State Champ Radio Warner Chappell Music
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RIOTUSA, the hitmaking producer behind Ice Spice, has signed a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music, Billboard can reveal.
“Warner Chappell showed me respect and made me excited to build,” said RIOTUSA in a statement. “Ryan [Press, president, North America at Warner Chappell Music] values my vision and goals as a creative, and I know what he’s brought to the table for other artists. I want to inspire others to chase their dreams, and Warner Chappell will help me achieve those goals.”
Press added, “Riot has quickly become one of the most exciting and in-demand producers to emerge from New York’s legendary hip-hop scene. He’s creating hit after hit with Ice Spice, and we’re super lucky to get to support him at this stage of his journey. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of hip-hop’s biggest music producers during the early stages of their careers, and I know Riot is well on his way to being one of the best producers of his generation.”
During his interview for Ice Spice’s Billboard cover story in May, RIOTUSA said he started making beats on GarageBand at 10 years old and was inspired by his father — WQHT (Hot 97) New York DJ/radio personality DJ Enuff — to chase his own musical dreams. In 2021, he began producing songs for Ice Spice, whom he met while attending State University of New York (SUNY) Purchase. He has since played a key role in her rapid rise to fame.
RIOTUSA produced Ice Spice’s breakout, gold-certified single “Munch (Feelin U)” and executive produced Like..?, the 2023 EP that featured the track. Like..?, which reached No. 5 on Billboard‘s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, also contains the hit singles “In Ha Mood” and “Gangsta Boo” (featuring Lil Tjay), the latter of which became Ice Spice’s career-first Billboard Hot 100 entry.
RIOTUSA has since earned credits on two top 10 hits on the Hot 100: Taylor Swift‘s “Karma” remix featuring Ice Spice (No. 2), which he co-wrote, and “Princess Diana” by Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj (No. 4), which he produced. He has also topped Billboard‘s R&B/Hip-Hop Producers chart for one week, the Rap Songwriters chart for two weeks and the Rap Producers chart for four weeks.
“After he scored multiple Billboard Hot 100 entries and radio hits, we knew it was the right time to find a publishing admin partner to support RIOT’s works in syncs, licensing, and collection,” said James Rosemond Jr., CEO/founder of Mastermind Artists and manager of both RIOTUSA and Ice Spice. “Ryan Press understood RIOT’s goals, vision, and worth, and this next chapter with Ryan and the global Warner Chappell team, as part of our extended family, is only going to amplify RIOT’s reach and raise his efforts to another level in this competitive space.”
In addition to his other credits, RIOTUSA produced Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj’s upcoming “Barbie World” track with Aqua from Barbie: The Album, the soundtrack to Greta Gerwig’s forthcoming big-screen feature Barbie. The track is slated for release on June 23 with an accompanying music video.
Steve Butler was named head of legal & business affairs, North America at Warner Chappell Music. Butler will support the publisher’s U.S. (including Nashville and U.S. Latin) and Canadian markets while working closely with various departments to ensure cohesion across its North American operations. He will continue reporting to Warner Chappell executive vp/global head of legal & business affairs Peter Rosenthal. Butler was previously senior vp of legal & business affairs; among other deals, he oversaw the company’s purchase of David Bowie‘s catalog.
Warner Music Group’s WMX announced several new hires: Karl Walsh as executive vp/head of global commerce; Brian Furano as global head of A&R; and Robbie Owens-Russo as senior vp of creative services. Additionally, the company announced the following promotions: Tracy Stone to head of artist and fan experiences, North America; Bob Workman to head of WMX artist & fan experience, UK & rest of the world/senior vp of international artist & brand partners; and Angela Nguyen to head of global commercial operations. The new appointments mark a major overhaul of WMX’s merchandise, commerce, partnerships and ops teams. Walsh can be reached at Karl.Walsh@wmg.com, Furano can be reached at Brian.Furano@wmg.com, Owens-Russo can be reached at robbie.owens-russo@wmg.com, Stone can be reached at Tracy.Stone@wmg.com and Workman can be reached at Bob.Workman@warnermusic.com.
David Loiterton was hired as president, Indo-Pacific at Primary Wave Music. Based in Hong Kong, Loiterton will be tasked with managing the company’s catalog while driving investment in music IP across the region, particularly in India, Japan, Korea, China and Australia as well as emerging Southeast Asian markets. He can be reached at dloiterton@primarywave.com.
