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The concert business has had a record year in 2023 — tours by Taylor Swift and Beyoncé were pop culture moments, festivals roared back to life and consumers’ splurging on tickets seemed to defy gravity. There’s likely more good news on the horizon, too. By all forecasts, next year is shaping up for continued success, even as consumers still feel pinched by inflation.
Among the big names to announce stadium tours next year are The Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, Green Day and a pairing of Journey and Def Leppard. Chris Stapleton, Zach Bryan and Luke Combs will hit both stadiums and arenas. Drake, Bad Bunny, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Hootie & the Blowfish, New Kids on the Block, Alanis Morissette and The Trilogy Tour featuring Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin and Pitbull will play arenas and amphitheaters. Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour continues in 2024, too, with 85 shows announced for Asia, Australia and North America.
Advanced ticket sales suggest consumers remain eager to see their favorite artists perform live. Through mid-October, Live Nation’s event-related deferred revenue — from ticket sales to events that had not yet occurred — was up 39% year over year, according to the company’s third-quarter earnings release.
AEG Presents, the second-largest promoter, is “feeling really positive” about 2024 tours across all venue sizes and genres, says Rich Schaefer, president of global touring. “I think people are discovering new artists and want to see big shows — and they’re willing to pay for it.” They’re buying well in advance, too: AEG put tickets on sale for 76 Zach Bryan shows in 2024 — some won’t happen until December — and has “largely sold everything out,” says Schaeffer. “That artist especially has a crazy connection with his fans. They’ve seen videos of what his shows are like, and I think everybody wants to experience it.”
Those big tours — and thousands of others — are counting on consumers to continue to open their wallets despite continued high prices for staples and living expenses, rising debt delinquencies and Americans’ credit card debt reaching a record level in the third quarter. The holidays are presenting mixed signals: Black Friday spending was up 2.5% compared to 2022, but numerous surveys have found consumers plan to spend less on gifts this year.
Consumers may feel beleaguered, but they continue to spend to see their favorite artists perform live. “I have weekly booking calls with the over 40 presidents around the world and we talk booking clubs up to stadiums and festivals, and we have not seen anything taper off in any sense,” said Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino during the company’s Nov. 2 earnings call. The company is “not seeing any pullback in any way” in consumer demand regardless of the region or venue size, he added.
A big question, though, is whether consumers will be in a spending mood throughout 2024. A new Goldman Sachs economic outlook report says the U.S. economy today is better than was expected a year ago, inflation will continue to subside and the likelihood of a recession in 2024 is “limited.” The latest data from the University of Michigan is encouraging: U.S. consumer sentiment soared in December and people’s expectations for year-ahead inflation dropped to 3.1% from 4.5% last month.
Whatever uncertainties exist — including falling savings rates and weakening credit conditions — have not materialized in ticket sales thus far. “We certainly see the headlines [about macroeconomic conditions], but it’s not flowing through to numbers that we can see,” Lawrence Fey, CFO of secondary ticket marketplace Vivid Seats, said during a Nov. 7 earnings call.
One could simply look at who’s touring in 2024 to get a sense of where ticket buyers are thinking. “You got The Stones going on the road in parts in North America,” says Doug Arthur of Huber Research Partners. “They’re always a pretty big draw. The Stones are pretty savvy historically about touring when they think the economics support it.”
Consumers’ willingness to spend increasing amounts on live music isn’t a new trend — although some of 2023’s record-setting box office numbers appear to be the result of music fans may be clamoring for live events in after suffering through pandemic-era restrictions. The concert industry has benefited from a lasting shift among consumers from goods to experiences over the last 10 to 15 years, says Brandon Ross, an analyst with LightShed Partners.
This year’s boffo box office numbers weren’t outliers, and Ross expects to see “outsized performance on a global basis” in 2024. “There has been a year-and-a-half long concern for a broader pullback in consumer spending,” says Ross. “I don’t think will not impact growth, but I think there’s substantial tailwind supporting this industry.”
Those tailwinds probably won’t be strong enough for next year’s touring business to duplicate 2023’s stellar growth rate — but no one seems to be expecting that. “I don’t think you’re talking about another up 30% type of year, and I don’t think [Live Nation is] talking about that either,” says Arthur. “But can the concert revenues be up high single digits between volume, fans per show, price per ticket and spending per fan? Yeah, I think that’s not unreasonable at all.”
Artists and promoters will continue to encounter high costs in 2024 — labor, catering, buses and staging are stretched thin with a high number of big tours on the road. That’ll continue to push ticket prices up. Even so, AEG hasn’t seen resistance to higher prices, says Schaefer. “There’s very few instances where we think that pricing is responsible for tickets not selling.”
Warner Chappell Music has signed Mick Jones, founding member of Foreigner, to a global publishing deal. Foreigner’s recorded music is already being looked after by Warner’s Rhino Entertainment, so this deal unites publishing and records for Jones under one roof.
