Music News

Random Music News for Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Microsoft was born on this day in 1975. And now, the music news.

  1. Physical album sales are down 4.2% in Canada so far this year, which is way better than digital albums, which have fallen by 23% from this point last year. Vinyl is barely ahead from 2016 (3.7%) and cassettes (they are NOT a thing again) are down 46%. Only 800 pre-recorded cassettes have been sold in the whole country ALL YEAR.
  2. On-demand music streams are still way up: +97% from a year ago.
  3. This was a fun hack of the New York Post. App users were wondering why they were being sent Nirvana lyrics.
  4. It was also a rough sales week for CDs in the US. Metallica’s Hardwired…To Self-Destruct is the #1 record in America, selling 48,000 copies. The whole of the Top 200 didn’t sell 820,000 units.
  5. Looking to travel to a European music festival this year? These are the ten best, apparently.
  6. Apple is apparently thinking about launching a TV bundle in the US. In Canada? Forget it.
  7. Germans are weird about their musicals. See?
  8. The Ed Sheeran song “Shape of You” helps sell more French fries.
  9. Tupac’s nose stud is up for sale–but it’s not cheap.
  10. This is one of the most interesting speaker designs I’ve ever seen.
  11. Are you an iOS user who listens to podcasts? There are some tweaks and updates in v 10.3.
  12. A nightclub in Tunisia has been shut down because someone remixed the Muslim call to prayer.
  13. The things you see on the NYC subway system…
  14. Few bands have wrung this much out of a single hit. Hello, Right Said Fred.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 38035 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

2 thoughts on “Random Music News for Tuesday, April 4, 2017

  • Can the drop in physical sales be explained by the demise of HMV, and Sunrise not having begun it’s expansion? Or is there something else at play? Discounted music aside, my music purchases are up this year, but a lot of it is at concerts, so I’m not sure how that tracks.

    Reply
    • Very good point. Let’s see what happens as Sunrise ramps up starting next month.

      Reply

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