Ben Changa | Jan 11, 2022

Adele‘s “Easy on Me” rebounds for an eighth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.

Plus, three songs reach the Hot 100’s top 10, led by “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” by Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz and the Encanto Cast, as the track soars from No. 50 to No. 5. The song is from the Encanto soundtrack, which concurrently hits No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

Plus, Elton John and Dua Lipa‘s “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)” jumps 20-7 on the Hot 100, as John ranks in the top 10 for the first time since 1998, and Kodak Black‘s “Super Gremlin” climbs 16-10.

The songs claim space in the top 10 as six holiday titles depart the tier (and all 29 seasonal songs on the entire Hot 100 a week ago all drop off the chart).

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated Jan. 15) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Jan. 11). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

“Easy on Me,” released on Columbia Records and which first led the Hot 100 in late October, drew 99 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 6%, and good for top Airplay Gainer honors on the Hot 100) and 15.8 million U.S. streams (up 3%) and sold 8,000 downloads (down 12%) in the Dec. 31-Jan. 6 tracking week, according to MRC Data.

The ballad spends a seventh week at No. 1 on the Radio Songs chart; drops 3-4 on Digital Song Sales, following two weeks at the summit; and resurges 22-5 on Streaming Songs, after five weeks on top.

The song, Adele’s fifth Hot 100 No. 1, is now solely her second-longest-leading, after “Hello” (10, 2015-16); it breaks a tie with “Rolling in the Deep” (seven, 2011).

The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” pushes 6-2 on the Hot 100, after seven weeks at No. 1 beginning in August. The collab has spent its first 26 weeks (or, six months) on the chart in the top 10, becoming just the sixth song to achieve the feat; Post Malone’s “Circles” set a record by logging its first 38 weeks on the Hot 100 in the top 10.

Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” sizzles 7-3 on the Hot 100, completing a record 51-week ascent on the chart to the top five; the single (which debuted at No. 100 on the Jan. 16, 2021, tally) bests the 45-week trek for Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope,” featuring Charlie Puth, in 2020.

On the Nov. 13, 2021, Hot 100, “Heat Waves” wrapped a record 42-week rise to the top 10. The song has made its steady progress as a crossover airplay hit. It topped Alternative Airplay for three weeks in March-April 2021 and ranks at Nos. 3 and 6 on the latest Pop Airplay and Adult Pop Airplay charts, respectively. It also gained prominence on TikTok, playing off its “all I think about is you” lyrical hook, and trended especially strongly in late summer 2021, including via a clip from the band itself.

The song drew 66.5 million in airplay audience (up 3%) and 14.1 million streams (up 12%) and sold 4,000 (down 8%) in the tracking week. It concurrently rules the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Alternative Songs charts, both of which use the same multi-metric methodology as the Hot 100, for a 16th week each.

Ed Sheeran’s “Shivers” also hits a new Hot 100 high, advancing 9-4 (topping its previous No. 5 peak).

“We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” credited to Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz and the Encanto Cast, blasts 50-5 in its second week on the Hot 100; all six soloists are among the Encanto voice cast and earn their first top 10 placements on the chart. The song drew 25.2 million streams (up 102%, earning the Hot 100’s top Streaming Gainer award) in the tracking week and bounds 35-1 on Streaming Songs. It also sold 7,300 (up 42%) and bumps 10-6 on Digital Song Sales.

As previously reported, the Encanto soundtrack, the song’s parent album, crowns the Billboard 200 with 72,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. (up 76%). The set reigns following the film’s Dec. 24 release on the Disney+ streaming service, after it premiered in U.S. theaters Nov. 24.

Notably, Encanto is just the sixth animated film soundtrack to top the Billboard 200 since the chart began publishing weekly in March 1956. Meanwhile, “Bruno” is only the fifth song from a Disney animated film to reach the Hot 100’s top five, dating to the list’s August 1958 inception. It follows Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle’s “A Whole New World,” from Aladdin (No. 1, one week, 1993); Elton John’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (No. 4, 1994), from The Lion King; Vanessa Williams’ “Colors of the Wind” (No. 4, 1995), from Pocahontas; and Idina Menzel’s “Let It Go” (No. 5, 2014), from Frozen.

(Additionally, in what’s become a rarity, two concurrent top five Hot 100 hits were written by a single writer each: Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” was penned by the group’s Dave Bayley, while “Bruno” was authored by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who achieves his first top 10 writing credit; the Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award winner, among other honors, previously reached a No. 20 best in October 2017 as both a recording artist and writer thanks to “Almost Like Praying,” his charity single featuring Artists for Puerto Rico.)

Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow’s “Industry Baby” jumps 12-6 on the Hot 100, after a week at No. 1 in October. It leads the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts for an 18th and 19th week, respectively.

Elton John and Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix)” roars 20-7 on the Hot 100, reaching the top 10 for the first time (and surpassing its prior No. 11 high). It drew 52.1 million in airplay audience (up 6%) and 10 million streams (up 18%) and sold 13,300 in the tracking week (up 53%, aided by 69-cent sale-pricing in the iTunes Store, sparking its top Sales Gainer win on the Hot 100). It jumps 5-1 for its first week atop Digital Song Sales, becoming John’s first leader and Lipa’s second, after “Levitating” for a week last May.

John achieves his 28th Hot 100 top 10 and first since “Candle in the Wind”/”Something About the Way You Look Tonight” marked his ninth No. 1 in October 1997 through January 1998. As he had last appeared in the top 10 on the chart dated Jan. 31, 1998, he ends a break of 23 years, 11 months and two weeks between top 10s. While lengthy, it’s not a record: two weeks ago, The Ronettes’ wrapped a 58-year, two-month gap when “Sleigh Ride” dashed to No. 10, becoming the group’s first top 10 since “Be My Baby” in 1963. The seven longest breaks between top 10s all ended via holiday songs, and all since 2018; among nonseasonal hits (as with “Cold Heart”), Dobie Gray ranks first with a wait of 30 years, two months and a week between his original version of “Drift Away” in 1973 and Uncle Kracker’s remake, featuring Gray, in 2003.

John also ties Mariah Carey (atop last week’s Hot 100 with “All I Want for Christmas Is You”) and Stevie Wonder (his recent duet partner) for the seventh-most Hot 100 top 10s in the chart’s history:

Most Hot 100 Top 10s

54, Drake

38, Madonna

34, The Beatles

31, Rihanna

30, Michael Jackson

30, Taylor Swift

28, Mariah Carey

28, Elton John

28, Stevie Wonder

27, Janet Jackson

Plus, John now boasts Hot 100 top 10s in four distinct decades: the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s and 2020s. He’s the 10th act to have placed in the top 10 in at least four separate decades; Michael Jackson is the only artist to have ranked in the bracket in as many as five decades, from the ’70s through the ’10s (and that’s not including his tenure in the Jackson 5, who first hit the top 10 in the ’60s).

Hot 100 Top 10s in Four or More Decades

’70s, ’80s, ’90s, ’00s, 10s: Michael Jackson

’90s, ’00s, ’10s, ’20s: Mariah Carey

’90s, ’00s, ’10s, ’20s: Jay-Z

’70s, ’80s, ’90s, ’20s: Elton John

’50s, ’60s, ’70s, ’20s: Andy Williams

’80s, ’90s, ’00s, ’10s: Whitney Houston

’80s, ’90s, ’00s, ’10s: Madonna

’70s, ’80s, ’90s, ’00s: Aerosmith

’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s: Cher

’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s: Barbra Streisand

As for his span of Hot 100 top 10s, John expands it to 51 years, 11 months and three weeks, dating to his first week in the top 10 with “Your Song” (Jan. 23, 1971). The stretch is the longest among all acts not involving holiday songs, surpassing Jackson’s (42 years, six months and a week); a week ago, thanks to “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” Andy Williams’ record for the longest top 10 span overall was extended to 62 years and three months, dating to his first week in the top 10 with “Lonely Street,” on the chart dated Oct. 12, 1959.

Meanwhile, Lipa lands her fourth Hot 100 top 10, after “New Rules” (No. 6, February 2018); “Don’t Start Now” (No. 2, March 2020); and “Levitating” (No. 2, May 2021).

“Cold Heart” brings elements of four John songs to the Hot 100’s top 10, including one that previously ranked in the region: In the mash-up, John sings part of his No. 18 1990 hit “Sacrifice” and Lipa reprises his No. 6-peaking 1972 classic “Rocket Man” and his No. 25-reaching 1983 hit “Kiss the Bride,” while his 1976 track “Where’s the Shoorah?” serves as its coda. The new combination also credits trio Pnau’s co-writing and co-production.

“Cold Heart” concurrently tops the multi-metric Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart for a 13th week.

Sheeran’s “Bad Habits” rises 19-8 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 2 in August, and Doja Cat’s “Need to Know” climbs 14-9, after hitting No. 8 in November.

