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When Drake dismissively told Metro Boomin to go and “make some drums” in one of his recent diss tracks during his beef with Kendrick Lamar, the superproducer went off and did just that — and the result marked a turning point for the use of AI in music production.
The beat, titled “BBL Drizzy,” pairs a vintage-sounding soul vocalist over some 808 drums. The producer released it to SoundCloud on May 5, encouraging his fans to record their own bars over it for the chance to win a free beat, and it swiftly went viral.
But soon after, it was revealed that the singer from the “BBL Drizzy” beat didn’t exist — the voice was AI-generated, as was the song itself. The vocals, melody and instrumental of the sample were generated by Udio, an AI music startup founded by former Google Deep Mind engineers. Though Metro was not aware of the source of the track when he used it, his tongue-in-cheek diss became the first notable use case of AI-generated sampling, proving the potential for AI to impact music production. (A representative for Metro Boomin did not respond to Billboard’s request for comment).
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As with all AI tracks, however, a human being prompted it. King Willonius, a comedian, musician and content creator, had put together the Udio-generated song on April 14, pulling inspiration from a recent Rick Ross tweet — in which the rapper joked that Drake looks like he got a Brazilian Butt Lift — to write the lyrics. “I think it’s a misconception that people think AI wrote ‘BBL Drizzy,’” Willonius told Billboard in an interview about the track. “There’s no way AI could write lyrics like ‘I’m thicker than a Snicker and I got the best BBL in history,’” he adds, laughing.
There are a lot of issues — legal, philosophical, cultural and technical — that are still to be sorted out before this kind of sampling hits the mainstream, but it’s not hard to imagine a future where producers turn to AI to create vintage-sounding samples to chop up and use in beats given that sample clearances are notoriously complicated and can drag on for months or years, even for big name producers like Metro Boomin.
“If people on the other side [of sample clearance negotiations] know they’re probably going to make money on the new song, like with a Metro Boomin-level artist, they will make it a priority to clear a sample quickly, but that’s not how it is for everyone,” says Todd Rubenstein, a music attorney and founder of Todd Rubenstein Law. Grammy-winning writer/producer Oak Felder says clearing a sample for even a high-profile track is still a challenge for him. “I’ll be honest, I’m dealing with a tough clearance right now, and I’ve dealt with it before,” he says. “I had trouble clearing an Annie Lennox sample for a Nicki Minaj record once… It’s hard.”
Many smaller producers are not able to sample established songs because they know that it could get them into legal trouble. Others go ahead without permission, causing massive legal headaches, like when bedroom producer Young Kio sampled an undisclosed Nine Inch Nails song in an instrumental he licensed out on BeatStars. The beat was used by then-unknown Lil Nas X and resulted in the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Old Town Road.” When the sample was discovered, Nas was forced to give up a large portion of his publishing and master royalties to the band.
Udio’s co-founder, David Ding, tells Billboard that he believes AI samples “could simplify a lot of the rights management” issues inherent to sampling and explains that Udio’s model is particularly adept at making realistic songs in the vein of “Motown ‘70s soul,” perhaps the most common style of music sampled in hip-hop today, as well as classical, electronic and more. “It’s a wide-ranging model,” Ding says.
Willonius believes AI samples also offer a solution for musicians in today’s relentless online news cycle. While he has made plenty of songs from scratch before, Willonius says AI offered him the chance to respond in real-time to the breakneck pace of the feud between Drake and Kendrick. “I never could’ve done that without AI tools,” he says. Evan Bogart, a Grammy-winning songwriter and founder of Seeker Music, likens it to a form of digital crate digging. “I think it’s super cool to use AI in this way,” he says. “It’s good for when you dig and can’t find the right fit. Now, you can also try to just generate new ideas that sound like old soul samples.”
There’s a significant financial impact incurred from traditional sampling that could also be avoided with AI. To use the melody of “My Favorite Things” in her hit song “7 Rings,” for example, Ariana Grande famously had to cede 90% of her publishing income for the song to “My Favorite Things” writers Rodgers and Hammerstein — and that was just an interpolation rather than a full sample, which entails both the use of compositional elements, like melody, and a portion of the sound recording.