SESAC Performing Rights promoted Erin Collins to senior vp of film/TV creative services. The Billboard 2022 Women in Music honoree will continue overseeing SESAC’s network of composers and publishers.
Independent dance label Armada Music announced several new hires and promotions: Madeleine van Schendel was named chief growth officer; Jop Bonnike was promoted to COO; and Michel Peek was promoted to GM of publishing. Additionally, Nadine van Bodegraven moved from Armada’s executive team to join its investment company BEAT as COO.
Attorney Kenneth T. Deutsch joined law firm Paul Hastings as a partner and global co-chair of its entertainment and media practice. He joins from Latham & Watkins, where he served as global co-chair of the firm’s entertainment, sports and media group.
Island Records announced the promotions of Hannah Colson to director of artist development and Sam Lunn to director of strategic marketing.
MNRK Music Group promoted Brandon Squar to GM and Ebrahim “Abe” Rasheed to senior vp of urban. Squar will oversee commerce, marketing, project management and publicity for the company’s artists while Rasheed will spearhead all efforts in A&R and artist development for MNRK’s urban roster.
Tamaya Petteway was named senior vp of partnerships at Dick Clark Productions, where she will be tasked with securing brand partnerships across the company’s live event programming, including the American Music Awards, the Country Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, the Streamy Awards, So You Think You Can Dance and The Golden Globes. Petteway joins the company from Endemol Shine North America, where she most recently served as senior vp of brand partnerships, licensing and digital.
Ariana White was promoted to vp of publicity at Atlantic Records. She currently handles publicity for Atlantic signees Kali, Mahalia, Rico Nasty, Ckay, No Cap and Quando Rondo, among others.
The Black Music Action Coalition and Audiomack announced a paid internship and mentorship program designed to discover the next generation of Black executives in the music industry and named several executives as mentors. They are: Artistry Group CEO Max Gousee, The Blueprint Group CMO/partner Al Branch, Biz 3 Publicity CEO Kathryn Frazier, CAA agent Yves Pierre, 10Q Management CEO Lydia Asrat and AEG talent buyer Marcus “Don Dada” Johnson. Prospective candidates to the program can apply here.
Troy Skabelund joined artist financing company beatBread as CFO. Skabelund is also founder/CEO of the small business consulting network Advisory Zone.
Boutique entertainment law firm Ritholz Levy Fields promoted three attorneys to partner: Cody Brown (New York), Jenna Harris (Nashville) and Dan Zupnick (New York). Brown can be reached at cbrown@rlfllp.com, Harris can be reached at jharris@rlfllp.com and Zupnick can be reached at dzupnick@rlfllp.com.
Lauren Kreisler was promoted to director of brand & digital for the Official Charts Company in the UK, a newly created role. Her expanded role comes ahead of the company’s refreshed brand identity and consumer-facing digital platform in the coming weeks. Kreisler can be reached at lauren@officialcharts.com.
Anna Desalu was named vp of commerce and sales at record label Blac Noize! (Big Machine/SB Projects), where she will lead streaming initiatives for the company’s roster, including by cultivating digital partnerships and editorial placement. She joins the company from Warner Music Group/Atlantic Records’ Asylum Records, where she was director of sales and commerce.
Audioshake co-founder/CEO Jessica Powell has joined the advisory board of digital music distribution platform Octiive, joining SoundCloud chief product officer Rohit Agarwal and Meta head of UK and Ireland venture capital & partnerships Rowly Bourne.
After sharing No. 1 with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) for three consecutive quarters, Sony Music Publishing swept Billboard’s Publishers Quarterly report for the first 90 days of 2023 — including the country music category. The Weeknd’s “Die for You” and Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” were the No. 1 songs on the Top Radio Airplay and Hot 100 publishers rankings, respectively, while SZA took top songwriter honors.
Sony’s 30.26% market share of the 100 Top Radio Airplay songs rose from 28.89% in the fourth quarter of 2022 and marked its eighth consecutive quarter in the No. 1 spot. The number of shares it held in songs on the ranking was also up quarter to quarter, from 64 to 66.
The publisher also finished at No. 1 on the Hot 100 publishers ranking, putting an end to UMPG’s remarkable three-consecutive-quarter streak at No. 1 with over 30% of the market — the first since that ranking was instituted in 2019. Sony returned to first place with a 30.56% share amassed from stakes in 67 songs, a huge gain over its No. 2 showing in the previous quarter, when it posted a 22.71% market share tied to shares in 58 tunes.
