Business
Page: 284
Songwriters of North America (SONA), a songwriter advocacy organization, has launched a New York chapter. Along with the new branch, the organization has also announced new developments in its leadership.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
News of a New York chapter follows months of planning by SONA to successfully create an East Coast hub. The organization held a meeting in September in Manhattan with local songwriters and publishers to talk about the possibility of establishing a New York SONA chapter and to find new board members. At that meeting, the group also discussed BMI’s then-potential sale to New Mountain Capital for a reported $1.7 billion and how that might affect its membership.
According to today’s announcement, Camus Celli has been tapped to oversee the New York chapter. Additionally, Kellie Brown has been named SONA’s new COO. Erin McAnally has been appointed to Executive Director. In this role McAnally will oversee SONA’s advocacy, membership and education initiatives. Linda Bloss-Baum has been added to the board.
Michelle Lewis will continue to serve as SONA’s CEO, but she will now oversee both SONA and the SONA Foundation, which are sister organizations with separate boards and missions.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with and build upon the strong foundation laid by such formidable advocates who work to protect and lift up songwriting as a profession,” says McAnally, executive director, SONA. “SONA provides a powerful nexus where advocacy, education, and songwriting meet, and the organization wholly aligns with so many of my life’s passions.”
“SONA’s original co-founders and I believe, as we grow from a friend-group of songwriters and composers advocating for our rights to an established, sustainable trade association and advocacy group, our most important, defining characteristic is that we remain creator-led,” adds Lewis, CEO of SONA and The SONA Foundation. “So, in selecting my successor, we looked for someone with a policy brain and a creator heart. I’m so happy and grateful to have found that unique combination in Erin McAnally. In addition, we have always imagined our growth would lead us to having a presence in DC and NY. It took eight years of hard work and growing pains to get here, but we are so excited to reach this goal! Welcome to the SONA-verse Camus and Linda!”
Warner Music Group has launched the Warner Music Space, a new hub headquartered in Rio de Janeiro that will house Warner Music Brazil, Warner Chappell Music Brazil and ADA Brazil operations. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The newly-inaugurated collaborative space, located in Barra da Tijuca in […]
Share of streaming among the top 10,000 tracks measured by Luminate in its recently-released 2023 Year End Music Report went down by 3.8 percentage points since 2021. Which begs the question: Where did that 3.8% go?
It went fully into the streaming share of Spanish language tracks, which went up by 3.8%.
Indeed, today, Spanish is the second most consumed language in music, both in the U.S. and globally.
In the United States, the top three languages in music consumption by percentage of the total are, of course, English (88.8%), followed by Spanish (8.1%) and Korean in a distant third (0.7%).
The most recent numbers show Spanish language music’s market share among the country’s most popular songs almost doubled over the past two years — jumping from 4.2% of the top 10,000 tracks in 2021 to 8.1% in 2023. Overall, consumption of Latin music in the U.S grew by 19.4 billion on-demand audio streams in 2023, a 24.1% jump. In total number of streams, it was second in growth only to country, which grew by 20.4 billion streams.
Worldwide, English-language music consumption among the 10,000 most listened to tracks fell substantially in 2023, from 67% in 2021 to 54.9% in 2023. Spanish-language music consumption also dipped, from 12.4% in 2021 to 10.1% in 2023, while consumption of music in Hindi grew from 6.1% to 7.8%, and in Japanese from 1.3% to 2.1%. However, all told, Spanish is still the second most listened to music language in the world, according to the study.
In the U.S., Spanish-language music’s growth has been a very gradual process that’s come with the growth of streaming, a bigger Latin population, and with a major cultural shift that accepts that there are more cultures and languages that can coexist. Chief among them is Spanish, which benefits from being the lingua franca of an entire continent, plus Spain. While Latins are not monolithic, as many have long pointed out, they are all (with the exception of Brazilians) united by language; go to any Latin music concert in the U.S., and you’ll find a plethora of nations gathered under the same roof enjoying the same music, regardless of its origin.