“It certainly could help you having to avoid paying other people and avoid the hassle,” says Rubenstein, who has often dealt with the complications of clearing songs that use samples and beats from marketplaces like BeatStars. But he adds that any user of these AI models must use caution, saying it won’t always make clearances easier: “You really need to know what the terms of service are whenever you use an AI model, and you should know how they train their AI.”
Often, music-making AI models train on copyrighted material without the consent or compensation of its rights holders, a practice that is largely condemned by the music business — even those who are excited about the future of AI tools. Though these AI companies argue this is “fair use,” the legality of this practice is still being determined in the United States. The New York Times has launched a lawsuit against OpenAI for training on its copyrighted archives without consent, credit or compensation, and UMG, Concord, ABKCO and other music publishers have also filed a lawsuit against Anthropic for using their lyrics to train the company’s large language model. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) has also introduced a new bill called the Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act to require transparency on this matter.
Udio’s terms of service puts the risk of sharing its AI songs on users, saying that users “shall defend, indemnify, and hold the company entities harmless from and against any and all claims, costs, damages, losses, liabilities and expenses” that come from using whatever works are generated on the platform. In an interview with Billboard, Udio co-founder Ding was unable to answer what works were specifically used in its training data. “We can’t reveal the exact source of our training data. We train our model on publicly available data that we obtained from the internet. It’s basically, like, we train the model on good music just like how human musicians would listen to music,” says Ding. When pressed about copyrights in particular, he replies, “We can’t really comment on that.”
“I think if it’s done right, AI could make things so much easier in this area. It’s extremely fun and exciting but only with the proper license,” says Diaa El All, CEO/founder of Soundful, another AI music company that generates instrumentals specifically. His company is certified by Fairly Trained, a non-profit that ensures certified companies do not use copyrighted materials in training data without consent. El All says that creating novel forms of AI sampling “is a huge focus” for his company, adding that Soundful is working with an artist right now to develop a fine-tuned model to create AI samples based on pre-existing works.
“I can’t tell you who it is, but it’s a big rapper,” he says. “His favorite producer passed away. The rapper wants to leverage a specific album from that producer to sample. So we got a clearance from the producer’s team to now build a private generative AI model for the rapper to use to come up with beats that are inspired by that producer’s specific album.”
While this will certainly have an impact on the way producers work in the future, Felder and Bogart say that AI sampling will never totally replace the original practice. “People love nostalgia; that’s what a sample can bring,” says Felder. With the success of sample-driven pop songs at the top of the Hot 100 and the number of movie sequels hitting box office highs, it’s clear that there is an appetite for familiarity, and AI originals cannot feed that same craving.
“BBL Drizzy” might’ve been made as a joke, but Felder believes the beat has serious consequences. “I think this is very important,” he says. “This is one of the first successful uses [AI sampling] on a commercial level, but in a year’s time, there’s going to be 1,000 of these. Well, I bet there’s already a thousand of these now.”
This story is included in Billboard‘s new music technology newsletter, Machine Learnings. To subscribe to this and other Billboard newsletters, click here.
Marshmello and Kane Brown combine for a first on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs and Hot Country Songs charts (dated May 18) with the arrival of their new collaboration, “Miles On It.”
The single becomes the first to hit the top five of both Hot Dance/Electronic Songs – where it soars in at No. 1 – and Hot Country Songs. (The surveys have coexisted since the former launched in January 2013; the latter list became country music’s all-encompassing genre songs chart in October 1958.)
“Miles On It,” released May 3, drew 11.3 million official streams and 7.6 million in radio airplay audience and sold 4,000 in the U.S. in the week ending May 9, according to Luminate. It also debuts at No. 30 on the Country Airplay chart – where Brown boasts 11 career No. 1s, while Marshmello makes his first appearance – and No. 40 on Pop Airplay.
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Marshmello earns his fourth Hot Dance/Electronic Songs No. 1, tying Calvin Harris and Zedd for the most in the chart’s decade-plus archives. Among all acts, only The Chainsmokers have more leaders (six). Marshmello previously reigned with “Happier,” with Bastille, for a record 69 weeks in 2018-20; “Silence,” featuring Khalid (one week, 2017); and “Wolves,” with Selena Gomez (11 weeks, 2017-18).
Brown leads with his first Hot Dance/Electronic Songs entry.
