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08 Mar 2023

Warner Music CEO Urges Holdouts in Streaming Price Hikes to Raise Subscription Fees

If the price of an individual streaming subscription plan were adjusted for inflation in 2023, it would cost $13.25 instead of roughly $10 a month, Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl said on Wednesday (March 8) — a statistic that doubled as a plea for streaming companies that have yet to raise fees to get in line.

While several of the big music streaming companies — including Apple, Amazon and Deezer — have raised their baseline prices recently, the biggest one of all, Spotify, has so far held off on raising the $9.99 pricetag on its U.S. premium subscription plan. Though Kyncl didn’t specifically address Spotify on Wednesday, when he spoke at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, he said companies that haven’t raised their prices are playing a role in the undervaluing of music.

“We are the lowest (cost) form of entertainment,” he said. “We have the highest …engagement, highest form of affinity and lowest per hour price. That doesn’t seem right. It should change in an orderly fashion.”

While Kyncl is far from an unbiased commenter on price hikes — music labels stand to gain significant revenues from DSPs raising their subscription prices — Kyncl says the 12 years he spent at YouTube has shown him companies can raise prices if they have a product consumers cherish.

“YouTube TV has grown its subscription from $35 to $70 while growing … because they have a superior product,” Kyncl said.

During the wide-ranging presentation, Kyncl also expressed empathy for executives at TikTok who are at “a company that’s kind of embattled today with lots of different institutions around the world.”

“As someone who’s kind of gone through that, it is much better to have friends and not fight a war on every flank,” he added, recalling the contentious relationship YouTube once had with the music industry.

TikTok is engaged in ongoing negotiations over remuneration to rights holders, a group that includes Warner Music Group (WMG). On Wednesday, Kyncl noted WMG is open to a friendlier dynamic with the popular music discovery tool so long as it works for “both sides.”

“That’s all I look for, fair setup on both sides and to grow a business together,” Kyncl added.

08 Mar 2023

Anghami Revenues Jumped 36% in 2022 On Solid Paid Subscriber Growth

Abu Dhabi-based music streaming company Anghami says its revenues grew by more than 35% to $48 million in 2022, driven by strong growth in paid subscribers, according to a statement the company released sharing its preliminary unaudited results for last year.

The company says its total number of paying subscribers grew 21% year-over-year to 1.52 million, while the overall number of music streams rose by 20% amid growing demand for Anghami’s music content, roughly 60% of which was Arabic-language in 2022.

“Our ability to provide an exceptional user experience and to deliver the best music and entertainment content in the (Middle East and North Africa) region and beyond is reflected in our strong financial performance in 2022,” Anghami CEO Eddy Maroun said in a statement.

As the most popular streaming platform in one of the fastest-growing streaming markets in the world, Anghami says it will achieve profitability later this year. But the company has faced its first public growing pains in recent months in the form of a lawsuit and regulatory reprimand.

In December, U.S.-based publishing company Reservoir Media and its Middle East partner PopArabia sued Anghami for alleged copyright infringement related to a dozen Western and Arabic songs by artists including Lil Jon and 50 Cent. Anghami has defended its payments to rights holders and called the lawsuit baseless and defamatory.

In January, the Nasdaq market exchange, where Anghami is publicly traded, notified the company that it was in violation of a filing rule requiring Anghami to submit a balance sheet and income statement to support its interim results for the second quarter ending June 30, 2022. The company had only submitted a press release with financial results for the period.

The regulatory flag did not affect Anghami’s listing or ability to trade on the exchange, and Anghami apparently remedied the issue this month by filing unaudited condensed financial statements for the first half of 2022 and 2021.

However, in a Feb. 27 filing, Anghami noted that its independent auditor, Ernst & Young Middle East, resigned this year and has been replaced by Grant Thornton. Ernst & Young audited Anghami’s financials for 2021 and 2022 without issue, but did include paragraphs in each of the year’s reports “regarding substantial doubt about Anghami’s ability to continue as a going concern,” Anghami said in the filing.

Grant Thornton is expected to release an audited version of the company’s full-year 2022 results by mid-April.

08 Mar 2023

Mary J. Blige Drinks Her Own Wine on ‘The Wine Down’ Talk Show: Here’s Where You Can Buy It

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From music to wine, Mary J. Blige is all about expanding the brand. The “Good Morning Gorgeous” singer stopped by the Sherri show on Tuesday (March 8) to dish about her new talk show, wine, a children’s book and more.

