Business
HYBE America has partnered with Alan Chikin Chow, creator of the scripted YouTube series Alan’s Universe, to form a new pop group that will be introduced to audiences through a streaming series, it was announced on Thursday (April 3).
The partnership, dubbed HYBE AMERICA X AU, will kick off with a global talent search to form the group, which will be composed of three women and three men. Those chosen will undergo HYBE’s rigorous K-pop development system in Los Angeles. The resulting series, which will be executive produced by Chow alongside HYBE America president James Shin and CEO Scooter Braun, “will follow a group of aspiring pop idol rejects enrolled at an arts academy who decide to form their own band, fusing the worlds of drama, acting, and musical performance with concurrent releases of original music and choreography,” according to a press release.
The multi-faceted project will live on Chow’s YouTube channel (which boasts more than 88 million subscribers) and “across multiple platforms that include music, merchandise, live touring, and more,” with the goal to “reimagine the fictional musical act turned real-life global popstar pathway for today’s generation,” as stated in the release.
Trending on Billboard
“The passionate global fanbase of Alan’s Universe partnered with the premier music prowess of HYBE AMERICA creates an unstoppable force,” said Chow in a statement. “Together, we stand to create a next-generation franchise with one purpose: to serve our fans with inspiring, impactful stories.”
“This partnership represents entertainment’s future—where content and music enhance each other rather than simply coexist,” added Shin. “We’re building a franchise with Alan that establishes a new model for artist development in the digital age.”
Braun added, “Alan’s extraordinary connection with global audiences makes him and this partnership unique. Together we are not only reimagining the star-making process but will help to create once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for exceptional storytelling and development.”
To apply, male and female candidates between the ages of 18 and 28 anywhere in the world can upload a singing or dancing clip to YouTube Shorts along with the hashtag #HYBEAMERICAxAU. More details can be found here.
A Fulton County judge has declined to revoke Young Thug‘s probation after Atlanta prosecutors pushed for his imprisonment over a social media post the rapper made calling a government investigator “the biggest liar,” according to court documents filed on Thursday (April 3). Though Judge Paige Reese Whitaker decided in the rapper’s favor, in a footnote […]
President Donald Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day,” which marked the imposition of tariffs on all U.S. trading partners on Wednesday (April 2), was followed by a bloodbath on Wall Street on Thursday (April 3).
The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 6.0% while the S&P 500 dropped 4.8% — the largest single-day decline since 2020 for both. The Russell 2000, an index of small-cap companies, dropped 6.6% and entered bear market territory, having lost more than 20% of its value since reaching its all-time high in November.
All music stocks except three K-pop companies suffered losses Thursday, with a handful losing 13% or more of their value and most dropping by mid-single digits. Music is largely a service that operates seamlessly across borders and is mostly immune from the tariffs applied to manufactured goods. But investors clearly expect U.S. consumers to face higher prices and an uncertain labor market, which in turn causes people to reduce their spending on everything from everyday household items to more expensive items such as concert tickets and travel.
Trending on Billboard
The severity of stock declines varied by industry segment. Companies with high exposure to the U.S. advertising market were hit particularly hard, a reflection of brands’ tendency to reduce their ad spending in times of economic uncertainty. In the radio segment, iHeartMedia shares fell 13.1%, Cumulus Media dropped 10.1% and Townsquare Media sank 6.3%. Satellite radio company SiriusXM lost 5.4%. Music streamer LiveOne, which has both subscription and ad-supported offerings, fell 12.9%. PodcastOne, a podcast company majority owned by LiveOne, dipped 10.3%.
Companies involved in live music also fared poorly. Sphere Entertainment Co. fell 13.9% while sister company MSG Entertainment fell 6.8%. Live Nation dropped 6.4%. Secondary ticket marketplace Vivid Seats fell 9.6% and ticketing company Eventbrite sank 4.7%. Sphere Entertainment’s decline was mirrored in other companies that also rely on travel to Las Vegas: Las Vegas Sands Corp. lost 6.7%, MGM Grand International dipped 9.3%, Caesars Entertainment fell 9.5% and Wynn Resorts dropped 10.6%.
Multi-sector music companies — a combination of mainly recorded music and music publishing — fared relatively well. Universal Music Group lost 1.5%. Warner Music Group dropped just 0.7%. Reservoir Media was down 3.5%.
There was also a clear divide between companies that derive the majority of their income within the U.S. and companies that do not. Live music and ticketing companies based in the U.S. fell an average of 8.3% while German concert promoter CTS Eventim fell just 2.4%. Radio companies and LiveOne, which are more subject to the health of the U.S. advertising market, fared worse than Spotify, which fell just 1.2% despite offering an ad-supported tier in the U.S.
