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Linkin Park is facing a lawsuit that claims it has refused to credit or pay royalties to an ex-bassist who played with the band in the late 1990s — a legal battle triggered by an anniversary re-release of the band’s smash hit 2000 debut album.
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In a complaint filed Wednesday (Nov. 8) federal court, Kyle Christner says he helped creating many songs that were included on the 2020 box-set edition of Hybrid Theory, which holds the lofty distinction as the best-selling rock album of the 21st century. But he says his contributions have been effectively erased.
“Christner has never been paid a penny for his work with Linkin Park, nor has he been properly credited, even as defendants have benefitted from his creative efforts,” his lawyers wrote in the lawsuit.
Christner claims he was a member of Linkin Park for several months in 1999, until he was “abruptly informed” that he had been fired shortly before the band signed a record deal with Warner Records. But before his exit, Christner claims he played bass on a self-released EP and on several demo recordings, some of which he says he “helped compose.”
His lawsuit claims that as many as 20 of those recordings were released as goodies on the 2020 re-release, making him “a joint creator of many tracks in the box set.” That includes a song called “Could Have Been,” a never-before-released demo track that has amassed 949,000 views on YouTube.
According to Christner, the situation came to a head earlier this year when he was contacted by a Linkin Park representative offering him royalties for the Hybrid Theory re-release. The email allegedly read: “You get mechanical royalties for 3 demos and the 6-song Hybrid Theory EP that you performed on.”
Christner responded by pressing the band for a more detailed explanation of his royalty breakdown, and arguing that he was entitled to a cut from a greater number of tracks — “more than twenty songs.” He later told the band: “If you do not believe I deserve writing credits on these songs, please state your reasons for that in your response.”
Later, after lawyers got involved, Christner says the band backtracked, denying that his work appeared in the box set at all.
“In other words, after admitting that Christner played on at least some tracks included in the box set and admitting that Christner was entitled to at least some ‘mechanical’ royalties, which are royalties paid for compositions, defendants repudiated Christner’s co-authorship and co-ownership of the works at issue,” his lawyers wrote in Wednesday’s complaint.
In technical terms, the lawsuit is asking a judge to issue a so-called declaratory judgment that says Christner is a co-author and co-owner of the copyrights in question, and to weigh in on the “rights and obligations of the parties” — meaning, whether the band owes him a cut of royalties and how much. He also is asking for a court-ordered accounting of royalties for the disputed songs.
As defendants, the lawsuit personally names Linkin Park’s living members (Mike Shinoda, Rob Bourdon, Brad Delson and Joseph Hahn), as well as its business entity, Machine Shop Entertainment LLC, and the band’s label Warner Records.
A rep for Linkin Park did not immediately return a request for comment.
It’s Friday, we’re in love with Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across the music industry.
There’s no place like home for Tim Braüner, the longtime Atlantic Records A&R exec who’s set to return to his native Denmark early next year for an elevated role within WMG. Starting Feb. 1 in Copenhagen, Braüner will be director of international A&R for Warner Music Nordics and Warner Music Denmark. He’ll report to the incoming head of Warner Music Denmark and will also work closely with Mark Fry, president of Warner Music Nordics, as well as the territory heads of Finland, Norway and Sweden. He launched his music career at WMD back in 2016 before being recruited by Atlantic two years later to join the team in NYC. Currently vp of A&R, Braüner has signed and worked with Atlantic roster artists including CKay, Major League DJz, Studio Killers and Surf Curse. “It’s great to have Tim back in the Nordics,” said Fry. “We were so proud when he was tapped by Atlantic for an A&R job in New York and now he’s back with five years’ experience and a wealth of connections that’ll help him super serve our artists.”
Warner Music Group appointed Alexandra Condon as vice president of public policy and government affairs, making her the point-person between the label and policymakers across the EU and the UK. She’ll also stay in close contact with key trade orgs and other stakeholders and be an all-around public advocate for the company. The London-based Condon joins WMG after more than a decade at PRS for Music, where she crested as head of policy and public affairs, and played an important role in the UK collecting society’s campaigns for copyright legislation. She reports to Mark Baker, svp of PPaGA. “This is a pivotal time for the music industry, with many exciting challenges and opportunities in front of us,” Condon said. “It’s never been more important to ensure policymakers understand our business and the need for a legal framework that enables us to keep investing in artists and songwriters.”
