Townsquare Purchases Country Music Festival

11-3-14

WE Fest is a country music and camping festival founded in 1983 and based in Detroit Lakes, MN. Townsquare pays $21.5 million in cash and 100,000 Townsquare Media Class A common shares for the festival located at the Soo Pass Ranch, a 500-acre lakefront facility comprised of a natural amphitheater and more than 9,000 campsites. Townsquare Executive VP for Live Events Dhruv Prasad said, ?The addition of WE Fest to our portfolio of music festivals positions Townsquare Media as one of the leading country music festival owners in the United States. We look forward to continuing to grow the audience at WE Fest, along with the operating leadership team of the festival, including Bob Bliss, John Gourley, and Mark Schultz, who will be joining Townsquare.?

View the original article here

Radio Still Dominates Music Listening

10-3-14
Nielsen has come out with more radio-friendly data that should help radio managers and sellers make the case that radio is still a strong medium. According to Music 360 2014, Nielsen?s third annual study of the tastes, habits, and preferences of U.S. music listeners, your 100-year-old medium still resonates strongly with consumers. It remains the top platform for music consumption. Here's what the study uncovered...

Fifty-nine percent of music listeners listen to radio either over-the-air or online. And for all the publicity and love Pandora has been getting in the press, it's still behind a consumer's music library at 48 percent, and on-demand streaming (Spotify, YouTube, or Vevo) at 41 percent. Curated streaming music such as Pandora or iTunes Radio sits at 36 percent in the latest Nielsen study. The study also found that 93 percent of the country's population listens to music, spending more than 25 hours each week tuning into their favorite tunes.

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

Sun Renews Nashville Music Minute

8-13-14

Nashville Music Minute is a syndicated daily radio news feature that connects the audience to today's Country artists, music news and latest Buzz directly from Music City.  Sun Broadcast Group announced today that it has renewed the program for a third year. Nashville Music Minute is now hear on about 75 affiliates.

View the original article here

Pandora Hires Music Industry Executive

7-22-14

Pandora has hired Lars Murray as Vice President of Industry Relations. Murray comes to Pandora with more than twenty years of experience in the music industry, most recently as VP of Digital Media at Columbia Records where he led a digital marketing operation focused on helping artists leverage digital platforms to grow their audiences. Murray will lead Pandora's collaboration with the music industry. Pandora says the company is looking at leveraging its scale and technology to create opportunity and value for artists, labels and the entire music ecosystem.

Murray said, "I'm tremendously excited to dive in and help unleash the power of Internet radio in new ways. Pandora is ushering in a new era for music, with unmatched scale and personalization that can empower the industry in a way that has never before been possible. I am thrilled to be part of what continues to be a dramatic transformation of how great music and artists find their audience."

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

Streaming Music Continues to Explode

7-7-14

Consumers are still buying music, they are just doing it one song at a time. According to the latest data released by Nielsen and Billboard, total album sales, including CD's, Cassettes, LP's and digital sales, were down 15% for the first six months of this year. 142 million were sold in 2013 compared to 121 million this year. On-demand streams went from 49.5 billion during the first 6 months of 2013 to 70.3 billion for the first six months of this year, an increase of 42%. Vinyl record sales increased from 2.9 million to 4 million, an increase of over 40%. Both digital album sales (-11.6%) and CD album sales (-19.6) were down.

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

More Good News For Country Music

6-8-14

The CMT Music Award broadcast last Wednesday night attracted nearly 3 million viewers, up 10 percent from last year, which is near the high for the network set back in 2010 of 3.1 million. The show averaged a 1.1 rating with 18-49 adults. The show also brought all-time highs with women 18-34.

View the original article here

Yet Another Way For Consumers to get Music

5-30-14

Everyone wants in the music delivery game. According to an exclusive at Buzzfeed, some Amazon.com customers will be able to listen to music in the next month or two while shopping on the Internet's largest retailer. We say some because you have to be an Amazon.com Prime customer, which you get for a fee. Amazon will give Prime members old and "newish" music for subscribers to stream on demand. The Prime music service, will not include new music. It will restrict its catalog to songs and albums that are 6 months old and older.

