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Officials with the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division plan to sue Live Nation after they wrap up a two-and-a-half-year investigation into the company, according to two high-level sources with knowledge of the matter.
The lawsuit will take aim at Ticketmaster’s use of exclusive venue contracts for its ticketing services, the sources say. Last week, Live Nation officials met with attorneys from the Department of Justice to discuss the case, including DOJ Assistant Attorney Jonathan Kanter, but neither the DOJ nor Live Nation commented on the meeting’s details. There’s no clear timeline on when the DOJ plans to officially close its investigation or file suit, and the two sides could meet again to discuss the case. Both The Wall Street Journal and Politico have previously reported that the DOJ planned to sue Live Nation in published reports earlier this year.
Live Nation officials are continuing to cooperate with the investigation, company president Joe Berchtold indicated on a May 2 earnings call. Based on the issues the DOJ has raised with Live Nation, Berchtold said he believes the lawsuit is related to “specific business practices at Live Nation” and “not the legality of the Live Nation/Ticketmaster merger.”
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That’s both good and bad for Live Nation officials. On the one hand, if the merger isn’t central to the government’s case, then ending the merger and splitting the company up probably isn’t on the table — at least according to Berchtold. Alternatively, if the government believes that the company’s use of exclusive ticketing contracts with venues is monopolistic, it could propose an even harsher penalty.
That’s because politicians like Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who chairs the anti-trust subcommittee in the Senate, have zeroed in on Ticketmaster’s 70-80% market share of the top 100 highest-grossing theaters, arenas and stadiums in North America. Klobuchar has repeatedly said she believes Ticketmaster uses exclusive contracts to lock up market share. In contrast, Ticketmaster attorneys and industry advocates have argued before that the exclusive nature of these contracts benefits venues because it simplifies the ticket-buying process for consumers and generates important revenue for venues that they would not earn without an exclusive agreement.
DOJ officials are also expected to argue that Live Nation has illegally abused its power in the concert business to drive up ticket prices over the last decade, in part through additional fees that can add as much as 30% to ticket prices.
But officials from Ticketmaster, which Live Nation controls, have long argued that artists set their ticket prices, not Ticketmaster, and that only a small percentage of the fees collected above face value go to the ticketing company, with the vast majority of those funds going to venues to help cover the costs of a concert.
The government also bears the burden of proving why its proposed remedies — like forcing Live Nation to sell its stake in Ticketmaster — would benefit consumers.
Simply being named in an antitrust lawsuit filed by Kanter has the potential to significantly damage Live Nation reputationally and financially. A detailed lawsuit against it could galvanize the company’s critics behind a narrative that alleges the concert conglomerate acts monopolistically and abuses its power, undoing the company’s efforts in recent years to improve its image and destigmatize its business model.
A lawsuit will also likely have a negative impact on the company’s share price and serve as a major distraction for Live Nation when it would otherwise be focused on strategic expansion following its most successful fiscal year ever, with revenue up 36% from the previous year and an impressive $1.8 billion in adjusted net income.
Instead, Live Nation may face the full weight of America’s top law enforcement agency, which this year has taken on companies like Apple and Google with market capitalizations that are each 100 times larger than Live Nation’s. While Kanter’s efforts against these companies have been applauded by powerful allies including Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who has vowed to “make antitrust sexy again,” Kanter’s efforts so far have been unsuccessful, with the DOJ losing the bulk of the major antitrust cases it has filed. In December 2022, a judge dismissed the DOJ’s efforts to block a merger between security firms Booze Allen Hamilton and Everwatch as well as mergers between UnitedHealth Group and Change Healthcare, U.S. Sugar Corp and Imperial Sugar, Meta and Within, and Microsoft and Activision.
Kanter also lost a major ruling in the DOJ’s antitrust case against Google earlier this year when a judge struck down a request to bar the tech giant from offering up evidence that activities the government had deemed anti-competitive also had positive qualities that improved the product and generated positive consumer feedback.
“If the government can tip the scales and prevent courts from considering pro-competitive effects, the government could win every case by default,” wrote Sean Heather, a senior vp at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in a recent paper on the Google case.
The Google litigation, which deals with ongoing business practices at the company as opposed to a merger, could be a litmus test for a yet-to-be-filed Live Nation suit. In the Google case, the government alleges that the company controls 90% of the online search advertising market by paying out billions of dollars each year to companies like Apple and Samsung to be the default search engine on their computers and smartphones.
While Live Nation officials are confident they can prevail in the looming antitrust case, they will do so with far fewer resources than other companies hauled before the Justice Department in recent years. Live Nation’s market cap currently sits at $22 billion, whereas Google and Apple’s combined market cap is $6.7 trillion, making Live Nation one of the smallest companies in recent decades to be the subject of such a lawsuit.
Live Nation declined to comment for this story. The Department of Justice did not respond to requests for comment.
Canadian musicians who worked with Steve Albini are sharing their admiration.
Albini’s phenomenally prolific career included work on an estimated 2,000 albums, including landmark alt-rock records by Nirvana, Pixies and PJ Harvey. A wide range of notable Canadian artists worked with Albini and were quick to respond with effusive tributes to the Chicago-based studio wizard.