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Blige, who glammed it up in a black Balmain jacket and ankle boots, leather leggings and Versace sunglasses, revealed that she drinks her own wine on her talk show, The Wine Down With Mary J. Blige, airing Wednesdays on BET.

“It’s my Sun Goddess wine,” Blige told host Sherri Shepherd when asked about her drink of choice for the show. “That wine will get you going! It’s available wherever you want to buy it.”

Launched in 2020, Sun Goddess includes pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, Prosecco brut and merlot. The collection of affordably priced wines are available at major retailers such as Wine.com, Total Wine & More and through delivery apps like DoorDash.

Sun Goddess by Mary J. Blige Tasting Set

Fantinel Winery

Sun Goddess Wine (Sauvignon Blanc)

$22.99

During the chat with Shepherd, Blige also revealed the motivation behind her new children’s book Mary Can! dropping later this month.

“It’s inspired from a very heavy part of my life when this person was telling me that I ‘couldn’t’ or ‘can’t’ and everybody was better [than me],” Blige said in reference to her previous marriage. “So, I took my hell and turned it into someone else’s heaven by inspiring some little girl or boy to feel good about [themselves].”

Mary Can! will be released on March 28. The children’s book is $19.99 for a hardcover copy and $10.99 for the Kindle version (click here to pre-order).

Read on for details on how to stream The Wine Down With Mary J. Blige without cable.

How to Watch The Wine Down With Mary J. Blige Without Cable

The Wine Down with Mary J. Blige airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on BET and BET Her. Taraji P. Henson and Yung Miami were guests on last week’s premiere episode. 50 Cent will sit down with Blige on tonight’s (March 8) episode.

If you already have cable, satellite or cable channels through a streaming provider, check your local listings for channel information.

Viewers who don’t have cable, can stream new episodes of The Wine Down With Mary J. Blige on Philo and enjoy a free trial for the first week. The monthly subscription is just $25 after the free trial ends (use ExpressVPN to access Philo from outside of the U.S.).

Philo

$25/month after 7-day free trial

Philo has dozens of cable channels including BET, OWN, MTV, BBC, CMT, Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Food Network, Revolt, Discovery, FYI and TLC.

BET is also available on other streaming platforms including Hulu + Live TV, DirectTV Stream and Sling.

Watch Blige’s interview below.

08 Mar 2023

O’Shea Jackson Jr. Has Some Thoughts About Logic’s Ice Cube Cover — Especially the Line About His Mom

O’Shea Jackson Jr. took to social media on Tuesday (March 7) to offer his reaction to Logic‘s recent cover of his dad Ice Cube‘s 1995 classic “It Was a Good Day.”

In case you haven’t seen the clip, the “Self Medication” rapper tackled Cube’s top 20 Billboard Hot 100 hit word-for-word — including a suggestive lyrical shout-out to the elder MC’s wife, Kimberly Woodruff (“I got a beep from Kim, and she can f— all night”).

Now, considering the song is talking about Jackson’s mom, he had much stronger feelings about Logic’s use of that particular line than anything else in the cover.

“I respect Logic. I think he can rap. And that’s all I really need,” he tweeted. “But bruh….if if ever hear you sing about my mother again… it’s gone be a misunderstanding lmaoooo.”

The Cocaine Bear actor then followed his half-joking hot take with two other tweets, after multiple fans confessed they only learned about his parentage after hearing Logic’s cover.

“Imagine having to be your pops hype man and doing that part …….. I’ll wait………pretty awkward right……. So now when either me or my brother on stage with him the line is ‘I got a beep from HER’ instead of my moms name,” he wrote in response to one follower, and later cracked, “Yes my father is so romantic smh” to another.

While it doesn’t appear that Logic had responded to Jackson’s tweet as of press time, he did announce his upcoming tour earlier this week in support of his latest album College Park, which begins May 25 in Madison, Wis.

Check out Jackson’s amusing reaction to Logic’s Ice Cube cover below.

08 Mar 2023

Spotify Unveiled a Bold New Redesign at Stream On 2023: Here Are the Highlights

Spotify unveiled a slew of new features and touted its commitment to music discovery in a sprawling, 90-minute Stream On presentation Wednesday (March 8). CEO Daniel Ek called it “the biggest” transformation the platform has gone through in a decade.

“We hear the same things again and again from the creator community,” Ek told the Stream On audience. “Get me closer to the fans, give me more ways to engage, and help me better monetize.” These three imperatives were the thread that connected the many, many initiatives Spotify extolled on Wednesday. 

