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02 May 2024

Crowder Digs Up New No. 1 on Christian Radio Charts With ‘Grave Robber’

Crowder crowns Billboard’s Christian Airplay and Christian AC Airplay charts, dated May 4, with “Grave Robber.” The song is his fifth and third leader on the lists, respectively. The single drew 5.8 million audience impressions among Christian Airplay reporting stations April 19-25, according to Luminate. It gained by 1% in plays among Christian AC Airplay panelists.

Crowder, a.k.a. David Crowder, from Texarkana, Texas, co-wrote the track with Ben Glover and Jeff Sojka, both of whom produced it.

Prior to “Grave Robber,” Crowder charted two holiday songs on Christian Airplay: his duet with Tommee Profitt, “Carol of the Bells,” hit No. 6 and “The Elf Song” reached No. 34, both in December. He boasts 12 career top 10s on the tally.

“In the House” became Crowder’s fourth Christian Airplay chart-topper in February 2022, dominating for five frames. It was preceded by “Good God Almighty,” which also led for five weeks starting in May 2021. “All My Hope,” featuring Tauren Wells, led for two frames in March 2018 and “Come as You Are” ruled for two weeks in March 2015.

On Christian AC Airplay, “Grave Robber” follows Crowder’s leaders “In the House” (four weeks at No. 1 beginning in February 2022) and “Good God Almighty” (five weeks starting in May 2021).

Crowder is set to perform at amphitheater The Caverns in Pelham, Tenn., with featured artist TAYA, of Hillsong United, on July 27. “Grave Robber” is expected to introduce his next LP. He boasts three No. 1s on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart: Milk & Honey, in 2021, American Prodigal (2016) and Neon Steeple (2014).

02 May 2024

Olivia Rodrigo ‘So Disappointed’ After Shows at Troubled Manchester Co-Op Live Venue Postponed

Olivia Rodrigo apologized to fans on Wednesday (May 1) after learning that her planned Friday night (May 3) show at Manchester‘s troubled new arena, Co-Op Live, had been postponed due to what the venue said are ongoing “technical issues”; Rodrigo’s second show on Saturday as part of the launch of the U.K. swing of her GUTS world tour has also been postponed.

“I’ve been having such a great time in Europe so far and I’m sooooo disappointed that we’re unable to perform in Manchester due to on-going venue-related technical issues,” Rodrigo said on her Instagram Story on Wednesday night. The singer said her team are doing their best to reschedule the shows, adding, “I’m so bummed and I really hope to see you all soon,” she told fans.

According to NME, just two days before the first Rodrigo show the venue announced that the dates had been pushed due to ongoing technical problems at the 23,500-capacity building. The arena was slated to officially open on April 23-24 with a pair of shows by comedian Peter Kay, but they were moved back to April 29-30 due to a failed power test after a half-capacity dry-run event with singer Rick Astley.

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In addition, a show by the Black Keys scheduled for April 27 was pushed to May 15 and the Kay shows were moved again (now slated for May 23-24), with Kay expressing his disappointment in an X post in which he wrote, ““My apologies once again but unfortunately the Co-op Live still isn’t ready and so, as yet, remains untested for a large-scale audience. Consequently, they are having to reschedule my two shows yet again (I know I can’t believe it either).”

The technical issues appear to be unresolved, with the venue announcing on Wednesday that a show by rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie was cancelled just 10 minutes after doors opened. “Due to a venue-related technical issue, tonight’s A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie show will no longer go ahead. We kindly ask fans to leave the area. Tickets holders will receive further information in due course,” read a statement.

Not long later, the venue announced that Rodrigo’s shows were also being pushed back. “Due to an on-going venue-related technical issue, the scheduled performances of Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS World Tour on 3rd and 4th May are being postponed. Ticket holders can either hold onto their tickets or obtain a refund at point of purchase,” read a statement.

After the latest setback with the Rodrigo shows, Manchester Evening News reported that a Co-Op Live spokesperson said the technical issue was related to part of an air conditioning unit falling from the rafters during soundcheck before the Boogie show; nobody was hurt in the incident according to reports.

“During soundcheck, a component of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, used to direct air, separated from the ductwork,” read a statement from a spokesperson for Oak View Group, the company backing the venue. “There was nobody injured. Although we believe this to be an isolated incident caused by a factory defect, we were not able to verify that all similar nozzles were free of such defects. In conjunction with wider stakeholders, Oak View Group has made the necessary call to ensure the full safety of all visitors to the venue, and to postpone the performance.”

