State Champ Radio Amazon Music
Amazon Music has announced a new AI-powered playlist feature that allows users to turn text prompts into entire playlists. Called Maestro, the offering is still in beta and available only to a small number of Amazon Music users on all tiers in the United States on iOS and Android. It can be found on the […]
As introspective, guitar-based songs from artists including Noah Kahan, Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves continue proliferating streaming consumption and music charts, Amazon Music aims to capture this cultural surge with its newly launched playlist Bonfire, which started globally on Friday (April 12).
The playlist will launch with more than 50 songs, focusing more on mood than genre and capturing a cross-section of artists such as Mumford & Sons, Bryan, Dylan Gossett, Boygenius, Kahan, Musgraves, Lizzy McAlpine and more.
“This is a huge movement,” Emily Cohen, country programming lead for Amazon Music, tells Billboard. “We’ve seen storytellers bubble up and connect with our listeners, artists like Zach Bryan and Hozier. For us, we see what customers are into and double down on what they love. We felt it needed to be in one place where people could listen to these artists together. It’s creating a true collection of ‘Bonfire’ songs. Artists don’t want to be put in a box or be defined, so it’s an amalgamation of country, alternative and indie-folk that is bubbling up.”
Trending on Billboard
Among the songs initially part of the playlist are Bryan’s “Something in the Orange,” Kahan’s “Stick Season,” Musgraves’ “Deeper Well,” Hozier’s “Too Sweet,” The Red Clay Strays’ “Wondering Why,” Lord Huron’s “The Night We Met,” Black Pumas’ “More Than a Love Song,” and the Joy Oladokun/Chris Stapleton collaboration “Sweet Symphony.”
“Listening to this, it is elemental and outdoorsy in its vibe,” Cohen says. “They are all sonically connected. I think a unique thread through all of these artists is they are authentic. You know who they are through their songwriting and fans react to that.”
The playlist is highlighted by Big Loud Records artist Charles Wesley Godwin’s new Amazon Music Original cover of Gordon Lightfoot’s “Sundown,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. Godwin released his latest album, Family Ties, last year.
Amazon Music
“I believe Gordon to have been one of the greatest songwriters of our time and felt this opportunity with Amazon Music was perfect to shine a light on one of his most popular songs a little over 50 years after its original release date,” Godwin said via a statement. “Hopefully, through this version that me and the guys recorded, a new generation of music listeners can be introduced to Gordon’s music and become fans of his themselves.”
Godwin is set to debut his rendition of the song when he performs at the annual Stagecoach Festival on Sunday, April 28. Music fans can watch the performance as the festival will be livestreamed on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch and Prime Video. The Morgantown, West Virginia, native will open shows for Luke Combs’ stadium tour in 2024. In addition to Stagecoach, Godwin will perform at festivals including Bourbon and Beyond, as well as Bonnaroo.
“He’s an incredible songwriter,” Cohen says. “He’s such a powerhouse. He’s becoming his own version of Bruce Springsteen onstage, rock and country—he’s an embodiment of what we’re trying to achieve with this playlist.”
“It’s such an honor to be included in a playlist like this with so many amazing artists,” Godwin added in a statement. “Keeping company like this is all I ever could have wished for when I set out on this path of music. ‘bonfire’ is so fitting for those special moments in life when we’re enjoying the company of our friends and family.”
Last week, Luminate put out its 2023 year-end report. While the data company, which tabulates Billboard‘s charts and provides data for the film and TV industries, usually puts out a separate Canadian report, this year’s was instead a report on the global music industry as a whole.
Billboard Canada asked Luminate if it could supply any more data on who and what was hot in Canada in 2023, and they dug in for four more exclusive lists.
When it comes to vinyl sales, Taylor Swift, unsurprisingly, takes up the top three spots and four of the top 10.