Toronto drummer, composer and author Don Pyle worked with Albini as a member of acclaimed Toronto instrumental bands Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet and Phono-Comb. Albini was an admirer of Shadowy Men, even sending them a fan letter that helped prompt the band to hire him for sessions that led to the trio’s second album, 1993’s Sport Fishin’: The Lure of the Bait, The Luck of the Hook.
Albini would later work with Dallas Good and The Sadies on The Sadies’ 2001 album Tremendous Efforts and then its 2006 live album, The Sadies In Concert, Vol. 1, recorded at Lee’s Palace in Toronto (Pyle also assisted on the record). Alongside fellow Shadowy Men member Reid Diamond, Beverly Breckenridge and Good (later of The Sadies fame), Pyle was also in the lineup of Phono-Comb, a Toronto band that recruited Albini to work on its 1996 album, Fresh Gasoline.
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In an interview with Billboard Canada, Pyle confirms that his late friend Dallas “definitely had a warm relationship with Steve. The Sadies recorded with him on two occasions. I know Steve definitely enjoyed the experience around coming up here and doing The Sadies live album. Doing the Phono-Comb album allowed for more social time and friendship to happen with them. Steve definitely respected who Dallas became.”
Acclaimed Guelph post-rock band King Cobb Steelie worked on material with Albini prior to the release of its second album, 1994’s Project Twinkle, which would later be credited to Bill Laswell as producer.
“He stayed at my house for a week and was a very generous and gracious guest,” group frontman Kevan Byrne tells Billboard Canada. “I think we were one of the first sessions he engineered after In Utero. Steve raved about Dave Grohl’s drumming and insisted that our drummer buy new white-coated Ambassador heads. Then he used a heat gun to break them in.”
Toronto hardcore faves Fucked Up offered up a succinct and poignant tribute on X: “rip steve…you hated our band and made fun of us while we were recording at your studio but you stood for something honest and fair in music and tried to make it a better place in everything you did and there will never be another one like you.”
Head to Billboard Canada for more remembrances and Albini tidbits from KEN Mode, Joel Plaskett, Metz and more.
Feist, Allison Russell, Mustafa Shortlisted for 2024 Prism Prize
The Canadian Academy has announced the top 10 Canadian music videos of the year. The videos, selected from a pool of 300 by a jury of music and video production professionals, have been shortlisted for the 2024 Prism Prize. The award comes with a $20,000 prize.
Singer-songwriter Feist, pop-rock group The Beaches, roots artist and Grammy winner Allison Russell, musician and poet Mustafa, and hip-hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids (who took home the prize last year, for “Damn Right”) are all amongst the shortlisted nominees.
Since its introduction in 2013, the Prism Prize has been celebrating outstanding work in Canadian music video production. The shortlist is determined by a jury of more than 120 leading figures in Canadian music, film and media arts. In evaluating the music videos, the jury considers elements such as originality, style, creativity, innovation and execution.
Each of the top 10 finalists is also eligible for the fan-voted Audience Award, which comes with a $2,500 CAD prize for the winner.
A celebration of the Class of 2024 will take place in July, featuring a screening of the top 10 videos and the announcement of the winners.
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The 2024 Prism Prize Top 10 (in alphabetical order):
Blame Brett – Artist: The Beaches | Director: Ievy Stamatov
Borrow Trouble – Artist: Feist | Directors: Mary Rozzi, Colby Richardson, Heather Goodchild & Leslie Feist
Demons – Artist: Allison Russell | Director: Ethan Tobman
feral canadian scaredy cat – Artist: young friend | Director: Sterling Larose & Zachary Vague
I’m Good – Artist: Snotty Nose Rez Kids | Director: Sterling Larose
I Wanna Be Your Right Hand – Artist: Nemahsis | Directors: Norman Wong & Amy Gardner
My Mind At Ease – Artist: Dominique Fils-Aimé | Director: Adrian Villagomez
Name of God – Artist & Director: Mustafa
Of Woods And Seas – Artist: Alaskan Tapes | Director: Andrew De Zen
Revenge of the Orchestra (feat. Magugu) – Artist: Apashe | Director: Adrian Villagomez
NASHVILLE — In a keynote interview on the last day of the Music Business Association annual conference, SESAC CEO John Josephson easily sidestepped an early question on what he thought about the seemingly hip-hop-like feud that had recently evolved between ASCAP and BMI, over the latter’s decision to switch to a for-profit model and its subsequent acquisition by a private equity firm. But he wasn’t shy in touting the advantages his company offers songwriters and publishers over the competing U.S. performance rights organizations.
When BMI announced it was switching to a for-profit model and was acquired by New Mountain Capital, ASCAP took to social media reaffirming its commitment to pay out out all revenue it collects — minus overhead — and unlike BMI, not taking any profit.
“I have nothing to add to that conversation,” Josephson said in response to the feud characterization put forth by interviewer, Billboard editor at large Robert Levine.
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Josephson nevertheless acknowledged that it will be interesting to watch BMI’s evolution of its business model, saying it may cause indigestion but he doesn’t think it will have a big impact. Beyond that, he said it will also be notable to see “what will happen to the beef between some of the large publishers and BMI.”