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

Clear Channel, BBR Music Sign Revenue Share Deal

3-25-14

Clear Channel and independent Country music label BBR Music Group, have announced a deal that will enable Broken Bow Records and Stoney Creek Records and its artists to share in Clear Channel's revenue. Broken Bow Records? roster of artists includes Jason Aldean, Dustin Lynch, Randy Houser and Thompson Square.

?Radio plays a powerful ? and unique ? role in breaking country artists.  Clear Channel's commitment to being a leader in exposing fans to the best new music is undeniable.  They have taken a very proactive role in growing the format, while strengthening the health of both the Radio and Records industries,? said BBR Music Group EVP Jon Loba. ?Forming closer ties with a partner who wants to 'grow the pie' for all parties involved, while ensuring that country fans can access our music on multiple platforms was a logical move for us.?

View the original article here

Emmis Stations Join Beats Music

1-24-14

Northjersey.com is reporting that Emmis owned WQHT-FM (97.1) in New York and WPWR-FM (105.9) in Los Angeles are the "exclusive" hip-hop stations for the launch of Beats Music, curating a series of playlists on behalf of its deejays and brand. Beats Music launched this week on all iOS, Android and Windows phones and at beatsmusic.com, for $9.99 per month.

View the original article here

New Faces of Country Music Acts Announced

12-3-13

Country Radio Seminar officials have announced Brett Eldredge (pictured), Tyler Farr, Cassadee Pope, Thomas Rhett and Charlie Worsham as the CRS 2014 New Faces of Country Music Show performers. The 2014 New Faces of Country Music Show will be held Feb. 21, 2014 during Country Radio Seminar at the downtown Nashville Convention Center. 

View the original article here

Advertisers Love Concerts and Music

11-21-13

GM's and Market Managers understand how massive an undertaking organizing a concert or festival is, not to mention the potential liability. However the financial rewards can be big through sponsorships, ticket location giveaways and other creative advertising opportunities that your team creates. A new report confirms its worth all of your time and extra effort. According to Nielsen's Music 360 report, Brands love using music as a way to connect with their customers and they love concerts and festivals. Here are the numbers...

Seventy-six percent of festival attendees report feeling more favorable toward brands that sponsor a tour or concert, and 51 percent of all consumers feel this way. In addition, according to Nielsen, approximately 74 percent of music streamers feel more favorable toward brands that engage them through music giveaways, sweepstakes and sponsorships, compared with 58 percent of non-streamers.

See the Nielsen details HERE

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

Nielsen Confirms Radio Rules for Music Discovery

11-7-13

Nielsen says the study will be released on Monday, however it was leaked to Amanda Stevens at USA Today late last night. Stevens writes, "Radio, the 19th-century marvel, remains the chief avenue of music discovery, according to Nielsen's new Music 360 report. The data reveal that 63% of listeners say they discover new music through terrestrial radio, which leads all sources of music discovery in terms of being "trusted" (43%) and "current" (49%). Read the full story HERE

(11/8/2013 5:27:56 PM)
"19th century marvel" ??

I believe KDKA began in the early 1920s and Marconi wasn't much ahead of that.
When these snot-nosed kids who attempt journalism for USA Today are astounded by new music's real friend-radio-they could ask someone over 30 years old for some background.

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

Think Of NASH As The ESPN Of Country Music

10-28-13

2014 is expected to be the big national rollout year for Cumulus' NASH Country brand. Part of the reason for waiting another quarter is the expected close of Westwood One. That would allow Cumulus to roll all of its Country network products into the NASH brand, which will include everything from magazines to radio shows to merchandising. And platform buys for advertisers. There will be a lot of experimenting with the NASH brand in 2014, including a subscription model for the magazine which the company hopes to get into Target, Wal-Mart, and other stores across the country.

