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Given the glacial pace at which federal antitrust litigation moves, the U.S. Department of Justice’s historic lawsuit against Live Nation and its wholly owned subsidiary Ticketmaster is expected to take years to wind its way through the legal system whether it’s fully adjudicated or the live-event Goliath agrees to make changes to its business, which the government often terms “behavioral remedies.”
And though it’s clearly too early to predict how the case will play out, legal expert and antitrust attorney Lawrence J. White from New York University’s Stern School of Business says the potential winners and losers have already been largely pre-determined based on hints found in the 128-page complaint that the DOJ filed May 23 in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York.
“The companies mentioned in the complaint as being the most harmed by anti-competitive behavior are typically the same companies that stand the most to gain in the solution,” White says.
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In the case of Live Nation, the winners will very likely be the company’s main concert promotion rival, AEG Presents; secondary-market ticketing competitor SeatGeek; and a handful of major independent promoters like Chicago’s Jam Productions. The losers would likely be Live Nation; Irving Azoff and Tim Leiweke’s venue owner, management and hospitality company, Oak View Group — which the DOJ alleges “has described itself as a ‘hammer’ and ‘protect[or]’ for Live Nation” — as well as, potentially, major artist management companies and talent agencies, depending on the government’s solution for more competitive ticket pricing.
“The government tends to rely on private companies to carry out its policy goals during the remedy phase of an antitrust case,” explains White, pointing toward the original consent decree drafted around the 2010 merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. That agreement unsuccessfully propped up two private companies — AEG and Comcast Spectacor — to serve as competitors to Ticketmaster.
Whether the DOJ wins in court or ends up settling with Live Nation, White says it will lean on large corporations to assist with enforcement of the ruling. As Live Nation’s only major competitor for ticketing and concert promotion, AEG, which owns AXS Ticketing, is an obvious choice as a DOJ partner because of the company’s large scale, which will be critical for the DOJ’s long-shot goal to lower ticket prices. (The DOJ is believed to have interviewed more than 100 individuals from the live-music industry as part of its recent antitrust investigation into Live Nation.)
In a May 23 press release that announced the lawsuit filing, Attorney General Merrick Garland said, “We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anti-competitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live-events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters and venue operators.” He contends that increasing competition among Live Nation’s ticketing rivals and in the artist promotion space will lower the face value prices of tickets.
Prior to the 2010 merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster, four or five ticketing companies were capable of competing with the latter at the arena level. In 2024, only two remain: AXS and SeatGeek, the secondary site that also happens to own one of the only primary ticketing products capable of servicing major arenas and stadiums.
In a statement released to Billboard, SeatGeek said, “We are hopeful that the Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit to break up the Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly will restore fair market competition to live entertainment.” On the concert promotion front, there are far fewer major independent promoters now than there were prior to 2010 and only a handful capable of touring major arena acts across the country. In addition to Jam Productions, they include Nashville’s Outback Concerts and Another Planet Entertainment in the San Francisco Bay Area. All three promoters declined to comment for this story.
In a May 31 letter to his staff, AEG chairman/CEO Jay Marciano outlined how the DOJ could make concert promotion fairer and drive down the cost of ticketing by dismantling Live Nation’s “flywheel” business model, which is cited in the DOJ’s complaint and described in its May 23 press release as “a self-reinforcing business model that captures fees and revenue from concert fans and sponsorship, uses that revenue to lock up artists to exclusive promotion deals and then uses its powerful cache of live content to sign venues into long-term exclusive ticketing deals, thereby starting the cycle all over again.”
Marciano’s letter said Live Nation’s flywheel model “deploys the excessive profits of its ticketing monopoly to outspend what the concert market can profitably sustain.”
Under this theory, ticket prices would drop if Live Nation was prevented from using its other revenue sources to overpay artists and compete with other promoters offering artists an 85/15 or a 90/10 split on ticket sales.
Although the theory is not widely accepted by most major talent agents or managers — IAG executive vp/head of global music Jarred Arfa calls it “unrealistic” and “illogical” — it is gaining popularity among large indie promoters and DOJ lawyers, sources tell Billboard. White notes that whether the government settles or takes Ticketmaster to trial will depend on “the time and resources the DOJ wants to expend on the case and the evidence against Live Nation it has collected.”
When the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) releases its annual Music Industry Action Report Card, co-founder and president/CEO Willie “Prophet” Stiggers says a barrage of distressed phone calls from executives inevitably follows. The assessments grade music companies on how well they’ve kept promises made in 2020 to diversify their executive ranks, among other measures; the executives call, he explains, to complain that the grades affect their bottom lines.
