Tammy McDonald

“…music copyright valuation continues to grow at an accelerated pace. The global valuation ascribed to music copyright reached $41.5bn, according to industry economist Will Page. This is 14.5% more than 2022. More folks are streaming music than ever before. Vinyl sales are up. Concert ticket sales surpassed 2019’s figures, according to Live Nation. And beneath all of this are the songs, or copyrighted works. Without them, there would be no tours, no vinyl records and no streaming services. Funds that invest in this intellectual property are expected to continue to see a return. But across the industry, this is not the case.” “There are reasons for this - based both on data and perception. Qualitatively, the way the music industry - as a monolith - is perceived continues to be challenged. For example, in BBC’s daily news podcast, Global Story, a report on Taylor Swift referred to the music industry as ‘in crisis’ despite the macroeconomic data arguing otherwise. This is supported by the evidence of burgeoning inequality. While arenas and stadiums celebrate a bumper year, small music venues in the UK suffered their “worst year in a decade” according to the Music Venue Trust. Music education hubs - often the places where music is first created - are being cut by two-thirds in 2024-2025. However, quantitatively, the data reveals a different story. Music listenership is up, according to the IFPI. Revenue collections from CISAC, the international trade body representing collective management organizations was up 28% in 2022. Simply, more music would mean more return, especially for firms that own much of the music that is consumed, such as funds like Hipgnosis, Round Hill or Primary Wave or the three multinationals, Universal Music Group, Warner Music and Sony Music. However, debt is now more expensive, and liabilities are outstripping return. Listening to more music is not enough.” #CMOs #CISAC #IFPI #Artists #UK #RecordingRights #Performers #Royalties #MusicRoyalties #Music #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #Copyright #Copyrights #Songs #Songwriters #Recordings #MusicPublishing #Streams #Streaming #MusicStreaming #LiveMusic #Global #RecordedMusic #RecordLabels #IndieMusic

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🎬 How We Sync Audio with SndResolver 🎧 Syncing audio to picture can be a complex task, especially when dealing with non-standard recordings. I've developed a tool called SndResolver to streamline this process. 👉 What’s SndResolver? It's a tool we use to dynamically resample audio files that include a pilot tone, ensuring they align perfectly with picture content. This is especially useful for audio from sources that operated without standard sync or have pilot tone recorded as audio. You can choose the channel that has the tone and set the frequency target. 📲 Here’s a quick look at SndResolver in action

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Check out this article I wrote discussing incentive programs you should consider for your next project

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Kartoon Studios (TOON) is taking a bold step forward in the adopting of AI into their workstreams and have the perfect spokeperson: Inspector Gadget! Generally, I think this is a very smart move with the best partner in town for AI (NVidia). But, there are a few sentences that might make you furrow your brow. My thoughts following the article quotes within the [ ] marks. "...Gadget A.I. also revolutionizes the dubbing process, traditionally a laborious and costly endeavor" [meaning Kartoon Studios animation will be dubbed by AI without the usage of real actors?] "(Gadget AI will)...also include a spectrum of other production services, including character design, scriptwriting, music, animation.." [Meaning scripts and art and music will originate from AI software pulling from a certified data set. But at the same time, this means no human will write or design episodes and more importantly, no creative individual will have royalty-generating income from work created?] Lots to unpack! I suggest reading very carefully into the curated marketing vernacular from both companies. They're walking a delicate tightrope on a hot-button topic. I'm looking forward to people's reactions! #animation #cartoons #AI #artificialintelligence https://lnkd.in/eHU-DnpD

