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In a year fraught with festival cancelations due to increasing costs of production and severe weather events, All Things Go festival has taken the opposite approach and doubled down. After 10 years in Washington, D.C., All Things Go organizers announced they were adding a New York edition on the same weekend of Sept. 28-29 at Forest Hills Stadium. With more than 40,000 fans on a waitlist annually, according to ATG partner Stephen Vallimarescu, the additional location seemed less like a gamble and more about meeting demand.
“By hosting both festivals on the same weekend, we’re able to serve more of our community and deliver a lineup that we feel is best-in-class,” Vallimarescu tells Billboard.
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For several years, ATG has made a concerted effort to create lineups that reflect its growing community. Since 2018, the highest billed artists on their lineups have been women or non-binary musicians including Lorde, HAIM, Mitski, Maggie Rogers, Chvrches, Lana Del Rey, Boygenius, Carly Rae Jepsen, Charli XCX and more. And the equity isn’t only represented in gender. With performers including MUNA, Girl in Red, King Princess, Arlo Parks, Fletcher, MICHELLE, St. Vincent, Tegan and Sara and Ethel Cain, over the past five years ATG has landed some of the most LGBTQ+ filled lineups outside of LGBTQ+ events (and even many specifically LGBTQ+ events) and earning the nicknames “gaychella” and “lesbopalooza.”
This year ATG have landed some of the buzziest names in touring including Laufey, Remi Wolf, Hozier, Janelle Monáe, Reneé Rapp and Chappell Roan, who has been drawing record-breaking crowds across festivals.
“We’ve got Hozier, Conan Gray and Bleachers featured on our D.C.-area lineup alongside Laufey, Reneé Rapp, Janelle Monáe and Chappell Roan at the top of the bill,” says ATG partner Will Suter. “We’ve been able to see each of these artists perform live – either in a club or festival setting – and we’re expecting big sets from each of them.”
Billboard caught up with Vallimarescu, Suter and ATG manager of partnerships and experiential Carlie Webbert to discuss the festival’s growth, their embrace of the “lesbopalooza” nickname and how they managed to book the right acts at just the right time.
Why did you decide to add an additional All Things Go on the same weekend as the Washington, D.C. one?
Vallimarescu: After growing the festival for the past decade in Washington, D.C., and with over 40,000 fans on the waitlist annually, the decision to introduce an additional festival in New York City felt like a natural step. We were inspired by the success of festivals like Reading and Leeds and recognized that coordinating artists between both markets on the same weekend would allow us to curate the most compelling lineup possible. This approach is especially helpful for international artists, who constitute a growing portion of our lineup and often find it challenging to travel to the U.S. for a single show.
How did you land on New York for that second location?
Vallimarescu: New York City has always been on our radar, despite its reputation as a challenging market for festivals. The turning point for us was reconnecting with Mike Luba, the visionary behind Forest Hills Stadium. The unparalleled atmosphere he and his team have cultivated at the venue made it clear that this was the perfect location to bring the magic of All Things Go. There is clearly a void in New York City for a new festival experience centered around music above all else, and we’re thrilled to see the excitement around our inaugural year.
How has the reception been to the lineups for both editions?
Vallimarescu: The reception to the lineups for both editions has been phenomenal. Both festivals sold out instantly, with hundreds of thousands of fans joining the queue for tickets — a reaction we don’t take for granted, especially at a time when many established festivals are facing challenges.
Our approach to booking the festival, often more than a year in advance, focuses on building a lineup that peaks at the right moment and showcases the next generation of artists. This year, artists like Reneé Rapp, Chappell Roan, and Laufey are at the forefront of this new era, and we’re beyond grateful to be collaborating with them.
Why is it important for ATG to have a lineup with a heavy presence of women and non-binary artists?
Suter: So much of our artist booking is based on our audience feedback – and it’s become a clear direction that supports female and non/binary artist dominated lineups, especially as we’ve moved to multiple stages and homed in our genre-focus. The website Book More Women has a methodology that has our DC-area festival at about 58% female/non-binary and New York at 93%.
Was it your mission at ATG to become “gaychella” or “lesbopalooza”?
Suter: “Lesbopalooza” is a term that Naomi McPherson of MUNA coined closing out our Chrysalis stage in 2023 – and has definitely stuck. “Gaychella” popped up around the 2023 lineup announcement in a few TikTok videos. Our mission has been to create a festival and a space that’s reflective of our community – it’s a mission that has evolved over time as our direct communication with our fans has via Discord, our Boomfy’s Besties Fan Club and other fan-forward initiatives in addition to closer dialogue with many of the artists on the lineup.