Top 10 Vinyl Sales
Taylor Swift – 1989 (Taylor’s Version) – 43,000
Taylor Swift – Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) – 18,000
Taylor Swift – Midnights – 18,000
Olivia Rodrigo – Guts – 8,000
Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon – 8,000
Lana Del Rey – Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd – 7,000
Taylor Swift – Red (Taylor’s Version) – 6,000
Fleetwood Mac – Rumours – 6,000
Arctic Monkeys – Am – 5,000
Rolling Stones – Hackney Diamonds – 5,000
Swift also takes the top spot for CD sales, but there are also two somewhat surprising Canadian albums represented: Neo-Romance from Quebecois pianist Alexandra Stréliski and A Boire Deboutte from francophone Acadian roots act Salebarbes.
Top 10 CD Sales
Taylor Swift – 1989 (Taylor’s Version) – 30,000
Metallica – 72 Seasons – 17,000
Alexandra Stréliski – Neo-Romance – 16,000
Taylor Swift – Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) – 13,000
Rolling Stones – Hackney Diamonds – 11,000
Taylor Swift – Lover – 10,000
Salebarbes – A Boire Deboutte – 10,000
Taylor Swift – Midnights – 10,000
P!nk – Trustfall – 8,000
Ed Sheeran – – 8,000
Head here for the top 10 on-demand streams for two of Canada’s most popular and rising genres: country and R&B/hip-hop. – Richard Trapunski & David Farrell
CIMA Calls On Government To Keep Its Canada Music Fund Promise
CIMA, the Canadian Independent Music Association, has launched a campaign calling on the public to contact Liberal representatives about the Canada Music Fund. Following a direct appeal to the government last fall, CIMA has turned towards the public in hopes of putting pressure on the government to make good on their campaign promise to increase the fund by $50 million.
The organization has set up a letter campaign that allows supporters to contact the government with a plea to increase the Canada Music Fund, which supports the operations of granting bodies FACTOR and Musicaction. According to CIMA, FACTOR invested $21 million in the Canadian music industry in 2022 alone and has supported 6,500 artists in the last five years.
FACTOR receives part of its funding from private radio broadcasters, but those contributions have been decreasing, with CIMA estimating they could be as low as $2 million in 2024. The Canada Music Fund is currently $25 million annually, and CIMA says that a $50 million increase is needed just to maintain current programming, while many music associations are calling for a $60 million increase. The Liberal government promised a $50 million increase in 2021 to help the Canada Music Fund keep up with demand and the rising costs of releasing and touring music.
CIMA president Andrew Cash spoke to the House Finance Committee on Nov. 14 about the increase and said that if the government fails to follow through, “companies will close, those that don’t will shed staff and release fewer artists, and this will result in fewer shows across the country, harming an already precarious live music sector, affecting local economies, and reducing revenues to government.”
FACTOR provides major financial support for artists looking to export their music internationally, with showcasing and touring grants that help artists travel to key industry events abroad, as well as support for marketing and sound recording.
“If the government does not make good even on their $50 million promise to our sector, FACTOR’s budget could be cut in half over the next couple of years,” states CIMA’s new public campaign. – Rosie Long Decter
Amazon Music Canada Announces Breakthrough Artists to Watch 2024
Amazon Music Canada has announced the six Canadian rising stars included in its Breakthrough Artists to Watch 2024. Throughout the year, these six musicians will include support from Amazon Music Canada, including year-long promotion, exclusive music, playlist placement, editorial and tailored developmental support for each artist’s career ambitions.
This year’s selections include inaugural Billboard Canada Punjabi Wave cover star Jonita Gandhi, francophone rapper Fredz, small-town Ontario country singer Owen Riegling, former breakout star of Canadian singing competition The Launch Jamie Fine, Ottawa singer-songwriter Anaïs Cardot and Victoria, British Columbia-based funk/R&B artist Diamond Cafe (who also just signed a major label deal with Warner Music Canada).
“The focus of Artist to Watch is to help artists who are bubbling up in Canada find ways to grow their audiences and connect with new fans across the country and globally,” John Murphy, head of music, Canada, at Amazon Music, tells Billboard Canada. “We’re looking forward to working closely with this year’s group of diverse, promising artists and helping even more fans discover them and their music.”
