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After much anticipation and careful preparation, the “Jalsat Billboard Arabia” series has finally kicked off, featuring none other than star Ahmed Saad. In the premiere episode lasting 30 minutes, Saad treated viewers to four of his chart-topping hits on Billboard Arabia’s Hot 100 that have resonated across the Arab world in recent years.
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“Jalsat,” which translates to “sessions,” is a term used in the Arabic music community and refers to the gathering of musicians and a singer to perform in a unique and intimate setting. In this exclusive series, Billboard Arabia showcases intimate performances blending the raw authenticity of studio sessions with a vibrant set design, transforming music into an audio-visual masterpiece. In each episode, an established superstar or an emerging artist will deliver a stripped-down set, capturing the essence of their music through a production concept of their own choosing.
Renowned for his consistent presence among the top spots on the weekly list of Billboard Arabia’s Artist 100, Ahmed Saad stands as one of the foremost Arabic pop stars across the Middle East. This accolade is a testament to his enduring artistic journey spanning two decades, reaching its pinnacle in the past two years with the widespread acclaim of his hits across various music platforms.
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The session unfolds with Ahmed Saad delivering a powerhouse rendition of “Ekhtayaraty” (My Choices), the summer 2023 hit that captivated audiences far and wide. Originally featured in the Egyptian film Mr. Ex, the song soared to fame and transcended its cinematic roots to become a popular sensation, thanks to its witty lyrics by Menna Adli El Kiey and composition by Ahmed Tarek Yehia. Saad’s performance is uniquely infused with a Latin arrangement, courtesy of Spanish guitars, offering a fresh take on the original song.
Ahmed Saad transitions into “Aleky Eyoun” (You Have These Eyes), a ballad that marked his return to releasing music more frequently in early 2022. With lyrics by Mohamed Shafei, Saad personally composed the romantic melody to complement the heartfelt lyrics. However, during the session, Saad injects newfound energy and rhythm into the track, steering it in an entirely different direction.
Continuing to captivate, Saad performs “El Youm El Helw Dah” (What a Beautiful Day), originally featured in the film Their Uncle but earning recognition in its own right. Also written by Menna Adli El Kiey and composed by Ahmed Tarek Yehia, the song’s buoyant lyrics and unconventional expressions have endeared it to audiences across the region. In this rendition, the song is invigorated with lively guitar chords and dynamic instrumentation, infusing its cheerful melodies with fresh energy.
Closing the show with flair, Saad presents “Wasa’ Wasa’” (Move Out of the Way), a track that has achieved remarkable success on streaming platforms since its release in the summer of 2022. With lyrics by Mostafa Hadouta and production by Ehab Clopex, the song showcased a different side of Saad in terms of topics and lyrical approach, leaning toward the style embraced by hip-hop and festival artists.
All these selections, along with others from Saad’s repertoire, have maintained top positions on the Billboard Arabia Hot 100 chart since its release more than 10 weeks ago. By selecting these particular songs for the session, Saad underscores their significance in shaping his career trajectory and solidifying his status as a star.
With enticing arrangements and a fresh style, “Jalsat Billboard Arabia” provides the audience with an opportunity to rediscover these beloved songs. Backed by a talented ensemble including Sharif Hassanein on guitar, Badawy Badawy on bass, Mohamed Saad on piano and Ahmed El Sayed on percussion, Saad reaffirms during this session his versatility and confidence across various musical genres. Through a fusion of eastern melodies and western hues, they transform familiar songs into a fresh audio-visual experience that lingers in the memory.
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This week, Beyoncé became the first Black woman to top Billboard’s Country Songs chart with “Texas Hold ‘Em.” But many of the credited songwriters and producers come from a surprising place – not Texas or Nashville, but Canada.
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“Texas Hold ‘Em” is co-written by three Canadians: Nathan Ferraro (who also co-produced it), Elizabeth Boland (who has released music for the label Arts & Crafts as Lowell) and Megan Bülow (who makes music as bülow). The three of them are all credited on the song, with Ferraro also co-producing the song with Killah B and Beyoncé.
“I love Beyoncé and I love the record,” Ferraro tells Billboard Canada, “She’s created such an amazing cultural moment.”
