Music Biz Headlines, Feb. 16, 2018

By FYI Staff

UMG revenues hit US$6.4B in 2017

Universal Music Group turned over an average of $17.5M per day in 2017 – as the company’s annual sales hit record highs by topping $6B, according to new results posted by Vivendi – MBW

YouTube Red is about to expand across the globe

Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube, has stated that her company primarily sees subscription offering YouTube Red as a “music service” – while confirming plans to roll out the paid-for platform to around 100 countries – MBW

The Yacht Rock Book: The Oral History of the Soft, Smooth Sounds of the 70s and 80s

Of all the “retro” music movements that have seen songs and musicians gain newfound popularity decades after their initial day in the sun, Yacht Rock is the most curious – and the most fun – Houston Press

Best of the best DJs in Toronto

The city of Toronto is home to many successful and incredibly talented producers. From house-music to trap and bass, The Six consistently contributes incredible music to the EDM scene. Toronto’s dance-music community is flourishing, and part of the success can be attributed to five artists – One. EDM

The future of vinyl

Discogs gathered together a group of industry pros at labels, radio, sound tech companies, media and elsewhere to talk the future vinyl and what type of growth we will continue to see in the format

Why is the price of vinyl albums at a record high?

Music on vinyl has been coming back for years, and production is ramping up at a Burlington plant. So why are the prices getting so crazy? – Ben Rayner, The Star

To paraphrase an old cliché, "There's gold in them thar catalogues!"

Because streaming is turning catalogues from decaying in royalties to now increasing, investors are willing to pay much more to ride that macro growth in the music industry essentially. When you look at the numbers of Goldman Sachs and others in the investment community, they are anticipating growth in the music business - and we're right in the beginning of that – Royalty Exchange CEO Matthew Smith, All Access Music Group

Jack White discusses what “rock n’ roll’ needs” to win back festival line-ups

“Rock ‘n’ roll needs an injection of some new young blood to really just knock everybody dead right now,” White told KROQ in LA  – Andrew Trendell, nme.com

Lynch-like Cobalt looks set to become Vancouver's next shuttered venue

It looks like Vancouver will be saying goodbye, at least temporarily, to one of the city’s longest-running and oddly charming music venues – Mike Usinger, Georgia Straight

Donovan Woods features gay couple in music video and talks LGBTQ inclusivity in country music

When the Toronto folk singer-songwriter began working on his new song “Burn That Bridge,” he knew it should be about a same-sex couple – Stephen Daw, Billboard

Canadian skaters Duhamel, Radford help indie singer’s song climb the iTunes charts

Singer April Meservy is in Pyeongchang to cheer on the Olympian pair— and her song climbing up the iTunes charts. Duhamel and Radford began skating to Meservy’s version of U2’s hit song “With or Without You” this season  – Lori Ewing, CP

Don't call it a tribute: Randy Bachman reimagines George Harrison on upcoming album

Bachman’s immeasurable admiration for the deceased Beatle will be reflected in a project marking what would’ve been the Beatles guitarist’s 75th birthday  – Canadian Press

Scarborough rapper Yasmine's No Squad In The Wild is gritty and nocturnal

She offers glimpses at what could make her stand out in the dense Toronto hip-hop ecosystem, but often sounds anonymous – Sumiko Wilson, NOW

Brit Awards guests asked to wear white rose pins in support of #TimesUp

Organizing trade body BPI will hand guests  a pin upon arrival "as a symbol of solidarity, which we invite them to wear, if they so choose" – Richard Smirke, Billboard

Inside the two years that shook Facebook—and the world

How a confused, defensive social media giant steered itself into a disaster, and how Mark Zuckerberg is trying to fix it all – Nicholas Thompson and Fred Vogelstein, Wired

Second Line Blues: A brief history of New Orleans brass bands    

"Second line bands, the bands that march in the streets, initially was done for funerals," Allen Toussaint said – Joel Handley, Reverb

50 years after his death, Healey Willan’s music lives on

The Anglican Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Toronto is hosting a concert on Friday to mark the anniversary of the death of the noted Canadian composer – John Terauds, Toronto Star

Jazz, opera, romance and betrayal collide in Jeri Brown's latest stage offering

Production chronicles the ups and downs of rocky marriage and premieres this weekend in Halifax – Stephen Cooke, Chronicle Herald

Toronto musicians to watch in 2018: heavy/loud edition

A look at six local noisemakers buzzing through the punk, metal and rock scenes – Carla Gillis, NOW