Deals
Universal Music has launched Universal Music China Greater Bay Area, a new label division covering China's Greater Bay Area including Hong Kong and Macau. The division, headquartered in Shenzhen, marks the first time a major music company has established a presence in the region, which encompasses nine cities in Guangdong province and two special administrative regions. UMCGBA aims to discover and cultivate local talent across the Greater Bay Area, blending global musical trends with the region's cultural heritage. Timothy Xu, CEO of Universal Music Greater China, says, "We eagerly anticipate welcoming the outstanding talents from this region to join us in driving forward the next era of Chinese pop music."
Beggars Group has signed a licensing agreement with Reactional Music, a music personalisation engine and delivery platform for games. Reactional Music enables music to be personalised within a game in real time, becoming the soundtrack of the game, in key and in time with gameplay. The partnership aims to deliver music from independent artists to the next generation of games, tapping into in-game purchase economies worth $125.7 billion. Simon Wheeler, Director Of Global Commercial Strategy at Beggars Group, says, "Reactional Music is doing something really interesting in the gaming space. It complements our existing licensing team's work and extends our reach with games developers and over three billion gamers across the world". David Knox, President of Reactional Music, adds, "Beggars' decision to be a part of Reactional is one of the big landmark moments in our development".
TikTok viral sensation Fish56Octagon has launched a new record label called Octagon Discs in partnership with Another Rhythm Records, a subdivision of The Other Songs. The label's first release will be a rework of Groove Armada's track 'Superstylin'' by Declan Knapp, set for release on 4 Oct 2024. Fish56Octagon has gained attention in the electronic music scene, playing over 60 shows across Europe this summer, including three sets at Glastonbury. Billy Webber, co-founder of Another Rhythm Records, says, "Fish has an incredible gift for curating, communicating and sharing music with his totally unique and infectious passion. We're THRILLED to launch Octagon Discs, which will give artists a platform to reach a fast-growing community within electronic music and beyond".
LPME Records/Studios has formed a partnership with US label Gamma. to promote Middle Eastern talent globally. This collaboration marks Gamma.'s first official partnership in the Middle East, under the leadership of Regional President Sipho Dlamini. LPME Records/Studios has also expanded its team, bringing in industry professionals including Moh Denebi as Head Oof Label & Senior Producer, Patrice Ramazani as A&R Director, Eden Ghirmay as Marketing Director and Dilnoza Abdusattorova as Studio Manager. Moh Denebi says, "We are incredibly excited to enter into this partnership with Gamma.. This collaboration represents a significant step forward in our mission to share the rich and diverse sounds of our artists with a global audience".
Prescription Songs has signed Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter Tobias Wincorn. Known for his innovative samples and productions across genres including pop, dance, hip hop and Latin, Wincorn's credits include work with Fred again.., Lizzo, Swedish House Mafia and Jack Harlow. Andrea Doman and Rhea Pasricha, A&Rs at Prescription Songs, say, "He brings such a fresh and unique musical perspective into every room he enters, and not being tied to any one genre makes our job representing him that much more creatively inspiring". Wincorn adds, "I'm truly honored to sign with Prescription Songs. Rhea, Andrea and the entire powerhouse team have made me feel like family".
Kesha has launched her own record label, Kesha Records, and signed a global distribution deal with ADA, the independent label and artist services arm of Warner Music. The partnership covers distribution for Kesha's current single 'Joyride' and future releases, including an upcoming album due in 2025. This marks Kesha's first distribution deal, allowing her to maintain full creative control and ownership of her work. Kesha says, "I am proud to announce this partnership for the distribution of my music through Kesha Records. My name has become synonymous with transparency, integrity and safety, and I want to ensure that these values are upheld for myself and any future artists signed to my label". Cat Kreidich, President of ADA, adds, "We believe ADA is the ideal home for her, and we're honoured and committed to supporting Kesha as an independent artist while maintaining her creative integrity and unapologetic bold-spirit".
Range Music Publishing has signed a global administration deal with Universal Music Publishing Group. The agreement expands on Range Media Partners' existing relationships with Universal's Capitol Music Group and Virgin Music Group on the recordings side. Range Music Publishing launched in 2023 to build a full-service boutique music publishing company. Casey Robison, head of Range Music Publishing, says, "We're THRILLED to be partnering with our friends at UMPG as we build Range Music Publishing and grow our global footprint". The deal includes six of Range's roster members, including Tyler Dopps, Two Fresh, Luke Niccoli, Simon Oscroft and Rudey.
BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville has signed country music star Blake Shelton. The deal marks a new chapter in Shelton's career, bringing him into the BMG fold. Jon Loba, President of Frontline Recordings, Americas at BMG, says, "Blake is one of the biggest personalities and presences in media. We are so excited he's joining the BMG global family and cannot wait to share his incredible new music with the world". Shelton expresses enthusiasm for the partnership, commenting, "I felt their passion and love for music when I met with them, and I knew I was home. I am THRILLED to go!"