The most valuable American companies suffered huge losses as investors gauged the tariffs’ impact on foreign-manufactured goods. Apple shares dropped 9.3%, wiping out more than $300 billion of market value. Amazon, which does brisk business on items manufactured in Asian countries facing large tariffs, fell 9.0%. Meta, which relies on advertising for nearly all of its revenue, also dropped 9.0%.
Warner Music Group (WMG) and best-selling Warner Records artist Josh Groban were honored on Wednesday (April 2) at the Harmony Program’s annual gala held at The Altman Building in the Flatiron neighborhood of New York City.
The event raised nearly $800,000 to advance the Harmony Program’s mission to bring music education into underserved communities across New York City. Hosted by CBS Mornings Plus’ Adriana Diaz, the event included live performances by Groban and students from the Harmony Program.
Kevin Gore, WMG’s president of global catalog (and a Harmony Program board member) accepted the honor on behalf of WMG, saying, “The Harmony Program’s work isn’t just about expanding access to music education, it’s about harnessing the power of music to encourage collaboration and cultivate community. It’s more important than ever for all of us to ensure that artistic expression continues to flourish freely and that organizations like the Harmony Program continue to thrive, so that they can foster the next generation of leaders, dreamers, and music makers. It’s an honor to be recognized by such an essential and impactful organization in our community.”
Trending on Billboard
On stage, Groban said, “The work of the Harmony Program is vitally important because it’s changing the mindset of these young people. Arts education, in an ever-divided and cynical world, is what tells us about the beauty of our similarities, but more importantly, about the beauty of our differences. This honor is so special and it means the world to me.”
Groban, 44, is a dedicated arts education philanthropist and advocate. In 2011, he established the Find Your Light Foundation, which helps enrich the lives of young people through arts, education and cultural awareness. He is also a celebrated performer, with five Grammy nominations, two Tony nods and two Primetime Emmy nods.
“Warner Music Group has been an invaluable partner to the Harmony Program and its students for over a decade,” said Anne Fitzgibbon, Harmony Program founder/executive director. “Beyond financial support, they have provided our students with career mentorship, industry internships, and unforgettable, collaborative performances with world-class artists like Joyce DiDonato, Chris Thile, and Josh Groban. They exemplify the power of corporate philanthropy to inspire young people, and by extension, their broader communities.”
The Harmony Program is a non-profit organization that provides children from underserved communities with free instruments, intensive music instruction, orchestral training and access to a variety of cultural experiences. The Harmony Program’s unique model also addresses a shortage of well-trained music teachers by preparing accomplished musicians to teach at public schools and community centers throughout New York City.
For years, Spotify’s founder and CEO, Daniel Ek, has aimed to make the streaming service “the world’s number one audio platform.” Between its music, podcast and audiobook offerings, and its formidable market share, it arguably has become just that.
But there’s one form of audio that the service is less excited about: noise. Also referred to as “non-artist noise content,” “non-music,” “functional music” (a commonly used term that some disagree with), and more by Spotify and music industry skeptics, these tracks capture sounds like wind, bird calls and white noise, and have become popular for listeners to stream, often for hours on end, while they sleep, focus, relax or meditate.
As streaming services become increasingly interested in changing their royalty models, these noise tracks have provoked debate between those who believe the content has value and those who feel it takes away from traditional musicians. And as Spotify and Deezer lead the charge, creating new policies that lower the money-making potential of noise, could penalizing this form of audio free up new money for musicians and help curb artificial streaming?
Trending on Billboard
In early 2023, Lucian Grainge, chairman/CEO of Universal Music Group, drew attention to the topic when he began to speak out against noise tracks regularly. “Our industry is entering a new chapter where we’re going to have to pick sides, all of us are going to have to pick sides,” he said at Billboard’s Power 100 event that February. “Are we on the side of…functional music, functional content? Or are we on the side of artistry and artists?”
Those who work in the noise space, however, don’t see the debate as that black and white. “I hate that stance,” says Jordan Smith, co-founder of Arden Records, a label which puts out lo-fi, ambient and field recordings. “We’ve done a lot of nature stuff, including a project with the National Parks, where we’ve released nature sounds. Our artists will go on a hike and field record it. They’ve spent time, effort and energy into that. They shouldn’t be penalized because it’s a different way of listening.”