Closing out the Hot 100’s top 10, Kodak Black’s “Super Gremlin” surges 16-10 for its first week in the tier, as it bounds 9-2, also a new high, on Streaming Songs (22.7 million, up less than 1%). It also drew 4.5 million in radio reach (up 63%) and sold 1,200 (down 11%) in the tracking week.

Kodak Black earns his third Hot 100 top 10, following “Tunnel Vision” (No. 6, March 2017) and “ZEZE,” featuring Travis Scott and Offset (No. 2, October 2018).

Original post: https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/adele-bruno-encanto-elton-john-dua-lipa-kodak-black-hot-100-1235017217/

Ben Changa | Jan 11, 2022

Music streaming remains one of the hottest and most controversial topics in the industry today. Whether you believe it is here to save the music business or that it has actually ruined the progress made by digital downloads, it has become an important part of any record label/artist’s income.

The competition in this new “landscape” is fierce, every major tech giant or business wants a piece of the pie, from Apple to Google and everyone in-between. Some of the most popular platforms being Spotify, Deezer, Google Subscription, Rdio, Rhapsody and Beats music, with “newbies” like Youtube Music Key, Beatport, Tidal (formerly Aspiro) and soon Soundcloud joining the fun.

The streaming revolution is no longer just “the future” of music, it is the “NOW” and we have seen quiet a unique change to marketing strategies since then. Streaming can no longer be ignored but if you have had a hard time adjusting, here are some practical tips to start making the change.

1) VERIFY YOUR ARTIST PROFILE OR USER ACCOUNT

One of the most important steps is to take control of your artist profile on the services that allow it. Much like social networks, most (if not all) platforms allow users to follow you to stay up to date with not only your new releases but also what other music you are listening to and even allows you to integrate your Bandsintown or Songkick accounts so they can see your touring schedule.

Every platform has its own guidelines and rules so be sure to go through your favorite platforms and read more about how you can do it. For example, Spotify requires that artists have a minimum of 250 followers before they can apply to be verified while Deezer only allows profile claiming through your distributor.

Its only fair to point out that unlike the new Beatport streaming service, neither Spotify or Deezer have Label Pages. However, Spotify does allow brands and labels to verify their own user accounts.

I know this may sound like a lot of work but the sooner you get started the better, you don’t want to end up being that one person that arrives to the party 5 minutes before it is over.

How to verify your artist profile on Spotify – How to verify your brand/company username – The new Beatport streaming service and label pages

2) ACTIVELY SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

I know this may come as a “duh” tip but you would be surprised how many labels and artists don’t mention a single store or service outside of Beatport and iTunes. Although we understand the reasoning behind it, including Spotify/Deezer/Google Subscription links somewhere in your campaign should be a no brainer.

Streaming is one of only two business models in music that saw growth in 2014 (The other one? the resurgence of Vinyl) while MP3 and CDs sales continued to slow down. Spotify alone has over 60 Million active users, 15 million of those are paying customers. Deezer comes in at a healthy number 2 with over 15 Million active users, 6 million of those paying a monthly fee. We are not even including non-interactive streaming radio platforms like Pandora, Slacker, iHeartRadio and iTunes Radio but you get the point!

We believe music should go where there is demand for it and there is no doubt that fans are flocking to streaming to discover new artists, new music, new genres and styles. There is no doubt that the competition is big with artists clamoring to get those ears on their music, so you have to do your part to help drive people that may be on the fence about your music to cross the bridge and become a fan once and for all.

3) EMBED PLAYERS ON YOUR WEBSITE

One of the easiest ways to get people to listen to your music in any platform of your desire is to make available to them in an easy manner. Embedding your new release on your website or blog is a great way to do just that. Why have them go through the process of searching when they can have it available at a click on a button right?

Spotify for example, allows you to embed individual tracks or full albums/eps and you can use their developer website to easily adjust it to any size, theme or branding you desire so it matches your style perfectly.

4) CREATE PLAYLISTS

One of my favorite features on Spotify is that you can create your own playlists. It allows users to create their own “mixtapes” or journeys, whether it is music to workout to or listen to while on a road trip.

Creating Playlists for your radio shows is a great way to start a playlist that is outside of simply promoting your own releases. Another slick way to drive traffic to your account is to create playlists based on national events or happenings, have a playlist that would be a great fit for April’s Fool? Good, share it!

Playlists can also serve as a good way for you to share with your fans your personal taste in music, connecting with your fans on that level is a great way to start building your follower count. Don’t be afraid to also add some of your own music to those playlists to get a few plays out of it, of course.