One of the goals of the program is to spread regional artists internationally, adds Murphy. Amazon Music launched its first Canadian edition of the initiative last year, and Murphy says it more than doubled the total fans of each artist throughout 2023. Madeline Merlo launched an original track on the streaming service called “You’ll Think of Me,” and more than 50% of its streams have come from outside of Canada.
All six of the artists selected have big plans for 2024, including new music, concerts and some other dreams. To let them speak for themselves, Billboard Canada asked each musician about their year ahead.
Read all of those interviews here. – Richard Trapunski
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Amazon Studios / Amazon Music
You just know Eddie Murphy’s forthcoming holiday film, Candy Cane Lane, is serious if Raphael Saadiq is on the soundtrack. On Friday (Nov. 24) the renowned artist premiered a new song called “Miracle,” featuring British singer Kelli-Leigh, on Amazon Music.
“The song ‘Miracle’ is about, of course, a miracle,” said Saadiq in a statement. “Once you see the film, you see all these amazing things happening – a little bit of beautiful magic between a family and a mother and father ’Miracle’ just comes on and tells that whole story of how a family works.”
Saadiq and Kelli-Leigh’s soulful vocals and lush instrumentation bring the winter season vibes and make for a smooth groove without sounding like another cheesy holiday song. Saadiq has been busy considering he just wrapped the Just Me & You U.S. Tour with his original group Tony! Toni! Toné!
The Reginald Hudlin-directed Candy Cane Lane stars and Tracee Ellis Ross and is out on December 1 via Prime Video.
Listen to “Miracle” below or right here.
Carin León gave a brief but magical show on Tuesday night (November 14) during Latin Grammy week at the Amazon event “La Cultura that Connects Us” in Seville, Spain. The Mexican music star surprised his fans with a series of duets that included Spanish singer Omar Montes, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Kany García and Mexican icon Pepe Aguilar, in an apparently improvised moment.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
With the former, he performed his new collaboration “Ron con Coca,” released exclusively through Amazon Music earlier this month and which combines traditional sounds from both countries. “Up with Spanish music!” said León when inviting Montes to join him onstage, with the Spaniard artist adding that he somewhat nervous because it was the first time they were performing it live.
A bit later, he called García to sing their July-released collab “Te Lo Agradezco,” with both showing off their great vocal prowess. But one of the biggest surprises was Aguilar, who was enjoying the show with his daughter, singer Ángela Aguilar, in the front row and their preseence did not go unnoticed by León.
“As maestro Pepe Aguilar taught me,” León said after reaching hight notes with impressive power, immediately inviting him to come up and sing something with him. “And what are we going to sing, güey? No manches!” Aguilar told him once onstage. After a quick exchange, they decided on José Alfredo Jiménez’s classic “Te Solté la Rienda,” creating beautiful harmonies on the spot.
Held outdoors at the emblematic Setas de Sevilla — an imposing white pergola-shaped structure located in the central Plaza de la Encarnación — the show began with a performance by Spanish singer María José Llergo, who also impressed with her combination of flamenco and pop.
Latin Grammy Week ends on Thursday (Nov. 16) with the annual awards ceremony, which will be held for the first time outside the United States, at the Conference and Exhibition Centre in Seville. The show will air starting at 8 p.m. ET on Univision, UniMás and Galavisión in the U.S., and at 10:30 p.m. CET on Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE) in Spain.
Watch Tuesday’s performances by Carin León and María José Llergo below.
TikTok launched a new feature on Tuesday (Nov. 14) that allows users to easily save music they find on the platform to Spotify, Amazon Music or Apple Music for future listening. This will presumably reduce friction between the apps, helping translate interest on TikTok into streaming activity at a time when the music industry has been concerned that the relationship is weakening.
“TikTok is already the world’s most powerful platform for music discovery and promotion, which helps artists connect with our global community to drive engagement with their music,” Ole Obermann, TikTok’s global head of music business development, said in a statement. The new feature “takes this process a step further, creating a direct link between discovery on TikTok and consumption on a music streaming service, making it easier than ever for music fans to enjoy the full length song on the music streaming service of their choice, thereby generating even greater value for artists and rights holders.”