Some have even dedicated their life to this work. Birmingham, England-born Martyn Smith, for example, has recorded and released 30,000 hours of nature sounds, dating back to the mid 1960s, to streaming services. Smith and his team see it as a method of environmental conservation, given that so many of these habitats were destroyed or permanently altered after Smith recorded them. “When you get to dip your toe into a different world and see people who are committing so much time and energy to [these field recordings], it’s genuinely awe-inspiring,” Smith’s collaborator, Robert Shields, told Billboard previously.
Others don’t have such lofty, artistic goals with noise tracks. One music industry professional, who spoke to Billboard under the condition of anonymity, puts out white noise to make money on the side while working a traditional music job. While they admit they’ve been exploiting the streaming model, ultimately, they say, “Who am I to say what audio is valuable to a Spotify user and what isn’t? Maybe white noise is the only way that person can fall asleep.”
Grainge and others, like Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl, see this form of content not as a value add or an artistic endeavor but as a way of siphoning money away from their businesses. “It can’t be that an Ed Sheeran stream is worth exactly the same as a stream of rain falling on the roof,” Kyncl told investors in 2023. The noise issue has become one of the points of attack in Grainge’s “Streaming 2.0” plan, which aims to revise streaming royalty models to unlock more money for “professional artists” — like the ones signed to major label groups. Along with downgrading the value of noise, it also includes other suggestions, like implementing a threshold of minimum streams to qualify for monetization and penalizing fraudulent activity.
As the CEO of the largest music company in the business, Grainge has gotten his plan implemented at multiple services already, including Spotify and Deezer. While streamers are largely neutral about where they send appropriate royalty payments, as long as it abides by their guidelines, it matters much more to label bosses, who depend on the growing size and proper allocation of the royalty pool.
It’s hard to gauge exactly how much money has been paid out to noise content creators over the years, but its popularity is undeniable. On Apple Music, the playlist “Rain Sounds” is its third most popular offering. In a quick glance on Spotify, one of many tracks featured on its “White Noise 10 Hour” playlist has 226 million Spotify streams and counting.
To combat the amount of money flowing toward this content, Deezer has elected to remove user-uploaded noise content altogether from its service, instead offering company-owned, company-made noise offerings that do not generate royalties. Spotify took a different approach. While it has allowed outside noise tracks to stay on the service, it downgraded royalty-earning potential by 80% in late 2023.
According to a Spotify blog post about these rules, “functional genres…[are] sometimes exploited by bad actors who cut their tracks artificially short — with no artistic merit — in order to maximize royalty-bearing streams… The massive growth of the royalty pool has created a revenue opportunity for noise uploaders well beyond their contribution to listeners.”
While many publicly celebrated these changes, others quietly worried about it. For David Green, founder/CEO of Ameritz, an instrumental record label that has also released field recordings, “When [Spotify’s new rules around noise] were announced last year, there was a bit of fear across all providers. I think it was across the board. You’d be surprised how many providers do this type of [noise content].” Like the anonymous industry professional, many who dabble in noise recordings do it to earn additional income on the side of more traditional music industry work. “Then there was the fear of, ‘Maybe this detection won’t be as accurate as it should be,’” says Green, and it could accidentally pick up music too, especially more experimental ambient works.
For decades, musicians on the cutting edge have experimented with the sometimes-blurry line between music and noise. Musique Concrète, for example, is an experimental form of music that dates back to the 1940s and uses a compilation of raw, found audio to create a sound collage. Ambient musician TJ Dumser, who releases under the moniker Six Missing, says he doesn’t like the idea of people playing the system with white noise, but adds, “I think the only concern for me is, ‘Where is the line? How do we draw the line from noise, ambient and even noise rock? Who is to say what’s not music to somebody else?’”
But one year in, Green says Spotify’s tool seems to be accurate at drawing that line between noise and music. Spotify confirmed to Billboard that to monitor and filter noise tracks effectively it uses Sonalytic, an audio detection technology it acquired in 2022 that can identify songs, mixed content and audio clips, as well as track copyright-protected material. A Deezer spokesperson confirmed that it has an “algorithm that has been specifically trained to detect non-music noise tracks,” but that the company also can manually whitelist tracks that could be detected as noise but actually are experimental music.
While this battle over noise content hit a fever pitch in 2023, determining the value of alternative forms of audio has been a much longer-running challenge for streaming services. In 2014, independent funk band Vulfpeck released Sleepify, a silent album, to Spotify. The band’s frontman, Jack Stratton, then asked fans to stream the 10-track album on repeat overnight while sleeping to fund the band’s upcoming tour. After the project earned an estimated $20,000, Spotify removed the project, saying it violated its terms of content.
