State Champ Radio Author: djfrosty
Page: 448
SACEM collected a record 1.6 billion euros ($1.73 billion) in 2024, up 7.7% from 2023, the French organization announced this week, fueled largely by international expansion. In France, SACEM collected 852 million euros ($922 million, based on the average annual conversion rate for 2024), up about 2%. Internationally, though, it took in 749 million euros ($811), a gain of 15%. That means that almost half of SACEM’s revenue is international, which is significant for a CMO in a market with a strong national repertoire. Royalty distributions were up 12%, to 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion).
For SACEM, like other big European CMOs, it’s a whole new world, thanks to the ability to represent online rights across much of the world (although not the U.S.). As general music business growth slows, mostly due to streaming subscription saturation in big markets, this has allowed SACEM to continue to grow by signing deals with publishers and other CMOs.
Trending on Billboard
“The strategy we’ve developed over the last years is to convince publishers and other CMOs to join forces with us to be able to better deal with platforms, not from an equal position but one that’s more balanced, and to invest in tools that benefit everyone,” SACEM CEO Cécile Rap-Veber told Billboard at the Music Biz Conference in Atlanta, where she also did a keynote interview. “We’ve secured new mandates to represent more repertoire, so we can take in more money and reduce our costs.”
For most of the history of SACEM, which has operated since the 1850s, before any of its peer societies, the organization did most of its business in France. CMOs remitted money to other CMOs, but the European organizations did not really compete with one another. That changes with a 2014 European Union Directive that generally allowed CMOs to maintain their national monopolies but also to compete for online rights. Competition in the decade since allowed two giant “licensing hubs” to emerge: SACEM and ICE, a joint venture of PRS for Music (the UK CMO), GEMA (the German one) and STIM (Swedish). While direct comparisons are difficult because of the way the different organizations report their results, SACEM has become either the biggest CMO outside the U.S. (based on royalties it collects and distributes) or the biggest in the world (based on the total amount of money it takes in, some of which it passes directly to other organizations for them to distribute).
SACEM now represents 510,000 songwriters and rightsholders worldwide, in 180 territories. Its international royalties, almost all online, have grown 29% since 2023. It signed 16 new deals – mandates is the term used – this year, in addition to the 70 it already had, including with Universal Music Publishing, ASCAP, the Canadian CMO SOCAN, and the Korean CMP KOMCA.
Rap-Veber’s strategy is that this kind of expansion creates a virtuous circle: Increased scale leads to increased revenue, which allows for increased investment, which in turn leads to further increases in scale. That scale also allows for wider scaring of costs, which lets rightsholders take a higher percentage of the money SACEM collects.
The industrywide slowdown in growth is intensifying competition among societies, as limited natural growth means expansion must come from international markets, or at the expense of peer organizations. As fears of economic contraction grow in Europe and the U.S., it is hard to imagine national growth that’s significantly higher than inflation on a sustained basis. That puts the focus on other markets, where the larger international societies can compete. “We have direct license deals now in India, Vietnam and the Philippines,” Rap-Veber says. “With almost 80 partners, we have the weight to be an international player, with more penetration in more countries.”
As SACEM expands globally, it continues to prioritize local cultural investment in France, where it follows a dedicated cultural strategy. With the money it took in from the blank media levy — a copyright fee charged on blank media and computer memory — it put aside 20 million euros ($22 million) for 3,600 cultural projects in France, including 478 festivals and 185 venues.
Post Malone has been tapped to headline the 2025 Cattle Baron’s Ball, the world’s largest single-night fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. According to a release, the reveal of Posty’s performance at the 52nd annual event was made on Wednesday night (May 14) during the Trailblazers and Headliner Reveal Party. This year’s Ball will take […]
For the past decade, Maren Morris has been one of the most recognizable names in country music — with award-winning albums, a really striking voice and presence and some of the best and biggest singles the genre has produced in recent years. And over that time, she’s also made high-profile forays into the top 40 […]
What began in 2014 as a beautiful Instagram moment in the Mojave Desert with thousands of biodegradable lanterns launching in unison in the night sky will this year transform into a full-scale music festival with major acts.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Taking place Oct. 3-5, Rise Festival will feature headliners Rüfüs du Sol on Friday, Calvin Harris on Saturday and John Mayer on Sunday. Other artists on the bill include Ben Böhmer, Coco & Breezy, Goose and LP Giobbi.
