Business
Page: 154
A new lawsuit claims that Pitbull’s 2021 dance hit “I Feel Good” was copied from an earlier track that was created more than 15 years earlier.
In a case filed Thursday in Manhattan federal court, a company called All Surface Publishing alleged that Pitbull’s song – which spent 27 weeks on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart — infringed the copyright to a 2006 song called “Samir’s Theme” by featuring “significant similarities.”
“The infringement is an exact copy of a discernible portion of plaintiff’s musical work that was copied,” the lawsuit claims.
The accusers claim the two songs feature similarities in melody, harmony, melodic structure, tempo, musical arrangement and percussion – including a “three-note introductory phrase” in which notes descend down the musical scale.
“When heard in real time, the descending lines of both songs appear to be almost identical,” the accusers claim.
Trending on Billboard
The case doesn’t name Pitbull personally as a defendant but instead targets his record label Mr. 305 Inc., as well as DJ White Shadow (Paul Edward Blair), who produced the track and was also featured on it as an artist.
A key part of most copyright lawsuits is proving that the accused infringer had enough “access” to the original that they had a chance to copy it. In the case of “I Feel Good,” the lawsuit claims All Surface owner Aaron LaCanfora sent “Samir’s Theme” directly to DJ White Shadow in 2011.
“I love this song,” the DJ allegedly responded, according to the lawsuit.
Reps for both Mr. 305 and DJ White Shadow did not return requests for comment.
The lawsuit also names Universal Music Group as a defendant, claiming that Mr. 305 Inc. is a “fully owned subsidiary of UMG,” though it’s not clear if that’s true. Mr. 305 signed a distribution deal with Ingrooves in 2019, shortly after that company was acquired by UMG, but Pitbull’s company describes itself as an “independent record label” owned by the star himself.
A rep for UMG did not immediately return a request for comment.
Welcome to another edition of Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across music. While you’re here, we also have a weekly interview series spotlighting a single executive and a regularly updated gallery honoring many of the industry figures we’ve lost throughout the year.
Adam Muhlbaum is the newly minted general manager of Big Noise Music Group, the pop/punk label home of The Used, The Veronicas, girlfriends, Goldfinger and more, Billboard can announce. In Muhlbaum’s Los Angeles-based role, an upgrade from his gig as senior vp of marketing and project management, he’ll zero in on A&R, licensing and brand partnerships while also overseeing royalties and administration for the label’s roster, which also includes iann dior, Escape the Fate and MOD SUN. Prior to joining BNMG in mid-2018, Muhlbaum spent more than five years at BMG, where he led production runs for major releases from Blink-182, Janet Jackson, Iron Maiden and more. He also had a stint as head of digital sales and operations at Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak. As part of the transition, Muhlbaum will pass day-to-day operations to Heather Castillo, the label’s vp of marketing, and Josh Cohen, manager of label operations.
Trending on Billboard
Big Noise Music Group was launched in 2018 by former Vagrant Records head Jon Cohen and Goldfinger members John Feldmann and Nick Gross. “Adam has been with us since day one and has consistently proven his value and expertise while still making Big Noise a positive, productive home for our artists and writers,” said Gross, who is also CEO. “The sky’s the limit for our whole amazing team.”
Muhlbaum added: “Helping to build Big Noise for the past six years alongside Nick, Jon, Feldy, and our incredible label team has been a true highlight of my career and more fun than I ever could have imagined. Our next chapter will be focused on bringing broader creative opportunity to our entire roster — current and future.”
Universal Music Publishing Group picked veteran branding executive Alix Kram as the company’s first head of marketing. In the newly created global role, which she’s held since November, Kram oversees marketing efforts at the publisher with a focus on creative storytelling in order to, as UMPG COO Marc Cimino states, “enhance the incredible stories our songs tell and bring them to life.” Additionally, Kram works closely with Bravado, Universal’s merch specialists, to create strategic opportunities for the UMPG catalog. Prior to joining the Universal fam, Kram spent a year-and-a-half leading a retail business development and marketing team at Netflix. Before that, the NYC-based exec spent seven-plus years at Warner Music Group, where as head of global brand licensing and retail she and her team developed creative opportunities for roster artists including Grateful Dead and Wiz Khalifa. She is also the founder of theKRAMcollective, a boutique marketing and branding agency specializing in experiential storytelling, whose clients have included Hasbro, HBO, Atari and others. She reports to Cimino and chairman/CEO Jody Gerson, and also Bravado president Matt Young. “Upon first meeting [Gerson and Cimino], it was clear that they have created a truly global and unique culture – a force in the industry which leads with a passion for songwriters and champions the expertise of the people that make up the company,” said Kram.