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Barry Weiss, CEO/co-founder of RECORDS and RECORDS Nashville, has announced his publishing company Bossy Songs, which was formerly called TwentySeven Music Publishing. Like RECORDS, Bossy Songs is a venture in partnership with Sony. Their first signing is Dan Gleyzer, a songwriter and producer behind songs from BTS and Meghan Trainor.
In honor of the 30th Anniversary of Snoop Dogg’s seminal album Doggystyle, Death Row Pictures has partnered with Extreme Music — a production music library associated with Sony Music Publishing — to create Death Row Pro. Together, the two will aim to deliver a mix of unheard tracks from the Death Row vaults. It will also aim to create new songs “fueled by the iconic Death Row DNA.”
Warner Chappell Music‘s U.S. Latin team has signed Gabito Ballesteros to an exclusive publishing administration agreement. A breakout star in Mexico’s thriving music scene, he has worked with acts like Peso Pluma, Becky G, Piso 21, Fuerza Regida, Miguel Cornejo and Natanael Cano.
Warner Chappell Music has signed Jay Versace to a global publishing agreement. A producer behind SZA’s “SOS,” Lil Yachty’s “Lil Diamond Boy,” Tyler, the Creator’s “Safari” and many more, Versace says he is “very honored to create amongst such talented and inspiring creatives” at WCM.
300 Publishing has signed Sean Momberger to a global publishing deal. Momberger is best known for his work on Jack Harlow’s “First Class” as well as other hits for Doja Cat, Justin Bieber and Chris Brown. He joins a roster that also includes 1st Class and Jumbo Sounds as well as artists like Hunxho and Young Thug.
UMPG has signed a new global publishing agreement with Mónica Vélez. With multiple Latin Grammys to her name, Vélez is best known for her work on songs like “Ataúd” by Los Tigres del Norte and “Mientes” by Camila.
Reservoir has signed Vulfpeck’s Theo Katzman to a global publishing deal. This is Katzman’s first-ever publishing deal and includes his entire catalog and future works outside of his compositions made with Vulfpeck. He also has a solo artist project and has written songs with artists like Carly Rae Jepsen, Rett Madison, Kesha, Teddy Geiger and Louis Cato.
Regalias Digitales, an independent music publisher that specializes in both Latin and non-Latin music, has signed a number of new talents — ranging from reggae to hard rock — to global publishing administration deals. They include The Warning, Akwid, Pikete Opacalo, Branden Cox, Lil Gnar, J Swey, The Reverend Horton Heat, The Slackers and Passafire.
Downtown Music Publishing has signed Josh Ramsay, the songwriter behind Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe,” to a global publishing administration and creative services deal. This includes Ramsay’s back catalog of hits, including other major songs for Nickelback, 5 Seconds of Summer and Faber Drive.
Warner Chappell Music has signed pop songwriter Sam Backoff to a global publishing deal. The Nashville-based writer has written with Graham Barham, Ben Johnson, Jessie Murph, Ernest, Beau Bailey, Karley Scott Collins, KK Johnson, Zoe Clark, Carson Wallace and Savana Santos. The deal was made in partnership with Underscore Works’ Charly Salvatore.
Kobalt has signed actor and composer Tituss Burgess to a worldwide publishing administration agreement. The deal includes the works from his artist projects and his musical The Preacher’s Wife, which will debut at Atlanta’s Alliance Theater in Spring 2024.
Innercat Music Publishing and UMPG Latin recently hosted a three-day synch songwriting camp at InnerCat Studios in Miami. The camp included a mix of writers signed to both companies, including writers traveling from Colombia, Mexico and Los Angeles.
Peso Pluma‘s Double P Records has signed a global distribution agreement with The Orchard, the company announced on Friday (Dec. 15).
The Mexican star, in partnership with his manager George Prajin, launched the imprint in April after his extraordinary rise to the global charts following the smash hit “Ella Baila Sola” with Eslabon Armado. Double P Records is subdivision of Prajin Parlay Records, Prajin’s West Coast-based indie label that signed Peso in 2022, which already had The Orchard as its distribution partner.
“Peso’s vision was to create a label home to develop new talent with bespoke, collaborative, and transparent plans that meet artists where they are and help propel them forward, which aligns completely with The Orchard’s ethos,” Jason Pascal, executive vp of global artist & label partnerships at The Orchard, who negotiated the deal said in a statement. “With this new global distribution partnership, artists signed to Double P will have access to tools that empower them to build global networks of their own.”
“Jason and The Orchard have been instrumental from the start,” added Prajin. “We make an amazing team, and I am excited to continue the relationship as we continue to take Música Mexicana global.”
Peso serves as Double P Records’ CEO and head of A&R with a roster that includes Mexican music acts Jasiel Nuñez, Tito Laija (Peso’s cousin and one of his co-writers), Los Dareyes De La Sierra and Raúl Vega. “I’m super happy to be able to help my friends because that’s how I see them. I don’t see them as my artists,” Peso previously told Billboard about launching his imprint. “More than anything, I want them to know that if I could do it, so can they. I’m on this journey with them; we’re paddling together. I tell them, ‘Learn from whatever is happening in my career. Take notes because I’m still growing just as you are.’”
