Top Milwaukee chefs and 88Nine DJs at SoundBites event blend gourmet creations with the perfect songs Newest Milwaukee restaurants included in 88Nine Radio Milwaukee SoundBites fundraiser Feb. 9 at the Iron Horse Hotel
Milwaukee’s hottest chefs, some from the city’s newest restaurants, and 88Nine Radio Milwaukee DJs will serve up one-of-a-kind music-and-food pairings at the station’s sixth annual SoundBites fundraiser at 5:30 p.m. Thursday Feb. 9 at the Iron Horse Hotel. SoundBites lets food and music lovers savor unique pairings at 13 tasting and listening stations. Attendees will meet the chefs and DJs while enjoying unparalleled flavors from Milwaukee’s diverse food scene and creatively matched tunes playing on earbuds.
Taking inspiration from the ingredients of their food and music, the paired chefs and DJs have collaborated to combine superb small plates with the perfect songs, harmonizing them to create unique dining and listening experiences. Participating chefs and their 88Nine music counterparts are: Karen Bell, chef/owner at Bavette, and Dori Zori, morning show host and promotions manager Nick Boyd at Company Brewing, and Program Director Jordan Lee Caitlin Cullen, chef/owner at The Tandem, and Marcus Doucette, midday host, imaging manager and host of “Sound Travels” Yollande Deacon, owner and chef of Irie Zulu, and DJ Kenny Perez Jonna Froelich, executive chef at I.d. Delafield, and Sarah Fierek, director of underwriting partnerships and weekend host Dan Jacobs, chef/owner at DanDan, and Tarik Moody, digital director, evening music host and Rhythm Lab Radio host Greg Leon, chef/owner at Amilinda, and Amelinda Burich, digital content coordinator and musician Kevin Marx, executive chef at Parkside 23, and Makenzie Boettcher, community stories producer and weekend host
Add One 88Nine SoundBites Fundraiser Feb. 9 Joe Muench, executive chef at Story Hill BKC, and award-winning musician Trapper Schoepp Nathan Radar, executive chef of Kindred on KK, and Justin Barney, music director, host of “Five Songs” and weekend host Joshua Roberts, executive chef of Smyth, and Nate Imig, managing producer, community stories, community partnership manager and evening host Adam Siegel, executive chef at Lake Park Bistro, and Laura Kezman, video producer Kevin Sloan, executive chef at The Pabst Theater Group, and Ken Sumka, afternoon host and assistant program director One example of a pairing comes from I.d. Delafield’s Froelich and 88Nine’s Fierek, who have joined the song “Spill Your Colours” by Milwaukee-based alternative band REYNA, and a unique dish of beet and goat cheese agnolotti pasta squares with fennel, poppy seeds and citrus. Recently opened restaurants with chefs at SoundBites include DanDan, The Tandem, I.d. Delafield and Kindred on KK. “When DJ Tarik Moody, our resident foodie, first suggested this idea, we knew it’d be a hit,” Program Director Jordan Lee said.
“The event has become one of our staff’s favorites, and our fan’s most popular. The artistic challenge of pairing a great song with a great dish is one that our team is always excited to step up to.” In addition to tasting food and music pairings, guests will enjoy a champagne welcome reception and a sampling of Wisconsin cheese and craft beverages. Several Milwaukee DJs will spin tunes all night. Guests can bid on unique food, music and Milwaukee experiences, including an exclusive 88Nine rooftop reception package, in the SoundBites Silent Auction. Tickets for the event are $125, and corporate tables are available. Tickets are limited in quantity. All proceeds directly benefit 88Nine Radio Milwaukee.
They say you should always start your business based on passion first, this is inevitable if you want to succeed. Nobody knows what you do LIKE you do nor will they have the motivation, drive and skill set to make it happen.
Jay Z was brilliant when he did the press conference for TIDAL, reassembling a company that did something no other streaming service did, it made the artists part owners of their own music and returned a greater profit to them than other streaming services. Amidst many reports that Tidal was not making money, creating artist exclusives was a brilliant idea and obviously one that paid off today. Wireless carrier Sprint stated today that they are buying a 33% of Tidal. This move has to be largely related to the artist exclusives that no other streaming services have. They paid 200 million to Jay-Z and each of the company’s other artist owners who remain and just made a nice profit.
