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If it’s Friday that means another spin around the Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across the music industry.
WHY&HOW, the artist management company led by Bruce Kalmick, has promoted Halie Hampton Mosely to chief operating officer, Eddie Kloesel to executive vice president, and Chris Koegen to general manager and head of global strategy. Kloesel has been there from the jump, joining WHY&HOW’s founding team in 2020 as vp of touring and sponsorships. Prior to W&H, he was a manager at Triple 8. Hampton Mosely and Koegen both joined the agency in October 2021 — as vps of roster operations, and artist strategy and marketing, respectively. Hampton Mosely’s last job was at Hit Farm, where she served as day-to-day manager for Florida Georgia Line. Koegen’s previous posts include stints at Amazon Music and Big Machine. All three will continue to report to Kalmick, who calls them all “instrumental.”
“Not only have they helped shape our overall corporate strategy and ensured our artists’ success, but each of them are dedicated to fostering the professional development of our internal team to allow for continued success across all facets of our business,” said Kalmick. “I’m thrilled to have them step into these roles as we look towards the next phase of our company.”
Wait there’s more! The Austin-based company, which recently became part of the Red Light Management family, also elevated Evan Kaufman to senior vp of creative, a role that will see him continue to lead creative strategy across the roster — plus expand his role to include content ideation and creation.
The Orchard hired Lanre Masha to be its director of West Africa as the independent distributor angles to boost its presence on that side of the continent. In his new role, Masha will run regional support for Orchard artists and aid in signing new ones, as well as handle day-to-day release strategies and general distribution matters. Based in Lagos, he reports to evp and head of strategy Prashant Bahadur and works closely with vp of market development for Africa Ben Oldfield. Masha joins The Orchard from Trace Media, where in eight years he rose to GM for music and editorial. The Nigeria native also clocked time in Chicago in marketing and sales roles at Pepsico. “West Africa is no longer a young market,” Mash said. “We are leading the global expansion of music from the region, connecting artists with fans worldwide.”
All In the Family: Billboard parent Penske Media Corporation promoted George Grobar to president, overseeing the company’s operating units and business plans. The 14-year-veteran of PMC was previously chief operating officer and reports directly to founder and CEO Jay Penske. Prior to joining PMC, Grobar was senior vp of Disney Mobile, and before that put in 8 years at Unisys … and earlier this month PMC announced that former Complex and Paramount executive Celine Perrot-Johnson joined the company as executive vp of operations and finance. She oversees operations of PMC’s fashion, luxury, art and women’s interest brands, including the “bible of fashion” itself — Women’s Wear Daily. She reports to Grobar and is based in NYC.
Nashville-based management services company mtheory shared that industry veteran Erik Pettie is their svp and head of artist services and partnerships. Pettie and his team work with artists and their teams on providing label-like support from soup to nuts during a project cycle. His 15-year career was most recently highlighted by a two-year stint as head of artist strategy, editorial and marketing partnerships at Believe-owned Tunecore. Other career highlights include senior marketing roles at Cash Money, Republic, Motown and Universal Music Group. He is based in mtheory’s NYC office. “After years of dedication to supporting artists and labels, I’m eager to continue by shaping this division to help redefine campaign standards,” Pettie said. “This is an exciting new chapter, and I’m ready to make a positive impact!”
Mom+Pop promoted Whitney Dublin to senior director of digital marketing. During her tenure with the company, Dublin has led digital marketing campaigns for artists including FKJ, Del Water Gap, Orion Sun and Raffaella. Prior to joining Mom+Pop, Dublin worked as a product manager at the Orchard, as a digital marketing manager at RED, and a marketing coordinator/Hip-Hop/R&B social media strategist at Sony Legacy. Mom+Pop co-owner Thaddeus Rudd said Dublin’s “contributions to our artists’ success are noteworthy and her talent was obvious to us from the beginning.” –Jessica Nicholson
Donna Budica and George Karalexis officially launched Ten2 Media, a content distribution and marketing company focusing on music and monetization on YouTube. Ten2 Media works with clients on content strategies and then distributes, markets and monetizes that video content on YouTube. The company works with a growing roster of clients that includes Warner Music, Brent Faiyaz, French Montana, Diddy and NLE Choppa. “When we are able to maximize the artist’s revenue, we help create audience awareness and growth… because when artists succeed, so do we,” said Budica, a CAA veteran who is COO of the new firm. Karalexis, who is CEO, began his music career as a musician (his pre-YouTube band put out some spirited pop-punk in its day) before entering the management space and founding companies like FAUX Entertainment and WAVVE.
ICYMI: Utopia Music hired a new CEO after a rrrrough year … Round Table Management hired Steve Ford as head of artist development … Virgin Music Group shuffled its global leadership team … Rich Schaefer was named president of global touring at AEG Presents … and Millie Millgate is Music Australia’s first director.
