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Marc Nathan, the promotion and A&R executive who in his 55-year career helped Barenaked Ladies, 3 Doors Down and more get record deals, has died. He was 70.
He passed away earlier this week at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, a representative says. A statement said Nathan had “been ill for some time and he finally succumbed to a variety of afflictions.”
Nathan got his foot in the door in the music industry at just 15 years old, when the then-Queens, New York, kid wrote a letter to Todd Rundgren and received a reply from Ampex Records’ Paul Fishkin, in regards to a track listing anomaly he found on Rundgren’s Runt album.
“He just so happened to open a stack of Todd’s fan mail that day. If he hadn’t opened that stack of mail that day, you know … My life would have been altered forever,” Nathan said in an interview in 2019.
Nathan soon landed his first industry job in radio promotion at Ampex, which led to him building a career with roles in promotion at labels including Bearsville, Casablanca, Playboy, Sire and Atlantic.
“I lost my best friend of 55 years,” Fishkin noted following his death. “Marc Nathan walked like he talked as well as anyone I’ve ever known. His irascible, acquired taste persona was what I enjoyed the most, even though maddening at times. We had much in common chiding and deriding phonies and pretentious fools in sports, politics, but most importantly, the music business. We occasionally enjoyed busting each other as well. We delighted in having our own sometimes hilarious shorthand putting us on the floor at times with uncontrollable laughter. He was a great record man, and a baseball and hockey chronicler supreme, among his many talents and passions. And yes, I have stories! But most important was his loyalty and support for all the right people and issues. And he never let me down in all those 55 years.”
Over the years — with stints in New York, Los Angeles and, most recently, Nashville — Nathan also worked in A&R, having a hand in Universal’s acquisition of Cash Money Records, and in talent development for Universal, Capitol, Atlantic/ATCO and imprints.
Among the artists he got signed were the bands 3 Doors Down (at Universal) and Barenaked Ladies (at Sire). He later established a label, Flagship Records, to release solo work from Barenaked Ladies co-founder Steven Page.
“Marc was a record person of the highest order,” Page wrote following his death. “He was absolutely and passionately obsessed with music and amassed an encyclopedic memory for songs, charts and artists. He played a huge role in my career and in my life — a role that arced across our entire shared timeline. Marc was a guy who loved big, emotional music and also too-smart-for-its-own-good pop and had a huge soft spot for silly novelty songs too. We kind of fit the bill perfectly for him and he got us. Marc took our demo tape to Seymour Stein at Sire records, and, thankfully, Seymour got it. While everyone else was calling us a throwaway, Seymour looked at Marc and said, ‘They’re a Simon and Garfunkel for the ‘90s.’ Marc was always especially proud of his involvement, and I’m eternally grateful to him for it.”
Page added, “He was among the first and most persistent of my friends to lend me support, advice and solidarity. He could be a nudge, but that’s only because he had a huge heart and he really, really cared. There were many, many people in his life that he would counsel and coach and cajole and mentor through their darkest hours — he’d been there and back several times himself — and I’m proud and grateful to be one of those friends. I’m lucky to have known him.”
Led by Spotify and Live Nation, music stocks surged on Wednesday (April 9) after the U.S. Treasury placed a 90-day pause on most tariffs and recaptured some of the losses from the chaotic previous week.
A week after losing $12 billion in market value, Spotify was one of the top-performing music stocks of the week, gaining 8.0% and offsetting most of the previous week’s 10.3% decline. A 9.8% gain on Wednesday helped improve the streaming company’s two-week loss to 3.1%.
The 20-company Billboard Global Music Index (BGMI) gained 4.6% to 2,362.78 on Wednesday’s 90-day tariff pause. That welcome news recaptured only a fraction of the previous week’s losses, however, and music stocks were hurt by a weakened U.S. dollar and growing fears the U.S. could slip into a recession. After losing 8.2% in the previous week, the index’s two-week loss stands at 4.0%.
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U.S. markets rebounded after a miserable week. The Nasdaq rose 7.3% to 16,724.46, bringing its two-week loss to 3.5%. The S&P 500 rose 5.7% to 5,363.36, giving it a two-week decline of 3.9%.
Many markets outside of the U.S. were down, however. In the U.K., the FTSE 100 dropped 1.1%, giving it a two-week loss of 8.0%. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index was down 1.3%, adding to the previous week’s 3.6% decline. China’s SSE Composite Index dipped 3.1% a week after falling 0.3%.
Music streamer LiveOne was the week’s biggest gainer after jumping 18.0% to $0.72. The company’s preliminary results for fiscal 2025 released on Monday (April 7) showed the music streaming company had revenue of more than $112 million, while subscribers and ad-supported listeners surpassed 1.45 million. Even after the large increase, LiveOne shares have fallen 47.4% year to date.
Live Nation, which jumped 7.2% to $129.52 this week, is the only music company to post a gain over the past two weeks. The concert promoter’s share price dropped 3.4% the previous week but, with the help of a 10.9% jump on Wednesday, recovered well enough for a two-week gain of 3.6%.
Record labels and publishers finished the week in the middle of the pack. Warner Music Group fell 1.5% to $29.03, bringing its two-week decline to 8.0%. Universal Music Group was down 1.6%, giving it a two-week decline of 10.7%. Reservoir Media rose 0.7% to $7.10, giving it a two-week deficit of just 2.1%.
Sphere Entertainment Co. is one of the worst-performing music stocks over the past two weeks with an 18.5% decline. The company’s shares finished the week up 1.3%, barely offsetting the previous week’s 19.5% decline. A spike on Wednesday was partially offset by declines of 4.3% and 7.7% on Tuesday (April 8) and Thursday (April 10), respectively.