“That’s what we want to do,” says Stiggers, who is also the CEO of artist and brand management company 50/50 Music Group Management. “You can’t continue to operate with false promises after saying that you stand in solidarity with your Black brothers and sisters and then don’t promote the Black executive and don’t ensure that a woman is in an environment where she is protected and her vision is executed.”
BMAC was established in June 2020 following the movement #TheShowMustBePaused to advance racial diversity, equity and inclusion in the music business. But this year’s mass industry layoffs, which included many DEI executives, has “unrolled some of the progress we were making,” Stiggers says.
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As a result, BMAC will present a new version of its report before its fourth annual gala in September. The organization has sent a link to executives that asks them to anonymously indicate whether they have seen true change, what has worsened and what still needs to be addressed.
The early results, Stiggers says, are “almost a slap in the face — a ‘whitelash,’ if you will, to the commitments that were made in 2020. The question has become, Was this s— really performative or not?”
The National Action Network Award that Stiggers received this year — “a 360 moment for me because my activism began with [NAN founder and president] Al Sharpton. I created and led [the organization’s] youth division.”
Diwang Valdez
Why are there fewer Black executives in the music industry now than in 2019?
The major labels, I’m sure, would tell you AI [artificial intelligence]. The uncertainty of that realm has caused them to tighten up. But my suspicions are, there’s a bit of that, but these positions [for Black and women executives] were not permanent. A lot of the people were put in these positions in 2020 — managers became senior-level directors, for example — and then in 2024, they have been asked to go back to that lower position or exit altogether. When you have the RIAA report record-breaking revenue that the industry generated in 2023, it’s a little lost on me how that translates to the lack of employment.
What are your thoughts on the DEI positions that have been eliminated since 2020?
The reality is that a lot of these commitments from the labels were three-year commitments. That seemed to be the hot number where they thought maybe at the end of the three years this s— would go away or we would be on to something else. Seemingly, the contracts that these DEI executives had were three-year deals. Once they were up, [the labels were] like, “We did that. We checked the box. Now let’s go back to business as usual.” There was so much potential for us to set this thing on the right course. So for us to go backward is really embarrassing, and history is going to reflect this.
How are you counseling these companies to elevate people of color and women?
A lot of our conversations with these labels, we do confidentially. Here’s what I can say about it. We bring all kinds of stats to prove how profitable diversity is; how profitable it is when you let women lead; how profitable historically it has been when people of color — those who make the product, who consume the product — lead [in terms of] how that product is distributed. This is not even a moral conversation at this point. I’m telling you how it impacts your bottom line.
The prototype of the first BMAC Award, which was given in September 2021 to The Weeknd at the first gala. “He said, ‘This is the greatest award I ever received.’ ”
Diwang Valdez
What do you think of the Recording Academy’s attempts to diversify the voting membership for the Grammy Awards?
Racism is a 450-year-old issue. It is not going to be solved in three or four years. What we can do is talk about the progress that has been made. We have, for the first time, a Black CEO of the Recording Academy. That’s progress. We watched new categories get introduced [like] best song for social change. That didn’t exist prior to Harvey Mason jr. as CEO. He’s up against decades of systems that we are slowly chipping away at. The mere fact that there is a Black Music Collective. The fact that Jay-Z stood on the stage and held a Grammy named after Dr. Dre. We’re not going to act like that is the liberation of our people, but we’re not going to act like that’s not change.
You say BMAC has moved from protest to policy. How?
In 2022, it came to our attention that there were over 500 cases of Black men that were locked up for lyrics. That became a problem for us. So BMAC created the federal legislation called the RAP Act. The work that we did on that federal level created all these statewide bills like what Gov. [Gavin] Newsom signed in California last year. That was a direct result of our work. We are working with the group around Fix the Tix and are working with the groups around AI protection. Our work around legislative policy is as loud, as real and as meaningful as the work we’re doing with pipeline programs.
What are some of those pipeline programs?
Three years ago, we partnered with the RIAA and Tennessee State University and [Nashville Music Equity’s] Brian Sexton, who is an alumnus there, to bring a unique commercial business school to young people who want to get into the industry. We bring in executives and artists from all over the industry. They get paid internships that come out of that every year. We’ve had several people get gainfully employed at record labels and music studios. Most recently, Live Nation hired one of the participants. Tri Star [Sports & Entertainment] hired a young woman from this year’s classes.
