The Deals
Page: 6
ASM Global acquired talent buying agency Madison Entertainment, which works with both small-capacity venues and larger concert series/multi-day festivals. “We are committed to add resources to our promoter and live content division in order to ensure that all of our managed venues continue to be leaders in live-event performances,” said ASM Global president/CEO Ron Benison in a statement. “Under Roger’s leadership, the addition of Madison Entertainment will further grow live music content for our clients, particularly within our industry-leading nationwide theater network.”
DJ Pee .Wee, the “vinyl-spinning alter ego” of rapper Anderson .Paak, signed with the Las Vegas-based MAC Agency for representation. DJ Pee .Wee has several headlining dates on the schedule, including appearances at the Sundance Film Festival and a slot at the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest in February. Previous appearances included Spotify Beach with Kendrick Lamar in Cannes, the Ami After Party at Paris Fashion Week and Dave Chappelle‘s set at the Netflix Is a Joke festival at the Hollywood Bowl, among other engagements.
TikTok signed a licensing deal with Saudi Arabia-based Rotana Music Group, whose portfolio includes artists across the Arab world and Gulf region such as Mohamad Abdo and Amr Diab, among many others. “We at Rotana are very thrilled with this licensing agreement, which will facilitate Arab Music reach into the MENA music industry and young communities,” said Rotana Music Group CEO Salem Al Hendi in a statement. “The creative culture in MENA is so vibrant and diverse, and this agreement will enhance the exchange of music content, while promoting and supporting local artists on a proven leading platform for short-form videos.”
Vevo partnered with TikTok to create and program Trending on TiKTok, a new weekly Vevo show that will round up the music videos for the top trending songs on the TikTok platform, alongside clips of creators using the songs in their content. The show will be available across the Vevo networks in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Brazil and will be a staple TV premiere on Vevo’s FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) channels, with consecutive airing during peak viewing hours throughout the week.
Warner Music Group (WMG) partnered with digital fashion retailer DRESSX to provide WMG artists with a new revenue stream. Under the agreement, select WMG artists will collaborate directly with DRESSX to design and launch 3D and AR virtual clothing that fans can collect on Instagram, Snapchat and other platforms.
Independent singer-songwriter Cody Jinks’ Late August Records signed a partnership with The Orchard, under which the latter company will provide Late August artists “with the tools and support to build, sustain and elevate their global reach.” The first artist signed to Late August (other than Jinks, who previously started the label as a home for his own music) is singer, songwriter and guitarist Erin Viancourt, who will release her debut album in May 2023. Late August Records will continue to be led by Jinks and his longtime manager Arthur Penhallow, Jr., while Stephanie Hudacek will lead the label’s new Nashville office.
Event technology company Events.com secured a capital commitment of $100 million in the form of a share subscription facility (SSF) from Gem Global Yield (GGY). The investment will accelerate the company’s growth strategy through acquisitions, partnerships and other initiatives. Under the deal, Events.com will be able to draw down up to $100 million following an equity exchange listing. The company — which previously acquired an AI event discovery company, an event sponsorship technology company and a ticketing company — is set to announce a new acquisition soon.
Mastercard will use the Polygon blockchain to host its newly-announced Mastercard Artist Accelerator, which will connect five artists from across the globe with mentors and a “dynamic fanbase as they learn and create in Web3,” according to a press release. Slated to launch this spring, the program will give selected artists exclusive access to special events, music releases and more while teaching them how to build their brand via Web3 experiences including minting NFTs. Music fans will also be invited to purchase a limited-edition “Mastercard Music Pass” NFT that will give them access to the new platform. The Mastercard Artist Accelerator will culminate in a livestreamed artist showcase later this year.
Music marketing firm Feature.fm partnered with YouTube in a deal that will allow Feature.fm users to enjoy access to conversion and attribution data reporting to track streams in YouTube and YouTube Music that came from a Feature.fm smart link. Under the partnership, artists, managers and labels will be enabled to automatically connect YouTube and YouTube Music to their smart links, allowing them to better understand how to effectively market their music on the YouTube platform.
Music and influencer management firm Innovo Management invested in content aggregation platform JamFeed, marking them as the first investor in JamFeed’s second round of financing. JamFeed manages over a dozen TikTok creators/artists — enabling them to build their businesses and connect with fans — and also boasts a brand marketing division. As part of the investment, Innovo co-founder Sam Saideman has been added to JamFeed’s board of advisors to assist in the next phase of the company’s expansion.
Rapper Asian Doll signed a distribution partnership with music tech company Vydia, which will provide her with a suite of services, including video and audio supply chain, global distribution, analytics, rights management, payments and detailed revenue reporting in support of her forthcoming EP slated to drop on Jan. 31. The first new music released under the deal is the single “Sky Falling.”