Rise Festival will happen at the Jean Dry Lake Bed about 40 minutes southwest of Las Vegas. Organizers expect around 20,000 people per day at the event, which brands itself as “the world’s largest sky lantern festival.” Ticket packages go on sale Friday (May 16) via the festival’s website.
Trending on Billboard
The independently produced and promoted festival took a break in 2024 and in 2025 hired a new CEO, David Oehm, who previously worked with Las Vegas festival Life Is Beautiful and who laid plans for a significant expansion.
Joining Oehm is Rise president and COO Ashley Goodhue-White, who was also part of Life Is Beautiful in its early years and who later left to pursue her own production company. In 2015, Rise was one of her first clients. She rejoined the festival this year after a stint with Las Vegas Grand Prix. In 2024, Rise was acquired by NobleLight Foundation, a nonprofit that supports entrepreneurs focused on positive socioeconomic and environmental change, and converted into a nonprofit charitable event meant to “bring more light into the world.”
“Each night has a unique musical point of view,” Oehm says. “We wanted to find acts aligned with our brand ethos and overall identity: joyful, elevating, cinematic, atmospheric, emotional. Our headliners and everyone else down the lineup reflect that. Every artist we’ve spoken with has been surprised by the concept — there is nothing like it — and seeing visuals where we’ve got thousands of sky lanterns [launching in unison].”
Their work assembling the lineup results in 17 artists across electronic, indie, folk and experimental genres, and a new site footprint encompassing three experiences. The Path, a desert lounge with seating meant to be a transition space, weaves within an open art gallery. It’s a space to chill, meditate and appreciate the scenery.
“Rise is not just another music festival,” says Goodhue-White. “There’s so much powerful meaning behind it, and it is a space for everyone. We want people to get out of their cars, stop scrolling on their phones and be immersed — take in the desert around them.”
The Compass hosts the sky lantern release twice per night. Here, “there are 6,500 torches, perfectly spaced, surrounded by food and beverage options,” Goodhue-White says. When festivalgoers arrive, they get a kit with a cushion, an instruction card, a pen and two lanterns. When ready, they pick out the torch they want — closer to the stage or farther away. Most people personalize their lanterns with messages. Then the staff lights the torches and everyone releases lanterns at the same time.
“After a few acts perform on The Compass stage, the lanterns are released and we refer to that as the ‘world’s largest collaborative art installation.’ People are releasing their hopes and their dreams. You sit there with thousands of other people and have a moment together,” she says.
Then, guests go from The Compass to the new Horizon Stage, where the headliners and other acts perform. Gates open daily at 3 p.m., and Rise wraps up by midnight.
“Rise has always been the largest event at the Lake Bed,” Goodhue-White says. “We work closely with the Bureau of Land Management, Metro and Clark County Fire. We partner with Leave No Trace and leave the area better than we found it every year — everything we bring, we remove.”
See the complete lineup below.
Rise Festival
Courtesy Photo
Billboard Japan’s Women in Music initiative launched in 2022 to celebrate artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to music and inspired other women through their work, in the same spirit as Billboard’s annual Women in Music honors since 2007. This interview series featuring female players in the Japanese entertainment industry is one of the highlights of Japan’s WIM project.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Rena Yamazaki chatted with writer Rio Hirai in the latest installment of the series. The former idol group member continues to express her thoughts on society and culture through her regular TOKYO FM radio show “Rena Yamazaki’s Things I Wanted to Talk to Someone About” and her writing. The 27-year-old shared her feelings about moving from being an idol performer to working in the world of journalism, the possibilities for women’s careers, and the importance of speaking out.
What changes have you felt compared to when you used to be an idol performer?