What do you make of the moment queer women are having in pop culture now? With the dominance of Chappell, Reneé Rapp, MUNA, etc.?
Webbert: Queer women have a long history in the spotlight, but it feels like there has been a noticeable shift in the positive reception of these artists. With the growing fandom of this generation of pop stars, there has been an even stronger surge in self-expression and pride in being queer. Look at Chappell Roan, for instance, she grew up under the belief system that being gay was a sin. Many of the artists on the All Things Go lineup, along with their communities, share a history of shame around their sexuality. It feels like we are collectively shedding that repressed part of ourselves and creating an environment of acceptance. It’s beautiful — there’s a lot of embracing who we are and being truly seen happening.
Besides the lineup, how does ATG create an inclusive environment at the festival?
Webbert: There is a big emphasis for representation at the festival and how we platform advocacy/mission-based organizations, such as Propeller, The Ally Coalition, Reverb, Calling All Crows, Headcount, Women in Music and Amplify Her Voice. Last year, we had an activism village on-site at the D.C.-area festival where fans could interact with different non-profits and engage in a meaningful way. Our community is intentional, and by including LGBTQ+, environmental, healthcare, voter registration and other organizations, we acknowledge a clear passion for creating change that our community wants. All that said, we are hopeful that over the years this side of our festival will grow and we’re able to have an increased number of diverse voices represented throughout our programming.
Warner Music Group is going through a transformational year by cutting costs, reducing its headcount and restructuring some label groups to save an estimated $260 million on an annualized basis, the company disclosed Thursday (Sept. 19).
According to a Warner Music Group SEC filing that details the reduction in headcount and financial impact of the company’s ongoing restructuring plan, the total head count reduction increased from 600 after February’s announcement to 750 people with Thursday’s update. The filing did not specify that all 150 additional job losses could be attributed to the Atlantic Music Group layoffs announced Thursday. Billboard’sinitial report on the layoffs stated that between 150 and 175 people would be affected.
WMG also updated the pre-tax cost savings, on an annualized basis, from “about $200 million” to “about $260 million,” meaning the company expects to save an additional $60 million annually. The restructuring plan’s severance costs increased $70 million to $210 million. The “significant majority” of severance payments and other termination costs from this year’s restructuring are expected to be paid by the end of fiscal 2026, according to the filing. WMG will pay approximately $30 million in the current fiscal year (ending Sept. 30) and about $85 million in fiscal 2025.
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“WMG is transforming swiftly this year, in a fast-paced, fiercely competitive industry,” CEO Robert Kyncl wrote Thursday in an internal memo to staff. “As always, delivering outstanding results for artists and songwriters is our highest priority in all our choices.”
WMG began its restructuring plan in February by announcing it would sell its owned and operated media properties and eliminate some corporate and support roles. As Billboard reported at the time, WMG reduced its headcount by 10% of the company’s workforce, or 600 people. Not all of that reduction in staff was the result of layoffs, however. Uproxx, HipHopDX and Dime Magazine were sold to a duo of media veterans: Uproxx founder and CEO Jarret Myer and Complex founder and CEO Rich Antoniello, in consortium with musician will.i.am.
This latest round of layoffs came two weeks before 10K Projects founder and CEO Elliot Grainge assumes the position of Atlantic Music Group CEO on Oct. 1 (the first day of WMG’s new fiscal year). Atlantic chairman/CEO Julie Greenwald announced her departure just five days after WMG announced Grainge would take the helm. Separately, Max Lousada, the London-based CEO of recorded music for WMG, stepped down and his role was eliminated. Kevin Liles, current chairman and CEO of 300 Elektra Entertainment, is also exiting the company without replacement.
Atlantic’s ranks were further thinned on Thursday with the departures of high-level executives at both Atlantic Records and Elektra Records, including Atlantic executive vp/GM Paul Sinclair and co-president of Black music Michael Kyser, as well as head of marketing Grace James, head of press and media Sheila Richman and head of touring Harlan Frey. At Elektra, head of business and legal affairs Margo Scott, head of marketing Katie Robinson, head of sales and streaming Adam Abramson, head of promotion and streaming Aimee Vaughan-Fruehe and co-head of Roadrunner Records Chris Brown were all also let go.
Alt-pop singer Alemeda has signed with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and Warner Records, Billboard can exclusively announce Friday (Sept. 20). She becomes the third female act to be signed to TDE, following SZA and Doechii.