When Levine observed that some rights holders say it is tricky to leave some U.S. PROs, Josephson responded, “The great thing about the U.S. market is people can choose” a PRO.
But when Levine pointed out that it isn’t always easy to leave some PROs, Josephson agreed, pointing that there has been friction in moving from one PRO to another that has even resulted in arbitration. However, at SESAC, “we don’t view our writers and publishers as captives,” he said. “If they want to leave, they are free to go. We win by delivering better service and more money. If you do that, then you don’t have to make it difficult to leave.”
In focusing on SESAC’s future, Josephson said that the company has an infrastructure that serves as an intermediary between rights holders and businesses that want to exploit music and it has been looking for ways to leverage that capability. “We think we can double or triple our market share,” Josephson said.
It has already grown considerably through the acquisitions of 11 different companies, including the Harry Fox Agency, Audiam and Audio Network, within the last decade, he said. It also has a joint venture in Mint Digital Services with the Swiss collective management organization SUISA. All in all, its multi-pronged approach has made SESAC a global company, he added.
Furthermore, he added SESAC currently has a “backlog of 7 or 8 companies” it is talking to now about acquiring. If deals are made, Josephson said SESAC can help such companies “grow at a faster rate than they already have been organically growing,” all of which will deliver “compound growth.
Beyond its PRO, SESAC divides its company into three segments, church music resourses, audio-visual licensing and music services for publishers and labels. Of the latter segment, which includes the aforementioned HFA, MINT, and Audiam, he said. “We are not interested in the long tail. We are interested in small publishers and small labels. Over time we want to broaden services that we offer to those customer groups.”
In turning to church music resources, he said Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) has been “a great business for us.” In fact, he said, it was the “first extension of our business to be global,” with more than 50% of the church licensing occurring outside the U.S. He conceded that licensing to that segment is not without challenges, noting that churches tend to operate on a non-profit business and may expect to pay lower rates, “even though they are multi-million dollar commercial enterprises.”
As for SESAC’s audio-visual segment, he said it is a much bigger” business for the company that it is for ASCAP or BMI.
For the last seven years, SESAC has been majority owned by the giant private equity firm Blackstone, which he says has been a great relationship and a phenomenal capital source.
“They give us a lot of latitude to pursue our vision of where we want to take our business,” Josephson said. “It’s’ not like they tell us what we can do and can’t do. They think about what’s best for the longterm business.”
When interviewer Levine observed that most private equity often invest with the goal of cashing out within five years, Josephson said that the Blackstone fund that invested in SESAC has an investment goal of holding a company for “10-15 years, which is why we were interested in selling to them. They don’t think about what we can do to goose earnings this year,” and instead focus on the long-term.
When Levine expanded to the overall impact that private equity has had on the music business in recent years, Josephson observed that in the past private equity had sometimes disappeared from the music industry equation. But going forward, “as long as interest rates don’t go up further dramatically…private equity’s involvement in the music industry may wax and wane but I don’t think it will disappear.”
It’s time for another spin around the Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across music. We also have a weekly interview series spotlighting a single executive, if that’s your thing. After focus group testing we landed on “Executive of the Week” — find them here.
Ralph W. Peer was named managing director of peermusic UK, based in London. In addition to his new role, Peer will continue directing company initiatives in Australasia, Africa and the Middle East, with his new mouthful title being managing director of U.K. and Australasia and vp of peermusic’s African and Middle East operations. Peermusic UK staff will report directly to Peer, with peermusic Europe president Nigel Elderton continuing to oversee creative and administrative operations throughout Europe. Peer, who is the grandson of late peermusic founder Ralph S. Peer, joined the family business full time in August 2019 as vp for Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East but soon added business affairs work in the London office as well. “We remain steadfastly focused on providing our peermusic roster of artists, songwriters, and producers with the very best in executive talent, A&R prowess, sync, and administrative expertise,” said Elderton. “With this move, we know our U.K. office remains in very capable hands as we continue to expand peermusic as the preeminent independent music publishing company throughout Europe.”
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Brendan Anthony joined Big Loud Texas as vice president of the recently launched label. The delicious sounding BLT was founded by Miranda Lambert and Jon Randall in late 2023 in partnership with — you guessed it — Big Loud Records. The Austin-based Anthony will oversee the label’s operations and work closely with Lambert, Randall and the Big Loud brass in Nashville. Prior to joining Big Loud, Anthony spent nearly a decade as director of the Texas Music Office, which guides music policy statewide in close partnership with the governor’s office and other agencies. In 2026, he created the Music Friendly Texas Communities program, which helps connect dozens of cities across the state to encourage economic development of local industry stakeholders. Earlier in his career, Anthony served as head of e-commerce and artist relations for ONELIVE Media. “We’re so proud to have Brendon join us at Big Loud Texas,” shared Lambert. “He is as passionate as we are about the Texas music scene and has knowledge that will benefit artists in so many ways.”