Country singer Bryan Martin signed with WME for global representation. Martin has a national tour and a new album in the works, with a single, “Wolves Cry,” slate for release on Jan. 27 via Average Joes Entertainment.
Talking Stick Resort is the new name-in-title sponsor of Live Nation‘s 20,000-capacity outdoor Phoenix venue the Ak-Chin Pavilion. The venue is now known as the Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre.
The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) partnered with r.Cup, a sustainable platform that provides reusable cups to replace single-use plastic cups. Under the deal, NIVA members in r.Cup operating cities Denver and Seattle will be able to reduce their environmental imprint by using r.Cup’s reusable cup system, with $.01 of every cup used by a NIVA member donated to NIVA’s National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF). NIVA members in Los Angeles and Milwaukee will also soon have the option to utilize the platform.
Griffen Palmer, winner of a 2020 episode of NBC’s Songland, signed with Big Loud Records, which will release his solo debut single “Second Guessing” — originally crafted during his appearance on Songland — on Friday (Dec. 13). Palmer’s debut album is slated to drop later this year. He previously signed a publishing deal with Big Loud Publishing in 2019.
Get Physical Music added the master and publishing catalog of house-music imprint Definitive Records (Jetstream, Dance Fever, Robot Man) to its portfolio of labels. Definitive co-founder John Acquaviva will remain with the label and continue to be active on the A&R front while working with the Get Physical team.
Canadian lifestyle brand October’s Very Own (OVO) partnered with FaZe Holdings, parent company of gaming and lifestyle brand FaZe Clan, on a collection that will include FaZe Clan and OVO co-branded gaming controllers, mouse pads, hoodies, varsity jackets and more. The collection was made available starting Dec. 21 at OVO’s online store and OVO retail locations. Further initiatives under the partnership are expected later this year.
Warner Music Group signed a multi-year partnership with blockchain companies LGND.io and Polygon Companies to launch LGND Music, a new collaborative project set to debut in January 2023. Through the partnership, select WMG artists will launch digital collectibles on LGND Music’s app and desktop platform, which will be built on Polygon, a blockchain development network. WMG’s Spinnin’ Records is one of the first label collaborations under the deal.
The Bojangles restaurant franchise signed a franchise development agreement with Melanbo, a group partly owned by music execs Mel Carter and Kevin “Coach K” Lee. Melanbo will develop 14 new Bojangles locations in greater Atlanta, building upon their acquisition of 18 existing Bojangles restaurants in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina — making Melanbo the largest Black-controlled Bojangles franchise. In the music sphere, Carter recently signed a joint venture deal with Warner Music for his label, Second Estate Records. Lee currently serves as COO at Quality Control Music, which he co-founded in 2013.
UMG-owned rock label Spinefarm Records (Bullet for My Valentine, Atreyu, Killing Joke) joins the [PIAS] Group‘s roster, effective Jan. 1; Spinefarm will be distributed on a global basis through the [PIAS] services division [Integral]. The deal marks the first significant repertoire partnership following UMG’s purchase of a 49% stake in [PIAS] last month. Spinefarm will continue to operate as a standalone label from its New York headquarters under the leadership of GM Jonas Nachsin. Existing Spinefarm teams across the world will continue to handle all A&R, marketing and promotion activities for the label.
TSX Entertainment — owner of a 74,000 square foot space in New York that includes recording studios, a supper club, galleries, restaurants, bars, rooftop terraces and immersive experiences integrated with the TSX Metaverse — signed a long-term partnership with Roc Nation. Under the deal, the companies will collaborate on tentpole performances and annual events out of the TSX space — which also includes a massive digital billboard connected to the TSX app — spanning music, fashion, film, sports, gaming and lifestyle.
Warner Music Group’s WMX is launching three FAST channels exclusively on The Roku Channel: WMX Pop, XMW Rock and WMX Hip-Hop. All three will feature music videos and concerts from WMG’s global catalog, as well as original programming from WMG media brands including UPROXX, HipHopDX, Songkick, Cover Nation, The Pit and Lasso Nation.
Warner Music India (WMI) signed popular Indian singer King. The label recently released King’s third studio album, Champagne Talk.
Connect Music, which provides distribution and publishing administration services, acquired London-based artist and label services provider MTX Music. Connect co-founder Askia Fountain will lead MTX Music’s operations as managing director, focusing its services on the hip-hop and R&B community in the U.K. Under the agreement, Connect is granting MTX Music access to its $10 million credit facility (backed by Preserver Partners) to support the development of emerging U.K. talent, with up to $1 million available per artist. Fountain will look to grow MTX Music’s A&R and marketing teams over the coming months. MTX Music’s roster includes Judith Owen, Lost Society and Jonathan Antoine.
Downtown Music Services signed several new artists out of Los Angeles: Colbie Caillat, Francis Karel, Lily Meola, Loren Gray, Rebecca Black and Yung Bae. All will utilize Downtown’s suite of services including global distribution, creative marketing and synch licensing.