Mike Chuthakieo was named the first chief revenue officer at 88rising, reporting to CEO and founder Sean Miyashiro out of Los Angeles. Chuthakieo leads brand partnership strategy develops new commercial partnerships at the music and media company, which aims to elevate Asian talent. Chuthakieo comes to 88rising from Pinterest, where as an industry lead he launched the entertainment and restaurant industry sales teams. Prior to Pinterest, he held roles at Pandora, FOX, Myspace and Wasserman Media Group, among others. “88rising’s explosive growth over the past years has been phenomenal to watch,” said the new CRO. “I’m humbled and excited by the opportunity to join the team and apply my expertise to continue broadening the reach of this cultural powerhouse.”
Music distribution and payments platform Stem hired Nick Terzo to help extend its reach with labels and other rights owners. As the company’s new head of label and catalog partnerships, Terzo will scout opportunities for pairings with indie labels, music IP funds and catalogs, as well as work on ways to boost Stem’s artist development efforts. The East Coaster arrives from his own catalog consultancy company Radical Songs, and before that held roles at Royalty Exchange, Columbia/Sony and Maverick. Since joining Stem, Terzo has already stacked up at least a couple wins: he facilitated or guided pacts with both Immortal Records and Brooklyn Music Distribution. He reports directly to Kristin Graziani, president of Stem Distribution. “Nick is a fantastic addition to our growing team,” Graziani glowed. “He brings an infinite wealth of experience, knowledge, and relationships that will undoubtedly expand our presence and amplify our capabilities.”
Dylan Berthier is Kobalt‘s new chief people & culture officer, based in London and reporting to CEO Laurent Hubert. Berthier has 20-plus years experience in leading HR teams, and recently navigated the impossible-sounding task of leading Activision Blizzard’s P&C team during Microsoft’s just-closed $69 million acquisition of the gaming giant. Hubert hailed Berthier as being adept at leading teams “of all shapes and sizes through times of change and expansion, facilitating innovation and ensuring organizations have a culture of excellence and ways of working to enable these transformations.”
ICYMI: Hipgnosis hired a new CFO and general counsel … Amazon Music shed jobs … Delia Orjuela and Ruben Abraham were picked to lead WMG’s Mexican music division … Island hired Jay Schumer away from Columbia … Sony Music Mexico aligned with Manuel Cuevas … Maria Inés Sánchez was appointed Sony Music Latin’s new vp of West Coast operations … and CAAers in Nashville will have new digs in 2025.
Spotify named Tim Foisset as head of label partnerships in Nashville. He will manage Nashville’s label partnerships team, including Gemma McInturff, Miller Guth and Meagan Bennington. Foisset previously spent 13 years at Warner Music Nashville, most recently serving as senior vp of commercial partnerships. Prior to WMN, Foisset was director of digital marketing at Razor & Tie out of New York City. –Jessica Nicholson
Independent live producer and promoter Danny Wimmer Presents increased its headcount by five as it looks to capitalize on recent growth. DWP’s newest team members: Lisa Brende, evp of intelligence, will lead a team using data and research to help DWP stay on task in making sure “the voice of the fan is at the heart of everything they do.” She previously held senior roles at TikTok and Sony Music. Steve Donovan, project manager, will oversee teams working on production, artist relations and hospitality. He arrives from Google, where he was a senior project manager. Dan Lerner, senior designer, responsible for crafting visually compelling projects for DWP. His past work as an illustrator and graphic designer includes many a poster and album cover. Ryan Brady, accounting manager, is tasked with streamlining the finance team at DWP. He has over seven years of experience, including at Live Nation. Tanvi Varma, staff accountant in DWP’s accounts receivable/payable desk. She arrives from Wasserman Media Group, where she worked in the sports division.
Secret City Records, the Montreal-based label home of Patrick Watson and The Barr Brothers, among others, elevated Magali Ould to the newly created role of general manager. Ould is tasked with managing the indie label’s day-to-day operations, reporting directly to company president and CEO Justin West. She has been a key member of the label for 12-plus years in communications and project management roles, including director of marketing. Ould has also been key in pushing Secret City’s expansion into Francophone music, working with Daniel Bélanger, Antoine Corriveau and others. “Secret City’s tremendous growth, as well as the accelerated pace of the changing market, both bring new challenges and opportunities, and drive the need for additional management infrastructure to ensure the relevant parts of the organization continue to function at the highest level,” said West.
