Musical Freedom on Independence Day???

Since paid music downloads first came on the scene with ITunes in 2003, the sales of these downloads has increased every year helping to offset the decline in physical CD sales. Last year in 2013, marked the first year that paid download sales decreased and by a full six percent. Fast forward to this year 2014 and already paid downloads have decreased another 15 percent from January to June from last years first half. Its clear to see this trend is beginning to rapidly accelerate.

The decline in CD sales and paid MP3 downloads has begun to be somewhat replaced by the multitude of music streaming services now available, with everything from YouTube, Pandora, Spotify and of course Beats the recent Apple acquisition. Studies have been done analyzing the income that artists and songwriters receive from these streaming services and it certainly appears they don't make up for what is being lost. While this downward trend in revenue for artists and songwriters may be temporary, when you combine it with the fact that music and arts programs continue to be cut from schools it is a troubling trend.

We're on a new music at LoveSongs.com to raise the awareness of just how important music is to all of us. For more information please click on "Keep Music Alive" at www.LoveSongs.com and check out this New York Times Article that tells the story in detail:

NY Times: Sharp Rise in Music Streaming while CD and Download Sales Plummet

MAGIC! seeks freedom from oppressive Dad :

Four lads from Toronto Canada recently hit #2 on the USA Billboard chart with a fun reggae-beat song entitled "Rude". This little pop-ditty tells the story of a young man who wants to marry this mans daughter, but apparently his musician-persona isn't good enough. Instead he has his sights set on his daughter marrying someone who on the surface appears to be more educated and refined (ouch, I'm a musician too :)). Great great pop hook and love the verse melodies and story too - One of the best songs on the radio right now and a cute video too:

"Why you gotta be so rudeeee...
Don't you know I'm human too
Why you gotta be so rude....
I'm gonna marry her anyway

Check out the video, I swear that the guy the Dad wants his daughter to marry is actually the bass player in the band - What's he got against singers anyway haaa

Music, Love & Laughter,

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

p.s. KEEP MUSIC ALIVE Day #4 - Visit our first post from Tuesday July 1st for more information about our mission

APRIL is Here & Lets Keep the MUSIC ALIVE!

After a winter that just wouldn't quit - 15+ snowfalls in our area and a total of over 5 feet of the white stuff - the month of April is FINALLY here Hallelujah! I hope that all is well in your world now that spring has finally, actually sprung :) With spring comes new beginnings and the start of a new mission for us here at LoveSongs.com .

Will anyone buy music 10 years from now??

Does anyone else notice that more and more, music is becoming devalued in our society? Over the last 10 years we have switched from buying physical CDs to instead buying MP3s online via Itunes, Amazon, etc (and sometimes just downloading songs for free on other sites). What's funny is that now that the increase in online music purchases has finally evened out the loss in physical CD purchases, we're starting to see the online purchases are also beginning to go down. That's right, our newest technology friend is music streaming (think Pandora, Spotify, Beats and at least a dozen others).

Billboard Magazine - Digital music purchases shrunk in 2013

So now we're firmly entering the music streaming world with YouTube, Pandora, Spotify and IHeartRadio leading the way. While these services do all compensate songwriters and artists, its becoming apparent that the money available is greatly reduced compared to royalty rates on physical CDs and actual song downloads. I'm sure this doesn't have a huge impact on superstar artists like Bruno Mars, Miley Cyrus and perhaps a few dozen others each year. But for the 10s of thousands of other songwriters and artists that used to count on music to earn their living it may be another story.

We all inherently know the value of music in our lives and many of us also know the value music brings to education and numerous types of therapy (it's that right brain thing). Imagine if we reached a point where no new music was being created, for the simple fact that there was no longer a business model that supported musicians and songwriters. Now this is far-fetched of course, since there will always be musicians and songwriters creating art. However its not such a stretch to imagine the quality of new music going down the tubes (some would argue that it would be continuing trend already in progress. With less new quality music, fewer and fewer kids would take up learning instruments compounding the current issue of music programs being cut from schools.