B2B distributor FUGA partnered with U.S. indie label Polyvinyl Record Co. (Alvvays, of Montreal, American Football). Through the deal, Polyvinyl will utilize FUGA’s suite of distribution and marketing services. Polyvinyl is also entering a partnership with Downtown Neighbouring Rights, a recently-launched division of Downtown Music that brings Downtown Music Services,Downtown Neighbouring Rights and FUGA together into a single offering that aligns, tech solutions, label & artist services and distribution.
Merlin signed two new partnerships: one with Supernatural, a VR fitness app for Meta Quest headsets, and the second with STYNGR, a B2B technology platform that offers a turnkey music licensing solution for video games and the metaverse. Under the deals, both Supernatural and STYNGR will be provided with music released by Merlin members.
NOFX founding member Fat Mike launched a new record label, Bottles To The Ground. According to a press release, the label will serve as a “halfway house” for Fat Mike’s new band, Codefendants, and a home for British punk duo The Meffs and Melvinator, the EDM project from NOFX’s Eric Melvin. The label, a collective owned by all members of NOFX, is an imprint of Fat Wreck Chords and will house bands that don’t fit the traditional Fat sound.
Indie label Dirty Hit (The 1975, Wolf Alice, Rina Sawayama) extended its worldwide distribution deal with Ingrooves Music Group.
British-Nigerian rapper, MC, producer and label owner Skepta signed with Los Angeles-based Wasserman Music agent Brent Smith for global representation. Skepta launched his own label and creative agency, Big Smoke, in October.
Session, the developer behind music collaboration app Session Studio, signed a one-year partnership with Brazil’s largest collection society, the Brazilian Union of Composers (UBC). Under the deal, Session will offer UBC members free access to the Session Studio app, which allows creators to capture song and recording data at the point of creation and deliver it downstream to managers, labels, publishers, CMOs and digital service providers while ensuring all participants are properly credited.
B2B streaming company Tuned Global announced two MedTech clients, MediMusic and Nue Life Health, who will use Tuned’s music APIs to provide streaming music to patients in a variety of settings. MediMusic customizes therapeutic playlists for patients to reduce resting heart rate, anxiety and stress responses via biofeedback and machine learning. Nue Life Health offers ketamine therapy to people with PTSD and treatment-resistant depression; music is one component of an app-supported therapeutic experience that guides Nue Life patients through the ketamine sessions. Tuned Global will provide the companies with metadata, music content and streaming service functionality.
Oliver Sim, Romy and Jamie xx — collectively The xx — signed with Huxley‘s brand partnerships division. The company will represent the members of the band and support on-brand relationships for their individual and creative projects. Also signing with the division is Alastair McKimm — creative director, design consultant, i-D editor-in-chief and founder of creative agency MCKIMMCORP.
The estate of Luther Vandross tapped Epic Rights — part of Universal Music Group’s merchandise and brand management company Bravado — as the global merchandise management agency to develop a multi-category worldwide retail and e-commerce program for the late singer. The agreement will see a roster of new licensing partners create branded merch and other elements to extend Vandross’ legacy in advance of multiple anniversary celebrations slated for next year. Vandross released his solo debut album, Never Too Much, in 1981; he went on to release 11 consecutive platinum albums and win a total of eight Grammys. According to a press release, over his more than 30-year career, he sold in excess of 40 million albums worldwide and also produced records for Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross and Dionne Warwick. Next year is the 20th anniversary of both his Dance With My Father album and Live at Radio City Music Hall, which marked his final live performances. Other activations will include the launch of the Luther Vandross Foundation and a remix collaboration for Black History Month.
Full-service B2B distributor FUGA, a division of Downtown Music, partnered with electronic label Insomniac Music Group for a deal that will see FUGA provide a range of distribution, marketing and label services for several labels under the Insomniac umbrella, providing access to over 260 DSPs globally. Insomniac will also be utilizing FUGA’s sync and audience engagement services and have access to its trends and analytics platform. Insomniac additionally reached a deal with Downtown Neighbouring Rights.
China-based online music platform NetEase Cloud Music struck a licensing renewal agreement with Japanese entertainment company Avex. Under the deal, the companies will collaborate on promoting the presence of Avex artists on the NetEase platform. Avex’s roster includes Ayumi Hamasaki, Ai Otsuka, Kumi Koda, Awesome City Club, HIRAIDAI, I Don’t Like Mondays and NAQT VANE.
Actor and singer-songwriter Reneé Rapp signed with WME in all areas. Known for her role on the HBO Max series The Sex Lives of College Girls, Rapp recently signed with Interscope Records, which released her debut EP, Everything to Everyone, on Nov. 11. She continues to be represented by Adam Mersel of Immersive Management, Lisa Socransky Austin and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern LLP.
