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Warner Records has partnered with respected hip-hop and R&B executive Tim Hinshaw to launch Free Lunch Records, an extension of his creative and touring firm Free Lunch Agency, the companies announced on Wednesday.
The collaboration aims to provide Warner artists ready access to Free Lunch’s creative, touring and sync services while serving as a new platform for emerging talent. Warner Records senior vp of A&R Ericka Coulter has been named general manager of the upstart label, which also announces its first two signings in Syd and Alex Isley. Coulter will keep her continue her role at Warner, the label noted.
Hinshaw announced Free Lunch Agency in August 2023 while still head of hip-hop and R&B at Amazon Music, a role he held five years. At launch, Free Lunch said its goal was to “authentically connect brands with artists and culture through bespoke storytelling and real-life experiences.” The agency’s name is a nod to the free lunch programs provided by public schools and parks in underserved communities nationwide.
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While at Amazon, Hinshaw played a key role in securing major partnerships, including the exclusive livestream of Kendrick Lamar’s The Big Steppers Tour and Amazon Music Live performances featuring Lil Baby, A$AP Rocky, and 21 Savage. He also spearheaded deals for high-profile events, including for Tyler, The Creator, J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival and Summer Walker.
As Amazon executive Steve Boom said at the time, Hinshaw put Amazon Music into the conversation among the hip-hop and R&B community “in a way, frankly speaking, we were not.” His efforts there earned him executive of the year honors in Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list in 2022.
Prior to joining Amazon Music, Hinshaw built the urban music division at Fender Guitars, worked in music marketing for Vans and co-managed his brother, songwriter Prince Charlez, leading to a joint venture with Island Def Jam and a global publishing deal with Universal.
Warner Records co-chairman and CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck praised Hinshaw’s ability to create impact beyond music.
“Tom [Corson] and I are thrilled to welcome Tim and his Free Lunch team to the label,” said Bay-Schuck. “His expertise stretches far beyond finding and nurturing talent – he knows how to make sure his artists are making an impact. Early on in our conversations, it was clear bringing Tim and Free Lunch into the Warner fold would be a perfect synergy. Tim is immersed in the vast culture of hip-hop and R&B, across music, sports, fashion, and live entertainment, and together we’ll work towards our shared goal of uplifting the best and brightest in the genre.”
Hinshaw added that “by uniting Free Lunch Agency with Warner Records, we can combine our expertise in creative, music, and brand building to elevate the first-class roster,” saying, “together we’ll expand the scope of artist narratives to connect even more deeply with fans across the globe.”
A Nevada judge on Tuesday postponed the murder trial of the only suspect ever charged in the 1996 killing of rap icon Tupac Shakur for nearly a year, saying she had little choice given new developments presented by his defense attorneys and the need to ensure a fair trial.
The trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis, previously set for next month in Las Vegas, has been rescheduled for Feb. 9, 2026. The judge ordered prosecutors and the defense to return to court over the summer for a status hearing.
“It looks like there are quite a few things that are left to be done to get this case prepared so that Mr. Davis can have effective assistance of counsel,” Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny said during a short hearing.
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When asked by the judge if he was OK with moving the trial that far out, Davis agreed.
Davis’ defense team filed a motion Friday seeking more time, saying critical investigative work had to be done and witnesses needed to be interviewed to ensure he gets a fair trial. The lawyers said a private investigator identified witnesses who can testify that Davis was not at the scene of the shooting.
Attorney Carl Arnold, who is leading the defense, said the case involves decades-old allegations and critical facts have yet to be fully examined.
On the night of Sept. 7, 1996, Shakur was in a BMW being driven by Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight. They were waiting at a red light when a white Cadillac pulled up next to them and gunfire erupted.
Davis, an ex-gang leader who is accused of orchestrating Shakur’s killing near the Las Vegas Strip, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and has been jailed since his September 2023 arrest.
Davis has acknowledged in interviews and in his tell-all memoir that he provided the gun used in the drive-by shooting and that he was in the car. But his court filings say his descriptions in recent years of orchestrating the shooting were “done for entertainment purposes and to make money.”
Arnold has argued that Davis never should have been charged because of immunity agreements that Davis says he reached years ago with federal and local prosecutors while living in California.
Prosecutors disagree, saying they have strong evidence against Davis and any immunity agreement was limited.
Defense attorneys also are raising questions about the manner of Shakur’s death, saying they have witness information indicating that he was in stable condition after the shooting and died suddenly after being hospitalized for a week. They want to consult medical and forensic experts to evaluate potential alternative causes of death.
This article was originally published by The Associated Press.