The hope is that, over time, these increasingly stringent policies against silent and noise tracks will put more money into musicians’ pockets. Spotify estimates that its new streaming policies, including but not limited to royalty reductions for noise, will lead to an increase of $1 billion available to artists in its royalty pool over the next five years.
When asked for comment about whether or not these policies had their desired effects yet, just over one year in, both Spotify and Deezer have positive, but mixed, results. A Spotify spokesperson said these rules have decreased Spotify’s issues with spam and artificial streaming from noise and decreased the number of short noise tracks. A representative for Deezer says, “The level of fraud, at least in terms of number of attempts, is not directly connected to our catalog cleaning efforts. However, we have seen that fraud has decreased on Deezer between 2023 and 2024.”
Young Thug’s attorneys fired back Thursday (April 3) at a push by Atlanta prosecutors to revoke his probation, strongly denying that he violated his release terms merely by posting to social media that a government investigator was the “biggest liar.”
Just a day after the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office told a Georgia judge that Thug should be imprisoned over the X post criticizing Marissa Viverito, the star’s attorneys said the government motion was filled with “baseless assertions” and ought to be denied.
“Mr. Williams did not violate any term of probation,” lawyer Brian Steel wrote in the filing. “There is no violation of Mr. Williams’ probation by reposting an image on social media and opining that Investigator Viverito is untruthful.”
Trending on Billboard
After sitting in jail for more than two years on felony gang accusations over his “YSL” group, Thug pleaded guilty last year and was sentenced to serve only probation — a stunning end to a legal saga that could have seen him face a life sentence. While he avoided prison, Thug was hit with strict release terms from the judge, who warned him that “there better be no violations.”
The current dispute started on Tuesday (April 1), when Thug posted an image of Viverito to X (formerly Twitter) with the caption that read: “Marissa Viverito is the biggest liar in the DA’s office.” The post, apparently a reference to her testimony in an unrelated gang case, quickly spread across social media.
A day later, the DA’s office went to court, saying Thug had shown “a blatant disregard for the law, the safety of witnesses, and the integrity of judicial proceedings.” Prosecutors argued that the tweet had been part of “a calculated campaign of intimidation” and had led to subsequent posts by others revealing Viverito’s home address and making death threats against DA Fani Willis.
“The escalation from targeting a testifying witness to making a direct death threat against the elected District Attorney of Fulton County is a grave and unprecedented attack on the justice system,” prosecutors wrote in the Wednesday (April 2) filing.
But in Thursday’s response, Steel said Thug was legally entitled to voice his opinion about Viverito’s credibility even while living under the terms of his probation: “Mr. Williams can admit to all of the allegations alleged and still not have violated any term of his probationary sentence.”
Steel also argued that Thug himself was clearly not responsible for later posts by other users: “Mr. Williams, undersigned counsel and all moral persons do not condone threatening another without justification. However, these comments on social media by unknown persons cannot be attributed to Mr. Williams in order to support a violation of his probationary sentence.”
A judge will weigh the arguments from both sides and potentially order a hearing to decide whether to revoke probation. In Thursday’s response, Steel said that the judge could deny the request without a hearing — but that his client would be ready for one: “If a hearing is needed, Mr. Williams will be prepared.”
A mammoth first quarter of 2025 saw Interscope Geffen A&M (IGA) surge into first place in the current market share rankings of U.S. record labels so far this year.
Big records from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Gracie Abrams, Billie Eilish and Lady Gaga propelled IGA to a 12.67% current share, up from 9.10% over the same period in 2024. That’s just enough to edge out longtime leader REPUBLIC, which rode a wave of releases by The Weeknd and Morgan Wallen and continued success from Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan to a 12.52% current share of the market through March 27, 2025, down slightly from the industry-leading 12.84% it held after the first three months of 2024.
Those two labels — IGA’s share also includes Verve Label Group, while REPUBLIC’s includes Island, Mercury, Big Loud and indie distributor Imperial — helped parent company the Universal Music Group (UMG) boost its year over year market share by nearly three percentage points, to a 36.82% current share so far in 2025 from 2024’s 33.90%. In doing so, UMG widened its lead over No. 2 label group Sony Music Group, which increased its own share year over year to 27.37%, up from 26.91% this time last year. That growth from those two companies largely came at the expense of the indie sector, which fell to a 19.92% current share by distribution ownership this year, down from 23.21% in 2024. (By label ownership, the indies are the biggest sector; see below.) Meanwhile, the third major label group, the Warner Music Group (WMG), largely remained static at 15.89% current share this year, down slightly from 15.98% last year.