Universal Music Group (UMG) partnered with Artist Partner Group (APG) on The Fast & Furious: Drift Tape (Phonk Vol 1), “a fan-first mixtape” released in conjunction with character pieces from Universal Pictures’ Fast & Furious franchise that are meant to reintroduce characters to fans. Led by APG CEO Mike Caren and UMG’s Steven Victor, the project features music and collaborations from Phonk music’s biggest artists, including Kordhell, MUPP, Kaito Shoma, SCXR Soul and more. The full mixtape will be released Dec. 16.
Montreal-based pianist and composer Alexandra Stréliski signed to XXIM Records/Sony Music Masterworks. The first release under the deal is the song “The Hills,” which is Stréliski’s first new music in four years; she’s slated to put out a new album in spring 2023. All forthcoming music will be released by XXIM Records/Sony Masterworks worldwide, excluding Canada, in partnership with Montreal-based Secret City Records, her Canadian label home since 2018.
MOBO Group welcomed The Orchard to its recruitment and mentoring platform MOBOLISE, which launched in beta in 2020. MOBOLISE “supports and connects career opportunities to empower diversity, excellence and transformation in the workplace,” according to a press release, via a jobs board, mentoring and career development events and educational resources. It aims to create a more equitable industry by overcoming systemic obstacles faced by Black professionals. “MOBOLISE directly supports The Orchard’s goal to attract diverse talent by providing resources and information to the MOBOLISE community as well as direct recruitment opportunities to add to our workforce,” said Naledi Nyahuma Seck, vp of diversity & inclusion at The Orchard.
The Tahoe Douglas Visitors Authority and Oak View Group reached an exclusive multi-year naming rights agreement with Tahoe Blue Vodka for a new live entertainment, sports and conference center on the south shore of Lake Tahoe. Located in Stateline, Nevada, the 6,000-capacity Tahoe Blue Center is projected to open in July 2023 and host 130 events annually. The deal includes prominent exterior and interior signage. This is the first naming rights sponsorship for the vodka brand.
Payton Smith (“Like I Knew You Would”) signed with Combustion Masters, which recently released his latest single “Need You To Not.” Smith is currently in the studio with Combustion president Chris Warren at the production helm. New music from the singer, who’s signed with Eclipse Music Group for publishing, is expected early next year.
Independent digital distributor IDOL signed a full-service digital distribution partnership with independent label Fire Records, which boasts acts including Black Lips, Jane Weaver, The Lemonheads and Vanishing Twin on its roster. IDOL will handle the digital distribution of Fire Records’ repertoire to its global network of DSPs, excluding South Korea. Fire Records will also work closely with IDOL’s international audience development team on marketing and release strategy for frontline releases, with a dedicated specialist working on the label’s back catalog.
Q Prime South signed singer-songwriter Paul Cauthen for management. Cauthen, who will be on tour throughout December and into early 2023, is working on new music for release next year. His most recent album, Country Coming Down, was released by Thirty Tigers.
Warner Music Latina has signed emerging Mexican singer-songwriter Arriola to “continue the development” of his career within the regional Mexican genre, according to a press release. Arriola (real name Eduardo Arriola Gómez) — who released his first single “En Eso Estoy” when the label announced his signing — is also currently working on additional new music that will be part of his first album under the label. – Griselda Flores
Synch clearance and licensing software Trevanna Tracks partnered with music and cue sheet reporting company Soundmouse. The deal will allow Trevanna users to move song metadata, including splits and usage, from Trevanna to Soundmouse in order to generate accurate cue sheets. “Trevanna’s data and documents give production teams everything needed to air a synced song, but it doesn’t take the next step to ensure ongoing downstream payments,” said Jennifer Freed, founder and CEO of Trevanna Tracks. “This process was brilliantly sorted by Soundmouse.” Added Soundmouse head of business development Mark Vermaat, “This partnership enables collaboration between music supervisors and editors, saves time, and significantly lessens the margin for error in reporting royalties.”
Irish singer-songwriter Lisa O’Neill signed with Rough Trade Records for the release of her next album, All of This Is Chance, which is slated for release Feb. 10.
Country trio Track45 signed with UTA for booking. Comprised of siblings Jenna, Ben and KK Johnson, the group will be working with UTA agent Lance Roberts as its day-to-day. Track45 is signed to BBR Music’s Group’s Stoney Creek Records and managed by T.R.U.T.H. Management’s Missi Gallimore.
Nettwerk Music Group signed several new artists: lo-fi hip-hop producer linanthem; Sun Lo, a new project from artist-producer Attlas and songwriter-vocalist Richard Walters; alt-pop duo Bestfriend; beatmaker and producer Mr. Käfer; and disco-pop artist and producer Wingtip. The label recently released linanthem’s single “wind in my sails,” Sun Lo’s debut single “Factory Gates”; Mr. Käfer’s single “Blurred”; and Wingtip’s single “Mr. 29.” On Dec. 9, the label will release Bestfriend’s new single “LEMON LIME.”
