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Musicians

Bah humbug! Why David Brancaccio hates holiday music

by David Brancaccio , Meredith Garretson and Alex Schroeder
Dec 15, 2023
Two singer-songwriters convinced David Brancaccio embrace seasonal tunes.
Actor Tommy Steele playing Scrooge in 2006 or David Brancaccio when listening to Paul McCartney's “Wonderful Christmastime?" It may be hard to tell.
MJ Kim/Getty Images
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My Economy

Independent musician says the touring industry is a “rollercoaster”

by Richard Cunningham
Aug 8, 2023
Sarah King, an independent musician, is currently on tour. But the steps getting to this moment have been challenging.
Independent musician Sarah King is touring on her own, a more financially viable option than touring with a group.
Courtesy Arielle Thomas Photography
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I've Always Wondered ...

What is the best way to support musicians? 

by Janet Nguyen
Nov 18, 2022
Buying tickets to live shows is one. Collecting their merch is another. But what they need most is systemic change, union organizers say.
Going to a live show is one of the best ways to support artists. But amid the pandemic, even going on tour has become economically unfeasible for some.
nd3000/iStock/Getty Images Plus
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YouTube's automated copyright tool riles up musicians

by Peter Balonon-Rosen
Nov 4, 2022
Content ID determines when content is copyrighted and can divert payments to the rights holder. But few artists have access to the tool.
YouTube limits access to its copyright tool, Content ID, to about 9,000 movie studios, record labels and publishers.
-/AFP via Getty Images
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Live shows are back. But the economics behind them aren't great.

by Justin Ho
Oct 28, 2022
Many musicians rely on touring for revenue. But they are facing inflation, supply chain problems and a lot of competition.
L7 performs in Los Angeles in January 2020. This year, the band is selling a pre-show experience to defray costs of the tour.
Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for The Art of Elysium
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Iowa concert venue operator persisted through pandemic with help of SBA and other allies

by Kai Ryssdal and Richard Cunningham
Feb 16, 2022
Tobi Parks' xBk was open only six months before the pandemic hit. A federal grant helped it weather COVID.
"I never considered shutting it down," said Tobi Parks of xBk. "And, you know, I was always confident and had the support of .... the team of allies."
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
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Live music is coming back, but shows will look different

by Jasmine Garsd
Apr 26, 2021
Limited audience capacity and higher ticket prices are some of the changes concertgoers can expect this summer.
Bad Bunny on stage in Los Angeles in 2018. Presale ticket purchases for his 2022 tour set a record on Ticketmaster.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
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Apple is investing in a company that lets musicians own their work

by Kristin Schwab
Mar 31, 2021
UnitedMasters helps artists distribute music, but it is unclear if this type of alternative model will further disrupt the major record label system.
Rich Fury/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
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Can streaming do better by musicians? SoundCloud says it's willing to try.

by Jasmine Garsd
Mar 15, 2021
The pandemic has left musicians more dependent than ever on streaming revenue, but that can be a fraction of a penny per listen.
Bad Bunny, whose music was streamed billions of times in 2020, performs during last year's Spotify Awards in Mexico City.
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Spotify
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COVID-19

How independent musicians are planning for 2021

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst
Dec 9, 2020
“I think most musicians are still looking at calendars that don’t have too much ink on them,” says the musician known as Dessa.
With some independent music venues unlikely to reopen, musicians could face tight competition for stage space once the pandemic ends. Above, The Satellite in Los Angeles in April.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
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