Sony also notched its third consecutive quarter as the No. 1 publisher on the Country Airplay list.
UMPG finished No. 2 on the Hot 100 ranking after its market share dropped from 31.63% to 23.45% quarter to quarter and its song count declined from 63 to 52. Compared with the previous year, however, UMPG’s first-quarter performance was up more than three percentage points.
Although the publisher remained firmly in second place on the Top Radio Airplay ranking, its market share fell from 25.66% in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 21.26% in the first quarter. Its share of songs also declined, from 52 to 48.
Warner Chappell Music finished third on both rankings and showed improved performance on each. The publisher scored a 20.71% market share on Top Radio Airplay — up almost five percentage points from the previous quarter’s 15.73% — and 21.73% on the Hot 100 ranking, up from 18.59% in the fourth quarter of 2022. Those gains came from shares in 52 and 47 songs, respectively.
The top songwriter across the board was Solána “SZA” Imani Rowe, who is published by UMPG. She co-wrote eight songs on the Hot 100 ranking and four on Top Radio Airplay. Her top song on both lists was “Kill Bill,” which is No. 2 on the Hot 100 ranking and No. 6 on Top Radio Airplay.
Kobalt held onto its No. 4 spot from the last quarter in both the Top Radio Airplay and Hot 100 rankings.
Despite holding steady, its market share fell from 10.38% in the fourth quarter to 8.72% in the first quarter’s Top Radio Airplay chart, although its share of songs almost doubled, including its top song, “Die For You.” On the Hot 100, Kobalt’s market share improved slightly by 9 basis points to 6.89% from the prior measurement period’s 6.8% and its song count grew to 26, including “Die For You,” from the fourth quarter’s 22 songs.
BMG’s No. 5 placement was due to a slight increase in its Radio Airplay market share, from 3.17% to 3.28% with shares in 11 songs — the same total from the previous quarter. On the flip side, BMG remained in sixth place for the second consecutive quarter on the Hot 100 ranking, even though its market share dropped from 2.38% to 2.13%. It also claimed shares of 8 songs in both quarters, while its top song on both charts for the first quarter was David Guetta and Bebe Rexha’s “I’m Good (Blue),”which was No. 4 on the Top Radio Airplay chart and No. 8 on the Hot 100 chart.
Pulse Music Group returned to the Radio Airplay rankings at No. 6 — after sitting out the fourth quarter. It posted a 1.69% market share from stakes in five songs, including its top track, “Flowers.” Prior to the fourth quarter, Pulse had placed in the Top Radio Airplay rankings for 12 consecutive quarters, beginning in the fourth quarter of 2019. On the Hot 100 publisher rankings, Pulse jumped five spots to No. 10 to No. 5 with a 2.28% share, more than doubling its No. 10 fourth quarter showing, 1.11%. Pulse’s song count doubled, too, from 3 songs in the prior quarter to 6 tunes in the first quarter.
S.I.A.E. Direzione’s Generale repeated its fourth quarter performance, finishing No. 7 on both charts with a 1.65% share, up from the prior quarter’s 1.38% on the Top Radio Airplay chart, and 1.35%, up from the previous quarter’s 1.24% share of the Hot 100 chart, when it was ranked No. 9. Its top song for both charts was also “I’m Good (Blue).”
Rounding out the Top 10 for the Top Radio Airplay rankings, Anthem, absent from the ranking since the second quarter of 2022, returned at No. 8 with a 1.47% share. Concord fell to No. 9 with a 1.41% share, down from the prior quarter’s No. 6 ranking and 2.19% share. And Hipgnosis Songs Group fell to No. 10 from its No.8 fourth-quarter finish, even though its market share improved to 1.40% from the prior period’s 1.29%.
On the Hot 100 ranking, Concord, Reservoir and Anthem all returned to the Top 10 ranking after not making the cut in the fourth quarter. Concord was only absent one quarter; the last time Reservoir made the ranking was the third quarter of 2021, and Anthem’s last time in the top 10 was the first quarter of 2022.