“We understand the need to reassure fans over future shows. We are working with artist management and promoters to limit the impact on the opening season schedule,” the statement continued. “Where necessary, we will identify alternate dates, and will continually reassess to provide fans with sufficient notice regarding imminent shows. Should shows be cancelled or rescheduled, fans will be contacted by their point of purchase and offered a full refund where preferred. “

Oak View Group CEO/Chairman Tim Leiweke added, “The safety and security of all visiting and working on Co-op Live is our utmost priority, and we could not and will not run any event until it is absolutely safe to do so. Today was a very unexpected situation but without a doubt the right decision. I deeply apologize for the impact that this has had on ticket holders and fans.”

The venue — which at press time still listed the original Rodrigo dates on its site — has shows booked with Keane, Take That, Eric Clapton, Barry Manilow, Nicki Minaj and the Eagles scheduled through the end of the month, followed by planned gigs from the Smashing Pumpkins, Liam Gallagher, the Killers, Pearl Jam, Megan Thee Stallion, Justin Timberlake and Noah Kahan through mid-August.

The venue situated next to the Manchester City football pitch is the largest indoor arena in the U.K. and it is slated to host the 2024 MTV European Music Awards in November.

See statements from the venue below.

02 May 2024

Herb Alpert Award in the Arts Announces 2024 Recipients

Composer Huang Ruo and composer, saxophonist, and flautist Anna Webber are among 10 2024 recipients of the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts (HAAIA).

The awards were founded and conceived by legendary musician Herb Alpert and his wife, Grammy-winning vocalist Lani Hall. They are presented annually to 10 “risk-taking, mid-career artists” working in the fields of dance, film/video, music, theater and visual arts. 

Now in its 30th year, the HAAIA has to date been awarded to 174 artists. Each award consists of an unrestricted $75,000 cash prize and residency at CalArts (California Institute of the Arts), which has administered the prize on behalf of the Herb Alpert Foundation since 1994.

This year’s winners will be announced at a virtual event on Thursday May 2 at 2:00 p.m. PT.

This year’s eight other honorees are choreographers Jonathan González and Mariana Valencia; filmmaker Nuotama Bodomo and filmmaker and artist Lucy Raven; theater artist Robin Frohardt and interdisciplinary artist Cannupa Hanska Luger; and visual artists Marina Rosenfeld and Marie Watt.

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Among past HAAIA winners: Carrie Mae Weems, Taylor Mac, Suzan-Lori Parks, Julia Wolfe, Michelle Dorrance, Tania Bruguera, Kerry James Marshall, Lisa Kron, Sharon Lockhart, Ralph Lemon, Arthur Jafa, Cai Guo-Qiang, Okwui Okpokwasili and Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah.

Alpert and Hall created the Herb Alpert Foundation in 1985. It has reportedly given away more than $200 million dollars, making Alpert one of America’s most important and loyal advocates for the arts and arts education.

“The generosity of Herb and Lani is legendary, and their work supporting artists to take risks, through The Alpert Awards, has propelled artmaking in this country for decades, ” CalArts president Ravi Rajan said in a statement. “The list of past honorees is testament to how the award gives artists the space and time to create work that transforms the world.”

In addition to being a philanthropist, Alpert is a musician, record producer, former label executive, sculptor and painter.

Alpert and the Tijuana Brass were one of the hottest acts of the 1960s, with five No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200. Their 1965 smash “A Taste of Honey” won a Grammy for record of the year. As a soloist, Alpert has topped the Billboard Hot 100 with both vocal and instrumental hits – “This Guy’s in Love With You” (1968) and “Rise” (1979), respectively. He’s the only solo artist who has achieved that feat.

With his late partner Jerry Moss, Alpert co-founded A&M Records in 1962, turning it into one of the most successful independent record labels in history. The label was home to Sergio Mendes & the Brasil 66, Carpenters, Joe Cocker, Supertramp, The Police, Janet Jackson and dozens more successful acts. Here’s a list of A&M’s 50 biggest hits on the Hot 100 in the years it was owned by Alpert and Moss.

Alpert and Moss received a trustees award from the Recording Academy in 1997. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2012 Alpert was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Obama.

02 May 2024

The Deals: Stray Kids Label JYP Signs Licensing Pact With NetEase; TikTok Teams With CTS Eventim in Europe

Chinese music streaming service provider NetEase Cloud Music entered a licensing agreement with K-pop label JYP Entertainment, granting it the right to digitally distribute JYP’s catalog in China. JYP artists include J.Y. Park, TWICE, Stray Kids, BOY STORY, ITZY, Yao Chen and NMIXX.

TikTok announced a partnership with European ticketing provider CTS Eventim through which artists can now promote their live dates in their TikTok videos and sell tickets via the CTS Eventim platform. The feature is available to any certified artist on TikTok in Germany, with additional markets to follow.