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Another Canadian, Dave Hamelin (formerly of The Stills), is credited on Beyoncé’s other new song, “16 Carriages,” listed as a producer and engineer.
To be clear, Beyoncé’s moment is not about any of these Canadian musicians. Many have rightfully pointed to the contributions of Rhiannon Giddens, a musician who’s been showing the world that the banjo was originally a Black instrument (which fits right in with Beyoncé’s Renaissance mission of reclaiming Black genres, first house and now country). Prominent Black roots musician, Robert Randolph, is also credited as a steel guitar player.
But it is also a big credit for a number of Canadian musicians who have been working behind the scenes of the music industry in bigger and bigger ways.
Ferraro was in an alt-rock band called The Midway State that had some success in Canada in the late 2000s. A signing to Interscope as a teenager brought him to Los Angeles, where he splits time with Toronto (it also brought a collaboration with a then up-and-coming Lady Gaga).
After writing for and with mostly Canadian artists, including Carly Rae Jepsen and Jessie Reyez, he had a modest international hit with bülow in “Not A Love Song,” which exemplified their collaboration as songwriters. He also wrote with Lowell (signed to Canadian label Arts & Crafts) for her project. They all formed a songwriting team that picked up steam in 2022, collaborating on the Charli XCX song “Yuck.”
“[The collaboration] works well for us,” Ferraro tells Billboard Canada. “We’re such good friends and we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. I think we all have a lot of mutual respect, so we have a lot of confidence together and that allows us to take risks.”
He estimates they’ve written about 100 songs together, with about 20 of them seeing the light of day. Personally, he’s written about 1500, he says. He’s been recognized in Canada, with seven SOCAN awards for public performance of songwriting, but he’s also established himself as part of a “vibrant” community and industry of songwriters, studio musicians, producers and A&R people in Los Angeles.
“I first started coming here, sleeping on couches wherever I could, working with different collaborators and friends,” he says. “I did that for years. And at the end of the pandemic, I started spending even more time here and got a manager down here. And now I’m spending about six months a year here.”
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Ferraro is inspired by prolific songwriters who’ve both written for other artists and recorded under their own names – Carole King and Diane Warren, especially. But he describes his collaborative songwriting process as one based on friendship and spirituality – not necessarily religious, but one with room for an ineffable type of expression that drives in-the-room creation.
“When I read a book by Rick Rubin or John Lennon, that often comes up. And I don’t think it’s by chance,” he says. “For any artist there’s a vision and a belief in something that doesn’t yet exist. I think it was Quincy Jones who said ‘always leave some space for God in the room,’ and it’d be silly of me to negate that. There’s a humility and a presence and an openness, and I think that’s important.”
Many of his biggest credits have been for female artists, from Lady Gaga to Charli XCX, something he attributes to growing up with five younger sisters. None of those credits have been as big as “Texas Hold ‘Em,” though, which could become a breakthrough credit for Ferraro, Lowell and bülow.
“Honestly, since I was 14, I had the vision that I would write songs that could have a major impact,” he says. “And it’s pretty delusional because it’s just so, so far away. I grew up in Collingwood, Ontario. But you just put one foot in front of the other and write lots and lots of songs and don’t give up. And that’s led me here.”
This article originally appeared on Billboard Canada.
The Universal Music Group purchased a majority stake in Nigerian record company Mavin Global, the iconic label founded by Don Jazzy that is home to Rema, Ayra Starr, Crayon and Ladipoe, among others. The deal is expected to be completed by the third quarter, pending regulatory approval, the companies announced.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. However, Billboard reported in October that Mavin was being shopped by Shot Tower Capital at a valuation north of $125 million, with a sale price in the region of $150 million to $200 million; it was unclear if publishing was involved in the deal. As part of the investment arrangement, Don Jazzy — who founded Mavin in 2012, and also serves as CEO — and COO Tega Oghenejobo will continue to run the label.
