Member Updates
Music Biz broadcasts the latest announcements from around our community on our social feeds as our member companies continue to push the industry forward. If you are launching a new product, have been featured in an industry trade publication, or have a major announcement coming soon, we’d love to help spread the word — share it with Henryk Bik, Music Biz’s Communications & Content Manager, at henryk.bik@musicbiz.org.
NEW FOR 2024 Music Biz’s member news will be shared exclusively on our social channels, as the Member Updates section of our website is set to go offline later this year.
March 31, 2020 – Music Biz Member Merch Cat to Support Artists by Waiving Subscription Fees
In an effort to support musicians during this challenging time, Music Biz Member Merch Cat is waiving subscription fees from now through the end of May for artists who want to sell their merch on the company’s direct-to-fan app, Merch Cat Fan. The app is a great way for artists to further engage fans during livestreams, allowing them to share their merch store link and let fans purchase merch in real time during the performance. New users can visit web.merchcat.com and use the promo code “CORONA” to access this discount.... Read More
March 31, 2020 – Music Biz Member Qobuz launches “Gimme Shelter,” Supports Creatives by Waiving Downloads Store Commissions
Music Biz member Qobuz, the music service with the world’s largest Hi-Res catalog, has announced that it is waiving its revenue share on all download sales — passing 100% of revenue through to the artists and rights holders — for two full weeks (March 27 through April 9). “With hats off to Bandcamp for leading the way with this brilliantly simple idea, Qobuz will similarly put its profit from download sales right back into the pipeline to help sustain the creators whose artistry makes a service like ours possible,” said Qobuz USA Managing Director Dan Mackta of the program.... Read More
March 30, 2020 – Music Biz Member Starchive Supports Creatives with Content Storage and Monetization Solutions
Music Biz member Starchive offers a simple, affordable and private content library in the cloud that empowers artists to easily preserve and share their valuable creations all in one place. To support members of the creative community who are experiencing financial hardship during the current health crisis, Starchive is offering three free months of their service with discount code “MUSICBIZ.” Click here to learn more about the company’s services and sign up.... Read More
March 30, 2020 – NEW MEMBER PROFILE: B! Noticed Public Relations
We’d like to welcome B! Noticed Public Relations to the Music Biz Member Community! This PR firm offers a wide range of services, crafting tailor-made plans that will effectively help each of their clients connect to their target audiences. B! Noticed joined Music Biz in order to connect with new faces from the music business at large and stay on top of the trends guiding the modern industry. The company will be able to do so via our searchable Member Directory and through our robust Educational materials,... Read More
March 26, 2020 – Music Biz Member Spotify Pledges Up to $10M To Support Artists, Developing In-App Fundraising Feature
Spotify is rolling out a suite of new features and projects intended to help artists who are struggling financially due to the coronavirus crisis. First up is the new COVID-19 Music Relief project, which helps connect musicians and other music professionals in need of funding to grant-giving organizations, in addition to helping fundraise. To start, Spotify is donating money to the project’s first partners: Nonprofits PRS Foundation, Help Musicians and MusiCares, and will match donations made via the project’s webpage dollar-for-dollar for up to a total Spotify contribution of $10 million.... Read More
March 25, 2020 – Music Biz Member Symphonic Distribution Creates “Support Independent Music” Initiative
As a show of support for the independent music community amidst the COVID-19 health crisis, Music Biz member Symphonic Distribution has created the “Support Independent Music” initiative to help indie artists recoup some of the income they stand to lose due to cancelled tours and postponed record releases. Symphonic has created a dedicated initiative webpage that showcases a different indie artist upon each refresh, which includes a link allowing users to donate directly to that artist via Venmo,... Read More
March 23, 2020 – Music Biz Member Facebook Announces $100 million Grant Program for Small Businesses
Regardless of how the COVID-19 pandemic plays out in the coming weeks and months, it has already been brutal for small businesses, with some forced to close for public safety, while others are taking a big hit in both revenue and access to credit. Facebook has announced that it is creating a $100 million grant program for small businesses. Applications aren’t open yet, but the company says this will include both ad credits and cash grants that can be spent on operational costs like paying workers and paying rent.... Read More
March 23, 2020 – NEW MEMBER PROFILE: COOLPOCKETS MUSIC
We’re glad to welcome COOLPOCKETS MUSIC, an independent record company specializing in artist development and music distribution, to the Music Biz member community! Company owner Paul Guzman-Sanchez, also an artist under the name COOLPOCKETS, will release his new album GET DOWN TIME, the company’s banner release for 2020. COOLPOCKETS decided to join Music Biz to start off the new decade by seeking advice from other community members and making exciting business connections throughout the industry. They will benefit from our robust slate of educational resources,... Read More
March 23, 2020 – Music Biz Member Synchtank Announces New Royalty Accounting and Valuation Platform
Last week, Music Biz member Synchtank unveiled IRIS, its new royalty accounting and valuation platform designed to help rights holders and administrators create new value while increasing processing efficiencies and reducing costs. IRIS — which stands for International Repertoire Information System — was originally developed by peermusic, and has already handled more than $1 billion in royalty revenues over the past 10 years. “Synchtank has a strong track record of changing the way technology is used in the music,... Read More
March 20, 2020 – Music Biz Member DataArt Offers Resources to Companies Transitioning to Remote Work
Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis, Music Biz is partnering with our member DataArt to share their expertise in transitioning to work from home status with our membership. This show of support begins with a series of articles detailing the fundamental steps companies must take, and challenges they may encounter, during the transition. You can find the first two in this series linked below: How to Ward Off Coronavirus and Save Your Business with Distributed Teams DataArt Busts Top 4 Myths About Managing Distributed Teams Should you have any questions regarding how to best transition to remote operations,... Read More