Peso, 24, who this year alone entered 22 songs on the Hot 100, played a significant role in leading the genre’s seismic growth in the United States and beyond. His album Génesis made history when it debuted and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, the highest ranking for a Mexican music album on the tally. The set is up for best música mexicana album at the Grammys in February.
Peso Pluma will continue to release music through Double P/Prajin Parlay.
Universal Music Group (UMG) announced the launch of Beat Galaxy, a new “music hub” on Roblox, the popular gaming platform that boasted more than 66 million daily active users as of March 2023.
Beat Galaxy includes a rhythm game component — the subgenre of games devoted to interacting with music — set to tracks from UMG artists as well as a future venue for virtual concerts, according to a press release.
“Beat Galaxy creates a next-generation music discovery experience on Roblox that not only provides an opportunity for a fun social gameplay, but creates true utility for music discovery beyond the algorithm in a community-driven way,” Yonatan Raz-Fridman, founder/CEO of Supersocial, said in a statement. (Supersocial makes games for Roblox.)
In recent years, the music industry has been increasingly interested in tapping into the gaming audience, which is massive, youthful and scattered around the globe. In 2021, the analytics company Midia Research called gamers “the new frontier of music’s fan-centric growth.”
That’s in part because there are plenty of statistics suggesting that gamers are actively interested in music. In 2022, the IFPI reported that 44% of gamers watched a virtual music concert on a gaming platform in the last three months. “42% of Gen Z gamers listen to other music while gaming,” according to a Deloitte study, “and 34% hear music in a game and then look it up online to stream or buy.”
In the case of Roblox, which grew rapidly during the pandemic, music industry interest has resulted in a steady stream of partnership announcements. A smattering from the last 19 months: Spotify teamed up with Roblox on a virtual music island, Elton John created his own virtual experience, Warner Music Group launched Rhythm City (a “music-themed social roleplay experience”) and the K-Pop group TWICE dove into the (virtual) fray. On Dec. 8, Cher announced a four-week Roblox event to promote her new Christmas album.
Alvaro G. Velilla, senior vp of new business at UMG, described Beat Galaxy as “a living, breathing music experience.”
“Alongside Supersocial,” he added, “we believe that we’ve created the go-to music getaway on Roblox.”
The first UMG artist to partner with Beat Galaxy is YUNGBLUD.
More than two weeks ago, a video clip of music executive Brandon Silverstein angrily yelling into his computer at a client on a Zoom call began circulating around the music industry, prompting widespread curiosity and speculation over the circumstance that led to this on-camera blow up.
Here’s what Silverstein was so upset about: His business relationship with rising English rapper LeoStayTrill, a former contestant on The Voice U.K. who is signed to Silverstein’s S10 Entertainment label.
LeoStayTrill has enjoyed some recent TikTok success with his gliding single “Honeybun,” leading to an uptick in interest from companies around the music industry. In the leaked video, Silverstein threatens to take legal action against the artist and his representatives. On the other side of the call were two managers working with the 17-year-old rapper.
“Bro, I have tens of millions of dollars,” Silverstein says at one point. “I’ll sue you; I’ll f—ing sue your artist; I’ll f—ing sue your artist’s father. I’ll sue everybody. I’ll sue the label you sign to; I’ll sue the f—ing publisher you sign to, so shut the f— up.”
Later he returns to this theme: “I’ll f—ing sue you for tortious interference, you f—ing idiot.” Silverstein adds, “I have 40 grand of my own f—-ing money in this f—ing project,” and that the other managers “don’t have money to litigate.”
Silverstein, who also co-manages the Latin star Myke Towers, didn’t say in the clip what they’d be litigating. In a text viewed by Billboard, Silverstein apologized to LeoStayTrill’s representatives after the call, blamed his behavior on personal matters, and said there might be a way to potentially bring a major label into the business relationship.
In a statement to Billboard, Silverstein said that “prior to the Zoom call, a threat of physical harm was made against a member of my team” — LeoStayTrill’s managers vehemently deny this — resulting in “a heated business dispute.” “I’m not proud of losing my cool,” Silverstein’s statement continued, “but I have learned from this experience.” He declined to elaborate on the threat or comment on anything related to LeoStayTrill’s contract.
The two men on the other side of the call were Alistair Goldsmith, co-founder and president of Chosen Music, and Ade Shonubi, who runs the management company FlyStr8. In a statement, Goldsmith said that “being spoken to in this manner is completely unacceptable. It’s never been acceptable… We won’t tolerate it and will sing from the rooftops about any abuse of power against both our artists and our team.”
The video “should not have been shared on the internet,” says Goldsmith. (He declined to comment on how it was distributed.) “It now has been, so it’s only fair to add that Brandon Silverstein immediately apologized to both Ade and myself.”
While a source close to the rapper says he’s “not happy” and “doesn’t really want to do music anymore,” LeoStayTrill’s managers also declined to comment on his contractual obligations to S10, which offers management and music publishing operations in addition to its label services.
