The new year invites people to create resolutions for themselves. This also pertains to companies like Facebook, Spotify, and SoundCloud. Just recently, Spotify was singed with a $1.6 billion lawsuit from Wixen Music Publishing. Facebook is reportedly in talks with Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment to sign deals to allow usage the major labels’ catalog in its users’ content. SoundCloud also degraded the audio that is streamed on its platform (and then went back to the 128kbps MP3).
Spotify jumps into 2018 with a juicy $1.6 billion lawsuit
Spotify has always treaded in murky water, dodging lawsuits and then getting hit with the bigger ones. Most recently, the streaming giant was hit with perhaps its largest lawsuit to date from Wixen Music Publishing. Wixen handles the publishing for artists and bands like Missy Elliott, The Doors, Rage Against The Machine, Tom Petty, Ride, and many more. The music publishing company stated that Spotify didn’t acquire the proper rights for tracks by their artists. “We’re just asking to be treated fairly. We are not looking for a ridiculous punitive payment. But we estimate that our clients account for somewhere between 1% and 5% the music these services distribute,” states Randall Wixen, CEO Wixen Music Publishing.
Facebook is gearing up for deals with Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment
Music streaming is the future the music industry. Consumers no longer purchase hard copies music. With the digital age it’s so easy to utilize people’s music and upload to social media without repercussions. Consequently, artists around the globe aren’t receiving money for the fruits their labor. Facebook–which boasts 2 billion active users each month–is looking to pen a deal this year with Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group. On December 21, 2017, Facebook inked a multi-year deal with Universal Music Group that allowed its users to share Universal Music Group’s licensed music in their content on Facebook, Instagram, and Oculus. Musicians, songwriters, producers, and other industry pressionals deserve to get paid for their hard work on music.
SoundCloud’s audio goes from 128kbps MP3 to 64kbps Opus real quick
In 2017, SoundCloud’s engines blew out and it had to break out the oars to stay afloat and press on. Now the platforms has downgraded from a 128kbps MP3 to a 64kbps Opus file. While the audio quality may not be completely devastating, it “can introduce strange artifacts,” states Direct, a music producer. To undo the audio quality disaster, Direct created a Google Chrome extension that would restore the audio quality back to a 128kbps MP3. SoundCloud is notorious for not having the greatest sound quality, so introducing the 64kbps (old) Opus codec is certainly a degradation.
Direct recently tweeted that he’s “not being served Opus files anymore on Chrome on MacOS or on Windows.” SoundCloud must’ve gotten the hint.
H/T: Digital Music News, Billboard