ASM Global did some local hiring and promoting in Arizona, naming Ralph Marchetta to regional vp of live entertainment and elevating Melissa Wasson to general manager of State Farm Stadium. Marchetta, previously GM and svp of Footprint Center in Phoenix, has the mighty task of booking both the Desert Diamond Arena and State Farm across Maryland Ave. in Glendale. “He is well-respected by all, and now we have him playing for our team,” said Jason Rio, ASM Global svp of live entertainment and content development. Wasson joined the stadium staff in 2006 back when it was University of Phoenix Stadium and for the last 13 years has served as assistant GM. She has a lifelong connection with the stadium’s biggest tenant — the Arizona Cardinals — given she’s a native of St. Louis, the team’s former home. “Her decades of in-depth experience will prove invaluable as she continues creating unparalleled memorable experiences that thrill locals and visitors,” said Doug Thornton, executive vp.
Across the pond, ASM Global shifted industry veteran Ed Sanderson from a Singapore-based role, where he’s been working on the massive Kai Tak Sports Park project, to executive vp of business for Europe and the UK. Poor guy has to move to Milan, where he’ll be based as he bounces around Europe in support of ASM’s plans to expand its footprint there. “Living by my personal philosophy of ‘biting off more than you can chew and chew like crazy,’ I’m eager to get started, learn, and make a meaningful impact for our customers, clients, partners, and colleagues,” he said.
Former ASM Global executive Roger LeBlanc joined Romeo Entertainment Group as vp of sales development. With decades of experience, LeBlanc most notably founded and led booking and talent buying agency Madison Entertainment before its sale to ASM in early 2023. “Roger’s vast knowledge and his commitment to mentorship will not only enhance the capabilities of our sales team but also propel our growth and set new standards for excellence in our company and the broader industry,” said R.J. Romeo, president and CEO. LeBlanc can be reached at rleblanc@romeoent.com.
courtesy of FivePointFive
Jelena Grozdanich is the new vp of music at FivePointFive, a music-centric welltech app launching soon that will offer live and on-demand classes of functional breathwork. Grozdanich (GROWS-duh-nitch) is coming off a 10-year run at Sony Music Entertainment and Columbia Records, where she rose to director in the latter’s film and TV licensing division. While at Sony/Columbia, she represented a who’s-who of influential artists including Beyoncé, Adele, Miles Davis, A Tribe Called Quest and Elvis Presley, among others. During this decade, she also founded her own talent management firm (Guardian MGMT) and wellness community (TheSecret.LA). Grozdanich is based in Los Angeles. “We are excited to welcome Jelena as our vice president of music at FivePointFive to head up our music division,” said Adam Ludwin, CEO. “Jelena’s love of music, combined with her passion for wellness has led to her being seen as a key figurehead for wellness within the music industry over the last 10 years, so we are thrilled to have her as part of the team.”
CAA promoted Blair Adour, Jibran Ahmed and Sam Reisman to agent roles in the company’s global touring department. All three come from CAA Elevate, the agency’s agent trainee program, and they’ve all put in the work: Ahmed joined CAA in 2018 in the music crossover division before being upped to professional last year; Reisman started in 2019 as an assistant in the music touring division and most recently worked as a coordinator; and Adour joined as a professional in 2021 following a stint at Paradigm. Adour and Reisman are based in New York while Ahmed is in Los Angeles.