BandLab Technologies, fresh off a “strategic collaboration” with UMG to engage responsibly with AI, added a trio of executives to its team. Joining BandLab as senior advisor of AI, innovation and strategy is Drew Silverstein, formerly the CEO of Ampler Music and vp of music at Shutterstock. Earlier this month, Kevin Breuner was hired at head of artist development and education, and Jessica Strassman as head of industry relations and artist services in the Americas. Breuner clocked 17 years at CD Baby, rising to svp of artist engagement and education, while Strassman joins from TikTok where she cofused on label partnerships.
Nashville-based music business management firm Farris, Self & Moore has promoted Stephanie Alderman to partner. Though the company will retain its current name of FSM, Alderman will be included in all leadership decisions and high-level initiatives. Alderman, a trained classical pianist and graduate of Belmont University, has more than 15 years of experience in business management, in addition to experience in artist management, publicity and tour production. “Stephanie Alderman is undeniably one of the best business managers in our business,” said founding partners Kella Farris, Stephanie Self, and Catherine Moore in a joint statement. “Her ability to relate and listen to her clients, create a financial strategy, and then execute it effortlessly is truly exceptional. Her all-in approach, innovation, and authenticity make her the perfect fit for our leadership team.” –JN
Digital marketing agency Creed Media hired Christian Birch-Jensen as its first-ever chief strategy officer. Birch-Jensen joins the Gen Z-centric company from TikTok, where he was part of the social media giant’s European strategy team. He reports to CEO Timothy Collins. Creed also promoted Alex Falck and Sanu Harharan from co-heads of music partnerships to co-heads of commercial partnerships — expanding their purview to cover tech, movies and TV. Additionally, Camilla Larsson was upped from head of entertainment operations to overall head of operations. Creed clients include the big three major labels, as well as Spotify and Live Nation.
Live events project management firm PRG hired Paige Newman as an account executive for its artist development team. While PRG is best known for large-scale projects, the firm is now increasingly offering their services — audio, lighting, rigging, video, etc. — to developing artists. Newman arrives after a three-year tenure at Image Engineering, a specialist in lasers and other live-events lighting.
Digital distributor ONErpm tapped Nathalia Vieira to manage its new synch department. Based in Los Angeles, Vieira and her team work on securing placements for ONErpm clients. Her previous roles include music licensing coordinator at Hit the Ground Running and as a creative music manager at Pusher. ONErpm’s other services include music distribution, marketing support, publishing, accounting and global payment systems.
Kevin Hart’s global entertainment company Hartbeat hired Janina Lundy as evp and head of marketing and brand strategy, and Adam Puchalsky as evp and global head of Pulse, the firm’s branded entertainment studio and marketing consultancy. Puchalsky will be based in New York City, while Lundy will operate from Los Angeles. “Janina’s exceptional talent for super-serving high-growth audiences and building entertainment brands, combined with Adam’s global storytelling expertise and deep commitment to brand partnerships will enrich our team and bring significant value to our team and partners,” said Hartbeat CEO Thai Randolph.
Last Week’s Turntable: H8WG Goes Wild in LA
Save The Music has announced the details of its star-studded 25th anniversary event.
Dubbed Music Saves L.A., the ceremony will take place Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m. at NeueHouse Hollywood in Los Angeles. This year’s honorees include Grammy-winning artist, producer and musical director Adam Blackstone; artist, activist and entrepreneur Becky G; Universal Music Group Nashville chair/CEO Cindy Mabe; and hip-hop icon and Rock the Bell CEO LL Cool J. All will be celebrated for their contributions to advancing equity in the music industry.
This year’s event will be hosted by actor, comedian, writer and producer Chris Spencer, with performances from Brad Paisley, Brittney Spencer, Mary Mary, The War and Treaty and more. It will additionally feature student performances from Save The Music grant recipient schools. Award presenters include Paisley and Jimmy Jam.
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All funds raised at this year’s event will go to supporting a multi-year, $3 million-plus music education rebuild in Los Angeles. Save The Music plans to fund an additional 50 schools with new music programs.
“Los Angeles is such a culturally and musically rich community, and we’re excited to bring together our students, teachers, community partners and music industry supporters to celebrate the impact that music has on our lives,” said Save The Music executive director Henry Donahue in a statement. “Adam, Cindy, LL and Becky G have helped us put together a musical experience that’s going to be incredibly fun and help significantly grow Save The Music’s impact in L.A.”
Over 25 years, Save The Music has donated more than $75 million in instruments and music technology equipment to more than 2,700 public schools nationwide. All of this has been done with the support of sponsors and donors including Paramount, Gibson Gives, Nickelodeon, Red Light Management and Universal Music Group.
For more information on the event, visit savethemusic.org. Individual tickets are available here.