A$AP Rocky (Rakim Mayers) has been found not guilty on both counts in the shooting case involving his former friend and associate A$AP Relli (Terrell Ephron). The verdict, which the jury reached after about three hours, according to The Associated Press, was read in the downtown Los Angeles courtroom at 4 p.m. PT on Tuesday […]
A lawsuit accusing Bassnectar (born Lorin Ashton) of sexually abusing three underage girls has been settled ahead of trial. According to court documents filed in U.S. District Court in Tennessee on Tuesday (Feb. 18), the case against the electronic music producer was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled, after the two sides reached […]
Warner Chappell Music (WCM) has promoted Gabz Landman to senior vp of A&R at the company. News of Landman’s promotion comes just weeks after her longtime management and publishing client, Amy Allen, took home the Grammy for songwriter of the year, making her the first-ever woman to receive the honor. Landman got her start in […]
MashApp, a music remixing app featuring hit songs from Doja Cat, Ed Sheeran, Britney Spears and more, launched in the Apple app store Tuesday (Feb. 18). At launch, the AI-powered app has already worked out licenses for select tracks from Universal Music Group (UMG) and Warner Music Group’s (WMG’s) publishing and recorded music catalogs, Sony Music’s recorded music catalog, and Kobalt’s publishing catalog.
The app, founded by former Spotify executive Ian Henderson, features a TikTok-like vertical feed for users to share the remixes they make with the app. Among the tools it offers to users, MashApp boasts the ability to combine and mix multiple songs into each other and to speed up, slow down or separate out a song into its individual stems (the individual instrument tracks in a master recording).
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News of MashApp’s launch arrives just days after Bloomberg reported that Spotify is planning to launch a superfan streaming tier that includes extra features, like high-fidelity audio and in-app remixing tools.
MashApp, however, is the latest standalone app to use cutting edge technology, like AI, to allow users to morph and manipulate their favorite songs. Last year, Hook, another AI remix app, announced its licensing deal with Downtown. Other companies, like Lifescore, Reactional Music and Minibeats, have also played with the idea of allowing users more control over the music they listen to in recent years. With these tools, fans can turn static recordings into dynamic works that evolve over time based on a listener’s situation, whether that’s having the music respond to actions in a video game in real time or while driving a car. Even Ye (formerly Kanye West) played with this concept during the rollout of his album Donda 2, which was only available via a hardware device, called a Stem Player, that let listeners control the mix of the album.
MashApp is available for free or via a paid subscription for ad-free listening and additional features. Though mashups and remixes of hit songs are popular soundtracks for short-form content on TikTok and Instagram Reels, MashApp creations must be enjoyed within the app and are only available for personal use.
“MashApp’s mission is to bring the joy of playing with music creation to non-musicians, to let people play with their favorite music, as they have long done through DJing, mix tapes, mashups, and karaoke,” explained MashApp CEO/founder Henderson in a statement. “We want this new creative play to be a great experience for fans, but also for artists. This requires close partnerships with record labels and music publishers, and we’re excited that our partners have embraced our vision.”
Mark Piibe, executive vp of global business development & digital strategy at Sony Music, added: “We are pleased to be working with MashApp to help fans go deeper in how they engage with their favorite music through a new personalization and creation experience that appropriately values the work of our artists. This partnership furthers Sony Music’s ongoing commitment to supporting innovation in the marketplace by collaborating with developers of quality products that see opportunity in solutions that respect the rights of professional creators.”
“UMG always seeks to support innovation in the digital music ecosystem. MashApp introduces another evolution of the streaming experience for users by combining the creativity of DJ apps, with the accessibility that streaming offers,” said Nadir Contractor, senior vp of digital strategy & business development at UMG. “Within MashApp, users can unlock their own creative expression to curate, play and enjoy in real-time musical mashups from their favorite artists and songs, while respecting and supporting artist rights.”
“Our commitment to championing the rights of our artists and songwriters is at the core of everything we do,” said John Rees, senior vp of strategy & business development at WMG. “This partnership with MashApp builds on this mission–delivering a licensed, innovative platform that not only offers fans an exciting way to engage with music but also safeguards the work of the artists and songwriters who make it all possible.”
Lastly, Bob Bruderman, chief digital officer at Kobalt Music, added, “Kobalt has been a strong supporter of new companies that allow fans to express their creativity and engage with music they love. It was immediately clear that MashApp had a unique vision that opened a new experience for music fans on a well-executed platform, simultaneously respecting copyright. We look forward to a long partnership with MashApp.”
Not long after Lil Tecca released his fifth album Plan A last September, he visited a boisterous livestreamer named Tylil, who has more than 300,000 followers on Twitch. “We wanted to portray Tecca’s personality, which is sometimes a little too shielded,” says Giuseppe Zappala, who manages the rapper. “And streamers have been recognized at the top of the hierarchy in the digital landscape.”