This “Add to Music App” will be available to users in the United States and the United Kingdom. TikTok started testing the integration earlier this year with Apple Music.
When TikTok initially came to prominence more than four years ago, virality on the app often appeared directly correlated with a jump in streams. But that link appeared to weaken as the app ballooned in popularity. The top 10 TikTok tracks in the United States were streamed far less in 2022 than they were in 2021, according to data from Luminate. And the top 10 songs on the app in 2021 were streamed far less than they were in 2020.
“For a while it was like, ‘All you gotta do is get a song going on TikTok, and it’s outta here!’” a major label executive told Billboard last year. But “it’s not a guarantee anymore” that a song will become a hit, the executive said.
Some sounds appear to thrive on TikTok but never catch fire on streaming services, where they actually generate money for the music industry. Labels will surely be excited if the “Add to Music App” helps strengthen the connection between TikTok activity and clicks on Spotify.
In the past, Spotify and TikTok have sometimes seemed at odds, competing for user attention and influence over the music industry. During the former’s Stream On event in March, for example, Gustav Soderstrom, Spotify’s co-president, took a subtle jab that seemed aimed at TikTok: “Discoveries on Spotify, unlike many other platforms, give creators so much more than just a fleeting moment of viral fame,” he said.
This sentiment was echoed at the same event by Sulinna Ong, Spotify’s global head of editorial, who noted that “there’s a disconnect between where music is being teased and where music is actually being streamed. The most powerful time to reach fans is when they’ve chosen to engage with music, like when they open up Spotify.”
But despite past poking and prodding, the two platforms now appear happy to work together. “We want to create less work to get to the audio you love,” Sten Garmark, Spotify’s global head of consumer experience, said in a statement. “That means being everywhere our users are and creating seamless ways to save songs to Spotify to enjoy when and how they choose to listen.”
Karolina Joynathsing, the director of business development for Amazon Music, used similar language in her own statement. “Some of the best parts of being a music lover are those serendipitous moments when you discover a new song or artist that you connect with instantly,” Joynathsing said. “At Amazon Music, we’re looking to make it easier to convert those moments into enduring fandom,” leading to the adoption of the Add to Music app.
TikTok plans to roll out the new feature in additional markets in the coming months.
Amazon started cutting jobs in the company’s music division this week, according to Reuters.
“We have been closely monitoring our organizational needs and prioritizing what matters most to customers and the long-term health of our businesses,” an Amazon spokesperson told Billboard in a statement. “Some roles have been eliminated on the Amazon Music team. We will continue to invest in Amazon Music, and spend our resources on the products and services that matter most to customers, creators, and artists.”
The rep did not provide any information on the extent of the cuts.
The latest wave of cuts adds to a brutal period for tech — and a rough one for the music industry. In the last 18-ish months, the tech behemoths, from Google to Meta to X (formerly Twitter) to Microsoft, have all laid off tens of thousands of workers.
Amazon has also gone through waves of big cuts already, first eliminating 18,000 jobs, and then cutting another 9,000. “The overriding tenet of our annual planning this year was to be leaner while doing so in a way that enables us to still invest robustly in the key long-term customer experiences that we believe can meaningfully improve customers’ lives and Amazon as a whole,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told employees in March.
In July, the site layoffs.fyi, which tracks the tech industry, estimated that more than 386,000 tech workers had been fired around the world since the beginning of 2022.
In music, Downtown Music Holdings, Warner Music Group, Spotify, Motown Records, Soundcloud, BMI, and more have laid off employees. (Downtown and SoundCloud have both done two rounds of cuts.) The language music executives have used in their layoff announcements has echoed messages from the tech world, often relying on buzzwords — think “efficiency” and “evolution” — and emphasizing the importance of “future success” as if that suddenly became an organizational priority.
It’s widely believed around the music industry that there are more layoffs to come.
