Retail Trak ending Record Store Day trek at Rough Trade on Sixth Ave., near 49th Street. Store mgr reports the day began there with a 250-strong line; and its still a solid 150-customer line at 2:30PM. Its unanimous: Taylor Swift release brought out throngs for RSD.

Retail Trak begins Record Store Day at Newbury Comics in Roosevelt Field(LI), where store manager reports 150 people were lined up at 8AM for store opening.

Rate court judge awards BMI songwriters a rate of 0.5% of concert revenue from promoters—up from an estimated blended rate of 0.21% of revenue—retroactive back to 2017, and an expanded revenue definition.

Here’s a cautionary tale of how fraudsters claimed music rights ownership stakes to siphon off $23 million in royalties due to the rightful artists and songwriters, thanx to extraordinary detecting, reporting and writing by Kristin Robinson: https://t.co/I7QkmtMpvS

In an apparent effort to ruin the holiday weekend by making work for music pub execs, their lawyers and music journos, late Friday afernoon the CRB Judges issued their Phono III rate determination, sticking with the 15.1% of service revenue headline rate:

Styles “Harry’s House” topped this week’s Billboard 200 with 521,500 album equivalents. Billboard estimates that activity will ring up $7.26 million for Columbia. Which format—vinyl, streaming et al. delivered the most revenue?:

A look behind the number$ that will drive the deal for Pink Floyd's potential blockbuster sale of the group's recorded master catalog:

A little help for those who want to have a rockin' Xmas.

Let the music publishing rate war begin. Music publishers are asking the Copyright Royalty Board for a 32% royalty increase from on-demand music services like Spotify, Apple and Amazon, while decrying the rates proposed by the digital services.

Giant equity firms are blowing into the music industry and bringing $ billions in funding to snap up music assets. Here is the latest one: KKR among an investment group seeking to buy Kobalt Music Royalty Fund II. https://t.co/65MRbaKzih

Here’s how smart music publishing business decisions years ago led to Bob Dylan’s big payday last week: https://t.co/RCby86iyIV

Here’s the financials behind Bob Dylan’s big payday for the sale of his music publishing, but is he getting ready to cash in with other music assets also? https://t.co/ulK611NLDH

Sources say the DC Appeal's court has vacated part of the Copyright Royalty Board mechanical rate determination that gave songwriters and publishers a 44% rate increase and remanded it back to the CRB due to procedural issues.

Covid-19 pandemic beginning to impact performance rights organizations (PROs) collections and songwriter payouts:

With the Warner Music Group announcing an IPO (initial public offering), the question becomes: what kind of valuation will the company go out the door with? Here are some thoughts on how much WMG could be valued at:

Will CD and vinyl distribution in the U.S. from the major labels and their distros ever get back to normal, with record stores getting all product orders in a timely consistent manner, with 100% fulfillment? The answer: Not anytime soon.

Take a look inside the Providence Equity Partners and Warner Music Group's deal to spend $650 million buying music assets:

That music you like is coming back into style, to paraphrase David Lynch. Today, catalog music accounts for 2/3s of the U.S. music business and current, hit music, 1/3 of revenue. In 2004, the reverse ratio was true, hit music, 2/3s; catalog, 1/3:

In the age of music streaming, can Taylor Swift's "Lover," out tomorrow, have a million-selling debut week. That industry milestone is still valued, even if its a relic from the industry's heritage business (sales) model: https://t.co/9xk9pNPgQa

The Copyright Royalty Board rate determination appeal from GASP--Google, Amazon, Spotify and Pandora--asking the DC court to vacate the royalty rates awarded to music publishers--and remand it back to the CRB for a new determination, laid out here: