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07 Nov 2024

Sharing Music on TikTok Keeps Getting Easier

TikTok took another step to integrate itself deeper into the music streaming ecosystem on Thursday (Nov. 7), as Spotify and Apple Music users gained the ability to easily share songs on the short-form video app — posting them to their For You Page, for example, or sharing them via DM.

When TikTok’s popularity exploded in 2019 and 2020, it seemed like a competitor to many of the older streaming services. Suddenly users didn’t want to leave the addictive short-form video app to listen to songs elsewhere. TikTok proved to be especially effective at driving music discovery for younger listeners.

So it wasn’t surprising that, when Spotify celebrated new features at its Stream On event in 2023, executives poked at TikTok — “There’s a disconnect between where music is being teased and where music is actually being streamed,” for example — without naming it. In recent months, however, two platforms that once looked like rivals appear increasingly interested in collaboration. 

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In November 2023, TikTok unveiled the “Add to Music App” to serve as “a direct link between discovery on TikTok and consumption on a music streaming service, making it easier than ever for music fans to enjoy the full lengthy song on the music streaming service of their choice,” as Ole Obermann, TikTok’s global head of music business development, said in a statement at the time. In addition, TikTok shuttered its own streaming service, TikTok Music, in September.

At the same time, Spotify has said it is newly focused on finding ways for users to share the music they love. For a long time, “sharing was generally seen as an afterthought to the core features on the Spotify platform,” Priscilla Chan, associate director on the business development team, explained in a blog post in September. 

“Now, these partnerships and features are vitally important drivers of the viral loop of growth for Spotify,” she continued. It’s all part of the platform’s goal of “being everywhere where our existing and potential users are” to  “extend our global reach.”

07 Nov 2024

Rosie Perez Reveals How Madonna & Tupac Met Before They Started Dating

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We now have clarity on how Madonna and 2Pac originally met thanks to Rosie Perez. The actress revealed how she introduced the two prior to them dating.

As per Page Six the Brooklyn, NY native paid a recent visit to the Drew Barrymore Show where she discussed a variety of topics relating to her storied career. Midway during the interview the White Men Can’t Jump star spoke about her friendship with the late great Tupac Shakur. She went on to say that she was the one who introduced him to Madonna. Perez stated that her original date to the 1993 Soul Train Music Awards cancelled on her 30 minutes before the event. Luckily 2Pac stepped up and escorted her to ceremony. “He said, ‘You know what, I’m going [to] go with you, we’re going [to] walk up in there, we’re going [to] act like we’re on a date, and he’s going to die,’” she explained.

While at the awards show Madonna checked in with her and asked about Pac. “She was there and she came up to me and she was like, ‘Yo, what’s up? Y’all are together?’” Rosie added. “And I said, ‘No.’ She goes, ‘Really?’ I go, ‘Yeah.’” The “Material Girl” singer asked then asked Rosie Perez to “hook [her] up,” to which she replied You got it.” Madonna and 2Pac briefly dated from 1993 to 1994 but kept their relationship relatively secret. It wasn’t until many years later the self proclaimed Queen of Pop admitted the two were an official item.

You can see Rosie Perez discuss that evening with 2Pac and Madonna below.

07 Nov 2024

Jack Antonoff Reminds Fans to ‘Lean on Each Other’ in Heartfelt Message Following Trump’s Win

Jack Antonoff is asking his community to stay strong following Kamala Harris’ losing the 2024 presidential election against twice-impeached convicted felon Donald Trump.

In a heartfelt message addressed “to my people” on X Wednesday (Nov. 6), one day after Election Day, the 40-year-old producer reminded followers, “we turn to each other at the best times as we do at the worst times.”

“our community is alive because we lift and take care of each other,” he continued. “we are not moved by bulls–t. when we’re afraid we lean on each other. right now we are going to do exactly that. we are going to be there for each other.”

