Both of Kunlun’s new products are powered by the company’s current iteration of Diffusion Transformer architecture based AI Music Generation Large Language Model (LLM), SkyMusic 2.0.

According to Kunlun, Skymusic 2.0 is capable of generating ‘endless’ music in specific styles, including lyrics of more than 500 words and song lengths that exceed six minutes. The music includes instruments, vocals, melodies, volume, and notes generated in 4400Hz dual-channel stereo and can be tailored to suit a listener’s mood through input prompts such as “energetic music for a long drive” Kunlun said.

Melodio also allows users to update their prompts mid-streams, witch between generated lyrics, and save and share specific segments of the stream.

For the company’s Mureka product, Kunlun announced that users will allow both professional musicians and the general public to create music, including input lyrics, reference tracks, and control music styles using the Style function. Completed songs can be extended or re-generated as needed, allowing for fine tuning elements of a song.

Additionally, creators can list their AI music for sale through the Mureka Store as well as listen to, download, and share AI-generated music while also obtaining a certificate of AI music generation.

Kunlun did not reveal which music was used to train its A.I. systems, and it is unclear how copyrights will impact the sale of music generated on the Mureka platform when it is based on reference tracks.

A rep for Mureka did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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A good place to get started is our Beginner’s Guide to Threads for Musicians.

The Twitter/X competitor launched in July 2023, reached 150 million users in April 2024, then 175 million in July before adding 50 million more active users in July alone. By comparison, Twitter/X had more than 600 million monthly users in May, according to owner Elon Musk, but that number seems to be declining.

After a mixed launch, Threads tools for creators are improving.

“Since launch, we’ve been consistently evolving Threads to address the biggest pain points people face, working to get you relevant posts in real-time and empower you to share your best content,” Meta said in a blog post.

What’s new

• new Threads web features include analytics (“insights)
• multiple drafts
• scheduling functions to make it easier to plan content and connect with new and existing audiences

Insight and Drafts are already rolling out, and scheduling is in the testing phase. All features will be available first on the Threads web platform.

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a Berklee College Of Music professor.

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To coincide with the launch of the new subscription tier, UnitedMasters is launching an independent artist challenge. The challenge invites US-based artists using UnitedMasters to submit tracks for a chance to win a grand prize valued at $250,000. The comprehensive prize package includes an artist partner deal with A&R and marketing funds, a coveted performance slot at SELECTCON 2024 in New York, a full-scale artist development and marketing action plan, and access to UnitedMasters’ full-service music team for support. The winner will join UnitedMasters’ elite Partner roster, gaining valuable resources and exposure to help propel their music career to new heights.

The “Make Your Debut” Challenge invites US-based artists using UnitedMasters to submit tracks for a chance to win the grand prize and join UnitedMasters’ elite Partner roster.

To be considered for the challenge, artists must:

• Be based in the US
• Be a DEBUT+ or SELECT member
• Release a track via UM after June 1st, 2024
• Post on IG or TikTok with their sound
• Tag @unitedmasters and add the official challenge hashtag #debutcontest
• Complete the submission form on our challenge page

“Making it in music has never been more possible for independent artists, but it still requires the right partner. UnitedMasters presents the most compelling offering for independent artists in any genre at every stage of their careers,” said Steve Stoute, Founder and CEO. “With DEBUT+ and the Make Your Debut Challenge, we’re welcoming the next wave of independent artists into our ecosystem and empowering them with the technology, education, and growth opportunities to launch sustainable careers on their terms.”

The introduction of the DEBUT+ tier also builds on UnitedMasters’ reputation for cultivating breakout independent stars like FloyyMenor, Tobe Nwigwe, and Earthgang and supplying upcoming artists with the services and guidance they need to get their art on all major streaming platforms at the start of their artist journey.

UnitedMasters continues to be the only platform that offers the right tools and an actual path for any artist with the drive, hustle, and talent to scale their careers as Texas rapper BigXThaPlug did, starting from 500 monthly listeners on Spotify to millions in streaming revenue per month and placements with the world’s biggest brands like the NFL and ESPN.

Beyond distribution, UnitedMasters offers the most comprehensive services for artists at every stage, directly helping grow fanbases and maximize earnings. DEBUT+ offers independent artists:

• Distribution to 50+ streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok, Instagram, and more
• Unlimited music releases, going live in just five days
• Advanced streaming analytics and reporting
• Access to premium educational resources and personalized coaching powered by the expertise of UnitedMasters veteran music executives
• Powerful promotional tools like ArtistPages and MasterLinks
• The best app/mobile-first experience in distribution
• Quality support, fast pre-scheduled release options, and split payments with collaborators

With the introduction of this new tier, UnitedMasters makes this path even more accessible to emerging artists, empowering them to take control of their futures.