Most radio companies, which are heavily exposed to slowed advertising spending during recessions, had another down week. Cumulus Media dropped 22.5% to $0.31, bringing its two-week loss to 34.0%. iHeartMedia fell 4.2%, which took its two-week decline to 29.9%. Townsquare Media was down 4.9% this week and 13.6% over the past two weeks. Satellite broadcaster SiriusXM, which was upgraded by Seaport to buy from neutral, gained 2.6% this week, narrowing its two-week loss to 12.0%.
The two Chinese music streaming companies on the BGMI fared poorly despite the recoveries by Spotify, LiveOne and Deezer, which gained 2.3%. Tencent Music Entertainment fell 5.5% to $12.24 but was likely helped by Nomura initiating coverage this week with a buy rating and a $17.20 price target. Cloud Music shares dropped 5.7% to 141.50 HKD ($18.24).
K-pop companies, which bucked the downward trend the previous week, posted declines as well. SM Entertainment fell 8.2%, HYBE dropped 8.1%, JYP Entertainment sank 5.8% and YG Entertainment dipped 4.1%.
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As artificial intelligence continues to blur the lines of creativity in music, South Korea’s largest music copyright organization, KOMCA (Korea Music Copyright Association), is drawing a hard line: No AI-created compositions will be accepted for registration. The controversial decision took effect on March 24, sending ripples through Korea’s music scene and sparking broader conversations about AI’s role in global songwriting.
In an official statement on its website, KOMCA explained that due to the lack of legal frameworks and clear management guidelines for AI-generated content, it will suspend the registration of any works involving AI in the creative process. This includes any track where AI was used — even in part — to compose, write lyrics or contribute melodically.
Now, every new registration must be accompanied by an explicit self-declaration confirming that no AI was involved at any stage of the song’s creation. This declaration is made by checking a box on the required registration form — a step that carries significant legal and financial consequences if false information is declared. False declarations could lead to delayed royalty payments, complete removal of songs from the registry, and even civil or criminal liability.
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“KOMCA only recognizes songs that are wholly the result of human creativity,” the association said, noting that even a 1% contribution from AI makes a song ineligible for registration. “Until there is clear legislation or regulatory guidance, this is a precautionary administrative policy.”
The non-profit organization represents over 30,000 members, including songwriters, lyricists, and publishers, and oversees copyright for more than 3.7 million works from artists like PSY, BTS, EXO and Super Junior.
Importantly, the policy applies to the composition and lyric-writing stages of song creation, not necessarily the production or recording phase. That means high-profile K-pop companies like HYBE, which have used AI to generate multilingual vocal lines for existing songs, are not directly affected — at least not yet.
While South Korea’s government policy allows for partial copyright protection when human creativity is involved, KOMCA’s stance is notably stricter, requiring a total absence of AI involvement for a song to be protected.
This move comes amid growing international debate over the copyrightability of AI-generated art. In the U.S., a federal appeals court recently upheld a lower court’s decision to reject copyright registration for a work created entirely by an AI system called Creativity Machine. The U.S. Copyright Office maintains that only works with “human authorship” are eligible for protection, though it allows for copyright in cases where AI is used as a tool under human direction.
“Allowing copyright for machine-determined creative elements could undermine the constitutional purpose of copyright law,” U.S. Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter said.
With AI tools becoming increasingly sophisticated — and accessible — KOMCA’s policy underscores a growing tension within the global music industry: Where do we draw the line between assistance and authorship?
This article originally appeared on Billboard Korea.
Interest in superfans and their revenue potential has become so strong that market research firms and equity analysts are digging into the topic. This week, Bernstein released a report on music streaming services’ potential moves and MIDiA Research released a new report about music streaming pricing strategy.
For the uninitiated, a music superfan has been defined by Luminate as those fans who interact with artists and their content in multiple ways, including streaming, social media, physical music purchases and buying merchandise. These superfans make up 19% of U.S. music listeners, according to Luminate, and are more likely than the average fan to buy physical music, spend more on music, discover new music, connect with artists on a personal level and participate in fan communities.
Efforts are well underway to tap into superfans. Labels and artists employ e-commerce to sell merchandise, LPs and CDs directly to consumers, circumventing traditional retail channels and building a direct billing relationship with the most valuable fans. Startups such as EVEN and Fave — Sony Music and Warner Music Group are investors in the latter — are focused on connecting artists with their most fervent supporters. Given the multi-billion-dollar size of the music streaming market, though, Spotify’s plan to launch a superfan tier could be the most impactful play.
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Bernstein’s “Superfan Economics 101” report argues that a super-premium tier will help music streaming platforms achieve “sustained success in an increasingly competitive environment.” Analyst Annick Maas sees superfan-focused products as a function of the shift from mass consumption to direct-to-consumer tactics. Reaching out to smaller subsets of a larger audience, he writes, allows a streaming platform to “create a sense of belonging for its subscribers” and increase loyalty and engagement. That an equity analyst would highlight superfans in a report to investors speaks to the revenue potential in targeting subsets of consumers and the likelihood that publicly traded companies will make superfans a larger priority.
MIDiA Research also added to the superfan knowledge base this week by releasing a report based on a survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers. The main takeaway is that MIDiA found widespread interest in paying a higher price for a streaming service with additional features: Just under three-quarters of people surveyed have “some level of interest” in paying for a super-premium tier as an add-on to the basic subscription plan.
Exactly what people are willing to pay varies greatly, though: 22% of respondents are willing to pay an additional $1.99 per month fee while 10% are willing to pay an additional $13.99, more than double the current $11.99 price for an individual subscription.
To give an idea of the amount of revenue at stake, consider that there was an average of 100 million subscribers of subscription music services in the U.S. in 2024 who paid an average of $8.91 per month, according to the RIAA. (That figure does not include limited-tier subscriptions such as ad-free internet radio.) Those 100 million subscribers generated $10.69 billion over the year, which works out to $106.87 per subscriber per year.