Antonoff went on to give fans a meaningful call to action, noting that The Ally Coalition — which he founded in 2013 with his sister, designer Rachel Antonoff, to support LGBTQ youth — will “not rest” in their activism post-election. “do not be cynical,” he wrote. “do not have the conversation alone in your head. go be together. be around those who do not assume the worst of you.”

“fight for the rights of oppressed people,” he added. “respect the earth and its creatures. live with the most dignity and remember that every tiny thing is carried on.”

The Bleachers frontman is one of many artists disheartened by Trump’s return to power, with Ariana Grande, Ethel Cain, Billie Eilish, Cardi B and several more stars all sharing messages of disappointment to social media over the past 36 hours. One of Antonoff’s 2024 collaborators, Sabrina Carpenter, addressed the election results at her Nov. 6 concert in Seattle, telling the crowd: “I hope we can be a moment of peace for you, a moment of safety … sorry about our country, and to the women in here, I love you so so so so so much.”

The former Fun band member has long been open about his dislike of Trump, from joking about the president-elect wearing diapers with Jimmy Kimmel in April to slamming what he called a “Trumpian approach” to spreading false information when Damon Albarn accused Taylor Swift — another frequent Antonoff collaborator — of not writing her own songs in 2022. He’s also spent his career being a fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and recently announced his Public Studios initiative, which will build studios in LGBTQ+ youth shelters and create a network of engineers to train aspiring producers in those communities with the Ally Coalition’s help.

Read Antonoff’s post-election message below.

07 Nov 2024

The End Of Donald Trump’s Criminal Cases Post-Election

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Donald Trump’s reelection to the White House means that he will likely avoid any serious prosecution for his ongoing criminal and civil cases.

On Wednesday morning (Nov. 6), Donald Trump won reelection to the White House, defeating Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. With that victory, he became the first twice-impeached, convicted felon to be commander in chief. It also ensures that Trump “is now his own judge and jury, insulated from the criminal consequences he might have faced without the legal force field of the Oval Office.”

Trump’s first act once he gets into office in January will undoubtedly be to fire Jack Smith, the special counsel appointed by United States Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate allegations of Trump committing four counts of election interference connected to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over the case, set filing deadlines for later this month and December.

Trump’s legal team is expected to ask for a dismissal, having lost the appeal to throw the case out based on the narrow immunity granted in a decision by the conservative-leaning Supreme Court earlier this year. As for Smith’s other case against Trump in Florida on 40 felony counts of hoarding classified documents, that was dismissed by U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon who ruled that Garland had no authority to appoint Smith. Smith filed an appeal, but it’s likely it would be denied.

As for the Fulton County, Georgia, election interference trial against Trump by prosecutor Fani Willis, the case is on hold after Judge Scott McAfee denied a bid by Trump’s legal team to disqualify her after it was discovered that she was romantically involved with another lawyer on the case. If Willis were to win the appeal to resume the trial, Trump could again claim that the powers of the presidency grant him broad immunity from such a prosecution. 

The lone case where Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide his affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels in New York is also in doubt. Judge Juan Merchan was set to sentence Trump on Nov. 26. Even if sentenced, Trump’s ascent to the White House means he wouldn’t be able to serve that time until the end of his term in 2029. Even civil court judgments won against him by New York Attorney General Letitia James are at risk, with Trump again being able to cite through appeal that paying those judgments would interfere with his duties as president.

07 Nov 2024

New York Comedy Festival Co-Founders Raise the Curtain on 11 Days of Laughs

For more than 40 years, Caroline Hirsch’s name has been synonymous with comedy in New York City. Beginning in 1981, when she opened a small club bearing her first name in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, comedy’s greatest performed on — and in some cases, made their bones on — her stages: Dave Chappelle, Jerry Seinfeld, David Letterman, Jon Stewart, Gilbert Gottfried, Jay Leno, Kevin Hart, Bill Burr, Paul Reubens and Michael Che, among many others.