“Miles On It” is Marshmello and Brown’s second chart-topping team-up, as they become the only pair with a shared No. 1 on both Hot Dance/Electronic Songs and Hot Country Songs: they crowned Hot Country Songs with “One Thing Right” (which did not appear on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs) for a week in October 2019.
Harris Extends Dance/Mix Show Airplay Record
As for another notable No. 1 collaboration, also by acts known for different core styles and who previously recorded together, Calvin Harris and Rag‘n’Bone Man’s “Lovers in a Past Life” ascends to the top of the Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart.
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Harris scores his record-padding 15th No. 1 on the tally (which began in 2003).
Most No. 1s on Billboard’s Dance/Mix Show Airplay Chart:
15, Calvin Harris
13, David Guetta
12, Rihanna
8, The Chainsmokers
7, Madonna
6, Anabel Englund
6, Ellie Goulding
Rag‘n’Bone Man rules Dance/Mix Show Airplay in his second visit to the chart, both made with Harris: their single “Giant” hit No. 17 in 2019. The former has reached multiple Billboard rock charts since breaking through with his worldwide hit “Human,” which marked his sole airplay No. 1 prior to “Lovers in a Past Life,” as it led Adult Alternative Airplay for five weeks in 2017.
Stray Kids staged a takeover of Good Morning America on Wednesday morning (May 15), dropping into the show’s New York studios to take a few questions from fans before busting out a performance of their new single. The first order of business for the eight-member K-pop band was confirming that they are headed out on […]
Kevin Parker of Tame Impala has sold his complete song catalog to Sony Music Publishing. The deal expands Parker’s longstanding relationship with SMP, which has published him since 2009, and includes all of his works released as Tame Impala as well as his writing credits for other songs, including his contributions to Dua Lipa‘s new album Radical Optimism, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 this week.
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Parker has also expanded his publishing deal with Sony to include the administration of the full catalog as well as future works.
The Australian mutli-hyphenate musician has made an indelible impact on music since he began his psychedelic rock band in 2008. Through the project, Parker has released four albums — InnerSpeaker (2010), Lonerism (2012),Currents (2015) and The Slow Rush (2020) — all of which were solely written, produced, recorded and mixed by Parker.
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Along with Tame Impala, Parker has also written and produced for a number of top acts, including Travis Scott, Dua Lipa, Mick Jagger, Kendrick Lamar, SZA, The Gorillaz, Mark Ronson, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Kid Cudi, Flaming Lips, A$AP Rocky, Lil Yachty, Don Toliver, Daft Punk, Miguel, and Australian children’s group The Wiggles. Rihanna also covered his Tame Impala-released single “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” (which she retitled “Same Ol’ Mistakes”) on her acclaimed 2016 album ANTI.
Parker says of the deal: “The idea of passing on ownership of my songs is one that I don’t think about very lightly, at all. They are the fruit of my blood, sweat and creativity over all the years I’ve been a recording artist and songwriter so far. I have a lot of love and trust for the Sony publishing family and have only had great experiences with Damian Trotter and the rest of the gang worldwide. I don’t think my songs could be in any safer hands than Sony’s, and I’m excited for the future and happy I can keep working with them on whatever the future brings…”
“I have always admired Kevin Parker and I believe he is one of the most versatile songwriters of our time,” says Jon Platt, chairman and CEO of SMP. “Kevin has built a catalog of songs with incredible range and enduring power, and he has always stayed true to his vision. It is a privilege to represent his music, and we are committed to broadening his legacy of success.”
Damian Trotter, managing director of Australia for Sony Music Publishing said: “Kevin is a singular talent whose creativity and dedication to his art has enthralled fans and artists since he arrived on the music scene. Having worked with Kevin since before the release of the first Tame Impala album, it has been thrilling to witness his rise to success worldwide, which is so well deserved. We are proud and humbled to be taking custodianship of this iconic catalogue of songs and to be continuing our relationship with Kevin in this exciting phase of his music making career.”
The National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) has sent a cease and desist letter to Spotify for allegedly hosting lyrics, music videos and podcast content that contain their members’ copyrighted musical works without proper licenses. The organization, which represents music publishers in the U.S., says that it “demands” that these alleged unlicensed works “be removed from the platform or Spotify will face copyright liability for continued use of these works.”
