Blockchain technology is set to play a power chord in the music industry by helping to solve copyright issues May 10, 2018 The internet has allowed consumers to create, share and listen to more music than ever before. It has also created headaches for the music industry, specifically over how to keep track of copyrights in a complex global economy and how to accurately allocate royalties to artists and labels. One London-based tech startup, JAAK, hopes to [...]
Spotify is a sure hit as it pursues New York initial public offering January 31, 2018 With Spotify reportedly planning on floating on the New York Stock Exchange this spring, it’s a good time to look at how consumers view the brand in the UK. The music streaming service’s impact and growth over the past decade is impressive, all the more so as there haven’t been many global internet successes out [...]
Spotify share price drops on first day of trading on Wall Street April 4, 2018 Shares in music streaming service Spotify dropped off in its second day of trading on Wall Street, following a strong opening performance yesterday. Spotify shares opened at $165.90 (£118), but by early this afternoon, the price had dropped 15 per cent to $140. Spotify’s opening listing was 34 per cent higher than its initial set [...]
Aston Martin in pole position as world’s fastest growing car brand as Brexit currency devaluation helps drive 268 per cent growth in brand value March 5, 2018 James Bond’s carmaker of choice Aston Martin saw its brand value grow by 268 per cent in 2018. The spectacular growth saw it top the table as the fastest growing car brand in the world in 2018 with a brand value of $3.6bn (£2.6bn), according to a report by research organisation Brand Finance. The British [...]
Focus On Victoria: A £4bn investment has completely changed the area from dowdy offices to shiny penthouses and hip restaurants March 5, 2018 If the Queen’s getting a £369m refurbishment of Buckingham Palace, it seems only fair that the neighbourhood surrounding it should get a polish, too. £4bn should just about cover it, and that’s how much has been invested in the area by developer Land Securities over the last five years. Around £700m of that has gone [...]
Budget 2017 UK: Philip Hammond targets tech giants Apple, Amazon, Google and Facebook on tax avoidance to raise £200m a year November 22, 2017 The chancellor has put tech firms firmly in his sights, announcing a change to the way online businesses are taxed from which he hopes to boost the government’s coffers by £200m. Philip Hammond said he will introduce a “tax on royalties” that means companies will have to pay tax on royalty payments that are made [...]
Spotify begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange amid Wall Street tech rout April 3, 2018 Music streaming service Spotify began trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) today at $165.90 (£117), a 34 per cent increase on the initial set reference price. The opening price puts the company’s value at nearly $30bn, making it one of the largest US listings for a tech company in history. The public listing [...]
Billionaire’s paradise: Ever wanted to own a private island in the Caribbean? Here’s your chance to be the Branson of the Bahamas. February 21, 2018 When asked what they would do if they had all the money in the world, most people put buying a private island at the top of the list. Sadly, these dreams usually go unrealised, because most people aren’t eye-wateringly rich, and because even if they were, they rarely come up for sale. It’s especially rare [...]
How much is property in Mayfair? May 11, 2018 Last month, Mayfair knocked Knightsbridge off the top spot as the most expensive place to buy in London for the first time in 10 years. Local agent Wetherells, which commissioned the report from Dataloft, puts this dethroning down to a lack of new homes being built in Knightsbridge, whereas that certainly isn’t the case in [...]
Latest filings by British arm of McDonald’s reveals level of royalty payments to Luxembourg entity October 30, 2016 The British operations of burger giant McDonald's paid £123m for franchise rights last year which are part of a structure that is being investigated by European authorities. The company, whose UK operations are captured in a Luxembourg based company, McD Europe Franchising, reported a profit of $541m for the year to December 2015, almost identical to the $540m it [...]