Japan could pass the United States in the terms of the consumption of music. In fact, people tend to buy more thanks to Japan’s anti-piracy laws which include jail time for copyright infringement.

“Japan introduced jail sentences for illegal downloaders in 2012,” says an anonymous commenter. “Now, we see the consequences. And they are exactly as predicted.” Read more….

It’s no sweat for Prince to play two sets a night, as he does this evening at the 1,700-seat City National Grove of Anaheim California. He tells me that if anything he’s more energized after the second show, not less. Both shows stretch to a delicious two hours, as the crowd, in blowouts and Vegas-style cocktail dresses (it’s worth dressing up for Prince, even in California), screams and sings along with glee. The only tense moment comes when we file into the theater and a security guard says, “No cameras, no cellphones—don’t even take them out of your pocket. Tonight, we’re not asking, we’re just escorting.” I ask her what that means. “If we see you with your phone out, we’re not going to ask what you’re doing—you’re just gone.”

This demand might seem extreme coming from the Purple One—a very young-looking 55, with a tight Afro instead of his usual loose curls, clad in a black bodysuit with white lines that makes him look like a spider—but in fact it’s not out of character.

ou could argue that Prince was an early adopter of phone-text-speak (“I Would Die 4 U” and all that), but he’s eschewed the PR opportunities afforded by the latest tech almost completely, refusing to put his videos on YouTube and offering new music mostly for sale on his websites. And in part by making himself so unavailable, he’s remained as mysterious as ever. Prince has always refused any label the world wants to slap on him. A devout Jehovah’s Witness since 2001, he writes music that is explicit about both Jesus and sexual desire. He’s a black man with light skin who usually dresses in clothes that seem inspired by female icons, from Twiggy to Marie Antoinette. A heterosexual man who deeply worships sexually confident women, he nonetheless wants to dominate them. Prince keeps his private life private: he’s usually either on the road or at Paisley Park, his $10 million compound in the suburbs of his hometown of Minneapolis, with multiple recording studios, wardrobe rooms, a video-editing suite, a sound stage, production offices, rehearsal areas, and “the vault,” which includes his extensive library of unreleased recordings. Read more

My Song Got Played On Pandora 1 Million Times and All I Got Was $16.89, Less Than What I Make From a Single T-Shirt Sale!

Note: David Lowery is the lead singer and songwriter for the seminal rock bands Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker. This post originally appeared on his blog The Trichordist. We have reproduced it here with his permission. Hat-tip to reddit user terryhart for the link.

As a songwriter Pandora paid me $16.89* for 1,159,000 play of “Low” last quarter. Less than I make from a single T-shirt sale. Okay that’s a slight exaggeration. That’s only the premium multi-color long sleeve shirts and that’s only at venues that don’t take commission. But still.

Soon you will be hearing from Pandora how they need Congress to change the way royalties are calculated so that they can pay much much less to songwriters and performers. For you civilians webcasting rates are “compulsory” rates. They are set by the government (crazy, right?). Further since they are compulsory royalties, artists can not “opt out” of a service like Pandora even if they think Pandora doesn’t pay them enough. Read more

Buzz Track: Hopeless Romance

Goodnight Fellows is an indie pop band from Pueblo, Colorado. Their songs could find themselves on top 40 radio next to Bruno Mars and Fun. Check out the track Hopeless Romance , could be a smash hit.
Contact: danielrfriedman@aol.com

Subblime, a new online hub for YouTube stars to shared products they love (and generate revenue in the process), launched publicly on Tuesday. The site has been in a private beta stage for months. It has already drawn YouTube creators like Elle Walker and Kristina Horner to publish lists of their favorite items.

Fans who join Subblime immediately subscribe to their favorite YouTubers’ lists and can choose to favorite it or buy it.

“My number one customer is the content creator on YouTube and my goal for them is to help them grow their business,” said co-founder and CEO Adam Winnick, noting that everyone on YouTube is looking for additional revenue streams to buttress the influx of ad dollars.

Winnick made frequent analogies to examples in traditional media such as “The Biggest Loser,” which made a lot of its money from integrating fitness apparel and dietary supplements into the fabric of the show.