METHODOLOGY
*For the Top 10 Publishers Top Radio Airplay chart, percentage calculations were based upon the overall top 100 detecting songs from 2,941 U.S. radio stations electronically monitored by Mediabase (and provided through Luminate) 24 hours a day, seven days a week during the period of Dec. 30, 2022, to March 30, 2023. For the Top 10 Publishers Hot 100 Songs, percentage calculations were based upon the top 100 songs as ranked by Billboard Hot 100 points calculated from Luminate-compiled digital sales and streaming data and Mediabase-tracked radio airplay detections during the same period as above, reflecting the issue dates of Jan. 14, 2023, through April. 8, 2023. Publisher information for musical works on both charts has been identified by the Harry Fox Agency. A “publisher” is defined as an administrator, copyright owner and/or controlling party.
Warner Chappell Music (WCM) and Limited Edition Music have teamed up for a new publishing partnership, with a mission to sign and develop emerging songwriters in a range of genres.
Emmyn Calleiro, singer and songwriter with Fueled by Ramen / DCD2 Record-signed pop-punk band Games We Play, along with rising country artist Bailey Callahan, are the first signings through the new alliance — Limited Edition Music.
Greg Sowders, WCM’s senior vp of A&R and catalog will continue in his current position while also leading Limited Edition Music, which will sign acts in the alternative, rock, pop and alternative country spaces. Sowders is joined in the leadership role by former WCM A&R executive Marc Wilson.
“Greg has been a key fixture at Warner Chappell for more than three decades and has dedicated his career to building out a star-studded alternative and rock roster,” comments Guy Moot, WCM co-chair and CEO. “This is the perfect opportunity for him to continue to lead those efforts while also working with more emerging writers alongside Marc.”
During his time with the major music publisher, Sowders has signed and worked with such artists and writers as Twenty One Pilots, Greta Van Fleet, Travis Barker, Paramore, Tyler Childers, Billy Corgan, Portugal. The Man, Deftones, All Time Low, Orville Peck and Nickelback, and others.
His career in music began in 1981 on the other side of the table, as the drummer for Los Angeles alternative country pioneers The Long Ryders, with whom he continues to perform.
Wilson, meanwhile, boasts almost 20 years’ experience developing songwriters and artists. During his stint with WCM, he worked with the likes of Lizzo, Steve Aoki, Ian Kirkpatrick, Sean Douglas, Sam DeRosa, Alec Benjamin and others. In 2020, he launched United Songs Entertainment, which exclusively manages songwriters and producers, and currently represents Cate Downey and Zoë Moss.
Adds Ryan Press, WCM president of North America: “Greg is one of the best creatives in the business and serves as a true partner to his songwriters. I’m super proud to be able to support him and Marc, who I’ve also worked with for a long time, and continue to nurture the next generation of hitmakers together.”
The partnership, announced today, closely follows a SXSW discussion on the future of music publishing and the new songwriter economy, entitled “Music Publishing in the New Songwriter Economy.” The session featured Moot and Billboard editorial director Hannah Karp as guest speakers.
Jonas Wikström was promoted to managing director of the Nordics at Universal Music Publishing Scandinavia, succeeding Martin Ingeström, who will remain with the company as chairman of UMP Nordics until his retirement in June. Reporting to UMPG COO Marc Cimino, Wikström is responsible for UMPG’s creative and business operations in the Nordics; he was most recently executive vp of A&R/creative.
Veronica Sanjines was named general manager at Arista Records. The New York-based executive will report to Arista president/CEO David Massey as she oversees general operations for the label and collaborates with the entire roster. She was most recently vp of marketing at Warner Records.
Arica Ng was named president of Asia Pacific at Warner Chappell Music. She joins the company from Meta, where she served as head of music business development in the Asia Pacific.
FUGA appointed Dorothée Imhoff as chief commercial officer, Liz Northeast as senior vp of EMEA and Sven Zeevalk as global head of operations. Meanwhile, former chief commercial officer David Driessen will move to the new position as chief business officer of FUGA’s parent company, Downtown Music, while Darren Owen has been promoted to COO at FUGA. Imhoff has been with FUGA since 2014 when he joined as a business development consultant. Northeast, who was previously FUGA’s GM, U.K., will be responsible for the company’s commercial strategy and business within the wider U.K. and EMEA markets. Zeevalk, who was previously regional head of operations at FUGA, will be responsible for the company’s global operations, including overseeing the regional heads of APAC, EMEA and Americas as well as all client integrations and the global support team. He’s been with FUGA since 2017 when he joined as content manager. Erica De Marchi will take on the role of regional head of operations following Zeevalk’s promotion.
