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YoungBoy Never Broke Again (aka NBA YoungBoy) was arrested Tuesday (April 16) in Utah, where he has been under house arrest for more than two years while awaiting trial on federal gun charges. The rapper (real name Kentrell Gaulden) was arrested on seven charges ranging from drug and gun possession to identity fraud, according to […]
Grammy Go, a new online initiative from the Recording Academy, is the result of a partnership with Coursera, a leading online learning platform, to offer classes tailored for music creators and industry professionals. Grammy Go on Coursera includes courses taught by Recording Academy members and featuring Grammy nominees and/or winners.
Starting today, enrollment is open for Grammy Go’s first Coursera specialization, “Building Your Audience for Music Professionals,” taught by Joey Harris, international music/marketing executive and CEO of Joey Harris Inc., and featuring Jimmy Jam, Janelle Monáe and Victoria Monét. This specialization will help participants gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to build a strong brand presence and cultivate a devoted audience within the ever-changing music industry.
The partnership’s second course, launching later this summer, is “Music Production: Crafting an Award-Worthy Song.” That course, which aims to strengthen the technological and audio skills of a music producer, will be taught by Carolyn Malachi, Howard University professor and a Grammy nominee in 2011 for best urban/alternative performance for her track “Orion.” This specialization will include appearances by Cirkut, Hit-Boy, classical producer Judith Sherman, artist and vocal coach Stevie Mackey and Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr.
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“Whether it be through a Grammy Museum program, Grammy Camp or Grammy U, the Grammy organization is committed to helping the next generation of creators flourish, and the Recording Academy is proud to introduce our newest higher learning opportunity with Grammy Go in partnership with Coursera,” Panos A. Panay, president of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “A creator’s music education is ongoing, and these courses have been crafted to provide participants with the essential tools to grow in their professional and creative journeys.”
“We are honored to welcome Grammy Go, our first entertainment partner, to the Coursera community,” said Marni Baker Stein, chief content officer at Coursera. “With these self-paced online specializations, aspiring music professionals all over the world have an incredible opportunity to learn directly from iconic artists and industry experts.”
Grammy Go is billed as the first creator-to-creator learning platform from the Recording Academy. Visit go.grammy.com to learn more. For more information and enrollment about the first specialization, visit the landing page for Building Your Audience for Music Professionals.
Primary Wave has partnered with Neil Sedaka to acquire a stake in the star’s master and publishing rights. Regarded as perhaps the world’s first-ever teen pop star, Sedaka began his career in 1957 and went on to pen hits like “Love Will Keep Us Together,” “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” “Laughter in the Rain,” “Calendar Girl,” “Oh! Carol” and “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen.”
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Sedaka has earned his fair share of accolades over the years, including five Grammy nominations. He has been inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was one of the first musical guests on Saturday Night Live.
After getting his start as one of the top acts of the late 1950s, he pivoted to focusing his efforts on writing hits for other artists, including Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, The Monkees and The Fifth Dimension.
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During the height of the British Invasion, he continued to hone a strong fanbase in the UK, and in the early 1970s was re-introduced to American audiences by Elton John, who signed Sedaka to his new label Rocket Records. As he gained acclaim through songs like “Bad Blood” and “Laughter in the Rain” under the Rocket deal, one of his early songs, “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do,” was re-released as a ballad to great success, becoming the second song in history to make the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 for two versions of the same song. Plus, Captain and Tennille won Record of the Year for “Love Will Keep Us Together,” which was co-penned by Sedaka.
A classically trained Juilliard graduate, Sedaka embraced his roots in the 21st century, composing symphonies and piano concertos like “Joie De Vivre” and “Manhattan Intermezzo,” both of which were recorded with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London.
This deal encompasses Sedaka’s entire catalog, including all compositions written by him and all recordings performed by him. Other legendary artists have also performed and recorded his works, including Elvis Presley, Connie Francis and Abba. While these recordings are not part of the deal, Primary Wave still benefits on the publishing side, given Sedaka’s writing credits.
Primary Wave, known as an active and creative catalog buyer and publisher, will help boost Sedaka’s works with the help of its in-house marketing, digital strategy, licensing, synch and film/tv production teams.
“I am thrilled to be entering into this partnership with Primary Wave – an organization that I have long-admired for their unwavering commitment and dedication to the artists they represent,” says Sedaka of the deal. “After almost 70 years in the music business, I’ve gotten pretty good at separating the big talkers from the real deals, and Larry and his team at Primary Wave are about as real deal as it gets. I look forward to a long and prosperous relationship that will allow me to work side by side with this amazing organization and finally give my extensive collection of songs the attention and exposure it deserves.”