Save the Music
When the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) unveiled its new healthcare plans for working artists in August, the trade association, which represents indie labels, presented it as “a welcome ray of light for the music industry.” The monthly premiums range from $80 to $1,240 and feature benefits such as $15 co-pays for doctor visits and regular screenings for breast cancer, diabetes and depression. Affordable dental, vision and even pet insurance plans are also available.
But buried in the descriptions of several plans, which are accessible for those with a $100 annual A2IM membership, are restrictions and costs that could drain indie musicians’ finances. Three of the five plans offered, which cost $80 to $210 per month for individuals and $160 to $510 for families, do not cover emergency room care, hospital room fees, childbirth/delivery costs in hospitals or any type of care from a physician or surgeon. The two more expensive plans — $560 to $690 for individuals and $1,060 to $1,240 for families — don’t cover ambulance charges, radiation, chemotherapy, dialysis or transplants.
“What A2IM is doing is fantastic. I am applauding them hugely for this,” says Tatum Allsep, founder and CEO of Music Health Alliance, a Nashville group that advises artists on healthcare. “But read the fine print.”
A2IM bills the plans as “compliant” with the Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as Obamacare), but Allsep disagrees. “Nothing about this is aligned with the coverage on state exchanges. Not one bit,” she says. “Somebody’s going to think, for 80 bucks, they’re going to have health insurance because it says in black and white, ‘ACA-compliant.’ And that is absolutely false.”
Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal, author of A Terrible Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back, adds, “It’s a terrible burden to place on patients to have to read the fine print in this way. I’ve spent my life thinking about these things, and I’m trained as a physician, and it gives me a headache to look at these policies.”
A2IM first offered health insurance to its 600 members, mostly indie labels, in September 2022, then expanded this past August to artists who are sole business proprietors.
A2IM president/CEO Richard James Burgess says the plans are “compliant” with the ACA and that “several dozen families” have enrolled in them so far.
“It was incredibly challenging to find affordable healthcare insurance for A2IM members outside of the state exchanges. For years, there appeared to be no viable options,” he says. “A2IM has never diminished the great work the state exchanges have done. We are not in competition with them. Rather, we wanted to offer more options to our members.”
According to a representative with the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, ACA-compliant plans must have three key characteristics: They have to cover preventive services (like vaccines and screening tests), prohibit insurers from denying clients based on preexisting conditions and ban limits for total healthcare costs. “On the exchanges, those plans basically have consumer protection built into them,” says Liz McCuskey, a Boston University professor of health law policy. Consumers can buy “off-exchange” plans outside of the ACA, but she says they “are subject to much lighter rules.”
Michael Desnoyers, director of sales for Chicago insurance broker Independent Health Agents, says of A2IM’s plans, “If it’s the first time they’re being offered to musicians, they probably don’t have the option to get their proper group plan through Blue Cross/Blue Shield or United Healthcare.”
Desnoyers adds that the A2IM options might work for musicians who are younger, with no serious health risks or preexisting conditions, even if they “don’t come through with the benefits the major medical plans do.” Tim Hebert — a Fort Collins, Colo., health insurance broker who is also a managing partner for Sage Benefit Advisors and the state legislative chair for the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals — adds: “In certain situations, it can absolutely make sense. If [musicians] have moderate income but they just don’t have any assets, the A2IM plan works. It gives them basic coverage. You just don’t have to pay the higher premiums.”
Until 2010, self-employed musicians had few ways to obtain low-cost insurance, especially if they had preexisting conditions such as asthma or cancer. The ACA changed all that, and today, individual states are obligated to provide plans that cover catastrophic medical events and not to discriminate based on preexisting conditions. Still, several music industry organizations, including the Recording Academy, the American Federation of Musicians — and now A2IM — offer additional plans to members as cheaper alternatives.
For example, the academy provides plans for its more than 15,000 members through Stride Health that cost as little as $25 per month, with options to add dental, vision and life insurance coverage. The American Federation of Musicians (AFM), which represents 80,000 members of bands and orchestras, as part of Broadway productions and touring shows, provides group health insurance for freelance musicians. “The Affordable Care Act provided considerable relief to workers by requiring that health insurance be made available to them on a non-cancellable basis,” an AFM rep said in a statement, “but the ACA provided no meaningful relief for premium costs.” The plans offered through the academy and the AFM are similar to those on Obamacare state exchanges, according to Allsep.
Some major labels offer certain health-related benefits, if not actual insurance, to artists on their rosters. Sony and Universal Music Group (UMG) provide access to the Music Health Alliance, which offers expertise and suggestions on finding services elsewhere. Although reps for UMG and Warner Music Group did not respond to inquiries about health benefits, Sony artists can sign up for Artist Forward, which provides what the label calls “wellness solutions” like free counseling services.
Prior to its current offering, A2IM adopted a health plan from Zion Health Share, a Utah company that describes its membership as an “innovative and affordable medical cost-sharing community.” Its plan description stated, “This program is not insurance,” required participants to acknowledge that Zion “affiliates itself, and considers itself, accountable to a higher power” and limited care for people with preexisting conditions other than high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes.