Cumulus Media appointed Travis Daily as vice president of Country, putting him in charge of content for the company’s 55 country stations in the U.S. He replaces Charlie Cook, who departs at the end of the month. Prior to joining Cumulus in Nashville, Daily was program director at Beasley’s WQYK in Tampa and before that spent 17 years in vaulted roles across the Clear Channel/iHeartRadio empire. “When Charlie Cook told me he was departing, I was faced with one of the tougher decisions of my career: who could I trust to lead and represent our vast fleet of important Country stations with the finesse and character that Charlie did? On every front, Travis rises to the demands,” said Brian Philips, chief content officer.
Burr
credit Katie Kauss
The Recording Industry Association of America elevated Erin D. D. Burr to senior vice president of media relations and Matthew Bass to vp of research. Burr joined the RIAA in August 2022 following a nearly 12-year tenure as a communications executive at Big Machine Label Group. In addition to handling press outreach, Burr handles strategy surrounding Gold & Platinum certifications at the music industry lobby group. Bass has spent the last decade at RIAA, where he helps craft the org’s highly researched annual reports. He has also played a major role in modernization efforts across RIAA’s Gold & Platinum program. “Erin and Matt are stars who have already shined so brightly at RIAA and in their new roles will be even more visible and effective,” said RIAA chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier. “As the music community works together to address unprecedented new opportunities and challenges from the meteoric rise of streaming to the current effort to chart a path towards responsible and pro-artist AI, we are all lucky to have Erin and Matt embracing greater responsibilities.” Erin can be reached at eburr@riaa.com while Matthew is at mbass@riaa.com.
BMG promoted Marc Johlen to managing director for operations in Germany, Switzerland and Australia (GSA), the company’s third largest territory after the U.S. and U.K. Johlen joined BMG in 2020 following a tenure at Budde Music to lead the GSA publishing team, which has since signed Robin Schulz, Bunt., Michael Schulte, AVAION and other big names to its roster of writers and producers. Johlen will be based in Berlin and report to Maximilian Kolb, evp of Continental Europe repertoire & marketing. “Marc is a forward-thinking leader with a proven track record in publishing, artist management and career development,” said Kolb. “His global perspective and local expertise make him an ideal fit for this role within our new organizational structure.”
Sony Music Publishing promoted Nasra Artan to the new position of head of international A&R, effective immediately. She’ll work across all of SMP’s A&R teams to build opportunities and drive collaborative initiatives for roster writers. The London-based Artan, who joined Sony in 2022 as European A&R manager, will continue reporting to SMP’s president of international, Guy Henderson. “In addition to her skill set, energy and drive, Nasra approaches the creative world with an open mind, knowing that great songwriters and big songs can come from anywhere,” said Henderson.
Shareholders recently affirmed Utopia Music‘s plan to rebrand as Proper Group, which now intends to move more of its operations from Switzerland to London as the music distribution and tech company eyes a “more focused approach that aligns with its long-term goals.” As a result of the realignment, the company said the “Swiss entity is being right-sized to reduce operational costs,” bringing an undisclosed number of layoffs. “As we step into a new era of growth and technological advancement at Proper Group, I want to express my sincere sorrow that part of our journey involves parting ways with some of our valued colleagues,” said Michael Stebler, who is wrapping up his brief tenure as transitional CEO. The company said it would instead split its focus into two areas, with Drew Hill taking on the role of CEO of Proper Distribution and a TBA executive to lead its Music Tech division.
Nick Spampanato has been promoted from svp of venue operations to chief operation officer of venues for global live leader AEG Presents. The LA-based executive oversees the business and operations for AEG’s 50 owned and operated clubs and theaters, and reports directly to Brent Fedrizzi, AEG Presents President, North American Regional Offices. Spampanato joined AEG in early 2019 following a 10-year tenure at MSG Entertainment, where he rose to svp and oversaw all operation of the legendary Forum arena in Inglewood, Calif. Prior to MSG, Spampanato put in over 17 years in management at venues owned by Live Nation. “His track record speaks for itself,” noted Fedrizzi. “He’s got an institutional knowledge of venue management at every level, from clubs and theatres all the way up to arenas. Nick has a clear vision on how to effectively manage our critical portfolio of owned and operated venues, and how to propel the business forward.”
Former Billboard news director Colin Stutz recently joined Stand Together Music as managing director of artist relations. At his new gig, Stutz is tasked with building a team that will assist and champion artists looking to deliver on ways to push social change. Stand Together Music works alongside music industry stakeholders to co-create custom-fit solutions around societal challenges including criminal justice, addiction recovery, education, free speech and ending the war on drugs. (Stand Together recently partnered with Marcus King to launch a foundation to support sober touring musicians.) “With his wealth of experience and passion for driving social change through music, Colin is a great addition to our team,” said Colette Weintraub, head of Stand Together Music, Sports & Entertainment. “Together, we look forward to empowering artists to make a meaningful impact on the issues that matter most to our society.”
Educational Media Foundation (EMF) CEO Todd Woods has resigned. EMF is the Tennessee-based parent company of Christian radio networks Air1 and K-LOVE. Woods will continue in an advisory role through June, while EMF board chair Tom Stultz takes on the role of interim CEO. Woods joined the company in 2022 and rose to CEO in March 2023.