“TDE placed trust and time in me to find my sound and develop as an artist at my own pace. I think to be signed to them means to be more than just an artist but to be a pivotal part of Black art and culture,” Alemeda said in a statement. “I’m honored to be the third woman ever signed to this historic roster of talented culture pavers. Warner also has a great understanding of who I am as an artist, and their historic success in the rock and pop genres makes me confident in our future together. I feel they were the right team to support my growth as an artist and I am excited for what is to come working with them alongside TDE.”
The news coincides with the release of the Ethiopian-Sudanese artist’s debut EP, FK IT. The 8-track project includes previously released singles like her viral 2021 debut “Gonna Bleach My Eyebrows,” “Guy’s Girl” and “I hate your face.” She also performed her latest single “I already dug your grave” on popular German performance series platform COLORSxSTUDIOS earlier this month. “This EP is the truest expression of who I am right now,” she adds. “It’s about letting go of what doesn’t serve me and embracing the chaos and beauty of being real, unapologetically.”
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“One late night in December 2019, a few months before the pandemic, I was stuck in a rabbit hole scrolling Instagram when I happened to stumble across Alemeda. She was going by Rahema Alameda at the time and was doing a cool little bop with the brightest smile to a song of hers that she hadn’t released. I immediately felt she was gonna be great,” said TDE co-president Anthony “Moosa” Tiffith in a statement. “After reaching out to her, I learned that she hadn’t put out any music yet or even recorded in a studio before, so I flew her out to Los Angeles to give her that opportunity. When she told me about her strict upbringing and how she moved from Ethiopia to Arizona, I knew she had a story to tell.”
Tiffith continues: “She’s been here for the last four years, staying focused as a student of music and developing her sound. For most managers that must sound like a long time, but artist development is the most important thing to me. It’s a blessing to work with an artist like Alemeda who shares that vision and is willing to do the work. I’m happy and beyond excited to announce her to Top Dawg Entertainment, and equally enthusiastic for our partnership with Warner!”
Warner is also excited to work alongside TDE for Alemeda.”She’s an electrifying artist with a unique voice and vision, and FK IT is just the beginning of what will be an extraordinary journey. Her ability to channel her personal experiences into raw, boundary-pushing music makes her a perfect fit for our roster,” said Warner Records co-chairman/CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck in a statement.
He adds, “[Warner Records co-chairman/COO] Tom Corson, [Warner Records executive vp/head of A&R] Karen Kwak and our entire team is thrilled to be joining forces with Top Dawg Entertainment to bring Alemeda’s innovative artistry to an even wider audience. Collaborating with TDE’s exceptional team only amplifies our excitement for this groundbreaking partnership.”
The legendary Vans Warped Tour could make a return in 2025.
The traveling rock and punk tour, which launched in 1995, would celebrate its 30th anniversary next year, and founder Kevin Lyman hinted at its return earlier this week.
“We have something cooking for 2025,” Lyman told Pollstar. “Details should be ready in a few weeks.”
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Billboard reached out to Lyman to confirm the news but did not hear back by publication.
Warped Tour spent 24 years traveling around North America with acts like The Damned, Green Day, Incubus, AFI, Against Me!, Paramore, M.I.A., The Misfits and hundreds more before retiring the touring model in 2018.
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“I’ve done everything I can in the format that this is in,” Lyman told Billboard at the tour’s final stop in West Palm Beach, Florida, In 2018. “It wasn’t supposed to be around 24 years. It wasn’t supposed to be around more than one year. But enough people saw what I was trying to do.”
In 2019, Warped Tour announced a slate of three 25th-anniversary editions in Ohio, New Jersey and California with a who’s-who of festival alumni including Blink-182, 311, Bad Religion, The All-American Rejects, Andrew W.K., Anti-Flag, Gym Class Heroes, The Offspring, Simple Plan, Bowling for Soup, Taking Back Sunday, Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake and Good Charlotte.
Following the end of Warped Tour’s run, Lyman rebranded his 4Fini, which put on the annual Warped Tour events, to KLG (Kevin Lyman Group). The production and strategic branding group, KLG, continues to work on festivals and events throughout the industry.
TelevisaUnivision has named Daniel Alegre as its new CEO starting Thursday (Sept. 19). The decision is part of the board of directors’ strategic succession planning. Alegre takes over for Wade Davis, who will become vice chairman of the board of directors and remain on the executive committee.
“On behalf of the board, I’m excited to welcome Daniel to TelevisaUnivision as we embark on the next phase of our strategic journey focused on further integration and optimization,” TelevisaUnivision’s executive chairman, Alfonso de Angoitia, said in a press release. “It’s been a very dynamic media environment, and we are grateful for what Wade has accomplished in the turnaround of Univision and the subsequent transformative merger between Univision and Televisa’s content business to create TelevisaUnivision.”