Natalie Carr signed with Dallas Austin‘s distribution company DAD, which will release her new song “Drive.”
Mailboat Records signed yacht rock group Yachtley Crew. The outfit, which is managed by Andy Gould and is revving up for a series of monthly performances at Palms Casino Resort’s KAOS, recently released their first original song, “Sex On the Beach.”
Irving and Jeffrey Azoff‘s recently-launched Giant Music record label signed Detroit rapper Tay B in partnership tie AFLN Music Group. Tay B released his most recent album, 4Eva In My Bag, earlier this year. Run by Shawn Holiday, Giant Music previously signed Atlanta-based trap artist SwaVay in partnership with Def Jam. Giant Music is a resuscitation of the Giant name for the Azoffs, with Irving having launched Giant Records in 1990 as a joint venture with Warner Bros. Records.
Podcast company Audio Up, which focuses on trying to create hit tracks by leveraging podcasts as the launch pad, announced a new strategic partnership with WME to support the development of artists from Audio Up’s podcast slate. Under the deal, WME will advise Audio Up on its touring and content opportunities across film, TV and digital and provide the company with access to its network across music, entertainment and brands. One of the first initiatives under the partnership is the development of Latin artist Balam, who will star in and contribute original music to the forthcoming Audio Up scripted podcast Day of the Dead. In tandem with promotional efforts around the podcast, WME served as an advisor on booking Balam’s Dec. 10 debut performance at reggaeton festival Viva Urbano. WME will also work with Audio Up on the podcaster’s Apple Music show The Ballad of Uncle Drank by turning the show’s title character into a real-life touring country experience.
Sony Music Masterworks made a majority investment in Dubai-based concert promotion, talent management, events and production company MAC Global. Day-to-day operations of MAC Global will continue to be led by co-founders Rob McIntosh and Daniel Goldberg, who will work with Sony Music Masterworks president Mark Cavell, senior vp of business development Josh Lerman and managing director of Senbla Ollie Rosenblatt. Under the arrangement, MAC Global will expand its remit to include comedy, sports, virtual events, orchestral events and immersive music experiences.
The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) teamed with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for the Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Music Makers Grant, which will award $5,000 annually to an emerging BIPOC songwriter or producer. BMAC will screen applicants, with Jam and Lewis personally picking the finalist. Online applications for this year’s grant close Nov. 15, with the winner to be announced in December.
Townsend Music signed Kaiser Chiefs in partnership with Absolute Label Services/Utopia, V2 and The Orchard for the band’s next studio album, which is slated for release next year. Townsend and Absolute will provide physical and digital distribution for the album in the U.K. under Townsend’s D2C+ model, while V2 will distribute it in France and Benelux and The Orchard will distribute it in other territories.
SoundExchange struck deals with Zelle and Cash App allowing registered creators to elect to receive their royalty payments via either of those mobile payment apps. Creators can contact the SoundExchange customer services team to learn more about app-specific eligibility requirements and sign up to receive royalty payments via the platforms.
Country newcomer Dalton Dover, who appeared on Season 16 of The Voice and has since garnered a following on TikTok, signed with Universal Music Group Nashville. He will release his upcoming music via Mercury Nashville.
Pop and melodic rap artist Zzz. signed with Warner Records in partnership with Lil Bibby‘s Grade A Productions. His major-label debut single is “All I Never Wanted.”
Live Nation has signed on as the exclusive booking partner for the nonprofit Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage festival. Ahead of the 2023 summer season, Live Nation will book all benefit concerts between June and October at the flagship Rumsey Playfield site in New York’s Central Park.
Composer Max Richter appointed Huxley as his global publicity and brands agency, which will also represent Richter and Yulia Mahr‘s Oxfordshire recording studio and multi-arts production facility Studio Richter Mahr.
U.K.-based Logan Media Entertainment teamed up with BMG to create a new record label, Tag8 Music, that will “specialize in the growing market for resurgent established artists,” according to a LinkedIn post by Logan Media. The label will launch with a roster including Blue, Pixie Lott, Roachford and a cast album of The Drifters Girl musical featuring Beverley Knight.
Naxos Music Group signed an extensive partnership with Downtown-owned FUGA. Under the deal, Naxos will have access to FUGA’s full suite of services including digital distribution, marketing services, royalty accounting and use of FUGA’s trends and analytics platform for Naxos and associated labels.
Los Angeles-based queer singer-songwriter Olive Klug (they/them) signed with Nettwerk, which will release their single “Out of Line” on Nov. 18.
European music royalty investing marketplace ANote Music partnered with Revelator, which provides digital IP infrastructure to music rights holders and music companies, for an arrangement that will allow Revelator clients to list their shares of tracks in their catalogs on ANote. The two companies will also collaborate on integrating Revelator’s technology, data management, predictive models and payment systems into ANote.