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In 2004, Hirsch and her partner in business and life, Andrew Fox, decided to expand the Caroline’s brand beyond the walls of the club (which had since moved to Midtown Manhattan). The New York Comedy Festival debuted in November of that year, spanning approximately 15 shows over five days. On Nov. 7 the festival kicks off its 20th season which will feature more than 300 shows over 11 days, including its annual Stand Up for Heroes benefit — now in its 17th year — where Bruce Springsteen, Jim Gaffigan, Seinfeld, Stewart and other comics and musicians have raised a total of $84 million for wounded and ill military veterans. There’s also The Eras Tour: Taylor Swift Comedy Show and Dance Party.

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“Twenty years is a long time to be in business, especially in New York City,” says Hirsch — who, along with Fox, spoke to Billboard about how the festival and comedy have evolved over that time.

How has the festival evolved over the last 20 years?

Caroline Hirsch: Most noticeably is the depth and length of the festival. We started out with 10 big shows and three or four headliner shows. Now, the festival is 11 days, with over 300 shows and 22 headliners. And I would attribute a big part of that to the fact that comedy is more of a staple in our lives today.

Andrew Fox: When we started, so few comics playing theaters. New York has such great theaters — Carnegie Hall, the Beacon Theater and Madison Square Garden. For comics, these are bucket list shows.

Hirsch: Before 2006, the only person who played Madison Square Garden was Andrew “Dice” Clay, and that was because of his relationship with Howard Stern. In 2006, we put Dane Cook into Madison Square Garden for two nights. We sold 38,000 tickets. Since then we’ve put Kevin Hart, Bill Burr and Trevor Noah at the Garden.

Fox:  When we played Dane there, it really changed the way people looked at the comedy business. When we look back at that, from our humble beginnings. It was a game changer for us, agents and managers in the industry.

Hirsch: Now Carnegie Hall is considered a steppingstone to the Garden or other arenas. A lot of comedians we worked with at Caroline’s wanted to play bigger venues. The festival enabled us to do that. And we continue the tradition started at the club of building talent. Zarna Garg started with one night at Carolines, and at this year’s festival, we’re presenting her at Town Hall on the last day of the festival.

You closed your club in at the end of 2022 because your landlord wanted a significant rent increase. Do you have any plans to reopen it in another location?  

Hirsch: The festival is about moving beyond the four walls of Caroline’s and doing comedy in a bigger way. The only way we’re thinking of Caroline’s right now is as a bigger event.  

Fox: People are always coming to us with different ideas for events and branding opportunities, and we listen. Consumers trust us if they’re not familiar with a particular performer.

Caroline, you recently wrote an op-ed in the New York Daily News about comedy being more important than ever given today’s political climate. Can you talk a bit more on that?

Hirsch: Comedy is important for society, and it has become a central part of our conversation today as you saw with some of the stuff that came out of the political rallies. Joe Rogan’s podcast had a lot of influence during the presidential campaign, and I’m curious to see what Bill Maher’s play is. Bill’s in the center, and he calls it right on. I think hearing what he has to say will bring relief to some people.

You’ve also said that it has the power to bring people from different backgrounds, political and cultural perspectives together.

Hirsch: Ideally, comedy is about taking information that may be controversial or polarizing and making it more palatable in a communal setting where everyone comes together to laugh and let off steam. We live in a country where 50% percent of people are pissed off, and 50% are happy. How do we bring those two sides together? By making them laugh. Laughing is a healing process. It soothes the soul.

Andrew, in another conversation, you said that stand-up tours are hotter and more important then ever for comics’ careers.

Fox: People are getting their comedy in all different forms today, including social media and streaming and podcasts, but there’s nothing like the live experience of sitting in an audience, on a date or with friends.

Hirsch: It used to be that everybody wanted a sitcom. Now they want to tour. And for comedy fans, it’s like going to see a band. People want that first-hand experience, and they’ve wanted it more since Covid.