Heated business disputes are of course common between artist representatives and the labels they work with. A previous generation of executives sometimes even boasted about their ability to sling insults across the negotiating table. Former CBS Records head Walter Yetnikoff wrote in his memoir about “regaling [a] reporter with stories” of him “throwing plates at lawyers.” (This was confirmed to Esquire in 1986 by the music attorney Allen Grubman, who said one of those plates was hurled in his direction.)
Mores in the music industry have changed significantly since Yetnikoff ran a record company, however. And at the same time, in the social media era, more disputes between artists and labels play out partially in public, where fans and bystanders can weigh in — with little regard for facts or feelings.
Last year, for example, Halsey accused her label, Capitol Records, of preventing her from releasing “a song that I love.” In April, Halsey and Capitol parted ways. (“We are incredibly proud of all we accomplished together, and wish Halsey the very best in all their future endeavors,” Capitol said in April.)
That same month, the Brazilian singer Anitta — who was Silverstein’s management client at the time, though they’ve since stopped working together — split with Warner Records. Her departure came not long after she lambasted her label on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “If there was a fine to pay [to extricate myself from my contract], I would have already auctioned off my organs, no matter how expensive it was to get out,” the singer wrote. (Warner declined to comment at the time but said they “wish Anitta all the best in the future” in a joint statement announcing the end of the business relationship.)
Halsey and Anitta are established artists with big hits and large global followings. In contrast, LeoStayTrill is still at the start of his career — he just turned 17. “Honeybun” recently passed the 1-million-stream threshold on Spotify; one TikTok clip using the single has amassed more than 3 million views on the platform.
Another recent clip posted by LeoStayTrill is captioned “f*** the label.” But getting out of a deal without a star’s leverage and resources may not be so easy. In a statement, Goldsmith said that “the issue… is now being handled professionally, and in the best interests of a 17-year-old artist.”
Each week we’ll be sharing the most important news from the north with Canada’s top music industry stories, supplied by our colleagues at Billboard Canada.
For more Canadian music coverage visit ca.billboard.com.
PARTYNEXTDOOR’s Decade-Old Track Tops Canada’s TikTok Year-End
Every year, TikTok takes a look back at the songs and creators that made a mark on the year. At times, it feels like an alternate dimension.
The most popular TikTok song in Canada this year belonged to PARTYNEXTDOOR – no doubt a major hip-hop and R&B artist. However, the version of the Canadian star’s 2014 song “Her Way” that tops the list is not the original, but a sped-up version attached to a dance challenge.
“The song’s accelerated tempo seemed to resonate perfectly with the fast-paced, dynamic nature of TikTok,” says Kat Kernaghan, Head of TikTok Music Canada. “It’s not just about consuming the music; it’s about actively participating in the creative process.”
Many of the biggest songs on the social media platform were the ones that people interacted, memed and played with the most. That can resurrect an older song, like Justin Bieber’s “Beauty and a Beat,” which was released over a decade ago in 2012.
Here’s the full list of most popular songs on TikTok in Canada this year:
When it comes to the most popular artists on TikTok in Canada this year, it’s an interesting mixed bag. Tate McRae is on the list after a year that saw her transcend social media onto the stage of SNL and the cover of Billboard. Artists like Lauren Spencer Smith, Alexander Stewart and Faouzia made intimate and emotional music that people related to so much they had to use the sound. Others, like Tiagz, blurred the lines between “creator” and “artist,” making content designed to go viral first, then chart later.
Find the full list here.
Why Changes Could Be Coming to Montreal’s Music and Noise Laws
Montreal venue owners have been making noise about existential threats to their businesses. Now, the City of Montreal says a new nightlife policy will make changes to how noise is regulated in the city.
On Nov. 20, Sergio Da Silva incited a conversation about noise complaints when he posted a screenshot of a message recently received by Turbo Haüs, a long-running rock venue he co-owns located in Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles entertainment district.
In French, the message informs Turbo Haüs that they may be subject to a fine of up to 12,000 Canadian dollars ($8,950) because noise from the venue was audible in a nearby residential region.
Turbo Haüs is far from the only venue affected by noise complaints in Montreal.
Prominent venue The Diving Bell Social Club, is currently preparing to close down this month, in part due to complaints the venue says they’ve received from a neighbouring landlord.
Responding to questions about noise complaints, Julien Deschênes — a political aid for the City of Montreal — tells Billboard Canada that a new nightlife policy is currently under development at the city, and should be ready for city council approval in January. The policy, Deschênes says, will seek to implement the “agent of change” principle, which puts the burden on new buildings that go up near commercial establishments to adapt to the existing noise in the area and not vice versa.
Deschênes says that the specific framework is not yet finalized, but that the policy will aim for implementation in the Ville-Marie borough, home to Turbo Haüs, as well as Plateau-Mont-Royal, where The Diving Bell is located.