Several healthcare experts criticized the plan, including Allsep, Rosenthal and Valarie Blake, a West Virginia University law professor who specializes in healthcare policy. “I would not enroll unless I was a gambling man,” Blake says. When Billboard asked A2IM to comment on the Zion plan, Burgess said it was no longer available through A2IM. Representatives for Zion Health did not respond to email inquiries. “I am glad they changed course,” Blake says.
Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. says he’s sympathetic to the A2IM’s healthcare efforts: “We’re all trying to figure this stuff out together,” he says. “It doesn’t matter who provides coverage. It’s the fact that people are signing up for coverage. That’s the win.”
But after reviewing A2IM’s current plans, Allsep cautions: “Buyer beware.”
SYDNEY, Australia — Veteran Sounds Australia executive producer Millie Millgate will lead Music Australia as its founding director.
Following a months-long recruitment process, Millgate joins Music Australia, which is established to support and promote the Australian contemporary music industry, with a remit to increase discoverability and develop markets and audiences.
With Millgate at the helm, Music Australia will be expected to invest in and stimulate a vibrant and sustainable music industry ecosystem.
The Music Australia gig is a “once in a generation opportunity,” admits Millgate in a statement, “and I am truly honored, excited, and ready to embrace the challenges and lead the change required to shape and grow a flourishing and sustainable industry.”
Music Australia sits under Creative Australia – formerly the Australia Council for the Arts – and was established under the Creative Australia Act 2023, which was enshrined into law in June.
Through her tireless work leading Sounds Australia, and the countless airmiles clocked up in its mission to build bridges for Australian artists globally, Millgate “is a well-known and highly respected figure in the Australian contemporary music industry,” comments Adrian Collette, CEO of Creative Australia.
Together with the “exceptional skills and experience of the Music Australia Council,” he continues, “we will create a bright future for artists and the music industry in Australia.”
During her nearly-15 years with Sounds Australia, Millgate managed the presentation of over 2,200 Australian artists on global show stages since 2009, covering 86 different international events, in 75 cities, across 26 countries.
Prior to taking the reins at Sounds Australia, Millgate held executive posts with the Association of Artists Managers and as creative director for MusicNSW, and she has served on several boards and committees, and including a current position as director on the board of music industry charity Support Act.
Australia’s music industry warmly welcomed Millgate’s appointment.
Comments ARIA and PPCA CEO Annabelle Herd, “Her storied career and rich experience promoting Australian artists on the global stage through Sounds Australia are exactly what is needed to lead Music Australia toward a focused plan that helps deliver more Australian music to more people, wherever they may be.”
Australia is “already a top 10 music market globally, and we’re growing,” Herd explains. “Our industry can and should operate as an export economy in the same way markets like Sweden and South Korea have already proved possible. We will rally behind Millie in any way we can, and I urge everyone with a vested interest in Australian music to do the same. Her success will be the industry’s success.”
Adds Dean Ormston, CEO of APRA AMCOS: “I’m so excited for Millie, and for the industry, that she’ll be heading up Music Australia. Millie has big ideas, a big heart, the respect of the industry, and the drive and determination to make big things happen. Millie’s appointment as the inaugural head of the agency is a testament to her dedication and vision over many years.”
Music Australia is an Australian Government initiative of the National Cultural Policy: Revive, launched in January of this year by the prime minister Anthony Albanese.
The Music Australia Council, effectively the Music Australia board, which includes legendary concert promoter Michael Chugg and Future Classics founder and CEO Nathan McLay, gathered Sept. 20 for its first meeting.
The Sounds Australia team salutes its outgoing leader. “It’s been an honor and privilege to work with her, and she’s inspired us every day with her passion, leadership and unwavering belief that Australian artists are truly some of the best in the world,” the industry organization comments. “The future of our industry is bright and we are so excited to see what she will do with Music Australia.”
LONDON — The new CEO of Swiss-based Utopia Music says he is focusing on making the company profitable within the next 12 months through “topline growth” and does not envisage making further cost savings through staff cuts or divestments.
Alain Couttolenc was announced as chief executive of Utopia Music on Thursday (Oct. 19), succeeding co-founder Mattias Hjelmstedt, who has been leading the company since February and now returns to his former role as executive chairman.
Speaking exclusively to Billboard, Couttolenc says he will utilize his 25 years’ experience of leading global data and media businesses to boost growth across all of Utopia’s revenue streams and move the company into profitability “in one year – maximum.”
“By getting the right data with the right AI [artificial intelligence] and the right positioning, I think we have the most unknown and unsold jewels in the industry,” he says. “Now the job is to take them out.”