Trending on Billboard
Given the reorganization of UMG last year — in which Capitol Music Group also reports through IGA’s chairman/CEO John Janick, while Def Jam reports through REPUBLIC CEO Monte Lipman — Interscope Capitol’s combined share would grow even further, to 17.23%, which would best WMG’s mark for the quarter. REPUBLIC’s share, in addition to Def Jam, would be 13.07%. Most notable among the labels under the REPUBLIC umbrella is Island’s continued growth. After a year in which Carpenter and Roan broke out as superstars, the likes of Lola Young and Gigi Perez are helping Island to continue to bloom: At 2.94% current share this year, Island would have been the eighth-biggest label if broken out on its own, and its share is up significantly from the 0.71% it posted in the first three months of 2024, when it would have ranked 20th.
Below the top two labels come a pair of WMG companies in Warner Records (6.17%, which includes Warner Nashville, Warner Latin and Rhino) and Atlantic Records (5.58%, inclusive of 300 Elektra Entertainment and 10K Projects). Warner’s mark is down from the 6.41% it enjoyed in Q1 2024, when it kicked off the year with breakout singles from Benson Boone and Teddy Swims; while Atlantic’s number is up from last year’s 5.14%, as it shifts into a new era following a leadership shakeup last September.
In fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively, are a trio of labels separated by just over a half a percentage in market share: RCA (4.83%, down from 5.13% last year), Capitol (4.56%, down from last year’s 4.71%) and Columbia (4.25%, up big from last year’s 3.71%). Capitol’s market share includes Virgin Music, Motown/Quality Control, Capitol Christian Music Group, Astralwerks and Blue Note; Columbia’s includes some labels from indie distributor RED.
Following Columbia, in eighth place, is the other big story of the year so far: Alamo Records, which posted a 2.91% current share, up significantly from its 2024 mark of 1.53%, driven by the success of Drake and PartyNextDoor’s Some Sexy Songs 4 You album, among other releases. (Alamo also operates an indie distributor, Santa Anna.) Another trio of Sony labels follows: Sony Latin in ninth (1.89%, down from 2.38%), Sony Nashville in 10th (1.83%, down from 2.08%) and Epic Records just outside the top 10 (1.56%, down from 2.99%).
In overall market share — which combines all of a label’s output in the marketplace, whereas current refers to music from the most recent 18 months — Interscope’s deep catalog and current surge sees it secure first place, at 10.81%, up from last year’s 9.84%. REPUBLIC slipped to second, despite slightly increasing its overall market share to 9.95% from last year’s 9.94%, while Atlantic’s formidable catalog sees it leapfrog Warner Records up to third in overall share, at 7.67%, relatively steady from last year’s 7.65%. Warner, similarly, is almost the same as last year, as its fourth place showing of 6.73% is in line with last year’s 6.72%; Capitol and Columbia, in fifth and sixth, are down a small amount year over year (6.05% from 6.14% for Capitol; 5.38% from 5.79% for Columba), while RCA in seventh is also essentially static, at 5.19% from 5.20%. Epic, meanwhile, jumps to eighth (2.42%, down from 2.81%), while Sony Nashville (1.95%, down from 1.97%) and Def Jam (1.80%, down from 1.97%) round out the top 10.
In terms of catalog — all titles older than 18 months, which generally favors labels with a lengthy history of hits — the top eight are the same as in overall market share, with IGA, REPUBLIC and Atlantic leading the way. In ninth, Def Jam’s 2.19% sees it move up, while Concord’s 2.05% moves it into the top 10, with Sony Nashville (1.98%) dropping down to 11th. Concord and Sony Nashville grew their shares year over year, while Def Jam’s is down slightly.
Those figures are all by distribution ownership, whereby Universal, Sony and Warner also receive market share credit from their owned independent label distributors. By label ownership, however, the independent community is by far the largest sector of the business, racking up a 37.87% current market share so far this year, down from 38.25% in 2024; and a 36.03% overall market share this year, down from 36.82% last year.
After beating a copyright lawsuit over her holiday classic “All I Want for Christmas is You,” Mariah Carey and other defendants say the little-known songwriter who filed the case must now repay more than $180,000 they spent on lawyers defending his “frivolous” arguments.
When a federal judge dismissed Vince Vance’s lawsuit last month – ruling the two songs mostly just shared “Christmas song clichés” – she sharply criticized the songwriter and his lawyers for “egregious” conduct during the case and ordered him to repay some of Carey’s legal bill.
