Publishing
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After building a prolific career as a songwriter — having penned more than 4,000 songs and received multiple awards, including both SESAC and ASCAP Latina Songwriter of the Year prizes — Claudia Brant has launched a new venture called Cha Cha Cha Publishing.
Teaming up with Warner Chappell Music, Brant’s agency aims to develop emerging songwriters and producers while also providing them with music publishing services, ranging from creative opportunities to administration support, to help accelerate their careers.
The idea was born after Brant taught a Latin songwriting course at Berklee College of Music in spring 2023 that focused on song formation and structure, lyrical concepts, melodic development and effective lyric translations.
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“The exercises I gave my students were very difficult. If they want to be a songwriter, they have to be a chameleon because that’s who I am,” Brant tells Billboard. “I can write salsa, a bolero, a pop song, an alternative song, and I wanted to develop my students in that direction with challenging exercises. At this stage of my career, where I’ve practically worked with almost every artist there is and won all of these awards and recognitions, it’s time to give back and help the new generation.”
During the course, the Argentine-born hitmaker ultimately hand-picked three aspiring talents and signed them to Cha Cha Cha Publishing: Agua García, a Música Mexicana composer; Laura Prías, who focuses on Latin pop, urban, indie, regional Mexican and boleros; and Fco. Chandia, a young Chilean engineer and producer. The former two already wrote a song for Chiquis that will soon be released.
“I’m making them work really hard, and at the same time, they’re learning a lot,” says Brant. “The good thing — which I didn’t have at the beginning of my career — are all the strong connections I made throughout the years. I got them into the rooms with Mario Caceres, Joel Enrique, Luis Salazar, Rolo from Icon Music, and I want them to write in every genre, create new material, and fight for it.”
With a trajectory that spans over 25 years, Brant has written songs for Luis Fonsi, Ricky Martin, Camila Cabello, Alejandro Sanz, John Legend, Becky G, Calibre 50, Marc Anthony and many more. In 2008, “No Me Doy Por Vencido,” which she wrote with Luis Fonsi, topped the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart for 19 weeks. She’s a nine-time Latin Grammy winner, including song of the year in 2009 for Fonsi’s “Aqui Estoy Yo.” In 2016, she was inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.
“Claudia is a legendary songwriter and artist with a talent unlike any other,” said Gustavo Menéndez, president of Latin America and U.S. Latin at Warner Chappell Music, in a statement. “I’ve known her for years, and what I admire and respect most about her is how relentless she is. She has consistently stayed ahead and fought for what she believes in, all while being recognized at the highest of levels. I’m very excited to be working with her in this next phase of her career as she turns her talents towards helping develop other writers and artists.”
Brant explains that although she’s writing way less now than she did earlier in her career, she wants to ensure her mentees develop the kind of writing skills she’s honed over the years.
“I’m nurturing them with what I know and what I’ve learned throughout the years with this beautiful craft,” she says. “I tell them that they’re gonna have to write a song a day for the next 10-15 years, and to try to write in as many different genres as possible. That craft only comes from exercising and interacting with the artists. Creating music every day makes you grow. If you have the talent, the drive, and are willing to work, you’ll make it.”
Billboard Latin Music Week is returning to Miami Beach on Oct. 14-18, with confirmed superstars including Feid, Gloria Estefan, Pepe Aguilar, Alejandro Sanz, Thalía, Maria Becerra, and Peso Pluma, among many others. For tickets and more details, visit Billboardlatinmusicweek.com.
Songwriters of North America (SONA) presented awards to songwriter activists RAYE, Ross Golan, Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, Thomas Scherer, and the late Andrea Martin at its SONA Warrior Awards ceremony on Sunday (Oct. 6) at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles.
Now in its fourth year, the SONA Warrior Awards has upgraded to a much larger room. This year, the event sat over 450 supporters from the worlds of songwriting, publishing, streaming and more — all of whom gathered together to honor the “often unsung, unsexy work of advocacy,” says SONA executive director and songwriter Michelle Lewis, who kicked off the program.
