Business
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12/19/2024
While decades-old classics tend to dominate the holidays, here are 25 relatively new seasonal songs that have connected with listeners.
12/19/2024
The board of directors of Farm Aid — including Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews and Margo Price — have appointed Shorlette Ammons and Jennifer Fahy to lead the non-profit effective Jan. 1.
Farm Aid’s annual festival, the music industry’s longest-running concert for a cause, began in 1985 and has raised more than $80 million to support programs that help family farmers thrive. Across the decades, it has taken action to change the nation’s dominant system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.
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Ammons and Fahy succeed Carolyn Mugar, Farm Aid’s first and only executive director, who was tapped for the role by Nelson when he launched the organization. She will continue to work as an advisor to Farm Aid. In addition, Farm Aid associate director Glenda Yoder is leaving the organization at the end of 2024 after 34 years. Yoder has been responsible for the launch of Farm Aid’s Homegrown Concessions, demonstrating that family-farm-sourced food could feed concertgoers on a huge scale.
Fahy joined Farm Aid in 2002 and has served as communications director since 2008, while Ammons has served as the organization’s program director since 2022. Together, they will share leadership responsibilities in the ongoing mission to cultivate a family farm-centered system of agriculture in America.
“There would not be 40 years of Farm Aid without Carolyn Mugar — and for all those years she’s made me look good!,” said Nelson in a statement. “ I am deeply grateful for her passion and commitment leading Farm Aid’s work, listening to farmers and always being a champion of grassroots organizations. Carolyn and Glenda rallied the Good Food Movement to bring people together in support of farmers.”
Mugar was recognized by Billboard on its 2020 Women in Music list. At that time, she noted that in the years since Farm Aid’s first concert in 1985, “what has changed is people’s consciousness.” Farm Aid supporters have recognized the links between its mission and “the good-food movement, the environmental movement, the whole issue of structural racism,” she said. “Farm Aid has been working with Black farmers and Black farm organizations since day one.”
From barnyards to backstage trailers, Mugar has networked nonstop on behalf of family farmers, herding artists and activists “like a collie dog,” she joked then. But inevitably, she has deflected and given credit for Farm Aid’s enduring impact to its leading artists: Nelson, Young, Mellencamp, Matthews and Price. “For all practical purposes, they lead Farm Aid — and they do not take prisoners. They really never give up,” she said then.
In a statement announcing her succession, Mugar said, “All of us at Farm Aid confidently trust that Shorlette and Jennifer are poised to lead Farm Aid’s next chapter to benefit farmers, eaters and our soil and water. We face urgent issues with the health of our planet, and I’m are thankful Farm Aid has a strong foundation for the next leaders to build upon.”
In addition to her deep experience managing communications for Farm Aid and co-producing its annual festival, Fahy holds a certificate in nonprofit management from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. Ammons, who comes from a farm family in North Carolina, spent her career prior to Farm Aid addressing the systemic barriers that BIPOC, low-income and rural food and farming communities face. She has 20 years of experience in community leadership, training, education and engagement.
“My two-decade career at Farm Aid has offered me incredible opportunities to dig into a broad spectrum of the work and operations of the organization, for which I am grateful and proud,” says Fahy. “Farm Aid’s people are its greatest strength, and I am thrilled to deepen my work with all of the folks — from farmers and artists to our supporters, advocates, policymakers and everyone who eats — who make up this organization and this movement for thriving family farmers.”
“As a Black Southern woman who grew up in the family farm tradition, I have a deep understanding of the struggles of family farmers and rural communities,” says Ammons. “I know the ways that food and music bring folks together. So, for me, this transition has been taking place over the course of my lifetime of work and service. I’m excited to step into this role to live up to the legacy of Farm Aid’s leadership and the resistance that marginalized communities have demonstrated since the farm crisis of the 80s and throughout our shared history.”
Farm Aid will stage its 40th-anniversary festival in 2025. The venue and date of next year’s concert has not yet been announced.
Dualtone Music Group president and partner Paul Roper died on Tuesday (Dec. 17) following a battle with cancer. Roper was 45. A statement from Nashville-based Dualtone Music Group noted, “Paul’s vision and unwavering commitment continues to define the heart and soul of Dualtone. He led Dualtone and his team with dedication, authenticity, humor, and kindness […]
Universal Music Group, the owner of Republic Records, has reached a settlement to resolve a trademark lawsuit the music giant filed against a music investment platform called Republic.
