How bad will Trump tariffs be for music? Let us count the ways.
[This was my column for GlobalNews.ca. – AC] Now that the stragglers are waking up to the fact that a tariff is a tax on the consumer (the importing company pays the tariff
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Music Industry
Why can’t Beyoncé sell out her current tour? Is this indicative of something bigger?
This spring has been a little concerning for the live music industry. First, Coachella failed to sell out. Then we heard that Linkin Park had to downsize a hometown show in LA from
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This is the weekly Canadian sales report for CDs and vinyl
Like I’ve been saying for a couple of weeks, the battle of 2025 is already over. Barring some kind of unforeseen miracle, new vinyl will outsell CDs in Canada for the second year
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Spotify is working with Australia to promote Australian music. Why can’t the same happen in Canada?
There’s a new Spotify campaign called “Turn up AUS,” which is aimed at promoting Australian music through editorial content, playlists, live events, and industry education programs. Here’s a quote from a Spotify executive:
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What effect will Trump’s tariffs have on the US music business? A lot, it turns out.
It’s a clown show in the White House. Total chaos. Donald Trump is just making things up as he goes along, especially with all this tariff nonsense that’s threatening to crash the world
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45 million albums sold and $0 in royalties? Limp Bizkit’s case against UMG
If you like to follow the legal battles within the music industry, one of the most interesting right now is Fred Durst’s contention that Limp Bizkit has been massively ripped off by their
Read MoreLet’s look at the Canadian CDs vs. vinyl sale battle
There’s no other way to present it: Vinyl is kicking the CD’s ass in Canada. And with Record Store Day coming up this weekend, so vinyl’s lead is going to be extended. Streaming
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Are songs getting shorter?
In the early days of rock’n’roll, songs routinely clocked in between two and three minutes. Anything longer than that and you’d risk radio ignoring your single. But when the album gained traction in
Read MoreHere’s our weekend checkup on the CDs vs. vinyl sales battle
How much further can vinyl extend its sales lead over CDs in Canada? Here’s the latest courtesy of Luminate. Streaming numbers:
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Some big artists are struggling to sell concert tickets
When the pandemic ended, we all went nuts on live music. The industry not only came back from the dead but also saw record revenues. High ticket prices didn’t seem to be a
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Music is losing a generation of young men. This is bad.
I’m currently on a speaking tour of Western Canada and many of the questions I get from audiences has to do with the state of live music. They’re concerned about the usual stuff–high
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