If 10% of those 100 million subscribers — which include student and family plans in addition to standard individual plans — paid more than double the current price, total revenue would increase 10.8% to $11.76 billion, equal to $117.56 per subscriber annually or $9.80 per month. The 10.8% revenue growth is equal to $1.15 billion of incremental royalties.
The RIAA’s average revenue per user (ARPU) of $8.91 for 2024 is lower than the $11.99/$12.99 price being charged for the most popular individual plans, suggesting the 100 million subscribers figure includes many student and family plans. So, to measure the effect of the price increase on the RIAA’s ARPU, I multiplied ARPU by the ratio of the super-premium individual plan ($12.99 + $13.99) to a standard individual plan ($12.99).
So, without an increase in the number of subscribers or a price hike, doubling the fee for a tenth of subscribers would deliver a 10.8% revenue boost. Not all of those consumers would jump to the super-premium tier at once, however, meaning a double-digit increase in subscription revenue would accrue gradually over multiple years.
Charging an additional $1.99 super-premium fee on top of a standard subscription price would result in an incremental $334 million. Total revenue would increase 3.1% to $11.02 billion and ARPU would rise from $8.91 to $9.18.
Another option to expand the subscription base is a low-priced, “subscription-light” tier that incorporates advertising into paid subscriptions. Music streaming subscriptions have kept advertising out of their paid products, but there have been suggestions — namely from Goldman Sachs analysts who prepare the influential Music in the Air report — that a subscription-light tier that includes ads could help expand the subscription market.
Paid video subscriptions used to be a respite from the advertising world, but advertising has become well established on video platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu. Amazon Prime now inserts ads in movies, and Netflix and Hulu offer a low-cost, ad-supported option to make their products palatable for more price-conscious consumers.
But MIDiA’s survey suggests a subscription-light option is unpopular. About three-quarters of respondents who aren’t currently subscribed to a music streaming service aren’t interested in starting. This sizeable group of consumers doesn’t listen to music often enough to pay, or they find the current prices too high. Excluding the 100 million U.S. subscribers, there are approximately 188 million Americans aged 13 or older who do not subscribe to a streaming service (there are 51.9 million people under 13). Based on MIDiA’s findings, roughly 141 million of them aren’t interested in paying for a subscription. For them, there’s also YouTube and ad-supported radio.
What’s more, a subscription-light offering could be problematic. MIDiA found that ad-supported paid streaming attracted interest only “at very low price points” and warned it could harm overall subscription revenues by cannibalizing normal subscription tiers. With paid subscriptions currently creating the majority of U.S. recorded music revenue, and with subscription growth playing a prime role in Wall Street’s expectations for music companies, both platforms and labels may be unwilling to put that revenue at risk by offering a less expensive choice to millions of consumers who may soon be looking for ways to tighten their belts.
Quavo is facing a copyright lawsuit centered on a recent music video — not over an uncleared sample or a stolen melody, but a quartz sculpture of a 1961 Ferrari that he used as a prop.
In a complaint filed late last month, attorneys for sculptor Daniel Arsham claim the rapper (Quavious Marshall) “unlawfully exploited” the Ferrari sculpture by rapping in front of it in a video he posted to TikTok and other social platforms in December.
“Without his consent, and without his knowledge, defendants created a video which prominently featured the artwork to promote the music of Quavo,” Arsham’s lawyers write in the March 31 lawsuit. “Mr. Arsham never consented to the artwork being used in the infringing content.”
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Arsham created the sculpture — fully entitled “Quartz Eroded 1961 Ferrari GT” — in 2018 as part of a series portraying famous cars that have been “eroded” like an ancient archeological find. He says it’s been publicly displayed twice, most recently at Los Angeles’ Petersen Automotive Museum in 2023.
In December, Quavo posted a video to Instagram and other platforms under the caption “Back To The Basics 2025!!”, featuring him rapping in front of what appears to be Arsham’s work. The video, which remains on TikTok, focuses heavily on the sculpture, including close-ups on its eroded features.
Just like music, books and paintings, sculptures are protected by federal copyright law, and reproducing one without permission can theoretically amount to infringement. Back in 2018, the artist behind Chicago’s “Bean” sculpture sued the National Rifle Association for using the famed statue in a promotional video.
Copyrighted works captured in the background of video footage raise tricky legal questions. A federal judge ruled in 2018 that a Detroit graffiti artist could move ahead with suing General Motors after his mural appeared in a Cadillac commercial. But last year, another federal judge dismissed a case filed by a photographer whose image briefly appeared in the background of a documentary about Billie Eilish.
In his lawsuit, Arsham says the use of his sculpture was hardly coincidental or brief: “The infringing video features Quavo performing in front of the Artwork. The Infringing Video is 45 seconds long and features the Artwork prominently throughout.”
According to the artist’s attorneys, when Quavo posted still images of the video to Instagram, he actually tagged Arsham’s Instagram handle in the caption. They say that not only confirms that he knew he was using a copyrighted work, but also violated Arsham’s likeness rights.
“Mr. Arsham never consented to his name being used in connection with the Infringing Post or any promotion of Quavo,” his attorneys wrote. “Defendants are using Mr. Arsham’s name for commercial advantage.”
A rep for Quavo did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday (April 11). The lawsuit also names Quavo’s label, Quality Control Music, and its parent company, HYBE America, as co-defendants.
Canadian music is good for more than just the economy — it’s central to the country’s national identity.
That’s the crux of a new open letter written by Erin Benjamin, president/CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association. The letter anticipates the Canadian federal election on April 28 and advocates for elected officials to understand the cultural significance of music to the country. Liberal leader Mark Carney recently became Prime Minister of Canada after Justin Trudeau’s resignation, while Pierre Poilievre is running for the Conservative party and Jagmeet Singh for the New Democratic Party (NDP).
