executive producer of the GRAMMYs for 2021," said Winston. "I feel excitement and nerves in equal measure on taking on this role, but mostly I feel immense gratitude to the Recording Academy for this wonderful opportunity. I also want to salute Ken, who has done an absolutely remarkable job over the last 40 years."

Winston is a multifaceted and award-winning producer, director, and writer with credits in television, movies, music videos, and commercials. A six-time Emmy Award winner and a 22-time nominee, he has produced a multitude of shows including "The Late Late Show with James Corden," co-created "Carpool Karaoke," and "Drop The Mic" and has produced many music specials for artists such as Bruno Mars, Sam Smith, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber to name a few. Winston has also made his mark in the live envents space, as a producer of the Brits awards and Tony awards, in the documentary film world and as a music video director.

The 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, and will be broadcast live on the CBS.

Dates Announced For 62nd GRAMMY Awards Process & GRAMMY Week 2020 Events

 

hip hop streaming_010319

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Report: Global Music Sales Climb To $19 Billion In 2018, Nearly Half From Streaming

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A 9.7 percent overall increase marks the highest annual bump in recent history and is led by notable rises in Latin America, Asia and Australia
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Apr 3, 2019 - 4:34 pm

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry has released the new Global Music Report 2019, showing an overall increase in sales of 9.7 percent in 2018. This jump is the highest rate since the IFPI began tracking the market in 1997.

“Last year represented the fourth consecutive year of growth, driven by great music from incredible artists in partnership with talented, passionate people in record companies around the world," said IFPI chief executive Frances Moore. “Record companies continue their investment in artists, people and innovation both in established markets and developing regions that are increasingly benefitting from being part of today’s global music landscape."

Streaming, which we know was ruled by rap and hip-hop in 2018, accounted for 47 percent of all income, according to IFPI. This reflects a 34 percent growth from 2017, illustrating there is no slowing in streaming's proliferation among consumers. The gap continues to widen between streaming and previous format titans such as physical music, which saw a 10.1 percent decline in revenue, and digital downloads, which dropped by 21.2 percent.

The fastest growing region, according to the report, is Latin America, which saw a big pickup especially in Brazil and Mexico. Asia and Australia came in as the second largest region for combined physical and digital revenue.

The K-pop explosion was also represented in the report, with an 18 percent rise in music sales in South Korea, which can be credited to breakout years from groups such as BTS and BLACKPINK. 

IFPI's full "State Of The Industry" report can be read here.

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Canada Pledges $15M In Funding To Create Greater Opportunities For Musicians

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Our neighbors to the north cite the "growing importance of digital media" for expanding their federal funding of music
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Mar 22, 2019 - 4:55 pm

The Canadian government has revealed its 2019 federal budget, and the news for musicians is good. Canada has pledged $20 million Canadian (approximately $15 million U.S. dollars) to the Canadian Music Fund over two years.

"With the growing importance of digital media today, Canadian artists—especially musicians and music entrepreneurs (e.g., producers, agents)—now face the challenge of marketing their content internationally and across all platforms, while also putting a greater emphasis on touring and live performances," the budget report says.

The additional funding brings the Government of Canada 's total support of the Canadian music industry to $40.7 million Canadian (over $30 million U.S. dollars). Canadian music organizations such as the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) and anadian Live Music Association (CLMA).

"For musical artists," the report continues, "these investments will create greater opportunities to innovate and experiment on a wider range of digital and non-digital platforms. This, combined with enhanced support for promotion—including more touring and more modern marketing approaches—will ensure that Canadian music reaches more audiences at home and abroad."

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