American songwriters and publishers have received the support of the International Confederation of Music Publishers (ICMP) and the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA) in their attempt to obtain fair mechanical rates for the use of music by digital services.
The move from ICMP...
Writing creative lyrics is a challenging task. If you want to write for radio, you’ll probably lean towards accessible themes of love with simple, easy-to-digest lyrics. Poetry, as beautiful as it may be, does not always fit rhythmically into a melody. It’s not premeditated for music,...
A new music platform called Salute has launched. Aiming to redefine and reposition writers, whilst supporting and empowering DIY UK talent, Salute will launch the next generation of unsigned music makers. The idea behind the project is to create an “accessible and fair opportunity for a diverse...
Artists including Ed Sheeran, Mumford & Sons, Radiohead, Royal Blood, Mark Knopfler, Wolf Alice and You Me At Six have endorsed a new online guide to help music fans beat ticket touts. The move comes just over a week after the government accepted the recommendations of Professor Michael Waterson’s...
Feeling like an outsider around your non-musician friends? Perpetually working but somehow always-and-forever broke? These are the kind of issues that, as an independent musician, are often universally unavoidable. We deal with them because we love what we do, but that doesn’t mean we’ve...
Former X Factor contestant Lucy Spraggan has been attacked and bitten after a gig in Brighton. She was with her wife and guitarist when she was attacked by two women on the street. The singer-songwriter from Sheffield, who appeared on the show in 2012, shared pictures of the aftermath of the attack...
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer is best known for her work alongside guitar-playing sister Nancy in the classic rock outfit Heart. And Ann’s current tour, billed as Ann Wilson of Heart, makes no bones about that. But Wilson’s non-Heart endeavors — which have included two EPs and a live...
An exciting opportunity to join the UK’s leading supplier of professional audio technology to the world’s top broadcasters, recording studios and post production facilities. Based in North West London, HHB Communications Ltd are looking for a Marketing Manager to deliver a dynamic marketing and...
You scored a gig? Several gigs? Oh, you’ve been gigging for years? Whatever the case may be, awesome! But newbies and seasoned acts alike are forever subject to the good graces of venue owners and booking agents. Maybe it’s common sense to most, but it bears repeating: don’t blow...
Nearly every fledgling artist has the issues getting people out to shows. It’s something of a challenge, especially in this day and age Netflix, games, and even our phones compete for our attention. Frankly, most people would rather stay in and binge their favorite TV show than go to a live...
Did you take in a show last night? Did you wake up feeling like you still had tissue paper stuffed in your ears? That means you’ve just done some damage to your hearing. Like football players taking one head shot after another, musicians can only do this so many times before long-term effects take...
Once upon a time there was a little girl who wanted to sing and a little boy who wanted to play guitar more than anything else in the world. Their parents invested in extensive musical training. But there was one big difference between them. Let us tell you a frightening fairy tale. The boy’s...
Sledge, who formed Sister Sledge with her three siblings in 1971, was found unresponsive by a friend at her home in Phoenix, Arizona, her publicist said. She had not been ill and the cause of death is unknown. Sledge, who is survived by her adult son, last performed with the band in October. Her...
Jon Anderson has confirmed an appearance on stage with his former Yes band mates during next month’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, along with a very special guest. He also tells Billboard that Rush‘s Geddy Lee will sub for late Yes co-founder Chris Squire for their performance...
The UK’s first ever live music census is being carried out in six cities across Britain. The project aims to take a snapshot of current trends and map out the ways the public engage with music. It is hoped the survey will help measure live music’s cultural and economic value and identify...