Sprint shares rose 3.4% after the announcement. Exclusive content from Tidal will now be available to Sprint’s 45 million retail customers, in addition, Sprint chief executive Marcello Claur we’ll joint Tidal’s board. Apple was in talks to buy Tidal but was slow to move. This new deal, however, makes the company more appealing. Jay-Z paid 56 million for Tidal in 2015.
Congrats to Rick Party is ESPN’s official voice for the Stephen A. Smith syndicated radio show. The show is broadcast at 1pm est on 710 ESPN in LA, 98.7 in NYC and more. Party told Radio Facts “My friend & VO business partner Jason Garte set up the play, threw the ally-oop and my team; THE MIX GROUP & CESD Talent Agency made it happen.” Party also does the afternoon drive show at Miami’s Hot 105.
“I ain’t been laughing that much over the past few days,” Harvey said. “They’re kinda beating me up on the internet right now for no reason. But, you know, that’s life, ain’t it?” Steve Harvey
It’s interesting that Steve Harvey is dealing with the current backlash in both instances that have to do with racism towards the Asian community and the other questioning his commitment to the black community. Ironically, most of the people who are pissed at him have no idea about the company that handles his show at Premiere Networks as we do. We have never had a problem with Steve per say as we have never considered him radio brethren. He’s a comedian with a successful radio show. In addition, he should be commended for helping young black men at risk via some of his community efforts. His show is not promoted by anyone of color from Premiere Networks to Urban Radio and we have been made aware of it by urban programmers, even though we already knew. Our only gripe with Harvey, after displacing dozens of black men and women from their jobs when The Steve Harvey Morning show took the airwaves, was not even ONE of those displaced black men or women worthy of promoting your show per your recommendation for Premiere Networks?
We have the greatest respect for Shirley Strawberry and Carla Ferrell but we were insulted when Julie Talbot, President of Premiere Networks, didn’t return our calls or emails for a quote or support for them when we were considering honoring them for the Women of Color in radio issue this past Sept. I’ve been in the industry for 32 years. Am I not worthy of a phone call or a returned email? Does Premiere have a problem with the industry (except for making money)? Does Premiere Networks have ANY black men or women or Asian men or women promoting radio shows to radio formats? For a network that promotes Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity it’s really no surprise.
Steve is not making a lot of friends in the Asian community and the backlash continues across the media and online even after his apology. Author Eddie Huang Responds to Steve Harvey’s “Upsetting” Jokes About Asian Men in The Hollywood Reporter
“The one joke that still hurts, the sore spot that even my closest friends will press, the one stereotype that I still mistakenly believe at the most inopportune bedroom moments … is that women don’t want Asian men,” he writes in an essay for The New York Times.
Harvey is also still taking heat for his meeting with Donald Trump a move several black people saw as a photo op or as an opportunity for Harvey to expand his own business ventures according to social media posts but in all fairness, the greater concern is why Trump invited him in the first place. More experienced organizations like the Congressional Caucus are available. Everyone from Harvey’s former Kings of Comedy partner DL Hughely to T.I. have expressed dismay over Harvey’s visit. Finally, a petition to remove Harvey’s radio show has started let’s hope the organizers don’t find out what we know about Premiere Networks.
Successful people are at their best when they, constantly reinvent themselves, step boldly, surround themselves with the best people and use their previous leverage to cross a new bridge. Dexter Story is no exception. I’ve known him for about 17 years. He’s hard working, dedicated and wise beyond his years and his quiet demeanor is intrinsic of the creative ebb that is now evident in his great premiere project Wondem.
He could have easily sat back and relished pictures and memories from his extended industry resume working for some of the most well-known and successful industry people but instead, he decided to dig deeper and extend his roster of industry experiences to include what drives his OWN personal goals the most. I greatly commend, admire and respect people like him and hope that by posting these stories others can be motivated to. The quote from his story (below) is stellar.
“I’m miserable and unmotivated doing something that doesn’t speak to me. It’s a waste of my limited time on this planet.”
KEVROSS: Give us some detail on your background in the music industry?
DEXTER STORY: I grew up in Los Angeles listening to the Big Band/Bebop jazz that my Dad loved and the Stax and Motown soul that my Mom enjoyed. I knew I wanted to be a musician early on and started playing an assortment of instruments during grade school in Los Angeles. My parents were supportive and bought instruments, a couple of microphones and Teac tape machines so I could multi-track record songs early on. I was working at a music store in Inglewood, CA called Amendola music when I met some church/R&B musicians who hired me to play guitar and occasional drums in their band. I was 15 or 16.