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TDious Experiences volume I: Engineers In the live remote production world my best friends are that show’s ENGINEERS. The people assigned to make your TV Truck or OB work to our mutual client’s specs are, without fail, among the smartest people in any room they enter. In turn, their best friend is correct information. There’s an adage in the industry that the only thing worse than NO information is WRONG information. Correct information, including hardware and / or software that are to be installed on the TV Truck for that show, is critical to the success of your setup and show. Next in their priority list is the show’s technical setup schedule & the communication of timelines for milestones. If your goal as the show’s TD, for example, is to perform a tape facilities check (FAX / FACs) at 3p, followed by the camera fax at 4p, the engineer will know to prioritize EVS issues over, say, a camera that isn’t seeing Viewfinder Return 3. Communicating the schedule & timeline of milestones early will allow everyone to self budget their time and keep all moving along the same timeline. Engineering Prioritization: This goes hand-in-hand with milestone expectations. Department heads should always communicate their needs to engineering as early (and, most importantly, correctly) as possible, but with the understanding that there will always be other elements that take priority. Some areas of the remote world, however, typically require more attention from engineering during setup than others. With the advent of UIs such as NEP’s Total Facility Control (or “TFC”) this process is becoming better than it has been since the days of self patching. But the closer a show is to its first outbound transmission (be it a TX check or a hit into another show), the priority then clearly shifts to any unresolved transmission issues. I know that’s a “Well no DUH, JoHo!” kind of statement, but that first outbound transmission time shouldn’t ever come as a surprise to your engineers. Surprises always = a log jam for some or ALL later. Clear, accurate communication is always the key to resolving any issue before it ever becomes an issue. The ever evolving roles of our engineers in 2024 is quite fascinating to think about, actually: in less than one generation we have gone from a patch & solder analogue world of hardware minded engineering, to an IP and a code writing / programming base with some hardware components almost existing as an afterthought, but still needing the occasional solder nonetheless. Talk about shifts in the paradigm? Now the programming requirements of new OB engineers is in line with year 2 expectations of a broker at Morgan Stanley (HEY! Don’t you get any ideas! We’ll find you…and they don’t have anything for you to SOLDER!). Let’s all continue to encourage honing those the physical skills - like soldering - FIRST. Those are the skills that require the most physical finesse the *first* time whereas, in programming, there’s always a way to “UNDO LAST!”

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TDious Experiences volume II: The Remote Broadcast Production Technical Director [Part 1: Mobile Unit Setup] Ask any 5 Technical Directors (TDs) to describe their role leading up to a live broadcast production and you’ll get anywhere from 5 to 50 different answers. That’s because the role has a number of seemingly dissimilar responsibilities that, in any other occupation, might be split among several different people. For example, a concert pianist generally doesn’t have to tune their own piano, assign the notes to the keys, build the conductor’s podium, compose the transitions from movement to movement, then ultimately play a three hour concerto on that piano nonstop, simultaneously monitoring each note on the piano offline to ensure tonal quality while performing LIVE before an audience of millions! Actually, that’s probably not the best analogy; a piano only has 88 keys. The world’s most popular Video Production Switcher, the Grass Valley Kayenne panel & K-Frame, has 1,326 buttons (or “keys”), 6 knobs, 4 fader bars and a joystick. The pianist in this scenario has the luxury of concerning themselves only with their ultimate performance. Everything else is taken care of for them. Not so for a remote TD. If it’s going to be a visual element within the show, it ultimately passes through the TD in one way or another. Video that will be mixed into the production itself must pass through the TD’s video switcher, while other signals, such as video going to monitors in the control room, can pass directly via the router. The router of a television mobile unit is the signal distribution core for any production. Any video or audio source that is going to be part of the production must exist within the mobile unit’s router. The TD is responsible for ensuring the correct video lands in the appropriate place in production monitor wall, its layout determined by the producer & director, as well as video switcher and all router control points in the control room. This is the part of the engineering setup that takes the most time to accomplish. The Engineer in Charge (EIC) is the sole manager of the router grid. It is critical that all inputs to the router and outputs from the router be managed by one individual. From there, especially in the IP world of media transport, every department has the ability to manage their own routing needs. It’s at this point that the TD can finally begin to focus on building out their “piano.” This begins with switcher input & output (I/O) documentation. Traditionally this is generated by the EIC, but with the increased flexibility offered in the IP world, this becomes a joint effort between the EIC, the TD and a dynamic document, such as a shared Google Sheet. In Part II I’ll delve into the mindset of the TD as they begin laying out sources for the production on the video switcher’s panel, as well as some important things to keep in mind when doing so. If you have Qs, thoughts or ideas for future TDious posts, drop a DM!