Vertical Feed, Previews and Pre-Saves

The most noticeable change designed to make Spotify “feel alive,” as Ek put it, was the introduction of the swipe-able vertical feed, which replaces the old static carousels of playlists and recommendations. The new feed is video-based, and it will play previews of music and other audio content, like podcasts and audiobooks, in what Spotify co-president Gustav Soderstrom called “a powerful new way to get that first listen.”

“When I open my homescreen, I won’t have to choose what I might be interested in just based on a cover art that I’ve never seen before, or an episode name I’ve never heard of,” he added. “Instead, I can instantly hear the most interesting part of a song or an episode.”

If the new feed is meant to pique the interest of curious fans, the new pre-save feature allows artists to capitalize on fan interest months before a potential release. Artists have been using third-party technology to run pre-save campaigns for years, but Sulinna Ong, Spotify’s global head of editorial, suggested that Spotify’s pre-save function would resonate in a different way because it’s a dedicated listening service.

“There’s a disconnect between where music is being teased and where music is actually being streamed,” she noted, in what could be interpreted as a subtle shot at TikTok. “The most powerful time to reach fans is when they’ve chosen to engage with music, like when they open up Spotify.”

Fans who pre-save a release will be notified when the song or album comes out. Spotify’s data indicates that 80% of pre-savers return to the platform to stream the song or album during their debut week.

Statistics like these were sprinkled throughout Stream On by the platform’s executives. Sometimes they were testaments to Spotify’s enormous reach, with Ek noting at one point that the platform served more than 10 million creators and enjoyed more than half a billion listeners spread across 184 markets.

In other instances, the numbers served to illustrate the power of Spotify’s tools. “These days, Spotify recommendations drive close to half of all user streams,” Soderstrom said. “Each time your music gets played on a playlist like Release Radar, you receive, on average, three times more streams from that listener over the next six months. And when a listener decides to follow you, they listen to, on average, five times more of your music.”

This, he continued, sets Spotify apart from platforms that deliver “just a fleeting moment of viral fame,” in what sounded like another jab at TikTok.

Discovery Mode and Smart Shuffle

Interested in learning about the effectiveness of Discovery Mode, which allows artists to take a lower royalty rate in order to gain more algorithmic exposure on the platform? Spotify had some numbers to share.

“On average, we’ve seen users save Discovery Mode songs 50% more often, add them to playlists 44% more, and follow the artists 37% more,” said Joe Hadley, the streamer’s global head of artist partnerships and audience. “And that’s just what they see in the song’s first month of Discovery Mode use.” He hinted that the program was especially powerful for new artists by stating that “algorithmic recommendations” are responsible for one-third of all new artist discoveries on Spotify.

Those algorithmic recommendations also factor into Smart Shuffle, a new feature that augments user-created playlists with Spotify’s picks — all of which are informed by the listener’s history. Users often heavily stream these new playlists “for the first several months after creation,” Spotify wrote on its blog. “But over time they stream these playlists less frequently in favor of new music or mixes.” Smart Shuffle aims to “breathe new life” into those old collections of songs by “shuffling tracks and adding new, perfectly tailored suggestions.”

Marquee and Clips

Spotify also cited stats to demonstrate the impact of Marquee, which offers full-screen sponsored recommendations for new releases. “On average, Marquee is 10 times more cost effective at getting listeners to stream your music on Spotify than ads on the most popular social media platforms,” Ong said.

Another feature that Spotify rolled out to a wider user base through Spotify for Artists is called Clips, which lets artists add 30-second videos to their profiles. “We built Clips to give artists a platform that inspires fandom and long-term success, not quick hits of content that just tap into the latest meme,” Spotify explained in a video about the feature. “Clips… help drive metrics that really matter to your career, like saves, follows, and streams.”

Concert Listings and Fans First

Last summer, Spotify announced that it had joined forces with Ticketmaster, AXS and more on a new Live Events Feed that captures “most of the world’s concerts” in major markets. Executives reaffirmed the platform’s commitment to this initiative at Stream On. Ong said that Spotify listed over 840,000 shows last year and promised that, going forward, “personalized concert listings [will be] featured more prominently across the app.”

Hadley picked up the thread, noting the platform will also now surface an artist’s upcoming gigs in the app’s “Now Playing” view. “It’s one of the most powerful places to market your shows and will grab your listeners’ attention right when your music resonates most,” he said, adding that fans can now tap a button marked “Interested” for concert listings, which adds those shows to a personal gig calendar in the app’s Live Events feed.

