Google Play Artist Hub Shutting Down April 30 With Google No Longer Offering Direct Portal For Smaller Musicians (9to5google.com) 36
Last year, Google announced that YouTube Music would be the company's primary streaming service that would eventually replace Play Music. We have now learned that in anticipation of this change, Google will close the Google Play Artist Hub that musicians use to directly interact with the Play Store. 9to5Google reports: Smaller, indie artists that were not signed by labels could use the Google Play Artist Hub to manage their presence on the Play Store and upload/sell songs. In an email today, Google told these musicians that the Artist Hub is shutting down on April 30th. YouTube Music is cited as the reason by Google: "With the launch of YouTube Music last year, we eventually plan to replace Google Play Music with YouTube Music. In anticipation of this change, we are shutting down the Artist Hub."
This portal allowed smaller artists to directly interact with Google to see statistics, and get paid for streams/purchases. Musicians can still sell their content in the Play Store and have content available for streaming in Play Music, but must now sign-up with a third-party distributor to handle that entire process. At the end of this month, all existing songs and albums uploaded through the Google Play Artist Hub will "no longer appear in the Google Play Store or Google Play Music service (including the paid streaming and free radio service)." Artists that would still like to "make [their] music available for purchase/download" have to republish, with Google providing a list of "YouTube partners," including AWAL, Believe, CD Baby, DistroKid, Stem, and TuneCore.
This portal allowed smaller artists to directly interact with Google to see statistics, and get paid for streams/purchases. Musicians can still sell their content in the Play Store and have content available for streaming in Play Music, but must now sign-up with a third-party distributor to handle that entire process. At the end of this month, all existing songs and albums uploaded through the Google Play Artist Hub will "no longer appear in the Google Play Store or Google Play Music service (including the paid streaming and free radio service)." Artists that would still like to "make [their] music available for purchase/download" have to republish, with Google providing a list of "YouTube partners," including AWAL, Believe, CD Baby, DistroKid, Stem, and TuneCore.
Another one bites the dust (Score:2)
Google seems all about shutting down services these days... with an exception for Stadia though.
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I wonder if they hired a new hatchet-wo/man who's doing this to make their mark. Or maybe just cleaning stuff up.
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These days? They've always been like this. Google starts up multiple projects/services, some of which overlap others and then kill them off in short order. The only Google services that have been around for a long time are search, Gmail and YouTube (which Google bought out back in 2006).
It looks like the MAFIAA paid them off this time. Can't have independent musicians running around or they don't get the cut that they are entitled to.
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If only they would now allow uninstalling the related crapware from Android devices. These G+, Play and others were force pushed to devices which even did not receive security updates. And of course all these were "essential system components" which can not be uninstalled by user.
Next time Google wants to market some crap, they might re-consider, if force-pushing something to existing Android users really gets the best reaction. Of course the installation numbers shown in MBA-meetings are in billions, but n
Fucking the artist over (Score:2)
Re: Fucking the artist over (Score:2)
They just gave a warning.
Re: Fucking the artist over (Score:5, Interesting)
"Your entire livelihood ends in less than a month unless you agree to an effective pay cut by letting a middleman take a percentage of all revenue."
Some warning. It's right up there with, "What a nice shop you have here. Would be a shame if something happened to it."
Re:Fucking the artist over (Score:4, Insightful)
Who ever looked at the music industry, and thought it needed more middlemen?
The middlemen.
Lots of innovators with alternative platforms have probably been waking up with horses heads in their bed.
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This isn't about One Direction and Justin Bieber, though.
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Ehh.... its not the end of the world. Most of the other platforms work this way, so Artists generally sign up with a service like CD Baby which handles all that for a one off fee of , like $50 or whatever for all platforms. So most independent artists would already have an account with a third party provider to get their stuff on iTunes, amazon, etc. For most indy musicians they won't even notice this one.
And that minoritywho are affected , probably didn't actually realise there was services that could get
big business wins again (Score:1)
sounds more like the real reason for the closing is the big players were not getting a cut. wonder if they offered a better deal on licensing if google got rid of the portal.
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I think you're likely right.
That's a nice music sales system you have there.. it'd be a real shame if someone were to deny you rights to sell all A-List artists.... you know, unless you just kind of drop this whole artist portal....
I miss mp3.com (Score:3)
The big plattforms are killing the Internet (Score:2)
Time to break them up.
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It would need to be inflation adjusted, but I think the principle is sound.
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The EU has never been shy of taking on monopolies.
i only want music (Score:2)
so is youtube-music only going to be video? will i be able to turn off video? i want to LISTEN to music, not watch it.
google music had the option to use your own music library, i guess that option is also not available anymore with youtube-music?
Phew (Score:2)
I‘m glad that I am 6 foot 2 then and not a small artist.