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Warner Music South East Europe launched Balkan Electro, a new EDM-focused label, in collaboration with Ensis Records. Through the deal, Ensis artists can be distributed, upstreamed and marketed through the new label. Warner Music Poland will also collaborate to sign new local talent to Balkan Electro, which will additionally team with Amsterdam-based Spinnin’ Records and the dance-focused teams at Warner Music Central Europe and Warner Music France. The first releases on Balkan Electo are Prisko and TBX’s “Back to 95” (April 19), Melli’s “Losing My Mind” (April 26) and Kevin’s Palacios and Jordan’s Grace’s “Bright As You” (May 10).

The City of El Paso has approved a $30.9 million performance-based incentive agreement to support the creation of Notes Live‘s new $80 million, 12,500-capacity open-air amphitheater in El Paso, Tex., to be named the Sunset Amphitheater. According to a press release, the project will support more than 2,000 direct and indirect jobs with the potential to generate a $5.4 billion impact for the El Paso community. Construction is slated to begin in late 2024 with an opening set for early 2026.

Concert discovery app Songkick teamed up with Black music and culture ticketing and marketing company Shoobs in a deal that will see Songkick list and promote Shoobs events to its 155 million users via its app, website and eCRM. The partnership is designed to boost the visibility of Black culture events and performers including Afro Nation Portugal, Burna Boy and Piano People in the Park.

Ticketing company AXS acquired a majority stake in WRSTBND, a provider of access control, credentialing and point-of-sale solutions for live events and venues. WRSTBND will use the investment to grow its capabilities and offerings to clients while integrating AXS’ Mobile ID technology with WRSTBND’s ecosystem. “[WRSTBND’s] hardware and software technology combined with the scale of AXS’ premier festivals and live event clients, including Coachella, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest, and Hyde Park BST will create the most seamless and cutting-edge access and payment solutions available anywhere,” said AXS chief strategy officer Marc Ruxin in a statement.

Celebrity Coaches, which provides transportation and logistics for live events, acquired Nashville-based entertainment coach leasing company Moonstruck Leasing. The acquisition will add several luxury Prevost motorcoaches to Celebrity’s existing fleet. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO), an international performing rights organization, partnered with music recognition technology company Audoo to implement its Audoo Audio Meter in select public spaces and retail locations in urban areas across Ireland, with plans to expand it to all business types in the country. The partnership is designed to help promote a more accurate and transparent breakdown of royalty distributions to music creators by recognizing background music being played via Audoo Audio Meteres and reporting the data back to IMRO. Business owners in Ireland can request an Audoo Audio Meter free of charge.

Private equity firm PAI Partners acquired a majority stake in Audiotonix, which designs, engineers and manufactures professional audio mixing consoles, production software and ancillary products. Investment house Ardian (which acquired Audiotonix in March 2020) will retain a minority stake alongside Audiotonix management. The U.K.-headquartered Audiotonix specializes in designing, engineering and manufacturing products that help enable high sound quality for several formats, including concerts, theater shows and sporting events. Its products have been used on tours by artists including Coldplay and U2 as well as at the Super Bowl and Sphere in Las Vegas.

RoEx, a tech startup driving intelligent audio production tools, was awarded a 250,000 pound ($313,000) grant by national innovation agency Innovate UK as part of a funding competition called Creative Catalyst: AI in the Music Industry. The grant will support the research and development of RoEx’s new model, ProStyle, which will provide a platform for mix engineers to partner with RoEx to train a machine learning model that captures their individual mixing style, thereby allowing them to monetize their sonic identity. Through this, the goal is for musicians and creators to have the ability to mix tracks in the engineer’s style using ProStyle.

Full-service entertainment marketing company FlyteVu and Club CMO, a community of more than 1,500 chief marketing officers across 30 cities globally, struck a partnership through which FlyteVu will offer Club CMO members “backstage” access — both in-person and virtually — to FlyteVu-marketed sports, music and pop culture events. Through the partnership, Club CMO members will be offered a closer look at FlyteVu’s industry expertise and knowledge, which they can then take back to their own organizations.

02 May 2024

Former Nickelodeon Producer Dan Schneider Sues ‘Quiet on Set’ Makers For Defamation, Sex Abuse Implications

Former Nickelodeon producer/writer Dan Schneider fired back at the team behind the bombshell series Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV on Wednesday (May 1) in a lawsuit in which he alleged that the documentary series wrongly implied that he sexually abused the child actors he worked with.