The letter comes a week after Billboard released an estimate, claiming that Spotify will pay about $150 million less in U.S. mechanical royalties to music publishers and songwriters in the next year than what publishers and songwriters were previously expecting. This is because Spotify added audiobooks into its premium, family and duo plans, and the company claims that the move now qualifies them as a bundle, which pays a discounted royalty rate from normal standalone subscriptions, given Spotify now has to pay for books and music from the same subscription price.
The cease and desist letter, obtained by Billboard, covers a separate issue to last week’s announcement, but the timing suggests the NMPA is hoping to push back against Spotify’s practices on several fronts. The letter continues: “Spotify appears to be engaged in direct infringement by hosting unlicensed musical works in its lyrics, videos and podcasts and by distributing unauthorized reproductions, synchronizations, displays and derivative sues of these musical works to its users. Making matters worse, Spotify profits from such infringement.”
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Written by NMPA’s executive vp and general counsel Danielle Aguirre, the letter did not cite any specific unlicensed works or say how many instances there are of unlicensed works on Spotify and warned about both unlicensed works as well as works that “will soon become unlicensed” by its members. When asked for a list or a ballpark number of the unlicensed works, NMPA declined to comment. If the NMPA ever gets to the point of filing a lawsuit against Spotify for these alleged offenses, however, the organization would then provide more detail.
Many music publishers currently have licenses in place with Spotify for their lyrics and video content. Unlike the government-regulated process of setting U.S. mechanical royalty rates, lyric and video licenses are direct deals between the publisher and the streaming service, and each negotiation is unique, but for lyrics specifically, some publishers will license through third party aggregators like Lyric Find. These deals are not considered to be major money makers for publishers or streamers, and although their duration can vary, the licenses typically run for 1-2 years, according to a source close to the matter.
The NMPA also cites a recent Wall Street Journal article that claimed Spotify is working on tools that would allow subscribers to “speed up, mash up and otherwise edit songs from their favorite artists” in its letter to Spotify, warning the streaming platform that if “any such feature” is released by Spotify “without the proper licenses in place from our members” it “may constitute additional direct infringement.”
Spotify and the NMPA have a history of not getting along, but since late 2022, it appeared the two were on relatively good terms. After a contentious five years of back-and-forth over how to set the U.S. mechanical royalty rate for streaming for 2018-2022, the NMPA, Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and streaming services, like Spotify, came together to collectively settle the next rate period together (2023-2027), hoping to avoid another lengthy and costly fight. The result was something David Israelite, president and CEO of the NMPA, touted at the time as the “highest streaming rates in the history of digital streaming,” due to a raise in the headline rate.
Part of the compromise for that settlement, however, included an update to how bundles were treated, which was considered a potential benefit to streaming services. As the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) put it in their statement against Spotify’s bundling practices, music publishers believe Spotify used a “loophole” to “circumvent the [Copyright Royalty Board] settlement.” Israelite went further, calling the bundle reclassification a “potentially unlawful move” when it was first announced, even though Spotify believes it rightfully qualifies. Recently, the NMPA admitted a lawsuit against Spotify for bundling was “likely.”
Read the full letter below:
Dear Mr. Kaefer [vp and global head, music and audiobook business] and Ms. Konstan [general counsel of Spotify]:
I write on behalf of the National Music Publishers’ Association (“NMPA”) regarding copyright infringement of our members’ musical works on the Spotify platform. As the voice of our members, NMPA protects, promotes, and advances the interests of music creators and enforces the rights of publishers, and their songwriter partners, who own and/or control musical work copyrights.
Music is essential to Spotify’s service; it is the reason subscribers utilize the Spotify platform every day. Spotify’s primary use of musical works via interactive streams and downloads is subject to the antiquated compulsory license under 17 U.S.C. § 115 and consent decree-governed public performance licenses.
Regardless of the mechanical and public performance licenses Spotify may have, however, the use of lyrics and music in videos and podcasts on its platform requires rights that must be negotiated directly with rightsholders in a free market.
It has come to our attention that Spotify displays lyrics and reproduces and distributes music videos and podcasts using musical works without the consent of or compensation to the respective publishers and/or administrators (our members) who control the copyrights in the musical compositions. As such, these uses of musical works on the Spotify platform are not licensed or will soon become unlicensed.
U.S. copyright law generally grants copyright owners the exclusive right to, among other things, reproduce, distribute, display, perform publicly, and create derivative works from their copyrighted works under 17 U.S.C. § 106. Violation of these exclusive rights constitutes copyright infringement under 17 U.S.C. § 501.