Couttolenc joins Utopia from Ipsos, one of the world’s largest data companies, where he held the post of chief development officer. His executive career also includes senior leadership roles at data analytics company (and former Billboard owner) Nielsen Media, most notably SVP for Latin America and CEO of Europe Nielsen Media.
The Mexico-born, Swiss-based executive joins Utopia Music on the back of a highly turbulent 12 months that has seen the tech company undertake extensive cost-cutting measures, including several rounds of layoffs, multiple executive departures, office closures, legal action over a stalled acquisition deal and the offloading of three of its businesses — Absolute Label Services, U.S.-based music database platform ROSTR and U.K.-based publisher Sentric.
In under one year, the firm’s global workforce has been trimmed from approximately 1,200 staff to around 440.
Reflecting on Utopia’s well-publicized troubles, Couttolenc says the restructure that interim CEO Hjelmstedt began implementing in late 2022 was a “tough” but necessary response to the wider financial pressures felt by all tech companies over the past several years.
“The good news is that we’re still here,” says Couttolenc, who spent several months working at Utopia’s headquarters in the Swiss town of Zug on a consultancy basis, prior to being officially appointed CEO.
As a result of the restructuring, the chief exec says that Utopia is now well positioned at “the right size with the right products,” while his main goal is achieving profitability through “topline growth, not [reducing] cost out.”
“Cost out is about people and that is absolutely not my intention,” says Couttolenc, referring to the multiple rounds of job cuts and divestments Utopia undertook between late 2022 and summer 2023. “I think that’s in the past. It’s not my intention to continue that,” he says. “That’s a [closed] chapter.”
Instead, Couttolenc says he will focus on developing Utopia’s existing tech solutions for all layers of the music business, adding value for its artist, label, publisher, distributor, collecting society and streaming platform clients.
At present, those tech solutions encompass six main product services, spanning cross-platform analytics, an AI-powered recommendation engine targeted at DSPs and streaming services, lyric and language analysis tools to aid discoverability and Utopia’s royalty processing and payments system TrackNClaim, which tracks music consumption on digital platforms and helps identify conflicts and unclaimed mechanical royalties.
According to Utopia, TrackNClaim’s analysis of music consumption on YouTube in North America helped collect over $4 million in royalties for rights holders in 2022. The company aims to expand its TrackNClaim product to other streaming platforms and international markets.
Utopia’s other core businesses include its two main physical music distribution entities: Proper Music Group, which provides distribution services for over 5,800 indie labels and service companies, and Utopia Distribution Services (formerly Cinram Novum), whose clients include Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and [PIAS].
While the sale of CDs and vinyl may appear to sit uncomfortably with Utopia’s AI and tech-driven business model, Couttolenc says the opposite is true and both businesses deliver a wealth of vital sales data that Utopia then uses to drive revenue elsewhere, as well as providing opportunities for the company to upsell its services to artist and label clients. Together, Proper Music Group and Utopia Distribution Services account for 98% of the physical music market in the United Kingdom, says Utopia.
“For me, [physical] distribution is not a legacy business. On the contrary, it fuels the other solutions and vice versa. It’s a good hybrid to have,” says the chief exec, who was himself a music DJ in the 1980s.
In a statement announcing Couttolenc’s appointment as CEO, Utopia co-founder Mattias Hjelmstedt said the exec’s successful track record as a global business leader coupled with his “deep understanding of data and its implementation” makes him the ideal person to steer Utopia’s ongoing transition from a hyper-growth company to a profitable one.
“It’s our products that will ultimately talk for us,” says Couttolenc. “I’m pretty much obsessed with understanding and tracking why people listen to music. The why for me is very important because that’s where you understand the real trends of listeners.”
Exceleration Music signed a strategic partnership with the founders of American independent label Rounder Records — Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy and Bill Nowlin, as well as Rounder’s first and longtime president/CEO, John Virant — on their new venture, Down The Road. The new label will be focused on “the historic depth and breadth of Americana,” according to a press release, including releases from banjo player Tony Trischka, bluegrass group Blue Highway and Irish traditional music performers Dervish. It will also reissue 14 catalog titles produced by the Rounder Records co-founders in recent years. Down The Road releases will be distributed by Redeye, which Exceleration acquired in September.
Audoo — a music technology company that provides data allowing artists, songwriters, PROs and CMOs to see in real-time where their music is played, enabling them to better collect on public performance royalties — raised $5 million in its last funding round from investors including Elton John and David Furnish, bringing its total raised to $22 million. “Working as a musician can be seen as all glitz and glamour but for the vast majority of artists, especially new and emerging acts, this isn’t the case,” said John in a statement. “It’s often brutally unfair and this sadly extends into being paid correctly. Right now, artists are not being paid accurately for their plays because the data simply doesn’t exist … That’s why we’ve invested in Audoo and their world-class technology and data, to help create a more transparent system for everyone, and ultimately to keep the music alive.”