The shift in consumption has been noticed by mainstream labels; 25 years ago, Latin acts like Shakira and Ricky Martin, had to record in English to garner widespread promotion. Spanish, the language which has long defined “Latin” music, was conversely, widely seen as stepping stone on the path to international superstardom but not as the goal.
Today, for the first time, mainstream labels are signing and developing artists who record solely, or almost solely in Spanish, such as Yahrtiza y su Esencia to Columbia Records and Xavi to Interscope.
There is strength in numbers, and those numbers opened the door for Latin artists to scale the charts by singing only in Spanish, as well as for predominantly Spanish-language series –like “Narcos” and the new “Griselda”—to score big viewing numbers despite what many would have perceived as a language barrier years ago.
But clearly, today there is a growing number of non-Spanish speakers who also listen to music in Spanish. According to recent consumer research insights from Luminate, for example, 25% of U.S. music listeners (ages 13+) said they engage with Spanish-language music, even though Hispanics account for 19% of the population.
People may not speak Spanish, but they’re definitely listening to the music.
A man charged with stalking Taylor Swift outside her Manhattan home was arrested for a third time Wednesday shortly after he was released from police custody, meaning he’s facing new felony charges that could keep him behind bars for years.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
David Crowe, 31, had already been arrested on Saturday and Monday outside Swift’s TriBeCa apartment building and charged with misdemeanor stalking and harassment. But after he was released following an arraignment hearing on Wednesday, he apparently bee-lined back to the same location.
Police say they responded to a 911 call around 2:30 pm about a disorderly male in the area of Swift’s apartment. Though Crowe was gone when they arrived, police say he later turned himself in and was arrested for violating the strict protection order imposed on him as a condition of his release.
In addition to the original charges, Crowe is now facing four counts of criminal contempt in the first degree, a spokesman for the New York Police Department confirmed to Billboard – a felony that can result in as much as a five-year prison sentence. It’s unclear if the new counts are bail-eligible under New York state law, which would make it harder for Crowe to seek another quick release.
Crowe could be arraigned in Manhattan court on Thursday or Friday on the new charges. Manhattan prosecutors declined to comment on Crowe’s latest arrest.
The Seattle native was first arrested on Saturday afternoon, police say, after they responded to a 911 call regarding a “disorderly person” near Swift’s apartment. Crowe had allegedly “attempted to open a door to a building at the location” and was taken into custody on a previous arrest warrant.
Then on Monday evening, witnesses reported an “emotionally disturbed male acting erratically” near the same location, police say; officers then spotted Crowe “harassing multiple complainants” and he was taken into custody.
Following that arrest, Crowe was charged with one count of stalking in the fourth degree, one count of harassment in the first degree, and one count of harassment in the second degree.
In charging documents, prosecutors say that a security guard for an unnamed individual — presumed to be Swift — reported that Crowe has been spotted near Swift’s apartment roughly 30 times since late November and that on multiple occasions he had stated that he was there to speak to the same unnamed individual. The security guard reported that he had “asked the defendant not to approach the building or to leave the immediate area surrounding the building” on 10 separate occasions.
If convicted of those original charges — all misdemeanors — Crowe faces up to three months in prison for both the stalking count and the first-degree harassment count. If convicted on the second-degree, Crowe faces up to a year in prison.
Country superstars Morgan Wallen and Eric Church are pairing for a different kind of collaboration: The two avid outdoorsmen have purchased outdoor lifestyle brand Field & Stream.
The duo are part of an ownership group that has bought the retail side of the trademark from Dick’s Sporting Goods and the media platform from Recurrent for an undisclosed sum. The move brings the brand under the same ownership for the first time in its 150-year history.
Plans call for expanding the brand to include the Field & Stream Music Festival, a new fall outdoor music event co-produced by Southern Entertainment; relaunching the print magazine, which ceased publishing in 2015; a refreshed digital platform; and a limited edition apparel collection inspired by Church and Wallen.
“I can remember my grandfather kept a few of his favorite Field & Stream magazines on the dash of his truck,” said Church in a statement. “That truck took us on hundreds of outdoor adventures and I all but memorized every story and every picture on every page. They were my Bible. It is the honor of my life to make sure that legacy carries on. It is both this responsibility to an American icon and also to a young boy in his papaw’s truck that will be the compass that guides our steps.”