“Our criteria for identifying partners is straightforward: great artists, great entrepreneurs, great people,” UMG chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge said in a statement announcing the deal. “With Don Jazzy, Tega, the Mavin Global team and their artist roster, we’ve found ideal partners with whom to grow together. Mavin’s brilliant artists have been catalysts in the transformation of Afrobeats into a global phenomenon and we’re thrilled to welcome them into the Universal Music Group family.”
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Mavin had already established a relationship with UMG, with Rema’s “Calm Down” — the biggest Afrobeats song of all time, which reached No. 3 on the Hot 100 last year — initially distributed by Virgin Music, with its remix featuring Selena Gomez licensed to Interscope; Starr, meanwhile, has a deal in place with Republic. “Calm Down” has racked up more than 1 billion on-demand streams in the U.S. alone since its release, with its global count many multiples higher.
The investment is designed to spur Mavin’s growth around the world, according to a press release, with focuses on both Mavin’s Artist Academy, which nurtures its roster in various musical and performance skills, and its executive leadership team, which is aimed at growing the next generation of African leaders in the music business.
“With our proven history of collaborations within the UMG family, we have a strong belief that they are the ideal partner for the next phase of our growth, given the diversity and potential of our business,” Oghenejobo said in a statement. “UMG is home to some of the world’s foremost music entrepreneurs and artists, making them a perfect match for our aspirations. By collaborating with UMG, we are dedicated to cultivating a vibrant creative environment that propels African music to new heights on the global stage.”
Winning the Mavin auction catapults UMG deeper into the Nigerian Afrobeats scene — the umbrella genre that encompasses Afropop, Afro fusion, high life and others that continues to explode around the globe. In the past several years, artists such as Wizkid, Davido and Burna Boy have blossomed into global superstars, while the likes of Rema, Starr, Tems, Tyla, Ckay, Asake and Fireboy DML have led a wave of young, emerging talent coming from the African continent. The movement has gained momentum to the point that the Recording Academy introduced a new Grammy Awards category for best African music performance, which was awarded to Tyla’s “Water” at the honors earlier this month.
Additional reporting by Ed Christman.
Nora Fatehi, a Canadian-born Bollywood star with Moroccan roots, has signed a recording contract with Warner Music as the actress, dancer and singer looks to add “global music star” to her professional accomplishments. Based in India, Fatehi will work closely with WMG teams in the U.S. and globally on music-related releases and projects, but remain signed with Indian label T-Series for her Bollywood work.
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Fatehi made her name across India performing what are known as item songs — special musical numbers inserted into a movie — in numerous Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films. Her appearance in the 2018 film Satyameva Jayate, in which she performed the Bollywood classic “Dilbar,” led to her recording and sining an Arabic version of the song in collaboration with Moroccan group Fnaire that has racked up hundreds of millions of views on YouTube.
Her other musical endeavors have included collaborations with Tanzanian artist Rayvanny for the Afropop track “Pepeta,” as well as British singer Zack Knight for the pop song “Dirty Little Secret.” She has also released several solo tracks, including “I’m Bossy” earlier this year. According to WMG, Fatehi’s Bollywood songs have garnered over five billion views on YouTube, such as “Saki Saki,” Kusu Kusu” and “Garmi.”
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In late 2022, Fatehi shared the stage with global stars Davido, Ozuna, Manal, Balqees, Rahma and GIMS at the closing ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, where she grabbed the spotlight for the English version of Cup anthem “Light the Sky.”
Indian music fans spend over 24 hours each week listening to music, with top genres including Bollywood and Indian Pop, among others, according to IFPI’s latest Engaging With Music report. Fatehi’s background and versatility, along with being fluent in multiple languages, means she won’t be limited to the vast market of her home base. The Middle East and North Africa, for example, was the fastest growing region for music in 2022, jumping 24%, reported IFPI, while Asia grew by 15.4%.
“Nora is an extraordinary talent, electric performer, and cross-cultural superstar whose music reflects the rich diversity of her background,” said WMG CEO Robert Kyncl. “Her passion and ambition are infectious and we’re excited to help her reach new audiences, places, and heights across the globe.”
Alfonso Perez-Soto, president of emerging markets for WMG, added: “I’ve been blown away by Nora’s star power. She has the creative ability and sheer stamina you need to become one of the world’s biggest artists. We can’t wait to put the global resources of Warner Music at her disposal as she starts the next chapter of her music career.”