Capitol Christian Music Group (CCMG) promoted three executive staffers. Emily Dashiell has been promoted to senior vp of commercial partnerships, Jeff Gunkel has been upped to svp of market development, and Carlos Monnaco has been elevated to svp of finance. Dashiell will oversee the company’s revenue strategies across its portfolio and continue to focus on partner activations with DSPs while guiding the label business across global distribution, e-commerce/D2C, catalog marketing, and more. Gunkel will oversee areas of market development and digital rights, as well as Re:Think Records. Monnaco’s responsibilities expand to include oversight of financial planning and analysis, royalty accounting, and IT. Among the artists on CCMG’s roster are Chris Tomlin, Amy Grant, TobyMac, Tasha Cobbs Leonard, and Crowder. –Jessica Nicholson
Canada native Jenn Dobbins joined BMG as senior vp of rights and royalties in the music company’s U.S.-based copyright and royalties hub in Nashville. Dobbins previously handled asset operations for JKBX, a music investment platform, and earlier she spent six years at Big Machine Label Group, where she rose to director of royalty accounting and income analytics. Throughout her 18-year career in the field, she also made stops at payroll platform Exactuals and Sony Music. At BMG she reports to Eric Scott, evp of rights administration and royalty services, who pointed out her “extensive expertise, deep knowledge, and proven experience in managing complex rights and royalties.”
RADIO, RADIO: Susie Hedrick was named CEO of WideOrbit, a San Francisco-based tech platform that helps broadcasters buy and sell advertising. She replaces founder Eric Mathewson in the role … Nashville Harbor promoted Ryan Dokke to senior vp of streaming and digital partners/radio promotion from vp of promotion and marketing. The label also bumped Andrew Thoen to director of streaming and digital partners/radio promotion from director of Northeast promotion and marketing.
Jessica Roffe joined SoundExchange as associate director of the industry relations team. Roffe has years of artist relations, brand marketing, TV/film production and royalty distribution experience, and joins the collective rights organization following roles at MTV, BMI, NBCUniversal and her own AsUWISH Productions. She is based in Miami and will report to Doug Cohn, vp of artist & label relations. “Excited to be part of the band!!” she said.
Musicians On Call, which brings live and recorded music to hospitals and other health care facilities, announced five new members: Aniket Adhikari as technology manager, Michael Blazer as operations manager, Gabi Coccio as strategic partnerships coordinator, Taylor Leibold as fundraising coordinator and Jennie O’Rourke as digital marketing coordinator. “The talent and experiences Aniket, Michael, Gabi, Taylor and Jennie bring to their roles will take MOC to a whole new level,” said MOC president & CEO Pete Griffin. “I’m confident that the innovative ideas they’ll bring to the table will have a great impact on our mission.”
ICYMI:
Julie Greenwald
Julie Greenwald, one of the most celebrated and influential executives in the music business, will step down from her role as co-chair and COO of Atlantic Records and chairman and CEO of Atlantic Music Group. 10K Projects founder Elliot Grainge will take over the music group-wide role on Oct. 1, while Greenwald will officially exit the company early next year. The announcement arrived days after Warner Music announced it would be undergoing a major restructuring, with CEO of recorded music Max Lousada stepping down soon and Greenwald transitioning to chairman.
Last Week’s Turntable: Mammoth Launches Touring Division
After three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna were canceled on Wednesday (Aug. 7) following the arrest of two suspects who reportedly planned to unleash a terrorist attack on the shows this weekend, ticketing companies have provided information on how ticket holders for the concerts will receive refunds. “We are aware of the news regarding the […]
iHeartMedia’s business has been in steady decline since the beginning of 2023 but showed signs of improvement in the second quarter.
Total revenue rose 1% to $929 million, slightly above the company’s guidance, but was up just 0.1% excluding the impact of political advertising. A spike in expenses — namely operating and selling, general and administrative — contributed to a 21% decline in adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA).
“We’re seeing sequential improvement in our revenue growth,” CEO Bob Pittman said during the earnings call on Thursday (Aug. 8). “While the marketplace continues to be dynamic — with a changing outlook on interest rates, inflation trends, global uncertainty and rapidly evolving domestic political landscape — we continue to see strong momentum in our podcast business, our digital ex-podcast business and the sequential improvement of our multi-platform groups’ year over year revenue performance.”
iHeartMedia’s digital audio segment contributed to the company’s revenue uptick. Podcast revenue improved 8.1% to $104.5 million, well below the previous quarter’s growth rates, while digital revenue excluding podcasts rose 10.3% to $181 million. Overall, digital audio revenue climbed 9.5% to $285.6 million.
