Apple Music has surpassed Spotify in paid subscribers. That’s hard to believe because Spotify has been the king of streaming music. But according to the Wall Street Journal, Apple Music has 28 million paid subscribers while Spotify has only 26 million. Spotify still has more subscribers than Apple that comes with their free service. While Spotify and Apple are battling it out, both are trying to lure new subscribers.

Apple Music rise to dominance also follows the extreme backlash towards Spotify’s songwriters royalty rate. Music mogul Irving Azoff said, “Apple understands they’re in the artist business. Clearly, Google, Pandora, Spotify and Amazon don’t.”

Power singer Stephen Sims releases the cover of Yazoo Don’t Go. It’s pretty amazing. The track was recorded in Gloucestershire, California and Nashville, and mixed by Ryan D Williamson (Owl City). Sims says, “This song had such a massive impact on me growing up as it was one father’s favourite tracks. I think Alison Moyet is one of the greatest British female vocalists so it was daunting taking this on. But I hope my arrangement and vocal does some justice to the original.” The British singer-songwriter made the Top 50 Viral Chart on Spotify and I can see his latest cover which will be released via AWAL make some noise. Give it a stream.
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AMOYLC (Approachable Members of Your Local Community) releases a great uptempo electro pop track One I Need that features Heaps Good Friends. The 7-piece tells Kings, “Our new track, One I Need, is about all those people that you feel you want in your life, but maybe you don’t actually really need them.” The indie-pop/soul act first gained some buzz with the release of Millennium Queen which has a Red Hot Chili Peppers vibe and landed on the Spotify Australia’s Viral 50. You can check them out on 4/25 at The Gasometer Hotel in Collingwood, VIC, Australia

San Francisco based singer-songwriter Lyrah releases the haunting electro-pop track Are You All Alone which comes of her debut EP Chemicals. Think Florence and the Machine, Lorde, and Halsey. Lyrah tells Kings, “Are You All Alone?” is about getting that late night text from the only person you’ve been waiting to hear from.” Give the track a listen, but also stream Down Low which was added to Spotify’s playlist Fresh Finds. Do want to know more? Find her on Instagram.

Lil Nas X inked a deal with Columbia. The Atlanta rapper released a track in December 34 Ghosts IV which sparked over 20 million Spotify streams. His latest “country trap” single Old Town Road has clocked over 10 million YouTube views since its release. The single led to a seven figure bitting war among the music labels. Ironically, he posted on Instagram last year that he dropped out of college last year to pursue music full time – “Everybody thought I was crazy,” “I knew what I was doing. Thank you everyone, this just the mf beginning!”