On top of all this, Spotify announced that it would expand its Fans First program in the U.S., which will ensure that an artist’s top listeners “are first in line for merch exclusives and ticket pre-sales by sending them emails and notifications to let them know when they have special access,” said Ong.

08 Mar 2023

Paris Hilton, Selena Gomez, P!nk & More Stars Celebrate International Women’s Day on Social Media

Stars took to social media to honor the global day celebrating women.

Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton attends the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards: UNSCRIPTED at Barker Hangar on June 02, 2022, in Santa Monica, Calif.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Happy International Women’s Day! On Wednesday (March 8), stars took to social media to honor the global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women — plus the women in their lives that have made an impact.

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For example, Selena Gomez shared a throwback photo of herself with an inspirational message to her younger self. “Dear younger me, please don’t be afraid to ask for help,” the 30-year-old captioned a photo of herself posing in front of the camera in a light yellow shirt embroidered with daisies.

“Today is International Women’s Day and I want each of us to be gentler to ourselves,” she continued, prompting her followers to “write your younger self a @RareBeauty #rarereminder and stick it on your mirror to remind yourself that you deserve the world. Love you.”

See below for more posts from celebrities like Paris Hilton, Christina Aguilera, P!nk, Zara Larsson and more celebrating International Women’s Day.

08 Mar 2023

Lele Pons & Guaynaa’s Iconic Wedding, Miley Cyrus Teases Upcoming New Album & More | Billboard News

Lil Yachty talks about how his new album ‘Let’s Start Here’ is something he’s truly proud to have made. We take a look inside at Lele Pons’ & Guaynaa’s star-studded wedding. Miley Cyrus drops a teaser for her new track ‘River’. Morgan Wallen is heating up the charts and more!

08 Mar 2023

Anitta Blasts Warner Music, Says She Would Have ‘Auctioned Off Her Organs’ To Be Free of Label Deal

Brazilian pop star Anitta is lashing out at Warner Music, saying she regrets signing with the label and would have “auctioned off her organs” to be let out of her contract.

The artist — who had a breakout 2022 with the success of her tri-lingual album Versions of Me, a No. 1 track on the Billboard Global Ex. U.S. chart with “Envolver” and performances at Coachella and the Latin Grammy Awards — went on a Twitter tirade last week when fans prodded her to explain her tortured history with Warner.

When one fan said he wished she could be free of her contract, she responded that “if there was a fine to pay, I would have already auctioned off my organs, no matter how expensive it was to get out. But unfortunately, there isn’t. When you’re young and still don’t know a lot, you need to pay close attention to the things you sign… if you don’t, you could spend a lifetime paying for the mistake.”

A spokesperson for Warner Music declined to comment. Leila Oliveira, Warner Music Brazil’s new president, did not respond to a message from Billboard. Brandon Silverstein, Anitta’s U.S.-based manager, also did not respond to a request for comment.

Anitta signed with Warner Music in the U.S. in January 2020 after previously signing with Warner Music Brazil in 2013. Under the U.S. contract, she produced Versions of Me, which was executive produced by Ryan Tedder. Anitta has said she’s required to deliver two more albums for the label to satisfy the contract. (In January 2022, she signed a publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing.)

This isn’t the first time Anitta has complained about Warner. She previously swiped at the label for having to pay for music videos out of her own pocket, including for “Gata,” which she said Warner refused to produce a video for when they saw that the song’s performance on streaming platforms was falling below expectations.

“They only invest after it pays off on the internet,” Anitta said in an Instagram livestream in May. “Unfortunately, there are things I can’t get, that’s why I don’t buy millionaire cars, because when I want to do something, I pay for it.” (She says she ultimately got a sponsor to help pay for the video.)

During the same livestream, Anitta also said that Warner only invests in her work after a song goes viral on TikTok. “The label is very tied to TikTok, to what goes viral, and if they don’t get a hit right away, they say ‘later,’” she said.

Anitta’s fans have also criticized Warner for the label’s perceived treatment of the Brazilian singer, with many complaining on Twitter that Warner didn’t give her 2021 single “Girl From Rio” the marketing push it deserved by including it in playlists on streaming services. (The song, which combined bossa nova and trap with English lyrics, dropped rapidly on the charts.)

Anitta has also said that Warner initially resisted the release of “Envolver,” the single that blew up after Anitta’s butt-grinding dance in the song’s video, which she directed, became a global TikTok sensation. “[Warner] said the song wasn’t going anywhere and that I wouldn’t have the sway to release it alone [without a feature on the track],” she said during an Instagram livestream in December.