John Coletta was promoted to senior vp & managing director of international at BMI; he was previously vp of international legal & business affairs. Based in New York, Coletta will report to BMI executive vp of licensing & creative Mike Steinberg while overseeing the company’s international department, working closely with foreign performing rights societies to improve business practices and identify growth opportunities. He will additionally work to modernize BMI’s reciprocal agreements and oversee global copyright initiatives. He succeeds BMI vp of international society relations Karen Buse in the role; Buse helped manage the international team on a temporary basis.
Songwriter-producer Bloodpop founded and launched game development studio Genpop Interactive alongside former DeNA and BANDAI NAMCO executive Aubrey Tennant; he will serve as CEO and game director. The studio’s focus is on “building original AAA games that will drive forward the next-gen of music, fashion and gaming culture,” with its first project described as “an ambitious third person shooter with novel movement and combat mechanics.” The company recently raised $6.5 million in seed funding. In a statement, Bloodpop said: “At a time when low risk tolerance among established studios has resulted in predictable re-releases capitalizing on millennial nostalgia, Gen-Z is eager for new IP that speaks to them, and has a long legacy that defines their generation. Major studios have become complacent, relying on giving the Weekend at Bernie’s treatment to their old IP with their publicly traded necromancy. We aren’t just on a mission to create the next great game, but nurture the next generation of popular culture.”
300 Entertainment promoted three executives: Ryan MacTaggart to senior vp of artist development & lifestyle marketing, Gary “Bolo” Sargeant to vp of urban & rhythm promotion and Michael McArthur to vp of A&R. MacTaggart will continue to focus on immersive marketing and artist development, Sargeant will lead promotion at the urban and rhythm formats and McArthur will sign and develop new talent. All three are based in New York.
Shawna Spears was named vp of brand marketing at Venice Music. Joining from TikTok, where she led artist and manager partnerships in hip-hop and R&B, Spears will build and lead the company’s brand marketing team, develop and execute the marketing roadmap across distribution channels and more. She reports to Venice Music executive vp and GM Fadia Kader and can be reached at shawna@venicemusic.co.
The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) promoted Evan Plake to director of partnerships and Chirag Patel to associate of membership. Additionally, Greyson Zeng was hired as community manager and Nicolle Gutierrez Ospina was hired as executive assistant and accounts administrator. Plake oversees brand partnerships and creative collaborations across the organization’s membership, Patel will continue connecting and supporting indie labels and Zeng will help grow and curate A2IM’s digital and in-person community. Gutierrez Ospina joins from Gold Business Management. Plake can be reached at evan@a2im.org, Patel can be reached at chirag@a2im.org, Zeng can be reached at greyson@a2im.org and Gutierrez Ospina can be reached at nicolle@a2im.org.
Michelle Teh was named senior vp of global classics & jazz at Universal Music Group. She assumes the role after serving on UMG’s global priorities team.
Jesus Trivino is taking on an expanded role at TIDAL; he will continue to lead the company’s Latin team but will now also serve as head of TIDAL’s industry relations (for general market) team.
Vanessa Kanapin was named director of A&R for Germany, Switzerland and Austria at Ultra International Music Publishing. The Berlin-based executive will report to company founder/CEO Patrick Moxey. She joins Ultra from German independent publisher Budde Music, where she was A&R and song plugging manager. Kanapin can be reached at vanessa.kanapin@ultrapublishing.com.
Former Virgin EMI Records senior director Tony Barnes was announced as the co-founder of Karta, a metaverse studio established in 2021 that provides experiential marketing for musicians, brands and sports teams. He co-founded the company with CEO Erik Londré. “Since its launch, Karta has delivered successful projects across Roblox, Fortnite and Decentraland for the likes of Amazon Music, Fnatic, Unilever and Ronald McDonald House,” reads a press release, which notes the company also recently built a fan hub on Roblox for K-pop group TWICE. Barnes can be reached at tony@karta.game.
Jason Leiss was promoted to business manager at FBMM, where he will continue to lead a team of five and oversee all financial aspects for his clients in both business and personal finance.