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According to Eventbrite’s financial filings, the company reported net revenue of $84.6 million, up by 7% year-over-year along with net income of $1.1 million, swinging to profit from a loss in the second quarter of 2023.

During the quarter, Eventbrite reported selling 16% fewer tickets, with total tickets declining by 16% to 66,791,000. Paid tickets declined as well, falling by 9% to 21,243,000.

Total events listed on Eventbrite during the quarter declined by 12% to 1.4 million while total creators and paying creators using the platform fell by 15% and 16% respectively.

“Our second-quarter performance, while within our guidance, was pressured by the pricing-related headwinds related to our transition to a two-sided marketplace,” said Julia Hartz, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “We are taking action to refine the go-to-market strategy and reduce our expense structure to work towards profitability even despite the revised revenue outlook for the year. That said, we are encouraged by the growth in the consumer side of the business, namely in mobile app adoption and tickets driven by Eventbrite’s discovery experiences. I’m confident that leaning into our marketplace strategy will enable long-term growth for creators and an increased engagement of consumers as the desire to gather at live events continues.”

Based on the company’s 2Q results, Eventbrite recalibrated their expectations for the rest of 2024, with revenue projected to be in the range of $74 to $77 million and $318 million to $325 million for fiscal year 2024.

As part of their financial filings, Eventbrite revealed that the company has eliminated roughly 100 positions across the company and has initiated other cost-saving measures.

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New Twitch DJ Program: Everything You Need To Know

by Randi Zimmerman of Symphonic Blog

DJ’s have historically faced significant challenges with streaming online, but Twitch is looking to change that. To do so, they’ve just launched the new Twitch DJ Program. Alongside many other benefits, they’re looking to provide a long-term home for DJs to legally livestream using the vast majority of popular music online. In this post, we’ll give you everything you need to know.

About The New Twitch DJ Program

For years, DJ’s have faced many challenges with live streaming music online. Because of the complex nature of content like this, DJs are often at risk of muted streams, blocked content and takedowns across most services, including on Twitch. To change this, Twitch has partnered with some of the biggest major labels in the game like Sony, Universal and Warner, plus hundreds independent labels to give DJ’s the ability to finally promote and monetize their creativity while compensating musicians who make the music they stream.

By joining this program, you’ll gain access to a catalog of tens of millions of tracks covering the majority of popular music. Plus, you’ll also be eligible for new promotional opportunities through Twitch.

Benefits

1. The Rights to Stream: Stream the vast majority of popular music, in partnership with all the major labels and hundreds of indie labels.
2. Discovery & Promotion: For the first time ever, participating DJs will be eligible for discovery and promotional opportunities across Twitch, including a new DJ Category. DJ badge displays across multiple surfaces around the community.
3. Support from Twitch: First-year subsidies help cover the earnings share difference, a dedicated streamer group to integrate DJs deeper into the Twitch community, and discounts and opportunities with 3rd party partners.

How does it work?

DJs who opt-in will be able to livestream the vast majority of popular music without risk of takedowns, and will qualify for new opportunities on Twitch that they haven’t been able to offer before. With this program, users can access a searchable catalog constantly updated with new releases, which means you’ll be able to view the millions of tracks that are covered to stream as a part of this program as a part of Twitch’s deals with music rights holders. (To view the full catalog of music the program allows you to stream, click here.)

For the first time in Twitch history, they’ll be launching and promoting an official DJ category so Twitch viewers can browse and discover DJs and their communities. (Category launches August 8th, and runs the entire week! Don’t miss it!) In addition, they’ll be launching on-going promotional programs designed to elevate and showcase the diversity of talented DJs across the service which will be announced soon.

How Are The Earnings Split? 

On the official website, they explain they “set aside a portion of earnings generated by your channel to be paid to musicians via the music companies that represent them. These costs will vary across different monetization products. For most streamers, Twitch will be splitting these costs 50/50 with you. While we are prohibited from sharing the exact rates upfront, our subsidy program will make sure that these costs come in gradually over time as we invest more in promoting DJs and attempt to grow overall viewership in this category.”

In Conclusion…

It’s important to note that this program does not support the saving of VODs, Clips, or Highlights., as these require different rights than live streams. To see additional details about the program like what you can and cannot do, check out the full announcement right here. In the meantime, happy streaming! This is big news for DJs on Twitch, and we’re excited to see all the content you guys create with these new features.

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SoundCloud currently hosts 400 million tracks – about 4X more than Spotify and Apple Music – from 40 million artists.

“SoundCloud knows that streaming isn’t enough – for artists or fans,” the platform said in a statement. “We also know the power of fandom, which is why we’re constantly working on improving how artists and fans connect and share through music.”

SoundCloud confirmed to Hypebot that artist merch is “print on demand” and hosted only in the SoundCloud Store, with no upfront costs to artists. The store also offers the Essentials Collection of SoundCloud-branded merchandise.