Amazon Music Live is continuing its Thursday Night Football programming throughout the fall, and Amazon Music revealed its upcoming string of star-studded headliners. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Hosted by 2 Chainz, Amazon Music’s weekly livestreamed concert series after Thursday Night Football will feature Peso Pluma as the performer […]
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Dane Isaac / Amazon
It seems Amazon’s attempt at reimagine radio did not go as plan. The brand is shutting down their Amp platform which leaves Joe Budden and Nicki Minaj’s shows without a home.
HipHopDX is reporting that the streaming giant has announced that it will be shutting down Amp. Back in March 2022 Amazon announced the live audio app that would allow users to talk through songs like on air disc jockeys. According to Bloomberg News Vice President of Amazon Steve Boom sent a memo confirming the rumors the company will cut the switch on this product offering. “This decision was not made quickly or easily,” Boom wrote. “It only became clear after months of careful consideration determining the investments Amazon wants to make for the future.”
Along with what seemed like a heavy advertising spend the product launch also was tied to celebrity programming; a lot of it. Amp rolled out several shows hosted by musicians, podcasters, athletes and comedians including Joe Budden, Nicki Minaj, Jason Lee, Draymond Green, and more. But it seems Amazon saw that the app was not being well received by consumers only seven months into the launch as executive leadership decided to lay off half of the AMP staff back in October.
At my this time the app is still available for download and is still airing live shows.
Tim Hinshaw, Amazon Music’s head of hip-hop and R&B, will be exiting the company after five years to launch his own agency, Free Lunch. Free Lunch’s first client is Amazon Music. Before Hinshaw officially opens the agency, he will remain at Amazon in his current role through November.
“Tim and the Rotation team have established Amazon Music as a powerhouse in hip-hop and R&B,” said Ryan Redington, vp of music industry for Amazon Music, in a release announcing the news. “We’re incredibly supportive of Tim realizing his dream of launching his own agency, and we’re thrilled to continue to work together on developing the most impactful campaigns for artists and our customers.”
According to the release, Free Lunch’s principal focus will be to “authentically connect brands with artists and culture through bespoke storytelling and in real-life experiences.” The agency derives its name from the free lunch programs offered by public schools and parks in underserved communities across the country.
“Free Lunch is an ode to my youth and the dreams I had as a child, which have now blossomed into a beautiful reality,” said Hinshaw, who grew up in Compton. “My work throughout my whole career and especially at Amazon Music has always been a reminder that where you come from doesn’t have to dictate where you end up. I look forward to continuing to work with my incredible colleagues at Amazon Music and building a company that will open doors for people with backgrounds like mine.”
Hinshaw has served as Amazon Music’s head of hip-hop and R&B since 2018. In helming the company’s industry strategy and partnerships for the genres, he also works closely with the streaming service’s global flagship brand, Rotation. Launched in 2019, Rotation presents new and emerging artists through playlists like Rap Rotation and R&B Rotation. Sharon Bako, Rochelle Balogun, Jane Shin and Andrew Sexton initially comprised the Rotation team.
Under Hinshaw’s leadership, Rotation has expanded in recent years. Sierra Lever joined Sexton to oversee label relations while Josh Peas leads artist relations. Stephanie Harris became a member of Balogun’s team, which curates Amazon Music’s hip-hop, R&B and Afrobeats programming. Melanie Mercedes came aboard in 2022 to lead Rotation’s social media presence. Hinshaw, Balogun, Lever and Peas are 2023 Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players honorees, with Hinshaw recognized as executive of the year in 2022.
“I want to thank Steve Boom [Amazon Music vp] and Ryan Redington for believing in me,” added Hinshaw. “When we initially discussed this idea, neither of them flinched and that meant the world to me and my family. Black executives have oftentimes gotten the short end of the stick after giving their all in this industry. I can name so many. It’s not often you see this type of support from major corporations for executives like myself and that should be celebrated. This is not only a win for me, it’s a win for hip-hop culture, a win for creative executives and a win for the Westside of Compton. Free lunch for the youth forever.”