How has stand-up comedy changed since the festival started?

Hirsch: It’s a lot smarter, much more political. It used to be very left-leaning, but now it’s more balanced. There’s a right-leaning side to it now. Women play a much bigger role in comedy now, too. Also, the number of headliners has increased. In the early days, I had maybe 18 headliners. Today, there must be a hundred comics that can headline. I think Caroline’s had a lot to do with that growth. We also played a role in the media’s increased interest in comedy. In the early ‘80s, no one covered comedy. I had to convince people to cover it at the [New York] Daily News, Page Six and on the Howard Stern show.

Is there one particular show at the festival I should not miss if I want to see comedy’s next headliners?

Hirsch: New York’s Funniest. Every year we survey the canvas, so to speak, and select 10 promising comics to participate. Some major comedians have come out of it — Nate Bargatze and Michael Che won in different years. It continues to grow year after year, and it’s a way for comedians who aren’t know to get known and to get agents and managers. The night Michael Che won, he got an agent and a manager at the bar at Caroline’s.

07 Nov 2024

Danna, Piso 21 & More Spill Spicy Stories | Truth or Dare | Billboard

Whether it’s revealing bits about Instagram activity or a celebrity crush, Danna, Piso 21, Marko and Alex Sensation are feeling the heat in a game of Truth or Dare.

Marko:

What was your last Google search? No. I can’t put this out here. 

Danna:

Read us the last text you sent. It was to my boy and I wrote “elevators.” Give it any context you’d like. 

Piso 21:

I’ll take it. What was your last Google search? I’m going to call James. 

Alex Sensation:

To the top, to the bottom, in the center. That’s good for your health. 

Danna: 

Who is an artist you would like to collaborate with? Well, recently I was with a group of wonderful women, thanks to Shakira. And she is a woman that I admire. I’ve grown up with her music and would love to do a song with Shaki. 

Piso 21: 

Who will you have to kiss? Lorduy, who are you going to have to kiss? Let’s see. It says “take a selfie with the team and post it on social media.” Done. Let’s go now! With the team. Friend, look. It’s here. Tim! With everyone! With everyone! Come here! Do it then! One. Are you taking it? There we are. And ready, my boys? Show it to you? We always complete the challenges. Done! Done! 

Marko:

The truth, always. This one! OK, I read it? What was your last Google search? No. What happens if I don’t say? I can’t put this out here. Well, it was very tremendous. It was very tremendous. But I said it, I said it. I’m a man, you know that men are not good for much.  

Keep watching for more! 

07 Nov 2024

Meet the Best New Artist Nominees at the 2024 Latin Grammys

The winner of the best new artist category at the Latin Grammys this year is almost impossible to predict. The 10 nominees reflect a wide-ranging group of acts who are eclectic, offering a fresh breath of air in the Latin music scene.

From Mexican trio Latin Mafia, to girl band Darumas, Spanish phenomenon Íñigo Quintero and Colombian singer-songwriter Ela Taubert, to name a few of the contenders, the best new artist award is given to an artist who releases the first recording that establishes their public identity during the eligibility year, and “has not reached a prominent level of recognition at a regional level,” according to an official description by the Latin Recording Academy.

Elsewhere in the categories, the 2024 Latin Grammy nominations are led for a second consecutive year by Mexican hitmaker Edgar Barrera, who scored nine nods this year, including songwriter of the year and producer of the year. He is followed by superstars Karol G and Bad Bunny, who got eight mentions each.

On its 25th anniversary, the Latin Grammy Awards incorporated a new field of electronic music, and two new categories: best Latin electronic music performance, and best contemporary Mexican music album. For a full list of nominations, click here.

The three-hour telecast will be produced by TelevisaUnivision, and will air live on Univision, UniMás, Galavisión and ViX from the Kaseya Center in Miami beginning at 8 p.m. ET, preceded by a one-hour pre-show starting at 7 p.m.