Late last year, Anitta’s fans began urging her to release a funk remix of “Practice,” which she originally recorded with A$AP Ferg and HARV, but the singer said last week that Warner wouldn’t allow her to. “When I saw that you liked [the remix version] I asked to release it, and it has been a long time,” she wrote to her fans on Twitter. “But things can only be released with their authorization.”

Since Anitta’s tirade last week, fans have organized a #FreeAnitta movement on Twitter. One fan posted a photo depicting the singer sobbing in a jail cell with the Warner Music logo on the wall behind her. Another fan asked her if her harsh comments could damage her relationship with the label.

“Is there a way it could get worse? Hahaha,” she responded.

08 Mar 2023

Michael B. Jordan Names Drake the Greatest Rapper of All Time: ‘Fight Me’

It’s the age-old question: Who is the greatest rapper of all time? Answers may vary, but for actor Michael B. Jordan, his answer is split between two of the modern greats.

Sitting down for an episode of “GOAT Talk” with Complex, Creed III stars Jordan and Jonathan Majors laid out their picks for the best rapper of all time. Majors settled on Jay-Z and 2Pac, while Jordan struggled to make a decision between Hov and Drake.

“It’s like right there,” Jordan said when faced with the tough decision, before giving Drizzy the GOAT status. “Fight me,” he added.

The decision, however, did not come lightly. The 36-year-old actor said, “Jay-Z? Drake? It’s tough, it’s tough, it’s tough,” but cited Drake’s “consistency across genres” and being able to relate to everything that he raps about in his music — “an artist [who] raps about things that I’ve been through, situations that I can relate to the most, literally … ‘I’ve thought that, I’ve been through that,’ it relates to me consistently” — is the reason why Drake gets his GOAT vote. “I gotta go there,” Jordan said.

Billboard made its own GOAT hip-hop list with the 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time. Drake cracked the top 10, landing at No. 8, while Jay-Z crowned the list at No. 1. (Read the full list here.)

Watch Jordan talk about his favorite two rappers in the video above.

08 Mar 2023

Janet Jackson Documentary, Keyshia Cole Biopic & ‘TLC Forever’ Doc Announced by A+E Networks

An outpouring of R&B film projects are coming soon, thanks to A&E and Lifetime.

A+E Networks has greenlit Janet Jackson’s new documentary chronicling her upcoming Together Again tour, alongside a TLC doc and a Keyshia Cole biopic starring the R&B singer herself.

Titled Janet Jackson: Family First, the doc is a continuation of the legendary singer’s wildly successful 2022 documentary, which brought in 21 million viewers to the networks, according to the press release, and will be executive produced by Jackson herself and her brother Randy Jackson.

“I was touched by the love and support from the wonderful fans who enjoyed the documentary last year,” Janet said in a press release. “I am excited to continue to share my story and welcome fans into my life and the ‘Together Again’ tour. Thank you for your never-ending support, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter.”

Janet Jackson: Family First will also give an inside look at the reunion of the Jackson family band for their first performance together in 40 years. “In this next chapter in the documentary, Janet and I are thrilled to welcome viewers on the road with us as we embark on the ‘Together Again’ tour, celebrating the milestone of 50 years of Janet’s career with fans across the country,” Randy said in the release. Directed by Ben Hirsch, the documentary is currently being filmed, with no release date shared yet.

Janet’s Live Nation-produced tour kicks off April 14 in Hollywood, Florida, with rapper Ludacris as opener for all 33 dates. Other stops include Atlanta, Memphis, Nashville, New York, Atlantic City, Milwaukee, Dallas, Los Angeles and Portland, Ore., before coming to a close June 21 in Seattle. The tour will be a celebration of Janet’s 50 years as an entertainer, featuring songs from some of her most critically acclaimed albums, including 1993’s janet and 1997’s The Velvet Rope.

The Cole biopic, titled Keyshia Cole: This Is My Story, will feature the Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter playing herself. In addition to making her acting debut, Cole is also serving as executive producer of the film. Keyshia Cole: This Is My Story is set to air Saturday, June 24, at 8 p.m. ET as part of Lifetime’s celebration of Black Music Month.

Also in June, Lifetime and A&E will simulcast TLC Forever, a new two-hour documentary telling the story of Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, who comprised the best-selling American girl group of all time, according to the RIAA. In 2002, Lopes died at age 30 in a car accident during a trip to Honduras. Directed by Matthew Kay and executive-produced by Academy Award-winning director Roger Ross Williams, TLC Forever will cover the celebratory moments as well as the darkness, controversy and tragedy throughout TLC’s unprecedented run.