Music financing company beatBread hired Spencer LeBoff to spearhead a new division that offers an expanded offering of highly customizable publishing advances for songwriters. His title at beatBread, which offers advances as little as $1,000 up to $3 million, is general manager of publishing. LeBoff arrives from BMG Music Publishing and previously spent time in A&R at Warner Music, where he worked with artists including Dua Lipa and Adam Lambert. “We’ve seen significant success building partnerships on the artist side since we launched in 2020, and it’s already clear that there is real demand from songwriters for our offering,” said founder and CEO Peter Sinclair. “Spencer is an outstanding leader, and we’re excited about where this business will go, and there is much more to come.”
Musicians On Call announced four new hires at the non profit, which brings live music to hospitals: Jenny Methling as senior director of strategic partnerships; Cindy Gonzalez and Simba Woodard as program coordinators; and Lia Okenkova as a grants coordinator. “This is an exciting time for Musicians On Call as we welcome new team members whose creativity and passion will help take our mission to new heights.” said Musicians On Call president & CEO Pete Griffin.
Talent agency Wasserman Music welcomed four new executives to its ranks. They are: Brad Goodman, LA-based senior vice president. He brings decades of experience and several clients — Melissa Etheridge, “Weird Al” and Ziggy Marley — from his time at WME. Sam Bartlett, vp of casinos and performing arts centers. The CAA and ICM veteran oversees the company’s roster when booking for casinos and other venues in the U.S and Canada. Taryn Haight, LA-based vp of strategy, electronic music. This new role looks for brand-building and non-touring opportunities for WM’s roster of dance artists. Guy Mason, London-based legal counsel. Joining from VCCP Group, Mason will support Wasserman’s European business affairs team. “Since the launch of Wasserman Music in 2021, we have always put a premium on our culture and on super-serving the artists we have the honor to represent around the world,” said Wasserman Music evp & managing executive Lee Anderson.
The Chamber Group promoted Shannon Atran to director of public relations at the boutique firm. In her new role, Atran will oversee PR campaigns and overall messaging — including in crisis situations — for a wide swath of TCG’s music clients, including Lil Wayne, Mass Appeal and Big Sean, among others. Atran joined TCG in 2019 following a four year stint at MWWPR. She is New York based and reports directly to Chris Chambers, TCG’s principal and founder. “Her work and attention to detail has earned her spot as a senior member of the team at the company and I look forward to seeing the direction her career takes from here,” says Chambers.
Outback Presents promoted Taylor Freeman to senior booking manager at the independent live events promoter. The Nashville-based Freeman joined Outback Presents four years ago and has zeroed in on comedy tours, primarily, including Taylor Tomlinson, Leanne Morgan and Dusty Slay. He began his career with a four-year tenure at WME, where h honed his craft in the music department. You can hit up Freeman at taylor.freeman@outbackpresents.com.
Nashville Notes: Republic Live hired Anne Stirk as director of marketing and brand strategy, where her duties include the Boots and Hearts Music Festival. She arrives from Spotify, where she was an artist and label marketing specialist … Bob Squance joined music publisher Lady Luck Songs as creative director. He arrives from Round Hill Music, where he served as senior director of A&R … PLA Media added senior social media and marketing consultant Pip Wynans, who was most recently a Crowd Surf digital marketing manager … The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum hired Caroline Mullins as director of marketing. Prior to joining the museum, Mullins held positions at Lipscomb University and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
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Several years ago, Miami-based Loud And Live CEO Nelson Albareda tried to book Brantley Gilbert for a country festival there — but, he says, Gilbert’s agent wouldn’t even pick up the phone. Though Albareda would grow to be a giant in the Latin touring community — he was named Billboard’s 2023 Latin Power Players executive of the year — at that time he was still building his company.
“I called my accounting team and said, ‘Wire $300,000 to William Morris and put Brantley Gilbert on it. And an agent called me and said, ‘Hey, why’d you wire me $300,000?’ and I said, ‘Exactly for this. We’re on the phone. I want to make a deal.’” And that’s how Loud And Live booked Gilbert for 2016’s one-day Tequila Bay Fest, which also featured Montgomery Gentry (in the duo’s last show before Troy Gentry’s death) and Kip Moore, among others.
But Albareda had much bigger plans on his mind. He was keenly aware that country music appealed to Latinos — a Country Music Assn. study showed that Hispanic country music listeners increased 25% between 2006 and 2016 — and that the Miami market was highly underserved by country music tours, which tended to stop in Palm Beach, Fla. — located 75 miles north — instead.