A portrait of Stiggers; his wife of 29 years, Fatima; and three of their children, from left: Zaira, Nailah and Willie III. They have since been joined by daughter Safra-Cree. “We met in high school and started [our] family young, which defined my greater purpose,” he says.
Diwang Valdez
That’s not your only Nashville-related initiative.
BMAC also put out a report in 2022 called Three Chords and the Actual Truth: The Manufactured Myth of Country Music and White America. When we released that report, there was a call to action for the music world to join us in addressing the structural racism on Music Row in Nashville and creating access. We were inspired by a guy named Michael Tubbs from Stockton, Calif. He created Mayors for a Guaranteed Income and got mayors from all over the country to create these pilot programs where they would give [citizens of their city] guaranteed income of up to $2,000 a month. He got the qualitative and quantitative data needed to show the positive effects of small increments of money going to people directly.
We felt we could bring the same concept to the music industry and creators. The Academy of Country Music was the first to raise their hand and join us. A year to the date of that report, 20 young Black kids [in the music community] started receiving $1,000 a month, plus mentorship and [other] services.
BMAC is also working with the live industry.
We did a partnership with Live Nation and created BMAC Live, a 10-day intensive program in California as part of Live Nation’s School of Live. They allowed BMAC to come in and carve out a program specifically geared toward young Black non-college-bound students who have a desire to be in the live space. We’ve had 3,000 applicants already, and we are going to pick 20 of the best of that group and fly them out to Los Angeles for a full week. Each of those young people will go to their respective cities and receive a paid internship from Live Nation for six months. [Then] they will be eligible for the Live Nation apprenticeship program. That’s another six months that will then lead to employment. That’s the type of access and training we talked about, and that program will scale and grow annually.
A plaque commemorating the first Music Business Accelerator Program created by BMAC in partnership with the RIAA that started at Tennessee State University in 2021.
Diwang Valdez
Is there anything else you would like to highlight?
We’re working on something really special with Apple Pathways. [We are training young people] around spatial audio, spatial visual and preparing them for the technology of tomorrow. This is where we are going, and if we don’t create the accessibility to the technology, another divide is about to happen. Another shift will take place in which Black America is left out once again.
Is BMAC looking to expand its staff as these programs and initiatives develop?
Yes. We will be expanding and looking at college representatives. Young people are ready. They’re not moving with the same barriers and the same willingness to allow norms to continue to separate people. It’s a different spirit among this generation here.
One thing we realized is that this fight for justice isn’t just here in the U.S. We are in partnerships with organizations in the United Kingdom and Australia, and we are forging a tremendous movement with several key organizations throughout the continent [of Africa]. I’m very concerned about what’s happening with Afrobeats. If we don’t get over there and start working with our African brothers and sisters to understand the industry, the cultural appropriation that took place in hip-hop, blues, rock, country will happen over there. If we do not protect the [intellectual property], it will be cultural colonization all over again.
Blackstone doesn’t intend to increase its latest offer to acquire Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF), the London-listed investment trust it first launched a takeover bid for on April 20. The private equity firm said in a regulatory filing Tuesday (June 25) that the financial terms of its June 3 offer “are final and will not be […]
Billionaire hedge fund titan Steve Cohen‘s Point72 Asset Management has acquired a 5.5% stake in Sphere Entertainment Co, the MSG Entertainment spin-off company that owns the state-of-the-art Las Vegas Sphere venue. Point72 disclosed in a regulatory filing on Monday (June 24) that it acquired 1.56 million shares of Sphere Entertainment Co in the second quarter, […]
JKBX, the music investment platform backed by Spotify and Red Light Management, said Tuesday (June 25) that yields on more than half the songs up for investment on the platform saw substantial increases in 2023. That’s evidence, the start-up’s execs say, that if it makes dollars, it makes sense.
Pronounced “jukebox,” JKBX’s first Securities and Exchange Commission-regulated offering went live in March, giving average Joe investors the chance to buy royalty shares that earn money when songs like Adele‘s “Rumour Has It” or Taylor Swift‘s “Welcome To New York” get played.
Ten of the 85 songs in JKBX’s initial offering generated yields of 5% to 9.6% percent in 2023, while total revenue for songs in the listing was up 9% in 2023 compared to 2022, the company said. While investors get paid dividends based only on income that JKBX has received since April 1, which excludes most of the 2023 reported income, the jump in yields makes the case that investors stand to earn tangible returns, JKBX executives say.