The letter doesn’t mention the U.S. President by name or refer explicitly to tariffs or talk of Canada as the “51st state,” but it situates the country in a moment of national uncertainty, reflecting on what it means to live in Canada and what the country will look like going forward.
Within that context, Benjamin writes, it’s crucial that policymakers understand both the economic and cultural benefits of Canada’s live music sector.
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“In the face of today’s generational challenges, on the doorstep of our nation’s future, the time has come to fully integrate and interlace this formidable industry into the systems and policies that shape our society, for the benefit of all Canadians,” Benjamin writes.
The letter cites CLMA’s recent Hear and Now study, the first-ever economic impact assessment of live music in Canada, which found that live music contributed $10.92 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2023 and supported more than 100,000 jobs. But music’s impact can’t just be measured monetarily, Benjamin writes.
“It’s central to our cultural fabric, shaping how we connect and define ourselves as Canadian,” the letter continues. “As we face growing uncertainty and instability — we risk losing not just critical economic opportunities but the very essence of our national identity.”
“Who are we if our artists can’t continue to create and perform due to financial pressures brought on by the cost of touring, access to performance opportunities, and shrinking resources and supports? What happens to our sense of community, our shared experiences, if we lose our cultural infrastructure…the venues, festivals, and spaces that live music provides?”
Benjamin’s letter is part of a broader conversation happening amidst a swell in national pride in the face of threats from the U.S. The music industry has tapped into that pride, which was on display at the 2025 Junos.
Beyond hockey slogans and beer ads, Canadian cultural leaders are emphasizing the importance of the arts and culture sector in maintaining Canadian sovereignty.
Read more here. — Rosie Long Decter
Billboard Canada Partners with Music Managers Forum
Billboard Canada is teaming up with Music Managers Forum (MMF Canada) to highlight vital, yet often under-recognized, drivers of the music industry.
Behind many great artists is a dedicated and strategic music manager working tirelessly. For nearly three decades, MMF Canada has been the voice of music managers and self-managed artists in the country. The organization builds community and empowers managers with opportunities and mentorship.
MMF Canada also presents the Honour Roll, an annual celebration of outstanding Canadian music managers and self-managed artists. This award acknowledges the critical role managers play in shaping the success of Canadian artists and celebrates those who have made a lasting impact. This year, the honour will be presented during NXNE, the longstanding and well-loved music festival that is also beginning a strategic partnership with Billboard Canada.
“We are excited about this partnership with Billboard Canada and NXNE,” says MMF Canada executive director Amie Therrien. “One of our goals at MMF Canada is to ensure that the work managers do, largely behind the scenes, is recognized and celebrated. As the artist’s representative and support system, the contributions of managers is crucial for a thriving and sustainable music industry. To have a partner that understands and champions that work is invaluable.”
The organization has a thriving network and community of managers representing some of the biggest success stories in Canadian music, and some artists who are well on their way to joining them.
“At Billboard Canada, we recognized a significant gap in the industry: a lack of industry-wide support and recognition for the vital work that music managers do every day,” says Mo Ghoneim, president of Billboard Canada and Artshouse Media Group, the co-owner of NXNE. “Understanding their role as the foundation of the music industry, we felt a responsibility to fill that gap by creating a space to tell their stories, highlight their contributions and provide them with the recognition they deserve.”
The MMF Honour Roll has been presented annually since 2007, though this is the first year it will move to NXNE. The award is given to a Canadian music manager for outstanding career achievements.
Previous recipients have included industry legends and current stalwarts, from Bernie Finklestein, Bruce Allen and Ray Danniels to Jake Gold, Chris Smith, Susan de Cartier, Sandy Pandya and Lascelles Stephens. Whether or not you know their names, you do know the results of their work. Together, they’ve guided the careers of artists including Nelly Furtado, Bruce Cockburn, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Bryan Adams, Rush, Colin James, Sarah MacLachlan, kd lang, The Tragically Hip, Haviah Mighty and many more.
Read more here. — Richard Trapunski
Neil Young Will Play a Rare Solo Concert Near His Hometown in Lakefield, Ontario
Neil Young‘s status as a hometown hero in the Peterborough/Lakefield region in Ontario just took another giant leap forward.
On May 23, the Canadian rock icon will play an outdoor benefit concert at Lakefield College School’s Northcote Campus to raise funds for the restoration of the historic farmhouse on the Northcote property — a project that fits with Young’s commitment to the values of preserving history and community.
Young’s roots in this area run deep, as he spent formative childhood years (from ages 4 to 11) in the small community of Omemee, 20 kilometers west of Peterborough and close to Lakefield. “There is a town in north Ontario,” goes a Young-penned line featured in the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young classic “Helpless” that was inspired by Omemee.
Young’s journalist/novelist father, Scott Young, bought a family farm there that was in the family until the late 1980s. The Ptbotoday website reports that “Neil’s connection to the area deepened in recent years when he and his wife, actress Daryl Hannah, relocated to a 116-year-old cottage near Lakefield in September 2020. According to updates on his Neil Young Archives website, the couple winterized the property and spent nearly six months there during the pandemic, embracing the solitude of the Kawarthas.”
This is not the first Neil Young benefit concert in the area. In 2017, he played a solo acoustic show at Omemee’s Coronation that was live-streamed worldwide and raised $18,000 for the music program of the town’s Scott Young Public School. He will also perform solo at the upcoming show.
The Lakefield concert, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., will have a restricted capacity of approximately 2,000 concertgoers.