View the original article here

(PRODUCTION) How To Use Music Beds On Your Show

9-6-2013

Randy and I are going to devote the next few posts to production values -- stagers, beds, show opens, promos, etc. If you have any specific questions about production elements, comment on our blog and we'll try to include your question in a future post.

Today let's talk music beds.

Why use music beds?

Music beds can help lift the energy of a break and add dynamics. Music stagers for features establish a signature that adds entertainment value and memorability. Familiar, funny "mood" songs like "Mission: Impossible," "Let's Get It On," or the "People's Court" theme, for example, cue a specific emotion (suspense, romance, etc.) that primes the audience. Beds during contests add drama and tension.

Here are some basic rules of thumb for using music beds:

? Let the music establish for a beat before you start talking.

? Never use a music bed with vocals. It's like two people talking at the same time. You will compete with the lyrics for the listener's attention.

? Use a bed that is repetitive. Stay away from music with horns, foreground guitar licks and changes in the music (chords, tempo) that will take attention away from what is being said.

? Avoid beds under callers (outside of contests). It's already challenging enough to hear a caller due to phone quality and background noise. A bed adds to the noise.

? This might be rare, but just a caveat...Watch out for using licensed songs for commercials or anything with a commercial tag. We got sued by Herbie Hancock at KYSR/Los Angeles for using US3's "Cantaloop" (a great bed, by the way!!) for traffic reports because of the sponsor tag. You know we couldn't give up the tag so we had to stop using the song.

? Stay away from beds (especially looping a song intro!) from popular current songs. "Blurred Lines" has a great bass line but if you use it as a bed, listeners will be frustrated you're not playing the song. Try listening to the whole CD of a popular artist to see if there are beds from other unreleased songs.

? And just for Randy and me, just because we are asking nicely, please stop using the Jeopardy theme for your trivia contest. Maybe it's just a pet peeve, but there has got to be a more contemporary song to use!

? This recommendation is the most controversial: Once the segment is established (8-10 seconds), fade the bed. This is particularly important outside of features when you, or a listener, might be telling a story. Steve Jobs never used a podium. Good managers step out from behind their desk to have a conversation. These are barriers to connecting. So are music beds. Beds can take away from a story's impact by hiding raw emotion -- pauses, non-verbal sounds like sighs or even a crack in one's voice. A good story with no bed is impactful. Pauses and silence make people lean in toward their radio.

Do you run music under entire breaks? What are your favorite beds to use to establish a particular mood or scene? Feel free to chime in on our blog here.

Deborah Parenti is EVP/Radio for Radio Ink. E-mail: parenti@aol.com

(9/6/2013 2:46:10 PM)
Like so many other little tricks & gimmicks that have come down the pike over the years, this one also has a limited shelf life.

Consider: The technique is being used to either cover or attempt to enhance the delivery of some kind of content.

It is an easy step to conclude there is an assumption that neither the presentation or the content is perceived as enough to maintain listener-interest. If, indeed, that is the case, it's the delivery and the content that need the work. "Tuneage-under" is hardly a substantive technique, particularly when it gets overused - as they all do.

(9/6/2013 9:58:24 AM)
I do recommend using modern music on beds. Helps establish communication with younger, more fickle audience and helps you sound modern. For older songs (10-years and older) only stick w/recognizable hits. Generally use these for Talk/Sports formats. Mike & Mike do a great job of following these ideas.
(9/6/2013 8:09:27 AM)
Great advice. Steve Jobs did use a podium, however. A podium is a stage, something you stand on (pod, feet, podiatrist, etc.) Maybe he never used a lectern, but he certainly used a podium. I wrote this while whistling the Jeopardy theme.

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

(PRODUCTION) How To Use Music Beds On Your Show

9-6-2013

Randy and I are going to devote the next few posts to production values -- stagers, beds, show opens, promos, etc. If you have any specific questions about production elements, comment on our blog and we'll try to include your question in a future post.

