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Will we eventually have to pay for music, again?

In the past couple of decades, most of the developed world has become accustomed to having it’s musical whims seen to by the internet. Plundered, pinched or pirated — however you describe it — the vast majority of it hasn’t been paid for. These failures to make money in the sector and the industry’s various

London’s First Vinyl Library One Year On

Elly Rendall and Sophie Austin are two record revolutionaries who one year ago set out to start London’s first vinyl library. Run as a not-for-profit since day one, they aimed to start a space where pre-digital music culture and an intimate spirit can collide with great results. With a small monthly subscription fee you’re able

Top 10 Earning Dead Musicians

Even though some of us spend our entire lives working two hundred hours a week just to afford the falling-to-pieces room in an apartment we share with four students and a family, some people break it a little luckier than that. Some people succeed in not only making ridiculous amounts of cash when they’re alive,

The Vinyl Destination: Why Sound Geeks Are Heroes

If you were to line up all of the world’s musical trends and groups, whether that be Punk, Dubstep or some obscure Malaysian sky-jazz, and then match them with their most common criticisms, no subculture would come out with more right to a victim complex than the vinyl geek. They’re a derided few. Looked at

How Do Festival Organizers Choose Artists for Their Bill?

Are you heading to any music festivals this summer? I hope so (summer festivals are pretty much a must for any music fans — it’s either glowing sunshine topped with amazing tunes, or acres of drenched ticketholders rolling around in mud soundtracked by cool indie bands). But whether you’re playing at one or just turning

Britain’s Music Venues Are Under Threat

Since the Coalition Government in the UK came to power in 2010 there has been a concerted effort by politicians to put housing back at the top of the list of national priorities amid worries that a housing ‘superbubble’ may be happening in London and the South East of England. The change in the law

Judging How Important the Beatles are to Music History

When people talk about The Beatles, they often follow the iconic name with a maelstrom of superlatives. Iconic. Important. Irrepressible. Unbeatable. Undeniable. Whether or not you’re a fan of the English quartet, everyone who claims to be a music fan is legally obliged to have an opinion on them. I’m not a huge fan —

Is Youtube Bullying The Music Industry?

Youtube is the most successful video platform since time began. Billions of people use it: watching and sharing its content with their friends, families and networks, to the point where it’s become old media’s biggest threat and a launchpad for some of this century’s biggest names in pop culture so far. Whether it’s Justin Bieber

Best Justin Timberlake Collaborations

After spending every waking hour with four other vocalists during his seven-year stint in ‘N Sync, you’d have expected Justin Timberlake to enjoy a bit more alone time. But ever since the band split in 2002, he’s continued to combine his solo career alongside collaborations with some of the world’s biggest pop & R&B stars.