Flash forward seven years and Albarada is realizing the dream that started so many years ago with this weekend’s two-day Country Bay Music Festival. Kicking off Saturday (Nov. 11), the festival, held on the Miami Marina Stadium grounds in Key Biscayne, Fla. near downtown Miami, will feature headliners Sam Hunt and Thomas Rhett, as well as Lainey Wilson, Chris Young, Lee Brice, Elle King, Blanco Brown and BRELAND, among others. For some local flair, Miami-based Latin acts Alexandra Rodriguez and “Cuban Cowboy” Orlando Mendez are also on the bill, as well as country duo Neon Union, which includes Miami-born Leo Brooks.
This time, Nashville agents were all in. Albareda says he had a phone call with 60 agents to talk about the festival and that former agent Gilbert Paz, who now works for Albareda, visited Nashville at least three times over the last two years to meet with agents and managers.
One of those meetings was with The Core Entertainment, whose clients Nate Smith and Josh Ross are playing the festival. The company’s co-founder, “Chief” Zaruk, remembers meeting with reps from Live And Loud several months ago. “They came to [Nashville] with the purpose of saying, ‘Here’s our concept,’ and to explain to people what their vision was for this festival. They did it very smartly,” he says.
The idea of playing to a more diverse audience immediately appealed to Zaruk. “The Latin scene is massive, so if there’s an audience there that we can tap into that also loves country, we’re excited about the opportunity to get into a new fan base,” he says. “It’s only going to help country music and it’s only going to help personally our artists and we’re really excited to see the reaction.”
Fans can attend the festival via land and sea. The Miami Marine Stadium grounds hold around 25,000 people, but eventgoers can also enjoy it from their own boats with the purchase of a BYOBoat pass. “One of the things we want to do is capitalize on what Miami is all about,” Albareda says. “The venue and the way that it’s laid out has a whole view of downtown Miami. Miami Marine Stadium was originally built as a stadium for boat races, so the stadium faces an entire marine basin. Through the years it’s become an iconic place to anchor your boat. What we’ve done for the first time is secured the permits to close the basin and issued permits for you to bring your boat.”
Albareda adds that the festival’s more than 100 boat permits have sold out, with prices based on how many feet the boat measures. Tickets for landlubbers are scaled from as low as around $144 for a one-day pass to two-day platinum VIP tickets priced at more than $1,000.
Sponsorship dollars are also rolling in, with Zelle serving as the primary partner. “We are 300% above what our original budget was,” Albareda says.
To build awareness for the festival, which Loud and Live is presenting in conjunction with its South Florida-focused live events division, EngageLive!, the promoter held a series of pre-parties at the VIVO! Dolphin Mall featuring free concerts by such acts as Frank Ray and Austin Snell and is slated to hold a kick-off party on Friday night (Nov. 10).
Albareda sees tremendous similarities between the Latin and country genres, including the loyalty of the fans to the artists, the tight-knit industry, the emphasis on family and songs that rely on storytelling. “When you look at country music, it’s all about the story, when you look at Latin music it’s about the story. They’re about ‘I’m in love’ or ‘I’m gonna have a tequila’ or ‘I’m gonna have a beer.’ Those cultural relevances are very similar between Latin and country so that is something that has really attracted me.”
Therefore, Albareda views Country Bay Music Festival as more than a one-off event. “I believe that Loud And Live is not only invested in Country Bay, but in figuring out how do we continue to grow within the country genre,” Albareda says, adding that the company is looking at promoting individual country shows within Miami beyond the festival and then building from there to other cities.
Country Bay’s biggest local competition comes from the three-day Tortuga Music Festival, held every spring in neighboring Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (this year’s edition, which occurred in April, featured Shania Twain, Kenny Chesney and Eric Church, among others). But Albareda sees the two events as more complementary than competitive.
“The festivals are far enough apart and we wanted to differentiate with our diversity. Miami is a diverse city, we wanted a diverse line-up,” Albareda says. “The idea was to [be] reflective of what’s happening overall with music and even with country. Also, if you’re going to have it in Miami, you should reflect the diversity of a market like Miami.”
While it’s too early to know for sure how successful Country Bay will be financially, Albareda is bullish on country music’s overall future in Miami. “We expect hopefully to make money and, if not, to break even,” he says. “Whether it will be profitable or not, we have a multi-year internal commitment to build the festival. We are already picking talent for next year.”