Trending on Billboard
The biggest change is that I’ve started to be involved in news programs. I appeared in a special program on the Upper House elections in the summer of 2022, just before I graduated from the group, and since then I’ve been invited to appear on shows like Sunday Japon, Wake Up, Mr. Sunday and ABEMA Prime. I was interested in politics and the economy since when I was an idol, but never had a chance to talk about them. Now I’m being asked for my opinion more and feel that’s a big change.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a radio personality?
It’s a place where I can take time to convey my thoughts in my own words. I also like how I can get close to my listeners and hear all sorts of stories through the messages I receive. Unlike TV, there’s the difficulty of trying to convey things using only your voice and words without relying on visuals, but that’s also part of the appeal.
Is there any difference in your stance towards work between your idol days and now?
When I was an idol, my stance was to do my best within the role I was given. But now, I think about the way I work and have more opportunities to express my own opinion, so I’ve become more proactive. That means I have more responsibility, but the pressure is a good stimulus.
It’s unusual for former idols to go into journalism. What do you think about the second careers of other idols?
Everyone has their own path to take after graduating from being an idol, but many of them go on to become actresses. Even when I was still in the group, I liked studying things of all genres and using words to communicate, and also had opportunities to appear on TV shows, so I wanted to continue doing work that made use of my intellectual curiosity. That’s why I chose to go into radio and writing.
How did you feel when you were first tapped to be a TV commentator?
I was surprised at first, because I never thought I’d be offered a role in a special program covering the results of the Upper House elections. My management team at the time asked me, “We’ve been offered this, what do you think?” and I thought, “It’d be a challenge worth taking on.” I asked them their decision and they said, “We think it’d be good for your career and a good learning experience,” so I was able to make up my mind to give it my best.
Were you always interested in politics and social issues?
I studied media theory and writing techniques at university, and was also interested in politics and economics. I had friends who went into journalism, and I also regularly read newspapers and online articles. But I never intended to make it my career. Once I started working in the field, though, I felt I needed to study more, so I started reading books and talking to experts.
Has anything surprised you while working in the media?
That what I say has more influence than I thought. Even casual comments can be spread on social media and misunderstood, or even lead to slander. I try to choose my words carefully more than ever before.
When celebrities speak out about politics, they’re often criticized. What do you think about that?
Well, it’s true that when I talk about politics, people sometimes say things like, “You’re a smart-aleck” or “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” But I also think that if I don’t say anything, nothing will change. In fact, it feels like when young women talk about politics, they’re met with stronger opposition than when men do so. For example, when a man in his sixties talks about the same thing, he’s seen as calm and logical, but when a woman in her twenties talks about it, she’s seen as arrogant or trying to act mature.
That’s why I think it’s important to keep speaking out. My views may not always agree with those of viewers and may say something wrong at times, but if I keep quiet, people will end up thinking that young people don’t care about politics. I want to show that there are people who do care and think about it.
In today’s age of social media, what are your thoughts on how information should be disseminated?
Anyone can freely express their opinions nowadays, but I feel that this also means people have a greater responsibility for what they say. In particular, in the world of journalism, what you say can be taken out of context and misinterpreted, so I’ve become more careful about the words I choose.
Extreme opinions tend to spread easily on social media, and it can be hard to have calm discussions. In this context, I think it’s important to make your position clear, but also to offer constructive opinions rather than fueling confrontation. That’s why I try to say “I don’t know” when I don’t understand something, and want to keep being open to listening carefully to what experts have to say.
What do you think is necessary for women’s opinions to be heard?
First of all, I think it’s important to have more opportunities to speak out. I also think that we need to create an environment where women don’t feel afraid to speak out, but rather feel that it’s natural to do so. My ideal is to have a society where people who believe women’s opinions should be equally respected become the majority.
What do you think is necessary for idols and female celebrities to have lasting careers?
