‘Free the music and your cash will follow,’ Kaskade speaks out against major labels
When Kaskade's SoundCloud received an onslaught of take down notices for not only his mash-ups, but a handful of his own originals, fans reeled at what could be the end of an era in dance music. What has always been an industry driven forward by creative expression has since been tainted by major labels who are unaware, unwilling, or unable to adapt to the way music is distributed and consumed in the digital age, and Raddon's latest run-in with the IP police is just the tip of the iceberg. For years dance music has been a shining example of an art for art's sake arrangement between its artists, labels, and fans, but those days may very well be lost in the endless pursuit of profit. As little as 3 years ago, bootlegs were encouraged, mash-ups launched careers, and the idea that the music "belonged" to anyone existed in a very grey area. Now, as dance music becomes a pop culture phenomenon and ingrains itself in our culture and our wallets, the rules are quickly changing and what was once par for the course is now, quite simply, out of the question.
Twitter may be interested in acquiring Soundcloud
The internet was abuzz today with the latest rumored acquisition in the social media space, this time at the hands of 140 character megalith Twitter. Numerous reputable tech websites reported that the company may be considering a possible acquisition of the "YouTube of Audio," Soundcloud. Recently given a $700 million valuation after a successful round of investment, Soundcloud may be Twitter's answer to its declining growth and a last ditch effort to save face after Twitter Music crashed and burned in 2013. How Soundcloud may benefit from the acquisition is still unclear, although the key may lie in Twitter's ability to acquire licensing deals with all of the major labels, something that the Swedish company has yet to accomplish -- a shortcoming that has garnered it significant criticism from industry professionals and artists alike.