“The media landscape is undergoing a profound transformation and TelevisaUnivision is strategically poised to seize new opportunities while staying deeply connected to the communities we serve,” Alegre said in a release. “The U.S. and Mexico represent the most valuable and populous Spanish-language markets in the world, a demographic that is becoming more prominent both regionally and globally.”
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Originally from Mexico, the new network leader possesses operational-focused leadership experience within the Hispanic community and across the U.S., Mexico and Latin America. With over three decades working in media, entertainment and technology, Alegre was most recently CEO of Yuga Labs, a web3 company. He previously served as president and COO of Activision Blizzard.
“Building on TelevisaUnivision’s solid foundation, global content pipeline, ongoing investments in cutting-edge technologies, and unmatched reach, we are uniquely positioned to continue serving this vital audience,” Alegre continued. “Wade and the entire TelevisaUnivision team have created a strong multi-platform media business with world-class quality and breadth of entertainment, news and sports programming.”
Davis added, “We could not have picked a better successor than Daniel, who brings an incredible track record of operational and strategic execution. He is the ideal executive to take TelevisaUnivision into its next phase of growth. The Company’s future is bright, and I look forward to supporting Daniel and the TelevisaUnivision team in my role as vice chairman of the board.”
During Davis’ Univision tenure, the company completed a $4.8 billion merger with Group Televisa in 2022, forming TelevisaUnivision as it is known today. The broadcaster has made significant investments in streaming and traditional TV, with its ViX streaming platform approaching profitability. It also runs 35 radio stations across the U.S.
Atlantic Records announced more staff layoffs on Thursday (Sept. 19) as the process of remaking the company continues.
“I want to acknowledge the hard work, passion, and creativity of everyone across Atlantic, 300, and Elektra,” CEO Robert Kyncl said in a staff memo obtained by Billboard. “In particular, I want to thank the people who will be leaving us. You’ve made an indelible mark on this company and the careers of the extraordinary artists you’ve championed. Words never cut it in these situations but we’re forever grateful for all your contributions and achievements over the years.”
These cuts follow the announcement in August of a significant executive restructuring: 10K Projects founder Elliot Grainge will take over as CEO of Atlantic Music Group, starting October 1. As part of his promotion, 10K will move under the Atlantic Music Group umbrella — joining Atlantic Records, Elektra and 300 — while veteran executive and longtime Atlantic leader Julie Greenwald will be heading for the exit. Kyncl’s memo promised that the company will “be unveiling a new dynamic structure for the label group” next week.
The memo did not say how many Atlantic employees were being let go. Sources expect the layoffs to be significant and to affect multiple departments.
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Kyncl has been busy retooling WMG since he took over at the start of 2023. That metamorphosis has come hand in hand with layoffs; Atlantic’s latest cuts are the fourth round in the extended Warner Music Group family in roughly 18 months.
The company laid off 4% of staff, or about 270 people, including several at Atlantic, in March 2023. “To take advantage of the opportunities ahead of us, we need to make some hard choices in order to evolve,” Kyncl wrote in a memo to staff at the time. In February of this year, WMG laid out plans to cut another 10% of staff, primarily from the company’s media properties — like Uproxx and HipHopDX, which it acquired in August 2018 — as well some in corporate and support roles.
The same month, Atlantic initiated an additional round of layoffs, albeit much smaller in scope, cutting roughly two dozen employees in the radio and video departments. “As hard as it is to say goodbye to our friends and valued colleagues, it is critical that we keep retooling the company and add new resources and skill sets to our business units,” Greenwald wrote in an email at the time.
Greenwald is now on her way out. So is WMG CEO of Recorded Music Max Lousada; his role is not being replaced. Similarly, 300 Entertainment co-founder and current chairman/CEO of 300 Elektra Entertainment Kevin Liles is also exiting the company without replacement. Other executives are also expected to depart as part of this restructuring, sources say.
This is just part of the change sweeping the company as Kyncl seeks a “flatter structure.” Warner Records will now also oversee Warner Music Nashville moving forward, and the heads of global catalog, marketing, ADA (distribution) and WMX (the fan and merch division) will all report directly to Kyncl.
All three major label groups have gone through changes this year. In February, the Universal Music Group reorganized its label divisions into a loose East Coast-West Coast structure, aligning Republic, Island, Def Jam and Mercury under Republic Recording Company chairman/CEO Monte Lipman and Interscope, Geffen and Capitol under Interscope Capitol Labels Group chairman/CEO John Janick, moves that came with some significant layoffs. Sony Music also underwent layoffs this year, though not to the same extent as the other two companies, sources have said.