The multi-platform segment fell 3.4% to $575.9 million. Broadcast radio, the company’s largest single source of revenue, declined 0.9% to $425.5 million. Networks fell 12.8% to $106.6 million. Sponsorship and events improved 2.4% to $39.1 million.
Trending on Billboard
Looking ahead, iHeartMedia expects third-quarter revenue to increase in the mid-single digits, which would be $991 million to $1.01 billion, and adjusted EBITDA to land between $200 million and $220 million, compared to $204 million in the prior-year period. For the full year, revenue is expected to increase in the mid-single digits, which equates to roughly $3.9 billion to $3.98 billion, and adjusted EBITDA will be between $760 million to $800 million, up 9% to 15% from 2023.
“As we look at the back half of the year, our results will reflect the continuing positive impact on an ad market recovery year material upside from political advertising, as well as the benefit of our ongoing focus on cost efficiencies,” said Pittman.
While iHeartMedia eked out a small improvement in the second quarter, two other radio companies that reported earnings in the last week continued their slides. Cumulus Media revenue fell 2.5% to $205 million as its net loss grew to $27.7 million from $1.1 million in the prior-year quarter. Townsquare Media revenue fell 2.5% and adjusted EBTDA dropped 8.3%.
Warner Music Group (WMG) reported strong quarterly profit growth on Wednesday (Aug. 7) thanks to lower costs and solid revenue gains from streaming subscriptions and digital — which helped offset a drop in physical revenue due to release timing and a difficult year-ago comparison, according to the company. All of that led to a boost in the company’s stock, which had risen nearly 2% by the end of trading on Wednesday (though some of those gains were shaved on Thursday).
“Our strong subscription streaming growth in [the third quarter] was driven by the performance of our music and healthy industry trends,” Warner Music Group chief executive Robert Kyncl said in a statement. He added, “Our commitment to long-term artist development, combined with a flatter structure in recorded music, will enable us to super-serve talent and set WMG up for sustained future growth.”
Trending on Billboard
Here’s what else you should know about the third-largest music company’s latest quarterly earnings call.
A positive note on the company’s strategic reorganization
Kyncl kicked off the call by thanking outgoing leaders Max Lousada and Julie Greenwald and welcoming incoming Atlantic Music Group CEO Elliot Grainge while providing more detail on how WMG’s recently announced global structure will work.
“We’re making changes from a position of strength, and I’m happy to say that we’re firing on all cylinders across new releases, catalog, distribution and publishing,” Kyncl said. Read more about his comments here.
Strong subscription growth across streamers
Overall streaming revenue was up 5% for WMG this quarter, with recorded music streaming revenue up 8.7% — reflecting growth in subscription revenue of 7%. That was welcome news to investors: Warner’s stock spiked around 6% earlier in the trading session on Wednesday before settling at a gain of nearly 2%.
On the call, Kyncl was asked about the sources of WMG’s subscription streaming revenue after other music companies reported less stellar growth on that metric this quarter. That included Universal Music Group (UMG), which saw a 24% drop in its share price after reporting that overall streaming revenue fell 4.2%, leading UMG executive vp of digital strategy Boyd Muir to suggest that streamers like Apple Music and Amazon Music are struggling to add new subscribers.
Kyncl said WMG’s revenue mix has remained largely the same and cautioned the financial community to resist viewing Spotify as a proxy for the music industry. “It’s much more diversified [than Spotify],” Kyncl said.
WMG’s subscription streaming revenue is projected to grow in the fourth quarter, with that growth remaining “consistent across our handful of top DSPs, certainly led by subscriber growth and … price,” said CFO Bryan Castellani.
In a nod to the music industry’s handwringing over Spotify’s bundling practice, Kyncl said in opening remarks that the labels and DSPs are not “adversaries playing a zero-sum game.”