I don't know what the answer to all this is, but I do see a problem and have to say something about it. Music has always been very important in my life whether I was earning money playing & writing music or not. I want to live to see the importance and value of music re-established in our youth, in our schools, and in our culture. Here at LoveSongs.com, we will be looking for ways to help share this message and for ways to recognize the value music is giving to all of us.

Let Her Go - Passenger

Okay now off my soapbox and back to the music :) One of my favorite songs playing this month is "Let Her Go" by Michael David Rosenberg, better known as Passenger - Apparently Michael fronted the UK band Passenger from 2003-2009 and when the band broke up he kept on using the name. "Let her go" is a really beautiful mid-tempo tune that reminds us to always appreciate what we have while we have it instead of waiting till...

"Well you only need the light when it's burning low
Only miss the sun when it starts to snow
Only know you love her when you let her go...and you let her go"

That's all for today folks - look for a new posting shortly and also news about new & updated features launching at LoveSongs.com this week!

Music, Love & Laughter,

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

ITunes sells its 10 BILLIONTH SONG!

In less than 7 years Apple's ITunes has managed to sell 10 Billion songs...that is a little more than one song for every second since they launched...that is just amazing. All that and they claim they still aren't making money hand over fist. Yes I know the record labels take a nice cut from each song sold (so the artists and songwriters can be paid and the labels kept on life support). But 10 BILLION Songs...I mean even if Apple was making just a nickel per song thats $ 500 Million dollars in just under 7 years. That's a lost of song cashola for any company don't you think? And add into that all the Apple hardward they sold along with it (Ipods, Iphones, soon the iPad maybe ha :)). Apple really has got a huge thing going on and by the looks of it will only get bigger and bigger. Remember when Microsoft was the big bad wolf to look out for and Apple was the underdog favorite....maybe just maybe those times are changing we'll have to wait and see. For an interesting article on the 10 BILLIONTH song, who bought it and what they got check out the full article here: ITunes sells 10 Billionth Song

American Idol says goodbye to 4

Just finished watching the first results show and there were a lot of surprises...Tyler Grady? Ashley Rodriguez? Even Joe Munoz really connected with his performance (not a great song but he has the stage charisma)...and Janelle Wheeler going home instead of Lacey Brown. I mean what is America thinking? I don't know but definitely some of the front runners in my mind went home the first week. I hope the trend doesn't continue or it will be hard to watch the final 12 be whittled down to one when its all over.

That's all for tooooday folks - its another snowy Thursday nite (but hey its not sticking yet :))....we'll be back with another post and our weekend song feature tomorrow!

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Saturdays Indie Tune - "Danielle" by Leigh Goldstein

A few years back i had the good fortune to meet singer-songwriter Leigh Goldstein from the Philadelphia area. When I first heard his collection of songs I was pretty amazed. We meet so many indie songwriters/performers but we rarely meet one with so many songs that really touch us. Leigh's amazing gift has his smooth baritone voice reaching out to the listener with a story of love and loss - always making us feel the pain and joy along the way. I had the priviledge of hearing Leigh perform live many times and after hearing his CD I asked if I could record one of his songs entitled "A Little Bit". Perhaps my funniest story was when I played "A Little Bit" once in a crowded venue, two girls came up to me afterward and said that was teh best song they had ever heard. Which to me is the ultimate compliment for a songwriter and I quickly pointed them to Leigh and passed on the story so he could feel the looove :) For todays' indie release we're gonna feature another of Leigh's songs called Danielle and you can hear it on his MySpace page here. Its haunting etheral sound will connect with you immediately and you'll be quickly drawn into Leigh's special world:

"Danielle" by Leigh Goldstein at MySpace

95% of all Music Downloads Illegal?