In the meantime, Fatehi’s film career continues in its upward trajectory with the release on Friday (Feb. 23) of Crakk – Jeethegaa Toh Jiyegaa, a Hindi-language film billed as the “first-ever extreme sports action film in India.”
“I’ve enjoyed great success in my career so far, but this deal is a significant step forward in my musical journey, a new chapter in my international career,” she said. “My ambition is to be a global music star and performer, connecting with fans all over the world. I want to use my diverse cultural background to create music and dance that brings everyone together! I’m excited to work with Warner Music to leverage their experience and expertise to help me fulfill this goal.”
The culture of Palestine is celebrated in “Deira,” a new song and video from artists Saint Levant and MC Abdul released in the wake of Levant’s recent signing to Universal Arabic Music (UAM).
Levant is a singer, rapper and songwriter of Palestinian, Algerian, French and Serbian descent. MC Abdul is a 15-year-old rapper from Gaza whose 2021 viral hit, “Palestine,” brought him global prominence.
Done in the traditional Shaabi Arab musical style native to Algiers, “Deira” — which translates to “the Kasbah or “the old city” — is an homage to Levant’s lineage, with the video highlighting daily life, food, fashion, sports and more in the Middle East through a dreamy and nostalgic lens.
“Deira is the name of the hotel that my father Rashid, an architect, built with my mother in 2000 when they moved to Gaza,” Levant says in a statement. “He built this hotel with mud because it was impossible to import cement at the time. Located on the beach, this hotel was one of the most beautiful in Gaza, made up of 22 rooms. It was a true architectural marvel. On July 16, 2014, four children playing ball out front of the hotel were killed by Israeli rocket fire and most recently the hotel was totally destroyed by bombing three months ago.”
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MC Abdul — who left Gaza for the United States a month before the war started — delivers a verse acknowledging the current conflict with the lyrics, “Big dreams, heavy nights/praying that my family can stay alive/imagine trying to fly with no wings/but I promise you the caged bird sings.”
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Levant’s catalog includes a host of singles and two EPs, including 2023’s From Gaza, With Love. Based in Los Angeles, the artist recently signed to Universal Arabic Music (UAM) via a partnership with Republic Records and UMG launched by The Weeknd’s manager Wassim “Sal” Slaiby in 2021.
The Middle East has recently become a growth area for the music industry, with major labels like Universal setting up imprints and local offices there. Spotify launched in the Arab world in 2018, while Abu Dhabi-based streaming company Anghami received a $5 million investment from the venture capital arm of the Saudi Arabia media company SRMG last August. (SRMG is also behind the recently launched Billboard Arabia.) San Francisco-based distribution company EMPIRE has an operation covering the Middle East/North Africa, bringing on Spotify’s Suhel Nafar to oversee it in 2021.
The 2022 IFPI report notes that the Middle East and North African (MENA) region posted the world’s third-highest growth rate in 2022, seeing revenues from recorded music climb by 23.8%. Streaming accounted for the majority of the market, with those revenues making up a 95.5% share.
But the war in Gaza has disrupted that opportunity for many Palestinian acts, and increased attention around the conflict has not brought any significant streaming gains to Palestinian artists. MC Abdul’s global streaming numbers did, however, see a spike last fall in the weeks following the start of the war.
Beyoncé’s Chart Hit Is Also a Win for Canadian Songwriters
This week, Beyoncé became the first Black woman to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
There are some surprising Canadian connections. The song is co-written and co-produced by Ontario-born writer/producer Nathan Ferraro, who co-produced the track with Killah B and Beyoncé. Two other Canadian songwriters also participated in the runaway hit: Megan Bülow (who records and performs as bülow) and Elizabeth “Lowell” Boland (a.k.a. Lowell).
Ferraro was in an alt-rock band called The Midway State that had some success in Canada in the late 2000s. A signing to Interscope as a teenager brought him to Los Angeles, where he splits time with Toronto (his signing with the label also led to a collaboration with a then up-and-coming Lady Gaga).