I think it’s particularly true in the idol industry that it’s hard for women to have long-lasting careers. It’s easy for “youth” to become part of their value, and in some cases, the range of their activities narrows as they get older. That’s why, when I was still an idol, I wanted to find other work that I could do. That’s how I was able to take the first step into fields like radio and writing, which aren’t restricted by age. What would be ideal is an environment where it’d be easy to return after leaving once, and where women could build up their careers more freely.
What do you think is necessary to make it easier for women to play a more active role in the entertainment industry?
I think it’s important to create a better environment for mental health care. More entertainment agencies are providing access to mental health counselors now, but I feel that there’s still a lack of awareness of the importance of mental health care.
When did you first become aware of the importance of mental health care?
When I was in university. At the time, I found it hard to balance my idol activities with my studies, so I sometimes went to a mental health clinic. Many people feel uncomfortable about seeking this kind of support, but from my own experience, I think it’s necessary to protect yourself.
What would you like to try in the future? And is there anything you want to share with our readers?
I’m planning on publishing two books this year, and currently preparing for that. I also want to continue doing what I’ve been doing as long as possible. I want to tell all my listeners to take care of their bodies and minds. Ultimately, only you can protect yourself. I hope that you’ll remember to take care of yourself, with support from the people around you.
This interview by Rio Hirai (SOW SWEET PUBLISHING) first appeared on Billboard Japan
Charli xcx is a party of one in her new music video for “Party 4 U,” which finds the star revisiting a fan-favorite track from 2020 while spending a day by herself in the middle of nowhere before things get wildly out of control. In the visual released Thursday (May 15) — the five-year anniversary […]
Miley Cyrus is headed to the big screen. On Thursday (May 15), the pop star announced that the accompanying film to her upcoming visual album, Something Beautiful, is coming to theaters for one night only, releasing a new trailer featuring her boyfriend, drummer Maxx Morando. In the preview posted to Instagram, Cyrus appears in various […]
Source: JEWEL SAMAD / Getty
A federal judge has taken control of the Rikers Island correctional facility out of New York City’s hands, ordering that an outside “remediation manager” take over the duties of overseeing the jail complex plagued with instances of violence and inmate deaths. U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain made the ruling in a 77-page decision, calling for a “support remediation of the ongoing violations of the constitutional rights of people in custody in the New York City jails.”“While the necessary changes will take some time, the Court expects to see continual progress toward these goals so that control of use of force and related policies and practices can be returned to the City and the DOC as quickly as possible,” Judge Swain wrote. The ruling dictates that a list of candidates for remediation managers be compiled by parties in the case of Nunez v. City of New York by August 29. The manager will be given “broad powers,” which include hiring or firing staff and making changes to the policies of the Correction Department.“We commend the court for taking this bold and necessary step. The people we serve deserve real accountability, and today’s decision brings us one step closer to justice,” attorneys Mary Lynne Werlwas and Debra Greenberger said in a statement. The lawyers are representing the plaintiff in a class action suit against the city over the condition of Rikers, which was first filed in 2012. “The remediation manager must do everything possible to hasten the day we shift to more humane, more efficient borough-based jails and secure hospital beds,” Independent Rikers Commission executive director Zachary Katznelson said in a statement. “That’s how we can truly deliver safety and dignity for correctional staff, incarcerated people and crime victims.”Riker’s island has been under oversight by a monitor appointed by the City Council since 2015 due to alleged abuses in the complex. In 2019, the Council voted to close Rikers and replace it with smaller jails based in the city’s five boroughs by 2027. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has expressed his doubts about meeting that timeline, however, and has proposed building additional housing on the earmarked sites instead. “The problems on Rikers were decades in the making. If a federal judge made a determination that we did something they didn’t like, then we are going to follow the rules,” he said to the press after the ruling.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Slick Rick has not released a full-length project in over 26 years, and that will soon change this summer. Partnering with Idris Elba, Slick Rick is slated to release his visual album Victory this summer via Elba’s 7Wallace label and Nas‘ Mass Appeal Records.
