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Based on more than 50 interviews with key players at a diverse group of labels, NYU Steinhardt Music Business Program Director Larry Miller provides an insider’s look at the music business today, and why the role of a record label remains central.

Think it’s easy for an artist to break through in 2018? According to one recent estimate, there were 150,000+ albums released in 2017 that sold at least one physical or digital copy. We decided to review Gold & Platinum album certifications for albums released since January 1, 2017 through June 13, 2018. …

We are excited to officially launch a new microsite, musicfuels.com.  We all know that music dominates social media, right?  But when you start to break it down and look at the most followed accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram on a daily basis – with their tens of millions of followers – the dominance of music and musicians is truly startling.

Apple’s entrance into the subscription streaming market made a predictable splash.

I respect David and his accomplishments in the music space, but his blog “The Artist’s Share” misses the mark. The piece wrongly assumed that labels pay royalties to artists and simply keep the rest. This is not the case. Let’s take a closer look at the value labels actually bring to the table.

Touts Contribution of Major Labels In New Report The House Judiciary this morning convenes a second subcommittee hearing on music licensing.  Cary Sherman, CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), will testify. 

Proposal to simplify licensing would benefit music fans and mean market-based rates for all music creators, says RIAA in filing with U.S. Copyright Office "Modernizing the licensing system for musical works is a win for everyone...must be a collaborative exercise," says RIAA CEO

Upon a recent visit to Washington, D.C., multi-Platinum, Grammy-award winning artist NE-YO and RIAA Chairman & CEO Cary Sherman sat down to chat about a range of issues, including NE-YO’s storied music career, writing hits for Beyonce, Kanye West, Rihanna and others and his role as Senior Vice President of Artist and Repertoire (A&R) for Motown Records, among other topics.

“I just want to be one of the last great storytellers,” said NE-YO when describing his music career. “The greatest compliment I’ve ever been given – I’ve had people walk up on me and say, ‘Me and my wife’s first dance was to one of your songs,’ or ‘I was going through a really tough time with a breakup and your song helped me get through it.’ This is why I do what I do.”

As SVP of A&R for Motown Records, NE-YO is responsible for discovering new talent and bringing talent to the label. Asked by Sherman what he looks for in an artist he signs, NE-YO responded, “For me, it’s always about passion…if there’s no passion behind [your music], it becomes very ‘for the moment.’ And nothing ‘for the moment’ is ever worth it…”

“And you can definitely see it on a person. If there was no money, if there was no fame and fortune, he would still be somewhere with a guitar in his hand – that’s the guy I’m trying to sign.”

In his conversation with Sherman, NE-YO touted the benefits of being signed to a record label. “The label is support,” said NE-YO. “When you want [your music] to move a little further than just your block or your city, that costs money. It’s not a cheap thing. It’s not an easy thing. From a standpoint of distribution, from the standpoint of marketing and promotion, there’s a million things that you can do yourself, but when you need that extra long arm to get you even further, that’s where the label comes in.”

Check out more of their conversation here:

 

A triple threat singer, songwriter, and actor, NE-YO’s hit “Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself)” was certified RIAA Platinum in 2013. Three of NE-YO’s albums — 2006’s “In My Own Words,” 2007’s “Because of You,” 2008’s “Year of the Gentleman” – have gone RIAA Platinum and produced several popular hits, including “Miss Independent,” “Sexy Love,” “Because of You,” “Mad” and “Closer.” NE-YO has also appeared in several films including Stomp The Yard, Save the Last Dance, Red Tails, and Battle: Los Angeles and written music for films such as The Princess and the Frog, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire and I Can Do Bad All by Myself.

Those who follow @RIAA on Twitter or have caught our Chairman & CEO Cary Sherman presenting at a campus or forum near you know we often discuss examples of how music is a centrifugal force of commerce and culture.