KR: When I met you, you were working for the labels. What happened after you left?
DS: I began to work behind the scenes of the music industry. My brother Tim and I had a group that got a demo deal with Ken Komisar at Sony. I produced some early Tyrese demos and my bro was a rapper with Ice T’s Rhyme Syndicate. When Sony declined to sign us, I asked our manager to help us find some interim work and shortly thereafter worked as a production assistant for the legendary R&B Live under Ramon Hervey and Bill Hammond. I was also a paid intern for BMI around that time.
KR: So you have always been a musician. Why were you suppressing the desire to perform for a career in the background instead?
DS: I started a family so I clicked into hustle mode to provide for them. I wasn’t making enough income as a musician/producer but I knew I didn’t want to stray too far from music so I started working in record label promotions and marketing. After R&B Live and BMI, I went to work for Ernie Singleton at Fully Loaded Records, then Garnett March at Priority Records and then Kevin Liles at Island Def Jam. After leaving New York, I dabbled in artist management as well and worked as Talent Buyer at the legendary Temple Bar in Santa Monica for three years. Around this time, I started plotting my return to playing, producing and composing music full-time.
KR: What did you learn from the music industry that benefits you most as an artist?
DS: I learned the importance of teamwork and loyalty while working under those executives. The music industry is about networks and relationships. As much as I prefer keeping to myself, I now force myself to collaborate and be with people. When I look back on my favorite music from the 70’s, I realize that there were many specialists involved in the process of bringing a hit record to the public. My music would not happen were it not for my team, colleagues and the fans.
KR: Tell me about Wondem? How did it come about and what is the composition?
DS: Wondem is a personal exploration. It is a body of work I started developing while performing with a local Ethiopian jazz ensemble. I experimented with indigenous East African modes and rhythms and suddenly it felt natural. I let my co-producer and friend Carlos Niño hear the collection of songs and he thought it was complete. Soundway Records in the UK released the album October 2015 thanks to the early support of Miles Cleret, Brian Cross, Todd Simon and Will Holland (Quantic).
KR: Have you also started a label? Tell us about that?
DS: No plans for a label just yet although I am starting to manage a composer/arranger/musician named Miguel Atwood-Ferguson.
KR: Are you going to remain independent?
DS: I think that my music is better supported by a smaller passionate group than a larger machine. I have no problem with the majors and Coachella and a corporate infrastructure but I would rather focus on more intimate vehicles for the distribution of what I do. We all have a “space to fill” as Prince sang. I’m confident that it will grow from there if God’s willing.
KR: What inspired you at this stage of your life to pursue your true passion?
DS: It’s hard to ignore one’s true passion. I hope I can be an inspiration to someone to acknowledge their own greatness at whatever age and stage. I’m miserable and unmotivated doing something that doesn’t speak to me. It’s a waste of my limited time on this planet.
KR: Were you hesitant or more persistent?
DS: I like to think that I am persistent but I have days when I need to call a friend for encouragement. I am a work in progress.
KR: Define your group’s name “Wondem?”
DS: Wondem means “brother” in Amharigna, Ethiopia’s national language. The name spoke to me and encapsulated my relationship to the African diaspora. The band is not all brothers and there is a sister in the current version of Wondem.
KR: How would you categorize Wondem or do you prefer not being boxed in?
DS: Wondem could be called original African music. It borrows from the sounds I’ve heard over the years coming out of the continent, North to South, East to West. It is interesting to be an African American composing music inspired by Africa. There are many amazing African hip hop, soul and jazz artists. I guess I am living a sort of boomerang effect. My intention is to do justice to the incredible legacy of music that comes from the continent. I catch myself worrying that my music is being regarded as appropriation but then I snap out of it. I am simply part of the eco-system of amazing art centered around Africa. I am humbled that the Wondem album did as well as it did, reached people from all over the world.
KR: What made you decide to go all the way with the project?
DS: When I listened back to it and it started to move me, excite me. I had been turned down by a few labels and was starting to feel discouraged. But something about it spoke to me first. I think this is important for any artist: To be in love with what you create before offering to others.