Livestreaming was once dominated by gamers, which limited the ways that artists could engage with the Twitch ecosystem. But the landscape has diversified over time. When Tecca met up with Tylil, the two played paintball together; later, the streamer gave the 22-year-old rapper a driving lesson, even though Tecca didn’t have a driver’s license. (“Do not press on the gas hard… I know you play a lot of car games; this is a real car.”) Everything was captured on camera in real time, and the resulting “relatable” videos, Zappala says, remind viewers “that Tecca is a down-to-earth, funny person.”
A lot of people watch streamers like Tylil, Kai Cenat, PlaqueBoyMax, Duke and IShowSpeed when they’re live. Still, relying only on a live audience limits their reach. “Core fans will watch hours of streams,” says Rafael Rocha, CEO of the marketing agency NuWave Digital. “Everybody else will consume that content mainly in short-form video.”
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Music marketers are increasingly focused on facilitating that second wave of engagement, which they do by snipping out the highlights of livestreams — either relying on their own teams of editors; “clippers” who congregate on Discord; or AI programs — and then promoting those bite-sized videos across TikTok, Instagram, X and more.
“Twitch is, in many ways, the new live TV,” says Alec Henderson, head of digital at APG. “And the clips from the livestreams are just like TV reruns. Those highly engaged, entertaining moments can live online forever.”
Henderson saw the value of livestreams when he brought the rapper Lil Baby on to Cenat’s stream back in the fall of 2022: “It ended up one of the most fruitful parts of our rollout,” he says. Last year, livestreamers led to boosts for APG acts like BabyChiefDoit and Flawed Mangoes. A recent press release promoting DDG‘s new single “The Method” credits the rapper’s appearance on PlaqueBoyMax’s livestream with jump-starting the track: “Immediately, clips of the recording went viral across socials and garnered over 1 million views on TikTok alone.”
The clipping practice has been popular in the Twitch streaming community for some time, according to Parker Ulry, who runs the digital marketing agency Perfect Circle. “The podcast community is super on it now, and music is falling in line.”
“Ideally, someone discovers your Twitch stream or podcast interview through a 30-second clip and then goes back and consumes the whole piece,” Ulry continues. “Then they become a fan of you and start streaming your music.”
Artists have several options when they want to reach the livestreaming audience, according to Alex Falck, head of commercial at the digital marketing company Creed Media. They can get streamers to play their music and react to it on camera; let them use their music for highlight compilations; actually go on the livestream to hang out; and even produce music with the streamer. (This is how PlaqueBoyMax has built his following; Henderson predicts that “it’s just a matter of time before a hit record comes out of one of those streams.”)
Once the stream is underway, the captivating moments need to be isolated and extracted. “If you’re on a three-hour stream, that’s a content goldmine — 20, 30, 50 posts,” Ulry says.
Some digital marketers do the clipping in-house. But many find armies of capable clippers on the messaging platform Discord. “A lot of these niche underground communities are naturally congregating on Discord already,” says Vanessa Sheldon, a digital marketer at Forever Music Group who works on a lot of clipping campaigns. “Discord allows developers to build things into these servers and communities, so we created our own server, got a lot of those kids in there, and then built the tool kit for them to participate in these campaigns and get paid out.”
Clippers she works with are compensated based on the performance of their videos. Usually, the rate is between 30 cents and 50 cents per thousand views, though it can go as high as 70 cents in some cases. This means that the roughly 2,000 members of the Discord community she assembled are incentivized to make their clips as eye-catching as possible. “The more viral your video is,” Sheldon says, “the more you get paid.”
Marketers can also use AI-powered tools to create the clips for them. “OpusClip will spit out a bunch of content for you automatically with edited subtitles,” Falck explains. The results may be haphazard, but they are delivered quickly. “AI is still somewhat new, so it doesn’t necessarily get the same level of attention or amazing editing as if you use your in-house team,” Falck continues. “It’s more of a volume game, pushing out 100 assets per stream, just seeing what takes off.”
Once the clips are in hand, “Start pumping them onto TikTok, Instagram, even YouTube Shorts, these algorithmically powered platforms,” Ulry says. One natural ally in this effort is fan pages, which are dedicated to posting nonstop about a particular artist or group of artists. (These accounts can be created by the artist or their team, or run by enthusiastic civilians with lots of time on their hands.) Another is what Falck calls “community pages” — accounts dedicated to a specific genre of music, for example. They all help create what Zappala describes as “an explosion of content that’s circulating the internet” in the wake of the livestream, raising awareness and hopefully hooking potential fans.
One manager recently asked Mayor Cohen, a digital marketer, if he could organize a “tour” of five to 10 livestreamers for an artist. “That’s kind of the business: Get artists on the stream, then repurpose content,” Cohen says. “Not that many people will watch a four-hour stream. But they will go on TikTok or Instagram and watch the best clips.”
“If the clip is reactive,” Ulry adds, “it’ll find an audience.”