Reservoir Media has secured publishing deals with Snoop Dogg and Death Row Records. The agreements cover domestic publishing for Snoop's entire catalogue and future works, as well as the publishing catalogue of Death Row Records, which Snoop acquired in 2022. Snoop Dogg says, "I'm so honoured to have them as a partner and excited for all the great things to come with the catalogue as well as new music ventures". The deal includes rights to hits like 'Hail Mary' by Makaveli and 'I Ain't Mad At Cha' by TuPac. Donna Caseine, Reservoir Executive Vice President, Global Creative Director, comments, "Legendary artists only need one name. Snoop is part of that echelon. From music, to brands, television and film, his acumen represents excellence".
Vienna Vienna has signed to Pete Wentz's DCD2 Records, releasing the single 'Vienna (Everything's Fine)'. The Los Angeles-based artist, who describes his sound as 'glimmer rock', is set to release his debut EP 'Wonderland' on 11 Oct. Vienna Vienna says, "Truly, the whole experience has been very affirming; I knew early on that they totally saw the vision and it felt very natural to team up". Pete Wentz adds, "Have you ever heard something that both felt so familiar and so alien all at once? That's how I felt when I first heard a Vienna Vienna song".
Appointments
Kilimanjaro Live has appointed Lottie Bradshaw as a new promoter. Bradshaw, formerly TEG Live Europe Head Of Venue Programming, will work alongside Kilimanjaro Live director and promoter Alan Day, primarily on Action! Presents, the company's promoting brand focused on alternative talent in rock, metal and punk. She will also promote shows across other genres including pop and country. Bradshaw brings experience from her seven-year tenure at TEG Live Europe, where she worked with venues such as Camden Assembly and XOYO, and as a promoter for artists including RORY and The Aces. Day says, "We are really proud to welcome Lottie onto the team. Lottie has been on our radar for a while, working with some brilliant acts. Rock is bigger than ever and together we look forward to putting on some great shows".
Warner Music Nashville has appointed Gregg Nadel as Co-Chair & Co-President alongside Cris Lacy, effective 1 Oct. Nadel, previously President of Warner’s Elektra Entertainment, replaces Ben Kline, who is stepping down after a decade with the company. The move follows Warner Music Nashville's recent integration under the Warner Records umbrella. Nadel and Lacy will report to Warner Records CEO & Co-Chairman Aaron Bay-Schuck and COO & Co-Chairman Tom Corson. Bay-Schuck and Corson comment, "Gregg grew up at WMG, and over the past three decades, he's brought his impeccable taste, wisdom and guidance to an exceptional array of original, powerful voices".
Universal Music Group Nashville has appointed Robert Kilduff as Chief Financial Officer. Kilduff brings more than three decades of experience in financial leadership, strategic planning, operations and corporate development to the role. Previously, he served as CFO for the Gary Sinise Foundation and has held financial leadership positions at companies including New Form Entertainment, WME, and Universal Music Group North America. Cindy Mabe, Chair/CEO of Universal Music Group Nashville, says, "Having helped lead the financial growth strategy of businesses in music, film/television and technology sectors, Bob has a wealth of knowledge that will be instrumental in the growth strategy of Universal Music Group Nashville". Kilduff adds, "I am THRILLED to rejoin UMG, a company with such a rich history of creative excellence, and eager to contribute to its ongoing success and future growth".
Streaming, Digital, Broadcast & Retail
Christina Aguilera has re-recorded six tracks from her debut album to mark its 25th anniversary, in collaboration with Spotify. The music streaming company hosted a 'Spotify Anniversaries Live' event at its Los Angeles studios, where Aguilera performed the reimagined songs featuring guest appearances from Sabrina Carpenter and mgk (Machine Gun Kelly). The new recordings have been released as an EP on Spotify, with live performances and interviews with original collaborators premiering on YouTube. While Aguilera's debut album was released by RCA Records, the re-recordings are credited to "Three Wishes Productions under exclusive license to 5020 Records", a Miami-based label focused on Latin music to which Aguilera signed earlier this year.
Spotify has expanded its AI Playlist feature to the United States, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. The music streaming company's Premium subscribers in these countries can now access the English-language beta version of the tool on Android and iOS devices. AI Playlist combines Spotify's personalisation technology with generative AI to help users create playlists based on unique prompts. Erick Morales, Product Marketing Lead at Spotify, says, "I asked for chilled electronic music to manifest my dream life in the Caribbean. AI Playlist helped me create a Caribbean Dreams playlist with some pretty sweet music I had never listened to before, along with some personal favorites".