After writing for mostly Canadian artists, including Carly Rae Jepsen and Jessie Reyez, Ferraro had a modest hit with bülow in “Not A Love Song,” which started their collaboration as songwriters. He also wrote with Lowell (signed to Canadian label Arts & Crafts), with the two forming a songwriting team that picked up steam in 2022 when they collaborated on the Charli XCX song “Yuck.”
“[The collaboration] works well for us,” Ferraro tells Billboard Canada. “We’re such good friends and we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. I think we all have a lot of mutual respect, so we have a lot of confidence together and that allows us to take risks. We’ve written probably 100 songs together.”
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But none of their credits have been as big as “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which could become a breakthrough for Ferraro and his collaborators.
“Honestly, since I was 14, I had the vision that I would write songs that could have a major impact,” he says. “And it’s pretty delusional because it’s just so, so far away. I grew up in Collingwood, Ontario. But you put one foot in front of the other and write lots and lots of songs and don’t give up.” – Richard Trapunski
Neil Young’s New Album FU##IN’ UP Includes Live Recordings from Intimate Toronto Venue The Rivoli
Canadian icon Neil Young is adding to his immense discography with a new release this spring: a live album titled FU##IN UP. The album, featuring Young’s longtime band Crazy Horse, consists of nine live recordings from 2023 and is set for a limited edition two-LP release this April in partnership with Record Store Day.
According to the album’s credits, it was recorded at Toronto’s Rivoli club, meaning it likely captures Neil Young & Crazy Horse‘s secret show at the venue last November.
At that show — supposedly a private birthday party for Canada Goose CEO Dani Reiss — the band performed most of its 1990 album Ragged Glory, according to reports that generated a lot of buzz when they appeared online days later. FU##IN’ UP features primarily songs from Ragged Glory, with new titles taken from lyric fragments. (“Over and Over,” shared as a single, is now “Broken Circle.”)
The album features performances from Crazy Horse members Billy Talbot on bass, Ralph Molina on drums, and Nils Lofgren and Micah Nelson on guitar and piano, while Reiss is credited as a presenter.
To tease the album announcement, Young previously shared a version of “Cinnamon Girl” recorded at the Rivoli on his site, Neil Young Archives. “This version of Cinnamon Girl is an example of the energy captured as the horse road through the RIVOLI club in Toronto Nov 4, 2023,” the post reads.
Neil Young and Crazy Horse will be returning to Toronto to tour the new album, though this time at a venue with a higher capacity: They’ll play Budweiser Stage on May 20, as part of their 2024 Love Earth Tour — their first major tour in a decade. – Rosie Long Decter
Tanya Tagaq Plays a Pivotal Role in True Detective Season Finale
The new season of True Detective wrapped up this past weekend, and timed with the tense final episode, HBO also released the show’s gripping soundtrack. Inuk artist Tanya Tagaq, one of the most celebrated contemporary musicians in Canada, contributed to seven songs on the soundtrack and made appearances in the show itself.
Subtitled Night Country, the fourth season of the HBO detective show takes place in the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska. It stars Jodie Foster and Kali Reis as Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro, two police officers trying to figure out how the recent bizarre deaths of six scientists are linked to the murder of Iñupiaq activist Annie Kowtok. Through its mystery framing, the show explores themes like colonial violence, environmental destruction, and missing and murdered Indigenous women.
While the score was primarily composed by British composer Vince Pope, Tagaq’s vocal work and throat singing add power to his compositions. Tagaq is listed as a featured artist on six tracks on the soundtrack and is the sole artist credited on “Tanya’s Lullaby,” a beautiful composition where Tagaq’s voice is layered to ghostly effect.
Tagaq had an impact on the series in more ways than one. She appears as an actress in the show, playing a doula, and her family’s names also provided inspiration for two of the series’ characters: Danvers and Navarro visit a fisherman named Oliver Tagaq in one episode, while Navarro also periodically spends the night with a sweet bartender named Qavvik, a version of Tagaq’s daughter’s name. Tagaq thanked season four showrunner Issa López for including the names in the show.