Patreon acquired livestream ticketed event platform Moment (formerly Moment House). In the coming months, “foundational elements” of Moment will be integrated into Patreon, according to a blog post. Since its founding in 2019, Moment has partnered with artists including Justin Bieber, Tame Impala and Kygo.
Warner Music Group (WMG) acquired Indian artist management and live events company E-Positive, strengthening WMG’s position in the region. On its roster, E-Positive boasts Darshan Raval, one of the most-streamed artists in India. E-Positive will continue acting as a standalone company, led by founder/CEO Naushad Khan. “Darshan, as well as the whole of the E-Positive roster, will be able to harness Warner Music’s global network and start to connect with a wider international audience,” said WMG president of emerging markets Alfonso Perez Soto in a statement. “This deal helps us to level-up and enhance our 360 offering to artists by bringing in the knowledge and expertise of Naushad to Warner Music. Our improved suite of services we will enable our artists to transcend the whole of India and help bring Indian culture to the rest of the world.”
In more WMG acquisition news, the company bought the recorded music business of Jukka Immonen‘s The Fried Music. Based in Finland, The Fried Music artists — including Anna Puu, Knipi and Viivi — will be integrated into the Warner Music roster and enjoy access to its global network. Starting on Jan. 1, 2024, Immonen will also begin serving as head of A&R at Warner Music Finland.
Mediabase has acquired the All Access music distribution business unit from Joel Denver. “Through this integration, Mediabase offers a seamless user experience by providing downloads of broadcast-quality content from our label partners,” said Mediabase president/CEO Philippe Generall in a statement. “The power of these collective platforms promises to redefine how industry professionals access and leverage media assets.”
Hook, a platform that allows users to remix and remake songs using AI, closed a $3 million seed investment round led by Steve Cohen‘s Point72 Ventures and Waverley Capital, co-founded by former Warner Music Group CEO Edgar Bronfman, Jr. Other participants included Mark Gillespie‘s Three Six Zero and Japanese entertainment brand Avex. The investment will be used to continue developing Hook’s platform; Hook will also collaborate with artists and record labels to develop technology to unlock new revenue streams. Founded by CEO Gaurav Sharma, Hook is planning to launch a closed beta later this year.
ASM Global extended its 10-year partnership with Onondago County, N.Y., to manage The Oncenter and St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview in Syracuse. Under the new deal, ASM Global will continue managing The Oncenter convention and entertainment facility — which includes the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center, the Upstate Medical Arena and three theaters in the John H. Mulroy Civic Center — as well as the St. Joseph’s Amphitheater, a 17,500-capacity outdoor concert venue.
Elsewhere at ASM Global, the company signed a long-term renewal contract to continue managing three venues in Puerto Rico: the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot arena, the Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Convention Center.
The Circuit Group, a new company with a stated mission to create business opportunities around artists’ intellectual property, formed a joint venture with management and production company Pivot Music (led by Paolo Mojo) and DJ-producer Rebūke. Under the partnership, Pivot and its premier act, Rebūke, along with his ERA Music label, will move under the Circuit Group umbrella. According to a press release, The Circuit Group acquires up to 50% of artists’ song catalogs, offering those artists an immediate source of revenue while also aligning their interests with Circuit Group’s vision of creating additional avenues for intellectual property. The company also invests in and strikes strategic alliances with other entities across recorded music, publishing, merchandise, brand partnerships, gaming, events, Web3 and more.
Artist-producer-multi-instrumentalist Terrace Martin partnered with Lowly and Create Music Group to launch a joint-venture record label named O’Connor. The label launched on Friday (Oct. 13) with “311!”, the first single off sneek, a collaborative album between Martin and singer-songwriter Gallant. O’Connor’s executive board includes Martin, Deon Ford (Lowly’s A&R director) and Samantha Whitehead (creative director, art historian and Martin’s day-to-day manager). Under the deal, Martin will also produce for select Lowly/Create artists while assisting in A&R and artist development with Ford.
Linkfire renewed an agreement with Warner Music Group to provide its Saas marketing platform to the company globally. The agreement extends through April 30, 2024.
BMG acquired global rights to all three studio albums from Australian artist Angus Stone‘s Dope Lemon project, including 2016’s Honey Bones, 2019’s Smooth Big Cat and 2022’s Rose Pink Cadillac, as well as his 2017 EP, Hounds Tooth. BMG released Dope Lemon’s fourth studio album, Kimosabè, on Sept. 29 under a new recordings deal.
Sphere Entertainment announced that amplification technology company Powersoft contributed immersive haptic technology and amplifier solutions to Las Vegas’ Sphere venue. Powersoft technology is integrated within the venue’s 10,000 haptic seats as part of Sphere Immersive Sound powered by HOLOPLOT.