Montreal has a reputation for supporting arts and culture — launching the careers of Canadian stars like Kaytranada and Grimes just in the last decade — but as rents rise, new developments go up, and the city landscape changes, artists and cultural workers are raising concern about the future of the city’s venues. READ MORE
SOCAN Foundation Announces Winners for 2023 Black Canadian Music Awards & Young Canadian Songwriters Awards
The SOCAN Foundation has announced the five winners of its fourth annual Black Canadian Music Awards, a group of rising talents in Canada’s music industry. Toronto hip-hop artist DVBLM; R&B singers Liza, Savannah Ré, and Myles Castello; and genre-hopping NAIIM take home $10,000 each as this year’s winners, with support from Sirius XM.
The awards, which were announced on Dec. 12, seek to recognize Black creators from all over the country. They’re determined by a jury of Black artists and industry experts from a pool of applicants.Honourable mentions for this year’s awards went to Eleanor, Tona, Kirk Diamond & FINN, Mah Moud and Ryan Ofei.
The SOCAN Foundation also just announced winners for another awards program: the Young Canadian Songwriters Awards.
The winners include seventeen-year-old Sofia Kay, who recently helped K-POP group Tomorrow x Together hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200, co-writing their single, “Sugar Rush Ride.”
The winners of that award are:
Andelina Habel-Thurton for “Le grand retour de l’insomnie”
Brighid Fry (a.k.a. Housewife) for “Matilda”
Elizabeth Royall,for “Numb”
Fin McDowell for “People I Barely Knew”
Sofia Kay, for “Fuu”
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Since its founding in 2010, boutique publishing house Heavy Duty Music has landed its writers and producers credits on songs by the likes of Frank Ocean, Bon Iver and Miley Cyrus, to name a few. But even for a company with such big hits under its belt, 2023 has been a big year: Over the past nearly 12 months, their writers and producers have appeared on releases from Drake, Nicki Minaj, Dominic Fike and The Kid LAROI, as well as Grammy-nominated albums by Cyrus, Travis Scott and Drake & 21 Savage.
This week, Heavy Duty added to that momentum with a string of signings, including Nightfeelings (Kelela, Panda Bear), Anthoine Walters (Drake, Post Malone), Gabe Goodman (Maggie Rogers) and comedian Whitmer Thomas. For a company with just shy of 50 writers and around 7,000 copyrights, it all adds up to a formidable year, one bolstered by a number of awards won by its sister company, the custom-music shop Heavy Duty Projects, which provides opportunities for its writers to work on projects with brands like Gatorade, Apple, Google and film and TV studios. Altogether, the momentum earns Heavy Duty founding partner/CEO Josh Kessler the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Kessler talks about the success his writers have experienced this year, how he attracts new clients and the opportunities he sees, even amid the challenges of scale faced by the modern music industry. “I am excited about Heavy Duty’s future,” Kessler says. “We have seen some great growth over the last few years and with so much consolidation in our industry it creates opportunities for a boutique creative publisher like us to meet writers’ needs with a more white-glove approach.”
You’ve had your writers and producers featured on recent releases from Nicki Minaj, Drake and The Kid LAROI, and on recently Grammy-nominated albums from Miley Cyrus, Travis Scott and Drake & 21 Savage. What’s your approach when it comes to helping get your clients involved with high-profile records and artists?
It’s spotting the talent first and fostering a creative environment for success. For us, the goal is to identify opportunities for our writers that push boundaries and garner critical acclaim. Those records are always a great springboard to getting into more high-profile rooms.
How important can a Grammy nomination or a No. 1 album placement be for a writer’s career?
We are inspired by forward-thinking, innovative artists and songwriters, and are lucky to be working with so many on our roster. If nominations or commercial success come, it’s a wonderful thing. This kind of acknowledgment can offer a younger writer access to bigger opportunities, and for established writers, it’s verification of their talent. It can of course be great financially too.
You also recently signed Nightfeelings (Kelela, Panda Bear), Anthoine Walters (Drake, Post Malone), Gabe Goodman (Maggie Rogers) and comedian Whitmer Thomas. What’s your pitch to new clients, and how do you position the company separately from other publishers?
Our entire team collaborates across every writer, producer and artist on the roster. So the collective brain trust is always there, individualized for each writer. I’m blessed to run this company with my business partner, Grammy-winning producer Ariel Rechtshaid, and to have our head of A&R Emmy Feldman — they both have incredible instincts and great taste. We have teams in L.A., N.Y. and London who work across all media, with a focus on synch. Collectively these teams are constantly looking at identifying ways to give our writers, artists and songs in the catalog more commercial opportunities. We also have an amazing studio facility for our roster to use. This combination of team, resources and staying focused on an artist’s vision is what draws talent to Heavy Duty.
You also have a sister operation that connects your clients to custom music opportunities. How does that work, and what are the opportunities there for songwriters?
Our music agency, Heavy Duty Projects, is led by industry veteran Kate Urcioli and focuses on bespoke music, music supervision, sound design and final mix for advertising, trailers, film, TV and video games. Because of our roster and the high-profile projects we work on, we can offer these media companies a unique access point to the music industry. Last year we won several Clios and the Guild of Music Supervisors’ video game award for our work on Saints Row. We recently completed projects for Apple, Etsy, Gatorade, Google and the Aquaman trailer. Composer/writer Amanda Yamate scored the Adam Sandler film You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah and is currently scoring the Netflix series The Dream Academy co-produced by Interscope and HYBE. Writers on the publishing roster have the opportunity to write music across all these bespoke projects.