On Wednesday, that bill came due: Carey and the other defendants in the case told the judge they spent a combined $185,602.30 paying a team of high-priced lawyers to work a total of 295 hours to defeat the “frivolous” motions advanced by Vance’s attorneys.
Trending on Billboard
If that sounds like a lot, Carey’s lawyers say its because Vance was making radical demands.
“The court should consider that [Vance was] seeking, among other things, $20 million in damages, injunctive relief, and even the destruction of all copies of ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You,’” her attorneys say. “Considering such drastic requested relief, and the results obtained, defendants were perfectly justified in incurring the aforementioned attorney’s fees to successfully oppose plaintiffs’ motion.”
Vance (real name Andy Stone) first sued Carey in 2022, claiming “All I Want” infringed the copyrights to a 1989 song of the exact same name recorded by his Vince Vance and the Valiants. He claimed the earlier track received “extensive airplay” during the 1993 holiday season — a year before Carey released her now-better-known hit.
“Carey has … palmed off these works with her incredulous origin story, as if those works were her own,” Vance wrote in his latest complaint. “Her hubris knowing no bounds, even her co-credited songwriter doesn’t believe the story she has spun.”
Vance’s allegations were a big deal because Carey’s song is big business. The 1994 blockbuster, which became even more popular after it was featured in the 2003 holiday rom-com Love Actually, has re-taken the top spot on the Hot 100 for six straight years and earned a whopping $8.5 million in global revenue in 2022.
But in a ruling last month, Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani said Vance had failed to show that the songs were similar enough to violate copyright law. She cited analysis by a musicologist who said the two tracks were “very different songs” that shared only “commonplace Christmas song clichés” that had been used in many earlier tracks.
“Plaintiffs have not met their burden of showing that [the songs by] Carey and Vance are substantially similar under the extrinsic test,” Ramírez Almadani wrote at the time, using the legal term for how courts assess such allegations.
The judge not only tossed out Vance’s case, but also ruled that he and his lawyers should be punished for advancing meritless arguments that the judge said were aimed to “cause unnecessary delay and needlessly increase the costs of litigation.”
In Wednesday’s filing, the defendants told the judge how much Vance should pay under that order – saying they had been charged reasonable or even below-market rates from elite music litigators at top law firms.
Carey, repped by Peter Anderson and others from the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine, asked for about $141,000; Walter Afanasieff, a co-writer on Carey’s track repped by Kenneth D. Freundlich, asked for $7,000; Sony Music, represented by Benjamin Akley, Donald Zakarin, Ilene Farkas and others from Pryor Cashman, asked for $32,000; and Kobalt, repped by Bert Deixler and others from Kendall Brill & Kelly LLP, asked for $5,000.
The judge will rule on the request at some point in the weeks or months ahead. Vance’s attorneys will be allowed to file a response disputing the calculation; they can also appeal the ruling dismissing their case, though such a challenge will likely face long odds.
Welcome to Publishing Briefs, our semimonthly bulletin of recent signings, deals and doings in the wide world of music publishing. Since the last time we rapped, NMPA chief David Israelite gave his annual State of Music Publishing address at a conference for indie publishers, Canada’s SOCAN reported a record-high number in total royalty distributions, and Billboard Español had a chat with Rimas Publishing president Carlos Souffront and managing director Emilio Morales about their vision for the company.
The Independent Music Publishers International Forum (IMPF) released its fourth Global Market View report, analyzing the indie music publishing industry’s performance and trends, including the impact of Generative AI. The report shows that the sector grew by 5.7% in 2023, the last full year of data, reaching a total value of 2.57 billion euros ($2.83B, as of the exchange rate on Dec. 30, 2023), up 105.6% since 2018. Despite a slight decline in market share from 26.7% to 26.3%, independent publishers collectively hold a larger market share than major companies like Sony Music Publishing, they said. Key priorities outlined in the report include addressing AI challenges and advocating for fair compensation from DSPs. The study warns that unchecked growth of AI-generated content could lead to a 24% revenue dip in music and a 21% drop in audiovisual by 2028, resulting in a cumulative loss of 22 billion euros, with 10 billion euros affecting music. The IMPF, which reps 230 indies, emphasizes the need for supportive tax policies and plans to monitor the U.S. Mechanical Licensing Collective for equitable practices. The report also raises concerns about consolidation/acquisitions of catalogs and indie publishers, which could negatively impact cultural diversity by reducing independent routes to the music market.
