Out With The Old, In With The New // Data Mining & Talent Discovery: If there is one thing that always changes, it’s the process of discovering new artists, both for consumers and music executives. With instant data access, the role of A&R is changing. Yes, everybody is drunk on data but that has become a serious challenge to the older A&R executive getting paid hefty figures to drum up hit songs and artists. Data driven artists like Ant Saunders, Arizona Zervas and REI AMI who all scored label deal changes the game. Spotify is more than ever in the artist discovery business and they get the credit for jumpstarting artists whether its Arizona, Tones and I, and let’s throw in Lewis Capaldi. Yes, Capaldi achieved massive success via radio but it was the playlists that gave ‘Bruises’ life, eventually giving birth to ‘Someone You Loved’. Right now, it’s all eyes on Spotify. Of course, the video-sharing social sites like Tok Tok deserves some credit for laying the groundwork for Lil Nas X and other tracks. One thing is for sure. Music and social sites will continue to co-exist with each other. Names Making Noise: Dua Saleh, maye, Lee Cole, Nina Chuba, and Kelsy Karter.

The Billboard Album Charts will finally take in account YouTube Plays. Starting January 3, 2020, Billboard will starting factoring in YouTube streams along with music video plays from Apple Music, TIDAL, and VEVO. Even with the popularity of DSP’s like Spotify and Apple, Youtube is still widely popular as on online streaming service capturing 55 percent of online music streamers.

On the heels of receiving Billboard’s “Woman Of The Decade” award, Taylor said in her speech that she was held back by “toxic male privilege” in the music industry.

“Women in music are not allowed to coast,” she observed. “We are held at a higher, sometimes impossible-feeling, standard.” “I’ve seen a lot,” she added.

Taking credit for her own success she ads other people didn’t see it that way- “critics had speculated that “a male producer or co-writer” was the real reason for her success; or that a “savvy record label” was responsible for making her a star. “It wasn’t,” she said pointedly.

She also brought up Scooter Braun in her speech telling how she was blindsided with the sale of her masters. Both Scott Borchetta and Braun claim she was aware that her masters were for sale, yet she passed on the purchase.

Taylor Swift is blocking sync uses of her previous recordings under Big Machine. Since Scooter Braun owns the masters, Taylor Swift won’t give the green light. Swift also said she plans on re-recording the older songs at the end of next year.

Swift said today, “The reason I’m re-recording my music next year is because I do want my music to live on. I do want it to be in movies, I do want it to be in commercials. But I only want that if I own it.”

Big Machine Label boss Scott Borchetta said, “Taylor had every chance in the world to own not just her master recordings, but every video, photograph, everything associated to her career. She chose to leave.”

Borchetta also said Swift has “admitted to contractually owing millions of dollars and multiple assets to our company”.

On the heels of releasing “The Best Of Playlists” Spotify just rolled out Fresh finds class of 2019 highlighting some of the best over the year. The list includes the highly talked about REI AMI and many others including Dua Saleh, blackmidi. Fresh Finds had its beginnings in 2015, that curates and playlists tracks from emerging artists and independent labels across various genres. Of course, Fresh Finds has always been one of my favorites.