SiriusXM introduced MySXM this week, a new feature that allows the user to personalize existing SiriusXM stations. The interactive internet radio service works with sliding bars that create variations the characteristics of existing playlists, such as the era of the music and the popularity of the music in the playlist. SiriusXM’s newest feature will start with 50 playlist but will expand over time.
For those who thought Psy was a one-hit wonder, think again. The Korean pop internet sensation broke Youtube records this week with his new single and video for “Gentleman”. The video surpassed 70 million views in three days and an incredible 18.9 million views in the first 24 hours of its release, breaking the record held by Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj’s video for “Beauty and the Beat” (which had 10.6 million views in its first 24 hours).
Spotify expanded its service to five new countries this week. The popular on-demand music streaming service launched in Mexico, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Baltics, and Iceland this Tuesday. The service, which has 6 million subscribers, will compete with Rdio in Mexico and Iceland and Sony Music Unlimited in Mexico.
Football fans who have waited all day for Sunday night will not have Faith Hill to serenade them starting next season. The country singer decided to leave Sunday Night Football, where she sung the opening theme to NBC’s primetime game. Her anthem, a reworked version of Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself For Loving You” opened the program since 2007. No replacement has been named.
We have a new number one on the Billboard charts. Pop rock group Paramore’s self-titled album dethroned Justin Timberlake’s 20/20 Experience, which spend three weeks at the top but fell to number three this week with 98,000 unit sold. Paramore, which is the band’s first album in four years, became their first ever number one by selling over 106,000 units.
MTV, VH1, and CMT are offering “artist hubs” as a way to connect artist with fans and provide additional opportunities for musicians with partners and brands. The hubs have the ability to create awareness for the artist across Viacomm properties, offering opportunities like submitting music for placement in 1,200 hours of weekly music video programming. The hubs are an extension of the MTV, VH1, and CMT artist pages, which launched last year.
Spotify announced this week that Daft Punk set the all-time single day streaming record in the United States and United Kingdom with their brand new track “Get Lucky”. The French electronic duo broke the U.S. record, held by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’s song “Thrift Shop” and the U.K. record, held by Bastille’s song “Pompeii”. The song is Daft Punk’s first single off their upcoming album Random Access Memories and features Pharrell.