Spotify thus appears to be engaged in direct infringement by hosting unlicensed musical works in its lyrics, videos, and podcasts, and by distributing unauthorized reproductions, synchronizations, displays, and derivative uses of these musical works to its users. Making matters worse, Spotify profits from such infringement.
Accordingly, on behalf of our members, NMPA demands that unlicensed lyrics, music videos, and podcasts be removed from the platform or Spotify will face copyright liability for continued use of these works.
We also understand that Spotify wishes to offer a “remix” feature allowing Spotify subscribers to “speed up, mash up, and otherwise edit” their favorite songs to create derivative works. Spotify is on notice that release of any such feature without the proper licenses in place from our members may constitute additional direct infringement.
NMPA further demands that Spotify preserve all electronically stored information (“ESI”), as defined by Rule 34 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, along with any paper files, in Spotify’s possession, custody, or control that is relevant to use of our members’ unlicensed works. Spotify must also cease any auto-deletion operations affecting ESI relevant to this matter.
This letter is not intended as a full recitation of the facts or claims that may be made against Spotify by NMPA, its members, and/or other copyright owners, and is made without prejudice to all rights or remedies against Spotify and all others acting in concert with Spotify, including without limitation, monetary damages and attorneys’ fees as provided under 17 U.S.C. §§ 502-505.
Sincerely,
Danielle Aguierre
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It should surprise absolutely no one that conservative commentator Matt Walsh—the guy who defends white nationalism, spreads racist and oversimplified propaganda about Black families, erroneously believes white men aren’t allowed to build airports anymore, and cries about anti-white racism in historically overwhelmingly white Hollywood—is really upset that white people aren’t allowed to use the n-word.
According to CLTV, the Daily Wire host was referring to an incident in which a white pizza delivery guy was caught on a Ring camera using the n-word when he launched into a white-tearsy rant about how white people should be able to use the word all they want because Black people use it amongst each other—and age-old argument made by salty Caucasians who refuse to just admit they want to use the slur because they’re racist. (But, whatever, maybe Walsh isn’t really racist and it’s just a coincidence that the guy who believes mermaids couldn’t possibly be Black because of—*checks notes*—science is also the guy who wants white people to be free at last to use the n-word whenever they please.)
“The claim, I guess, is that this Pizza Hut delivery guy just casually uses the n-word with customers as a greeting because that’s what it would be. Like, if he actually said it there, then that’s how—he didn’t even mean it as an insult,” Walsh said. “He just—this is apparently just what he—this is his way of saying hello.”
Daily Wire host Matt Walsh has outed himself as a racist on quite a few occasions. Just last week, Walsh made the bizarre claim that white men aren’t allowed to build airports anymore. And now he’s expressing frustration over Black people being able to use the n-word, but white people can’t. Someone actually pays the guy to talk about unimportant things. This time, it’s about an alleged white pizza delivery guy who said the n-word, and I suppose he saw the ring video footage online and determined that it was a hoax. However, according to Walsh, a father of six, white people should be able to use the offensive word if Black people do. Walsh feels that Black people are oppressing whites. Stop laughing. That’s how he rolls.
“The claim, I guess, is that this Pizza Hut delivery guy just casually uses the n-word with customers as a greeting because that’s what it would be. Like, if he actually said it there, then that’s how—he didn’t even mean it as an insult,” Walsh said, according to Media Matters. “He just—this is apparently just what he—this is his way of saying hello.”
“And, if that was true, it would mean that, at worst, he’s guilty of using the n-word the same way that many Black people use it,” he continued. “And this is why we have to be careful here. It’s important to point out that the claim is a lie. Even if it’s difficult to hear precisely what word or phrase he uses at the end of the clip—he obviously didn’t say the n-word—but even as we call out this hoax for what it is, we should make sure that we aren’t tacitly supporting the premise that if the delivery driver had said that word in that context, he would be guilty of some great moral crime.”
Walsh can’t even decide whether he wants to defend the delivery man’s use of the n-word, or deny that he used it all together, but, really, it doesn’t matter, because contrary to what closeted racists like Walsh who are just itching to say the word would have us believe—there’s actually nothing stopping white people from using the n-word.