KR: What was that defining moment when you realized there was no turning back?
DS: When I got the call from Miles Cleret at Soundway excited about putting the album out on vinyl, CD and digitally. I already had so much respect for his releases and his label that it felt like winning the lottery. I am happy to call Soundway home at the moment. Sometimes all it takes is the right person at the right time saying the right thing.
KR: How did it feel to hear your music on a huge station like KCRW?
DS: I am incredibly grateful for KCRW and the DJs on that station. I am a huge fan of Anthony Valadez, Chris Douridas, Garth Trinidad, Anne Litt, Jeremy Sole, Mathieu Shreiyer, Aaron Byrd, Gary Calamar and others who have been so gracious and supportive of my releases. Whenever I hear one of my tunes on that station, it is a surreal moment. We are lucky to have radio stations around the world like that.
KR: Are you touring?
DS: Not as much as I would like right now. I’ve started composing for a new Soundway record and I am less available to play shows as I create. Wondem is however booked to play the Uberjazz Festival in Hamburg Germany this year so I have something on the horizon. I am also currently looking for the right agent to help ignite Wondem domestically and internationally.
KR: How has your life changed since the release of the project?
DS: Yes. Interesting question. Keep in mind that Wondem was turned into my label Soundway before I had ever traveled to Africa. It was more of an ode to or study exercise of East African music. Since visiting the continent, I’ve become more and more interested in having my music speak to both the uplift of the African diaspora as well as to the marginalization and underrepresentation of African cultures worldwide. Wondem has me keenly aware of my responsibility as an African American man to leave this planet more empowered than the way I found it, so to speak.
KR: What advice would you give to other people over 40 on pursuing their true desires in life?
DS: Be encouraged and be lead from within. That pursuing one’s passion in life is exercising your God-given gifts. Find time to mentor the youth as you would mentor yourself but die trying to achieve your highest, most evolved self.
KR: How does it feel to be in control of your own destiny?
DS: Liberating.
KR: What’s next for the group?
DS: Going deeper and deeply embodying the music we play. Being connected to the source of it and having people experience that. Releasing the new record in 2017 and spreading the love and joy we feel about it around the world.
KR: How can our readers hear and buy your album?
DS: Wondem is available on Bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon or directly from the label at https://www.soundwayrecords.com/Shop/PhysicalDetails?pid=SWR_PH_147. We just released Wondem Remixes and there is also a 7″ single featuring Kamasi Washington available online.
KR: Anything Else?
DS: Kevin, thank you for getting the word out about our music. I acknowledge you for your support, longevity and dedication. We appreciate you and Radio Facts.
Thanks to the many Podcasters who have expressed an interest in submitting to Podcast Port. Please take a minute to check out some of our great shows we have added and watch for video to premier starting next week. We are still accepting submissions. Check out one of Podcast Port’s podcasts below. See more at www.podcastport.com
KUDOS to a former radio jock for using his radio leverage to create an amazing opportunity for himself. Stephon Ferguson, 48, discovered his amazing ability to emulate one of the greatest leaders of our time Dr. Martin Luther King by chance in the late 90s.
Ferguson was mixing a vinyl recording of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech on Motown records with a beat and he was overheard by a friend who came into the room asking if that was him.” Ferguson told ABC News. “I told him that it was and he said, ‘You should really learn King’s work. Imagine the people that you can bless by being able to reinvigorate Dr. King’s dream.’” See the amazing places that journey has taken him since then, Ferguson has made it his life’s work to impersonate the civil rights leader and study King’s words. See the video below.
Technology trend: Digital audio advertising dollars on the rise ‘The more targeted, the better ROI’
(New York) Radio reaches 91 percent of Americans and more of these listeners are choosing digital audio options to curate their own music news and entertainment, creating niche markets for advertisers to invest their ad dollars.
The number of digital radio listeners will grow about 12 percent by 2019 with nearly 200 million listeners digitally tuning in to radio, according to the marketing research firm, eMarketer.
Additional data from eMarketer shows that advertisers are following listeners into the digital market. Digital market spending is expected to grow nearly 41 percent by 2019 with an estimated $96.1 billion forecast in ad spending, which is predicted to outpace TV ad spending by nearly 28 percent. Traditional radio ad spending is expected to remain constant over the same time period at about $15.2 billion.