Warner Chappell Music (WCM) has named Catalina Santa Peña as the new managing director for WCM Colombia, the company announced Thursday (March 16). The executive will lead the organization’s operations for the territory while reporting to Gustavo Menéndez, president of U.S. Latin & Latin America, Warner Chappell Music. She replaces Daniel Mora, who was recently named managing director of Warner Music Andes.
Santa Peña will oversee WCM Colombia’s “rapidly growing” roster, which includes Juan Pablo Vega, Santiago Cruz, Lalo Ebratt, Piso 21, Vicente García, Yera and TIMØ and be “key in helping expand the team while also championing local songwriters and global superstars alike,” according to a press release.
Santa Peña, who authored the book Industria Musical Para Artistas, Music Business Para Todos (Music Industry for Artists, Music Business for Everyone), is an industry veteran. In 2019, she founded entertainment law firm The Artist’s Attorney, where she worked with artists such as Karol G, Sky Rompiendo, J Balvin and Aterciopelados. She previously held roles at the Colombian Copyright office, Sony Music (Andean region), SAYCO and the Ministry of Culture in Public Performances Law in Colombia.
“As I’ve gotten to know Catalina over the years, I’ve seen the many hats she’s worn, from being an attorney and author, to becoming one of the industry’s most respected leaders,” said Menéndez in a statement. “Catalina knows the artistic side of the business and her heart is always in the right place, defending songwriters and the creative community. That’s the passion we like to see, and the perfect fit for our team and the philosophy we stand by. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have her joining us and continuing our work and expanding our growth.”
“I am very excited for this new opportunity and to continue my journey of empowering musicians and composers, who are the backbone of this wonderful industry of ours,” Santa Peña added.
Uber Eats’ commercial featuring Diddy, Montell Jordan, “The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?),” the guy who sings “What Is Love,” an oddly-timed haircut and two pineapples may be the first clue that Super Bowl ads are going lighter in 2023 — a pattern reflected in the music synchs for the big game.
After three years of the pandemic, Jordan’s 1995 smash “This Is How We Do It” and Kelis’ 2003 hit “Milkshake,” both Universal Music Publishing Group synchs used in the Uber Eats spot, represent a shift from apocalyptic and inspirational Super Bowl commercials and soundtracks starring old-timey crooners and string sections to familiar, upbeat hits and plentiful comedy.
“Humor remains the dominant theme this year,” says Tom Eaton, senior vp of music for advertising for UMPG, which represents the Jordan and Kelis tracks and suggested them to the brand’s music supervisors. “There have been a few sentimental commercials, but the vast majority have trended towards humor — and music can be such an important aspect of creating that mood.”
“I haven’t seen that heightened seriousness, which I think is a good thing,” adds Keith D’Arcy, senior vp of sync and creative services for Warner Chappell Music, whose synchs at this year’s Super Bowl include DMX‘s “What’s My Name,” for a Downy spot starring Danny McBride. “The country is in a good place where we’re more inclined to want to laugh and celebrate.”
That means lots of feel-good tracks, many of which were released in the ‘90s – from “What’s My Name” and “This is How We Do It” to a Clueless throwback ad for Rakuten starring Alicia Silverstone and Supergrass‘ 1995 U.K. hit “Alright.” The ’90s trend may have begun last year with Doja Cat‘s cover of Hole‘s “Celebrity Skin” for Taco Bell, says Rob Christensen, executive vp and head of global synch for Kobalt, whose lone synch this year is soul singer Lee Fields’ “Forever” for pet-food brand The Farmer’s Dog. “The ’90s are back,” he says. “That seems to be around pop culture everywhere right now.”
“It’s cyclical,” adds Scott Cresto, executive vp of synchronization and marketing for Reservoir Media, which has three synchs, including a Pringles spot with Meghan Trainor singing Tina Turner‘s “The Best.” “Most folks’ favorite music is from [ages] 13 to 30. They’re down the line in their careers and making the decisions and picking their favorite songs.”
Although not all final synch tallies for nationally televised spots were available at press time — publishing execs say permissions and requests for songs were unusually late this year, including a rush job that came in from an agency this past Monday — Sony Music Publishing (SMP) scored the most with 15, UMPG had seven, Warner Chappell Music had six or seven, BMG landed five, Primary Wave and Reservoir had three apiece and Kobalt had one.