According to the Associated Press, Schneider filed the defamation suit against Warner Bros. Discovery and other companies behind the investigative series in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming in the suit that the show’s trailer and episodes deliberately mixed and juxtaposed images and mentions of him with the criminal sexual abusers spotlighted in the show with the implication he was involved.

Former teenage actor Schneider (Head of the Class) split with Nickelodeon in 2018 after more than a decade at the center of some of the network’s most successful, star-making shows, including All That, The Amanda Show, Kenan & Kel and as executive producer of Zoey 101, iCarly and Victorious, with the latter three, respectively, launching the careers of Jamie Lynn Spears, Miranda Cosgrove and Jenette McCurdy and Victoria Justice and Ariana Grande.

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Schneider took center stage during many storylines in Quiet, which interviewed the casts and crews of several of Schneider’s most successful shows to describe how the sets he was responsible for often sexualized their young teen stars in a sometimes tense, toxic work environment some described as abusive. The series originally ran on the ID channel in March and is now available to stream on Max.

Among the bombshell revelations in the series that spotlighted descriptions of sexual abuse of child actors was the emotional commentary from Drake & Josh star Drake Bell, who described his grooming and sexual abuse by former childhood dialogue coach Brian Peck; Peck was convicted of sexually assaulting a Nickelodeon child actor (Bell) in 2004. In the third episode, Bell graphically recounts the abuse he suffered at Peck’s hands when he was 14- and 15-years-old.

Other former actors on Nickelodeon shows from the Schneider era also allege that they were rife with sexism, racism and inappropriate behavior involving underage stars and crew and alleged predatory behavior. The show suggests that Schneider’s shows tended to put young women in comedic situations with overt sexual implications, while depicting him as an angry and emotionally abusive boss, including specific allegations of sexual harassment and gender discrimination form women who worked as writers under him on All That.

Among the allegations are that he displayed pornography on his computer in their presence in the writers’ room and often asked for massages from female staffers with the implication that they could help get the women’s sketches on the shows, which he has denied.

According to the AP, the suit claims “Quiet on Set’s portrayal of Schneider is a hit job. While it is indisputable that two bona fide child sexual abusers worked on Nickelodeon shows, it is likewise indisputable that Schneider had no knowledge of their abuse, was not complicit in the abuse, condemned the abuse once it was discovered and, critically, was not a child sexual abuser himself.” In addition to Discovery — parent company of ID and Max — the suit names the show’s producers as well, Sony Pictures Television and Maxine Productions. The suit claims that the series and its trailer unjustly implicated Schneider in child sex abuse by showing pictures of him, some with his arm around young actresses, amid discussions of what they said were unsafe environments on his sets.

The series claims that kid actors were made to wear suggestive costumes and act in inappropriate sketches with clearly pornographic undertones. All That actor Leon Frierson talks about his superhero character, Captain Big Nose, who wore tights and underwear and a prosthetic nose with matching noses on his shoulders.

“You can’t help but notice that it looks like penises and testicles on my shoulders,” he says in the series, adding that one sketch included Captain Big Nose blasting a giant sneeze caused by his allergy to asteroids, with the punchline consisting of him shooting messy goo on the face of a young woman. “The joke in that sketch is effectively a cum shot joke. It’s a cum shot joke for children,” culture writer Schaachi Koul says in the premiere episode of the five-part series. “Looking back, it’s very strange. Frankly, it was just uncomfortable,” says Frierson, who also describes that getting close to “kingmaker” Schneider could result in another level of success for the young actors. “It was important to be on his good side, and he made it known who was on his good side,” he says.

Nickelodeon, which was not named in the suit, said in a statement in the series that it could not “corroborate or negate” the allegations from two decades ago, but that it investigates all formal complaints and has strict protocols for shows starring minors.

Schneider, 58, was not interviewed for the series, but issued a YouTube video apology after the show aired in which he said he was sorry for “past behaviors, some of which are embarrassing and that I regret.” The suit is seeking financial damages to be determined at trial for what it described as “the destruction of Schneider’s reputation and legacy” via “false statements and implications” as well as the editing and removals of portions of the series and trailers.

“Schneider will be the first to admit that some of what they said is true,” the lawsuit claims according to The Huffington Post. “At times, he was blind to the pain that some of his behaviors caused certain colleagues, subordinates, and cast members. He will regret and atone for this behavior the rest of his life. But one thing he is not — and the one thing that will forever mar his reputation and career both past and present — is a child sexual abuser.”

In a statement to HuffPo, Schneider said the series “highlighted mistakes I made and poor judgment I exhibited during my time at Nickelodeon. … There is no doubt that I was sometimes a bad leader. I am sincerely apologetic and regretful for that behavior, and I will continue to take accountability for it.”