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The highest-earning song by 2023 revenues was OneRepublic‘s “Counting Stars”, which generated $376,750 in combined revenue from the songwriter’s share of composition rights and producer’s share of sound recording rights. That works out to a 5.5% yield per royalty share for composition and a 6.98% yield per royalty share for sound recording rights.
Another OneRepublic song, “If I Lose Myself,” along with “Wings” by Birdy, were among the songs with the highest per-royalty-share yields in 2023, at 9.66% and 7.71%, respectively. When the company launched, executives estimated investor returns of around 3.5%.
The 10 most popular songs to buy royalty shares in include Beyoncé‘s “Halo,” Ellie Goulding‘s “Burn” and “Lean On” performed by Major Lazer, MØ and DJ Snake, among others. The company declined to say what percentage of the royalty shares in the initial offering have sold.
JKBX is quick to caution that future returns are not guaranteed. The estimated yields are based on the last 12 months of income, and “variations in income are expected over the copyright lifespan of the asset,” the company says.
Institutional investors like insurance companies and pension funds have led recent demand for investing in music assets because the yields on music rights are typically resilient during broader market downturns and the asset class offers low-risk returns compared to other alternative assets.
Institutional investors, private equity funds and high-net-worth individuals have poured billions into acquiring direct stakes in catalogs or backing companies that do, or into buying securities backed by catalogs held by music companies like Concord, Kobalt and Chord.
JKBX was founded in 2022 with the goal of bringing retail investors into the asset class by offering a cheaper, Securities and Exchange Commission-regulated way to invest in music. It officially launched in March of this year.
“JKBX empowers people to invest in music as a regulated security, bringing together investment fundamentals with true passion,” JKBX CEO Scott Cohen said in a statement. “I believe that the fans that helped make these songs successful should also have the opportunity to share in the wealth.”
LONDON — Tom Kiehl has been announced as the new chief executive of UK Music, succeeding Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, who left the British industry trade body last year to work for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Kiehl has held the role of interim chief executive at UK Music since Njoku-Goodwin’s sudden exit in September. He has worked at the London-based umbrella organization, which represents all sectors of the United Kingdom’s music industry, since 2012 – initially working as director of public affairs before being promoted to deputy CEO in 2018.
In a statement announcing Kiehl’s appointment, UK Music said it had received more than 130 applications for the role and had carried out an “extensive recruitment process” to find its new CEO.
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“We are entering a critical new era of change for the music industry when the political landscape is also rapidly changing. At this important time, I’m confident Tom is the right person for the job,” said Tom Watson, UK Music Chair, in a statement.
Watson went on to say that Kiehl “will be a tireless advocate for our members and our sector – using his wide range of talents to drive UK Music to even greater heights.”
Kiehl’s promotion to the head of UK Music comes less than two weeks before the U.K. general election on July 4 when the country goes to the polls to elect a new government.
Last month, Kiehl called on the leaders of all the main British political parties to support the U.K. music industry’s role as a “key national asset” that is facing intense global competition.
To help grow the British music industry, which generated £6.7 billion ($8.2 billion) for the country’s economy in 2022 and supports 210,000 jobs, according to research commissioned by UK Music, the trade group wants policy makers to protect creators’ rights from being exploited by AI developers, as well as secure a cultural touring agreement with the EU to address many of the lasting issues caused by Brexit.
UK Music also wants the next government to introduce a new tax credit to increase U.K.-based music production and establish tighter regulations for secondary ticketing platforms.
Kiehl’s extensive experience of working with politicians and government officials means that he is well placed to try and achieve those aims. Prior to joining UK Music, the widely respected music executive worked in the Houses of Parliament for 11 years as a senior advisor and researcher for the Liberal Democrat party. More recently, Kiehl led a successful campaign to change planning laws to better protect grassroots music venues.
“It’s an immense privilege and great responsibility to take on the role of leading UK Music at such a pivotal moment,” said Kiehl in a statement.
The newly appointed CEO said he would continue to work with the organization’s members to lobby government officials for measures that would support the music industry “ranging from strong copyright protections and more music teachers, to key safeguards around AI and greater support for music freelancers.”
“My vision for UK Music is to build on our mission of bringing our sector together to speak with one voice and secure our place as the key organization that fuels the growth and prominence of the UK’s music industry,” said Kiehl. “We must be relevant, representative, and able to deliver for the sector in order to achieve this.”