Madeline Boyd, Primary Wave’s finance & investments manager adds, “We are thrilled to welcome Neil Sedaka into the Primary Wave family. As both a singer and songwriter, Neil has created an iconic catalog that has transcended decades and genres. We look forward to continue creating new opportunities for his timeless songs together.”
This is The Legal Beat, a weekly newsletter about music law from Billboard Pro, offering you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, important rulings and all the fun stuff in between.
This week: Legal experts raise concerns about Tennessee’s new ELVIS Act and other laws aimed at AI-powered voice cloning; Jelly Roll faces a trademark lawsuit from a Philadelphia wedding band with the same name; Taylor Swift and other artists get their music back on TikTok; and much more.
THE BIG STORY: Are New AI Voice Laws Going Too Far?
State and federal lawmakers across the country are scrambling to crack down on voice cloning – an effort cheered on by the music industry and artists. But some legal experts are worried such laws might be an “overreaction” that could have unintended consequences.
With last month’s enactment of the ELVIS Act, Tennessee became the first state in the country to pass legislation aimed at protecting artists from situations like last year’s infamous fake Drake song. At least five other states are considering similar bills, and a federal version is currently being debated on Capitol Hill.
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Those laws address a very real problem – namely, that artificial intelligence tools have made it far easier to convincingly mimic a real person’s voice, and existing laws seem only to provide them with limited recourse to stop it.
But while legislative efforts to fix that have been broadly supported by the music industry, they’ve met a more mixed reaction among some legal experts, who are concerned that the rush to pass new laws could lead to collateral damage for free speech and other “innocuous” behavior – ranging from tribute bands to interpolations.
Other top stories this week…
JELLY ROLL TRADEMARK SUIT – The rapper-turned-country star was hit with a trademark infringement lawsuit from a well-known Philadelphia wedding band that has used the name Jellyroll for decades. The case claims that Jelly Roll’s increasing popularity over the past two years has flooded the market with the name, making it difficult for prospective clients to find “Philly’s favorite wedding band.”
TIKTOK & TAYLOR – Why is music from Taylor Swift and certain other Universal Music Group artists back on TikTok, despite an ongoing licensing feud that has seen the music giant pull its catalog from the social media platform for months? As explained by Billboard’s Elias Leight and Kristin Robinson, the answer mostly boils down to leverage and good lawyering.
LIVE NATION TO FACE SUIT – The U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly planning to sue Live Nation within a matter of weeks over alleged violations of federal antitrust laws, including that the company leveraged it dominant position over the live music industry to undermine competition for ticketing. The case follows years of antitrust criticism of Live Nation, which increased in intensity after the company’s botched handling of ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour in November 2022.
NewJeans in LA on March 6, 2024.
Sami Drasin
K-POP DEFAMATION BATTLE – The K-pop group NewJeans asked a U.S. federal court to force Google to unmask an anonymous YouTube user so that the person can be criminally prosecuted in South Korea for posting “false and defamatory videos.” The case that highlighted the stark differences between defamation laws in America and Korea – where even true statements can get you hauled into court, and criminal convictions can lead to “imprisonment with labor for up to seven years.”
PANDORA HITS BACK AT MLC – The streaming service fired back at a lawsuit filed by the Mechanical Licensing Collective that claims the company has failed to properly pay streaming royalties, calling the case a “gross overreach” based on a “legally incoherent position.” The case centers on whether Pandora’s free ad-supported service is an “interactive” platform like Spotify, or more similar to a “noninteractive” radio broadcast – a key distinction under the federal copyright laws that govern royalty payments.
FAKE MERCH, REAL PROBLEMS – Bootleg artist merchandise is a big problem, as attorneys for the biggest stars in the world say they send countless takedown notices annually but that they face “a game of Whack-a-Mole” with few easy answers. Go read Billboard’s story from Steve Knopper, who chatted with numerous lawyers on the front lines in the war against fake merch.
RADIO RIGHTS SETTLEMENT – Global Music Rights, Irving Azoff’s boutique performance rights organization that reps Bruce Springsteen, Bruno Mars, Prince, Drake and others, settled a copyright infringement lawsuit in which it had accused seven Vermont radio stations of refusing to license the group’s music.
Music investing platform JKBX said on Wednesday it is partnering with SoundExchange to process payments to artists and songwriters who are a part of its creator program.
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Founded in 2022, JKBX (pronounced “jukebox”) allows everyday investors to buy royalty shares that give investors the right to a slice of the income generated by songs like OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder‘s “Counting Stars” through public offerings regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Committee (SEC). The company, which launched its first public offering last month, aims to open up an asset class to fans and other investors that previously was only available to the wealthiest investors.