How do you see the music business evolving in the next year when it comes to the publishing business?
So much music is being released these days it’s hard to break through the noise. Writers and artists understand this more than ever and are expecting publishers to be a more involved creative partner. I believe it’s one of the cornerstones which build long and lucrative careers, [and] Heavy Duty is well positioned to take on this challenge.
– Megan Thee Stallion agreed in October to settle a long-running legal battle against her former record label record label, 1501 Certified Entertainment. The deal came after more than three years of bitter litigation stemming from her accusation that 1501 duped the young artist into signing an unfair record deal in 2018 that was well below industry standards. That cleared the way for her to sign a distribution deal with Warner Music in December.
– Kesha and Dr. Luke reached a settlement in June to end a decade-long lawsuit accusing the pop star of defaming him in 2014 when she accused him of raping her in 2005. The agreement came on the eve of trial — and just a week after a New York court issued a key ruling that would have made it harder for Dr. Luke to win the case.
– DJ Envy, the host of the popular Breakfast Club hip-hop radio show, was sued over the summer by dozens of investors who claimed he was complicit in an alleged multi-million-dollar real estate investment scam in New Jersey perpetrated by celebrity real estate guru Cesar Pina. Envy denied the allegations and said he too was a victim of the fraud. But when federal prosecutors indicted Pina in October for running a “Ponzi-like investment fraud scheme,” they specifically noted that Pina had “partnered with a celebrity disc jockey and radio personality” to boost his reputation.
– New state laws restricting drag performances were struck down as unconstitutional, first in Tennessee, then in Florida, and finally in Texas, each time on the grounds that they likely violate freedom of speech. Such statutes are nominally aimed at protecting children from obscenity, but critics say existing laws already do that and that the new legislation is instead a thinly veiled attack on the LGBTQ community. The new laws have been closely watched by the music industry over concerns that aspects of concerts could run afoul of broad new restrictions.
– Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison in August for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the foot during an argument, capping off three years of legal drama over the violent 2020 incident. The sentence came after Lanez was convicted on three felony counts at trial, a verdict that the singer is currently appealing.
– The two key remaining members of Journey — lead guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain — battled in court over back-and-forth accusations related to band finances and a corporate American Express card. The lawsuit was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Journey’s internal dysfunction and legal issues, as detailed by Billboard’s Steve Knopper.
– A private feud between longtime members of the legendary rock band Mötley Crüe burst into public view in April when co-founder Mick Mars filed a lawsuit accusing his former “brothers” of tossing him to the curb after he said he could no longer tour due to a “tragic” disability called ankylosing spondylitis. The rest of Crüe, on the other hand, says they offered Mars “generous compensation” as a courtesy, but that he instead chose to file an “ugly public lawsuit.”
Austin-based booking and live music management software company Prism.FM has secured $5 million in Series B funding, the company announced.
Andrew Lindner, founding partner of Frontier Growth, led the effort, personally investing $1.55 million through a syndicate investment pool with Connor Ryan and other members of Frontier Growth’s ecosystem. Existing investors also participated in the round including Stephen Cook, Jay Jensen, Kip Mclanahan, Advantage Capital, Rich Arnesen and more.
The new capital will be invested in product, engineering, and go-to-market strategy for the industry leading platform that brings venues, agencies, and promoters together in one system. Prism’s CEO and founder Matt Ford says that Prism has already been used to plan hundreds of thousands of shows at over 10,000 venues worldwide.
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“We have seen unprecedented growth after supporting the live music industry during the pandemic,” says Ford, chief executive officer at Prism. “We saw the music industry nearly collapse and were fortunate to be in a position to help. We were one of the first funders of NIVA, continued investing in our product, and worked out payment arrangements with customers who were struggling. We will continue to stand with the industry and grow our product to help live music thrive.”
In addition to unprecedented growth in the talent buying ecosystem, Prism has also found significant traction in new market segments like touring promoters, performing arts centers, and Broadway presenters.
Lindner also recently made a $30 million investment in live music software platform at Venu, through Frontier Growth.
“Matt and I have a shared passion for the music industry,” says Lindner. “It’s an industry that is rapidly evolving and adopting technology at an accelerating pace. The Prism team has shown a deep commitment to supporting live music and have a real connection with their end users. Their platform gives promoters and independent venue operators a better way to manage the critical function of talent acquisition.”
Ford has launched multiple software companies servicing the live music industry, such as spotlight.fm and Solstice. He has also started and ran a concert promoter business, organizing an annual festival and booking thousands of shows annually at various venues in Austin, Texas.
If it’s Friday, you know it’s high time for another spin around the Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across music.