Below, meet this year’s best new artist nominees (in no particular order):

07 Nov 2024

Jennifer Hudson Is Ready for the Holidays: ‘It’s Just a Beautiful Synergy in the Air’

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Jennifer Hudson is ready for the holiday season. The EGOT winner stars in Old Navy’s “Love is In the House” holiday campaign released last month and recently debuted her first-ever holiday album, The Gift of Love.

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The campaign features Hudson’s rendition of “Winter Wonderland,” from her holiday album. Hudson will kick off a four-city tour at The Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York, on Nov. 24.

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The tour stops at The Chicago Theatre in Hudson’s hometown on Dec. 13, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles on Dec. 18, and wraps at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas on Dec. 21 and 22.

The Gift of Love album will also be available for purchase at select Old Navy stores on the tour.

Jennifer Hudson x Old Navy Holiday Campaign

Jennifer Hudson x Old Navy Holiday Campaign

Old Navy

Old Navy’s “Love Is In the House” campaign spotlights the holiday style staples — from embellished and metallic denim to puffer coats, fleece zip-ups, festive sweaters and Jingle Jammies. The holiday ad features Hudson hosting a holiday party wearing Old Navy’s High-Rise Rockstar Jeans in Black Shine, Long Sleeve Sweetheart Velvet Top, and black faux-fur jacket — currently 40% off during Old Navy’s limited sale (the sale ends on Nov. 11).

Last week, Billboard caught up with Hudson to chat about Old Navy, her holiday album and all things festive.  

What do you love most about the holidays?

What got me most excited about this holiday season is the venture with Old Navy, the holiday album and to do a holiday commercial. My biggest goal is to add to everyone’s holiday traditions, that would be like the ultimate Christmas gift for me. I feel like Old Navy is a part of all of us. For me, growing up and seeing the Old Navy commercials and now having one? That’s insane! That’s the gift.

What took you so long to release a holiday album?

I could never figure out what songs to do! And I also wanted to really dedicate the time to it, and I feel like there was no better time than now. With the Jennifer Hudson Show, I feel like my family has expanded. Why not take my holiday family traditions and share it with the world? That’s why my album is called The Gift of Love. My son named the album. I love music and holiday carols and things like that and I’m like “where do I even begin to narrow the songs down?” I went around with that for a long time, and I finally dwindled it down to [15] songs.

How did you narrow down the songs?

I decided to make it really personal. ‘Oh Holly Night’ is my favorite holiday song, “Hallelujah” is why I wanted to do [the album] to begin with, it’s the heart of the album. My grandma used to love hearing “The Christmas Song,” I grew up listening to that so that had to be on the album. I can relate to all of the songs on the album in a personal way.

What are some of your favorite things to wear during the holiday season?   

Old Navy Jingle Jammies! I love stuff like that because we like to be [cuddled] up during the holiday season. It’s just the coziness, I love mushiness, fuzzy socks, or even fancy things like the Faux Fur Zip-Up Jacket that I wore in the Old Navy commercial, which I took home with me. We always do the glamour and the glitz, but what do you wear when you’re snuggled up by the fire, or when you’re at home? That’s the time when we get to relax and rest. It gets cozy. I’m from Chicago where it’s cold out, you want to be in the house and have your hot chocolate and all those things.

What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?

Being with family. Everyone is on one accord, it’s just a beautiful synergy in the air. I’m a big family person, so [the holidays are] a time when we all come together. There’s a song on my album [called] “Make It to Christmas.” Sometimes we spend all year working and the one time we get to be at home and be together is during the holiday season.

Do you like to host holiday parties?

Oh my goodness, yes! If you’re not into the holidays, by the time I get done with you, you will be! Especially having a kid and making sure there are gifts and different festivities for all the kids. We do ice skating, give out gifts, have holiday parties. We do a bunch a different festive things leading up to [Christmas].