“There’s nothin’ I love more than being with friends around a campfire, on a boat or in a deer stand — and Field & Stream represents all of those to me,” said Wallen. “Being part of its future is incredible and we want to keep bringing people together outdoors, makin’ memories, for generations to come.”
As Wallen told Billboard in December, he’s actively looking to expand into businesses outside of music, including his recent affiliation as an investor and brand ambassador with upstart Ryl Tea and moving into real estate. This falls into that plan. “I like having a bunch of different things for me to focus on. [Otherwise], I’ll get bored,” he said at the time. “I have a lot of opportunities, so I’ve been trying to take them.”
The new owners are also bringing back the Field and Stream 1871 Club, whose members will have exclusive access to the bi-annual print magazine and other benefits including priority ticket access to the music festival and VIP entry into outdoor experiences. Ten percent of net profits from the 1871 Club will go to non-profit organizations that support outdoor causes.
Doug McNamee, former president of Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia brand, will lead the Field & Stream brand. Colin Kearns, editor-in-chief of Field & Stream’s online site, will remain in his position.
“We are committed to reinforcing Field and Stream’s legendary status as the authoritative voice of the American outdoors,” said McNamee in a statement. “We look forward to unifying our passionate enthusiasts under a single canopy as we steward this trusted brand toward a thoughtful and expansive revival. As the latest in the lineage of caretakers, we aim to restore and amplify Field & Stream’s authentic voice with our extended storytelling family.”
BMG is reshuffling its deck in North America as the independent music powerhouse “doubles down” on its commitment to the world’s biggest music market.
Leading the changes is Jon Loba, who rises from BMG Nashville president to become president Frontline Recordings, North America. Moving forward, Loba is responsible for BMG’s entire North American frontline records business across Nashville, Los Angeles, New York and Canada.
The realignment continues with new duties for Thomas Scherer, until now running publishing and recordings activities in Los Angeles and New York. Scherer is named as head of global recorded catalog, while retaining responsibility for publishing, North America.
Now, Loba, Scherer and CFO Joe Gillen form BMG’s North American leadership triumvirate.
“We are making good on our promise to double down on our U.S. operation with a distinctive new approach,” comments BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld, that is, an integrated frontline operation “spanning the whole of North America plus a global catalog business steered from Los Angeles.”
BMG, he continues, “is stepping up. This is an integral part of our new strategy to deliver for artists and songwriters and go for growth.”
Loba, who joined BMG in 2017, when the company acquired Nashville-based BBR Music Group, is rewarded for delivering BMG its first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with Jason Aldean’s “Try That In A Small Town,” and achieving success with Jelly Roll.
Loba, explains Coesfeld, is “the ideal person to take responsibility for our L.A.-based recordings business” as the group evolves in the streaming era.
A company stalwart, Scherer joined BMG in 2008, moving to L.A. as executive vp of global writer services in 2014, and enjoying several promotions thereafter.
“He is the ideal person to lead our new streaming-first global catalog operation based in Los Angeles, while also retaining oversight of our important U.S. music publishing business, the backbone of BMG’s U.S. operation,” Coesfeld says of Scherer. “With Thomas at the helm of our Global Catalog Recorded organization, BMG will step up its investments in catalog.”
The changes, announced today (Jan. 25), come six months after Coesfeld was appointed as CEO, succeeding the retiring CEO Hartwig Masuch.
Coesfeld’s “energetic and strategic approach to the business has been very inspirational for all of us, because that’s the way our Nashville team runs,” comments Loba in a statement. “I’m looking so forward to working even closer with our staff throughout North America and as important, helping bring the visions of our amazing artists to life.”
Following his promotion to the top job in July, Coesfeld wasted no time in reshaping the company to maximize growth and capture opportunities. Among the changes announced to staff last November, a new global catalog team based in Los Angeles; a “recalibration” of its presence in continental Europe in line with the new local-global emphasis, which will involve focusing on “functional centers of excellence within Europe,” as well as aggregation of budgets and expertise; a further acceleration of its investments in tech and its myBMG system for artists; and the clarification of roles and structures that the company says will make it “more accountable to its artist and songwriter clients.”