Read Kyncl’s full memo below:
Hi everyone,
Since we announced Julie would be stepping down, we’ve been thoughtfully working on how to evolve Atlantic Music Group for the future. Next week, we will be unveiling a new dynamic structure for the label group. Elliot begins as CEO of AMG on October 1.
As part of this reorganization, we will unfortunately be saying goodbye to talented people. I know you have been waiting to hear the plan, and rather than carry out changes piecemeal, we decided to make these difficult choices in one go.
Today will be a tough day, and by 9pm ET you will have heard if your job is affected. Your leaders and the People team will provide you with all the important details. We are committed to helping those impacted through this with the utmost respect, and supporting them with a runway during the transition.
I want to acknowledge the hard work, passion, and creativity of everyone across Atlantic, 300, and Elektra. In particular, I want to thank the people who will be leaving us. You’ve made an indelible mark on this company and the careers of the extraordinary artists you’ve championed. Words never cut it in these situations but we’re forever grateful for all your contributions and achievements over the years. We wish you the very best and know that you will continue to do great things in your next chapters.
WMG is transforming swiftly this year, in a fast-paced, fiercely competitive industry. As always, delivering outstanding results for artists and songwriters is our highest priority in all our choices.
As I mentioned, you will hear more about our plan for AMG next week, with Elliot making an announcement about the leadership team. In the meantime, we have so much incredible music in the market, and some outstanding projects on the way. Your continued support of teammates is amazing, and your run-through-walls focus on the music is extraordinary.
Thank you and take care,
Robert
Decades after Nelly released his chart-topping breakout Country Grammar, he’s facing a new lawsuit over the album from his St. Lunatics groupmates – who claim that the star cut them out of the credits and the royalty payments.
In a complaint filed Wednesday in Manhattan federal court, attorneys for the St. Lunatics allege that Nelly (Cornell Haynes) repeatedly “manipulated” them into falsely thinking they’d be paid for their work on the 2000 album, which spent five weeks atop the Billboard 200.
“Every time plaintiffs confronted defendant Haynes [he] would assure them as ‘friends’ he would never prevent them from receiving the financial success they were entitled to,” the lawsuit reads. “Unfortunately, plaintiffs, reasonably believing that their friend and former band member would never steal credit for writing the original compositions, did not initially pursue any legal remedies.”
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The case was filed by St. Lunatics members Ali (Ali Jones), Murphy Lee (Tohri Harper), Kyjuan (Robert Kyjuan) and City Spud (Lavell Webb). Slo Down (Corey Edwards), another former member of the group, is not named as a plaintiff.
A spokesperson for Nelly did not immediately return a request for comment.
A group of high school friends from St. Louis, the St. Lunatics rose to prominence in the late 1990s with “Gimme What U Got”, and their debut album Free City – released a year after Country Grammar – was a hit of its own, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
The various members of the group are repeatedly listed as co-writers in the public credits for numerous songs on Country Grammar, most notably with City Spud credited as a co-writer and co-performer on the single “Ride Wit Me,” which spent 29 weeks on the Hot 100.
In the new lawsuit, the group members say they were involved with more songs than they were credited for, including “Steal the Show,” “Thicky Thick Girl,” “Batter Up,” and “Wrap Sumden.” The most notable is the title track “Country Grammar,” which reached No. 7 on the singles chart; in public databases, the song only credits Nelly and producer Jason Epperson.
The groupmates say that during and after the Country Grammar recording session, Nelly “privately and publicly acknowledged that plaintiffs were the lyric writers” and “promised to ensure that plaintiffs received writing and publishing credit.” But decades later, in 2020, the St. Lunatics members say they “discovered that defendant Haynes had been lying to them the entire time.”
“Despite repeatedly promising plaintiffs that they would receive full recognition and credit… it eventually became clear that defendant Haynes had no intention of providing the plaintiffs with any such credit or recognition,” the group’s attorneys write.
When the group members realized Nelly had “failed to provide proper credit and publishing income,” they say they hired an attorney who reached out to Universal Music Publishing Group. The letter was relayed to Nelly’s attorneys, who they say “expressly repudiated” their claims to credit in 2021.
“Plaintiffs had no alternative but to commence legal proceedings against Defendants,” the lawsuit reads.
The case could face an important procedural hurdle. Although copyright infringement lawsuits can be filed decades after an infringing song is released, disputes over copyright ownership face a stricter three-year statute of limitations.
The current lawsuit is styled as an infringement case, with the St. Lunatics alleging that Nelly has unfairly used their songs without permission. But the first argument from Nelly’s attorneys will likely be that the case is really a dispute over ownership – and thus was filed years too late.