How early do you start decorating?

I’m ready for my decorations right now. My tradition normally though is the lights are revealed right after Thanksgiving dinner, but now that I have a holiday album my holiday season officially started on Oct. 18, the day that I released my holiday album. I’ll call that ‘homecoming day,’ which will officially set off the holiday season. I started my Christmas music from that day forward.

Where do you plan to spend the holidays?

Right now I’m in LA, but like my song says, “I will make it home by Christmas.” I’ll make it [home to Chicago] in time for Christmas.

How early do you start decorating?

I’m ready for my decorations right now. My tradition normally though is the lights are revealed right after Thanksgiving dinner, but now that I have a holiday album my holiday season officially started Oct. 18, the day that I released my holiday album. I’ll call that “homecoming day,” which will officially set off the holiday season. I started my Christmas music from that day forward.

Where do you plan to spend the holidays?

Right now I’m in Los Angeles, but like my song says: “I will make it home by Christmas.” I’ll make it [home to Chicago] in time for Christmas.

I love the “spirit tunnel” that guests walk through on your show, where did the idea come from?

I may be the “Princess of Christmas” and the “Princess of Soul,” but I call myself the “Queen of Sprit.” The staff and crew are amazing they came up with that big, bright idea. I don’t know [how] they came up with it, maybe they concocted it knowing I love to celebrate everything and sing about anything. They were like “how about we put this concept together?” and now, when you come to the Jennifer Hudson Show we want you to know that you are loved and celebrated.

By the time you leave you should walk out in better spirits. What better way to hit them with the spirit tunnel then when you walk through the door? [The staff] even sings me down. They make every lyric personal to every guest. They have dance steps, I’m like when is rehearsal? That’s the energy that we have around and the environment I feel like everyone should have no matter where you are. It should be filled with love and celebration, and we should be lifting each other up. That’s why we call it the “happy place.” That’s the environment we’ve created.  

Watch Hudson’s Old Navy commercial below.

07 Nov 2024

shelter.film: Meet the Ukrainian Production Company Behind A$AP Rocky’s ‘Tailor Swif’ Video

At the end of the summer, A$AP Rocky released a music video that quickly took over the internet. The video for the song “Tailor Swif” was described as a surreal dream journey. However, anyone familiar with Soviet art, lifestyle, fashion, cinematography and aesthetics will notice many interesting references in the work. The video was filmed in Kyiv, Ukraine, just months before the war began. A particularly intriguing aspect is that the production company behind the video, shelter.film, is based in Kyiv. The company is co-founded and led by Albert Zurashvili, who is from Georgia. It’s even more notable that shelter.film now operates out of Georgia, continuing to work on numerous international projects.

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Recently, shelter.film received several prestigious awards for A$AP Rocky’s music video at the renowned Ciclope Festival. The project was among the winners in five categories, including the Grand Prix in the music video category.

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Billboard Georgia interviewed Albert Zurashvili, who shared insights about shelter.film and the experience working on A$AP Rocky’s “Tailor Swif” video. shelter.film was founded five years ago in Kyiv, with a vision established by Zurashvili. He explains that the talented professionals, who are now part of the shelter.film team, helped him bring this vision to life. Today, Gena Shevchenko and Marina Karmolit are his partners, and together they manage shelter.film. The company launched on April 1, a date that led many to believe it was a prank. “We were too busy launching the project to look at the dates,” says Zurashvili.

The core team at shelter.film consists of six members, and since its founding, it has grown into one of Ukraine’s most well-known production companies. Its international portfolio includes work for several leading brands, such as Chanel, Coca-Cola and Samsung. Now, shelter.film is operating worldwide with offices in Kyiv, Tbilisi and Brussels and is constantly exploring new horizons for their clients.