Trending on Billboard
Sony Music Publishing signed producer, engineer and multi-instrumentalist MTech (Matthew Bernard) to a global publishing deal. This agreement covers his existing catalog and future songs, and is in collaboration with producer Sounwave’s new production division, new.ordinary. Mtech contributed on six tracks on Kendrick Lamar’s GNX album, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. His credits on GNX include “Luther” and “Squabble Up,” both Hot 100 No. 1s. He has also worked on Lamar’s Euphoria, Kali Uchis’ Orquídeas, and Blxst’s I’ll Always Come Find You. Born in Los Angeles, MTech began his career at 17, later moving to Atlanta where he secured his first major TV placement on FOX’s Star and worked on The Four: Battle for Stardom. Returning to LA in 2022, he was introduced to Sounwave, who calls him a “superstar.” Sony Music Publishing manager, creative A&R Lauren Munroe said, “MTech’s exceptional talent is truly inspiring to be around, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with him. We’re honored to welcome MTech to the Sony Music Publishing family alongside the visionary Sounwave and excited for the incredible music ahead.”
Kobalt signed rock band Pierce The Veil to a global publishing deal. The band is on a successful tour following their fifth studio album, The Jaws Of Life, with sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden and The Forum. Their I Can’t Hear You world tour will continue across Europe, Mexico and South America. With over a decade in the industry, PTV blends post-hardcore, emo and progressive rock, earning a devoted global fanbase, especially within the Latinx community due to their Mexican-American roots. Melissa Emert-Hutner, Kobalt’s senior vp of creative, praised the group’s unique sound and significant fanbase in both rock and Latin music communities. “We look forward to working closely with the band and their team to provide the support and resources they need as they continue to grow their fan base around the world,” she said.
Peermusic signed songwriter and producer Clint Lagerberg to a worldwide publishing deal, covering future works and select back catalog. Lagerberg’s career highlights include Rascal Flatts’ “Here Comes Goodbye” and co-writing and producing Josh Kelley’s “Georgia Clay.” He achieved massive success with Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” the singer’s top song on Spotify and his highest-charting hit on the Hot 100 (at No. 24, in 2016). His songs have been recorded by country stars like Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw and Matt Stell. Recently, Lagerberg contributed to Brad Paisley’s upcoming album as both a writer and producer, with additional production credits include Matt Stell, LoCash, Leanna Crawford, Kevin Jonas and Backstreet Boys, among others. Knox praised Lagerberg’s talent and process. “He’s already proven his ability to land songs on the top of the charts, but it’s his process that is really impressive to me,” he said. “Clint has the technical knowledge and ability to see it through from conception to song production and delivery.”
Concord Music Publishing signed music producer Dom Martinez to a worldwide publishing deal, covering his full catalog and future works. Originally from Denver and now based in Nashville, Martinez is known for his versatility across genres like pop, rap, folk, singer-songwriter, and R&B. Martinez has collaborated with emerging talents such as Myles Smith, Caleb Hearn and Braden Bales. Lily Bunta, A&R Manager at Concord, praised Martinez’s passion and “truly infectious” enthusiasm for music.
Across the pond and then some, Concord Music Publishing ANZ signed up New Zealand power-pop band The Beths for worldwide representation. The deal covers their growing catalog, including albums Future Me Hates Me, Jump Rope Gazers, and Expert In A Dying Field. Formed in 2014 and led by vocalist Liz Stokes, The Beths have gained acclaim with their indie rock sound and performances at major festivals like Coachella. They were the first New Zealand act to win the Levi’s Music Prize in 2020. Jaime Gough, managing director at Concord Music Publishing ANZ, praised Stokes’ “deft lyricism and unique turn of phrase,” while Pennie Black, director at CMPNZ, called out their “infectious” indie pop sound as “a true reflection of their exceptional songwriting talent.”
Sony Music Publishing locked in multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Jesse Fink to a global publishing deal. Based in Los Angeles, Fink has written major hits, including Myles Smith’s Stargazing, which spent 44 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped international charts, and Artemas’ i like the way you kiss me, which surpassed 1 billion Spotify streams and reached #1 on Billboard’s Global 200 Excl. US chart. His songwriting credits include work with John Legend, Dove Cameron, and Leyla Blue. A GRAMMY winner for Best R&B Album in 2021 with Legend’s Bigger Love, he recently earned two BRIT Award nominations for Song of the Year. Sony Music Publishing A&R manager Clark Adler lauded Fink’s passion and work ethic, saying these traits “elevate everyone around him.”