“Oliver Tagaq and Kavvik. Kavvik is my youngest daughter’s name. Thank you @IssitaLopez for including our names in #TrueDetective” she tweeted. – Rosie Long Decter
What exactly was Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Vultures Listening Experience” at Milan’s Mediolanum Forum on Thursday (Feb. 22) night? Some sort of pagan mass where the audience celebrated his myth? A branch of the Milano Fashion Week where the important thing was just to be there? Or maybe a huge party where the fans themselves became the protagonists? Well, Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s performance was all that and more.
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Some people expected something particularly crazy to happen, like a Vultures 2 spoiler or a short speech. But during the hour-long show, none of this happened.
Before the eyes of the audience was a completely empty parterre overlooked by only a floating cylindrical LED wall, the only illuminated part of the show. All around there was only smoke and, literally, nothing. An almost dystopian scenario, too minimal to be defined as apocalyptic, in which only silence dominated – that of the music (there was no selection accompanying the beginning of the show) and that of the audience waiting for Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign who, once they arrived, positioned themselves at the center of the scene with their faces completely covered, without even a microphone in hand, moving to the rhythm of their latest album and approaching the crowd.
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With them there was a platoon of top-notch guests, the same ones from Vultures 1. Among these, Quavo, Playboi Carti, Freddie Gibbs, Rich the Kid and Jaden Smith.
Some people might have been taken aback by all this – as it was a gathering to listen to an album exactly as they could have done in their car or bedroom, with the difference of watching Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign and some of the spearheads of the U.S. rap scene vibe on their own songs without rapping. But true Kanye West fans know this: the only thing you can expect from him is the unexpected, and for many of them the thing that really mattered was just being there, regardless of the content of the show.
The public’s attention was entirely focused on Kanye – on his movements, on his progressive approach to them and then disappearing into the darkness like something elusive, very close and very distant at the same time.
At exactly 10:30 p.m. Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign disappeared (not before having gathered everyone for the encore with “Carnival”), and West’s wife Bianca Censori left the bleachers, like the influencers and the fashion addicts of the Fashion Week.
Yet the show was not over — it entered its heart, in a way. There remained the kids who got excited like never before about Kanye’s older hit songs: “Runaway,” the 2010 single with Pusha-T, “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” and many others.
The audience became the true protagonist for the rest of the listening party – In front of an empty venue, illuminated only by the lights of cell phones. Will this be a new frontier of live performances? Or will it be a unique thing that only Kanye could do in Italy? The show will be replicated tomorrow in Bologna and on Sunday in Paris.
This article originally appeared on Billboard Italy.
LONDON — The British government’s Intellectual Property Office has said that bringing streaming in line with TV and radio broadcasts in the U.K. by obligating record companies to pay performers ‘equitable remuneration’ does not provide “a simple solution” to creators’ concerns over low returns from services like Spotify and Apple Music – and is “unlikely to yield a net positive income for the industry at large.”
In its report into the potential impact of equitable remuneration on the U.K. music business, published Monday, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) says its introduction could result in labels reducing their investment in developing new acts and would see rightsholders paying out “a significant sum of money” in administration costs.
The report goes on to say that more work is needed to fully assess whether labels’ ability to negotiate competitive deals with streaming services on behalf of artists would be weakened — as claimed by record labels – by changing how royalties are paid out for music streams.
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“While not a satisfying conclusion, it is clear that more research is required into the nuances of how best to balance the incentives to create with the need to monetise creation,” states the report.
The IPO research paper into equitable remuneration is the latest chapter in a long and ongoing series of government-led interventions into the U.K. music industry fuelled by artist discontent over low payments from streaming.
In 2021, a Parliamentary inquiry into the music streaming business called into question the major record labels’ dominance of the industry and branded the global streaming model as unsustainable in its current form, saying it “needs a complete reset.”
One of the key proposals made by the Parliamentary inquiry was changing the revenue model for music streaming by forcing record labels to pay performers equitable remuneration — equivalent to a 50/50 royalty split — on music streams, which it called “a simple yet effective solution to the problems caused by poor remuneration.”
A similar statutory right to equitable remuneration has existed in the U.K. since 1996 for TV and radio broadcasts, where revenues are split 50/50 between labels and performers and distributed via by the collecting society PPL. The statutory right guarantees royalties to non-featured performers, such as session musicians, whenever a song they played on is broadcast on U.K. radio or television.