“That’s simply not the case,” Kyncl said. “We’re actively engaged with our partners around ways to drive growth for all of us. Streaming dynamics remain healthy, with plenty of headroom for subscriber growth in both established and emerging markets across multiple partners. Also, price optimization and improvements in the royalty models will provide ongoing opportunities for additional growth.”
Celebrating Brat summer and the Benson boon
From the “pop sensation of the summer” — Kyncl’s description of Charli XCX’s album Brat — to Benson Boone, whom Kyncl called the “breakout star of the year,” the former YouTube exec appeared pleased with Warner’s recent and upcoming slate of music releases.
“So far in 2024, WMG has more new artists debuting on the Spotify Global Top 10 than any other music company,” Kyncl said, highlighting “homegrown successes” like Benson Boone, Teddy Swims and Artemas, the English-Cypriot singer-songwriter signed to 10K Projects.
Streaming’s catalog “halo effect“
When Twenty One Pilots released their latest album, Clancy, the band’s entire body of work benefitted, with streams more than doubling during the first week after the album’s release. That’s “the beauty of streaming,” Kyncl said on the call. “Newly released hits have a halo effect on the rest of an artists’ catalog.”
While loyal fan bases can drive an uptick in an artist’s catalog streams after a new hit’s release, Kyncl added that WMG can amplify and extend that halo effect, transforming hits into “evergreen, deep catalog.”
Once upon a time, most artists performed live to promote new albums. For most acts, the real money was in music sales, so they went “on the road” with schedules and strategies to maximize them.
These days the live business is a juggernaut of its own, with higher ticket prices, adjacent businesses like merch and VIP seats, and schedules, plus strategies of its own. So creators at all levels of popularity are starting to realize that it may no longer make sense to tour the whole country, or world, to promote a new release. In some cases, there isn’t one; in others a tour can boost an entire catalog. The old model of touring focused on building an audience, which meant artists would play cities where they weren’t so popular. Now touring is a revenue stream, so many artists double down to play more shows in cities where they’re already big.
The economics of touring means that acts run up costs every day they are on the road but only bring in revenue when they perform — so it makes sense to play bigger shows, in fewer places, with fewer days off. Metallica’s M72 tour consisted of two-night engagements and a no-repeat pledge to motivate fans to see both. The international legs of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour involved more shows in fewer places — she covered Asia with four shows in Tokyo and six in Singapore and the Nordic region with three in Stockholm. The natural end of this thinking is a residency, or a few of them, and Adele took the summer off from her Vegas residency to play 10 shows in Munich at a custom-built venue with a capacity of 74,000. Why go to fans when fans can come to you?
Trending on Billboard
As it happens, this solves another problem with the touring business. As increasing competition for concert dollars inspires more elaborate productions, costs are skyrocketing — and many of them involve transportation and setup rather than a performance itself. For Metallica, much of the cost is in “load-in” — moving and building a doughnut-shaped stage with standing room in the middle, plus eight towers of speakers and monitors that weigh 11 tons each. The resulting expenses, which involve 87 trucks and several days of setup, make single shows difficult. Adele’s Munich show used what’s said to be the world’s biggest video screen, plus fireworks, confetti, smoke, fire and a string section. As expensive as that must be to build, imagine the cost of moving it and setting it up again a couple of times a week? How many venues even have room for a 220-meter-wide screen?
Doing more shows in fewer places also makes it practical to deliver events, rather than just concerts. Touring artists have to compete with festivals, which offer fans a lot of acts for their money, plus an experience to remember — and, not incidentally, share on social media. A memorable production, whether that means the world’s biggest screen or 11-ton speaker towers, can do the same. Personally, I don’t think Metallica or Adele needs any of this — I’d be just as happy to see either in a club, in front of a brick wall — but bigger productions seem to create a sense of FOMO.
Fans have certainly demonstrated their willingness to travel. When I saw Metallica last year in Hamburg, most concertgoers came from other German cities to see both shows. Swift’s European tour debut in Paris was filled with fans from the U.S. and Canada who realized that tickets there and a trip to France cost about the same as tickets back home. To some fans, Swift’s show is a vacation — Paris is just something to see on the way there.