Nick Terranova has been appointed senior vp of brand partnerships at Dick Clark Productions (DCP). Based in New York, Terranova will be responsible for developing brand alliances across all media platforms for the production company’s many award shows (Golden Globes, American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards and Academy of Country Music Awards) and other programming, such as Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.
Terranova brings more than 15 years of experience in media, advertising, and partnerships to the role. Prior to joining DCP, Terranova held senior leadership roles at Fox and Warner Bros.
As svp, ad sales & brand partnerships at Fox, Terranova oversaw the national sales team and led the transition of TMZ’s advertising business following its acquisition from WarnerMedia, contributing to double-digit revenue growth across digital, social, and branded content platforms.
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Prior to Fox, Terranova held key sales leadership roles during his 12-year tenure at Warner Bros., managing numerous advertising portfolios for premium entertainment properties such as Rotten Tomatoes, Flixster, TMZ, Ellen DeGeneres, Extra, and DC Comics—brands that together formed Warner Bros. Digital Media. His work spanned direct and programmatic sales, branded content, and on-air product integrations.
Terranova began his career in media at OMD as a national TV buyer before moving to ad sales at Turner and CBS Interactive. Most recently, he served as svp of sales at Anoki, an AI-driven CTV startup.
The 60th ACM Awards, hosted by Reba McEntire, is set for May 8, live from Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. The American Music Awards will return following a two-and-a-half-year hiatus over Memorial Day weekend. The show, live from Las Vegas, will include a tribute to America’s veterans.
DCP is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a Penske Media Corporation (PMC) subsidiary and joint venture between PMC and Eldridge. PMC is the parent company of Billboard.
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Megan Thee Stallion turned 30 over Valentine’s Day Weekend and looked stunning doing so as we were privileged to witness via social media. The Houston Hottie herself is now expanding her business portfolio by way of her new tequila brand, Chicas Divertidas.
Announced on Megan Thee Stallion’s birthday (Feb. 15), Chicas Divertidas aims to be more than a celebrity tequila brand and is produced and sourced at Casa Centinela (NOM 1140), which has been distilling the famed Mexican spirit for over 120 years. As with all tequilas, the juice is made from 100% Blue Weber agave as legally mandated by the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT) and can only be made from the plant in one of the designated regions in the country.
Hot Girl Meg is known as someone who enjoys a good beverage responsibly and shared her vision of Chicas Divertidas with her legion of fans.
“As someone who values good vibes and great memories, I knew I wanted to create a tequila that was designed to be shared and savored with my Hotties,” Megan shared in a statement. “Smooth, sultry, and premium. This process has been years in the making, and I’m so proud to take this next step in my journey as an entrepreneur and launch this brand. I know the Hotties are ready, it’s time to give them a drink made by me! I’m excited to share this labor of love with you all and hope you are inspired to enter your CHICAS ERA!”
Currently, Chicas Divertidas is offered in Blanco (SRP $70), which is unaged tequila that can be either sipped with meals or mixed and Reposado (SRP $80), which means “rested” and is a slightly aged version of tequila that can be sipped or make an excellent base for an Oaxacan Old Fashioned.
There is a presale link for Chicas Divertidas ahead of its wider national distribution, which can be found here.
Congratulations to Megan Thee Stallion.
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Photo: Chicas Divertidas Tequila
Ole Obermann, the long-serving global head of music business development, is leaving the company. Tracy Gardner will step into the role after his departure at the end of March.
“I am proud to have played a role in bringing so many people the joy of music while at TikTok,” Obermann wrote in a note to staff on Tuesday (Feb. 18), according to Music Business Worldwide. “We have an amazing team,” he continued, “and leadership and music will continue to thrive and evolve on TikTok.”
A representative for TikTok declined to comment.
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Obermann started at TikTok in 2019. Before that, he spent three years at Warner Music Group as chief digital officer/evp, strategy and business development, and a decade at Sony Music, where he worked on licensing renewals with Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube, as well as deals with Facebook and many other digital services. Gardner also worked at WMG prior to joining TikTok.
During Obermann’s time at TikTok, the platform grew rapidly and became a major conduit for music discovery, changing the ways that artists made and marketed songs, and the ways that labels signed and promoted artists.
As TikTok grew, it also evolved from its roots as a dance-focused app for younger users. “Even though it’s been a bunch of years since we morphed from Musical.ly to TikTok, there is still, in some communities, this misconception that the artist needs to get out there and do a dance to their song, and then it’s going to go viral,” Obermann said last year.
For the music business, Obermann often served as the TikTok’s public face. TikTok’s relationship with the industry was tense for much of 2024: There was a monthslong standoff with Universal Music Group before the two parties came to a licensing agreement.
“There was obviously a value conversation: What are the payments that are happening, and also how much marketing and promotion can we provide to help with the discovery of new music or new artists that are priorities for them?” Obermann explained last year. “So that was one thing that we were wrestling over, and we ultimately got there.”