Keychange U.S., a non-profit organization championing gender equity and inclusion across music, added four new members to its board of directors: Andreea Gleeson (TuneCore), Christine Osazuwa (Measure of Music, Shoobs), Jessica Sobhraj (Cosynd), and Matthew Yazge (Whitman Insight Strategies). Additionally, Keychange U.S. hired YouTube and Reddit veteran Maria Gironas as its new general manager, working closely with the board on its stateside initiatives. Founded in 2017, Keychange focuses on empowering women and gender minority artists and industry pros. The organization’s goal is to reshape the music industry to make it more inclusive. Keychange’s Gender Equality Pledge has been signed by more than 650 global music organizations. The U.S. expansion of Keychange was launched in June 2022 with funding from TuneCore and its Paris-based parent Believe.
“After launching the gender equality study, BE THE CHANGE three years ago, it was important that we continued to support the mission of the report, namely, to see the industry move towards more equitable and diverse representation across genders. That’s what led us to Keychange,” said Gleeson. “Witnessing the impact of what Keychange has been able to achieve in Europe and the many lives it has influenced, it became apparent that we needed to bring similar efforts to the US. I’m honored to be named US Chair for the Board of Directors. Together with the rest of the illustrious board, I am excited to continue to drive impact, both globally and locally, for women and gender-expansive individuals, be they developing music creators or rising executives.”
South Korean tech conglomerate Kakao, owner of Kakao Entertainment and a majority stakeholder in K-pop company SM Entertainment, appointed Shina Chung to be its next CEO. She currently runs the company’s venture arm. When Chung officially takes over the mothership in March, she’lll be Kakao’s first female chief executive and has already signaled change is afoot at the perpetually embattled company. “I will carry out active and responsible management,” Chung said. “I will not miss this opportunity for change because Kakao does not have much time.” Her appointment arrives a month after Kakao and its former chief investment officer were indicted for stock manipulation related to its pursuit of SME earlier this year. Kakao owns the country’s dominant chat app, KakaoTalk, and subsidiary Kakao Entertainment owns Starship Entertainment, home to K-pop megastars Monsta X, as well as South Korea streaming app Melon. In August, Kakao Entertainment and SM Entertainment revealed their plans to create a North American joint venture by the end of this year.
Ming Lu was appointed to the newly created role of vice president of artist development and entertainment strategy at Universal Music Greater China. Ming Lu’s job will be to build up opportunities for the label’s Chinese-language roster and facilitate opportunities for artists across film, TV, gaming and other sectors. Ming Lu joins Universal from Warner Music, where he most recently served as a senior director. Prior to WMG, he put in five years as director of artist management at Modern Sky.Based in Beijing, Ming Lu will report directly to Timothy Xu, chairman and CEO of UMGC. “With his keen insights on youth culture and strategic approach in the entertainment businesses, Ming Lu will be instrumental to drive the innovation and growth at the very heart of our business – providing the full spectrum of services and utmost opportunities for artists,” said Xu.
All in the Family: Veteran journalist Raina Kelley is VIBE‘s new editor-in-chief. Starting Jan. 2, Kelley will oversee the editorial direction and vision of the 30-year-old VIBE brand as it begins a new chapter as part of the portfolio of its sister publication Variety. She’ll work closely with Variety co-EICs Ramin Setoodeh and Cynthia Littleton, who’ll expand their remits as editorial directors of VIBE. The NYC-based journalist was most recently vp and EIC of Andscape, the ESPN vertical devoted to covering the intersection of Black culture and sports. She assumed the leadership role in May 2021 after serving as managing editor of the site (then called The Undefeated) for five years. Prior to The Undefeated, she served as deputy editor at ESPN The Magazine. Vibe joined the Penske Media portfolio — which also includes Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter — through its 2020 joint venture with MRC. “We’re thrilled to welcome Raina to the Variety family,” said Setoodeh and Littleton. “Raina brings with her an incredibly rare set of skills and experiences across politics, sports and media. She will be instrumental in maintaining VIBE’s unique voice of authority and infusing her perspective into all of our initiatives. We look forward to VIBE’s exciting evolution ahead.”
Agency Briefs: Creative Artists Agency (CAA) announced 16 promotions to agent. Those promoted include Gabrielle Fetters, Megan Glendinning, Justin Gorkowitz, Evan Greenberg, Leilani Houston, Alex Hubert, Hannah Kaiser, Ashley King, Kyle Margolis, Peppa Mignone, Max Miller, Khalil Roberts, Sarah Phillips, Cami Potter, Jack Upton, and Connie Yan to agent or executive. (Dave Brooks) … GOA Music & Speakers (Greg Oliver Agency, Inc.) has expanded and elevated its staff, with Tim Robinson joining as an artist agent, and David Richt being promoted from booking coordinator to artist agent. GOA Music currently represents Big Daddy Weave, Tasha Layton, Rhett Walker and more. (Jessica Nicholson)
Death Row Records hired UMG veteran Kat MacLean Daley as the revamped label’s first vp and head of publishing, effective immediately. No surprise, MacLean Daley reports directly to DRR owner Snoop Dogg and is based in Los Angeles. In her new role, she’ll handle day-to-day operations and focus on building on Death Row’s publishing prowess, plus expand the label’s catalog and roster. She joined UMPG in July 2017 in the business and legal affairs department, and worked her way up to director of music sampling and business development. “Kat’s already a legend in the world of clearances and publishing, and her drive and discipline was what I wanted to bring to Death Row,” said Snoop. “The talent that has been a part of Death Row for over 30 years deserves to have their songs heard, but also to be properly licensed and paid as songwriters and producers. I know that Kat is the right person to take care of our history, while also helping us write the story for the chapters to come. There’s a Kat in the Dogg house now.”