Today let's talk music beds.

Why use music beds?

Music beds can help lift the energy of a break and add dynamics. Music stagers for features establish a signature that adds entertainment value and memorability. Familiar, funny "mood" songs like "Mission: Impossible," "Let's Get It On," or the "People's Court" theme, for example, cue a specific emotion (suspense, romance, etc.) that primes the audience. Beds during contests add drama and tension.

Here are some basic rules of thumb for using music beds:

? Let the music establish for a beat before you start talking.

? Never use a music bed with vocals. It's like two people talking at the same time. You will compete with the lyrics for the listener's attention.

? Use a bed that is repetitive. Stay away from music with horns, foreground guitar licks and changes in the music (chords, tempo) that will take attention away from what is being said.

? Avoid beds under callers (outside of contests). It's already challenging enough to hear a caller due to phone quality and background noise. A bed adds to the noise.

? This might be rare, but just a caveat...Watch out for using licensed songs for commercials or anything with a commercial tag. We got sued by Herbie Hancock at KYSR/Los Angeles for using US3's "Cantaloop" (a great bed, by the way!!) for traffic reports because of the sponsor tag. You know we couldn't give up the tag so we had to stop using the song.

? Stay away from beds (especially looping a song intro!) from popular current songs. "Blurred Lines" has a great bass line but if you use it as a bed, listeners will be frustrated you're not playing the song. Try listening to the whole CD of a popular artist to see if there are beds from other unreleased songs.

? And just for Randy and me, just because we are asking nicely, please stop using the Jeopardy theme for your trivia contest. Maybe it's just a pet peeve, but there has got to be a more contemporary song to use!

? This recommendation is the most controversial: Once the segment is established (8-10 seconds), fade the bed. This is particularly important outside of features when you, or a listener, might be telling a story. Steve Jobs never used a podium. Good managers step out from behind their desk to have a conversation. These are barriers to connecting. So are music beds. Beds can take away from a story's impact by hiding raw emotion -- pauses, non-verbal sounds like sighs or even a crack in one's voice. A good story with no bed is impactful. Pauses and silence make people lean in toward their radio.

Do you run music under entire breaks? What are your favorite beds to use to establish a particular mood or scene? Feel free to chime in on our blog here.

Deborah Parenti is EVP/Radio for Radio Ink. E-mail: parenti@aol.com

(9/6/2013 2:46:10 PM)
Like so many other little tricks & gimmicks that have come down the pike over the years, this one also has a limited shelf life.

Consider: The technique is being used to either cover or attempt to enhance the delivery of some kind of content.

It is an easy step to conclude there is an assumption that neither the presentation or the content is perceived as enough to maintain listener-interest. If, indeed, that is the case, it's the delivery and the content that need the work. "Tuneage-under" is hardly a substantive technique, particularly when it gets overused - as they all do.

(9/6/2013 9:58:24 AM)
I do recommend using modern music on beds. Helps establish communication with younger, more fickle audience and helps you sound modern. For older songs (10-years and older) only stick w/recognizable hits. Generally use these for Talk/Sports formats. Mike & Mike do a great job of following these ideas.
(9/6/2013 8:09:27 AM)
Great advice. Steve Jobs did use a podium, however. A podium is a stage, something you stand on (pod, feet, podiatrist, etc.) Maybe he never used a lectern, but he certainly used a podium. I wrote this while whistling the Jeopardy theme.

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

An Early Start on Holiday Music

8-9-13

It's always a winning format and Envinsion Radio Networks wants to take advantage of the early. Envision is getting in the holiday spirit early with The 100 Greatest Christmas Hits of All Time, a ten-hour radio special hosted by TV game show host Wink Martindale. Available on a cash basis, this special holiday programming will count down everyone?s favorite Yuletide hits from 100 to number one.