Over in The Volunteer State, SMP Nashville signed singer-songwriter Averie Bielski to a global publishing deal. Originally from Roswell, GA, Averie has quickly made a name for herself, first gaining attention in 2021 with her viral debut single I Do Too, which gained traction on TikTok. Since moving to Nashville, her songs have been recorded by artists like Callista Clark, Zach John King, Carson Wallace, Ashley Anne and Grace Tyler. Sony Music Publishing Nashville’s manager of creative A&R, Synnovea Halsel, praised her “fresh” lyricism and unique melodies — “From the moment I heard her first song, I was taken aback.”
Warner Chappell Music‘s Miami team signed Afro-Colombian artist Hamilton, also known as AfroRockStar. As a prominent figure in the Afrobeat movement, Hamilton has already amassed over 250 million career streams. He is gearing up to release his debut album, which includes “Mi Reina,” a new single with Nanpa Basico. Recognized as an artist to watch, Hamilton’s Afrobeats collaborations include Ryan Castro’s “A Poca Luz” and Justin Quiles and Lenny Tavárez’s “Atardecer.” He is signed to Cigol Music on the label side and Globalatino/Cigol Publishing.
PUB BRIEFS BRIEFS: Centricity Music signed the Texas-based duo Band Reeves to a recording and publishing contract. The duo features Reeves brothers Jeramy and Cody, who have crafted a sound that blends country and Christian music. Band Reeves is managed by Proper Management and will release a debut single soon … Electronic music producer Anyma signed a global publishing deal with Kobalt. The agreement covers Anyma’s entire catalog, including his work with the duo Tale of Us, as well as future releases.
Last Publishing Briefs: El DeBarge Signs With Reservoir
Kiley Donohoe has launched Greenhouse Management, with an artist roster that includes “Cowgirls” hitmaker Ernest, as well as artists and hit songwriters Chandler Walters, Rhys Rutherford and Cody Lohden.
Donohoe previously worked at Big Loud since 2018, starting in digital marketing and working with artists over the years including Morgan Wallen, Florida Georgia Line, Ernest and Chris Lane. Four years ago, she transitioned into management, taking on the role of Ernest’s manager.
Donohoe says she plans to keep Greenhouse’s roster small, in order to focus on each artist, telling Billboard, “I want to be able to have the bandwidth for all my clients and super-serve them and work with people I believe in and trust, and who believe and trust in me. It’s not about how large [the company] can get, but working with great people.”
Trending on Billboard
Greenhouse Management’s title was inspired by the time Iowa native Donohoe spent as a child working in her grandparents’ backyard greenhouse.
“I was thinking about my roots and values of being transparent, like a greenhouse, and what shaped me,” Donohoe says. “I was talking to [hit songwriter, artist and Songs & Daughters leader] Nicolle Galyon about the company name and this new chapter and she suggested the name. It is so important to me to be transparent and to stay true to who you are. I try to stay true to that as a manager.”
“Kiley has always had the artist best interest in mind and will continue to develop into a great manager,” Ernest said in a statement. “I look forward to seeing what the future brings, and I know that her artists are in good hands.”
Chandler Walters, Rhys Rutherford, Greenhouse Management CEO / Manager Kiley Donohoe, Cody Lohden, Matt Schneider
Courtesy Photo
Walters added, “The first one to take care of you and the last one to let you down. I’ve known Kiley since I moved to town; she’s held the keys to my sanity, and it only makes sense for us to tackle my artist career!”
Ernest, who last year released a musical love letter to his hometown with the album Nashville, Tennessee, has earned multiple ACM, CMA and Grammy nominations, including his current ACM nominations for artist-songwriter of the year, as well as being a co-writer on the ACM song of the year-nominated song “I Had Some Help,” recorded by Morgan Wallen and Post Malone. Lohden has toured with artists including ERNEST, Bailey Zimmerman and Walker Hayes, while Rutherford has contributed writing to songs recorded by Zimmerman (“Is This Really Over?”), Ernest feat. Morgan Wallen (“Hangin’ On”), Kashus Culpepper (“Talk With Me”) and George Pippen (“Rest of Our Life”). Walters is also a co-writer on “I Had Some Help,” and has six cuts on Post Malone’s F-1 Trillion album, seven cuts on Ernest’s Nashville, Tennessee album (including the Jelly Roll collaboration “I Went to College, He Went to Jail,” and is part of Post Malone’s touring band, playing pedal steel. Lohden and Rutherford both have their own new music coming.