The deal will end a case in which UMG accused the smaller company of confusing consumers by expanding into music royalties investing – a move UMG warned could dupe people into thinking Republic Records was involved in the project. But a judge later ruled that the case would be difficult to win.
In an order last week (Dec. 13), the federal judge overseeing the lawsuit said that all claims had been “settled in principle” and ordered the case dismissed. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, and neither side immediately returned requests for more details.
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Launched in 2016, OpenDeal Inc.’s Republic platform lets users buy into startups, cryptocurrency projects and other investments across a wide range of sectors. In October 2021, the company announced it would start allowing users to invest in music royalties by purchasing NFTs (non-fungible tokens), calling itself the first to “bring music investing to the masses.”
That quickly sparked the lawsuit from UMG, which acquired Republic Records in 2000 and now operates it as one of its top imprints, home to Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Drake, Post Malone and many others. In a November 2021 complaint seeking an immediate injunction, UMG called OpenDeal’s new service a “wanton effort to usurp plaintiff’s Republic name and trademarks for itself.”
“The artists, labels, managers, agents, and fans who currently know of plaintiff’s Republic label would be presented with two different companies offering identical services under identical names in the same industry,” UMG’s lawyers wrote at the time. “Confusion is inevitable.”
But in July 2022, Judge Analisa Torres ruled that that UMG was unlikely to be able to prove such allegations in court. She said the evidence of potential confusion was “extremely minimal,” since the services and consumers of the two companies “differ significantly” — and that a shared connection to the music industry was “not enough.”
“It is conceivable that there may ultimately be some overlap between the parties’ consumers—for instance, fans of a popular artist may both purchase that artist’s music through Republic Records, and make crowdfunded investments in recordings by that artist through the Republic Platform,” the judge wrote. “But, such scenarios remain hypothetical.”
That ruling – denying UMG’s request for a so-called preliminary injunction that would have forced OpenDeal to change its name while the case was litigated – was not a final decision on the case. But it indicated that UMG was unlikely to win, and such trademark cases often settle after such early skirmishes.
After that decision, UMG later filed an updated version of its allegations, and the case proceeded into discovery – the process of exchanging evidence in a civil lawsuit. But the lawsuit has largely been paused for more than a year as the two sides engaged in settlement talks that ultimately resulted in last week’s agreement.
Burning Man still needs to raise $14 million amid its ongoing fundraising efforts.
An email sent out to the Burning Man community on Thursday (Dec. 19) from Burning Man Project CEO Marian Goodell provided an update on the fundraising push that the nonprofit organization launched in October seeking $20 million.
“We started 2024 with a commitment to raise $10 million philanthropically,” Goodell’s email states. “This was up 20% from the $8.2 million raised in 2023. Due to the ticket sales shortfall to Black Rock City in 2024, we found ourselves needing to make mission-aligned budget adjustments and raise the remaining deficit to the tune of approximately $10 million—this, in addition to the initial $10 million goal. And today, with reductions as well as dollars raised from supporters, we’re still about $14 million short of where we ought to be.”
The email continues that “thanks to the generosity of enthusiastic donors” the fundraising campaign is now matching donations through the end of the year.
The update comes amid a fundraising campaign launched in October by Burning Man Project — the nonprofit behind the annual gathering in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert and other Burning Man-related initiatives — that notified Burners that the organization needs to raise $20 million in charitable donations by the end of 2024 due to the fact that the 2024 festival did not sell out “as planned,” per Goodell’s original announcement.
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As reported by Billboard in November, each year since 2016 before the main ticket sale begins, roughly 4,000 Burning Man tickets go on sale for much more than main sale tickets — this year selling at $1,500 and $2,500. These tickets, which are typically purchased by people who have cash to spare and don’t want to risk not getting a ticket during the main sale, usually bring in approximately $7 million — and nearly $10 million in 2023. But in November a spokesperson for BMP said that in 2024, higher-priced ticket sales totaled $3.4 million, down nearly $6 million from the prior year.
This budget deficit is creating uncertainty about ticket prices for the 2025 Burning Man event in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. “If we don’t set ourselves up right, we’re going to have to raise ticket prices,” Goodell told Billboard in November, “[especially because] we don’t have the sponsorships that the other festivals do. And I’d like to lower ticket prices.”
Goodell’s latest update emphasizes that Burning Man organizers are “determined to keep Burning Man financially accessible by offering reasonably priced ticket options for Black Rock City 2025,” and also notes that representatives of Burning Man Project are “making ourselves more accessible. By offering town halls, office hours and more clearly providing contact points for you within the nonprofit, we are making ourselves available to participants as a resource.”