Despite its service-oriented business model, shelter.film is part of the creative industries, known for its innovative and artistic approach. In today’s advertising landscape, competition is incredibly fierce, with impressive videos being produced daily. Brands consistently launch creative campaigns that capture attention. Even in this competitive environment, shelter.film has carved out its own niche. A signature style runs through their work, showcasing that its creators treat advertising as a form of art. The shelter.film team aims to produce projects that leave a lasting impact on society.

“Shooting videos is generally not too complicated these days. But bringing it to storytelling within commercials with a high-end cinematography or just ripping eye-candy art is somewhat not as easy,” says Zurashvili.

According to him, the company strives to express its creativity. For shelter.film, the process is more than just completing tasks and delivering projects—it’s something that each team member truly enjoys.

“We are blessed to have the opportunity to get involved in socially impactful projects,” Zurashvili says. “We always support new names and evolving talents, as true progress in our industry lies in people, not just tools. Working in international markets these days, we are still getting top Ukrainian specialists involved in every project (physically or remotely) to keep those gems of people around and on track.”

As mentioned earlier, shelter.film has collaborated with many leading companies across various industries. Advertising projects, by their nature, consider numerous client briefs. When we asked how the shelter.film team manages to preserve the artistic value of each commercial video, Albert Zurashvili responded.

“It may sound tall, but we’re doing everything possible to avoid compromises,” he says. “We’re not overpromising but over delivering and never under budgeting. So we’re pretty straightforward about that — we can do it best within the budget line or not. No one wants failures, and we can foresee and avoid them. It’s not just a reputational risk – it’s actual damage for specialists and the image of the country on a global stage as a destination for films and celebrities. So we’re not choosing between commerce and art, I’d say. We’re creating commercial art.

“In recent decades, Ukraine has become a well-known destination for major brands and artists to film their best projects. For that to happen, service production companies collaborating with extremely skilled specialists have put years of sweat and passion into proving that this is the way to do it. After years of hard work and establishing the highest level of service in Eastern Europe, along with the most experienced crew, we started to see significant income for the country through all those worldwide projects. Many talented directors and other creative professionals are eager to bring their work to Ukraine or Georgia, as the level of achievement they attain and the excitement and involvement of the crews are just incredible.”

Marina Karmolit, Albert Zurashvili and Gena Shevchenko of shelter.film photographed for Billboard Georgia.

Marina Karmolit, Albert Zurashvili and Gena Shevchenko of shelter.film photographed for Billboard Georgia.

Ninutsa Kakabadze

Despite numerous high-budget commercials and various projects, one of shelter.film’s standout achievements is the A$AP Rocky music video. The concept for the video was developed by directors Vania Heymann and Gal Muggia, a duo renowned for their work with many stars of the global music scene, including Coldplay, as well as brands like Nike and Apple. Shelter.film has previously collaborated with these directors on various projects, including a Dua Lipa music video.

“It was a freestyle of developing and polishing the details of every scene on the go in a short-term and extra-confidential manner,” says Zurashvili. “Most of the crew coming to the set were unaware of who we were shooting for and were surprised when they arrived. A few weeks later, A$AP and his gang arrived in town, and we spent a few amazing days in Kyiv shooting this crazy project, doing all the tricks possible, and filming it on a Kodak 16mm camera. Working with film is always exciting, as you don’t see the final result until the material is developed and scanned. It was an unforgettable experience.

“No need to mention there were tons of negotiations that took us more than half a year of constant discussion, but it was definitely worth it. One of the highlights for us is that we involved an incredibly talented Ukrainian director of photography, Denys Lushchyk, in shooting this music video.”

In one of the scenes of A$AP Rocky’s music video, a famous scene from the 1977 film Mimino, by Georgian director Georgiy Daneliya, is brought to life. As Zurashvili explains, this decision was made by the directors. “It’s a fantastic reference from Georgiy Daneliya and I’m happy we have it there,” mentions Albert. According to him, A$AP Rocky was deeply involved during both the filming and post-production stages, and the entire team worked to a high professional standard.