Symphonic partnered with music company Ropeadope for exclusive global distribution and marketing. Under the deal, Symphonic will provide digital and physical distribution and playlist pitching for Ropeadope’s full back catalog and key new releases. The partnership will encompass forthcoming releases by The Headhunters, Sarah Elizabeth Charles and Mthunzi Mvubu.
North Dakota pop-punk band Brooklane signed to Los Angeles-based Adventure Cat Records, an indie label from the artist management team at KMGMT. The band has new music in the works with producers Andrew Wade and Steve Knight. They are managed by David Pinder and Desanka Ilic at Cold Coffee Entertainment.
Vancouver-based artist management company Macklam Feldman Management signed on to represent acoustic folk-pop trio Tiny Habits, comprised of Maya Rae, Cinya Khan and Judah Mayowa.
Warner Music Group (WMG) is collaborating with NFT marketplace OpenSea to enable select WMG artists to build and extend their fan communities in Web3. Under the partnership, WMG artists will be offered early access to OpenSea’s new drops product along with improved discoverability, personalized storytelling on customized landing pages and OpenSea’s safety and security features. They will also receive dedicated support and best practices from the OpenSea team while enjoying their own dedicated drop pages to host limited-edition projects. The first collection will be a collaboration between Warner Records UK and Web3 company Probably Nothing, which recently launched Probably a Label, a Web3 record label in partnership with Warner Records.
Audius, a decentralized music community and discovery platform for developers, artists and fans, acquired virtual music experience platform SoundStage.fm. Based in Barcelona, SoundStage.fm offers interactive experiences for fans — enabling engagement through dancing and live-reaction based functions — while providing new branding and monetization opportunities for artists. The platform has featured artists including Firebeatz, Kill Paris and ill.Gates.
Independent digital music licensing partners Merlin signed a new partnership with China-based short-form video platform Kuaishou. Under the agreement, Merlin members’ music will be available across Kuaishou products including Kwai and SnackVideo. Kuaishou boasts over 1 billion monthly active users across the globe, according to a press release.
Exceed Talent Capital, a platform that enables people to purchase SEC-compliant shares of talent, partnered with Lil Durk to offer an IPO for his upcoming OTF collaboration release of the song “Bedtime” with his artist Doodie Lo, allowing fans to participate in revenues of royalties from the song. To celebrate the partnership, Lil Durk and Exceed will release the “Trenches All-Access Pass” NFT, enabling exclusive access to the private Grand Theft Auto roleplay server built by Lil Durk and his OTF Gaming company. The Exceed presale will grant immediate lifetime access, limited edition in-game wearables and offer holders first dibs on shares from the music IPO.
Sony Music Entertainment Middle East and Kuwait-based creative studio, music and video production company Ghmza partnered to produce music and promote emerging Khaleeji pop artists across the Middle East. Actor and Arabic pop singer Bader Al Shuaibi and Kuwaiti singer, songwriter and TV personality Bashar al-Shatti will be the first two artists to work with Sony under the new partnership.
FaZe Holdings, parent company of gaming and youth culture platform FaZe Clan, will develop original content, private fan events, exclusive merchandise and more in partnership with Xfinity. Under the deal, Xfinity will become the official internet and mobile provider for FaZe Clan. The two companies will also host The Gig, a series of private music and gaming-crossover events for college students, featuring hip-hop artist and longtime FaZe Clan family member Offset. Fans in attendance will have the opportunity to meet FaZe Clan members, learn about exclusive Xfinity offers for students and more. The first show will take place Nov. 3 at Boston’s MGM Ballroom, followed by a second at the Tabernacle in Atlanta on Nov. 10. The two companies will additionally produce an original series, Rig Raiders Brought to you by Xfinity, featuring FaZe Clan members and special guests delivering game set-ups for underserved creators and communities. Xfinity branding will also be integrated into FaZe Clan’s ongoing programming across all channels and content.
Community-driven, open-source artificial intelligence company Stability AI announced $101 million in funding. The round was led by Coatue, Lightspeed Venture Partners and O’Shaughnessy Ventures LLC. The company will use the funding to accelerate the development of open AI models for image, language, audio, video, 3D and more, for consumer and enterprise use cases worldwide. Stability AI is the company behind Stable Diffusion, a free and open-source text-to-image generator that launched in August. Stability AI’s consumer-facing product DreamStudio boasts over 1 million registered users across more than 50 countries, according to a press release.