Read more here. — Kerry Doole
In early March, a new James Brown recording strutted onto a Billboard chart for the first time in more than three decades. But Brown, the incendiary funk pioneer who died in 2006, wasn’t going viral on TikTok or putting out albums of previously unreleased material. Instead, he had been sampled by the rapper 310babii, who credited the Godfather of Soul as a featured artist on the new track, titled “Bad.” When the single subsequently hit the Rhythmic Airplay chart, Brown came along for the ride.
A prominent credit for a sampled act has the potential to propel an older name back into the conversation for “a whole new, young audience of fans,” says Karla Redding, daughter of Otis Redding. For legacy acts or artist estates, getting such exposure is more valuable than ever: It can frictionlessly translate into consumption at a time when listening to catalog tracks on streaming platforms is as easy as pulling up last week’s releases. And now that artists’ name and likeness rights have become a more desirable commodity for the investor class, a new wave of listeners raises the value of those rights.
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Getting a credit for a sampled vocalist isn’t easy, though. “Most people don’t want to credit samples [in that way],” says Rob Sevier, co-founder of Numero Group, which gets about three sample requests a week.
To prevail in clearance negotiations, the sampled artist needs leverage and a good lawyer. And negotiations can be charged. “All clearances are emotional,” explains Deborah Mannis-Gardner, president of DMG Clearances. “Someone either wrote this song or they recorded it — it’s their baby. [In many cases,] it’s up to them to decide, do they want it altered by it being incorporated into another song?”
They can benefit by saying yes. Sampled artists who get co-billing raise their profile on streaming services. On Spotify, if an act is credited as a collaborator on both the “product level” (where the artists are listed under the title of the single) and the “track level” (where the artists are listed below and to the right of the “play” button), any plays count towards their “monthly listener” number. For an estate that no longer puts out previously unreleased music, this is a way to pump up an often-cited metric on a popular platform.
And in recent years, many legacy artists have sold part or all of their name, image and likeness rights, including Stevie Nicks, the Beach Boys, Bryan Ferry and Pink Floyd. If a sample clearance is done right, those “NIL rights can get boosted through new audience recognition,” says Jason Boyarski, an entertainment attorney who handles the estates of Donny Hathaway and Antônio Carlos Jobim, among others. That in turn can “help boost brand-related projects like biopics, documentaries and musicals.”
In Mannis-Gardner’s view, though, awarding a sampled singer co-billing is unseemly — the sampler is giving away the farm, paying more than they need to for a license. “When I do sample clearances, I work very hard on behalf of my clients not to grant feature credit,” Mannis-Gardner adds, unless her client directs her otherwise.
Some sampled artists don’t request to have their name in the lights. Kendrick Lamar‘s “luther” borrows a piece of Cheryl Lynn and Luther Vandross‘ “If This World Were Mine,” a tender lover’s duet originally written by Marvin Gaye in 1967. Although Vandross’ voice, glistening like fresh snow, is the first vocal on “luther,” he is not billed as a featured artist on the track.
David Gottlieb, who manages the Vandross estate, says it “didn’t ask for any sort of credit” in exchange for clearing the “If This World Were Mine” sample. “You don’t hear Luther and Cheryl a tremendous amount [on Lamar’s track],” he explains. “It would be obnoxious to ask for a feature.
“There’s always a discussion [internally],” Gottlieb continues. “We have our set of guidelines for samples [called] W.W.L.D. — What Would Luther Do? If someone is using Luther singing ‘Never Too Much’ in the chorus, we would raise our hand and say you need to put a feature in, if that was something we wanted.”
Primary Wave acquired a stake in Vandross’s publishing, master royalties and name and likeness rights in 2021. The company also works with Mark Morrison, the man behind “Return of the Mack,” a thunderous ’90s R&B single that reliably incites sing-alongs.
“In the last week, I’ve seen a license request for ‘Return of the Mack’ come across our desk,” says Justin Shukat, president of publishing at Primary Wave. “When we spoke to Mark, he’s like, ‘Yeah, I definitely want the feature.’”
For much of the past decade, the British metal band Sleep Token has been quietly building its own universe: anonymity, masks and cloaks, band members identified only by Roman numerals, a dearth of interviews or explanations of any kind. It has led to a mystique that has drawn in fans just as much as the music; the group’s followers comb through Easter eggs and hunt down clues — in website source code, for instance, or by linking QR codes scattered around Los Angeles, or through the lunar eclipse live stream from Griffith Observatory — looking for hints at what is to come, and what the band might do next.
Lately, that has ratcheted up, as the group signed to RCA and began releasing singles on a major label for the first time ahead of their upcoming album, Even In Arcadia, set for a May 9 release. It started with a detailed campaign ahead of the release of the single “Emergence,” which began with the group’s first-ever TikTok video, led to a website where fans were instructed to choose between two coats of arms, involved competing Instagram accounts and instructions released in Morse code and a numerical cipher that spelled out the name of the single — and even that is an oversimplification of the campaign. But the scavenger hunt that ensued, of course, was only part of the story of the song’s success: it became the band’s first-ever Hot 100 entry, and is now spending its third straight week at No. 1 on Hot Hard Rock Songs.
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Building on that was the release of the followup single, “Caramel,” teased in part by WRAL Raleigh, North Carolina weatherman Chris Michaels during a news broadcast, which also helped introduce the band’s next step, which is forthcoming — with “Caramel” jumping out to an even bigger streaming debut so far than “Emergence” had. “It’s truly a marketer’s dream project,” RCA Records’ vp of marketing Aaron Stern says — and the creativity and success so far helps earn Stern the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Stern helps break down some of the work that went into the campaign, and what’s to come for Sleep Token. “The future is about building community,” Stern says. “If there’s anything to take away from this campaign and what this band has created it’s how you build that sense of fellowship and that’s what I’ll take with me as a focus going forward with all of my projects.”