Giant Music, the record label launched under The Azoff Company banner in 2022, has signed Australian singer/songwriter Ruel, the company tells Billboard. This marks the first signing for Nate Albert, who joined Giant Music as president in January. The label will release “Kiss Me,” Ruel’s cover of the hit song by Sixpence None the Richer, on Thursday (June 27).
“Ruel is truly a singular talent, and we are thrilled to be part of his next chapter,” said Albert in a statement.
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Best known for songs like “Painkiller,” “Dazed & Confused” and “GROWING UP IS ___”, Ruel released his debut album, 4TH WALL, last year. In August, he’s slated to play Lollapalooza for the first time.
Also this week…
Hip-hop producer, singer and songwriter Lithe signed with WME for global representation. The Melbourne-bred artist began putting out music in 2018 and has released several EPs since. His single “Fall Back,” released in March, currently boasts more than 97 million streams on Spotify. He’s managed by Benjamin James of Mutual Friends.
Boston-bred alt-rock band Vundabar signed to Loma Vista Recordings. The label released the group’s new garage-rock song, “I Got Cracked,” on Tuesday (June 25). Composed of Brandon Hagen, Drew McDonald and Zack Abramo, Vundabar is best known for its RIAA platinum-certified track “Alien Blues,” which boasts more than 540 million streams on Spotify alone. “Vundabar has already accomplished so much as a totally independent band, and we are thrilled to welcome them to Loma Vista for this exciting next stage of their career,” said Loma Vista A&R Susan Busch in a statement. The band is managed by Ally Ehasz and Zack Zarrillo at Alternate Side and booked by Greg Horbal and Carly Goldberg at Wasserman.
Rising country singer-songwriter Bayker Blankenship (“Maxed Out”) signed with Lone Star/Santa Anna Records. According to a press release, “Maxed Out” boasts more than 26,000 creates and more than 6 million views on TikTok. In a statement, Alamo Records/Santa Anna Records CEO Todd Moscowitz said the song “is quickly establishing itself as a very reactive hit.”
Drew Baldridge signed with UTA for representation in all areas. The country singer-songwriter’s single “She’s Somebody’s Daughter” currently sits at No. 15 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart, a feat he reached without the backing of a major label or a management team. Baldridge is signed with Sony Music Publishing. His team also consists of business manager Becky Harris (Huskin-Harris Business Management) and attorney Jeff Biederman (Greenberg Traurig, LLP). – Jessica Nicholson
Grammy-nominated artist, songwriter and producer Gallant (“Weight in Gold,” “Cave Me In”) signed with Mom+Pop Music. The first release under the deal is Gallant’s new single, “Coldstar.” Gallant has collaborated with artists including Dua Lipa, Zhu, Brandy, Noah Cyrus and Sufjan Stevens and appeared at festivals including Coachella, Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits.
10K Projects signed virtual artist angelbaby via Web3 agency Hume and and will re-release the track “Life Is Good” featuring Jagwar Twin. “This agreement is a major milestone for Hume as we continue our mission to become Pixar for music,” said the Hume team in a statement. “We’ve been looking for a partner that can push our artists further into culture and we’re excited to work towards that goal with 10K on ‘Life Is Good.’”
Big Loud Records signed singer-songwriter Kashus Culpepper. The Alabama native began performing during a deployment with the U.S. Navy in Rota, Spain. On Friday (June 21), the label released his single “After Me?”. Culpepper is repped by CAA for booking and managed by Jay Harren. – Jessica Nicholson
Dexter and the Moonrocks, “a formerly country/western band” that now makes “Western Space Grunge music,” according to a press release, signed to Severance Records, an imprint of Big Loud Rock. The label will release the band’s latest EP — aptly titled Western Space Grunge — on July 19. “Bleach,” the first song from the EP, was released on June 12. The band is managed by Chris Schoemann at Lion’s Claw Entertainment and booked by Mike Krug at WME.
Country singer-songwriter Ashland Craft signed with independent record label Leo33. Craft has supported artists including Cody Johnson, Ashley McBryde, Zac Brown Band, Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen on tour. She recently wrapped her Damascus Acoustic Tour with Elvie Shane and performed at CMA Fest. She’s next slated to play festivals including Summerfest, Watershed Music Festival and Field & Stream Festival.