Actively Black, a Black-owned global sportswear brand, has partnered with the Shakur Estate to introduce a new collection: Tupac X Actively Black. Inspired by the late rapper’s enduring legacy as a music icon and poet, the first drop in the new line will be available for purchase on Christmas Day (Dec. 25), exclusively at activelyblack.com.
In a statement announcing Tupac X Actively Black, the Shakur Estate commented, “With this collaboration, Actively Black celebrates Tupac’s enduring impact on culture, creativity and artistry. Actively Black’s commitment to empowering the Black community perfectly aligns with Tupac’s mission to inspire and spark meaningful change. Inspired by [the poem] “The Rose That Grew from Concrete,” this collection honors Tupac’s voice and message, ensuring it resonates with a new generation.”
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The first drop features a collection of unisex hoodies and T-shirts illustrated with custom co-branded artwork and imagery from Tupac’s archives. The standout piece in the new collection is a relaxed hoodie in washed grey with a graphic rendering of the poem in the late rapper’s own handwriting.
“I grew up listening to Tupac, and even before I fully understood the content of his music, there was something moving about his delivery that resonated with me and so many others still, to this day,” said Lanny Smith, founder of Actively Black. “In early interviews of Tupac, you can see his passion to breathe new life into the Black pride movement. His awareness about the truths of society and determination to improve the lives of his people was awe-inspiring.”
Tupac X Actively Black is the latest collaboration from Actively Black. The company recently introduced a new apparel collaboration with Disney in celebration of the latter’s Mufasa: The Lion King. Earlier this year, Actively Black partnered with the Nigerian Olympic delegation, serving as the official outfitter and apparel sponsor for team Nigeria at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The company’s additional partnerships and collaborations include the estates of Muhammad Ali, Michael Jackson and Bob Marley as well as sports franchises the Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets.
A former NBA player for the Sacramento Kings, Smith launched Actively Black in 2020. Of the upcoming debut of Tupac X Actively Black, Smith singled out a favorite Shakur quote in the announcement release. “One of his quotes has always stayed with me: ‘I may not change the world, but I guarantee I will spark the brain of someone who will.’ I am one of the minds Tupac sparked; and Actively Black is an extension of our shared mission to uplift and empower our people. Tupac X Actively Black is an ode to the genius of Tupac Shakur. He represented us: the Black community, boldly and unapologetically; his legacy embodies what it means to be ACTIVELY Black.”
LONDON (AP) — A teen charged with killing three girls and wounding 10 other people in a stabbing rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England this summer remained silent in court Wednesday as not guilty pleas were entered on his behalf.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, who has refused to speak in each court appearance, was read the charges of three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and additional charges related to possessing the poison ricin and for having an al-Qaida manual.
Justice Julian Goose ordered a clerk to enter the pleas in Liverpool Crown Court as Rudakubana stayed mum during a video appearance from a London prison where he is held.
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His trial is scheduled for Jan. 20.
It was the first time in a court appearance that the teen did not pull his sweatshirt collar over his nose to obscure his face.
He appeared to smile as an officer confirmed that the court proceeding could be heard at the prison. The judge noted that Rudakubana was not responding. He swayed from side to side as the charges were read and bent forward at one point.
Rudakubana was charged in August with murdering three girls — Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6 — and stabbing 10 other people on July 29 in the seaside town of Southport in northern England.
The attack at a small dance and yoga studio on the first day of summer vacation sparked rioting across England and Northern Ireland fueled by far-right activists that lasted a week.
The violence, which injured more than 300 police officers and led to fiery attacks on hotels housing migrants, began after Rudakubana — then unnamed –- was falsely identified as an asylum seeker who had recently arrived in Britain by boat.
Rudakubana was born in Wales to Rwandan immigrants.
More than 1,200 people were arrested for the disorder that lasted a week and hundreds have been jailed for up to nine years in prison.
A report released Wednesday was critical of police for failing to recognize the threat of violent disorder after a number of smaller incidents across the U.K. in the previous two years.
The report from the Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services said there were also lapses in gathering intelligence from social media and the dark web.
Rudakubana was charged in October with additional counts for production of a biological toxin, ricin, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism for having the manual in a document on his computer.
Police have said the stabbings have not been classified as acts of terrorism because the motive is not yet known.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will hear arguments next month over the constitutionality of the federal law that could ban TikTok in the United States if its Chinese parent company doesn’t sell it.