For the shelter.film team, visual communication is an art form and a unique way of telling a story. This approach is consistent whether they are working on a commercial advertisement or a music video. “Every art form, even if it’s commercial, has a timestamp,” Zurashvili says. “All great stories should be told. Art is about freedom of expression. I appreciate any brands and artists brave enough to be on the cutting edge of history. The loudness of your voice brings power and responsibility to those who trust and follow you. Positive change can happen only where there is responsible, kind, and intelligent dialogue. As I said, we’re happy to have our role in it and always contribute with full responsibility.”

07 Nov 2024

iHeartMedia to Save $200M Annually Through Cost Cuts, Embrace of Technology

As iHeartMedia  deals with weak advertising trends and another round of layoffs, the country’s largest broadcast radio company will save $200 million in 2025 compared with 2024 and has renegotiated 80% of its long-term debt, the company revealed on Thursday (Nov. 7) in its third-quarter earnings release.  

The debt “exchange offers,” which are expected to close by the end of the year, will extend the majority of iHeartMedia’s debt maturities by three years, allow cash interest expense to “remain essentially flat,” and provide for “some overall debt reduction,” CEO Bob Pittman said during an earnings call. “The transaction support agreement marks an important step in our effort to optimize our balance sheet, and it provides the company with the flexibility to remain focused on iHeart’s transformation.”  

The disclosure about cost savings and revamped debt comes days after news broke that iHeartMedia had laid off dozens — hundreds, according to one report — of staffers from radio stations around the country. Pittman called the layoffs part of iHeartMedia’s “modernization journey” that will create a flatter organization, eliminate redundancies and make it easier to do business with the company. Those cuts add to three rounds of layoffs in 2020 as the radio business struggled with an advertising slump during the first year of the pandemic.  

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Throughout the earnings call, Pittman and CFO/COO Rich Bressler underscored the company’s embrace of technology to make improvements and cut costs. “Technology is the key to increasing our operating leverage and is a constant focus for us,” said Pittman. “It allows us to speed up processes, streamline legacy systems and it enables our folks to create more, better and faster.” Technology alone will reduce annual expenses by $150 million in 2025, he said, while measures taken earlier this year will bring the total annual savings to $200 million.

In explaining how iHeartMedia uses technology to save such a large sum of money, Pittman gave the example of expanding the reach of on-air talent. “What we’re able to do now, because we’ve got technology, is we can take talent we have in any location and put them on the air in another location,” he explained. “So it allows us to substantially upgrade the quality of our talent in every single market we’re in and allows us to project talent into the situations in which you’re going to have the best impact.” 

As for the financial performance, iHeartMedia’s third-quarter revenue increased 5.8% to $1.01 billion, meeting the company’s prior guidance of mid-single-digit growth. Excluding political revenue, revenue was up 2.0%. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), a common measure of operating profitability, was flat at $204 million and fell on the low end of the guidance range of $200 million to $220 million.  

At iHeartMedia’s multi-platform group, which includes broadcast stations and radio networks, revenue fell 1.1% to $619.5 million and adjusted EBITDA dipped 20.1% to $129.9 million. Broadcast revenue dropped 1.4% due to lower spot revenue but was helped by an increase in political advertising.  

The digital audio group, which includes podcasts and iHeartMedia’s digital service, saw its revenue jump 12.7% to $301 million and its adjusted EBITDA improve 6.8% to $100 million. Podcast revenue grew 11.1% to $114 million. Audio and media services revenue rose 45.3% to $90 million due to the political advertising spending for the recent national and local elections.

iHeartMedia’s Q3 2024 financial metrics: 

  • Revenue: up 5.8% to $1.01 billion 
  • Adjusted EBITDA: flat at $204 million 
  • Net loss: up 360% to $41.3 million 
  • Free cash flow: up 8.4% to $73.3 million