Sure, a white man can catch a Twisted Tea can to the face for using the word around the wrong person, but there is also a myriad of reasons one might catch hands for saying the wrong thing to the wrong person. Sure, a white person can lose their job for using the slur, but, also, people of all colors can lose their jobs for using any slur if said job deems it to be inappropriate behavior, which most public and private sector jobs do.
In fact, Walsh even acknowledged the fact that white people aren’t obligated to refrain from using the word, which might lead one to wonder what exactly it is that this comically fragile white man is even complaining about.
“But, you know, no white person actually has any moral obligation to observe the insane, totally indefensible, ridiculous rule that decrees that this word is acceptable to be used in any and every context by one race but in no context at all by another race,” he said. “I mean, the idea that the pigmentation of your skin should determine whether you’re allowed to utter certain syllables in a particular combination is totally absurd.”
Somebody should remind Walh that America was built, in part, on the idea that “the pigmentation of your skin should determine whether” a person is even fully human, let alone allowed to say whatever they want. And white people’s oppressive use of the n-word is a part of that history, as is our reclaiming of it.
“N*gga”—when coming out of a Black person’s mouth—carries various connotations that range from the endearing “my n*gga” to the significantly less endearing “b***h-ass n*gga,” but, however we use it, there’s no implied racism. The point is, there’s cultural context at play here that most white people wouldn’t understand and they would do well to simply respect the history involved and keep the word out of their mouths.
Or whatever, they can just be like Matt Walsh and cry about it because they don’t have the critical thinking capacity to think past: “But…but *sniff* if they can say it, why can’t I?”
IMPEL has added The Administration MP, Drive Publishing, Red Brick Songs and Lofi Chill & Lofi Jazz to its membership. Now, IMPEL, a international collective representing digital publishing rights, will help its new members with licensing their catalogs.
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They join other independent music publishers like Bucks Music Group, Beggars Music, Reservoir Music, Kassner Music, CTM, ABKCO, Truelove Music, Faber Music, Mute Song, Budde UK, Phrased Differently, Legs Music, Reach Music Publishing and Regard Music who are all already members of IMPEL.
IMPEL CEO Sarah Williams said of the new additions: “It feels as though we have reached a tipping point as an organization when it comes to awareness around what we do, how we do it and the unique benefits we bring to our members. The number of independent publishers that want to become part of our collective family is increasing all the time, and it’s great to be able to add such a diverse group of US operators to our ranks at once. We continue to make real in-roads into the biggest music market on the planet, which will benefit our membership as a whole.”
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The Administration MP
This publisher, founded in 2013, boasts over 1,300 clients and 60,000 copyrights. It’s repertoire primarily focuses on hip-hop/rap, and its clients have written songs for Drake, MGK, the Notorious B.I.G., Migos, Nicki Minaj, 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Kanye West, 50 Cent, Tyga, and Chris Brown.
Drive Publishing
Founded in 2013 by Ana Ruiz, Drive Music Publishing offers global administration, creative consulting, royalty collection, and sound recording services, emphasizing expertise, transparency, and clarity. The company represents Grammy-winning and nominated writers, including Jackson Browne, jazz saxophone legend Benny Carter, and ‘the Poet of Havana’ Carlos Varela.
Red Brick Songs
Red Brick Songs supports songwriters through multimedia song placement, royalty administration, and career development. Their catalog includes works by Toni Braxton, Bootsy Collins, Alison Krauss, Paula Cole, and Ronnie Spector, among others. Notable hits in their collection include Julie Gold’s Grammy-winning “From A Distance,” Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit,” and jazz standards like “Bemsha Swing,” “Moanin’,” and “Joy Spring.”
Lofi Chill & Lofi Jazz
The publishing counterpart of a label by the same name, Lofi Chill and Lofi Jazz represent a catalog of top ambient and lofi artists, including Dontcry, Phlocalyst, Casiio, SwuM, and Mujo.
The TLC tour has been bitten by the flu bug. The duo informed fans on Monday (May 14) that they’ve been forced to cancel that night’s planned show and postpone three other tour dates in Canada this week after member T-Boz (as well as several other tour members) have fallen ill. “We deeply regret to […]
Never say never. Back in December, before she was announced as one of this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees, Cher had some choice words for the Cleveland-based museum that, at that point, had not deigned her worthy of inclusion despite her record of scoring No. 1 hits over seven decades. To put […]
Nonprofit foundation Live Music Society has announced the recipients of its second annual Music in Action grant.