In crude economic terms, concert travel essentially reallocates expenses from acts to fans — artists travel less, so concertgoers travel more. Most people don’t want to pay more than a certain amount for a concert ticket, but they seem more willing to spend on related travel. (I just spent about $300 to go to Stockholm to see Bruce Springsteen, an amount that seems too high to spend on a ticket, even though I essentially went to see the show.)
There are other costs and benefits, too. Younger fans can’t always travel alone. And as several European publications pointed out in their coverage of the Adele residency, this isn’t exactly good for the environment. (I think it makes more sense to tax travel rather than to object to a specific type of travel.) Residencies can also be more pleasant for artists — there are no songs about how nice it is to cross the U.S. in a tour bus. The flexibility is nice, too: Munich is a lot nicer in the summer than Las Vegas. Playing a few nights a week makes it easier to have a family life.
As much as I loved the Metallica and Adele shows, I think I still prefer the old model — although it’s easier for me to say that because I’m fortunate enough to live in a major city. I think there’s still long-term value in building a fan base the hard way. And I worry that fans who spend more money traveling to concerts will end up seeing fewer shows as a result. None of that changes the economics of touring, however, and organizing a profitable and artistically effective tour means understanding that.
A lawsuit against Beyoncé and Sony Music over samples featured in her chart-topping hit “Break My Soul” has been dropped, less than three months after the case was filed. The voluntary dismissal will end an unusual case in which members of Da Showstoppaz, a little-known New Orleans group, claimed that Beyoncé had used their music […]
Universal Music Group (UMG) reached a strategic agreement with ProRata.ai, a new company that enables generative artificial intelligence platforms to fractionally attribute and compensate content owners. Bill Gross, chairman of technology incubator Idealab Studio — which launched ProRata — will serve as CEO. ProRata’s technology allows generative AI platforms to attribute and share revenues on a per-use basis with content owners while preventing “unreliable content from driving AI answers,” according to a press release. In addition, ProRata is building a consumer AI answer engine set to launch this fall that will feature the company’s attribution technology.
“Current AI answer engines rely on shoplifted, plagiarized content,” Gross, the inventor of the pay-per-click monetization model underlying internet search, said in a statement. “This creates an environment where creators get nothing, and disinformation thrives. ProRata is pro-author, pro-artist and pro-consumer. Our technology allows creators to get credited and compensated while consumers get attributed, accurate answers. This solution will lead to a broader movement across the entire AI industry.”
Trending on Billboard
In his own statement, UMG chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge said, “We are encouraged to see new entrepreneurial innovation set into motion in the Generative AI space guided by objectives that align with our own vision of how this revolutionary technology can be used ethically and positively while rewarding human creativity. Having reached a strategic agreement to help shape their efforts in the music category, we look forward to exploring all the potential ways UMG can work with ProRata to further advance our common goals and values.”
Along with UMG, ProRata has struck early agreements with media publishers including the Financial Times, The Atlantic and Fortune.
In describing the technology, the release reads: “ProRata’s technology analyzes AI output, measures the value of contributing content and calculates proportional compensation. The company uses a proprietary algorithmic approach to score and determine attribution. This attribution method enables copyright holders to share in the upside of generative AI by being credited and compensated for their material on a per-use basis. Unlike music or video streaming, generative AI pay-per-use requires fractional attribution as responses are generated using multiple content sources.”
ProRata is in “advanced discussions” with additional news publishers, authors, and media and entertainment companies. The company’s leadership team and board of directors include executives who have held senior roles at Microsoft, Google and Meta, as well as Michael Lang, the president of Lang Media Group and one of the founders of Hulu. Early investors include Revolution Ventures, Prime Movers Lab and Mayfield.
Immersive technology, media and entertainment company Cosm raised more than $250 million in funding to drive the growth of its “Shared Reality” venues — described in a press release as an “experience that seamlessly bridges the virtual and physical worlds by merging state-of-the-art visuals with the energy and excitement of the crowd and elevated food and beverage service.” The new funding round includes existing investors Steve Winn and Mirasol Capital and first-time investors Avenue Sports Fund led by Marc Lasry, Dan Gilbert‘s ROCK, Baillie Gifford, and David Blitzer‘s Bolt Ventures. Cosm will use the funds to scale, grow its technology and media business units, and speed up the development of more Cosm venues worldwide. The second Cosm venue is slated to open in Dallas later this year, with a third in Atlanta recently announced. “Cosm venues are a new paradigm in live sports, music, and artistic entertainment,” said Chris Evdaimon, investment manager at Baillie Gifford, in a statement. “The mesmerizing viewing experience guarantees the Cosm customer the best seats in the arena and the best viewing angle at any moment of the live event, at an affordable ticket price.”