By contrast, under the current music streaming model only the copyright owner receives payment from streaming platforms, which it then shares with the artist according to the terms of their contract. Average royalty rates are typically set between 25% and 30% on new artist deals and far less on legacy contracts, while some indie labels now offer artists 50/50 profit-share deals. (Session musicians do not typically receive any royalties from music streaming).
The IPO’s report examines what impact equitable remuneration would have on the U.K. music business by applying several predictive models to streaming over a five-year period.
When equitable remuneration is applied to 100% of streaming income — based on a scenario where a record company invests £150,000 and a release generates £240,000 (3 times the recoupable advance) — earnings for featured artists almost double to just under £115,000, while record label revenues move from a £90,000 profit to a loss of almost £13,000. Session musician income jumps from zero to just under £30,000.
In instances where equitable remuneration is applied to 35% of streaming income, the same metrics see label revenues drop from £90,000 to just under £54,000, while featured artists’ income rises from a flat £60,000 advance to almost £100,000 (including recoupable costs spent).
The research also models the impact on loss making deals and instances where 7x the record company advance is generated, as well as the impact of equitable remuneration on DIY artist deals.
The IPO’s modeling surmises that equitable remuneration would make record label investment “more risky and more difficult to justify,” while DIY artists would see increase in administration costs and receive little financial gain or, for heavily streamed releases, a reduction in profits.
“If the intention is to better support the careers of current and future artists then there is a significant risk that introducing” a full version of equitable remuneration “would make it more difficult for the current label investment model to continue,” says the report.
The research paper, which was carried out by the IPO in conjunction with a working group made up of industry stakeholders, additionally looks at the potential impact of the U.K. introducing a version of equitable remuneration similar to what already exists in Spain.
In Spain, 5.6% of streaming income is currently shared out between featured artists and non-featured performers, with equitable remuneration paid by streaming platforms, not labels. However, the practice has been mired in litigation since its introduction in 2006 and critics say that it resulted in only marginal gains for artists and performers.
When applying the so-called ‘Spanish model’ to the U.K. business, researchers found that it offers a much less significant shift in revenue than other ER methodologies but raises unanswered questions around whether it would make “a material difference” to creator earnings.
The report warns that if an equivalent to the Spanish version of ER was introduced in the U.K. streaming services might look to recover “some or all” of the extra revenue they would have to pay out from their deals with rights holders.
Reaction among U.K. music trade groups to the IPO’s findings was mixed.
Jo Twist, CEO of labels trade body BPI, said the report reinforces record company’s long-held concerns around equitable remuneration. Making such a change to how streaming royalties are shared “would undermine the essential role that labels play in investing in and supporting artists,” Twist said in a statement.
The Council Of Music Makers noted that the IPO report “reaches no conclusions, and no decisions should be made on the basis of its ambiguous findings.” The trade group said it would continue to work with all industry stakeholders on a “wider discussion” around creator remuneration from streaming and various solutions that have been proposed.
Responding to the IPO’s research, government ministers Julia Lopez and Viscount Camrose said that “in light of the risks” highlighted in the report, “the government does not intend to apply the ‘broadcast model’ of equitable remuneration to on-demand streaming.”
Instead, the findings “lend weight to the view that the best way to address creator concerns is through dialogue among industry and, where appropriate, industry-led actions,” said Lopez and Camrose in an open letter to Dame Caroline Dinenage, chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.
On this week’s Billboard Canadian Hot 100, the late Punjabi music sensation Sidhu Moose Wala debuts in the top 10, with posthumous single “Drippy.”
The hard-hitting track finds Moose Wala and Canadian rapper AR Paisley trading verses — the former in Punjabi, the latter in English — over an ominous trap beat from producer MXRCI. “Stop playing these games / cause out in these streets s–t could get pricey,” raps Paisley, “could cost you your life / so don’t take that lightly.”