In her opening remarks, Lewis, touched on a number of key issues facing the writing community today. Pointing to recent cultural events like the Paris Olympics and the Democratic National Convention, she said: “Did you notice that each one of those shared experiences had an identifiable and memorable soundtracks?… the connection between those huge cultural moments were those huge fucking songs, right? Songs have never been more important and yet less valued.”
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“If you don’t pay the songwriters, who will write the song? And please don’t say AI. The nature of how people consume music through streaming and short form video clips puts songwriters last,” Lewis says.
The first award was presented to British artist/songwriter, RAYE, who has been a fierce advocate for songwriters since her song “Escapism.” broke her into the pop mainstream last year. Her award was presented by her co-writer and executive producer, Mike Sabath, and a tribute to her work was performed by Abby “Absolutely.” Kean, her younger sister and fellow artist. She accepted her Warrior award remotely from the U.K.
Throughout the night, honorees highlighted various issues that are top of mind for working songwriters today. When Golan accepted his award, presented by fellow songwriter Benny Blanco, he noted: “if an artist who doesn’t write sells their catalog for a couple hundred million dollars, why doesn’t the headline read, artists sells $200 million of extorted publishing from working songwriters? That is called coercion. That is not songwriting. If an artist has been showered with awards, even though they’ve stolen songwriting credit and publishing for decades, that is called vanity. That is not songwriting.”
Golan continued, “if you’re going to take credit for something you didn’t do, give some of your fee or [master] points [to songwriters], because we don’t owe you our publishing… It’s never too late to make it right.”
Advocating for non-performing, non-producing songwriters to receive master points was a common refrain throughout the night. It’s a growing movement in the music industry, which previously would not consider offering this to songwriters, unless the writer was an A-list hitmaker. In the last year, a number of independent labels, including Facet Records, The Other Songs, Nvak Collective and Good Boy Records, have made it a standard to offer this. With records released by major labels, however, this concession is still rare.
The award for Thomas Scherer, president of global catalog recorded and music publishing at BMG and lifelong drummer, was presented by Eurythmics member Dave Stewart. “As a drummer and a genuine lover of music, Thomas gives me hope,” said Stewart in his stirring introduction, “and I’m proud to present him with this son of Warrior award, because he is a genuine warrior, a soldier for good, and a friend I can trust and rely on forever.”
An award was also posthumously presented to writer Andrea Martin for her contributions to the genre of R&B through her songs recorded by Toni Braxton, Monica and Leona Lewis, among others. The award was accepted by her family, including her two surviving children.
Introduced by his teenage son, Willie “Prophet” Stiggers closed out the night for the SONA Warrior Awards. As the Black Music Artists Coalition (BMAC) co-founder, president and CEO, Stiggers gave a rousing acceptance speech, describing his journey from experiencing police brutality first hand to becoming a top advocate for Black songwriters, artists and executives in the music business. “Four years [after BMAC was created,] our commitment is steadfast,” Stiggers said.
During his speech, Stiggers also announced the new BMAC Executive Training Program, which in his words “will invite 10 executives annually to participate in executive training and coaching program for one of the industry job firms. This will be a one year program for black executives to move to the next phase of their careers.”
In its highest profile catalog acquisition yet, Jonas Group Publishing has purchased the publishing copyrights and recordings of pop hitmaker and songwriter Julia Michaels for an undisclosed price.
The portfolio acquisition includes Michaels’ RIAA four-time platinum certified hit “If The World Was Ending,” which she wrote and recorded with JP Saxe. The portfolio also includes the RIAA 3x platinum “Lose You to Love Me” (recorded by Selena Gomez), the gold-certified “Circles Around This Town” (recorded by Maren Morris), and the Dua Lipa-recorded “Pretty Please.” Other songs in the catalog include the platinum-certified “Heaven,” written and recorded for the Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack, and the gold-certified “I Miss You” with Clean Bandit. Her catalog also includes recordings by Lady Gaga, Shawn Mendes, Maroon 5, Diplo, Britney Spears, Nick Jonas, Noah Kahan, Justin Bieber, Jason Derulo, Keith Urban and Kelsea Ballerini.
“Julia Michaels is a known master of songwriting and is revered across multiple genres of music,” said JGP president Leslie T. DiPiero in a statement. “Julia, along with her manager Beka Tischker and their amazing team, have a choice on who they trust to represent her works. We here at Jonas Group Publishing are truly honored that they have chosen us. Listening to her catalog of songs makes us feel like kids in a candy store!”