Backline, a nonprofit that provides mental health resources to music industry workers and their families, announced a new partnership with Eventric/Master Tour, software that assists with tour logistics. Under the agreement, the Master Tour mobile app will now include an in-app button that directs users to mental health resources, including the Crisis Text Line, the National Suicide Hotline and Backline’s suite of resources. Master Tour boasts a user base of over 250,000, with 55,000 active monthly users.
AI sound wellness company Endel partnered with dance music label Spinnin’ Records to create 50 AI-generated soundscape album playlists tailored for focus, relaxation, sleep, physical activity and more. The first two soundscape albums are out now, with new albums set to release every week over the next two months. All of the albums will fall under a new profile called Spinnin’ COSMOS. Artists involved in the project to date include Brazilian DJs Felguk and Italian production and DJ duo VINAI. “With this collaboration with Spinnin’, we’ve transformed hundreds of tracks from their incredible catalog into life-enhancing albums and playlists at a huge scale while retaining the iconic sound of Spinnin’ Records and its artists,” said Endel co-founder/CEO Oleg Stavitsky in a statement.
Decca Records US and the World Federation for Mental Health announced a partnership for World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10. Under the agreement, Decca US released a World Mental Health Day-themed playlist of calming music featuring artists including Chad Lawson, Cody Fry, Kings Elliot, Balmorhea, Daigo Hanada, Lara Somogyi, Sophie Hutchings and Samuel Mariño. Additionally, Decca US artist Lawson, who hosts a podcast on mental health, partnered with AI-powered sound wellness company Endel to release a meditation soundscape album featuring reimagined tracks from his album breathe.
With climate change having widespread effects across the music industry, a new conference will provide education and create action regarding what the music world can do to address the crisis.
The Music Sustainability Summit launches Feb. 5 in Los Angeles and is being produced by The Music Sustainability Alliance, an organization that provide science-based solutions, business case analyses, best practices, and tools for operational change across the industry.
The Summit is the first of its kind in North America.
Happening the day after the Grammy Awards, the event will be moderated by GreenBiz Group chairman and co-founder Joel Makower and feature members of MIT’s Environmental Solutions Initiative, climate change and food justice focused organization Support+Feed, industry environmental nonprofit REVERB, climate organization Planet Reimagined and global sustainability company ClimeCo. The Summit’s partner is Circular Unity, an organization focused on climate change as it relates to the entertainment industry.
The conference is intended to create alignment within the industry by bringing stakeholders on board to commit to climate action. The Summit will include the establishment of working groups meant to ensure that climate organizations are in the rooms with the key decision makers across the industry. Organizers hope that by the end of the day, those in attendance will have committed to the first steps in the industry’s collective action.
“There’s so much good work people are doing, but nobody knows about it,” says Music Sustainability Alliance co-founder and president Amy Morrison. “A goal of the conference, and what inspired it, is to help people to stop reinventing the wheel, to provide resources and get people talking and collaborating. This is a community. The power of all of this together is so much greater than individual actions.”
Hosted on the USC campus, the day-long conference will be structured into two parts, with morning programming focused on education and getting stakeholders on the same page and afternoon programming geared towards action about what the industry can do to mitigate its carbon footprint.
Along with panel discussions, a team from MIT will present a climate-focused map of the entire music industry, and the conference will provide educational materials so that even people just starting to learn about climate science will be able to follow along.
“We welcome all, the climate curious and the climate experts,” says Morrison. “There will be something for everybody.”
Tickets for the Summit are available on a sliding scale, between $25 and $200.
The Music Sustainability Alliance has already been busy bringing together stakeholders. A July organizing call had more than 30 representatives from businesses including UTA, CAA and WME, along with Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music, along with AEG and Live Nation and a number of managers and nonprofit organizations that work in the climate action space.
“It was really the first time ever all of these people had gotten on the phone together and been in a meeting to actually talk about sustainability,” says Morrison, who was the svp of marketing at Concerts West for more than two decades. “One of things that we find is really important to remember is that everybody’s job is a climate job, and there’s something that we can all do in our daily jobs.”
“It really is about working together and not working in these silos,” adds Music Sustainability Alliance director Eleanore Anderson. “It really is amazing working in these neutral parties and seeing everyone come together.”
Founded during the pandemic, the Music Sustainability Alliance is composed of music industry veterans, companies and scientists who are addressing innovation and sustainability converging in the music industry. The Alliance and the Summit both put a strong emphasis on data, research and science.
Hipgnosis Songs Fund’s board said on Thursday it was launching a strategic review of changes to its current management team and other options that could maximize shareholder value, as the company braces for a critical continuation vote next week.
Hipgnosis Songs Fund’s (HSF) stock price hit an all-time low earlier this week after scrapping its upcoming shareholder dividend because of an accounting error that resulted in a nearly $12-million downward revision of certain expected streaming royalties.