Universal Music Group promoted Todd Goodwin to senior vp of culture marketing and creative strategy at °1824, the creative and marketing division he launched with the label in 2019. °1824 provides UMG labels with services including content creation, public relations, A&R scouting, brand partnerships, strategic insights and experiential marketing. Additionally, Goodwin’s team produces live-streaming events. Goodwin will remain based at UMG’s Santa Monica office and continue reporting to Michele Anthony, Executive Vice President of Universal Music Group. “Todd has created a best-in-class creative resource as well as a path for the next generation of industry leaders,” Anthony said. “I’m thrilled to announce his promotion and congratulate the 1824 team on all of their accomplishments.”
Elsewhere at UMG, the label group elevated Sanujeet Bhujabal to managing director of Universal Music India and South Asia. Previously the evp of content at the label, Bhujabal will report to Devraj Sanyal, the chairman and CEO of India & South Asia. UMISA also said Viral Jani had been appointed chief revenue officer.
Former Nettwerk Music Group executive Jon Granat and ex-Ipecac Recordings general manager Marc Schapiro launched Auxilium Music, a highly curated and boutique publishing administration company. Auxilium’s inaugural roster since coming into existence earlier this year includes Melvins legend Buzz Osborne, post-metal artist Bryant Clifford Meyer of Isis and Palms, Michael Crain of thrash supergroup Dead Cross and singer-songwriter Fay Wolf, among others. Indie-minded and self-published songwriters/artists itching for a more personalized option for publishing administration can hit up Granat and Schapiro at info@auxiliummusic.com.
TaP Music welcomed veteran artist manager Will Bloomfield to the team as co-president and head of global artist management. He’ll work alongside co-presidents Wendy Ong and Anna Neville, as well as co-founders Ben Mawson and Ed Millett, to oversee all areas of the TaP business (TaP Management, non-profit TaP Futures and TaP2, formerly TaP Sports). Bloomfied spent the last two decades at Modest! Management, where he rose to partner working a stacked roster of talent including One Direction, 5 Seconds of Summer, MNEK and more. (Back when he was eligible, Bloomfield was featured in our 40 Under 40 list.) “Will joins us at a time of great change in the industry and what we believe is an opportunity for managers and artists,” said Mawson and Millett. “TaP’s founding principle of self sufficiency informs our approach to management now more than ever, with a range of specialists across all key areas.”
PULSE Music Group promoted Annie Aberle to senior vp and head of creative. Previously vp of A&R, with a roster including James Blake, Ryan Beatty and Jack Rochon, Aberle’s expanded remit now includes overseeing creative strategy for the company’s roster of writers and producers across its publishing division. Aberle is based at the company’s Los Angeles headquarters and reports directly to co-CEO Scott Cutler and group president Ashley Calhoun. “One of the most essential parts of this job is remaining a fan first—Annie does not lose sight of that,” said Calhoun. “Annie knows how to deliver a strategy for each of our clients that makes them inspired to show up and show out in the studio every day.”
UTA went on a parter promotion spree, elevating two dozen staffers to the lofty title across media, publishing, talent, publishing and other disciplines. In the music division, new partners include Obi Asika, Kevin Gimble, Steve Gordon, Jeffrey Hasson and Matt Meyer. In comedy touring, Doug Edley and Heidi Feigin made the grade. Head over to THR for a full rundown of the promotions.
Music marketing veteran Joe Aboud officially launched consultancy firm 444 Sounds, with a roster including Sony Music, UnitedMasters, Major Recordings and artists such as Jung Kook and Enrique Iglesias. Aboud was most recently vp of marketing and streaming at HITCO, and prior to that worked as a marketing manager at Atlantic Records.
NASHVILLE NOTES: Natalie Kilgore has boomeranged back to Brown Sellers Brown, rejoining the music company as vp of publicity. Kilgore previously held the same role at BSB from 2020 until late 2022, when she joined BBR Music Group to develop its in-house media relations department. BSB is home to two labels, Quartz Hill Records and Stone Country Records … Soft rocker Walter Egan — whose “Magnet and Steel” was a top 10 hit in 1978 — joined Nashville’s Hippie Radio 94.5 to host a show called “Walt’s Record Vault” … Primary Wave Music officially launched Sun Label Group as a biome for legendary labels like Sun Records and Gaither Music, among others. Paul Sizelove will oversee SLG as president, with each of the labels — which also includes Green Hill Music, Rural Rhythm and emeraldwave by Green Hill — retaining their own leadership and organizational teams.
Global Merchandising Services hired veteran executive Lisa Streff as senior vp of licensing & brand development for North America. Founded in 2008, Global works with artists on design, product development, branding, manufacturing, and direct sales of licensed merch. Streff, who was most recently svp of global licensing for UMG’s Epic Rights and Bravado units, will focus on growing the North American licensing programs for Global’s roster of clients.
MNRK Music Group promoted Ian “J.Y.” Williams to senior director of A&R, in charge of signing and developing untapped talent for the label. Williams joined MNRK in March 2022 as director of A&R and since then has played a pivotal role in developing acts including Kash Doll, K. Michelle, Tyfontaine, OBN Jay, C Stunna and Neek Bucks, among others. Prior to MNRK, Williams worked in artist management at Atlantic Records and has consulted artists through Def Jam, EMPIRE and RCA.