This week, Sleep Token’s “Emergence” spent its third week at No. 1 on Hot Hard Rock Songs, and a few weeks ago became the band’s first-ever single to appear on the Hot 100, when it debuted at No. 57. What key decision did you make to help make that happen?
Before we could approach the rollout plans for Even In Arcadia, it was critical to me that everyone who would be tied to the project deeply understood and respected the profound and expansive world the band created to surround its artistry long before this record. Sleep Token set a best-in-class standard for how an artist can cultivate an audience of fans that sincerely immerse themselves in the music and surrounding visual identity. My role was to take the entirely new creative vision the artist had for this album and help bring it to life on a broad scale with intriguing fan intersection points to build demand for new music from the band.
Mapping the timing and cadence of when and how the music rolled out was key. We knew it would be vital to create meaningful inroads to the new world of Even in Arcadia for fans long before the first note of music was heard, so that just before “Emergence” dropped, the anticipation and excitement for what was coming was at a fever pitch. It was so important to us that we honor the vision and support the foundation that Sleep Token had been building for years leading up to this, and we had the expertise of their long time manager Ryan Richards at Future History Management to serve as our compass and one source of truth.
This is the biggest commercial moment for the band in its near-decade history. How did you set this up to both engage their existing fan base and also introduce them to more of a mainstream audience?
The strategy for this rollout was rooted in energizing and activating the existing Sleep Token fan base with hidden clues to draw them into the new world of Even In Arcadia — and then giving them something shareable to bring others in. We leaned into the mystery and the lore that exists innately with the identity of Sleep Token and created an entirely new realm with many different touchpoints fans could explore. We knew that if we hit a critical mass of excitement and conversation within this core fan base, it would then spill over into a larger mainstream space and get potential new fans intrigued and engaged. We believed it was only a matter of time for Sleep Token to break through if the fan base was equipped to go out and share their excitement about the new album broadly.
Following the success of “Emergence,” RCA released second single “Caramel” to even bigger streams so far. How have the two songs worked together to boost the band overall?
These are some of the most incredibly crafted songs the artist has released to date, and they were recorded with so much depth and nuance, so I’m not surprised to see these songs have resonated so deeply. We knew stepping out with “Emergence” would immediately resonate with their fans, and sonically nodded to their past successes — but also branched out with genre-bending spirit that gave a glimpse into what Even In Arcadia could be for a much larger audience. “Caramel” then further solidified the statement of true ambition for where this band is headed and further proof that there is no sonic highway they won’t explore. Credit to the artist along with A&R gurus Dan Chertoff and Daniel Schultz for plucking these two songs from the brilliant album as the introduction of what’s to come. The success we’re seeing is not just that people are listening, it’s that they are listening and they’re invested enough in what they hear to go online or out into the world to share their experience with others. In a time of so much polarization, this music and the immersive world connected to it is uniting people and offering a space for people to come together.
There has been an intricate marketing plan for these singles. What were your favorite moments, and how did you want to bring the fans into the experience with them?
We’ve had so much fun rolling this one out. It’s truly a marketer’s dream project. It all started with the visual creative for this record that would become the initial touchpoint for fans to be drawn in. That came to life through the vision of the artist in collaboration with the incredible minds of Niki Roberton, Shoshana Reist and Leo Araujo from the RCA creative team. Once we established this beautiful palatial world of exquisite flora and fauna, seemingly run by a lone black flamingo, we focused on ways to bring people into it. By seeding cryptic messaging, puzzles and scavenger hunts for fans to discover and explore, we leaned into immersive storytelling.
As an exuberant community of worshippers across the globe dove deeper and deeper into this world, a local weatherman from Raleigh, North Carolina started adding clues in his weather reports, which added to the buzz on TikTok and Instagram. Sometimes it’s hard to put into words how it all falls into place, but with the combination of the visual creative and its strategic placement, coupled with the mystery built and the passion of the fan base, set the tone for a highly anticipated launch. Tarek Al-Hamdouni, Christian Edusada and Bird Cooley from the RCA digital marketing team have done a fantastic job of having the pulse of the fans online and have played an integral role in the strategy of getting the message out there. We also can’t forget that Sleep Token is one of the greatest live bands in the world. Lexi Vaganos, my marketing partner in crime at RCA, and I worked closely with our friends at AEG to extend the world of this record into the teasing and announcement of their now sold out U.S. arena tour this fall. I love that we found ways for the marketing of the album to extend into every component of what this band does and where it exists, going far beyond any other standard project roll out.
Why is this happening for them now?
There’s no stopping a great vision whose time has come. Simultaneously, and thankfully, we’re also seeing a resurgence in rock music, in part due to the cyclical nature of music trends but also driven by a collective desire for the authenticity that the genre stands for. The continuous growth of streaming, as well as social media trending topics like the elder-emo subculture over the past few years, have contributed to exposing younger generations to rock music, sparking new interest in the genre.
What have you learned from the unorthodox campaign here that you feel can be applied to other artists?
I’ve learned that people really want something to unite on and something that can help them escape from reality. I realize that this isn’t new and music has always been this way for most of us, but the way we rely on a creative escape ebbs and flows with the happenings of the world — and we are in a moment where a retreat from our real world is desired. The future is about building community. If there’s anything to take away from this campaign and what this band has created it’s how you build that sense of fellowship and that’s what I’ll take with me as a focus going forward with all of my projects.
How do you continue to push this forward with future singles as you approach the band’s album release?
We’ve got such an amazing plan ahead and so much to Do thAt I think is really going to shake things up and set fans up for an epic experience of Even In Arcadia. This is one of the MOst intelligent and exCited fan bases I’ve ever seen. They often know what’s coming with even the LittleESt kernel of information that’s put out there, so I’ll keep it to that.
