In the streaming era, tours have become the main source of cash as sales of recorded music have plummeted. However, a recent study by the Help Musicians charity found that an astonishing 98% are struggling to make a living. - The Guardian
Pop vocals, then, routinely run up against the physical limits of the human body. Yet what makes a song difficult to sing doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with having to hit a particularly tricky note. - The Atlantic
That is, "to project 'feelings of patriotism and national pride' inside Russia and 'the authority of the country on the international stage.'" (The phrases come from Putin's decrees.) One good example: an August 2022 performance of Shostakovich's "Leningrad" Symphony (the 7th) in St. Petersburg. - Van
ASCAP’s 2023 revenues represent an increase of $215 million or 14.1% over 2022. ASCAP says it increased the value and monetization of its members’ music with domestic revenue from U.S.-licensed performances surpassing $1.327 billion, which is an increase of $149 million or 12.6% over the prior year. - Inside Radio
Putin clearly hopes that the “Leningrad” Symphony will be as helpful for his invasion of Ukraine as it was for Stalin’s defense against the German invasion. -Van
Project Music GenAI Control is a new prototype tool that allows users to generate music using text prompts and then edit that audio without jumping over to dedicated editing software. - The Verge
Researchers have now discovered two key ways in which Pythagoras was wrong. Their study, shows that in normal listening contexts, we do not actually prefer chords to be perfectly in these mathematical ratios. - Phys.org
They are negotiating in a new world in which a seconds-long clip of a song on TikTok can be just as valuable as the tune in its entirety. - The Wall Street Journal
The original deal with Verizon for naming rights at the Philadelphia Orchestra's home venue expired as of Jan. 1. Philanthropists Leslie Anne Miller and Richard B. Worley (the orchestra's former board chair) have given $25 million to name the hall for the great Philadelphia-born contralto in perpetuity. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
After five years of research, a team at Leonardo3, an interactive museum/exhibition center in Milan, built the instrument from drawings and notes in the 93rd folio of Leonardo’s Codex Atlanticus (1478). And, in doing so, they learned why the harpsichord-viola had not been built and played before … - Artnet
As he finishes up his terms as music director of the New York and Hong Kong Philharmonics and begins a new tenure at the Seoul Philharmonic, the Dutch conductor announced that, starting in 2026, he will succeed Mikko Franck as music director of the Paris-based radio orchestra. - AP
"All of these comments, which range from simply ignorant to downright misogynoir, presuppose that commercial country music is a legacy that belongs only to white, rural southerners. And that supposition is just plain wrong." - The Guardian
TikTok says up to 30% of what it calls "popular songs" could be lost. But some industry estimates say up to 80% of all music on TikTok could be muted. - BBC
Prosecutors say the 70-year-old was chatting, first on an dating app and then directly on WhatApp, with someone he believed to be a 15-year-old but was in fact an undercover officer. He was arrested last month at the coffee shop where he had arranged for them to meet. - BBC
