New Year, New News
Bowie Publishing Sale, Toronto Venue Shut Down, Spotify Boycott
TAKEAWAYS
This week’s salient music news.
1. Bowie Estate Sells Songwriting Catalog to Warner Music
The entirety of the Starman’s recording and publishing rights now reside under single corporate control, just in time for a SirusXM David Bowie channel launching this weekend.
Takeaway: Celebrity guest DJs for the channel include Beck, Billy Corgan, Linda Perry, Carlos Alomar, Rosanna Arquette, David Arquette, Patrick Stump, and more will highlight their favorite David Bowie songs and share their memories of the legendary singer with fans.
2. Apple Music Is 100% Lossless: Entire Catalog of 90 Million Songs Upgraded
The number two DSP goes full lossless while Spotify sits on the sideline and the head of Apple Music admits 99% of people “can’t tell the difference.”
Takeaway: AirPods and AirPods Max users can’t enjoy the format. Users need a wired connection with at least iOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.6, MacOS 11.4, or tvOS 14.6 to enjoy lossless quality audio.
3. Ontario Shuts Down All Concerts and Movie Theatres
Toronto has become the first major North American city to shutter venues due to Omnicron while Berlin clubs battle to reopen and NYC nightlife workers can receive a $500 non-government grant if affected by new COVID closures.
Takeaway: Capacity is limited to five people for organized public events. Rehearsals and recorded performances may continue, with restrictions in place. Majors sports events (such as the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors) will continue but without an audience.
4. Skee Mask Removes All Albums and EPs From Spotify
The move by the respected underground artist could lead other middle-class musicians to follow suit.
Takeaway: In the statement, Müller also mentions "their €100 million," which is likely a reference to Spotify CEO Daniel Ek's recent investment in AI defense tech company Helsing.