The song list is based on data compiled by Billboard Magazine and listings of the Christmas tracks most played on radio over the past decade.  This compilation includes hit singles as well as classic tracks from the most-loved and best-selling Christmas albums of all time. 

Augmenting each hour is a handful of ?bonus tracks? ? other beloved Yuletide gems guaranteed to make you laugh, move your heart and rekindle your life?s fondest memories. Wink Martindale supplies the story and fun facts throughout the 10-hour broadcast. Stations interested in more information about The 100 Greatest Christmas Hits of All Time should visit envisionradio.com or contact Hannah Rosenthal at hannahr@envisionradio.com or 216-831-3761.

View the original article here

SONY Music and Quu Interactive Partner

8-6-13

Sony Music Nashville CEO Gary Overton says, ?Quu?s service provides an enormous promotional opportunity for our artists and the label to customize and geo-target an artist?s message with a 360-degree approach, bringing together the full fan experience of albums, tours, artist offerings, and information in a new and innovative way utilizing the outstanding reach of radio. Now, as consumers listen to Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood on their car radios, one of the main points of radio airplay, we have the ability to inform them about where to see or hear from their favorite Sony Music Nashville artists next.?

Quu will use its existing ?Liner Notes? network of nationwide radio stations, radio station websites and mobile applications to complement station airplay with artist information, in real time. In addition to the vehicle interior radio display, which often includes station and artist names, Quu?s customization offering enables Sony to pre-program and geo-target information on local tour dates, media appearances, breaking news, album releases, point-of-sale information and more, tied to an artist?s song as it is playing on the radio.

The service, which launched today, also uses Quu?s synchronization technology, which gives it the capability to feed messages directly from the artist?s existing social platforms, including Twitter, giving fans a new way to hear from or about their favorite artists as they are listening to them, in their cars and through participating radio station websites and mobile applications.

Quu CEO Joel Harb says "Quu?s technology provides a solution for artists and broadcasters to communicate more directly with the consumer by effectively using radio?s nationwide reach to target consumers at the right moment with the right customized message. Radio is already a vital part of the music industry, and providing labels with the technology to message on this additional platform tied to radio enables them to super-serve their artists and their artists? fan bases.?

View the original article here

How Much Music Should You Play?

6-7-2013

This question comes up a lot.

PPM conventional wisdom is that radio stations have to play more music in all dayparts, including 6 a.m.-10 a.m., to win. This view is valid in many marketing situations, yet not all. The strategy of playing more music in the morning does work for new formats, stations that are re-establishing their music position, stations with a new competitor, and stations with morning shows that are not outperforming their station's average share in Arbitron (6 a.m.-12 m).

If you have a question about music quantity, and your station is not in one of the example situations above, do this right now. Look up your station ratings information, in your target demo, for total week and 6a-10a, and see if your ratings are below, matching, or above the total station average. For example, if 6a-10a is a 5.0, and 6a-12mid is a 4.0, you are outperforming the station by 20 percent. If 6a-10a is a 3.0 and the 6a-12mid is a 4.0, you're under-performing by 25 percent. (Junior-high word problems come in handy sometimes.)

When a show's ratings are outperforming the station, the show is bringing in listeners who are not P1s to the format. At this point, the music becomes a hindrance to a certain extent, as, for example, Country fans might love the CHR show but not the Rihanna every 75 minutes. Or Pop fans might like a Rock morning show for the funny, edgy content but not be big fans of Rush.