The average podcast listener indicated in an Edison Research survey that they spend about six hours a day listening to audio, including terrestrial radio. This time is filtered by advertising that is growing more tailored to audiences with programmatic ads that allow advertisers to drop in at the right time to relay the right message to the right audience.
As the country’s largest audio advertising agency around, Oink Ink Radio recognizes the high stakes in the audio advertising game. Oink has been a leader in the creation of audio advertising for the past 25 years.
“While it’s still pretty early in ‘the game’ and brands are trying to determine their place in it all, we are already seeing programmatic ad options change the way advertisers target consumers. We’re being asked to deliver autonomous messaging specific to various regions or markets. That’s clearly where all of this is headed: the more targeted, the better the ROI,” said Dan Price, Oink Ink co-founder.
About 65 percent of podcast listeners say they’re more likely to consider purchasing products and services they hear about during a podcast, according to a survey by the Interactive Advertising Bureau in partnership with Edison Research. Further, an ad delivered by that podcast’s host increases the chances of the listener seeking out the service or product being pitched.
“Host-read ads on podcasts make perfect sense, which of course works against a creative provider like us; but it’s true. The format is so intimate and the audience so connected that there is built-in credibility. Having said that, however, it’s a brand new space. Once podcasts attract, for example, multiple advertisers — as opposed to a single sponsor, as we most often see now, brands will look for differentiation as they do now on traditional radio,” said Jim Price, Oink Ink co-founder and creative director.
With the growing popularity of mobile and digital options, ways to capture real time data on consumers’ listening habits are also being developed. Earlier this year, Nielsen, one of the industry’s leading metrics companies, launched a digital audio arm to capture data on consumers’ listening habits across digital platforms. Some online audio companies, such as Pandora, are already collecting this data.
“Metrics for radio listenership had always been fairly broad in my estimation. We’re all about information-gathering — the more the better,” said Jim Price. “Our clients spend an awful lot of money to have us do what we do, and without properly documented data, we can’t fully do that job. The more we know, the more insight we have, the better our creative can connect.”
The digital market is expected to capture even more listeners with the help of major automotive manufacturers who are phasing out AM/FM dials on their dashboards and replacing them with digital products.
“The fact that we’ve been around for 25 years and all of a sudden, now is the busiest we’ve ever been tells me that creative might be starting to inch up on technology,” said Dan Price. “It seems that every other week there has been some new development in the world of digital, but the creative use of it all just wasn’t keeping up. We think that maybe we’re seeing all these new clients reaching out to us because they now want their content to work harder for them. They were making the investment — we’re here to make sure they get their money’s worth.”
New York City African-American business Leaders Partner with Google, Facebook, AT&T and 20th Century Fox to Inspire 25,000 Students with Tickets to Hidden Figures – Hidden Figures tells true story of critical contributions made by three African-American women working at NASA during Space Race in the 1960s
– Initiative follows 2015 schools program offering free screenings of Selma
New York City African-American business leaders, in partnership with 20th Century Fox, Google, Facebook, Infor and AT&T, have launched an initiative to offer free admission to the critically-acclaimed feature, Hidden Figures, for over 25,000 students in New York.
New York schools are the first to benefit from the project. Like the 2015 project to screen Oscar-winner Selma – which reached 300,000 students across the country – the expectation is that other cities will join this important program as it rolls out in theaters nationwide.
Hidden Figures is the incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe)—brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.
The screening program will educate students about the many contributions made by African-Americans to science, technology, engineering, and math, and inspire more students to enter those fields. Charles Phillips, Chairman and CEO of Infor, William M. Lewis, Jr. Co-Chairman of Investment Banking at Lazard, and Ken Chenault, Chairman and CEO of American Express, lead the group of African-American business executives driving the opportunity.
“On behalf of the African-American business community members involved today, I would like to thank the great organizations that have joined this effort,” said Ken Chenault. “Hidden Figures spotlights our unsung communities’ long lineage of shaping our nation. It serves as a wonderful opportunity to inspire the next generation to carry that torch forward.”
I’m deeply moved that my work is being used to educate and inspire students in this way. Programs like this are vital to sharpening our collective memories and enlightening young people about their history and exciting them about their future,” said Margot Lee Shetterly, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller nonfiction book Hidden Figures, on which the film is based.