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“Music is all about passion, and I’m so happy this music lives with Leslie, Kevin and their passionate team that values songwriters and creators,” Michaels added. “I look forward to working with them and growing the reach of these songs.”
“My family and I have been big fans of Julia Michaels for years,” JGE founder/chairman Kevin Jonas Sr. said in a statement. “Her music has been a part of our journey, and we’ve been fortunate enough to experience the magic of her songs firsthand. We’re excited to work with her and her team to continue sharing these incredible songs with the world and to build on the success they’ve already seen.
“This catalog is truly special for Jonas Catalog Holdings and Jonas Group Publishing. It’s not just about the hits she’s created; it’s about the heart and soul in each track. We could not have acquired this catalog without the support and expertise of our financial partner, Corrum Capital Management, who we thank and look forward to many more acquisitions together. We must also thank our trusted partners, Access Media Advisory and Teresa Miles Walsh, as well as Moghan Music for providing valuable assistance throughout the purchase of the catalog.”
The company has previously acquired the catalogs of songwriters including Justin Ebach and Amy Stroup. Jonas Group Publishing, a division of Jonas Group Entertainment, was established in 2020, and is home to songwriters including Terri Jo Box, Franklin Jonas, David Kalmusky and Bailee Madison.
Livelihood Music Company has brought on three-time Grammy-nominated hitmaker Ali Tamposi as a principal. In this role, she will join fellow songwriters JKash and Michael Pollack at the helm of the new independent music publisher. Tamposi has penned some of the biggest pop hits of the 21st century, including “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” by Kelly Clarkson, “Havana” by Camila Cabello, “Senorita” by Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello, “Let Me Love You” by Justin Bieber and DJ Snake, “It Ain’t Me” by Selena Gomez and Kygo, “Youngblood” by 5 Seconds of Summer and “Break My Heart” by Dua Lipa. “I’m thrilled to be joining Livelihood Music Company, and expanding my sphere into the role of publisher,” says Tamposi. “Stepping into this new role creates a perfect blend of my two greatest passions – songwriting and motherhood – both requiring continuous nurturing and selfless devotion.”
Iconoclast, an artist and brand development company founded by Olivier Chastan, has acquired the catalog of rapper, singer and actress Eve. This includes her shares of hit singles like “Gangsta Lovin’,” “Love Is Blind” and “Who’s That Girl” among others. More recently, her work inspired a new generation of talent when she was sampled in Central Cee’s 2022 track “Doja.” Henry Root of Smith Entertainment Law represented Iconoclast, with Michael Poster of Michaelman & Robinson, LLP serving as advisor. Wayne Russell and Pippa Wealthall of Massive Management represented Eve in the transaction. Talya Shalsom and Tim Smith of Statham Gill Davies Law, with Benjamin Vermeil of Jab Music also facilitated the deal.
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Prescription Songs has signed Grammy-winning producer/writer Tobias Wincorn to a global publishing deal. Among Wincorn’s many credits are works released by Fred again.., Missy Elliott, Lizzo, Swedish House Mafia, Fridayy, Jack Harlow, Shenseea, Megan Thee Stallion, and more. Most frequently, he works with Fred again.., Timbaland and Murda Beatz. In addition to his work in the studio, he has also previously worked as an a&r consultant for Crush Music, Seeker Music, and Hipgnosis Songs Group.
Killphonic Rights, an LA-based rights management company, has partnered with Stilwell Creative Capital. Stilwell is investing $3 million of working capital for a proportional stake of equity in Killphonic. The money will be put towards expanding services for the company’s growing roster of artists, writers, labels and publishers.
Warner Chappell Music UK has signed Will Manning to a global publishing deal. An award-winning broadcaster, producer and songwriter, Manning was a DJ for stations like KISS FM, BBC 1xtra, The Hits, Capital FM before signing a record deal with RCA last year. Now, he releases his own music and writes with others. This includes his work on the dance banger “Kisses” by BI3ss.
