Music Biz Headlines: Taylor Swift's Music Back on TikTok, Just In Time for 'The Tortured Poets Department'
Our weekly compendium of headlines from home and around the globe also collects stories on the crisis of Canadian arts organizations, new streaming platforms, and debunking exaggerated reports of Coachella's death.
Taylor Swift 'The Tortured Poets Department'
Canadian artists generated more than $400-million in royalties from listeners outside Canada on Spotify in 2023, and were the top exporters of music on the platform behind the U.S. and U.K., the annual Loud & Clear report found. But the platform is warning that some successful songs exported may not qualify as officially Canadian under CRTC rules.– Marie Woolf, Globe and Mail
Dozens of arts organizations have shuttered completely or reduced operations since the pandemic. What can be done? – Joshua Chong, Toronto Star
Some Toronto Theatres Have Been Duped by AI-generated Reviews
The disappearance of theatre criticism makes for an uphill battle for theatre marketers. What role will AI reviews play in arts marketing moving forward? – Aisling Murphy, Toronto Star
Guess Who's Burton Cummings Will Give Up His Royalties to Stop Alleged 'Cover Band'
The Canadian musician has cancelled performing license agreements for all of his songs, which will prevent the act currently performing under The Guess Who name from playing hits like "American Woman" and "These Eyes." – Rosie Long Decter, Billboard Canada
Actors Delve Beneath the Legend in Tom Wilson’s story, ‘Beautiful Scars’
“Wilson’s journey, searching for his true identity is so touching, so telling, that performing his story is going to be emotional.” – Gary Smith, Hamilton Spectator
The Inaugural Country Club Country Music & Whiskey Festival Takes Place at Vancouver's PNE Fairgrounds.
As its name suggests, the July 7 event will revolve around country music and whiskey Headlining the Country Club Country Music & Whiskey Festival will be the genre-mashing Tanner Adell Co-headlining is Victoria’s Jojo Mason. – Mike Usinger, Georgia Straight
Lapu-Lapu Block Party Headliners Include Manila Grey and John Concepcion
Juno-nominated R&B up-and-comers Manila Grey and Grammy-nominated songwriter John Concepcion have been announced as headliners of this year’s first-ever Lapu-Lapu Block Party, taking place April 27 at John Oliver Secondary in Vancouver. – Georgia Straight
Saskatoon Blues Society president Emma Finch is making sure her "number-one passion" can thrive in the city for decades to come. – Star-Phoenix
London Jazz Festival Concert Series
The new London Jazz Festival is happening throughout April with 19 concerts at five venues across the city. – London Free Press
International
Taylor Swift's Music is Back on TikTok, Despite Its Dispute With UMG
When you’re as big as Taylor Swift, you set your own rules. That might be one key takeaway from the news reports that Swift’s music has started reappearing on TikTok – despite the ongoing licensing dispute between the social media platform and Universal Music Group, her home. – Daniel Tencer, Music Business Worldwide
The Music Streaming Revolution is Here, Thanks to These New Streaming Platforms
Qobuz, Marine Snow, and TOKiMONSTA’s sonu.stream are the latest disruptors in the streaming game. Their goal? To pay artists their full worth and give consumers the best experience. – Tamzin Kraftman, MusicTech
Gender Inequality in Music Mirrors the Challenges of Streaming… As do its Opportunities for Change
Artists across the board are struggling in this environment. Yet, along with the challenges have come new opportunities. – Hanna Kahlert, MIDIA
The Reports of Coachella’s Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
I spent the last three days in dust-blown Indio walking tens of thousands of steps with tens of thousands of other people at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. It marked the 25th weekend I’ve done this as a journalist. – Vanessa Franco, LA Times
The Sound of Science: How Music Can Transform Our Brains
By blending technology and tunes, researchers are discovering that what we listen to may have the power to heal what ails us. – David Paterson, Toronto Star
There’s much to learn about independent media from the life and death of The Village Voice. – Kevin Lozano, NY Times BooksSam Taylor-Johnson’s biopic suggests that the singer’s desire for a baby was the main source of her suffering. It’s a gendered simplification that exonerates the forces that killed her. – Laura Snapes, The Guardian
Morgan Wallen Arrested After Police Say He Threw a Chair off the Roof of a Bar
Wallen, 30, was booked into jail on three felony counts of reckless endangerment and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct, Metro Nashville Police tweeted. – Associated Press