The justices will hear arguments Jan. 10 about whether the law impermissibly restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment.
The law, enacted in April, set a Jan. 19 deadline for TikTok to be sold or else face a ban in the United States. The popular social media platform has more than 170 million users in the U.S.
It’s unclear how quickly a decision might come. But the high court still could act after the arguments to keep the law from taking effect pending a final ruling, if at least five of the nine justices think it’s unconstitutional.
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Lawyers for the company and China-based ByteDance had urged the justices to step in before Jan. 19. The high court also will hear arguments from content creators who rely on the platform for income and some TikTok users.
The timing of the arguments means that the outgoing Biden administration’s Justice Department will make the case in defense of the law that passed Congress with bipartisan support and was signed by Democratic President Joe Biden in April.
The incoming Republican administration might not have the same view of the law.
President-elect Donald Trump, who once supported a ban but then pledged during the campaign to “save TikTok,” has said his administration would take a look at the situation. Trump met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida on Monday.
The companies have said that a shutdown lasting just a month would cause TikTok to lose about one-third of its daily users in the U.S. and significant advertising revenue.
The case pits free speech rights against the government’s stated aims of protecting national security, while raising novel issues about social media platforms.
A panel of federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the law on Dec. 6, then denied an emergency plea to delay the law’s implementation.
Without court action, the law would take effect Jan. 19 and expose app stores that offer TikTok and internet hosting services that support it to potential fines.
It would be up to the Justice Department to enforce the law, investigating possible violations and seeking sanctions. But lawyers for TikTok and ByteDance have argued that Trump’s Justice Department might pause enforcement or otherwise seek to mitigate the law’s most severe consequences. Trump takes office a day after the law is supposed to go into effect.
This story was originally published by The Associated Press.
During the course of Robert Kyncl’s nearly two-year tenure as Warner Music Group’s CEO, the former YouTube exec has focused on positioning the historic label for longtime growth.
In early 2024, WMG reported record earnings but announced a 10% workforce reduction. Then, August saw a major leadership shakeup: Max Lousada exited, Julie Greenwald was briefly chairman of Atlantic Music Group before leaving, and Elliot Grainge became AMG’s CEO. Under Grainge, Atlantic restructured and new leadership came in at 10K Records and 300 Entertainment. These moves signaled a loud-and-clear generational shift in leadership, marking a transformative year for Atlantic and Warner.
Looking back at a year of bombshells and breakouts — success stories include Zach Bryan, Benson Boone, Teddy Swims, Charli xcx, Dua Lipa and more — Kyncl writes in a note to staff, obtained by Billboard, that he is grateful for their dedication in a year he has long-dubbed the “Year of the Next 10.”
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In the note, Kyncl writes that the company achieved significant milestones, including having the most listened-to artist (Bruno Mars), the No. 1 song of the year (Boone’s “Beautiful Things”), and the most in-demand songwriter (Amy Allen). He also highlights the importance of change and innovation in the music industry, celebrating the team’s success in delivering originality, which “gives this industry its energy and optimism.”
“We’ve not just helped our artists and songwriters do new, brave, and disruptive things, we’ve held ourselves to the same standard,” he writes. “The industry is at a pivot point, and the changes we’ve made this year put us on the front foot.”
He highlights that WMG was a clear leader in onboarding new talent in the marketplace, with artists like Boone, Swims and Allen receiving critical acclaim. Established acts also reached new heights, he notes, with Mars becoming the world’s biggest streaming artist, Charli xcx exhibiting “radical newness” during brat summer and Linkin Park making a notable return with a new singer. The company further expanded its reach through catalog reissues by the likes of the Grateful Dead, Madonna, David Bowie, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, among others.
Kyncl writes that, internally, WMG has focused on growth by increasing A&R investments by double digits, overhauling leadership, and advocating for new pricing and royalty models in streaming. The company also embraced AI — Kyncl cites the recreation of Randy Travis’ voice as a prime example — and prioritized global market share through a streamlined structure.
Looking ahead to 2025, Kyncl encourages continued innovation, aiming to amplify unique voices, grow the music ecosystem and deepen fan engagement. He rounds out the memo by celebrating the team’s efforts and hinting at exciting projects on the horizon.
“There’s still plenty of work to do, but we’re getting stronger, faster, bolder all the time,” he says. “As I’ve said before, focus and simplicity brings great intensity and impact.”