Low Profile, a music licensing company established by Jen Pearce in 2017, has launched a music publishing division. Its first signees are Thandii, Steady Holiday, Lani Rose, Petite Noir, Kassa Overall and Camp Saint Helene. As the company’s press release states, this new division is “dedicated to providing songwriters with transparent, fair deals and essential resources to help them navigate the intricacies of music publishing.” Among its services, Low Profile offers its clients access to its proprietary Advance Calculator tool to demystify how publishing deals are put together.
AllTrack, the latest U.S. performing rights organization (PRO), has launched a suite of APIs now-available to platforms like streaming services, UGC platforms, distributor and publishing administrators. The APIs will include a direct single-click PRO registration capability for unaffiliated creators from within a platforms, authentification of songwriters profiles and account details, access to detailed song-level metadata, the ability to display songwriter credits to end users and immediate clearance of performing rights.
Sony Music Publishing Latin announced on Thursday (Sept. 26) the renewal of its global publishing deal with songwriter, producer, recording engineer and musician Edgar Barrera. According to the publisher, the agreement extends the company’s partnership with the Mexican-American hitmaker, which began in 2014.
The renewal comes just a week after Barrera, for the second year in a row, tops the Latin Grammys nominations with nine nods in total, including songwriter of the year and producer of the year.
“I am very grateful and excited to extend my relationship with Sony Music Publishing, to start a new chapter on a journey that started 10 years ago,” Barrera said in a statement. “Jorge and Jon have always supported all of my crazy ideas and given me a safe space to continue growing as a writer and music executive.”
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Billboard‘s 2023 Latin Groundbreaker honoree, the Texas-born artist has become one of Latin music’s most in demand producers and songwriters, penning songs for Karol G, Maluma, Shakira, Peso Pluma, Grupo Frontera and Selena Gomez, to name a few. In January 2021, he topped four genre charts — pop, rhythm, tropical and regional Mexican airplay — with four different songs, something no other Latin songwriter had done before.
“Edgar is one of the most hardworking, versatile, talented, and smart songwriters I’ve had the pleasure to work with, period,” added Jorge Mejia, Sony Music Publishing president & CEO, Latin America and U.S. Latin. “Most importantly, over the years I’ve learned that for Edgar it’s not about the accolades or the records or barriers that he breaks time and again – it is about the music. With that mindset, I know Edgar is possibly just getting started. We are beyond honored to be part of his team and can’t wait to see what’s next.”
Edgar Barrera was represented in this negotiation by his long-time counsel Brian Alvarez.
The 35th anniversary of Billboard Latin Music Week, which will feature exclusive panels, conversations and performances by Latin music’s biggest stars, will take place Oct. 14-18 in Miami. Tickets are available now at BillboardLatinMusicWeek.com.
Snoop Dogg and the label that pays him have signed new deals with Reservoir Media, covering the legendary rapper and entrepreneur’s domestic publishing for his entire catalog and future works, as well as the publishing catalog of Death Row Records, which Snoop scooped up in 2022.
Born Calvin Broadus Jr. in the LBC, Snoop glided into fame in 1992 after featuring on Dr. Dre’s debut single, “Deep Cover,” before making several star-affirming turns on Dre’s game-changing album The Chronic (“Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang,” “Let Me Ride”). A year later, he released his own multi-platinum album, Doggystyle, via Death Row, featuring West Coast hip-hop classics like “Gin and Juice” and “What’s My Name?” He has released 19 solo albums, with his 20th, Missionary, currently in production with Dre. His lengthy list of hits over the years includes “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and “Beautiful” plus collabs like “The Next Episode” with Dre, “California Gurls” with Katy Perry and “Young, Wild & Free” with Wiz Khalifa, to name a few.
In addition to 16 Grammy nominations and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Snoop has built a broad business portfolio, acted in dozens of films, including Soul Plane and this year’s The Garfield Movie, and is a prolific signer of product endorsement deals. Recently, his commentary and enthusiasm charmed NBC viewers at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and last night (Sept. 23) he made his debut as a coach on NBC’s The Voice.
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After acquiring Death Row Records, the label that released his debut album along with early works by Dr. Dre and 2Pac, Snoop established a publishing arm for the label. The Reservoir deal includes hits like “Hail Mary” and “I Ain’t Mad At Cha” by 2Pac, ensuring that Death Row’s legacy continues under Snoop’s leadership.