Despite inflation, layoffs, high interest rates and sporadic recession talk, synch rates were stable this year, according to publishers. “It’s in line with past Super Bowl campaigns,” says Marty Silverstone, partner/senior vp creative/head of synch for Primary Wave, whose synchs include Missy Elliott‘s “We Run This” for Google Pixel. Adds Dan Rosenbaum, vp of licensing and advertising, for BMG, whose synchs include Supergrass’ “Alright” and co-writes for Turner’s “The Best” and Elliott’s “We Run This”: “Recognizability is so important in commercial usage. If that song is going to work for them, they’ll pay the price.”
Super Bowl LVII is the first since Kate Bush‘s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” landed on Stranger Things in May 2022, became a No. 1 hit and unexpectedly dominated the synch business. Do publishers believe the big game, for which 30-second ads cost a reported $7 million, will have a similar impact for their songs? Yes and no.
“That Kate Bush song wasn’t well-known and the show blew it up. On the Super Bowl, they play it a little more safe by using more tried-and-true hits,” says Brian Monaco, president/global chief marketing officer for SMP, which represents Len‘s “Steal My Sunshine” (for a Sam Adams spot), Sarah McLachlan‘s “Angel” (Busch) and Olivia Rodrigo‘s “Good 4 U” (Pepsi). “On a TV show, it’s a little easier, because the fees are lower. If it doesn’t work, you’re on to the next one.”
Despite SMP’s success at landing Super Bowl synchs this year, Monaco’s staff was unable to successfully pitch one key artist: Bruce Springsteen, who sold his music rights to the company for a reported $550 million in 2021. “It just didn’t fit,” he says, while noting that even for a superstar like Springsteen, getting a Super Bowl synch is a coveted career highlight: “Everyone’s hope — every writer, every artist — is the Super Bowl platform. We need more big events like this to get more music played.”
Zach Bryan, whose “Something In The Orange” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts, has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. Warner Chappell declined to disclose terms of the deal.
Bryan, who is signed to Warner Records, has broken through as one of the brightest new artists of the past few years, including being named Billboard’s Top New Country Artist of 2022.
Los Angeles-based David Goldsen, WCM head of A&R, Australia and vp of creative, signed Bryan. “Zach is a truly generational songwriter and that was obvious from the first time I heard his music. Those songs then, along with countless more since, resonate with everyone who hears them. He’s a natural storyteller with an innate ability to write songs that are unapologetically raw and vulnerable. In a short amount of time, he’s captivated fans of all music, and we’re beyond lucky and thrilled to work with him.”
Goldsen began courting Bryan some time ago. “I’d like to personally thank David and the team over at Warner Chappell. I was just a confused kid in the Navy four years ago and they were the first people I talked to in the industry, literally,” Bryan said in a statement. “They never pushed a four-man writing team on me, they never asked me to do anything I didn’t want to do, they just believed in me. I owe them more than just support, I owe them back the faith they had in me as a barely 23-year-old Oklahoma kid walking around New York like a sore thumb.”
Bryan’s major-label debut, American Heartbreak, came out in May with Bryan penning all 34 songs by himself. It debuted atop Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and hit No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. According to Warner Chappell, he has surpassed one billion global streams.
“Zach has already had a record-breaking start to his career and there’s so much more to come,” said Warner Chappell Music president of North America Ryan Press. “He isn’t afraid to do things differently, and it’s been incredible to see him become such a positive force in the industry and reshape how singer/songwriters release music. This is a huge moment, and we’re very proud to be on this journey together as he continues to carve out his own path.”
Bryan’s Burn Burn Burn North American Tour kicks off May 10 at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va.
Warner Chappell Music is the first major publisher to step into Web3 through a new deal with Defient — a Web3 entertainment incubator. The deal will allow the Warner Chappell roster, which includes Bruno Mars, David Bowie, Katy Perry and Lizzo, to tap into blockchain technology through digital collectibles, events and memorabilia.
The first project is a digital museum launching early 2023 called “Archives,” which will shine a light on songwriters through an exhibition of music, artwork and collectibles built around the song creation process. A limited-edition NFT mint pass will also give holders access to highly curated drops, auctions and virtual experiences.
WCM believes the partnership will allow the publisher to unlock new methods of monetization. “By embracing the power of blockchain technology, we can create impactful new revenue streams and creative opportunities for our songwriters while giving music fans access to unique experiences,” said WCM senior vp of creative services Ashley Winton. “Not only are [founder & CEO] Sidney [Swift] and his whole team at Defient experts in this space, but they also have deep roots in music and know how to champion the voices of creators.”