Sony Music struck a joint venture with Josh and Sam Fluxgold under the banner Oneway Records to sign and develop artists in Israel. The JV will focus on artists with international appeal. (Variety)
Dim Mak En Fuego — the Latin imprint of Steve Aoki‘s record label Dim Mak — has signed Ecuadorian-Colombian producer and DJ 2DEEP. The co-owner of reggaeton-electronic event Reggaetonlandia, 2DEEP most recently co-produced Natanael Cano and Aoki’s “Nataaoki,” which dropped earlier this year. He’s slated to release his freshman EP next year, his first project under Dim Mak En Fuego. 2DEEP is the first producer/DJ to join the label’s roster, which includes artists such as Andrezka and AquihayAquihay. – Griselda Flores
Melle Brown and ESSEL are among the first signees to Parachute, Virgin Music UK‘s new distribution and artist services arm for dance and electronic artists with crossover appeal. The imprint is inspired by the late ’70s sounds of Casablanca’s Parachute Records. The first unofficial single from Parachute was Brown’s “Feel About You” feat. Annie Mac. It was followed by ESSEL’s “Don’t Walk Away.”
Volumetric capture and immersive content company YOOM, formerly known as Tetavi, raised $15 million from investors including Jimmy Iovine, Finneas O’Connell, SpringHill Company CEO Maverick Carter, Darkroom CEO Justin Lubliner and Main Street Advisors founder, chairman and CEO Paul Wachter. All have signed on as strategic partners, joining the company’s largest existing investors and shareholders including Insight Partners, Marc Rowan and Aaron Stone.
Musician and Web3 artist Daniel Allan signed with CAA for representation. According to the agency, Allan’s NFT music projects have generated over $700,000 and more than 20 million streams worldwide. Like his sophomore EP Overstimulated, his latest EP Glass House was released with the use of NFTs on Sept. 30.
Session and Songwriters of North America (SONA) partnered to make Session’s app, Session Studio, available to all SONA members. Session Stuio allows SONA members to capture song and recording data at the point of creation and deliver it downstream to managers, labels, publishers, CMOs and digital service providers. Members will also have access to Session Studio’s collaboration tools. Exclusive resources will be rolled out to SONA members as part of the collaboration.
American Idol runner-up HunterGirl signed with 19 Recordings/BMG. The singer-songwriter released her debut track on the label, “Hometown Out of Me,” on Friday (Oct. 21).
Oak View Group (OVG) signed an exclusive multi-year arena naming rights agreement with Baltimore-based CFG Bank. Under the deal, OVG’s forthcoming arena in the city will be renamed CFG Bank Arena. The venue is projected to open in February 2023. The agreement includes prominent exterior and interior signage, exclusive benefits to CFG Bank clients, cardholders and employees and the launch of a new community engagement program. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The Hives signed with Matt Greer at ATC Management. Greer will co-manage the Swedish five-piece rock band alongside Brian Message and Courtyard Management’s Chris Hufford. The band was previously managed by Cyndy Villano at Do Good Work Management.
Production music company KPM Music launched a Web3 community that will offer music creators the opportunity to purchase digital collectibles entitled KPM Music Genesis Collection, including music from KPM’s “Greensleeves” series. The collectibles will be available exclusively on TuneGO, a Web3 platform operating on the Flow blockchain.
Indie singer VÉRITÉ partnered with Troy Carter and Suzy Ryoo‘s Venice Music. Venice offers tools, services and support on part with major labels while allowing artists to retain ownership and creative autonomy over their work.
J-Pop star Ado signed with Geffen Records. Ado — the voice actor behind the lead character in One Piece Film Red, the 15th film in the blockbuster Japanese franchise — provided vocals for seven songs featured in the film and on its official soundtrack.
Vietnamese/Chinese-American artist Spence Lee, formerly known as Shotta Spence, signed with 88rising in partnership with Mike WiLL Made-It/Ear Drummers Records. He will release his latest single, “On God,” on Friday (Oct. 28).
Turkish rapper and DJ Lil Key signed with Atlantic Records Germany, marking the first time the label has signed an artist from outside Germany.
CD Baby signed an agreement with fan engagement platform Laylo to offer CD Baby users an exclusive discount on Laylo’s Pro tier. Laylo allows artists to notify their fans about new music releases, content, merch and event announcements via text, email and Facebook Messenger.
Nettwerk Records signed Massachusetts-based lo-fi artist and music producer Towerz and Mississippi-based rapper/singer/producer Laeland.
Carlton James Group invested $50 million in Bristol, U.K.-based distribution and artist label services company 3tone Music Group to fund the additional expansion of the company’s distribution platform. 3tone, which is run by CEO Dean Roberts and managing director Chris Borud, was first backed by Carlton James Group in 2019. The company offers indie artists unlimited digital distribution to multiple streaming platforms for an annual fee, a model that echoes more established companies like DistroKid and TuneCore.
Warner Music acquired a stake in Serbian label Mascom Records. The acquisition expands the companies’ relationship, as Mascom has acted as Warner Music’s local distributor for more than 20 years. Under the new arrangement, they will work together to build a roster of local artists, with the opportunity for artists to be upstreamed into Warner’s global network. Mascom’s catalog will continue to be distributed by Warner’s ADA. The companies have recently been jointly working with Serbian artist Sergej Panic on his new releases “Kabul” and “Mia Bella.” In a statement, Izabela Ciszek-Podziemska, general manager of Warner Music South East Europe, called the deal “a landmark development” for Warner in the region.