Shares in the company, which owns the rights to songs performed by Rihanna, Fleetwood Mac, The Pretenders and more, fell by more than 10% on the news, and investor confidence appeared shaky this week, as the the five-year-old music royalty fund prepares for a do-or-die continuation vote on Oct. 26.
“This decision follows extensive engagement over recent weeks with shareholders in light of the forthcoming continuation resolution,” the board said in a statement announcing the strategic review. “These meetings highlighted a continued belief in the company’s portfolio and growth prospects … as well as the need for changes by the company in order to deliver value for shareholders.”
The board said it explored terminating its contract with the fund’s investment advisor, Hipgnosis Song Management, run by HSF founder Merck Mercuriadis, but said it concluded it is not in shareholders’ interest, “as it would be an event of default under the revolving credit facility” if the fund fired its investment advisor before finding a new one who was approved by the HSF’s banks.
The board reiterated its recommendation that shareholders vote in favor of continuing the fund, saying it believes “it is in shareholders’ interest to have a strategic review with the widest array of options for the company to consider and to identify changes that will focus on recovering and delivering improved shareholder value.” The board went on to say it asked its investment advisor to remove a clause in its contract that gives the group overseen by Mercuriadis the right to acquire HSF’s portfolio if its advisory contract is terminated, but that request was declined.
The company’s stock rose about 2.33% to 74.70 British pence ($0.90) as of 10:22 in London.
Continuation votes are required for all publicly traded trusts listed on the London Stock Exchange to provide investors of closed-end funds with an exit strategy.
In addition to a thumbs up or down on continuation next week, HSF investors will also be asked to vote on the sale of 29 catalogs from HSF’s portfolio–including the works of Shakira, Barry Manilow and other artists–to its privately held sister fund Hipgnosis Songs Capital, which is backed by Blackstone.
The board reiterated on Thursday its support for the proposed sale, saying it would use the $440 million in proceeds to reduce the company’s debt and buy back up to $180 million worth of its own stock.
The fund’s board chairman Andrew Sutch announced plans to step down last month, and the board said it has hired an executive search firm to look for his replacement.
The boad also said it also has secured new terms with lenders that put the company back in compliance with its fixed charge cover ratio covenant. The company risked breaching compliance with its lenders over the past week after it was forced to cut expectations for revenue from the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board’s Phonorecords III (CRB III) to $9.9 million, from $21.7 million.
Round Hill Music Royalty Fund’s shareholders voted on Wednesday to sell the fund’s assets to U.S.-based music company Concord in a deal that values the company at $469 million. Of the 69% of Round Hill Music shareholders who were eligible to vote, 99% voted to approve the sale, which fund chairman Robert Naylor called a […]
BMG has acquired the recorded music catalog of French DJ and artist Martin Solveig in what the company calls its biggest such deal in France to date. The sale includes the rights to around 130 tracks, including hits like “Intoxicated” and “+1,” and Solveig’s studio albums from 2002’s Sur la Terre to 2011’s Smash.
Solveig’s work joins a BMG France roster that includes Jean-Michel Jarre (recordings and publishing), Yuksek (recordings and publishing) and Thylacine (publishing). The previous largest recorded music acquisition by BMG in France was more than a decade ago when it purchased Francis Dreyfus Music (Dreyfus), the label which owned Jarre’s first albums.
BMG declined to offer financial details of the Solveig sale, which was brokered by Maximilien Jazani of Catalogue Associates.
Solveig has topped the Dance Club Songs chart twice in his career, first with 2011’s Dragonette-assisted “Hello” and then a year later with “The Night Out.” He’s also placed five tracks on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, including “All Day and Night,” “Hey Now” and “Juliet & Romeo.” His biggest mainstream hit, “Hello,” topped out at No. 46 on the Hot 100.
The success of “Hello” led to Solveig’s work on Madonna’s MDNA album — he co-wrote and co-produced three songs, including “Give Me All Your Luvin’” and “Turn Up the Radio.”
“Martin Solveig has created some of the most potent and successful electronic music of the past decade with a career which straddles the end of the download era and the emergence of streaming,” said Maximilian Kolb, BMG’s evp of repertoire & marketing across continental Europe. “We see significant potential to bring his music to a wider streaming audience.”
Solveig added, “In the process of selecting a partner to host and preserve my recordings, it was imperative for me to associate myself with a company that understands the intrinsic value of this music and is just as passionate about its future potential as I was in creating it. BMG has demonstrated exceptional motivation, and a genuine desire to perpetuate the exploitation of the tracks that are dear to me.”
News of the deal arrives amid a busy 2023 for BMG. So far this year, the company has struck catalog and/or rights deals with Jet, Paul Simon, The Pointer Sisters and George Harrison. In 2022, BMG acquired rights and royalties for Tina Turner, John Legend, Mötley Crüe, ZZ Top, Peter Frampton, Harry Nilsson, John Lee Hooker, Simple Minds, Primal Scream, and The Hollies, among others.