An attorney for the plaintiffs did not immediately return a request for comment.
Mellomanic, formerly known as We Are Giant, has closed a $6 million funding round, raising its total capital to $13.8 million. Backed by investors including Sterling Partners and other industry veterans, this funding will support the platform‘s expansion and enhancing its music experience offerings for artists and fans. Known for exclusive listening parties and digital events, Mellomanic provides a community-centric space for artists and superfans to connect. With over 400,000 monthly active users — a 13,000% increase since January — the platform has attracted partnerships with major labels such as Atlantic Records, Def Jam, Sony Music Nashville and Virgin Music Group. Its genre-focused “Collectives” — think “We Are Hip Hop,” “We Are Pop” and “We Are Country” — feature listening parties, live streams, and virtual festivals, with artists like Kameron Marlowe, JXDN, Jordy and Big Sean already participating. Mellomanic allows artists to monetize their work and access unique fan data to make informed career decisions. The platform secures music licenses for live streams, ensuring streams count toward traditional metrics tracked by SoundExchange and PROs.
“We’ve learned so much about music communities and fan behaviors this past year, and wanted our name to reflect that. ‘Mellomanic’ pays homage to the melomaniacs, all types of superfans, embodying the spectrum of emotions that exist within different genres of music and their listeners,” said CEO Andy Apple. “It’s been exciting to watch artists and labels leverage our immersive listening parties to release music in exciting, innovative ways, and it’s been special to see superfan communities engage in these live digital experiences that truly range from mellow to manic. Ultimately our goal is to continue providing impactful spaces for fans and artists to come together and celebrate special moments, empowering them to forge enduring relationships while building sustainable communities.”
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Sony Music Entertainment and Crux Global formed a strategic partnership to elevate Ghana’s music industry by offering support to artists at various stages of their careers. The collaboration provides three tiers of assistance: distribution for independent artists through The Orchard, comprehensive full-service support under Sony Music Africa for select artists, and a catalog music tier aimed at preserving the work of renowned Ghanaian musicians on digital platforms. The partnership will be headquartered in Accra, Ghana, which will serve as the hub for artist development, distribution and catalog management. Sean Watson, managing director of Sony Music Africa, will lead the initiative, supported by Christel Kayibi and Jean-Sebastien Permal.
Sony Music Entertainment Vietnam partnered with Great Entertainment, a leading Vietnamese music label, to acquire distribution and marketing rights for its catalog and frontline releases. This collaboration aims to boost the international presence of Great Entertainment’s top-charting artists, including B Ray, Quân A.P, Masew, Khanh ICM, and Khoi Vu. Several releases are scheduled as part of this partnership: Masew, known for hits like “Thiêu Thân” and “Túy âm,” will release a new album in October 2024. Quân A.P, famous for “Bông hoa đẹp nhất” and “You Are My Crush,” will drop new singles in early 2025, while rapper B Ray will also be releasing music soon. Sony Music Vietnam’s roster features popular local stars like Đức Phúc and Hoàng Thùy Linh. “This partnership marks a significant milestone for Sony Music Entertainment Vietnam as we continue to support and elevate the incredible talent emerging from Vietnam’s vibrant music scene,” said Angela Pong, GM of SMEV.
Universal Music Group and Tuned Global expanded their partnership through a global licensing agreement, granting Tuned Global clients access to UMG’s vast catalog of recorded music. This enables clients to use music from top artists in their projects, with integrated technological and licensing support provided by Tuned Global, a leading B2B music and streaming technology provider. The platform’s technology will also allow users to target specific repertoires, and will enable UMG sound recordings to be licensed and delivered securely, followed by timely and accurate usage reports and royalty payments. Tuned Global already hosts UMG’s repertoire on a cloud-based infrastructure, delivering music to clients and DSPs worldwide, further strengthening UMG’s global presence across various sectors. “This new way of working will help to enable ideas to be enhanced by UMG repertoire all over the world,” said James Healy, UMG’s svp of digital strategy and business development.
Indie label Dirty Hit extended its UK physical distribution partnership with Universal Music UK for another three years. This collaboration, which began in 2010, has helped drive the success of several major artists, including The 1975, Beabadoobee, Wolf Alice, Bleachers, Japanese House and Pale Waves, among others. The partnership has led to numerous UK No. 1s, including Beabadoobee’s debut This Is How Tomorrow Moves and all five of The 1975’s studio album releases. “As an independent label, we are always cautious of comprising our artist integrity,” said . “However, working with Warren [Querns at UMUK] and his incredible team has proven to be a fantastic partnership that has helped deliver impressive results time and time again.”