The New York Public School System has already signed up for 10,000 tickets. They have been joined by the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), Eagle Academy for Young Men, De La Salle Academy, Harlem School of the Arts, Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC, Harlem Children’s Zone, Harlem Village Academy and the East Harlem Tutorial Program. NY Public Library will assist with ticket distribution.
Dovetailing with this initiative, Google has announced that it will be inviting teenage girls and students to participate in a new online Made With Code project. Participants build an interactive graphic capturing the triumphant themes of the Hidden Figures movie. In partnership with AMC theatres and local school districts, Google will also be hosting coding workshops along with viewing parties of the movie, where students can watch and discuss the film, and learn introductory coding skills.
Dr. Linda Curtis-Bey, Executive Director of STEM, New York City Public Schools, said: “Hidden Figures provides an important platform from which teachers and students, especially girls, can engage in discussions about STEM, the role of women in the workplace and the contributions of African-Americans.”
In January 2015, New York City African-American business leaders sponsored free tickets for schoolchildren to see the movie Selma – which retold Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery. The project eventually funded free screenings for more than 300,000 students across 28 cities. It resulted in expanded school curricula and special showings at the Abyssinian Baptist Church and other historically important venues.
New York City business leaders contributing to the initiative:
Highly Anticipated Report Provides Comprehensive Coverage of the Year in Music
Nielsen Music released its 2016 U.S. Year-End Report for the 12-month period ending Dec. 29, 2016. This highly anticipated report provides comprehensive coverage of the year in music from the coveted Nielsen Music Year-End charts, presented by Billboard, to insights on the most important industry trends from sales and streaming to social media and overall consumer engagement across today’s most popular platforms.
The Nielsen Music U.S. Year-End Report confirms that the music industry experienced steady and consistent growth in 2016, with overall volume up 3% over 2015, fueled by a 76% increase in on-demand audio streams compared to last year. On-demand audio streams surpassed 250B streams in 2016, and overall on-demand streams (including video) have reached 431 B. The industry did experience sales decreases in nearly all formats, particularly digital sales. However, the growth in streaming was more than enough to offset the declines, which resulted in a positive year for the music business.
“The music industry continues to grow at a healthy rate, and 2016 showed us that the landscape is evolving even more quickly than we have seen with other format shifts,” said David Bakula, SVP of Music Industry Insights. “Thanks to the rapid emergence of new technologies and channels for discovery and engagement, consumers are finding and listening to more music in new ways.”
Drake’s Views release was the leader in total volume (albums + track equivalent albums + audio on-demand streaming equivalent albums) this year, followed by Adele’s 25 and Beyoncé’s Lemonade. For the second year in a row, Adele’s 25 led the year’s album sales in the U.S., marking only the second time in history that the same album has been the top seller in two consecutive calendar years (the first being Adele’s 21 album in 2011 & 2012). Vinyl LP sales, which have reached an all-time Nielsen Music-era high volume of 13M units, increased for the 11th consecutive year in 2016. The top vinyl LP of the year was Twenty One Pilots’Blurryface, with David Bowie’s star and Adele’s 25 finishing close behind.
The biggest song of the year in terms of total activity (sales + audio streaming equivalents) was Drake’s “One Dance,” followed by “Closer” by Chainsmokers (feat. Halsey) and “Work” by Rihanna (feat. Drake).
Topping the Digital Songs Sales charts this year were “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” by Justin Timberlake, “Closer”by The Chainsmokers (feat. Halsey), and “My House”by Flo Rida. See the Nielsen Music Year-End charts (attached) for more information.
Other notable insights and trends from the 2016 Nielsen Music U.S. Year-End Report, include:
· On-demand audio streaming has now grown to 38% of total audio consumption (albums + track equivalents + on-demand audio streaming equivalents) to become the largest share of consumption.
· The on-demand audio streaming share has now surpassed total digital sales (digital albums + digital track equivalents) for the first time in history.
· Rock continues to be the dominant genre in terms of album sales (both physical and digital), but the streaming landscape is led by R&B/Hip-Hop, which garners the highest share of on-demand audio streams with heavily streamed artists like Drake, The Weeknd, Kanye West, Rihanna and J. Cole.
· Digital continues to be the dominant sales platform, but digital sales are declining much more rapidly than physical sales as tech-savvy consumers move onto streaming platforms.