During a show last month at Madison Square Garden, Stevie Nicks announced a surprise collaboration with an unlikely partner: Barbie.
The 75-year-old musician, who rose to rock icon status as a member of Fleetwood Mac and as a solo musician, told the sold-out crowd that a doll fashioned after her 27-year-old self would soon be released (she later announced the news on X). When the $55 doll was made available for pre-order hours later, it sold out almost instantly.
The tambourine-toting Stevie Nicks Barbie doll arrives to buyers on Friday (Nov. 10) as part of a limited-edition collaboration between Nicks, Barbie manufacturer Mattel and independent publisher Primary Wave. Primary Wave’s chief brand officer, Jeff Straughn, says that “all the stars aligned” for a project that’s also creating fresh opportunities for Nicks and the company.
In 2020, Primary Wave acquired a majority stake in Nicks’ publishing copyrights as well as her name and likeness (partnering with Kobalt on administration for the catalog). As part of the deal, Primary Wave represents Nicks in brand alliance and brand marketing opportunities and offers her access to its marketing, branding, Broadway, film/TV, digital strategy, licensing and synch teams. The Stevie Nicks Barbie is the first project developed under this partnership.
The company had already established a sparkling track record in such endeavors, telling Billboard last year that it had quadrupled the value of the Whitney Houston estate after assuming 50% ownership of the late icon’s assets in 2019. Other legendary clients include Smokey Robinson, portions of the estates of Prince and Bob Marley and the entire James Brown estate.
Primary Wave had already been in general discussions with Mattel about prospective collaborations when it signed the deal with Nicks. “Given that we have a lot of legendary and active artists, I felt like there had to be a match,” says Straughn. “We went into the conversation a little broader, but we also knew, through my conversations with Sheryl [Louis, Nicks’ longtime manager] that Barbie would be something Stevie is very interested in doing.”
“She doesn’t say yes to a lot of things,” Straughn continues, “but this isn’t about branding for her, this is a passion … and what we try to do a Primary Wave is go with organic opportunities that are authentic to the brand and audience.”
Nicks and her team worked directly with Mattel on the doll’s design. There were several iterations of the face and outfit, with the team ultimately styling it after Nicks’ iconic look from the cover of Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 classic, Rumours. Nicks even sent the actual outfit she wore on the album cover to Mattel for accuracy.
“Sheryl told me from the beginning that when Stevie gets involved, she’s hands-on, and she wasn’t lying,” says Straughn.
The doll is thus dressed in a black velvet dress with gauzy flowing sleeves. She sports a pendant necklace and a moody gaze that seems to ponder the players who only love you when they’re playing, with Nicks overseeing details “all the way down to the tambourine,” says Straughn.
Stevie Nicks Barbie
Excitement about the project was already high at Primary Wave during development, but the project was brought to a new level with the 2023 Barbie movie. The film — which was released in July and grossed $1.4 billion at the box office — fostered a renewed level of appeal and cultural relevancy for the Barbie brand, helping fuel enthusiasm around Nicks’ version of the doll.
While the doll was originally slated to come out closer to the 2023 holiday season, it was Nicks’ idea to move up the release date to capitalize on movie’s success, an opportunity Straughn calls “once in a lifetime” synergy.
The Barbie movie’s appeal also synchs with Nicks’ own broad fanbase. “Not many artists like Stevie, who’s 75, can hit multi-generations,” says Straughn. “There are seven-year-olds out there that love Stevie Nicks.” He says Mattel was aware of this broad appeal and “identified Stevie as something that would be interesting to them, based on their research.”
Mattel has previously transformed rock stars into toys with Barbie versions of Tina Turner, David Bowie, Gloria Estefan and Celia Cruz. Now, Straughn says other Primary Wave artists have approached him asking for their own doll. Although he says it’s not a project every artist can do, he does hint that other Primary Wave collaborations with Mattel may be forthcoming.
The doll — already selling for more than twice its sticker price on the secondary market — isn’t likely to generate vast revenue and wasn’t intended to. (Primary Wave is not able to disclose exactly how many dolls were manufactured, although Straughn estimates it was “tens of thousands.”)
“It wasn’t as much about a financial win as much as it was about marketing,” says Straughn. The real benefit is the buzz that’s lifting all parts of Nicks’ and Primary Wave’s businesses. Straughn reports that streams of Nicks’ music have gone up since the doll’s announcement, and that it has brought multiple queries about synching her work for campaigns.