A new report says that up to 95% of all music downloads are not paid downloads. While physicl CD sales continue to drop (16 % in 2009), digital sales increases are slowing down (just 12% last year after 25% in 2008). This seems to coincide with our post last Saturday about the possibility of streaming music becoming the new model to sell music (see our post from last Saturday The End of Itunes as we know it?? . Some how it will all have to work out and consumers will need to pay for music and arts in some fashion - the alternative would be that music and arts will slowly but surely die off which isn't a path any of us want to take. Here's the new article from Financial Times about the Digital Sales drop off Digital Sales Dropping Off

This last story reminds me of another funny Leigh Golstein moment...we were both playing at the local mall for Valentines Day or Fathers Day I can't remember...we were selling our CDs too and Leigh commented "I wish someone would just take my CD" - he was so happy at the idea that someone would like his music enough to steal it that he was okay with that...was a funny moment that I'll always remember.

That's all for Saturday - gots lots to do - will be back tomorrow/Sunday with another post and a flashback love song that you may have never heard before but wish you did :)

~Vincent

Saturdays Song - "Does Anybody Know" - Jag Star

During the spring this year I had the privliedge of helping to judge entries for the Just Plain Folks music awards. Unfortunately I didn't get to vote in the Pop Song category but if I did "Does Anybody Know" by Jag Star would have been right up there. Fortunately other judges seemed to notice the incredibly strong hook and "Does Anybody Know" ended up winning the Pop Song category. Hailing from Knoxville, Tennessee, Jag Star has had their music featured on many TV shows including The Soup, The Hills and Laguna Beach and even on the David Letterman show. This tunes definitely a beauty you can check it out on their MySpace page, and scroll down to about song #6. Heck while your at it listen to all their songs posted you won't be disappointed.

Jag Star on MySpace

Download Sales Leveling Off - The End of ITunes? - Reuters

Very interesting article about how music downloads are leveling off and streaming music may be the business of the future. Here's a snippet of the article:

"The migration from downloads to streams is driven by several factors. First is the realization that the digital download market is beginning to level off.

While digital downloads account for the vast majority of digital music revenue, they aren't even close to making up for the lost revenue from falling CD sales. That's why labels and digital music services are turning more attention to streaming music access services that carry either a monthly fee or provide opportunities to "upsell" to other products..."

For the full article on whats going on with this go to Music Downloading Article on Reuters.com

That's all for Saturddddday...have a great nite and will be back tomorrow with a classic love song that you may never have heard...its a surprisssse :)

~Vincent

Happy Easter Weekend!!

To all the folks who celebrate this holiday I wish you all a very happy Easter Weekend. Its a very meaningful holiday for many of us and for the rest well its an excuse to scarf down jelly beans, marshmellow peeps and chocolate bunnies :)

Amazon joins ITunes with Variable Pricing for MP3s

It appears that Amazon.com, Walmart.com and other online retailers are also being pushed into variable MP3 pricing by the record labels. Some songs are at 0.69, many more at 0.99 and some of the bigger hits are 1.29 . Its funny now that the labels finally see the eventual demise of record stores and physical CDs they are starting to jack up the price. I know I said this before but come on I should be able to buy 10 good songs for $10...there are no manufacturing or inventory costs for them so the profit they make from each sale is increased. In fact if the record labels had jumped on the digital band wagon long ago like they should have then they could have had their own digital online store eliminating the middle man costs of Itunes/Amazon and letting us pay even less.

No More Digital Rights Management for MP3s

The only good thing the labels have done with the variable pricing move is finally eliminate the DRM (Digital Rights Management) protection the MP3's sold...now we can freely move our purchased songs from computer to computer to Ipod to anywhere without having to worry about losing our rights. This move was long over due and of course will give the labels a chance to blame piracy once again for their own misguided business decisions. Since the labels in large part no longer discover and nurture new talent, new and even existing artists no longer have to be tied to major labels to get their music out to the masses. I can write a song this morning, record it this afternoon and have it available for listening and for sale by this evening all over the world. What an incredible shift in power this is for artists folks. Of course with this power comes the responsiblity to create the best art we can and not litter the internet landscape with piles of sub-par art that we all have to wade through just to find something decent. More on this topic later...

Please all have a great weekend and we'll see ya on Monday with another update. AI is down to seven contestants and we'll see whose star is rising and whose star is beginning to fade.

~Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com