HYBE Interactive Media (HYBE IM), the interactive media and games division of the storied K-pop company, raised $80 million in a round led by Makers Fund with participation from IMM Investment and parent company HYBE. The funds will be used to expand the company’s games publishing and development efforts, allowing HYBE IM to invest in more games, introduce them in global markets and bolster the division’s in-house development capabilities. HYBE IM’s previously-released titles include Rhythm Hive and BTS Island: In the SEOM. It’s also signed publishing contracts for Macovill’s OZ Re:write and Flint’s RPG Astra: Knights of Veda.
Believe acquired Doğan Music Company, Turkey’s largest independent record label, four years after purchasing a 60% majority stake in the company in 2020; it acquired the remaining 40% of the company for 38.3 million euros ($41.84 million). The transaction is pending approval by the competition regulator.
The U.K. office of Believe signed a global services deal with electronic music brand fabric. Under the agreement, fabric joins the client base of b:electronic, Believe’s electronic music imprint and part of the company’s label & artist solutions division. B:electronic will provide genre specialist label management, video and audience development, editorial and marketing partnerships internationally, and distribution for both catalog and new releases. Fabric’s labels include fabric Originals, fabric Records and Houndstooth, while a new imprint is slated to launch in the near future.
Beatchain partnered with Indian radio network Radio City India to launch Muzartdisco, a digital platform and app that will allow Indian artists to release and promote their music using Beatchain’s A&R tool and artist services platform. Through the platform, artists can also compete for opportunities including studio sessions; mentoring; collaborations with established artists, writers and producers; radio breakout campaigns, social media shoutouts and other opportunities courtesy of Radio City India; and more. Meanwhile, A&R teams using the platform will be able to find artists using a tailored filtering process that makes it easier to find talent that aligns with their mission and niche. According to a press release, Radio India is the country’s leading radio network, boasting a listenership of more than 69 million across 39 cities.
Sports and entertainment collectibles company Panini America partnered with The Rolling Stones to produce the first fully licensed, career-spanning trading card set for the band. Titled Prizm The Rolling Stones, the set will chronicle the Stones’ 60-year recording and touring history, with additional collections to come.
AEG Presents partnered with Jacobs Entertainment — a developer, owner and operator of gaming and entertainment facilities — on Globe Iron, a new indoor 1,200-capacity venue in Cleveland that was once home to the Globe Iron Works Foundry built in 1853. AEG, which will operate and exclusively book the venue’s programming, already books and operates two other Cleveland venues: the Agora Theatre and the Jacobs Pavilion.
Indie record label The Programm, led by Peter “S.Y.” Pestano, struck a joint venture with LLC4/Capitol Records to break new artists, starting with Mexican-American rapper NHC Murda 60x. The joint venture will be steered by Orlando Wharton, executive vp at Capitol Music Group, president of Priority Records and CEO of LLC4. NHC Murda 60x and other Programm artists will have the potential to be upstreamed under the deal.
Independent entertainment company Unity 7 Entertainment announced a distribution partnership with Forecast Music Group (The Orchard/Sony), which will provide global distribution, marketing and promotional support for Unity 7’s artist roster. The partnership will kick off with the release of hip-hop artist Alantra’s debut single, “Get It,” which is set to drop on Sept. 5.
AI-powered, ethically-trained music generation company Soundful teamed with SoundCloud and Kaskade on an AI songwriting competition that will offer the winner a chance to perform alongside Kaskade and have their winning track completed and released by Kaskade as a featured artist.
With claims of uncleared samples back in the news, Billboard dug up every case that’s been filed against the controversial rapper. Spoiler alert: It’s a lot.
Samantha liked that attending Electric Forest took some planning – that it wasn’t one of those festivals that a person just attended on a whim.