Audiomack, a major music streaming service with a strong presence across Africa, partnered with royalty tracking platform Mogul. This collaboration enables Audiomack’s 30 million-plus monthly users to track their royalties alongside other revenue streams through Mogul’s platform. The partnership aims to bolster transparency and accuracy in royalty distribution, especially for independent artists. The companies said Mogul has already tracked $100 million in royalties, helping artists recover an additional $150 million, since launching earlier this year. “The Audiomack team shares deeply in our vision of financial transparency and through this integration we look forward to helping artists on their platform build longstanding careers in music,” said Mogul CEO Jeff Ponchick.
Creative content company Toikido formed a global partnership with Magic Star, the kids and family division of Sony’s The Orchard, to distribute its music worldwide. Magic Star will serve as Toikido’s official global music distribution partner, using The Orchard’s vast network to share Toikido’s catalogue, which includes soundtracks, original songs, and dynamic audio content, with international audiences. Magic Star will offer Toikido comprehensive services, such as music engagement strategies, video production, brand partnerships and global marketing campaigns. CEO Darran Garnham sees this partnership as a major milestone, highlighting Toikido’s pride in its creative achievements and excitement for future growth with Magic Star’s support.
Music marketing platform SongTools partnered with Sonicbids, the artist development and booking platform recently acquired by Advance Music Technologies. This pairing gives SongTools customers access to Sonicbids’ enhanced artist services, marking the first of many future collaborations for SongTools, which recently raised $3 million to expand internationally and develop more wrist-centric tools. Sonicbids artists will also benefit from exclusive access to SongTools’ one-click Playlisting and advertising services, which are becoming essential for independent musicians. SongTools CEO Danny Garcia sees this collaboration as furthering their commitment to empowering artists with the marketing resources they need to succeed in the competitive music industry, adding “we can’t wait to see how artists make the most of this new opportunity.”
Salt, a digital rights and royalties solutions provider, has secured a multi-million-pound grant from Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation. This funding will accelerate Salt’s development of AI-powered tools to better support music creators and rightsholders. The grant will help Salt improve operational efficiencies and strengthen its leadership in rights management solutions. In collaboration with Queen Mary University’s Centre for Digital Music, Salt aims to leverage AI and digital music expertise to push the boundaries of innovation in the sector. “With Salt’s pioneering AI work and the added horsepower from this funding, our partnership with Queen Mary University becomes a game changer so badly needed in the labyrinthine system that exists today,” said Dave Stewart, Salt investor and Eurythmics co-founder. “We’re poised to continue redefining the music industry landscape, empowering creators and protecting their rights with unmatched innovation.”
The Federal Trade Commission is being urged to investigate technology companies that create tools for ticket scalpers that violate existing laws and drive up the price of concert tickets.
The warning and call to action comes by way of a letter signed by National Independent Talent Organizations president Jack Randall and executive director Nathaniel Marro, taking aim at the World Ticket Summit. Held in Nashville earlier this month, the annual conference is organized by the National Association of Ticket Brokers, the country’s largest member organization for professional ticket resellers and individuals who list and resell tickets on sites like StubHub and SeatGeek.
At this year’s summit, members of NITO – which represent independent talent agencies and management companies including Arrival Artists, High Road Touring, Paladin Artists, Q Prime, Red Light Management and TKO – “observed a sold-out exhibition hall filled with vendors selling and marketing products designed to bypass security measures for ticket purchases, in direct violation of the BOTS Act,” a Sept. 9 letter to Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan reads.
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That technology includes web browser extensions that set up multiple tabs masking a user’s IP address, proxy services that allow users to be logged in to multiple ticketing accounts from one location and virtual credit card services that bypass geographical restrictions on ticket sales, which are often put in place by event organizers to ensure fair access for local fans.
According to the letter, the use of this type of technology to procure concert tickets is a violation of the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act of 2016 which prohibits scalpers from using technology that circumvents “a security measure, access control system, or other technological measure used to enforce ticket purchasing limits for events with over 200 attendees.”
Put more simply, most ticketing companies place a cap on how many tickets a fan can buy for a concert and the use of automated bots, proxy servers, VPNs and phantom credit cards to exceed purchase limits is a violation of the BOTS Act.
“The presence of these vendors at a conference specifically for ticket brokers strongly suggests that a substantial portion of attendees either currently use these services or are likely to do so in the near future,” the letter reads. “This widespread availability and apparent demand for tools that can circumvent ticket purchasing limits indicates that many, if not most, scalpers are operating in violation of the federal BOTS Act.”