Slick Rick, long considered Hip-Hop’s most masterful storyteller, will deliver Victory this June. As we see in the trailer for the project, the artist, real name Ricky Walters, constructed the album over four years and recorded in Europe, Africa, and North America. Rick’s suave voice can be heard explaining the value of songwriting and poetry, reminding viewers that before films, words were how pictures were painted.
Victory serves as Slick Rick’s fifth studio album, last releasing his gold-selling album, The Art of Storytelling, in 1999. Rick and Elba are the executive producers for the album, with special appearances from Nas, Giggs, and Estelle.
“Victory is all about perseverance, storytelling, imagination and evolution. A visual blend of art and heart — a sonic journey that reflects where I’ve been and where I’m going. Victory isn’t just music — it’s a bold in your face statement, showcasing British artistry at its finest!” Rick shared in a statment.
Elba adds, “Working with Slick Rick… back home in the UK, and then offering the world of hip hop something amazing has been a blessing. It’s literally a gift!”
Mass Appeal co-founder Nas also shared a statement.
“Slick Rick and I have a long history of working together so it was great to get back in the studio with him to create this new record. He has been such an influential figure in Hip Hop culture and I look forward to him sharing this project with the next generation of fans,” shared the Queensbridge MC.
Victory clocks in at 30 minutes and is directed by Meji Alabi, who worked with Beyoncé on her Black Is King project. The project carries the bold, creative visions of both Rick and Elba, who, beyond acting, released music previously and is an active DJ, among Elba’s other talents.
The powerhouse affair features longtime studio engineer Young Guru, who mixed the project, and photography was provided by Jonathan Mannion. Victory will see a world premiere at SXS7 London at Shoreditch Town Hall on June 7, followed by a special session with Slick Rick, Idris Elba, and Meji Alabi.
Victory will make its debut in the States on June 13 at the SVA 1 Theater during the Tribeca Festival, which will have a Q&A session with Slick Rick. That same day, Victory will be available on DSPs and for purchase.
To purchase tickets for the SXSW London showing, click here. For the Tribeca Festival showing, click here.
—
Photo: Jonathan Mannion
HipHopWired Featured Video
Megan Thee Stallion’s attorney, Alex Spiro, has replied to claims from Tory Lanez’s legal team regarding what they claim is new evidence in the 2020 shooting case that allegedly proves his innocence.
Spiro released a statement on Wednesday (May 14), shutting down the new claims surrounding the case.
“Tory Lanez was tried and convicted by a jury of his peers and his case was properly adjudicated through the court system,” Spiro said in a statement to XXL. “This is not a political matter — this is a case of a violent assault that was resolved in the court of law.”
The statement came in response to Unite the People’s lead consultant, Walter Roberts, who hosted a press conference on Wednesday regarding Lanez, who is listed as an advisory member on the organization’s website, and the 2020 shooting case.
Trending on Billboard
Roberts claimed that he acquired new evidence in the case proving Lanez’s innocence. He said he was approached by Bradley James, who claimed to be Megan Thee Stallion’s friend, Kelsey Harris’ bodyguard, on the night of the July 2020 shooting. Roberts added that James allegedly overheard a conversation in which Harris admitted to having the gun during the shooting, and that according to James, Lanez did not shoot anyone.
Billboard has reached out to Megan Thee Stallion’s rep and Unite the People for comment.
Lanez was convicted on three felony counts of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the feet following an argument outside a July 2020 party in Hollywood Hills. According to prosecutors, Megan got out of a car during an argument when Lanez shouted, “Dance, b—h!” and fired at her feet.
Lanez was ultimately sentenced to 10 years in prison, and Thee Stallion was granted a restraining order against the Canadian singer in January.
Earlier this week, Lanez was attacked in prison, during which he was reportedly stabbed 14 times, and suffered from collapsed lungs. He was transported to a hospital near the California Correctional Institution, where he was serving his sentence.
A statement on his Instagram account said that Lanez was stabbed in his head, neck, back and torso, but is now breathing on his own. “Despite being in pain, he is talking normally, in good spirits and deeply thankful to God that he is pulling through,” the statement said. “He also wants to thank everyone for the continued prayers and support.”