“You can’t just buy tickets the night before and decide you’re going the next day – it’s more complicated than that. There’s camping, there’s travel, there’s making sure all of the LED lights on your outfit have the right batteries and are still working from last year,” she said, laughing.
In the 12-month span between Electric Forest 2023 and 2024, which ran June 20-23, Samantha (not her real name) left a “toxic” relationship and was involved in a serious car accident that required intensive physical therapy making it very difficult to walk or stand for long periods of time.
“Knowing that I had to heal my body in order to attend my tenth Electric Forest is what got me through my physical therapy,” she told Billboard. “After the year I had, there was no f***ing way I was going to miss the festival.”
Samantha was one of more than 50,000 fans who attended this year’s sold-out Electric Forest festival in Rothbury, Mich. Produced by AEG and Insomniac on the grounds of the Double JJ Ranch, the 13-year-old event has remained the largest camping festival in the jam and electronic music scene, an impressive feat in a market saturated with smaller, low-cost options targeted at casual fans.
Trending on Billboard
“Our success begins and ends with the community of fans and supports that make Electric Forest a regular part of their lives,” says Alicia Karlin, vp of global touring and talent at AEG Presents, who serves as the talent buyer for the festival.
That’s impressive considering how much the festival has moved away from the Electric Forest model. A decade ago, festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo were compelled to offer camping because attendees needed a place to stay for three days. But the shift toward urban centers, and the increasing costs of providing tens of thousands of fans with bathrooms, showers, trash collection and access to medical care has made camping costs prohibitive for many event organizers.
Electric Forest, on the other hand, is 99 percent camping and located in a fairly remote part of the state – the city of Rothbury, which hosts the festival, has a population of less than 450 residents. Attendees bring everything they need for the festival – from camping gear to food and luggage, undergoing rigorous security checks and driving as much as 500 miles in each direction.
Electric Forest 2024
ALIVE COVERAGE
And while most festivals rely on their headlining artists to move tickets, this year’s festival featured Pretty Lights, Subtronics, Excision, The Disco Biscuits, Umphrey’s McGee and two sets from String Cheese Incident. Moreover, Electric Forest sells out the bulk of its annual tickets before the lineup is announced.
“We have 10 stages and a huge creative team and cast,” Karlin tells Billboard. “The agents and managers we work with trust us to put their artists in the best light and we’ve gotten to a point where many artists black out the entire weekend to play the festival and then attend the show the rest of the week.”
Two of Electric Forest’s biggest draws are the Sherwood Forest and Dream Emporium, each enhanced with actors and volunteers and hundreds of set pieces and custom art displays that change from year to year.
Much of the art pieces featured at Electric Forest are commissioned by the festival, explains Brad Lyman, Electric Forest production manager and creative director, who said the event receives more than 60 commission requests per year and accepts about 5 new pieces including a new Ocular organ delivered for 2024.
The Sherwood Forest separates the festivals main stages and camping areas with dozens of different areas and hidden pockets waiting to be discovered, from a field filled with hammocks to a small chapel where weddings are performed and walkways decorated by hundreds of Thai parasols.
The festival’s complex lightning and laser design is handled by Felix Lighting of Los Angeles while the festival’s walk-through experience – the Dream Emporium, is managed onsite by a team of creative professionals led by Suzanne Down.
“It’s kind of a choose your own adventure,” explains Down, who welcomes visitors to the Dream Emporium into a small lounge set up for UFO karaoke into a mirrored infinity tunnel designed to look like a 1970s car wash. Visitors wander the maze-like complex and stumble upon a skating rink wither roller skates available for rental, an indoor lake with a yacht and a punk dive bar that doubles as a wrestling ring.
Many artists get their start at Electric Forest playing one of the outdoor activations, Karlin explained, or even playing one of the late-night parties within the campground that often draw thousands of fans.
“There is always something to discover wherever you go, and fans tell us they really enjoy and appreciate the opportunity to discover something new each year,” Karlin explains. “That’s what motivates us as well. There’s a tremendous amount of time and resources that goes into Electric Forest but hearing these positive stories from fans year after year really puts it all into perspective.”