Stories about sexual assault allegations can be traumatizing for survivors of sexual assault. If you or anyone you know needs support, you can reach out to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). The organization provides free, confidential support to sexual assault victims. Call RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) or visit the anti-sexual violence organization’s website for more information.

02 May 2024

Teskey Brothers Manager Jeremy Furze Wins Big at 2024 AAM Awards

Jeremy Furze was named as manager of the year at the 2024 AAM Awards in Sydney on Wednesday, May 1, recognition for his behind-the-scenes work guiding the Teskey Brothers’ stellar year.

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Furze collected the top honor at the third annual AAM Awards, following a stretch during which the Teskeys could do no wrong.

The Teskeys, Josh and Sam, hail from Warrandyte, Victoria, and had the touring world at their feet, selling 15,000 tickets in London, 12,000 tickets in Amsterdam, and 6,000 tickets in Los Angeles; their third studio album The Winding Way opened at No. 1 on the ARIA Chart; and the band won ARIA and Rolling Stone Awards. Just hours after the AAM Awards wrapped, another piece of silverware for the Teskeys, as they nabbed songwriters of the year at the 2024 APRA Music Awards.

Furze, founder of Applejack Music, is “an engaged member of the artist management community, recognizing the importance of mentorship and shared knowledge,” reads a statement from the Association of Artist Managers, the trade body that produces the annual awards. “He has mentored under the Co-Pilot program for the past two years and frequently opens his door to independent artists and managers for informal support and career consultation.”

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As festivals fall over, venues close and Australian artists struggle to impact the national sales charts, Furze told his peers from the stage, “We’re in a pretty deep crisis. It’s going to be up to all the people around this room to keep us on track in the next few years, and we need support ourselves…we’ve got to do it for each other.”

Other winners at the AAM Awards included Megan Rasmussen and Harry White (Future Classic) for breakthrough manager of the year; Kerry Kennell, chief of Kennell & Co, for community engagement award; Our Golden Friend’s Lorrae McKenna for the patron’s gift – an initiative of the late Michael McMartin; and Hayley-Jane Ayres, 360 Artist Logistics, who was the recipient of the APRA AMCOS Lighthouse Award, which includes a A$5,000 cash prize to support her business and professional pursuits.

As previously announced, Tame Impala manager Jodie Regan, founder of Spinning Top Music, scooped the Legacy Award. Presenting the award, Damien Trotter, managing director of Sony Music Publishing Australia, remarked that Regan, who is based in the remote Western Australia capital, Perth, led with “loyalty, trust and integrity,” and got about her work “without a hint of arrogance.”

AAM executive director Maggie Collins delivered the quote of the day when she told the house that AI “will never replace artist managers, because even robots wouldn’t want to do our job.” Collins also unveiled a touring initiative, “Michael’s Rule,” named after McMartin, that the management community hopes will give homegrown artists a much-needed lift.

Guest speakers at a packed Sydney Crowbar included John Graham special minister of state, minister for roads, minister for arts minister for music and the night-time economy, and minister for jobs and tourism; and performers included Folk Bitch Trio and Miss Kaninna.

The AAM represents over 300 active managers, who in turn represent over 1,000 artists in contemporary music.

2024 AAM Awards winners:

Manager of the Year (Presented by Oztix)
Jeremy Furze, Applejack Music

Breakthrough Manager of the Year (Presented by DMT Law Firm)
Megan Rasmussen and Harry White, Future Classic

Community Engagement Award (Presented by Live Event Logistics)
Kerry Kennell, Kennell & Co

Legacy Award (Presented by Sony Music Publishing)
Jodie Regan, Spinning Top Music

Patron’s Gift (Presented by AAM Patrons)
Lorrae McKenna, Our Golden Friend

APRA/AMCOS Lighthouse Award
Hayley-Jane Ayres, 360 Artist Logistics

02 May 2024

HYBE Revenue Falls Sharply, Gets Strong Debuts by TWS and ILLIT

K-pop giant HYBE posted its lowest total revenue in two years as its recorded music segment sank to its lowest level in seven quarters, the South Korean company announced Thursday (May 2). 

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HYBE had first quarter revenue of 360.9 billion won ($271.5 million), down 12.1% year over year and the lowest since posting 285 billion won ($214.4 million) in the first quarter of 2022. Operating profit fell precipitously to 14.4 billion won ($10.8 million), down 72.6% from the prior-year period. 