JKBX currently does not work directly with musicians like Tedder. Instead, the company’s deals are with record labels, music publishers and catalog funds that own the copyrights behind the royalties offered on the platform. But JKBX chief executive and Orchard co-founder Scott Cohen says the creator program was designed to “spread the wealth,” giving artists and songwriters a cut of the revenue generated by this new way to monetize music rights.
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“The JKBX Creator Program was designed to continually reward the creators and artists for their contributions to society,” Cohen said in a statement. “We firmly believe that the talent who creates this indispensable artform that fuels us deserves that right.”
Artists who sign up for the creator program can create an artist page on the site and earn money for the fan attention and interaction they bring to JKBX’s platform. JKBX says it tracks page views and distributes payments based on an artist’s share of traffic to the site.
The partnership with SoundExchange means JKBX will use its technology and systems to pay artists, many of whom are already registered to work with SoundExchange.
“The mission of SoundExchange is to help creators maximize the value of their work, and JKBX provides a new alternative to monetize music assets,” said Michael Huppe, president and CEO of SoundExchange, adding the platform has the potential to bring millions of fans to “invest in the craft.”
JKBX launched its first SEC-approved offering last month, a grouping of 85 projects — 69 of which involve Ryan Tedder, the songwriter and producer best known as a member of the group OneRepublic. Tedder is a songwriter or producer on tracks by Adele, Jonas Brothers and Diplo that are offered on the platform.
Share prices on JKBX are currently fixed, meaning a song’s return will fluctuate based on the amount of royalties paid out, not an increase or decrease in the price. JKBX intends to launch a secondary marketplace in 2024, according to the site’s FAQ section, that will allow investors to re-sell their shares.
As Billboard prepares to launch the physical edition of Billboard Korea, a new alliance with NAVER Pay that should unlock opportunities for its readers and the broader K-pop space.
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NAVER Pay, the South Korea-based mobile payment service, has inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Billboard and Billboard Korea, ahead of the first print issue midyear.
As previously reported, Billboard Korea Volume 1 is scheduled for release in June, which will amplify 100 K-pop stars selected by Billboard.
The goal of the MOU is to promote various collaborative endeavors that will combine simple payment services with the entertainment services that Billboard Korea will provide, reads a statement, with NAVER Pay providing “a safe and straightforward” facility for music, broadcasts, and performances.
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Through the alliance, the brands will contribute to creating “a fair and transparent performance booking culture,” and in the long term, a unified approach in spreading K-pop content through Billboard’s global platform.
“We are pleased to be able to work with Billboard Korea as they enter the Korean market,” comments NAVER Pay CEO Park Sang-jin, adding, “in the future, we will actively strive to find ways to create synergy between Billboard and Billboard Korea’s various entertainment services and NAVER Pay.”
Mike Van, president of Billboard, and Yuna Kim, CEO & publisher of Billboard Korea, remark, “Through our partnership with NAVER Pay, we will be able to provide a variety of innovative services unique to Billboard in the Korean music market.”
As Billboard Korea rolls off the presses, the K-pop genre reaches new heights. South Korean acts accounted for five of the top 10 albums in the IFPI Global Album Chart for 2023, including top spot for SEVENTEEN’s FML, representing the best ever global charts performance for the genre. Indeed, an unprecedented 19 of the top 20 titles on the tally were K-pop.
And separately, the recently-published IFPI Global Recording Artist Chart, which ranks the most popular artists on the planet, based on sales and streams, four K-pop acts appeared in the top 10 – representing a record year for Korean music on a global scale.
Billboard Korea adds to the list of the publication’s international editions, including Billboard Japan, Billboard Arabia, Billboard Español, Billboard Brasil and others.
Tega Ethan, a 25-year-old singer-songwriter from Nigeria, and Taylor Zickfoose, a 28-year-old native of Washington state, are the inaugural recipients of the Bob Dylan Center songwriter fellowship.
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An initiative of Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) and BDC in Tulsa, OK, each fellowship includes a $40,000 project stipend, public engagement and presentation opportunities, dedicated time in the Bob Dylan Archive to study the legendary artist’s creative process, roundtrip airfare to Tulsa and accommodations, mentorship from the music publishing giant’s songwriters and executives, recording time, and more.
The two winners were selected by global panel of leading artists and songwriters, including Juliette Armanet, Patty Griffin, John Mellencamp, Carla Morrison, and Nas, and reviewed by executives at BDC and UMPG.
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“Songwriters trying to make a go of it in the modern music business need the kind of encouragement and support that this fellowship provides,” comments Mellencamp in a statement. “I congratulate Tega and Taylor on being the first two recipients, and hope they write some great songs during their time in Tulsa.”