“That impact is exactly why I lead this branding team,” says Straughn. “The message here is really that these projects open up other opportunities, music-wise.”
Stevie Nicks Barbie
Even if Spotify’s new royalty model won’t pay artists’ whose tracks don’t hit 1,000 streams in a year, songwriters will still earn money from those plays — for now, at least.
As Billboard reported last month, Spotify is planning to implement three changes to its royalty model early next year that would affect the lowest-streaming acts, non-music noise tracks and distributors and labels committing fraud. Under this new scheme, more than two-thirds of the tracks uploaded to that platform will be eligible to receive royalties — but that, notably, that will only impact about 0.5% of the royalty pool.
Nevertheless, this has sparked debate around the music community, with some questioning the ethics of not paying artists for whatever streams they garnered simply because they were not popular enough. Others supported the plan, citing the paltry sums an artist would be making for under 1,000 annual streams anyway (which amounts to about five cents). Many also believe this new rule could provide alleviate the issue of the royalty pool being divided among the exponentially-growing number of songs on Spotify’s platform, which likely dilutes the amount of money flowing to career artists.
But this change to Spotify’s royalty model does not affect songwriters and publishers payments at all, a source close to the company confirmed to Billboard. It just affects those who are involved in the master recording copyright.
For the uninitiated, there are two copyrights associated with every song released: the underlying musical work (often also called the “composition” or “song”) copyright, which protects the lyrics and melodies written by songwriters, and the master recording (also called the “sound recording”) copyright, which protects the artists’ one specific recording of that musical work.
In the United States, the royalty rates that songwriters and publishers can charge for the composition side of things are controlled by a government entity known as the Copyright Royalty Board. Every five years, the statutory rate structure for songwriters and publishers is renegotiated with the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) as well as Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and other groups and individuals who represent the music industry’s fight to raise rates. (Other territories often base their publishing royalty rates off of those set in the U.S.)
Not everyone agrees on what specific rate structure they want, which has led to some infighting, but they all unite behind one principle: songwriters should earn more money. In fact, publishing earns just a fraction what the recorded music side does on streaming overall, the rates are far from equal. Many in the music business wish the current Copyright Royalty Board system could be abolished, freeing songwriters and publishers to negotiate rates in a free market without government interference, but this is unlikely to change, given it would require an act of Congress to overhaul an over one hundred year old law and services, many of which are owned by some of the world’s largest technology companies, would certainly lobby against it.
Those whose interests lie on the recording side, like record labels, get to negotiate directly with streaming services to set their royalty structure. This is why the streaming payment system can be experimented with in the ways seen now through Spotify’s recent changes, as well as Deezer’s new “artist-centric” payment plan, created with UMG. Overall, the publishing side of the business is handcuffed to whatever the current ruling says.
The system of streaming royalty payments for publishers and songwriters for 2023-2027 (also known as “phonorecords IV” “phono IV” or “CRB IV”), the current five year period, has already been set. National Music Publishers’ Association president and CEO David Israelite says it is possible that the next five year period, phono V, could be reconfigured to more closely mirror what is happening on the master recording side but that determination process won’t begin until about early 2026.
“We will have the benefit of watching how this plays out for a while before we ever have to address it, but it’s way too early to speculate what we might do,” says Israelite. Still, he adds, “it is horrible that we are locked in the statutory rate structure where we have no flexibility other than these five year windows but that is our situation… It’s a very different conversation than one company sitting down with another company and agreeing what they want to do [like it happens on the master side]. We are asking a court through litigation or an agreement to set a structure that applies to everyone and to build consensus around that. It’s much harder to change.”
Hipgnosis Song Management (HSM) has announced that Daniel Pounder will become the company’s next chief financial officer, replacing Chris Helm by the end of this year. HSM has also created a new position of general counsel, tapping Jonathan Baker for the job. Both join from BMG.
The news arrives after a number of personnel changes to the company in recent weeks, including Hipgnosis Songs Fund board chair, Andrew Sutch, and two other board members who either resigned or failed to win re-election to their seats.
Hipgnosis — which owns rights to songs by Journey, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, and many more — is comprised of three branches: Hipgnosis Song Management, Hipgnosis Songs Capital and Hipgnosis Songs Fund. The latter of the three has been mired in controversy in recent weeks after it was announced that the London-listed trust would not pay its investors a dividend because of new, lower projections for revenue.