The NATB’s executive director Gary Adler issued a lengthy statement in response to NITO’s letter, writing “The vast majority of technology exhibitors at the conference were inventory management systems that help ticket companies organize their tickets, offer them for resale, and help with pricing.”
“There are many friction points in ticketing,” Adler continued “and high-tech ways that players in the system try to monopolize every dollar spent on ticketing and to prevent the resale of tickets. For more than half of events there are lower cost options on the secondary market and some in the primary market don’t like seeing their previously sold tickets being offered for resale at deep discounts. Artists, venues, and primary ticketers abuse technology every day to create fake scarcity and deceive consumers into paying higher prices when really, they are secretly holding back tickets to slowly drip more on sale over time to cheat and fool the fan. This is most likely an illegal deceptive marketing and advertising practice, driven by artists, venues, and primary ticketing companies, that the FTC should immediately investigate.”
Adler notes that the NATB “advocated for the passage of the BOTS Act in 2016 as we fully support the banning of bots. There is no place in the system for illegal bot use. We stand for doing resale the right way and passing strong laws to protect fans and competition across the ticketing industry. If any exhibitors were offering technology that violates the BOTS Act, we want to know as they will not be welcomed back.”
Since its passage in 2017, the BOTs Act has only been enforced one time, in 2021, when three New York-based ticket brokers were charged with violating the law. The government’s enforcement of the BOTS Act has been an “abysmal failure” writes songwriter and music industry analyst Chris Castle, noting that StubHub’s scheduled IPO this fall was a tell-tale sign that the BOTS Act was “under-enforced.”
“Let’s face it – if there were no bots and no boiler room operations, StubHub probably wouldn’t have much of a business,” Castle wrote. Lawmakers including Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) have introduced legislation like the Mitigating Automated Internet Networks for (MAIN) Event Ticketing Act of 2023 which would force ticketing companies to be more proactive about reporting BOT usage, but those efforts have largely stalled in Congress.
NITO’s letter includes eight recommendations for rights holders and the FTC, calling for the regulator to subpoena the customer lists of “companies offering services that fall into the categories likely to facilitate BOTS Act violations” as well as increased enforcement actions, prioritizing “investigations into large-scale ticket reselling operations, focusing on those using multiple technologies to circumvent purchasing limits.”
By implementing these recommendations, the letter explains, “rights holders and the FTC can take significant steps towards curbing BOTS Act violations and ensuring fairer access to event tickets for consumers.”
In a bid to further grow its operation and expand its international footprint, Bresh — the brand behind the Fiesta Bresh parties — has partnered with New York based investment firm Carroll Street Capital.
The two companies will launch Bresh Global, an international media and branded live events platform. Carroll Street will provide an infusion of cash as well as strategic access and support to continue growing the Bresh brand, whose global presence has multiplied in the past two years. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Bresh’s leadership will remain in place, with Tomás Allande as CEO, Alejandro “Bröder” Saporiti as artistic director, and founder Jaime James involved in all operations.
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Eduardo García Fernández, co-founder and managing partner of Carroll Street Capital will now also be chairman of Bresh global.
Bresh Global will establish its headquarters in Miami, with additional offices in Los Angeles. The company currently has offices in Buenos Aires and Madrid.
“Our mission at Bresh Global is to create human connections through entertainment and collective experiences,” said Jaime James in a press release. “In a world increasingly dominated by digital interactions, live events have the unique power to bring people together and transcend cultures. With this expansion, we aim to bring moments of joy to new audiences on a global scale.”
“We are excited about the opportunity to elevate Bresh to new heights,” added Eduardo García Fernández. “This partnership brings additional resources to Bresh to accelerate its growth and introduce new verticals and formats worldwide.”
Bresh, whose slogan is “The most beautiful party in the world,” is an entertainment company known for parties targeted at Gen Zs around the world and built on the concept of inclusivity rather than exclusivity. Bresh tickets are eminently affordable — in Miami, the cheapest ticket is $25 — and there is no doorman denying entry based on gender or looks. Instead of hiring celebrity DJs for its parties, all Fiesta Bresh DJs are Bresh-trained. Perhaps because of its inclusivity DNA, the parties have become magnets for Latin celebrities, including the likes of Lionel Messi, Emilia and Tini, Rauw Alejandro and Bizarrap, who have all been spotted at Bresh parties.
Bresh, which began hosting parties in Argentina, has expanded its operations to over 20 countries, and now puts together some 500 annual events, including in the U.S. and Spain.
Sources say Bresh and Carroll have been in conversations for the past two years and share the vision that “happiness and connections are essential, regardless of who you are or where you live.”