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“Warner Music Group (WMG) CEO Robert Kyncl has come out in favor of a US Senate bill that would crack down on unauthorized deepfakes, arguing that the technology could ruin lives, reputations and businesses if left unchecked. Although many in the music business are embracing AI, it’s also the case that “generative AI is appropriating artists’ identities and producing deepfakes that depict people doing, saying, or singing things that never happened,” Kyncl will tell a subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Commitee on Tuesday (April 30). “Through AI, it is very easy for someone to impersonate me and cause all manner of havoc,” Kyncl said, according to his pre-prepared remarks shared with MBW. “They could speak to an artist in a way that could destroy our relationship. They could say untrue things about our publicly traded company to the media that would damage our business.” #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Legal #GenerativeAi #GeAi #Music #MusicBusiness #Musicians #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicLicensing #WMG #MusicVideos #Artists #MusicBiz #Streaming #StreamingServices #StreamingMedia #WarnerMusicGroup #USCongress #USA

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There are a myriad of cheap and plastic styluses that ship for free with most e-readers and e-notebooks from companies such as Onyx Boox, Meebook, Hyread, Readmoo and other Chinese companies. The Amazon Kindle Scribe, Kobo, Remarkable 2, and SuperNote all have a line of basic styluses with limited functionality. If you want to spend way more money, they also have a line of premium styluses with expanded features such as tilt recognition and erasers. Some have no charging capability, while others do. There is also a complete line of 3rd party styluses made of wood, aluminum and higher-grade materials compatible with most e-notes on the market. With all of these choices of digital stationery, why don’t they support internals capable of receiving firmware updates for expanded functionality?

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Want to sound more professional during virtual meetings and as a podcast guest? Check out this cost-effective mic that can greatly improve your audio quality on Zoom, Teams, and other platforms. Say goodbye to the "tin can" sound and hello to a clear and crisp voice. As a professional Podcaster, I highly recommend this mic as a great starting point to upgrade your virtual presence. This is not a paid endorsement, just a mere suggestion from someone who knows the importance of quality audio. Don't let poor audio quality hold you back from making a great impression. Upgrade your audio game today! 🎙️✨#AudioQuality #VirtualMeetings #PodcastGuests https://lnkd.in/greUrmM6

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Out tomorrow, Podnews Weekly Review has Kendall Breitman from Riverside.fm talking about the launch of their new release called "Conversation Studio" which includes multi-track editing live streaming, mobile editing, AI Video Dub plus so much more. Listen in and learn more about this new release. , We also talk with Theo Gadd the co-founder of PodLife Events about some of the exciting new podcasting events they are working on and also the new RSS feature/tag called <Podcast:Events> which enables podcasters to include a live tour event schedule inside their RSS feed. Then Podcasting 2.0 apps can then read and display the events, dates and tickets alongside their podcast episodes. e.g https://lnkd.in/d7Dq8FTr In addition, we talk with Nathan Gathright from Episodes.fm who helped draft the new Events and Radio feed proposals that are under consideration for inclusion to Podcasting 2.0 e.g https://lnkd.in/dirFwi93 Finally, James Cridland and I talk about Libsyn implementing support for the YouTube Music API and what this means for the podcast industry. Will other hosts follow Libsyn in supporting YouTube? Plus lots of events news and of course tons of tech news. Listen wherever you get your podcasts but it's best to listen on a new Podcasting 2.0 app because Podnews Weekly Review uses chapters and transcripts. #podcasting

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How I digitize VHS. 1. I fast forward the tape to the end, reset the counter and rewind in negative so that when i playback it counts down. 2. Hit record in my capture software. .mp4 and .mov. 3. $10 just stop the tape, when it’s done, name it, and drag it to the thumb-drive or google drive or we transfer. Burn to DVD additional $5 each tape. The DVD s are not labeled, i simply mark with a post it and put in a sleeve, giving you the freedom to name it. Editing: adding music, syncing, editing glitches $75hr. Im getting a haircut soon