Nearly 600 works were submitted from around the world, organizers say, based on the criteria that applicants were 18 years or older and unsigned to a publishing agreement of any kind at the time of the Fellowship start date, May, 1, 2024.
Announced last August, the fellowship is to be awarded each year to two standout talents, through an initiative that identifies, mentors and develops rising talent, doing so with the resources of the BDC.
The selection process, explains BDC creative services manager Zac Fowler, “was immensely difficult, yet enjoyable the whole way through.” Adds Fowler, “We’re excited to host Tega and Taylor in Tulsa, and look forward to hearing the music they each create during their year spent focusing on songwriting here.”
The application window for the 2025-2026 fellowship is expected to open later this fall. For more information, visit bobdylancenter.com/songwriterfellowship.
Ice Spice signed with PPL for the collection of her neighboring rights royalties. The company, which also recently signed Lewis Capaldi, will collect royalties on the rapper’s behalf for the use of her music on radio, TV and in public spaces worldwide.
Singer-songwriter Dasha, who scored a breakthrough hit with “Austin” this year, signed with WME for global representation in all areas. The rising star also recently signed with Warner Records. She’s managed by Alex Lunt at Type A Management.
BBR Music Group/Wheelhouse Records artist Elvie Shane signed with WME for global representation in all areas. His agent team includes WME Nashville office co-head Becky Gardenhire along with Jon Folk, Doug Neff, Lance Alleman and Caleb Fenn, who will work alongside various agency departments for bookings in touring, brand partnerships, digital, TV and film. Shane is set to release his newest album, Damascus, on April 19. – Jessica Nicholson (652k)
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Afro-dancehall artist Stonebwoy signed a global distribution and label services deal with ADA Worldwide, through which he released his latest single, “Ekelebe.” The agreement also includes the Nigerian rapper’s sixth studio album, which is slated for release later this year. He’s managed by Casey Kobia at KVO Talent.
Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana signed a global recording deal with Warner Music India, with the first release under the agreement expected to drop next month.
Independent singer-songwriter and producer yaeow (a.k.a. Lars Haggstrom) signed a global licensing deal with AWAL for his catalog and 10 upcoming songs. His first single under the agreeement, “still that kid (deep down),” will be released on May 2, with his debut album to follow.
Atlantic Records/Anemoia Records signed Bossa, a 17-year-old artist from Palm Springs, Calif., who spans various genres including hip-hop and dance. The labels will release his new single, “Go Crazy,” on Friday (April 19). He’s managed by Jen Park and Kirsten VanHoose.
Mexican indie artist Girl Ultra (a.k.a. Mariana de Miguel) signed with Ninja Tune imprint Big Dada, “a label run by Black, POC & minority ethnic people for Black, POC & minority ethnic artists,” according to a press release. Her first single on the label is “rimel.”
Echos, the artist project of Alexandra Norton, signed with Outlast Records, with the single “CAROUSEL” marking the first drop under the deal. She’s managed by Derek Brewer at Shelter Music Group.
Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment (formerly BMLG Records) signed Noah Hicks via a joint venture with Red Creative Records. The Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment roster also includes Riley Green, Chris Janson, Brett Young, Lady A and Greylan James. Georgia native Hicks earned a viral hit on TikTok with “I Can Tell You’re Small Town,” followed by “Dirt on It.” He’s represented by Red Light Management and WME. – Jessica Nicholson
North London producer, DJ, composer and multi-instrumentalist Jasper Tygner signed with Ninja Tune via its imprint Technicolour, which released his latest single, “Before Me.” He’s managed by Tom Aldridge at Salt Music and booked by Evan Greenberg at CAA.
The Felice Brothers signed to Million Stars, the label started by Conor Oberst; it will release the band’s new album, Valley of Abandoned Songs, on June 27. The band is booked by Eric Dimenstein at Ground Control Touring in North America and David Hughes at the Free Trade Agency for Europe and the United Kingdom.
Country singer Payton Smith signed with The Familie for management. The signing coincided with the release of his new EP, Up From Here, on Combustion Music. He’s booked by WME.
ONErpm Nashville signed singer-songwriter and American Idol alum Britnee Kellogg and released her new song, “Hell in a Handbag.” Kellogg is booked by The Kinkead Entertainment Agency in Nashville. – Jessica Nicholson
Country newcomer Timmy McKeever signed with Droptine Recordings, which released his new single, “Bullet Proof,” on April 5.
R&B artist Ariel signed with Mello Music Group. The label released her latest single, “Something Amazing,” on Thursday (April 11).