HYBE’s share price was barely affected by the slowest quarter in years. The share price initially rose 1.7% to 205,500 won ($149.23) but my midday had fallen to 201,500 ($146.33), down 0.2%. The stock is down 13.7% year to date, however, and fell 12.6% last week following news that HYBE will report the CEO of its ADOR imprint, Min Hee-jin, to the police for “breach of trust and other related allegations.”

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Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), a measure of profitability that strips out non-cash items, was 39.8 billion won ($29.9 million), down 45% year over year and the lowest since the first quarter of 2021. 

Concerts revenue of 44 billion won ($33.1 million) was up 74.5% year over year. Although that was the biggest year-over-year increase of any category, the first quarter of 2023 was abnormally slow. HYBE’s latest quarter was on par with 45.3 billion won ($34.1 million) of concert revenue in the fourth quarter of 2021, the first quarter the company had performances after COVID-19 restrictions shut down the touring industry. 

Recorded music, the company’s largest segment at 40.2% of total revenue, fell 21.3% to 145.1 billion won ($109.2 million). HYBE successfully debuted two new groups during the quarter. Sparkling Blue, the debut EP by PLEDIS Entertainment boy band TWS, sold 260,000 units in its first week for and accumulated 500,000 units in the first nine weeks of release. Girl group ILLIT’s EP, Super Real Me, released through BELIFT LAB, sold 380,000 units in its debut week and reached the 500,000-unit mark in just four weeks. The single “Magnetic” debuted at No. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in April. 

Merchandising and licensing fell 11.9% to 60.7 billion won ($45.7 million). Contents fared worse, dropping 29.8% to 61.1 billion won ($46 million). 

Weverse, HYBE’s social media platform, saw its monthly active users (MAUs) decline for the second quarter. After reaching a peak of 10.6 million MAUs in the third quarter of 2023, MAUs fell to 10.1 million in the fourth quarter and 9.2 million in the first quarter. Both average revenue per paying user and payment amount fell below levels reached in 2022 and 2023; HYBE does not provide specific numbers for either metric. 

02 May 2024

UMG and TikTok Strike Licensing Deal After Three-Month Standoff

Universal Music Group (UMG) and TikTok have struck a new licensing agreement which will soon bring UMG’s catalog of millions of sound recordings and songs back to TikTok after three months off the platform. Though it is unclear exactly when all of UMG’s catalog will return to the app, a press release about the new license says it will return in “due course” and the two companies are “working expeditiously” to return the music.

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UMG’s last license with TikTok expired at the end of January after negotiations soured between the two companies. UMG announced that its music would be pulled from the app starting Feb. 1 in a letter to its artists and songwriters, saying that TikTok refused to pay the “fair value” of music and that it had concerns about TikTok’s stance on AI and artist safety.

Eventually, over the course of February, millions of sound recordings and compositions in the UMG catalog were removed from TikTok, which has been known as perhaps the most effective artist promotion and marketing platform of the 2020s. This included the removal of superstars like Taylor Swift, BTS, Drake, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey, Billie Eilish, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber, Karol G and Post Malone. Its impact stretched even wider when UMG’s publishing interests were also removed from TikTok, which included many recordings released by other record companies.

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According to a press release about their new deal, UMG and TikTok will now enter a “new era of strategic collaboration” and that the deal “improves remuneration for UMG’s and artists, new promotional and engagement opportunities for their recordings and songs and industry-leading protections with respect to generative AI.”

The two companies will now collaborate to realize more monetization opportunities within TikTok’s ecommerce services, which the short-form video app has been leaning into in recent months, particularly with the launch of TikTok Shop. TikTok will also invest “significant resources into building artist-centric tools.” This will include integrating ticketing capabilities and better data and analytics.

To address UMG’s concerns about AI and artist safety, the press release says the app will strengthen safety for artists and fans and that the two companies will work together to remove unauthorized AI-generated music from the platform. Since the anonymous TikTok user Ghostwriter used the platform to release his song “Heart On My Sleeve” last year, which featured the AI voices of Drake and the Weeknd, TikTok has been a destination for AI voice parody songs, including one particularly popular original sound that paired an AI Lana Del Rey’s voice with Mitski’s “My Love Mine All Mine.”

TikTok will also “improve artist and songwriter attribution” as part of the deal, which will ultimately help UMG’s talent get paid for uses on the platform.

Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO, Universal Music Group, says of the deal: “This new chapter in our relationship with TikTok focuses on the value of music, the primacy of human artistry and the welfare of the creative community. We look forward to collaborating with the team at TikTok to further the interests of our artists and songwriters and drive innovation in fan engagement while advancing social music monetization.”