Spotify customers in the Benelux countries will be paying more for their subscriptions after the streaming company raised prices in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. In both the Netherlands and Luxembourg, an individual subscription plan increased to 12.99 euros ($14.73) from 10.99 euros ($12.46). A family plan jumped to 21.99 euros ($24.94) from 17.99 euros […]
Are we having fun yet? It’s time to rally for another spin ’round the Executive Turntable, Billboard’s weekly compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across the music business. There’s been a whole mess of news this week, so let’s get to it.
Madison Square Garden Entertainment appointed David Collins as executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective April 14. Collins will oversee all financial functions at MSG Entertainment, including financial planning and analysis, controllership, treasury, investor relations, tax and procurement, reporting directly to executive chairman and CEO James L. Dolan. MSG Entertainment’s portfolio includes Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theatre in NYC, and the Chicago Theatre in take-a-guess. With over 30 years of experience, Collins brings expertise across live entertainment, sports, energy, transportation and restaurant industries. He previously served as CFO and EVP at Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, managing finance, accounting, analytics, and ticket operations for the Prudential Center, Philadelphia 76ers, and New Jersey Devils. Collins also held c-suite roles at Base Entertainment and began his career as a CPA at Ernst & Young. Dolan expressed confidence in Collins’s broad financial experience, particularly in live entertainment and sports, as MSG Entertainment advances key initiatives and long-term goals.
Danny Buch, a promo veteran with decades under his belt who helped break artists from Stone Temple Pilots to Brandi Carlile plus a fair share of “hair” (bands), announced he has departed Sony Music after a 20-year run at two of the label’s indie distribution arms and is launching his own shop, Danny Buch Promotion. Until recently, Buch was senior vp of promotion at Sony’s The Orchard, where he worked artists like BTS, Kelsea Ballerini, Walk off the Earth, Jack White and Bad Bunny at radio. Pre-Orchard, he helped pioneer independent artist promotion by launching RED Distribution’s promo arm in 2005 and stayed there until Sony merged RED into Orchard, starting in 2017. (The RED name was retired later.) During his RED days, Buch helped break Phoenix, Ingrid Michaelson, Alabama Shakes and more indie darlings. But before he saw RED, Buch clocked 25 years at Warner, where he played an integral role in Atlantic Records’ promotion department between 1980 and 2004. Co-heading promo for much of his tenure, Buch lead efforts on behalf of Atlantic giants like AC/DC, INXS, Rush, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, CSNY, Hootie & the Blowfish, STP and more. In the mid-to-late 1980s he broke a chunk of hair/glam metal hits of the day, given Atlantic was home to RATT, Skid Row, White Lion, Winger, Twisted Sister and more. On his next chapter, Buch said: “In launching my new venture, I recognize the opportunity to tap into my years of relationships, in helping both artists & labels. I’m excited about the incredible prospects that lie ahead.” Contact: dbuchmail@gmail.com
Trending on Billboard
Sarah Gabrielli has been promoted to head of A&R at Sony Music Publishing UK, where she will lead the UK A&R team, strengthen creative strategies, and create new opportunities for songwriters. Based in London, she continues to report to president and co-managing director David Ventura. Over her eight years at SMP, Gabrielli has signed and worked with artists including Artemas, Beabadoobee, Cian Ducrot, Jordan Rakei, Arlo Parks and Two Inch Punch, and her most recent wins include Charli XCX’s 2024 album BRAT. Ventura praised Gabrielli’s passion, leadership, and deep commitment to artist development, calling her promotion a natural next step. Co-managing director Tim Major echoed the sentiment, saying “she is someone who leads with heart, empathy, passion and dedication.”
Michelle Bower joined The Neal Agency as president of strategic partnerships. Bower most recently served as associate sr. vp at LaForce, leading campaigns for companies/brands including Madewell, YSL Beauty, Motorola and Tinder. Bower previously held roles at Jonesworks, Dittoe Public Relations and Fleishman-Hillard. The Neal Agency’s roster includes Morgan Wallen, HARDY, Ernest and more. –Jessica Nicholson
Paul Dworkis is poised to become Berklee‘s new executive vp and chief financial officer, starting next Tuesday (April 15). In this role, he’ll oversee finance, accounting, budgeting, real estate, facilities, risk management and more business matters. Dworkis brings extensive experience in higher education, having served as CFO at Emerson College, the University of Maryland, and in senior roles at Columbia University. At Emerson, he supported academic initiatives, managed public safety and launched the unCommon Stage in Boston Common. Dworkis also spent part of his early career at Newsweek. Berklee president Jim Lucchese praised Dworkis for his “unparalleled” credentials and commitment to student-focused operations. “We share the philosophy that everything we do comes back to our students and how to best meet their needs,” he said. Dworkis expressed enthusiasm for joining Berklee, calling it a “truly special—an institution whose mission, creativity, and global impact are unmatched.”
Electric Feel Entertainment appointed Chandler Nicole Sherrill as senior director of creative, reporting to company founder and CEO Austin Rosen. Based in Nashville, Sherrill brings a strong background in music publishing, beginning her career at Little Extra Music in 2015 and later joining MV2 Entertainment, where she helped contribute to over 20 No. 1s for major artists like Morgan Wallen and Jason Aldean. In her new role, she’ll lead creative strategy and collaboration among artists, producers and songwriters. Rosen, who just joined the board of Outback Presents, praised Sherrill’s passion and vision, calling her a valuable addition to the team. “We look forward to seeing the impact she will have as we continue to push boundaries and shape the future of entertainment,” he said.