U.K.-based livestreaming company Driift acquired the livestreaming technology and sales platform Dreamstage, with the combined businesses set to operate under the Driift name, led by CEO Ric Salmon and COO Claire Mas. Driift also secured an additional $4 million investment from Deezer, bringing the company’s total investment from the European streaming service to $7 million in 2022. Deezer is now the largest shareholder in Driift; it had become a majority shareholder in Dreamstage prior to the acquisition.
Atlantic Records partnered with Record Store Day for a new series that will showcase developing artists at independent music retail stores across the U.S. The first artist to be highlighted by the program is Neon Gold/Atlantic singer-songwriter Joe P, who will kick off the series with the release of a deluxe vinyl edition of his debut EP, Emily Can’t Sing. The series will feature 10 to 12 emerging artists over the next year while incorporating exclusive in-store signings and performances. Joe P has already signed on for eight upcoming in-store signings while he’s on tour. The partnership was negotiated by Record Store Day’s Michael Kurtz and Atlantic Records’ Jack McMorrow. In November and December, the series will feature the artist Surf Curse.
Warner Music Poland and Groupa STEP, owner of the independent Polish hip-hop label Step Records, launched a new business partnership to support local hip-hop artists. No further information was provided about the deal.
Cyanite, which offers AI-powered music tagging and search, will provide BMG with automatic tagging to make its entire 3 million song repertoire more searchable and accessible for synch placements. Under the agreement, Cyanite’s technology will be integrated into BMG’s internal content management system BMG Songs.
Social-first media company The News Movement will use UnitedMasters‘ independent music repertoire to soundtrack its news stories on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Snap under a new partnership.
Session, the company behind the collaboration app Session Studio for music creators, partnered with SoundCloud in a deal that will see the streaming platform become the first to digitally receive both song audio and essential song metadata directly from the Session Studio app. Session Studio is designed to make it easier for songwriters, artists, producers and more to track who contributed what at the point of creation across mobile, desktop and online.
Web3 platform OneOf signed an exclusive three-year partnership with the Latin Recording Academy. Under the deal, OneOf will host the first-ever NFT collection tied to the Latin Grammy Awards. The first collection will debut throughout October 2022.
Pop-rock singer Charlotte Sands (“Dressed,” “Loved You a Little”) signed a distribution deal with Vydia, as did house DJ Robbie Rivera, for whom Vydia will also handle marketing, synch, project management and DSP pitching for forthcoming releases on Rivera’s Juicy Music Group along with Rivera’s existing catalog. The Rivera deal includes a catalog transfer of over 350 songs via Juicy Music.
Ryan Oakes signed a recording and publishing deal with Position Music that will cover both new and existing repertoire.
New York artist VÉRITÉ partnered with Troy Carter and Suzy Ryoo‘s Venice Music, which offers tools, services and artist support while allowing artists to retain creative autonomy and ownership over their work.
Berlin-based house and techno record label Get Physical Music signed a global sales and distribution deal with independent digital label services provider LabelWorx. The deal covers Get Physical’s full catalog, along with its imprints Cocada Music, Kindisch, Metaphysical and Poesie Musik.
Digital collaboration-based music platform BeatConnect closed an initial investment round of $2.2 million. Participants include lead investors FICC (Fonds d’investissement de la culture et des communications) and its partners, which contributed a total of $1 million. Also joining the round was angel investor network Anges Québec with around $615,000 and entertainment tech investment fund Triptyq Capital with around $540,000. BeatConnect will use the funds to build a new tool aimed at linking multiple DAWs together for cross-platform collaboration and remote sharing sessions for music creators.
R. Wayne Martin‘s boutique management firm mthree signed music producer John Hiler (Rihanna, Madonna, Smashing Pumpkins) to its new division focused on managing music producers. His day-to-day manager at the firm is Jeff Betten.
Nettwerk Records announced a slew of signings, including lo-fi trio PanCake, Flemish lo-fi producer Phlocalyst, Germany-based singer-songwriter M. Byrd, Berlin-based songwriter and producer Chris James, Los Angeles rock band The Strike and pop singer Michal Leah, whose new single “the way i love you” drops on Friday (Oct. 14).
Triple 8 Management signed singer-songwriter Erin Kinsey, who is signed to RECORDS/Columbia Nashville.
Texas-based singer E Bleu signed a 10-song partnership with AWAL that will provide him with marketing and streaming support while allowing him to keep his masters. His most recent release is the Shawn Barron-executive produced single “No Biggie.”
Create Music Group signed Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) #9797 (a.k.a. Jimbo).