The Music In Action grant provides funding for venues to program events that build community and promote accessibility for marginalized groups, create opportunities for both local talent and touring acts to grow and find new audiences, and increase their revenue and customer base. The number of small music venues benefitting from the program is up from 17 in 2023, while the funds have grown from $500,000 last year to $710,000 this year.
This year, 24 small performance venues across the United States have been granted a total of $710,000 to program events that build community and boost revenue. The 24 venue grantees include Maple Leaf Bar in New Orleans, Nocturne Jazz & Supper Club in Denver, Cole’s Bar in Chicago, Drkmtter Collective in Nashville, The Lost Church in San Francisco, The Royal Room in Seattle and Chris’ Jazz Cafe in Philadelphia.
The 2024 recipients will use their funds over the next year to launch concert series, put on family-friendly festivals, build out membership programs, develop spaces for LGBTQ+ musicians to gather, create educational programming and host monthly Latinx dance parties.
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“People are trying to open their stages to new voices: women, BIPOC, LGBTQ and even just different styles of music that they are not used to presenting,” says Live Music Society executive director Cat Henry. “It’s really exciting for people to take a philosophical risk to make sure that they’re not just staying in one lane the whole time and providing opportunities for more voices at the table.”
For Live Music Society founder Pete Muller, the Music In Action grant is about giving people who love and know their business the ability to take a swing at something new and help build a more sustainable business for the long term. “If you have a 200-seat venue, you are not going to make a lot of money. Even if you run it well. The best shot you have is to figure out how to raise a lot of philanthropic local dollars,” says Muller. “Most of the time, it’s going to be shoestring and we can help.”
While Live Music Society does not intend to fully fund any venues, Muller says the nonprofit created the grant for them to take risks on new musicians, pay their musicians and staff reasonable wages and remain an integral part of the live music ecosystem.
“200-seat venues or 100-seat venues are an amazing place to start your musical career,” says Muller, who is also a touring musician. “I actually prefer smaller venues. You can really connect with the crowd. The only problem is, it’s very hard to make a good living.”
Live Music Society, which began handing out grants in 2020, hopes to continue growing the number of venues that receive funding through the Music In Action grant, with the amount of funds reflecting the need. With the 2024 Music In Action grant and its annual Toolbox grant, the foundation has now disbursed $3.7 million in funding to small venues.
To further its mission to recognize and protect small venues and listening rooms across the United States, Live Music Society is also looking to help venues by developing and sharing best practices. In partnership with its venue grantees and involvement with organizations like the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) — Live Music Society will host a panel at this year’s NIVA conference in June — the foundation plans to collect expertise that it can share with small venues to help them succeed in a tough live music economy.
“One of the goals of gathering in New Orleans [for NIVA ‘24] is to help create an informal network of companies and club owners because they aren’t really competing with each other. They are in different markets,” Muller says. “If one of them finds a great musician, sharing it with a different club is helpful to both. The more you interact, the more you create community.”
Full list of 2024 Music In Action grantees:
118 North – Wayne, PAB Side Lounge – Cleveland Heights, OHBlue Jay Listening Room – Jacksonville Beach, FLBossa Bistro – Washington, D.C.Chris’ Jazz Cafe – Philadelphia, PACole’s Bar – Chicago, ILDevil’s Backbone Tavern – Fischer, TXDrkmttr Collective – Nashville, TNFogartyville Community Media and Arts Center – Sarasota, FLGrand Annex Music Hall – San Pedro, CAJilly’s Music Room – Akron, OHLa Peña Cultural Center – Berkeley, CAMaple Leaf Bar – New Orleans, LAMOTR Pub – Cincinnati, OHNocturne Jazz & Supper Club – Denver, COOne Longfellow Square – Portland, MERebel Rebel Studio & Lounge – Berea, KYRoots Music Project – Boulder, COThe Acorn Center for the Performing Arts – Three Oaks, MIThe Jalopy Theatre – Brooklyn, NYThe Lost Church – San Francisco, CAThe Parlor Room – Northampton, MAThe Royal Room – Seattle, WAThe Spot on Kirk – Roanoke, VA