5) HAVE YOUR RELEASES AVAILABLE ON STREAMING SERVICES THE SAME DAY AS DIGITAL DOWNLOAD STORES

Now, let me start by saying that this is simply a piece of advise and each label/artist has a different marketing strategy or formula that works for them. If you are doing Beatport or iTunes exclusives and it is working well for you, by all means, you should stick to it BUT if you are not performing to your best abilities in digital download stores, adding streaming to your repertoire is a good way to spark some interest.

Streaming is a great way for fans to give your music a listen without any risk, if you are a new artist or label, this is a valuable asset to offer. Music fans are probably less likely to spend money on your music if they are not familiar with you already, since streaming is free to them but it also generates income for you, there is no better win/win situation than that!

Original post: https://label-engine.com/news/music-streaming-guideline/

Ben Changa | Jan 11, 2022

How labels work

DIY music distribution, digital downloads and streaming have changed the relationship between record labels and artists. Today with good music, gigging and social media grit, you can launch your own music career. Getting signed usually means you’ve already done the major legwork.

Thriving independent artist like Joey Bada$$ and Chance the Rapper prove you no longer need a record label to be a major player, BUT there are still things labels can offer you.

Today, record labels are still leaders of the key elements of the music industry, including:

A&R support and funding

Even if you’re doing well as an independent artist, you won’t have the financial clout large record labels do. They can invest in your music career, paying for the best producers, sound engineers and studios in the business. Just ask one of our 80 artists signed by Universal Music or, check out our Spinnup Academy lesson on A&R

Marketing and promotion

A record label can also provide exposure on a vast international scale. They can provide funding for top publicists and have influential connections in broadcasting, media and specialist advertising and PR. They can even get your added to influential playlists.

Specialist support

Record labels understand the complex administration and legalities of partnerships – and rights-based music. Their specialist teams are responsible for things like tracking, collecting and distributing royalties to their artists, producers and copyright owners.

Distribution

Although labels no longer control the spread of music, they can still help their artists navigate more complex large-scale distribution for both physical retailers and digital services.

Label deals

Record deal. Label deal. Recording contract. Call it what you want, but it all equates to a legally binding agreement between the artist and label. Under the deal, a label generally pays for making, distributing and marketing the recordings. which is what a record label does. Think of it like a loan. The label invests in your music and development, then you pay them back a set amount from your earnings.

The label also agrees to pay you a set share of money from recording sales – known as the royalty rate. 

However, before you sign any record deal, check with your lawyer – and possibly accountant – to ensure you understand all the details and financial implications of the contract. Some more information on deals here.

Licensing deals

As the composer you have licensing rights. So every time your song is played or performed publicly, whether it’s streaming, on the radio or elsewhere, you’re entitled to money – known as royalties.

It can be more common for an artist with their own label to sign with a major label.

When a record label licenses your music, they essentially purchase the rights to an album from you – and manufacture, promote and distribute it. They’ll pay you a set fee and act as your label for that album in the territory – or area that they licenced the album in.

Distribution deals

A manufacturing and distribution deal – or M&D deal is a contractual agreement between a record label and a music distributor. Under this deal, the distributor pays for the manufacturing costs of an album from the pressing process to the printing of the labels. The distributor then recoups these costs from record sales—in addition to an agreed pre-determined percentage of profit.

Of course, this kind of deal is becoming less relevant in the face of digital distribution.

How to get noticed by an A&R

We send our artists’ music to A&Rs around the world. Every. Single. Week. But besides joining spinnup – and creating mind-blowingly good music, there are several other things you need to do to stand out and grab an A&R’s attention (but remember, there is no set way to being signed, discovered or to get a record deal).

Know your label

If you’re asking “how to get a record deal?”, remember big labels get hundreds of demos daily. So it’s important you understand the type of artist they work with. This allows you to approach the ones that are compatible with your music.

Solid branding

You should have a recognisable brand that includes quality photos, artwork and a buzzing social media presence. Make sure your artist profiles are complete, up-to-date and include a bio, artist image and links to your social and contact info. More on promoting yourself in one of our free guides.

Be visible – on and off line

Regularly creating fresh content to share on social is a must. But make sure A&Rs can locate your music, social accounts and website easily. Your content and information matter!

Network IRL too

Besides your own gigging – also check out local unsigned nights like Sofar Sounds that hosts intimate gigs in small venues around the world. 

Be self-sufficient

Signing with a label is stepping away from being an independent artist. But don’t stop doing what got you there in the first place. In fact, labels increasingly look for self-sufficient, music dynamos that can create a buzz and gain dedicated fans using unique branding and marketing.

Original post: https://spinnup.com/top-faqs/how-do-record-labels-work/