The changes didn’t end there. BMG ended its distribution agreement with the Warner Music Group’s ADA and brought its digital distribution in-house, while striking a deal with the Universal Music Group for its physical distribution; formed direct deals with Spotify and Apple Music; and “a number of existing positions” were made redundant – with some 40 staffers let go, Billboard reported.
“We are changing the way we do things,” Coesfeld said in a statement at the time. “We will combine creative intuition with data-driven insights to deliver the best service for our clients and customers.”
The estate of late Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland has partnered with Primary Wave Music to mine new opportunities for the singer-songwriter’s music and overall legacy, it was announced on Wednesday (Jan. 24).
Under the deal, Primary Wave will partner with the estate to capitalize on Weiland’s publishing copyrights and recording royalties for all songs and recordings by Stone Temple Pilots, his later group, Velvet Revolver, and his solo output.
The agreement also gives Primary Wave a share of Weiland’s name, image and likeness rights, while the estate will be given access to the company’s marketing team and publishing infrastructure. The two entities will work closely on new marketing, branding, digital and synch opportunities along with film and TV projects.
Formed in 1989 by Weiland, Dean DeLeo, Robert DeLeo and Eric Kretz, Stone Temple Pilots released a total of six studio albums with Weiland as frontman, four of which hit the top 10 on the Billboard 200 and one of which (Purple) debuted at No. 1 on the chart. Velvet Revolver also saw success, with the band’s 2004 debut, Contraband, landing at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and its second and final album, Libertad, debuting at No. 5 on the tally. As a solo artist, Weiland released a total of three studio albums and one with his band the Wildabouts in 2015.
Weiland scored six Grammy nominations during his lifetime and won two — one for best hard rock performance with vocal for Stone Temple Pilots’ 1993 single, “Plush,” the other for best hard rock performance for Velvet Revolver’s 2004 single, “Slither.”
“There are few rock artists that had the impact that Scott Weiland did on music,” said Larry Mestel, CEO/founder of Primary Wave Music, in a statement. “We are honored to partner with Scott’s family on such a legendary catalog of music and career. Scott’s influence on music is unparalleled and he remains one of the most influential musicians in rock music. We are extremely grateful the estate has chosen to partner with us to continue to grow his incredible legacy.”
“We believe that Primary Wave are the perfect partners to secure Scott’s legacy as one of the great front men in rock history,” added Brian Harris Frank of Shelter Music Group and Dana Dufine of DBD Squared Entertainment, who manage Weiland’s estate. “We look forward to working with Larry, Natalia, Adam, and their teams and believe that their ability to connect artists with culture will ensure that Scott’s impact will be felt for generations.”
Natalia Nastaskin, chief content officer at Primary Wave, added, “Scott is the original influencer. The stories behind his undeniably authentic lyrics, effervescent performances, impeccable fashion sense, and meteoric rise to stardom are a filmmaker’s dream. I’m thrilled to work with Scott’s family, as well as Dana and Brian, on expanding and extending Scott’s legacy through new compelling IP projects across film, television, and stage.”
Weiland died of an accidental drug overdose on Dec. 3, 2015. He was 48.
A man arrested and charged with stalking Taylor Swift outside her Manhattan home has been released from police custody on supervised release after an arraignment hearing on Wednesday (Jan. 24).
David Crowe, 31, was arrested both Saturday and Monday outside Swift’s TriBeCa apartment building. Manhattan prosecutors, who charged the man with one count of stalking and two counts of harassment, say Crowe has been seen at the location more than 30 times since November.
At his first court hearing on Wednesday, a judge ordered Crowe released from custody but issued a protection order barring him from trying to contact Swift and imposed supervision to ensure that he abides by the order and returns to court for his next hearing.
The charges against Crowe were not eligible for bail under New York law, but prosecutors had urged the judge to impose “supervised release at the highest possible tier and level.”