Board Shorts: The Country Music Association elected its board of directors for 2024, with new board members including Austin Neal (The Neal Agency), Shannan Hatch (SESAC), Mike Harris (UMG Nashville), Jeffrey Hasson (UTA), Annie Ortmeier (Triple Tigers Records), Rachel Whitney (Spotify), Brent Daughrity (Gallagher), Deana Ivey (Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp), Michelle Tigard Kammerer (Amazon Music), Adam Weiser (AEG Presents), Stephen Parker (NIVA) and John Zarling (615 Leverage + Strategy). The board officers for 2024 will be Kella Farris, chairman (Farris Self & Moore, LLC), Jay Williams, president-elect (WME), Jennie Smythe, president (Girlilla Marketing) and Ben Vaughn, secretary/treasurer (Warner Chappell Music Nashville) … Former Stone Temple Pilots manager Steve Stewart joined the advisory board of Sonar Media, a new music, social media, and streaming mobile platform … Former AOL and Univision-ary Kevin Conroy joined the advisory board of American Weekend Entertainment, parent of Gen Z influencer network Music Daily.
ICYMI:
Warner Music Nashville appointed Stephanie Wright as senior vp of A&R … WME announced detailed departmental changes relating to A&R and bookings … Scott Hendricks (pictured) will be leaving Warner Music Nashville at the end of the month … The National Independent Talent Organization (NITO) hired Nathaniel Marro as its first managing director … and Datwon Thomas was named executive producer of talent for Dick Clark Productions (DCP).
Global creative audio network Squeak E. Clean Studios named Chris Clark and Michael Gross (MG) co-managing directors of the U.S. At the same time, Hamish Macdonald will step aside as global managing director of the company, which creates soundtracks and sound designs for ads, film and TV, but he’ll continue to oversee Squeak E’s operations in Australia. Clark joined the Squeak squad in 2020 from ad giant Leo Burnett, while MJ is two years in after a tenure at someplace called “Google.” Macdonald said he is “so proud of this announcement,” adding, “It is such an incredibly exciting next stage in Squeak E’s growth and a much deserved promotion to two great leaders. Both Chris and MG have all the talent, skills and drive to handle the role of MD independently, but as they both bring insights steeped by equally impressive backgrounds from different sides of the industry, they are the dynamic duo to lead this incredibly talented team into the stratosphere.”
Radio, Radio: Partridge Family star Danny Bonaduce retired from Seattle radio this week after 12 years at classic rock station KZOK. Bonaduce, who said he’ll take it easy in Palm Springs but keep a place in his “beloved Seattle,” said recently that he has hydrocephalus, a neurological disorder caused by a buildup of fluid in cavities deep within the brain … Australian radio legend Richard Kingsmill announced his retirement after a 35-year reign as a champion of music at Triple J radio. “His dedication and passion for supporting Australian music and musicians has shaped our industry,” said APRA AMCOS in a statement. “An absolute a radio her. Big bravo.”
Warner Music Group veteran Barry Landis launched Pivot Music, a new label offering scoring and licensing services for filmmakers and music supervisors. Pivot’s general manager of operations is Ben Jones, a graduate of Belmont University’s Curb College of Music Business. “I’m excited for this new approach to the music industry,” says Jones. “The models for business are constantly changing and being at the frontlines of these shifts is crucial.”
Anastasia Brown departed Visionary Media Group (VMG), where she has been chief content strategist since 2020. Brown’s role centered on directing the creation and allocation of all digital and physical content across platforms for VMG’s music, film, television and scoring projects. Her 30-year career includes roles as a music supervisor, artist manager, music publisher, film/soundtrack/TV producer, author, TV personality, A&R/label executive and content creator at companies including Firstars Management in Nashville, Ark 21 Records, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation and Warner Nashville. She earned a Grammy nod for her role as music consultant on the 2011 Footloose remake and served as an on-air judge on the USA Network series Nashville Star from 2005 to 2007.
Experiential entertainment company Mycotoo promoted Cirque du Soleil alum Michael Wilder to director of production and hired Jessica Herrera as director of business development. Wilder has 25-plus years of experience under his belt, and recently spearheaded Mycotoo’s production for the fan activation for Netflix’s “Stranger Things: The Experience.” Herrera has 16 years of economic development experience and was previously the director of econ dev for the city of El Paso, Texas. Mycotoo CEO Seth Cover: “Their unparalleled expertise and track record of success will be undoubtedly valuable in enabling us to deliver live experiences that bridge entertainment, human connection, and inspiration to audiences worldwide.”
Executive Turntable: Spotify’s UK Boss Departs