Financial details of the arrangement were not disclosed.
Reservoir executives expressed excitement about working with Snoop and supporting his legacy. Golnar Khosrowshahi, Reservoir’s CEO, highlighted the significance of the partnership in preserving Death Row’s influence, adding “Snoop has come full circle with Death Row, showcasing his ongoing dedication to upholding its rich history – something Reservoir has proven as a core value and area of expertise across our business.”
Donna Caseine, Reservoir’s executive vp and global creative director, lauded Snoop’s impact on hip-hop and popular culture over the past three decades: “Legendary artists only need one name. Snoop is part of that echelon. From music, to brands, television, and film, his acumen represents excellence,” she said. “For the last three decades he has been a pillar of hip-hop music and popular culture. He helped write Death Row Records into music’s history books.”
Range Music Publishing, a division of Range Media Partners, has finalized an exclusive global administration deal with Universal Music Publishing Group. This marks a major expansion of Range’s existing partnership with Universal, which includes a deal with Capitol Music Group and Virgin Music Group on the recorded music side.
News of the administration deal with UMPG comes just after Range Music Publishing announced the signing of Sean Cook, one of the collaborators for Shaboozey‘s breakout hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” The Range Music Publishing roster includes Grant Averill, Tyler Dopps, Two Fresh, Luke Niccoli, Simon Oscroft and Rudey who are included in this new deal. Range clients Warburton, Luke Grimes and Dylan Gossett are not part of the new agreement.
Established in 2023, Range Music Publishing is helmed by Casey Robison, who previously led Big Deal Music Group as its co-president and partner. Its parent organization, Range Media Partners, is a multi-faceted company, representing businesses and talent in all areas of entertainment — including music, film, tv, production, comedy and sports.
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On the music management side, Range Music represents some of the music industry’s biggest talents including Jack Harlow, Shaboozey, Tanya Tucker, Cordae, Pentatonix, Saweetie, Midland, Murda Beatz, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Lauv, Alec Benjamin, Gossett, MAX, Bazzi, Sean Douglas, Paul Russell, Wondagurl, Russell Dickerson and more.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with our friends at UMPG as we build Range Music Publishing and grow our global footprint,” says Robison. “UMPG’s impressive team will help us maximize creative opportunities while providing first class administration for our growing roster of artists and songwriters. We couldn’t be more proud to call UMPG our partners.”
Range Media Partners co-founder and managing partner Matt Graham continues: “On behalf of our partnership we are thrilled to be formalizing our longstanding relationship with UMPG. The collaboration ensures greater creative support and administration for our writers, producers and artists. Together, we are committed to connecting the dots across our myriad of talent as well as the varying facets of our film, tv, sports and gaming relationships.”
Jennifer Knoepfle, UMPG executive vp and co-head of A&R, said: “In the short time Range has focused on publishing, they have already made a strong impact in the marketplace. Casey, Sam, Matt and team have a great ethos and vision and we are happy to be their admin partner on current and future endeavors.”
Jack Harlow won songwriter of the year and also song of the year at the 2024 SESAC Music Awards, which were held at The Highlight Room in Hollywood on Tuesday (Sept. 17). He took song of the year with his smash hit “Lovin on Me,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks in 2023-24.
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Remarkably, this is the fourth year in a row that Harlow has won both awards. His previous song of the year winners were “Whats Poppin” in 2021, “Industry Baby” in 2022 (which won in a tie with “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals) and “First Class” in 2023. “Whats Poppin,” Harlow’s first top 10 hit on the Hot 100, featured DaBaby, Tory Lanez and Lil Wayne. “Industry Baby,” his first No. 1, was a collab with Lil Nas X.
Harlow, 26, wasn’t at the event in person but sent a video in which he said, in part, “Thank you for those awards. Much love to SESAC. I wish I could be there. I’ve been at SESAC since I was a teenager and we’re obviously the best in the world. So, thank you for the love and much love.”
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Sony Music Publishing was named publisher of the year for the third year in a row, taking home multiple awards including “3D” recorded by Harlow and Jung Kook, as well as “Good Good” recorded by Usher, Summer Walker and 21 Savage.
Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) co-founder, president and CEO, was presented with SESAC’s Visionary Award in recognition of his organization’s ongoing work creating equity in the music industry. “Prophet’s dedication to equality and racial justice has inspired us all to do more and build a stronger, more equitable creative community,” said Mario Prins, vp of creative services. “I’m proud to call him a friend.”
SESAC’s Sam Kling, Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, SESAC’s Mario Prins
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Additional award-winning writers include Jimmy Napes, Ariana Grande, Green Day, Fede Vindver, and longtime SESAC songwriter Traci Hale for her co-write with SESAC writer and performer Burna Boy.
This marked the third year the awards were held in Los Angeles. The event was attended by top music industry executives, artists, songwriters, and publishers including Prophet, Bryan Michael Cox, Alex Isley, Knox and Kenyon Dixon.
Artist and SESAC songwriter Tamara Jade served as MC for the evening for the second year in a row. Opening the show were Scott Jungmichel, SESAC president & COO, and Sam Kling, chief creative officer, as well as Mario Prins, VP, creative services, and Diana Akin Scarfo, VP, creative services & operations.
For event highlights, visit @SESAC on Instagram. A full list of winners is available at sesac.com.
Warner Chappell Music has signed a global publishing agreement with hitmaking songwriter John Ryan. With six writing and production credits on Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet and cuts with Thomas Rhett, Teddy Swims, Harry Styles, Benson Boone, Maren Morris, Maroon 5, Niall Horan and more, WCM president of North America, Ryan Press, calls Ryan “a pop powerhouse.”
Primary Wave has partnered with the estate of Ric Ocasek on the late Cars songwriter’s publishing catalog as well as his name, image and likeness rights. The terms of the deal will see the publishing company work with all the songs from his time with the “Magic” band and his songs as a solo artist.
Audius, a decentralized music streaming service and community platform, has signed a global licensing agreement with Kobalt. The deal provides a new revenue stream for Kobalt’s roster of songwriters, and it creates a pathway for the music fans who use Audius to support their favorite artists with direct U.S. dollar payments. This is the latest in a string of deals Audius has made this year with the music business establishment to ensure proper licenses are in place and that musicians can get paid from the platform. This includes new agreements with ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR.
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UMPG UK has signed producer and writer James Ford to a global publishing administration deal. Though he is best known as a creative collaborator of top acts like Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode via Foals, Florence and The Machine, Haim, Gorillaz and Jessie Ware, Ford also recently launched his own solo project with the 2023 album The Hum.
Savan Kotecha, renowned for his work with The Weeknd, Ariana Grande and One Direction, has joined forces with major Indian talent management company REPRESENT to launch Outwrite, India’s first incubator for songwriters. With Outwrite, Kotecha hopes to start a global hub for songwriters, producers, musicians, and engineers, offering end-to-end solutions for everything related to music creation and supervision, and to bring more Indian musical talent into the top writing rooms.
Big Yellow Dog Music has signed Trent Tomlinson to a global music publishing deal. Tomlinson is best known for penning hits like “Damn Strait” by Scotty McCreery and “In Case You Didn’t Know” by Brett Young as well as other artists like Lainey Wilson, George Strait, Chris Young, and Sara Evans.
Sony Music Publishing has signed an exclusive worldwide co-publishing agreement with hit songwriter and producer Jeremy Stover, covering his future works. As part of the deal, Sony has also acquired several of Stover’s songs, including hits by Tim McGraw and Justin Moore, underscoring its ongoing creative partnership with RED Creative Group. Stover, known for his current singles like Justin Moore’s “This Is My Dirt” and Ashley McBryde’s “The Devil I Know,” continues to work with major artists such as Luke Combs, Priscilla Block, and Travis Denning.
Position Music has signed Erik Ron to a worldwide publishing deal. A go-to collaborator in the rock and alternative space, Ron has worked with the likes of jxdn, Bad Omens, Huddy, Ellise, Charlotte Sands, Maggie Lindemann, Loveless, Jack Harris, MOD SUN, Emei, Sueco, Neoni, grandson, nothing,nowhere., Papa Roach and more.
