The Recording Academy’s Grammys on the Hill Advocacy Day culminated on Wednesday with a press conference on Capitol Hill with Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Reps. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) and Maria Salazar (R-Fl.) to announce the reintroduction of the “NO FAKES” Act, standing for “Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe.” The bipartisan, bicameral bill is intended to advance creators’ rights by protecting their voices and likenesses from the unauthorized creation and use of digital replicas. Also at the press conference were stakeholders from the Human Artistry Campaign – where the Academy is a founding member – along with Google, MPA, RIAA, SAG-AFTRA, and YouTube.
U.S. Reaches 100 Million Paid Music-Streaming Subscribers
Variety, reporting on the RIAA’s 2024 data:
For the first time, paid streaming subscriptions hit the 100 million mark in the U.S. last year, while vinyl sales continued their nearly two-decade resurgence with $1.4 billion in sales, according to Recording Industry Association of America’s annual recorded-music revenue report.
Despite that milestone, streaming growth continues to slow — it was up just 4 million for the year, continuing a slowing trend over the past five years.
And:
Meanwhile, vinyl’s 18th straight year of growth scored nearly three-quarters of physical format revenue at $1.4 billion — the highest since 1984. For the third consecutive year, it outsold CDs, shipping 44 million vinyl records compared with 33 million CDs.
My Chemical Romance Sells a Lot of Records
My Chemical Romance’s Frank Iero has shared some of the recent awards the band’s albums have recently been awarded.
Read More “My Chemical Romance Sells a Lot of Records”Blink-182 Grab Another Gold Single
Blink-182’s smash single “One More Time” has been certified Gold by the RIAA.
Read More “Blink-182 Grab Another Gold Single”Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” Gets Certified Diamond
Goo Goo Dolls’ classic “Iris” has now been certified diamond.
Read More “Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” Gets Certified Diamond”Explaining the RIAA’s Lawsuit Against AI Music Startups
Devin Coldewey, writing for TechCrunch:
Like many AI companies, music generation startups Udio and Suno appear to have relied on unauthorized scrapes of copyrighted works in order to train their models. This is by their own and investors’ admission, as well as according to new lawsuits filed against them by music companies. If these suits go before a jury, the trial could be both a damaging exposé and a highly useful precedent for similarly sticky-fingered AI companies facing certain legal peril.
The lawsuits, filed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), put us all in the uncomfortable position of rooting for the RIAA, which for decades has been the bogeyman of digital media. I myself have received nastygrams from them! The case is simply that clear.
Motion City Soundtrack Gets a Gold Record
Motion City Soundtrack’s Commit This to Memory has gone gold.
Read More “Motion City Soundtrack Gets a Gold Record”RIAA Share Mid-Year Revenue Report
The RIAA have released the 2023 mid-year report:
In the first half of 2023, recorded music revenues continued to set new milestones and reflect the results of more than a decade of industry transformation. Total revenues grew 9.3% at estimated retail value to an all-time first half high of $8.4 billion. At wholesale value, revenues grew 8.3% to $5.3 billion. Paid subscriptions continued to be the strongest driver of revenue growth, increasing by more than $550 million and averaging nearly 96 million subscriptions during the period.
RIAA Releases 2021 Revenue Stats
RIAA:
In 2021, recorded music revenues in the United States grew 23% to $15.0 billion at estimated retail value. All major formats of music grew versus the prior year with the exception of digital downloads. Paid subscriptions continued to be the biggest growth driver, resulting in the sixth consecutive year of growth for music revenues. At wholesale value, 2021 revenues were up 22% to $9.8 billion. On a nominal basis, these revenue levels exceed the record high of $14.6 billion reported in 1999, but adjusted for inflation 2021 figures remain 37% below that value level.
RIAA Attorneys Go At HitPiece
The RIAA has sent a letter to the music NFT website that pissed off everyone this week. The press release is below.
Read More “RIAA Attorneys Go At HitPiece”Rise Against Grabs Two More Platinum Albums
Rise Against’s Appeal to Reason and The Sufferer and the Witness have both gone platinum.
Read More “Rise Against Grabs Two More Platinum Albums”Paramore Goes 3x Platinum
Paramore’s Riot! is now three times platinum. And yep, it’s still catchy as balls.
“Monsters” Goes Gold
Congrats to All Time Low for nabbing another Gold record for “Monsters.”
Taylor Swift Grabs Another Platinum Record
Taylor Swift’s Folklore has gone platinum.
Read More “Taylor Swift Grabs Another Platinum Record”All Time Low Grab Another Gold Record
All Time Low’s “Remembering Sunday” has been certified Gold by the RIAA.