Shou Chew, CEO of TikTok, adds: “Music is an integral part of the TikTok ecosystem and we are pleased to have found a path forward with Universal Music Group. We are committed to working together to drive value, discovery and promotion for all of UMG’s amazing artists and songwriters, and deepen their ability to grow, connect and engage with the TikTok community.”

Ole Obermann, TikTok’s Global Head of Music Business Development, said: “We are delighted to welcome UMG and UMPG back to TikTok. We look forward to working together to forge a path that creates deeper connections between artists, creators, and fans. In particular, we will work together to make sure that AI tools are developed responsibly to enable a new era of musical creativity and fan engagement while protecting human creativity”. 

Michael Nash, Chief Digital Officer and EVP, Universal Music Group said:“Developing transformational partnerships with important innovators is critical to UMG’s commitment to promoting an environment in which artists and songwriters prosper. We’re gratified to renew our relationship with TikTok predicated on significant advancements in commercial and marketing opportunities as well as protections provided to our industry-leading roster on their platform. With the constantly evolving ways that social interaction, fan engagement, music discovery and artistic ingenuity converge on TikTok, we see great potential in our collaboration going forward.”

01 May 2024

Troye Sivan, Dean Lewis, Teskey Brothers Win Big at 2024 APRA Music Awards

Troye Sivan scooped song of the year at the 2024 APRA Music Awards, held Wednesday, May 1 at ICC Sydney.

The Australian pop artist nabbed the peer-voted category, the top honor at the APRAs, for “Rush,” co-written with Styalz Fuego, and lifted from Sivan’s third studio album Something to Give Each Other, which bowed at No. 1 on the ARIA Chart in October 2023.

Fuego was on hand to receive the ring-shaped award, the final presented on the night.

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“As a creative when I work with an artist that I’m already a fan of, I think like ‘don’t f— this us.’ It’s always like, I imagine this song could ruin their career,” he remarked. “I’m so happy that with Troye we did something that people ended up loving.”

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Sivan has been in sparkling form at awards ceremonies, dominating the 2023 ARIAs with four wins, and landing a Grammy nomination with “Rush” (best pop dance recording). Sivan (2017) and Fuego (2013) are both former recipients of the APRA breakthrough songwriter of the year category.

Meanwhile, blues act The Teskey Brothers snagged songwriter of the year, following the release of their ARIA No. 1 album The Winding Way, adding to a collection that includes ARIA Awards and a Rolling Stone Australia Award, won earlier this year for best record. The coveted prize is decided by the APRA board of writer and publisher directors.

Singer and songwriter Dean Lewis doubled up with APRAs for “How Do I Say Goodbye,” a tear-jerker that captures his shock after learning of his dad’s cancer diagnosis. “Goodbye” won for most performed Australian work and most performed pop work, lifting his all-time APRAs tally to six. During his taped acceptance speeches, Lewis gave a shoutout to the “great Mike Taylor,” the former chief of Island Records Australia who died in January following a battle with cancer, aged 54. “Goodbye” was the last song they worked on together, Lewis explained.

Other winners at the APRAs included grentperez, the inaugural recipient of the emerging songwriter of the year award; Parkway Drive for the inaugural most performed hard rock/heavy metal work category; ONEFOUR for most performed hip hop / rap work; Sia, landing most performed Australian work overseas for the fifth time; and Taylor Swift for international work of the year.

One of the highlights of the night was the presentation of the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music to Bart Willoughby, singer, songwriter and drummer with pioneering Indigenous rock band No Fixed Address. Long-time friends Stephen Pigram and Don Walker of Cold Chisel did the honors.

The 2024 edition of the APRAs “was a memorable night where we honored several first-time winners as well as established national treasures, including the extraordinary Bart Willoughby,” comments APRA AMCOS CEO Dean Ormston.

“In recognizing the incredible talent in Australia’s music landscape, it’s important to acknowledge that as an organisation that champions gender diversity through advocacy, funding and creative opportunities, there’s more to do to address the disparity in the industry of male to women, non-binary and gender diverse award winners.” He continues, “We must continually question the absence of diversity in every facet of the industry—whether in rooms, executive offices, on stages, or across airwaves and streaming platforms—and commit to amplifying the entirety of Australia’s musical brilliance.”

Established in 1982, the Australasian Performing Right Association’s annual songwriters’ ceremony is one of the Australian music industry’s most treasured events, a worthy counterpart to Britain’s Ivor Novello Awards.