Defient is a Web3 incubator with experience across the music industry and the emerging NFT landscape. Founded by Grammy-nominated producer Sidney Swift, Defient was instrumental in developing a Web3 record label, ChillRx, which has generated over $1 million in volume since launching in February 2022.
In a statement about the collaboration, Swift said, “We’re proud to be working with Warner Chappell as they expand into the web3 community that Defient is already so ingrained in. Having started my career as a songwriter and producer, it’s exciting to join forces with a forward-thinking partner and work towards making it easier and more accessible for songwriters and artists to leverage web3 platforms. Together, we want to use technology to empower creatives and help them elevate their brands.”
Major labels have already made the leap into NFTs via dedicated Web3 imprints such as 10:22PM at Universal Music Group and Probably a Label at Warner Records UK. Publishers have taken a slower approach, but WCM is optimistic that blockchain technology will offer new opportunities for its songwriters. “This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of music publishing,” said WCM co-chair and CEO Guy Moot and co-chair and COO Carianne Marshall in a joint statement. “With Defient’s support, we’ll be able to unlock new avenues in web3 on behalf of our songwriters and find different ways for them to grow their legacies and engage with fans.”
Sheltered Music Publishing has acquired “significant” interest in Dennis Linde‘s musical catalog, including hit songs like “Burning Love,” (Elvis Presley) “Goodbye Earl” (The Chicks) and “Callin’ Baton Rouge” (Garth Brooks). “It is not often that a catalog as distinguished and diverse as Dennis Linde’s becomes available,” said Sheltered Music svp, Darrell Franklin. “As a music publisher, this is the quality of work we all aspire to represent. I’m honored to be able to do that with this music and to help further raise awareness and appreciation of one of Nashville’s greatest songwriting talents.”
Downtown Music Services has signed Masego to a global publishing administration deal. The new agreement includes Masego’s Grammy-nominated back catalog as well as his future works, including his upcoming album, set for release in February 2023. Masego says of the new signing, “Sarah McCann [svp, international creative at Downtown Music Services] is the reason why I chose to work with the publishing company. Through her, I saw that Downtown and me shared a similar vision of creating global, unique, and impactful art.”
Warner Chappell has signed the catalog of Scissor Sisters. A popular early aughts pop group, Scissor Sisters’ works includes hits like “Laura” “Comfortably Numb” “Take Your Mama” and “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’.” The band, whose membership include Jake Shears and Ana Matronic (vocals), Scott ‘Babydaddy’ Hoffman (multi-instrumentalist) and Del Marquis (guitar/bass), has also appointed Fascination Management as their legacy managers.
Concord Music Publishing has signed Jennifer Wayne to a worldwide deal that includes her future works. Best known as part of the all-female country trio Runaway June, Wayne also has writing credits on songs for Keith Urban, Marie Osmond, Eric Paslay, RaeLynn, Brittney Spencer and The Shires. “I’m over the moon about signing with Concord. It’s a family and they are so passionate, creative, supportive, and work as a team to win for their writers,” says Wayne.
Bucks Music Group has signed Tom Webber to an exclusive worldwide publishing deal. The rising talent was awarded Best Demo at Glastonbury 2022, and has supported acts like Nick Lowe, Deacon Blue and Richard Hawley. Webber says of the deal, “I’m very happy to have signed with Bucks Music Group. Simon, Sarah, James and the team really helped me make the decision to join them an easy one.
Singer/songwriter Taylor Grey has signed a new worldwide publishing administration deal with Regard Music, including global sync and creative services for her existing and future catalog. She joins Regard Music’s boutique roster, which includes Robin Thicke, Lyle Lovett, Tom Kelly, meditation company Headspace, and more.
Sony Music Publishing Nashville has signed Songland season 2 champion Madeline Merlo to a publishing administration deal. The Canadian singer and songwriter caught the industry’s attention with “Champagne Night,” a country radio hit performed by Lady A, and soon after her work earned her a nomination for Canadian Country Music Association’s Songwriter of the Year Award. She also has released music of her own, including her new four-track EP Slide. “I am looking forward to working with this world class team that makes you feel like family every time you walk in the door! This is a huge next step for my career and truly is a dream come true,” says the songwriter.