Wiz Khalifa

SoundCloud Store launches

The SoundCloud Store launches with exclusive merchandise from Wiz Khalifa (above), Denzel Curry, Wolfacejoeyy, Bktherula, and Armani White, and is available in the United States, EU, and Canada.

Subscribing SoundCloud Next Pro Artists can join a waitlist here to participate if they own 100% of their merchandise rights.

Once selected, here’s how it works:

•     Send us your designs
•    We’ll create mock-ups for you
• ‍   We’ll manufacture and sell your merch on the SoundCloud Store
•   We’ll notify your fans
•   We’ll engage with your posts across SoundCloud’s socials
•  You get paid for your merch sales

SoundCloud says they will be opening up the store to more artists and in additional territories.

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a Berklee College Of Music professor.

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As part of the expanded partnership, Meta and UMG will continue to work together to address unauthorized AI-generated content on Meta’s social media platforms.

The expanded deal continues an agreement that was first reached in 2017 when UMG became the first of the major label groups to license its recorded music and music publishing catalogs across Facebook’s platforms and making Meta the first major social media company the first to become a fully licensed partner with UMG.

Since establishing the deal, the two companies have worked closely to develop and explore new content delivery channels across the Meta ecosystem, including Facebook, Instagram, and Meta’s virtual reality offerings, including User Generated Content (UGC), live streaming, short-form video content and other Meta products.

“We are thrilled to announce our renewal with Universal Music Group, and Universal Music Publishing Group, both of whom are innovators for music on social media, especially with regard to Meta’s family of apps. This partnership builds on the recognition that music can help connect us and bring fans, artists, and songwriters closer together, not only on established platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, but also in new ways on WhatsApp, and more. We’re extremely grateful to the Universal team, and look forward to growing our partnership in the future,” stated Tamara Hrivnak, VP Music and Content Business Development at Meta.

“Since our landmark 2017 agreement, Meta has consistently demonstrated its commitment to artists and songwriters by helping to amplify the importance music holds across its global network of engaged communities and platforms, creating new opportunities and applications where music amplifies and leads engagement and conversations,” added Michael Nash, Chief Digital Officer & EVP, Universal Music Group. “We are delighted that Meta shares our artist-centric vision for respecting human creativity and compensating artists and songwriters fairly. We look forward to continuing to work together to address unauthorized AI-generated content that could affect artists and songwriters, so that UMG can continue to protect their rights both now and in the future.”

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“Facebook jail’ refers to having the ability to post and interact limited or locked following a violation. Last year, Facebook added more warnings before penalties and now, it is possible to remove these warnings.

Facebook warning removal

When a creator inadvertently or deliberately violates Facebook and Meta’s Community Standards for the first time, they will be offered the chance to complete in-app educational training about the policy they violated.

Upon completion, the warning will be removed from their record, and they can repeat the process if they avoid another violation for a year.

However, if they violate a policy again within the year, they will receive another warning, which will no longer be removable. If repeated, it could lead to a downgrading of the account and, eventually, a permanent lockout.

This week, Facebook warning removal became available to creators using Professional Mode. It will be rolled out broadly in the coming months.

Learn more about Facebook Warning removal here.

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a Berklee College Of Music professor.

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According to a post on Instagram‘s creators account, the combined measurement will roll out in the coming weeks.

Views are the primary metric for Instagram content

“Historically, we’ve shown different metrics for Reels vs. other posts, but we want to evolve this so it’s easier to understand how your content is doing regardless of the format,” according to Instagram chief Adam Mosseri. As he explains in this video, Views are different than Reach because the same person can view the same content multiple times.

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a Berklee College Of Music professor.

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The OCU has accused some ticketing platforms of adding “irregular” and “abusive” charges at the point of purchase without properly disclosing these fees during the buying process.

On its website, the OCU stated: “Recently, the General Directorate of Consumer Affairs reiterated its stance against the abusive application of management fees for online ticket purchases. An informative note from the General Secretariat of Consumer Affairs and Gambling aligns with the OCU’s position, which we view as promising news. We urge the Consumer Authorities to take measures to end this harmful practice that affects consumers and users.”

To assess the level of fees, the OCU purchased tickets online through 50 official websites for various events, including cinemas, theatres, museums, concerts, festivals, exhibitions, and football matches.

The group found that 20% of the websites did not charge management fees, while 11 of the 50 sites included the management fee in the ticket price. In 28 cases, management fees were charged separately, averaging €3 per ticket, roughly 7% of the final price, with some cases exceeding 10%. The highest management fees were found for concerts and music festivals, with extreme cases reaching up to 20%.

Addressing the Ministry of Consumer Affairs (Ministerio de Consumo), the OCU called for immediate action to stop the abuse of management fees in online ticket purchases. They requested that the fees’ application, amount (with proportional limits), and consumer information be regulated based on transparency. They also called for penalties for those who apply unjustified, disproportionate, or deceptive charges.

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