During a shareholder continuation vote on Oct. 26, where investors were asked to vote on whether they wanted to keep the investment trust going or liquidate the fund, selling $440 million worth of catalogs to the private side of the company — Hipgnosis Songs Capital — which is backed by Blackstone, more than 80% of investors voted in favor of the board drawing up “proposals for the reconstruction, reorganization or winding-up of the company to shareholders for their approval within six months,” the board said in a regulatory filing. “These proposals may or may not involve … liquidating all or part of the company’s existing portfolio of investments.”
In his role as CFO, Pounder will oversee the finances and investment functions of all three. He has over two decades of experience in music finance and accounting, including senior roles at BMG, Viacom, Famous Music and Sony Music Publishing. He completed his accountancy training with Deloitte and was admitted into the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales in 2003. By 2013, he was admitted as a fellow.
Current CFO, Chris Helm, will pass the responsibilities to Pounder over the next month and a half. According to a press release, the two will be “working closely” together to do a complete hand over until then. Helm will then be leaving to “launch a new business of his own early next year.”
Baker will oversee the legal affairs of the company’s catalog acquisition and day-to-day legal and business affairs for Hipgnosis. He will coordinate with the company’s outside counsel, including Bill Leibowitz, and will hold the responsibility for governance and compliance matters for the company and the fund’s clients.
Previous to this, Baker has 20 years of legal experience. He joins from BMG, where he has been general counsel in the U.K. and evp legal and business affairs international since 2012. Prior to that role, he worked at Simkins, a media and entertainment law firm.
Merck Mercuriadis, CEO and founder of Hipgnosis Song Management, says of the appointments: “It is always a priority for me to continually strengthen our executive leadership team to ensure we have the best institutional investment, finance and music capabilities and experience to deliver the next stage of development for Hipgnosis and our funds. This was the case starting with the appointment of Ben Katovsky as president and Chief Operating Officer one year ago and we’re delighted to welcome Dan and Jon to round out this process, particularly as this group of leaders have a proven successful chemistry of working together.
He adds, “Dan’s extensive experience and expertise in global music finance, ability to leverage data and technology and proven track record in supporting and enabling growing businesses will be of significant value to HSM and our fund clients as we work to further institutionalize the reporting and rigor of the song asset class. Likewise, Jon’s experience and expertise in global music legal affairs will support our funds while allowing us to prioritize responsible governane and compliance for Hipgnosis.”
The owner of one of the country’s most recognizable independent venue companies has agreed to accept a petition on behalf of its bartenders, ID checkers, ticket collectors and floor staff to unionize.
Dayne Frank, president and CEO of First Avenue Productions which owns the famed First Avenue venue and operates six other venue locations in the Twin Cities area, was presented with petition from more than 200 employees earlier this month asking the company to recognize efforts to unionize as part of UNITE HERE Local 17, Minnesota’s hospitality workers’ union. UNITE HERE has about 300,000 members nationwide and is a member of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.
“We recognize that our employees are a key to our success,” Frank said in a statement sent to Billboard, “and it is why we have continually worked to provide them competitive pay, health insurance for anyone working more than 25 hours per week, 401k matching contributions, and more. So when bartenders, service, and event staff expressed their desire to form a union, there was only one answer, which is why we will voluntarily recognize the union, and are committed to bargaining in good faith.”
Employees at First Avenue Productions, which include staff from 7th Street Entry, the Fitzgerald Theater, the Palace Theatre, the Turf Club, Fine Line and the Depot Tavern, began organizing earlier this year through the city’s Restaurant Opportunities Center as part of an effort to address staff disagreements over pay, scheduling and training.
On Nov. 2, more than 70% of the company’s employees voted in favor of moving forward with unionization through UNITE HERE. Frank is expected to begin contact negotiations with UNITE Here in the coming weeks.
“Bargaining in good faith will require everyone to look at the challenges we face as a whole, and how we can strengthen our workplace, incorporate more perspectives, and ultimately move forward together,” Frank said. “While this might be difficult, and will inevitably result in change, I am committed to working together to address those challenges.”
Frank is also a founding board member of the National Independent Venue Association and as the group’s former president led successful efforts to petition the federal government for billions of dollars in relief aid for thousands independent venues facing closure due to COVID-19, including those managed by First Avenue Productions which received more than $17 million from the Shuttered Venue Operator Grant program. The federal aid program is widely credited with preventing the collapse of the independent venue industry.
