Random music news for Friday, October 27, 2023
How many of these retro toys do you remember? CAUTION: Clicking that link may make you feel your age. Moving on to music news for October 27, 2023…
- Spotify is changing is royalty model. It will now have a minimum payment threshold. It’s also after streaming fraud.
- Rick Astley has re-recorded “Never Gonna Give You Up” with incorrect lyrics to show how hearing loss can be really debilitating.
- Is classic rock now obsolete? Discuss.
- Meanwhile, Keith Richards calls modern music “a one-way toilet.”
- This new chart data collection plan may end up under-reporting physical sales by 95%.
- Jeremy Renner’s new album–yes, he’s also a musician–was inspired by his near-fatal snowplow accident.
- Ye: Can you please stop talking about Hitler?
- An anti-AI tool? Yes. (Via Rick J)
- Serj Tankien of System of a Down has a new book.
- How many variants of the Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds album can you buy? At least 43.
- Japan may be the music market that serves superfans the most. Here’s a breakdown.
- Oh, dear. Someone screwed up royally in Texas.
- There’s a new Milli Vanilli documentary. Expect more stories like this.
- YouTube Music is working on AI-generated artwork for any playlists you create on the platform.
- Snapchat now has 406 million active users.
- And a bunch of US attorneys general are suing Meta over mental health issues suffered by young people. Look out, Instagram.
- Half a million people attended a dance event in The Netherlands.
- Universal Music had a monster quarter, thanks largely to you-know-who.
BONUS: How much does it cost to have a shower in countries around the world? Glad you asked.
BONUS BONUS: A good podcast and Friday timesuck. “Apple’s Impact on Music from iPods to AirPods.