· For the first time in over a decade, physical albums actually became a larger share of total album sales than they were in the prior year.
· Vinyl LP sales grew to over 11% of total physical album sales in 2016. This marks 11 years of year-over-year increases for vinyl LPs, reaching a record sales level in the Nielsen Music era (since 1991) with over 13 million sales this year.
· For the first time in history, the internet/mail-order/venue store group, led by Internet retailers and concert ticket bundles, has become the largest share of physical sales, ending a nine-year period where mass merchant outlets were the leading driver of physical album sales.
· This was an extremely successful year for Drake, who had the most overall volume; the most digital song sales; the most streams (by a huge margin); and the most heavily consumed album of the year with Views. In its debut week, Views became the only album to surpass 1M in weekly total volume (albums + track equivalents + on-demand streaming equivalents), and set an all-time record for most streams from an album with over 245M.
· In 2016, there were 12 occurrences where an album’s songs had over 100M audio streams in a week. This was led by Drake’s Views, which accomplished that feat an amazing 8x, but also included J. Cole’s 4 Your Eyez Only (with the second highest debut week stream volume in history) , The Weeknd’s Starboy (2x) and Beyoncé’s Lemonade.
· Only 6 albums debuted with over 200K in album sales in their first week in 2016 (there were 13 such cases in 2015), led by Drake with 852K first week sales for Views. Other albums to surpass the 200K mark in their first week include Beyoncé’s Lemonade (485K), J. Cole’s 4 Your Eyez Only (363K), Metallica’s Hardwired…To Self Destruct (282K), Frank Ocean’s Blonde(232K), and The Weeknd’s Starboy (209K).
· Chance the Rapper’s album Coloring Book became the first to surpass 500K with only streaming album equivalents. Since its debut in May, the album has stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for 33 consecutive weeks, peaking at #8. The album is the 58th highest volume album of the year without the benefit of a single sale, which is truly a historic accomplishment.
· While song sales showed steep declines (-25%) vs. last year, song consumption (sales + audio streaming equivalents at a rate of 150 streams to 1 song sale) continues to be strong with growing contribution from audio streams. In 2016, 15 songs eclipsed the 3M volume mark (song sales + audio streaming equivalents), despite only 5 songs reaching over 2M in sales. The song with the most volume for the year was Drake’s “One Dance,” which had over 5.5M song sales + audio streaming equivalents and 64% of that volume came from audio streams. In fact, the top 5 songs of the year all had a greater share of volume coming from streaming than from sales.
· For the second straight year, Adele’s 25 tops the Album Sales chart. 25 becomes only the second album in Nielsen Music history to lead the Album Sales chart in two consecutive calendar years. The first album to accomplish that feat was Adele’s 21 albums in 2011 & 2012.
· Despite the fact that Adele’s 25 was the best-selling album of the year, Adele was only the second best-selling album artist of the year. The best-selling artist in terms of album sales was Prince, who passed away suddenly in April. Prince’s albums sold over 2.2M units in 2016, and he was the only artist to sell over 1M digital and physical albums this year. Prince also sold 5.4M digital songs, giving him the highest sales volume of the year (albums + track equivalents), just out-selling Drake and Adele. The day after his death was announced, Prince sold over 1M digital songs and over 200K digital albums. Prince’s catalog was very tightly controlled on streaming platforms and the gains that were seen after his passing were far more evident in the sales numbers than what we saw from some other comparable artists that passed this year.
· Social media continued to drive song sales, particularly in cases where a viral visual component became a driver for the song. Rea Sremmurd’s “ Beatles” was on its way to being a hit when it became the unofficial soundtrack of The Mannequin Challenge. A-list celebrities, sports stars, and political figures took part in the challenge, which helped the song to receive the 28th highest volume (sales + audio stream equivalents) this year.
· The number of titles reaching milestones in 2016 exemplified the industry as a whole. Streaming milestones were hit with record numbers. There were 27 songs that surpassed 200M on-demand audio streams, while in 2015, only two songs hit that mark. Also, 12 songs surpassed 200M on-demand video streams for the year vs. only seven last year. In 2015, only three songs surpassed 500M total on-demand audio streams, led by Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen” with 617M. In 2016, six songs surpassed 500M, with two (Desiigner’s “Panda” and Rihanna’s “Work”) surpassing 700M.