Provident Entertainment, a division of Sony Entertainment, signed The Voice season 22 finalist bodie. For his first single, the Los Angeles native released a cover of Brandon Lake’s “Gratitude,” which he performed on the season finale of The Voice. Provident Entertainment’s roster also includes Kirk Franklin, Lake, CAIN, Zach Williams and Casting Crowns. – Jessica Nichlson
Chicago band Babe Report signed with Exploding in Sound, which will release the band’s debut album, Did You Get Better, on May 31.
Independently released songs and albums accounted for almost one-third of all music consumption in the United Kingdom last year, marking the sixth consecutive year of growth for the country’s indie sector, according to new figures from labels trade body BPI.
In total, the equivalent of more than 53 million independently released albums were streamed or purchased in 2023 across digital and physical formats, representing 29.2% of all music consumption in the U.K. That number is up 12% on 2022’s figure and marks an increase of almost 30% over the number seen in 2017 when indies accounted for just over one-fifth (22.1%) of music consumption.
Helping drive growth across the indie sector was the booming popularity of physical formats, with nearly four in every 10 vinyl LPs (39%) and just under one-third of CDs (33%) bought by British music fans last year having been released by artists signed to or distributed by an independent label, reports BPI.
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Arlo Parks, Kylie Minogue, Enter Shikari, The Prodigy and homegrown rappers Dave and AJ Tracey were among the most popular indie acts in the U.K. across digital and physical formats, along with recently-crowned multi-Brit Award-winning singer-songwriter Raye, whose single “Escapism” featuring 070 Shake was one of the U.K.’s biggest hits last year with 142 million streams.
However, there are a number of provisos to consider when analyzing the apparent growth of the U.K. indie market. BPI’s analysis of the sector is based on the Official Charts Company’s (OCC) data and definitions for what counts as an independent release. In essence, that means any album or song not attributed to the three majors — Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group — on the OCC database.
However, in addition to fully independent or self-released records, that broad classification includes some “indie” albums and songs distributed by major-owned companies like Sony-owned The Orchard or Warner-owned ADA. Raye, for example, is distributed by Sony-owned independent distributor Human Re Sources. BPI said it was unable to provide a more detailed breakdown of indie music consumption.
According to the London-based trade body, almost 400 indie singles and albums achieved BRIT-certified platinum, gold or silver sales status in 2023. (Platinum status in the United Kingdom is awarded for album-equivalent sales — representing combined consumption across formats — of more than 600,000 units for singles and more than 300,000 units for albums, with gold and silver awards having incrementally lower thresholds.)
In terms of vinyl releases, more than 200 indie titles sold more than 1,500 copies last year, including albums by alternative rock band Bdrmm and R&B singer Jorja Smith.
“It’s great to see independents thriving, and not just the more celebrated labels and their artists, but increasingly also a dynamic and entrepreneurial community of much smaller micro-labels and self-releasing artists that are redefining the sector and who, with support, can drive further growth,” said Femi Olasehinde, founder of U.K. indie imprint Just Another Label and BPI Council independent representative, in a statement.
Total U.K. recorded music revenue— comprising digital and physical revenues by majors and indie labels, public performance rights and synch — climbed 8.1% to 1.43 billion pounds ($1.8 billion) in 2023, BPI reported earlier this year. That’s the highest number ever achieved in the U.K. in one year, not adjusting for inflation, helping to maintain the U.K.’s long-held status as the world’s third-biggest recorded music market in IFPI’s annual rankings behind the United States and Japan.
BPI’s latest figures on the independent sector are taken from “All About The Music 2024,” the 45th edition of its yearbook measuring the state of the U.K.’s recorded music industry, which was published Tuesday (Apr. 16).
Included among BPI’s analysis are newly released statistics about the U.K. vinyl market, which climbed 18.6% to 142 million pounds ($181 million) in 2023, marking the 16th consecutive year of growth.
BPI said the rising popularity of pop releases helped drive the rise in vinyl revenue, with the genre accounting for nearly a quarter of the market (23.7%) of U.K. vinyl sales, up from 19.6% the previous year, on the back of big-selling albums by Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Lewis Capaldi.
Hip hop/rap also grew its share of the vinyl market to 5.3% in 2023, led by a re-issue of De La Soul’s 1989 debut, 3 Feet High and Rising, although rock comfortably remained the biggest genre among vinyl fans with a dominant 55% share of the market.
Amazon Music has announced a new AI-powered playlist feature that allows users to turn text prompts into entire playlists. Called Maestro, the offering is still in beta and available only to a small number of Amazon Music users on all tiers in the United States on iOS and Android. It can be found on the […]