Warner Music has revamped its regional Mexican music operation, announcing veteran executives Delia Orjuela and Ruben Abraham as co-heads of its growing Música Mexicana division.
In their new roles, Orjuela and Abraham will jointly lead the division’s overall strategy for the U.S. and Mexico. Orjuela will focus on artist relations and creative projects, and Abraham will concentrate on operations, growth and dealmaking.
Abraham, an 18-year veteran of Warner, was most recently senior vp of marketing and artist strategy for Warner Music Latina, based out of Miami.
He will now join Orjuela – who joined Warner Music Latina as general manager of Mexican music in 2021–in Los Angeles. Both executives will report to Tomás Rodríguez, president of Warner Music Mexico and Central America, with additional oversight from Alejandro Duque, president of Warner Music Latin America.
Warner’s restructure is aligned with the label’s new focus on Mexican music. Years before, Warner had been a powerhouse in that arena, but over the years the label focused more on pop.
Once Duque joined the company as president in 2021, he made Mexican music a priority and launched the Música Mexicana division, signing acts like Los Aptos, Tomas Ballardo and DannyLux, who performed at Coachella this year. Last year, the label also signed veterans Grupo Pesado, who had been in Warner decades ago, and stars like El Komander.
“Música Mexicana is a diverse body of music with a long, rich, and beautiful history. Delia and Ruben’s deep experience, relationships, and passion for Mexican music make them the ideal leaders as we strengthen our commitment to taking Música Mexicana into a new era of global growth and influence,” said Duque in a statement.
“I look forward to leading Warner Music’s Música Mexicana division alongside my colleague Ruben Abraham,” said Orjuela. “Together, we will build on the foundation that has been established to help take Mexican artists and music to new heights.”
“It’s an honor to help shape the future of Música Mexicana,” said Abraham. “The growth of Mexican music consumption in Mexico itself and in the U.S. is a big priority for us, and I’m excited to collaborate with Delia to accelerate our artist development and reach. With the teams, tools, and expertise of our network, we have an incredible opportunity to amplify Mexican music worldwide.”
Tomas Rodriguez adds: “Delia and Ruben are powerhouses when it comes to championing artists and driving business results. Our Música Mexicana efforts are in the perfect hands under their strategic leadership.”
Regional Mexican music, also known as Música Mexicana, has long been one of the backbones of Spanish language music in the United States, bolstered by a huge Mexican American population. But in the past year, both local and global interest in the music has exploded, and major labels like Sony and Warner are putting new emphasis and resources behind the music.
Sony Music México announced on Thursday (Nov. 9) the launch of M4 Records, a label run by music executive Manuel Cuevas, who has helped propel the careers of artists such as Carlos Rivera, Yuridia, Lila Downs, Filipa Giordano, Gilberto Santa Rosa and, more recently, regional Mexican singer Luis Ángel “El Flaco”. “Manuel is an executive […]
Amazon started cutting jobs in the company’s music division this week, according to Reuters.
“We have been closely monitoring our organizational needs and prioritizing what matters most to customers and the long-term health of our businesses,” an Amazon spokesperson told Billboard in a statement. “Some roles have been eliminated on the Amazon Music team. We will continue to invest in Amazon Music, and spend our resources on the products and services that matter most to customers, creators, and artists.”
The rep did not provide any information on the extent of the cuts.
The latest wave of cuts adds to a brutal period for tech — and a rough one for the music industry. In the last 18-ish months, the tech behemoths, from Google to Meta to X (formerly Twitter) to Microsoft, have all laid off tens of thousands of workers.
Amazon has also gone through waves of big cuts already, first eliminating 18,000 jobs, and then cutting another 9,000. “The overriding tenet of our annual planning this year was to be leaner while doing so in a way that enables us to still invest robustly in the key long-term customer experiences that we believe can meaningfully improve customers’ lives and Amazon as a whole,” Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told employees in March.
In July, the site layoffs.fyi, which tracks the tech industry, estimated that more than 386,000 tech workers had been fired around the world since the beginning of 2022.
In music, Downtown Music Holdings, Warner Music Group, Spotify, Motown Records, Soundcloud, BMI, and more have laid off employees. (Downtown and SoundCloud have both done two rounds of cuts.) The language music executives have used in their layoff announcements has echoed messages from the tech world, often relying on buzzwords — think “efficiency” and “evolution” — and emphasizing the importance of “future success” as if that suddenly became an organizational priority.
It’s widely believed around the music industry that there are more layoffs to come.