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The stage was set at the NAB Show 2024. Hundreds of products battled for supremacy in the ever-evolving streaming video arena. Tensions were high as the industry's elite judging panel meticulously evaluated each offering. Then, a true champion emerged from the fray. Vimond's VIA App Builder captivated the experts with a perfect fusion of power and elegance. Features that dazzled: - Lightning-fast development capabilities that make deploying streaming services across devices a mere formality. - An interface so intuitive even a novice could wield its might. - Unparalleled content management that monetises like never before. In an epic clash of innovation, the VIA App Builder reigned supreme – conquering the "Next TV" category to seize the coveted Best of Show honour. A thousand competitors stood in awe. This was more than just an award. It was a statement of Vimond's unwavering commitment to streamlining video streaming for the modern era. An undisputed mark of quality that will shatter industry conventions. The victory horn has sounded. All others have been put on notice. Brace yourselves for the VIA App Builder's continued dominance, as it leads content creators to a new era of broadcast supremacy. https://lnkd.in/gssvefKG

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It's not just about the good-looking LED that this will end up being. It is the exact control that this client will have for every section of the LED, and audio and lighting control if they want to. No programming, minimal amount of backend hardware, one single overlay, ongoing consultative services... Let's take a look at the checked boxes. Most other AV/IT vendors will: -want to charge you for future programming. -want to make margin on every single piece of hardware. -not have the capability for doing one single overlay. -not have the mission, resources, or desire to provide ongoing consultative services.

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“The major labels have made a number of commitments around AI to artist and musician members of US performer union SAG-AFTRA via a new code of fair practice. They are, says artist manager, Irving Azoff, “a great first step to make sure artists have creative control and get paid” “US performer union SAG-AFTRA has announced a new deal with the major record companies that includes some protections for artists and musicians around the use of artificial intelligence, in particular “digital replications” of an artist’s voice. A statement from the union explains, “In this agreement, clear and conspicuous consent, along with minimum compensation requirements and specific details of intended use, are required prior to the release of a sound recording that uses a digital replication of an artist’s voice”. #SAGAFTRA #Artists #RecordLabels #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Legal #GenerativeAi #GeAi #Music #MusicBusiness #Musicians #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicLicensing #WMG #MusicVideos ##SonyMusic #VoiceClones #WarnerMusicGroup #UMG #SonyMusicEntertainment #UniversalMusicGroup #DisneyMusicGroup #Disney #Warner #Sony #Universal

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Having trouble accessing your remote editorial storage? 🤔 Maybe you haven't hit the suite spot. Try out Suite Studios and add balance back to your media workflows. 🎬🔄 #MediaManagement #SuiteStudios #EditorialStorage #Tech #Solutions #MediaWorkflows #Video #Editing #JBA

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O P T I M I S T I C ! ! ”Los Angeles Film and TV Production Sees Sluggish Rebound From Strikes, but There’s Optimism” according to a report from FilmLA which notes an anemic return to filming in the region but that jobs appeared to return in full force in March. Filming in Los Angeles has been slow to bounce back after production in the region was decimated by Hollywood’s historic season of strikes.  The main reason for the sluggish rebound: A double-digit drop in television shoots compared to the same period last year.  Also playing a factor in the decline were reductions in content spend across most major studios, series cancellations and runaway production.  While the difference was steep in January (30.6 percent fewer jobs, totaling 2,282), it was modest in February (5.1 percent fewer jobs, totaling 3,061) and nearly unnoticeable by the end of March (a 0.4 percent increase, totaling 3,274 jobs).  There’s optimism in production levels for feature films. The category rose slightly in the quarter, picking up 634 shoot days to finish an estimated 7 percent ahead of the same months last year. Movies in production included Beverly Hills Cop 4, Atlas, and Lurker, all of which are getting tax credits to film in California.  FilmLA also flagged the loss of commercial production — which slipped nearly 10 percent year-over-year and more than 33 percent below the five-year average — to other jurisdictions as a concern. Filming for smaller, lower-cost shoots, such as documentaries, music videos and still photography, similarly fell by roughly 5 percent. Entertainment Partners https://lnkd.in/g5veEE6R https://lnkd.in/gjhbnQdG

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