Music consultancy firm Huxley hired Jordan Shepley as associate director of publicity and Chisomo Phiri as communications manager. Shepley will help oversee publicity for Huxley’s roster, which includes J Balvin, Kelly Lee Owens, Munya Chawawa, Calvin Harris and A24 Music. Phiri will handle corporate communications for clients Three Six Zero, Dirty Hit and SailP. In addition, Huxley has also promoted Emily Connick to junior publicist and has hired Tom O’Sullivan, who joins from Sold Out Advertising, as a team assistant.
Concert and festival promoter FKP Scorpio is widening its focus to cover exhibitions, family events and special projects with the rebranded FKP Scorpio Entertainment. FKPE’s leadership team includes James Cassidy and Barry Campbell, who have been appointed president and senior promoter, respectively. Also joining the team are Nathan Birch as head of ticketing, Daisy Parry as special events coordinator, Suzy Bryant as marketing consultant, and Ollie Catchpole as comedy promoter.
AI-driven music financing platform beatBread hired Julian Dunn as director of business affairs. A former corporate attorney, Dunn most recently worked in the Bay Area startup scene at Segment and Hightouch.
ICYMI:
Lucian Grainge
UMG chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge‘s pay package for 2023 was approved by shareholders … Downtown Music elevated Tom Allen to president of its newly hatched royalties and financial services division … Warner Music restructured its Mexican music division but did it in-house … and Brent Fedrizzi (‘memba him from the Nick Spampanato blurb?) was named president of AEG Presents‘ North American regional offices.
Last Week’s Turntable: Allison Moorer Joins Country Hall
Last year, an unknown artist named Tommy Richman stunned as a guest on Brent Faiyaz’s Larger Than Life, appearing on “Upset” alongside FELIX! (The song reached No. 12 on Hot R&B Songs last November.) But now, Richman, who is signed to Faiyaz’ ISO Supremacy label, is making a much larger impression with a hit of his own.
On April 26, Richman released the bouncy “Million Dollar Baby,” on which he flexes his falsetto and genre-blurring sensibilities. The song debuted with 38 million official U.S. streams in its first week of release (April 26-May 2), according to Luminate. “Million Dollar Baby” also scored Richman his first Hot 100 entry, debuting at No. 2 — behind only Taylor Swift and Post Malone’s “Fortnight.” The song also debuts atop the Steaming Songs chart, making Richman the first artist since Olivia Rodrigo with “Drivers License” in 2021 to launch a solo first entry atop the chart.
As previously reported by Billboard, the song’s grand entrance resulted in a boost for Richman’s discography; not including “Baby,” Richman’s catalog posted nearly 2.1 million on-demand U.S. audio streams (across April 26-29), a gain of 106% from the four-day period before. And now, in its second week, the song not only remains at No. 2 on the Hot 100, it climbs to No. 2 on the Billboard Global 200 and reaches No. 1 on the TikTok Top 50, as it continues to gain steam.
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The Woodbridge, Va.-born artist was the first to sign to ISO Supremacy (in partnership with PULSE Records). In addition to scoring a feature on Faiyaz’s last album, Richman also opened for the label boss on his 2023 F*ck the World, It’s a Wasteland Tour. And now, Darren Xu, COO of ISO Supremacy, earns the title of Billboard‘s Executive of the Week.
Despite much of this success seemingly coming out of nowhere, Xu can’t help but look back knowingly, having always believed Richman would reach this moment. As “Baby” continues to grow — thanks in large part to TikTok, where the song has soundtracked 218.3K clips and counting — his team is focused on the future. As Xu, says: “It’s going to be all gas, no brakes.”
Since the Hot 100 began in 1958, only five other acts have debuted in the chart’s top two with no prior history on the chart. Why is “Million Dollar Baby” connecting so strongly?
I feel like “Million Dollar Baby” is a real testament to the climate of social media today. It really shows that if you make good music, it will reach the right audience. Tommy is creating new sounds and the music will speak for itself.
Tommy was the first artist signed to Brent Faiyaz’s ISO Supremacy — what were Tommy and the team looking to gain in signing with Brent?
There was a mutual respect and collaborative energy between the two of them from day one, so the connection just made sense. We knew we’d all win big.
What’s the key to managing an emerging star today?
Don’t let people rush or pressure you into taking steps you don’t need to, and prioritize the artist’s taste and vision.
How are you planning to keep momentum going — for the song and Tommy more broadly?
You guys are going to have to just stay tuned and keep an eye on what we do next. All I can say is it’s going to be all gas no brakes.
In March, Spotify began paying music publishers and songwriters a discounted royalty rate for streams on its premium tiers — and the music business isn’t accepting the change without a fight. Spotify says that by adding audiobooks to its premium offerings, these subscriptions have been reclassified as “bundles,” a type of plan that qualifies for […]
The Mechanical Licensing Collective (the MLC) has filed a lawsuit against Spotify, calling the way the streamer reclassified its premium, duo and family plans as “bundles” and started paying a discounted royalty rate to publishers and songwriters “improper.”
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“The financial consequences… are enormous for songwriters and music publishers,” the MLC writes in the complaint.
News of the lawsuit arrives just a week after Billboard published its estimate that publishers and songwriters will earn about $150 million less in U.S. mechanicals in the next year, compared to what they would have been owed had the services not been bundled.