Chicago-based private equity firm Flexpoint Ford said on Tuesday that it invested $165 million in Create Music Group in a funding round that a source said values Create as worth $1 billion. Create plans to use the money to scale operations, expand services and fund acquisitions, said CEO & founder Jonathan Strauss. “Flexpoint’s investment will […]
The consortium acquiring French music company Believe increased its holdings to 94.99% of share equity at the conclusion of the tender offer, the company announced Monday (June 25). That marks a nearly 10% increase from the 85.04% of shares the consortium held a week earlier.
Led by CEO Denis Ladegaillerie, who founded Believe in 2005 to take advantage of the rapidly evolving digital music business, the consortium purchased 19.6 million shares at 15.00 euros ($16.10) per share during the offer, which ran from June 3 to June 21. Combined with blocks of shares previously acquired from investors, the consortium now holds 95.6 million of the 100.7 million shares outstanding. The free float — shares owned by minority investors — is 5.01%. The consortium, which also includes major shareholders EQT and TCV, commands 106.5 million of 113 million — 94.29% — of Believe’s voting rights.
While the consortium does not plan on executing a mandatory squeeze-out for shares not tendered by minority shareholders, because the free float — shares not held by insiders that can be publicly traded — has fallen under 15%, Believe will be de-listed from some stock indexes.
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Also on Monday, Believe announced the appointment of Andrew Fisher, a new director representing EQT, after venture capital firm Ventech sold its shares to the consortium and lost a director. Fisher’s ratification will go to a vote in the 2024 annual general meeting. The board additionally appointed two observers: Michael Kalfayan, general partner at TCV, and Nicolas Brugère, partner at EQT.
The consortium announced a takeover bid for Believe in February at 15.00 euros ($16.10), which represented a 21% premium over the prior closing price. According to an offer document, the consortium wants to take over the company “so that it can better execute on its value-creation plan and accelerate the scale-up of an independent player supporting artists and label clients” and “further grow and consolidate its position as a leader in the French and European markets.”
After the Believe board of directors backed the takeover bid on April 19, the consortium purchased a large block of shares from venture capital firms XAnge and Ventech. Before the acquisitions, TCV was the biggest shareholder with 41.1% of share capital, while Ladegaillerie owned 12.5%, private equity firm Ventech owned 12.0%, XAnge owned 6.3% and roughly 3.8% of shares were held by a strategic holding fund and in treasury shares. Free float was 24.4%.
Warner Music Group briefly looked at acquiring Believe in March and estimated a bid of “at least” 17 euros ($18.24) per share, which would have valued the company at 1.65 billion euros ($1.8 billion). But the pursuit was short-lived; Warner dropped out of the running in April.
Any music lover knows that a great song transcends borders and languages. Now, that unifying power is being leveraged as a diplomatic tool.
On Monday (June 24), YouTube announced a partnership with the U.S. State Department as part of the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative, a program launched last September by U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken that aims to use music to promote peace and diplomacy around the world.
The project centers around a group of genre-spanning artists who will act as musical ambassadors. Chuck D, Herbie Hancock, Jelly Roll, Armani White, Breland, Denyce Graves, Grace Bowers, Justin Tranter, Kane Brown, Lainey Wilson and Teddy Swims are all participating, with additional artists to be announced.
The Global Music Diplomacy Initiative is an extension of the PEACE through Music Diplomacy Act, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden last year and directed the State Department to facilitate public-private partnerships that would support music-related diplomacy.
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YouTube was selected as a partner given its global reach and influence on music culture worldwide. The partnership will include micro-grants to support people who use music to create positive change in their communities; YouTube will also assist the State Department in its work using music as a tool for learning English. Additionally, they will team up to engage audiences and aspiring artists in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France and India and “utilize major international gatherings to inspire action around the unifying power of music,” according to a blog post written by YouTube global head of music Lyor Cohen and YouTube vp of public policy Leslie Miller.
In a joint statement, Cohen and Miller wrote, “Music is a unifying force — it transcends language, cultural and national differences. It helps us understand and appreciate each other in ways almost nothing else can. During the height of the Cold War, the United States launched the Jazz Ambassadors program to send artists like Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Sarah Vaughn overseas to bridge cultural gaps and cultivate goodwill across the globe. The Jazz Ambassadors program left a lasting legacy, demonstrating the power of music as a diplomatic tool for fostering cultural understanding.”
“We’re excited to be a part of the next chapter in music diplomacy, helping to amplify the voices of artists and strengthen our community bonds across borders,” the statement continued. “Music reminds us more of what we can have in common than what separates us. That is the message we intend to echo around the world as we embark on this partnership, using the power of music to inspire peace for all.”