“The defendant’s continued conduct in showing up to this location despite numerous directives to leave shows a clear risk that the defendant will not abide by court orders to return to court,” Harriet Jiranek told the judge at the hearing. “Based on the conduct in this case, the defendant should be under some level of supervision to ensure he abides by the order of protection and returns to court as directed.
Crowe was first arrested on Saturday afternoon, police say, after they responded to a 911 call regarding a “disorderly person” near Swift’s apartment. Crowe had allegedly “attempted to open a door to a building at the location” and was taken into custody on a previous arrest warrant.
Then on Monday evening, witnesses reported an “emotionally disturbed male acting erratically” near the same location, police say; officers then spotted Crowe “harassing multiple complainants” and he was taken into custody.
In charging documents, prosecutors say that a security guard for an unnamed individual — presumed to be Swift — reported that Crowe has been spotted near Swift’s apartment roughly 30 times since late November and that on multiple occasions he had stated that he was there to speak to the same unnamed individual. The security guard reported that he had “asked the defendant not to approach the building or to leave the immediate area surrounding the building” on 10 separate occasions.
If convicted of the charges — all misdemeanors — Crowe faces up to three months in prison for both the stalking count and the harassment in the first degree count. If convicted of his third count, of harassment in the second degree, Crowe faces up to a year in prison.
Swift’s publicist did not immediately return a request for comment on the incident. Crowe could not immediately be located for comment.
As alcohol consumption declines among young adults and awareness about the mental health benefits of sobriety grows, nonalcoholic cocktails could prove key to finding new food and beverage revenue for the concert business.
In 2023, CMA Fest, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Danny Wimmer Presents’ Louder Than Life and Bourbon & Beyond were among a dozen festivals to include mocktails and sober spaces at their events; Live Nation introduced the “no-jito” to its venue menus; and Oak View Group launched an elevated nonalcoholic beverage program at its Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif. And while conventional wisdom held that nonalcoholic drinks beyond soda and water would diminish alcohol sales, venues are finding that’s not the case.
“Since launching the mocktail program, our alcohol sales have remained steady, and overall beverage sales have increased by a margin that we are very pleased with,” says Daniel Griffis, president of global partnerships at Oak View Group. It has gone so well that OVG plans to start rolling out the program at other venues.
After launching in October in the premium level and expanding to the entire arena in January, Acrisure has sold more than 2,000 mocktails at $14 each — including the Blackberry Smash and the Firebirds Spritz, which use Lyre’s nonalcoholic spirits — says John Page, senior vp of Acrisure Arena, AHL team Coachella Valley Firebirds and OVG360 Facilities. “There have been a lot of positive comments that we are recognizing people that want to really experience the live event and have something different in terms of the beverage space, not soda or water,” he says. “This is one way that we can continue to show that we are aware and we have something for everyone in the venue.”
These activations were all launched in partnership with the nonprofit Stand Together and its 1 Million Strong initiative founded with sober community The Phoenix. They follow an open letter published in Billboard in January 2023 that featured 50 music industry leaders pledging support to 1 Million Strong.
“What I am excited to see, a year after, are those people actually doing it,” says Colette Weintraub, head of Stand Together Music, Sports & Entertainment.
At Live Nation, the initiative has brought a new corporate focus as well. Last May, the concert giant launched its Sober Nation program focused on fostering sober-inclusivity and destigmatizing addiction at their venues and offices. On Jan. 30 the company will host a Grammy-week brunch with 1 Million Strong and DMC of Run-DMC to raise awareness among staff and connect employees to available recovery and mental health resources.
On Jan. 30 the company will host a Grammy-week brunch with 1 Million Strong and DMC to raise awareness among staff and connect employees to available recovery and mental health resources.
For an industry that places a lot of emphasis on alcohol — from beverage sales to alcohol sponsors — Weintraub says the initiative has received a warm welcome so far. “We’re not saying ‘sober music industry,’ ” she says. “We’re saying this is an opportunity to expand and open the doors to more people and let more people participate in what’s important in life and supporting more people in achieving their full potential.”
Legendary songwriter and Country Music Hall of Famer Dean Dillon has signed a global publishing deal with River House Artists in partnership with Sony Music Publishing. Dillon, who was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002 and into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2021, is known for his long association […]