The root of the conflict started late last year when Spotify added 15 hours of free audiobook listening to Spotify premium, duo and family plans in the United States and other markets. At the time, this was a free extra for subscribers, and Spotify continued to pay the original full mechanical royalty rate for musical works in the United States.
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Starting in March, however, Spotify quietly launched an audiobook-only plan, then started to reclassify its premium, duo and family plans as bundles because audiobooks were included. According to Phonorecords IV, the agreement that dictates U.S. mechanical royalty rates for 2023-2027, bundles of multiple products are an inherently different type of subscription and thus use a different, lower royalty rate, given that multiple offerings must be paid for from the same subscription price.
In the lawsuit filed by the MLC, which processes and distributes mechanical royalties to publishers and songwriters in the United States, the organization argues “premium is exactly the same service” as it was previously. “Prior to March 1, Spotify paid mechanical royalties on the entirety of Premium revenues, subject to certain specific reductions identified in Section 115, despite the fact that Premium subscribers also had access to the same number of hours of audiobooks as Audiobooks Access subscribers now have,” the lawsuit reads.
“On March 1, 2024, without advance notice to the MLC, Spotify unilaterally and unlawfully decided to reduce the Service Provider Revenue reported to the MLC for Premium by almost 50 percent,” reads the complaint. “[This was done] by improperly characterizing the service as a different type of subscription offering and underpaying royalties, even though there has been no change to the premium plan and no corresponding reduction to the revenues that Spotify generates from its tens of millions of Premium subscribers.”
Spotify provided a statement to Billboard in response to the lawsuit, saying: “The lawsuit concerns terms that publishers and streaming services agreed to and celebrated years ago under the Phono IV agreement. Bundles were a critical component of that settlement, and multiple DSPs include bundles as part of their mix of subscription offerings. Spotify paid a record amount to publishers and societies in 2023 and is on track to pay out an even larger amount in 2024. We look forward to a swift resolution of this matter.”
Reports of Spotify’s change to its royalty rate structure for premium, duo and family plans first arrived in April. Immediately, the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) began speaking out against Spotify’s reclassification, calling it an “end to our period of relative peace” and “potentially unlawful.”
On Wednesday (May 15), the NMPA sent Spotify a cease and desist letter regarding a separate issue: allegedly unlicensed lyrics and video. In the letter, NMPA general counsel/executive vp Danielle Aguirre also mentioned there might be some publishing content that “will soon become unlicensed” by its members. Spotify fired back at the letter in a statement, which read: “This letter is a press stunt filled with false and misleading claims.”
In its lawsuit filed Thursday, the MLC claims that to qualify for the bundle subscription rate, “an offering must include at least two distinct products or services. Premium does not,” adding, “Premium already consisted of unlimited music and access to other audio products including up to 15 hours of audiobook listening” as well as other offerings like podcasts.
The MLC further argues that the audiobook-only plan Spotify launched in March is not a different product, saying that it offers more than just audiobooks. “New Audiobooks Access subscribers are being granted access to 15 hours of audiobooks listening and the same access to unlimited, ad-free, on-demand music that Premium subscribers are provided. The only difference is that subscribers to Audiobooks Access are paying $9.99 per month, rather than $10.99, to receive the same product,” reads the complaint.
The MLC also notes that the “audiobook access subscription page does not appear to be directly accessible from Spotify’s website” — making the point that the offering is difficult to find. As a consequence, the MLC says it believes “there is little doubt that the number of subscribers who will sign up for Audiobooks Access is likely to be a fraction of the Premium subscribers.”
A few months ago, the MLC also sued Pandora, another streaming service it collects mechanical royalties from in the United States, for what it says is a failure to properly pay streaming royalties. That lawsuit is ongoing.
The MLC and the Digital Licensee Coordinator (DLC) — the organization intended to represent the majority interests of digital music providers affected by the blanket license set up by the Music Modernization Act (MMA) — are also currently in the process of their first five-year check-up (called a “re-designation” process) to ensure both are effectively fulfilling their duties. This routine, five-year check, conducted by the U.S. Copyright Office, allows the two organizations to self-report on their progress and gives key stakeholders — including the Digital Media Organization (DiMA) — the opportunity to speak to the strengths and weaknesses of the organizations.
The MLC’s operational costs are paid for by DiMA members, including Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more, as set forth by the Music Modernization Act (MMA). In a blog post in March, DiMA’s CEO/president, Graham Davies, pointed out that the MLC is “suing one of the licensees [Pandora] that pays its costs.” The NMPA replied to this post by defending the MLC, saying that streamers “do not want what is in the best interests of music publishers or songwriters,” calling DiMA’s “new…strategy…an effort by the world’s largest digital companies to leverage their power to pay less.”
The NMPA’s president/CEO David Israelite provided a statement of support for the MLC lawsuit, saying, “we applaud the MLC for standing up for songwriters and not letting Spotify get away with its latest trick to underpay creators. The MLC is tasked with challenging services who falsely report royalties, and we commend their swift action. The lawsuit sends a clear message that platforms cannot improperly manipulate usage — in this case unilaterally redefining services as a bundle — in order to devalue music. We strongly support the MLC and will continue to pursue justice.”