Full list of 2024 APRA Music Awards winners:

Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year
Title:               Rush
Artist:              Troye Sivan
Writers:           Troye Sivan / Styalz Fuego* / Alex Chapman^ / Kevin Hickey^ /
                        Brett McLaughlin~ / Adam Novodor~
Publishers:      Universal/MCA Music Publishing / Universal Music Publishing* /
                        Kobalt Music Publishing^ / Sony Music Publishing~

Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music
Bart Willoughby

Songwriter of the Year 
The Teskey Brothers
Writers:           Josh Teskey / Sam Teskey
Publishers:      Mushroom Music obo Ivy League Music      

Emerging Songwriter of the Year
Writer:            grentperez
Publisher:        Mushroom Music

Most Performed Australian Work 
Title:               How Do I Say Goodbye
Artist:              Dean Lewis
Writers:           Dean Lewis / Jon Hume*
Publishers:      Kobalt Music Publishing / Concord ANZ*

Most Performed Alternative Work
Title:               Daylight
Artist:               Birds of Tokyo
Writers:            Ian Berney / Ian Kenny / Glenn Sarangapany / Adam Spark / Adam Weston
Publisher:        Mushroom Music

Most Performed Blues & Roots Work 
Title:               Dancing in the Dark
Artist:               Ziggy Alberts
Writer:              Ziggy Alberts
Publisher:        Kobalt Music Publishing

Most Performed Country Work 
Title:               Summer Nights
Artist:               Casey Barnes
Writers:            Casey Barnes / Michael De Lorenzis / Michael Paynter
Publisher:        Mushroom Music

Most Performed Dance/Electronic Work 
Title: Never Let You Go
Artist:               Jason Derulo & Shouse
Writers:            Jack Madin* / Edward Service* / Sean Congues / Jason Desrouleaux^
Publishers:      ONELOVE Publishing* / Sentric Music Publishing / 
                        Universal Music Publishing^

Most Performed Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Work 
Title:               Darker Still
Artist:               Parkway Drive
Writers:            Benjamin Gordon* / Luke Kilpatrick* / Jeffrey Ling* / Winston McCall* /
                        George Hadjichristou
Publisher:        Kobalt Music Publishing*

Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work
Title:               COMMA’S
Artist:               ONEFOUR ft. CG
Writers:            Spencer Magalogo* / Jerome Misa* / Salec Su’a* / Bailey Pickles /
                        Chandler Hammond / Hugo Hui / Caleb Tiedemann
Publisher:        Sony Music Publishing*

Most Performed Pop Work 
Title: How Do I Say Goodbye
Artist:               Dean Lewis
Writers:            Dean Lewis / Jon Hume*
Publishers:       Kobalt Music Publishing / Concord ANZ*

Most Performed R&B / Soul Work 
Title:               Cinderella
Artist:               JKING
Writer:             Jordan Samatua          

Most Performed Rock Work 
Title:               Good Time
Artist:               Polish Club
Writers:            David Novak / John-Henry Pajak / Robby De Sa
Publisher:        Sony Music Publishing

Most Performed Australian Work Overseas
Title:               Unstoppable
Artist:               Sia
Writer:              Sia Furler / Christopher Braide*
Publishers:       Sony Music Publishing / Concord ANZ* 

Licensee of the Year
Australian Calisthenic Federation Inc

Most Performed International Work 
Title:               Anti-Hero
Artist:               Taylor Swift
Writers:            Taylor Swift / Jack Antonoff*
Publishers:       Universal/MCA Music Publishing / Sony Music Publishing*

01 May 2024

Check Out This New Teaser Clip For ‘FROM’ Season 3

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Los Angeles Special Screening of MGM+ FROM - Season 2

FROM made its debut in 2022, inviting viewers into the mysteries surrounding the Township and its trapped residents. The series was renewed for a third season last summer and now, the first teaser clip for FROM has emerged and reveals more chills and thrills to come.

FROM stars Harold Perrineau, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Eion Bailey Hannah Cheramy and more as it returns to the MGM+ platform after initially debuting on the Epix network. Perrineau plays the character of Boyd Stevens, the self-appointed sheriff and leader of the Township who devotes his life to protecting its inhabitants from the ghastly horrors of the night.

TV Line has more in its reporting on the teaser clip:

The series “unravels the mystery of a nightmarish town that traps all those who enter,” reads the official synopsis. “As the unwilling residents fight to keep a sense of normalcy and search for a way out, they must also survive the threats of the surrounding forest – including the terrifying creatures that come out when the sun goes down.”

We already know that the BLACK WATCH homies over at CASSIUS are hip to FROM and we expect the crew will be suggesting this series as well. Season 2 ended on an explosive cliffhanger and while we’re being vague, this show has to be absorbed from front to back to truly capture the moment. Yes, there are some bone-chilling scenes but the deeper story is worth the scares.

Check out the teaser clip below. The series will return this fall.



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Photo: Eric Charbonneau / Getty