NASHVILLE NOTES: Big Loud promoted Brianne Deslippe to head of marketing from senior vp of global marketing and strategy. She fills the vacancy left by the recent departure of senior vp of marketing Candice Watkins … Megan Wise was named vp of new business at Anotherland Agency, a music label and marketing startup. With over 15 years of industry experience, including roles at the Country Music Association and Creative Artists Agency, she’ll lead brand collaborations, sales strategies and partnership initiatives to drive growth.
Amigo Records appointed Carina Petrillo as product manager / marketing director and promoted Jillian Rutstein to head of digital. Petrillo, with experience at Elektra Records, MTV and Hulu, brings strategic marketing expertise and a strong background in digital engagement, including launching MTV’s TikTok presence. At Amigo, she’ll focus on building artist-fan connections through comprehensive campaigns. Rutstein, who previously split her time between Amigo and Prescription Songs, brings over a decade of experience in digital strategy, contributing to the success of tracks like LU KALA’s “Pretty Girl Era.” Amigo is home to artists such as Scoot Teasley, SNOW WIFE, Kim Petras and Ethel Cain. Petrillo and Rutstein both expressed enthusiasm about working together to shape a new era at the imprint. “Together we are ushering in a new era of Amigo Records while focusing on building comprehensive marketing campaigns for our roster that meet fans where they are – both online and in person,” said Petrillo.
Audible Treats, a New York-based independent music publicity firm, appointed major label veteran Cheyenne Beam as their new director of public relations. Beam was previously the director of PR at Interscope Records and has over ten years of experience in the music, entertainment, fashion and lifestyle industries. He has worked with artists such as Erykah Badu, Toni Braxton, Chaka Khan, Sean Paul, Swae Lee, Juice WRLD and more. Audible Treats’ current clients include artists like Sexyy Red, Chief Keef, Key Glock and events such as Baja Beach Fest and Sueños. Co-founder Michelle McDevitt praised Beam’s deep network, highlighting his ability to address client needs and manage teams effectively, adding, his “broad experience across both agency and major label systems makes him the ideal fit to usher Audible Treats into its next chapter.”
Oak View Group elevated Nick Vaerewyck to senior vp of programming and hired Danny Cohen as director of programming at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, home of the NHL’s Kraken. Vaerewyck will lead strategic content development across the Pacific Northwest and oversee programming, private event sales, service and ticketing. He joins the executive leadership team and brings experience from roles at Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment and Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, NY. Vaerewyck has managed over 200 events annually and aims to further elevate Seattle as a premier entertainment market. Cohen, with 15 years in the industry, will support all event programming. Previously, he led programming at Colorado Chautauqua in Boulder. Vaerewyck expressed excitement for the arena’s continued growth, highlighting Seattle’s rise as a top-tier venue and welcoming Cohen to help expand their world-class programming and industry impact.
Big Machine Music named Preston Berger as senior manager of publishing. Berger will join the publishing creative team in representing the BMM catalog and management of the company’s roster of songwriters. Berger previously spent three years at Black River Entertainment’s publishing arm. Prior to Black River, he spent time as an agent assistant at CAA. At the 2025 NSAI Member Awards, he was honored with the friend of NSAI award. –J.N.
BOARD SHORTS: The Nashville Songwriters Association International recently completed its board of directors elections and held the first meeting of the new term. New members Deric Ruttan, Lydia Vaughn and Dan Wilson joined the board, with Jimmy Yeary returning. Eight current members were re-elected, including Kelly Archer and Jessie Jo Dillon. Roger Brown was re-appointed legislative chair, with Rhett Akins and Caitlyn Smith as artist writer board members and Brett James as industry liaison. Officers for the year include Lee Thomas Miller as president and Jenn Schott as vice president.
Select Management Group, a top management firm for next-gen digital creators, announced several strategic promotions and new hires to enhance its services for digital creators. Lauren Fisher has been promoted to director of strategic partnerships, where she will work with top brands like Disney, Uber, Netflix, and Google. Emily Rifanburg joined as a talent manager, bringing over a decade of experience from ICM Partners and Strand Entertainment. Payton Booker and Natasha Trepel have also been promoted to talent managers, focusing on supporting clients across various verticals. Additionally, Katie Josiah has been promoted to talent coordinator, and Madison Dailey and Daisy Wright have been hired as talent coordinators.
Beatchain, an AI-powered A&R and artist services platform, appointed Holly Hutchison, Umesh Luthria and Nick Hamman as regional brand ambassadors for North America, Asia and Africa, respectively. They’ll support Beatchain’s global expansion by strengthening partnerships and driving business development in their regions. Beatchain’s tech helps artists retain their music rights while offering insights into audience growth and performance. Hutchison brings over 35 years of A&R experience; Luthria, based in Mumbai, has over three decades of business expertise and helped launch Muzartdisco Arena; and Hamman, a digital strategist and radio presenter in Johannesburg, has significantly impacted South Africa’s music scene. Said Beatchain CEO Ben Mendoza: “This expansion will help build stronger connections between artists and the global music ecosystem, making it easier for the industry to discover, develop and monetize talent on a global scale.”
The Zach Sang Show appointed Allie Gold as its new social media director, strengthening its digital and multi-platform presence. In her new role, Allie will lead content creation, community management, and multi-platform strategy to further engage fans with the show. Gold brings valuable experience in content creation and audience engagement, having previously served as social media strategy director at iHeartRadio LA and digital marketing strategist at Live Nation. She also played a key role in social media strategy for The Elvis Duran Show and Z100 New York.
ICYMI:
David Massey
Danny Hayes is stepping down from his role as chief executive and partner at Danny Wimmer Presents after more than ten years … Marshall Nolan has been promoted to executive vp and head of commercial strategy at Island Records … Sony Music announced that David Massey, who has served as president of Arista Records since its relaunch in 2018, will retire at the end of June. The company has not yet named his successor. [Keep Reading]
Last Week’s Turntable: Board Buildups at ASCAP and iHeart