[Trigger warning: this article contains descriptions of domestic violence, as well as sexual and physical abuse.]
Marilyn Manson has signed a record deal with indie metal label Nuclear Blast, Billboard has confirmed.
In a statement sent to Billboard, the label said it is “heralding a new phase in the career of this iconic metal artist,” though it declined to provide further details on the nature of the deal. On Wednesday (May 15), the label shared a video of Manson on Instagram that appeared to tease new music.
Rolling Stone was first to report the signing.
The news comes more than three years after Manson (born Brian Warner) was dropped by his previous record label, Loma Vista Recordings, after his former girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood and several other women accused the rock musician of sexual abuse. Following the allegations, Manson was also dropped by his agency, CAA, and longtime manager Tony Ciulla.
After previously disclosing that she was sexually abused by an unnamed perpetrator, Wood named Manson as the culprit on Feb. 1, 2021, via a statement on Instagram, in which she shared that the rocker started “grooming” her when she was a teenager and “horrifically abused” her for years. After she went public, at least a dozen other women came forward with similar allegations, including three more former girlfriends: Game of Thrones star Esme Bianco, Ashley Morgan Smithline and a Jane Doe. Manson’s former personal assistant, Ashley Walters, also accused him of sexual assault.
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In the wake of the accusations, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department opened a criminal investigation into reports of domestic violence perpetrated by Manson between 2009 and 2011. The findings were submitted to the L.A. District Attorney’s office in September 2022, though prosecutors at the time said they needed more evidence before considering criminal charges.
Manson was also sued by several of his alleged victims, including Bianco, Walters, the Jane Doe, Smithline and a second Jane Doe who claimed Manson had sexually assaulted her while she was underage. The lawsuits filed by two of the women — Walters and Smithline — were subsequently dismissed, while Manson settled out of court with Bianco and the first Jane Doe. Smithline later recanted her allegations, claiming Wood and others had “manipulated” her to “spread publicly false accusations of abuse” against Manson. Last December, an appeals court revived Walters’ case, ruling that the trauma she claims to have suffered may have led her to suppress memories of the alleged abuse, thereby allowing her to override the two-year statute of limitations in California.
Manson has denied all of the women’s allegations.
While he hasn’t released an album since 2020’s We Are Chaos, Manson’s career appears to be picking up steam. In March, he announced his first live dates in nearly five years, revealing that he and Russian deathcore band Slaughter to Prevail would embark on a 30-date arena/amphitheater tour with Five Finger Death Punch that begins in August.
Rimas Sports — an agency partnership between Bad Bunny and executives Noah Assad and Jonathan Miranda — has signed The Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. to an exclusive representation agreement, the company tells Billboard. “We are thrilled to welcome the Acuña family to Rimas Sports,” Miranda, CEO of Rimas Sports, said in a statement. […]
Universal Music Group (UMG) shareholders approved CEO Lucian Grainge‘s 138.8 million euros ($128 million) compensation package from 2023 in a nonbinding advisory vote at the company’s annual general meeting in The Netherlands on Thursday (May 16).
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A majority of investors voted to approve all proposals up for a vote this year, including the reappointment of billionaire Bill Ackman, Cyrille Bollore and others as non-executive directors despite criticism from shareholder advisory groups Glass Lewis, who last month called UMG’s pay practices excessive and said the board lacked independence.
Advisory shareholder votes like these are only advisory and not enforceable, but they are closely watched as indicators of investors’ feelings on a company’s pay policies and the people who make up their boards. Anytime a significant percentage of investors expresses disapproval, which Glass Lewis defines as 20% or more, directors consult with shareholders about how to make internal changes to address their concerns.
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Investors in Live Nation and Cumulus Media used recent shareholder meetings to vote their disapproval of those companies’ CEO pay packages.
UMG did not immediately disclose the percentage of votes cast in support of the proposals at this year’s annual meeting, which was livestreamed only to registered shareholders. Last year, a slim majority of UMG investors representing roughly 59% of shares voted in approval of UMG’s remuneration policy, which details the 2023 compensation packages paid out to Grainge and deputy CEO Vincent Vallejo.
About 58% of UMG’s voting shares are collectively held by Ackman’s Pershing Square Capital Management, Tencent, Bollore and Vivendi. Last year, all four shareholders voted to approve UMG’s remuneration policy.
Grainge’s total 2023 compensation is 138,814,000 euros, or $128,264,000 based on a monthly average foreign exchange rate of 0.924. In 2022, he was the third highest-paid music executive, having made total compensation of 47.3 million euros ($49.7 million) thanks to a 28.8 million euros ($30.3 million) performance bonus in addition to a base salary of 15.4 million euros ($16.2 million).
In 2023, Grainge had a base salary of 7.5 million euros (just over $8 million) and bonus of 15.16 million euros (nearly $16.3 million), and a one-time transition equity award worth 92,406,852 euros (roughly $100 million). That award was paid out in half in restricted stock units and half in performance stock options. The performance stock options vest over the coming five years and can only be excised once UMG’s stock hits certain thresholds.
Glenn Peoples contributed reporting.