Position Music has signed Fabio Aguilar to a global publishing deal in collaboration with Grammy-winning producer Keanu Beats. The news arrives on the heels of Auilar’s BMI Hip Hop Award win for co-producing “HOTEL LOBBY (Unc & Phew)” by Quavo and Takeoff. Just 22, Aguilar is a producer, loop specialist, beatmaker, and instrumentalist, he is also known for working with the likes of Lil Baby, Jack Harlow, NLE Choppa, Roddy Ricch, Denzel Curry and Logic.
Downtown Music Publishing (DMP) today announces a global music publishing deal with PDU, the record label and publishing company from iconic Italian singer Mina. Under this new agreement, DMP will provide global publishing administration and sync services for Mina’s prestigious catalog.
Campbell Connelly, part of Wise Music Group, has signed an exclusive songwriter agreement with Josephine Stephenson. The deal further cements Stephenson’s relationship with Wise Music Group. (Her concert repertoire is published by Leduc through Wise’s offices in Paris.) A composer, arranger, and performer, Stephenson has worked as an arranger or performer with Damon Albarn, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys and Daughter.
ESMAA, an Abu Dhabi-based rights management entity representing global music stakeholders in the Gulf and Middle East, and Anghami, a top music streaming platform in the Middle East and North Africa region, have agreed on a new music licensing agreement on behalf of independent music publishers. The deal marks the resolution of a legal dispute between ESMAA (representing PopArabia and Reservoir) and Anghami.
For the second quarter of 2024, Warner Chappell Music (WCM) continued to hold the top spot on Billboard‘s Country Airplay publisher rankings, marking its third consecutive quarter at No. 1.
With a 33.53% market share — up half a percentage point from Q1 — WCM’s Nashville team won big with hits including “Where It Ends” by Bailey Zimmerman, who along with the song’s producer, Austin Shawn, has been signed to WCM since 2023. Apart from Sony Music Publishing’s five-consecutive-quarter stint at No. 1 from Q3 of 2022 to Q3 of 2023, Warner Chappell has consistently held the quarterly top country music publisher title in Nashville, dating back to the first quarter of 2017.
Sony landed in second place with an 18.94% market share and 49 songs on the Q2 Country Airplay chart, including hits “Outskirts” by Sam Hunt (No. 3), “Take Her Home” by Kenny Chesney (No. 5), and “World on Fire” and “Bulletproof” by Nate Smith (Nos. 11 and 12). Of the 49 songs Sony had on the chart, 15 were co-written by Ashley Gorley, earning him the distinction of being the quarter’s top Country Airplay songwriter.
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Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) moved up one spot in the rankings to third place with a 7.69% market share and 23 songs on the quarter’s Country Airplay chart. “Outskirts” by Sam Hunt, “Tucson Too Late” by Jordan Davis (No. 6), “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen (No. 15), and “Cowgirls” by Wallen (No. 16) were among UMPG’s top songs for the quarter.
Kobalt rose to No. 4 with a 6.88% market share, up from fifth place and 5.78% last quarter. It also controls a slice of the sixth-ranked track, Davis’ “Tucson Too Late, along with 22 other songs on the quarter’s chart.
BMG fell from third place in Q1 to fifth with a 4.95% market share. The Berlin-based music company’s biggest song this quarter was “Halfway to Hell” by Nashville superstar Jelly Roll, which ranked fourth on Country Airplay in Q2. BMG had eleven songs on the chart.
Big Machine Music finished sixth with a 4.19% market share thanks to its slice of Tyler Hubbard’s “Back Then Right Now” and eleven other songs. At No. 7, Hipgnosis made its debut on the country publisher rankings with a 3.48% market share and four songs, including a share of “Where It Ends” by Zimmerman.
At No. 8, St. Music also debuts on the Country Airplay publisher rankings with two songs, including “We Ride” by Bryan Martin. Concord came in ninth with 2.31% of the market thanks in part to “One Bad Habit” by Tim McGraw.
Anthem rounds out the top 10 with hits including “Cab in a Solo” by Scotty McCreery. The publisher held the same ranking in Q1 but improved its market share significantly, up from 1.87% to 2.18% quarter to quarter.