Music-To-Content Formula

The amount of music played in the morning is directly proportionate to the quality of the content and how the show performs against the station's average ratings. Assuming that your commercial count in the morning is typical (12-14 units per hour) and the average song length is approximately four minutes, consider the following as a guide for the number of songs to play, based on ratings in your target demo:

* New format launches: 12 songs per hour
* Re-establishing a music position: 8-10 songs (depending on the show's success and tenure)
* Under-performing the station average more than 10 percent: 8-10 songs per hour
* Near-even to slightly above the station average: 7-8 songs per hour
* 10-15 percent above the station average: 6-7 songs per hour
* 15-20 percent above the station average: 4-5 songs per hour
* 20-30 percent above the station average : 0-4 songs per hour

The song count numbers above will vary somewhat by format expectations. Gradual changes are less noticeable to listeners. Drop one song at a time to make sure the ratings and quality of the content stay stable or improve.
Note about song titles: Play only the most familiar and multiple-format appeal songs in the morning, particularly if your show is out-performing the station average. High-performance shows are attracting listeners with other music preferences just to hear your show. An unfamiliar song causes tune-out. This strategy would not apply to new formats and stations re-establishing their music position.

Email randy@randylane.net
Read more at his website
Like to The Randy Lane Company on Facebook facebook.com/TheRandyLaneCompany
Follow Randy Lane on Twitter www.twitter.com/TheRandyLaneCo

View the original article here

(COPYWRITING) Writing To Music

5-30-2013

How many times have you heard a piece of music and been inspired? How many times has music brought tears to your eyes? How many times has music made you chuckle or smile? How many times has music triggered great memories?

The power of music lies in its close link to our emotions. One of the reasons we love our favorite movies so much is the music scoring.

Oftentimes a song from our past will bring us back to the moment we first heard it. With this catalytic power, it?s no wonder that more and more writers use music as a tool to help them break writer?s block and improve the emotional depth of their writing. The next time you create a spot, don?t just select music in the production phase to complement the words you?ve already crafted. Let the music help you create the words.

Try this: select several pieces of instrumental music and, with the client information at hand, simply listen to each one and see where it takes you. Begin writing while listening and continue for at least two minutes. Don?t try to make sense out of the story yet. Just write what the music inspires you to write.

You?ll come up with ideas, thoughts, feelings, and emotions that you wouldn?t ordinarily have thought of without listening to the music. At the end of two minutes you may have a complete commercial, the concept for a commercial, pages of possible campaigns, or random ideas. You should at least have the start of a commercial.

The music has allowed you to bypass the thinking process and write from your heart, your gut, your emotional center. This is good, because that?s the level on which listeners will react to a commercial.

If the music you?ve chosen inspires you to write something cogent, continue to refine the commercial. If not, pick another piece and continue the process.

Don?t be afraid to pick music that doesn?t seem to match your advertiser. Sometimes that can be the most inspiring.

At first, that gentle harp piece may not seem to fit with the amusement park you?re writing for, but give it a chance. That military march wouldn?t have been your first choice for the fast food restaurant. That world music piece with the children?s choir may not seem like a natural fit for your car dealer, but listen to it and start writing anyway and see what happens.

Each piece of music will have rhythms, chord changes, melodies, and hooks that will be natural complements for the words you write. After using this technique you may find that the blending of words and music in your commercial seems more natural than if you had just added the music as an afterthought.

I?ve been teaching this technique in seminars for 25 years. Now a new generation of writers is discovering its ability to break writer's block. Craft your words listening to music and you may find your advertisers singing your praises.

To guess what kind of music Jeffrey Hedquist was listening to when he wrote this, contact him at Hedquist Productions, Inc. Phone 641-472-6708. Email jeffrey@hedquist.com. For a free newsletter full of techniques for creating more effective radio, go to www.hedquist.com.

(5/31/2013 4:09:40 PM)
Good advice! I've been doing that for years with spots & jingles. Find the most fitting music first and the the style and rhythm will carry the message like a hawk ahead of a Summer storm.

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

AOL Music Shutting Down

4-29-13

Employees were tweeting that they were being fired on Friday. There still has not been an official announcement from AOL. On Friday TechCrunch and All Things D were reporting AOL is shutting down its music news properties. "Poor performance due to competition from independent bloggers may be to blame. However, reports indicate Winamp, SHOUTcast, and flagship music blog Spinner may survive," according to the Tech site.

View the original article here