News Round-Up: 29/03/19

Scott Walker dies. Article 13 gets the green light. Serato’s new DAW. Vinyl sales top YouTube’s.

RIP Scott Walker. Experimental pop artist Scott Walker has died, age 76. The news of his death was first announced by 4AD, the UK label he released four albums on. The prolific Walker had a career that spanned some 60 years. Along with his time as a bassist for The Walker Brothers trio, he wrote and produced music for film, theater and dance, and wrote several of his own albums, which were released on major labels like Philips and Universal. He also worked with Sunn O))) on the album Soused, and in 2016 released The Childhood Of A Leader, a score for a film of the same name. Many artists across the industry shared their condolences, including Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke.

So very sad to hear that Scott Walker has passed away, he was a huge influence on Radiohead and myself, showing me how i could use my voice and words. Met him once at Meltdown, such a kind gentle outsider. He will be very missed. https://t.co/v33Ey91hbn— Thom Yorke (@thomyorke) March 25, 2019

Article 13 approved. The highly controversial Article 13 has been approved by EU parlament. Renamed Article 17, the legislation aims to strengthen copyright laws for creators by holding platforms like YouTube and Facebook liable for hosting copyright-infringing material uploaded by users. While article 13 has been championed by representative bodies from across the music industry — many of whom celebrated in response to the approval — platforms like YouTube have waged heavily negative campaigns against the legislation, claiming it would hurt European creators and overblock content. In the coming weeks, member states will be required to approve the decision, and have two years to implement if adopted. Read reactions from across the music industry on Music Business Worldwide.

Royal rumble. Royalty fees for recorded music paid by pubs, bars and nightclubs are set to double by 2023, jumping from an average of 3.9p to 9p per person per hour. Venues say the cost will be passed onto the customer, making it even more difficult to remain open in already challenging times. The body responsible for the raise, Phonographic Performance, argue that “the current tariff has been in place for around 30 years,” and that the raise is “supported by economic analysis.” The UK hospitality industry estimates the increase will cost £49 million, and say “more and more venues” will be forced out of business. Read more on The Guardian.

West End trouble. Following the enactment of new licensing laws in Ibiza’s West End resort in San Antonio, heavy fines have been levied against the area’s bars and clubs. The fines total €1.4 million, following some 345 complaints of excessive noise since 2017. That year, West End was made a Special Acoustic Protection Zone, which put limits on sound levels and reduced closing times from 5AM to 3AM.

A fitting tribute. The family of Avicii, real name Tim Bergling, are launching a foundation in the deceased artist’s memory nearly a year after his passing. Bergling died of a suicide in Oman on April 20th, 2016. The Tim Bergling Foundation “will initially focus on supporting people and organizations working in the field of mental illness and suicide prevention,” an announcement reads. However the foundation will also work on issues like climate change, nature conservation, and development assistance, noting that these issues would honour Bergling’s memory and “act in his spirit.” “Tim wanted to make a difference,” the statement finishes.

Vinyl trumps YouTube. Vinyl brought in nearly double the revenue for the British music industry than YouTube last year, according to a new report by the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA). Despite accounting for some 30 billion plays, YouTube garnered £29.7 million, versus £57.1 million from vinyl sales. Vinyl sales grew by 3.7% last year, accounting for, 6.6% of overall retail revenue, the lion’s share of which was made from paid-subscription streaming, claiming 54%, or £468 million. Ad-funded alternatives brought in £19 million, and sales of CDs and downloads fell by a roughly a quarter each.

Serato Studio. Serato has entered the DAW market with a product aimed at entry level producers called Serato Studio. Built to mimic a layout more familiar to DJs than work stations like Ableton Live and Logic, Serato Studio resembles Serato DJ Pro. It comes with features like auto key matching, sample slicing and time-stretching, and an algorithm for instantly generating beats, which are customizable and should help speed workflow. Users can also load samples from the Serato library, and it comes with a built-in drum kit, as well as supporting VST and AU plug-ins. More features are included, and the beta version of Studio will be available by subscription only. Find out more here.

Kompass Klub reopens. After Ghent’s Kompas Club was ordered shut four for months by the city’s mayor earlier this month, the space will soon reopen. Mayor Mathias De Clercq initially cited “repeated illegal drug-related activity” as his reason for the order, but the measure was later suspended by the Belgian Council Of State. Kompas Club will return with a party on April 5th, and in a statement said, “in the meantime we hope to use this extra time to have a constructive meeting with the mayor, Mathias De Clercq, to make it a positive story for Stad Gent.”

Goodbye Nachtdigital. After 22 years, Germany’s beloved Nachtdigital festival will be coming to an end. The festival grew from a one-day rave to a three-day event with five stages hosting more than 60 artists each year. It was this growth that convinced convinced its founders to finish, RA reported. “The subculture where we started from has changed tremendously,” the festival said. “We feel that the outside demands create an inner conflict we feel uncomfortable with. This is the time when you know that you have to do something about it,” they continued. The final edition of Nachtdigital will take place from August 2nd through 4th at the festival’s long-time home, Bungalowdorf Olganitz. Learn more here.