Read the full memo below:
Hi everyone,
I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your incredible dedication and passion over the past year.
In January, I talked about 2024 being the Year of the Next 10, where we moved to set ourselves up for the next decade. We’ve ended the year with the No.1 most listened-to artist, No. 1 song of the year, and the most in-demand songwriter of the year. I know the last twelve months have been intense, and I’m so grateful to you all for rising to the occasion. We’ve achieved something that only a really collaborative and committed team could… We simultaneously delivered for our artists and songwriters, while doing the tough work of change.
And change is a necessity in this business… Music is nothing without the new. New sounds, new ideas, fresh looks, different directions. That’s what stands out. That’s what cuts through the noise. That blast of originality is what gives this industry its energy and optimism.
There are countless examples of innovative successes across the company. In a note like this, I can’t be comprehensive, so please excuse that I’ve picked just a few examples to highlight our trajectory.
NEW TALENT
When it comes to impactful new talent, we’ve led the industry this year.
Benson Boone had the biggest song of 2024 worldwide, and Teddy Swims had the biggest song of the year in the U.S., the largest market. Both are signed to Warner Records and Warner Chappell, and both are up for Best New Artist at the Grammys. Amy Allen became the planet’s hottest songwriter and is nominated for Grammy Songwriter of the Year, alongside WCM’s Jessi Alexander and RAYE.
Across the world, we have an extraordinary new generation lighting the way forward, including Artemas, Aziya, Bea and her Business, BENNETT, Bug Eyed, Dasha, Florence Road, Forrest Frank, Jeff Satur, Jordan Adetunji, The Marías, Michael Marcagi, Tokischa, Roxy Dekker, TitoM, and Yuppe.
NEW HEIGHTS
We’ve also helped established artists and songwriters reach new heights, telling their stories in bold, new ways.
Bruno Mars became officially the biggest artist in the world (smashing records with 138 million monthly listeners on Spotify!), thanks in part to new collaborations, including with ROSÉ, who herself set new streaming records for a K-pop soloist.
Then there’s the radical newness of Charli xcx’s Brat, or the record-breaking return of Linkin Park, with a soulful new singer. As well as incredible new projects from stars around the world such as Alex Warren, Ana Mena, Ayed, AYLIVA, Bailey Zimmerman, Burna Boy, Cardi B, Charlie Zhou, Coldplay, CYRIL, Dani Fernández, David Guetta, Diljit Dosanjh, Don Toliver, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Fred again.., Geolier, Gunna, Iñigo Quintero, Jack Harlow, Kenya Grace, King, Lay Zhang, Lil Uzi Vert, María Becerra, Megan Thee Stallion, Michael Bublé, Miriam Bryant, Myke Towers, NLE Choppa, SCH, twenty one pilots, TWICE, and Zach Bryan to name a few; along with reissues of iconic music from David Bowie, Grateful Dead, Green Day, Joni Mitchell, Madonna, Neil Young, and Talking Heads… all of which won new fans, and drove new spikes in streams.
NEW WORLD
We’ve not just helped our artists and songwriters do new, brave, and disruptive things, we’ve held ourselves to the same standard. The industry is at a pivot point, and the changes we’ve made this year put us on the front foot.
There’s still plenty of work to do, but we’re getting stronger, faster, bolder all the time. As I’ve said before, focus and simplicity brings great intensity and impact:
➞Due to the changes we’ve made, we’ve delivered on our promise to put more money behind the music… growing our A&R investment by double digits.
➞We prioritized market share growth, bringing in pioneering new leaders in major markets, including the U.S. with Atlantic and in Japan, while investing in talent and entrepreneurs in high-growth territories, such as India.
➞We’ve shrunk the world, flattening our company, to make it easier for artists to break worldwide, while fully globalizing our catalog and distribution services.
➞We’ve successfully advocated for innovation in pricing and royalty models at the streaming services, while demonstrating the potential of AI (with Randy Travis still my personal favorite example!).
The throughline here is our powerful ability to amplify unique voices, crank up the contrast, and bring the shock of the new. Going into 2025, let’s lean into that expertise… we want to expand the music ecosystem while, crucially, growing our share. Our mission is to turn dreams into stardom and audiences into fans.
I hope you and your loved ones enjoy a well-deserved break. So many exciting things to come in 2025!
Robert
12/18/2024
New faces, touring and regional genres propelled Latin music to outpace the market, yet again, with no end in sight.
12/18/2024