The song arrives nearly two years after Moose Wala’s 2022 murder in Mansa, India. The artist moved to Brampton in 2016 and quickly rose to prominence in the Punjabi rap scene, eventually starting his own label and moving back to India, where he became involved in politics. His shocking death came right before a planned eight-date Canadian tour, during which he was booked to play Vancouver’s Pacific Coliseum.
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Moose Wala has previously had 13 charting songs on the Canadian Hot 100, with several landing after his death — but has never cracked the top 10 before. As Punjabi music becomes a major force in Canada, he leaves behind a significant legacy, evident in the strong support for singles like “Drippy.” His influence also shows in artists like Paisley, who’s signed to 91 North, the joint label between Warner Music Canada and Warner Music India to promote South Asian music worldwide. – Rosie Long Decter
Canadian Indie Rock Band Hollerado Reunite as Tokyo Police Club Break Up
It’s been five years since Canadian indie group Hollerado called it quits. But they’re getting the band back together in order to send-off fellow indie rockers Tokyo Police Club, who are playing their final shows this November. Hollerado will open for Tokyo Police Club at two of their four dates at Toronto’s History.
The shows mark a full circle moment for both bands, who came up around the same time in the late 2000s Canadian indie scene. Tokyo Police Club opened for Hollerado at their final shows in 2019. “When they told us that it was their turn to hang up the skates, and asked if we would come out of retirement to join em,” the band wrote on Instagram, “of course we said YES.”
Hollerado had a gold record with 2010’s “Juliette,” off the Ottawa band’s debut album Record in a Bag. The band also hit No. 42 on Billboard‘s Canada Rock chart in 2019 with “One Last Time.” Since breaking up, members have focused on other projects and ventures, like popular label Royal Mountain Records, helmed by the band’s frontman Menno Versteeg.
Now, they’ll be joining their friends in Tokyo Police Club one last time, to give the Newmarket, Ontario band a proper goodbye. Tokyo Police Club were one of the biggest breakouts of Canada’s indie rock wave in the 2000s, playing Coachella and Letterman. The success of their 2006 EP A Lesson in Crime helped inspire guitar bands across the country. In 2010, they spoke with Billboard about the sessions for their sophomore album, Champ.
Guitar music has gone through a whole cycle of falling out of style and coming back in since 2010, its forms evolving and expanding along the way. If Tokyo Police Club hasn’t had as big a profile in recent years, there’s clearly still a lot of love for the band: three out of four of their farewell shows have already sold out. The last one, on Nov. 26, still has a few available here. – Rosie Long Decter
Canadian Music Appointments and Signings
Quebec City-based country singer and songwriter Alison Daniels has signed on with 604 Records with her debut “Who, What, Where, When, Why?” released Feb. 9 via Warner Music Canada.
Victoria-based musician Michael Kaeshammer has just announced the release date for his new album and a new worldwide deal with Seven.One Starwatch/Sony Music Germany. He recently wrapped up what is described as SRO tours in China and Germany and heads back to Germany in May for a theatre tour. He recently signed a touring deal with German event promoter MMP/Starwatch. Meanwhile, Kaeshammer’s Kitchen, his television show fusing music with cooking, has been renewed for its second season, airing on Yes and CHEK stations.
Secret City Records has named Magali Ould as GM. A former independent publicist, she joined in 2011 and has held various positions with the Montreal-based music company since. In naming her to the role, president/CEO Justin West stated: “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. The General Manager role addresses that need and will help unlock our potential for future growth and expansion.”
Quebec rapper Lost has been named as a participant in YouTube’s FIFTY DEEP Music Class of 2024, a grants program that champions and provides support for Black artists, songwriters and producers in the hip-hop arena. The class is comprised of 27 global artists, songwriters, and producers from the U.S., Brazil, Sub-Saharan Africa, Canada and beyond. Read more about FIFTY DEEP here. – David Farrell & Kerry Doole
Last Week In Canada: This Unsung Canadian Cleaned Up at the Grammys
The rumors arrived on Thursday (Feb. 15) evening, and now everything is confirmed officially. Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign will be in Italy next week to present their joint album Vultures 1 at two listening parties, one in Milan (Feb. 22) and another Bologna (Feb. 24). Explore See latest videos, charts and news See […]