Legal
Ice Spice has settled a copyright lawsuit over her song 'In Ha Mood'. The case, filed by rapper D.Chamberz, alleged that Ice Spice's track was "strikingly similar" to his 2021 song 'In That Mood'. Attorneys for both parties filed a motion in federal court on 23 Sep to resolve the lawsuit, though specific terms were not disclosed. The lawsuit, filed in January, also named producer RiotUSA, Universal Music Group, Capitol Records and 10K Projects as defendants. D.Chamberz's attorneys wrote in the lawsuit, "By every method of analysis, 'In Ha Mood' is a forgery".
T.I. and Tameka "Tiny" Harris have won a $71 million jury verdict against toymaker MGA in a lawsuit over alleged design theft from their teen pop group OMG Girlz. The jury awarded $17.9 million in actual damages and $53.6 million in punitive damages after finding that MGA's dolls infringed on both the trade dress and likeness rights of the now-defunct musical trio. This verdict comes after three trials, with the first ending in a mistrial and the second being overturned on appeal. "We wanted to thank the jurors for just seeing us through this, and just believing in what we said", Tameka "Tiny" Harris says, "They heard our story and they knew we wasn't lying. It's amazing".
Martin Shkreli has been ordered by a Brooklyn federal judge to update the court on how many tracks he copied from the Wu-Tang Clan album 'Once Upon a Time in Shaolin'. The order comes after PleasrDAO, the cryptocurrency group that now owns the album, argued Shkreli may not have surrendered all copies as part of their ongoing legal battle. Shkreli previously submitted a USB drive containing fifteen copied tracks, but PleasrDAO noted the album contains 31 tracks in total. US District Judge Pamela K Chen has given Shkreli until Monday to clarify the discrepancy and verify if he still possesses any additional tracks. PleasrDAO sued Shkreli in June for alleged misappropriation of trade secrets and violations of the forfeiture order that led him to relinquish the album.
Live
Iron Maiden have announced that there will be no dynamic ticket pricing for their 2025 'Run For Your Lives' UK and European tour, with resale prices capped at face value. The band shared on Instagram, "There will be no dynamic ticket pricing for the 2025 ‘Run For Your Lives Tour’. Ticket resale in the UK will be capped at face value and won't open until much closer to the start of the tour". The decision comes amid controversy surrounding dynamic pricing practices in the live music industry, particularly following recent issues with Oasis reunion ticket sales. Iron Maiden's tour will include dates across Europe, with general tickets for UK and Ireland dates going on sale from 27 Sep at 12pm via Live Nation.
Afro Nation has announced Burna Boy and Tems as the first headliners for its fifth anniversary festival in Portugal, set to take place from 9 to 11 Jul 2025. The event, billed as the world's largest Afrobeats festival, will return to Portimão beach with Burna Boy making his third appearance at the Portugal edition. Tems, who will be making her debut as an Afro Nation Portugal headliner, is noted as the first female African artist to win a Grammy Award and top the Billboard Hot 100. The Malachite Group), the festival organiser, says, "We told you we had major moves planned for our fifth year anniversary party in Portugal, and we couldn't be more excited to show you the first two headliners today. 2025 will be a special year for the Afro Nation community, and this is just the start".
The Association Of Independent Festivals has announced the launch of a free business support programme for multi-venue festivals in England, set to begin in October 2024. The initiative, funded by Arts Council England, will offer custom online training, in-person support at AIF's Festival Congress in Bristol in February 2025, and access to industry expertise for more than 70 identified multi-venue festivals operating in England in 2024. The programme aims to address unique challenges faced by these often grassroots music events, including shared space management and reduced ancillary revenue opportunities. AIF CEO John Rostron says, "I'm THRILLED that, with the support of Arts Council England, we can offer free direct support to festivals outside of our membership though this bespoke six month programme."
Act 1.5 has announced a series of environmentally conscious concerts featuring Massive Attack, IDLES, and Nile Rodgers at Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena from 28 to 30 Nov. The event coincides with Liverpool's designation as the world's first 'UN Accelerator City' for climate action, aiming to test and implement decarbonisation methods in live music production. The concerts will utilise 100% renewable energy, promote public transport use, and implement a meat-free policy at the arena. Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack says, "Our recent Bristol show demonstrated beyond question that major live music events can be Paris 1.5 compatible, and that audiences will embrace change enthusiastically".
Other Industry News & Events
Black Lives In Music has announced 'Classically Black', a one-day symposium exploring the cutting edge of classical music, to be held at Kings Place in London on 19 Oct. The event aims to highlight Black and underrepresented musicians and composers while examining the question "what is classical now?" It will feature newly commissioned works by British Black composers Pete Letanka and Jason Yarde, to be performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, as well as a showcase for emerging talent sponsored by Warner Classics. The evening will conclude with a bespoke show by musician and composer Ayanna Witter-Johnson. Roger Wilson, Director Of Operations at Black Lives in Music, says, "Classically Black is championing Black and global majority talent in a way that simply hasn't happened before".
Italian record industry trade group FIMI has announced its participation in the 2024 Milan Digital Week programme with a panel discussion on artificial intelligence in the music industry. The event, scheduled for 10 Oct at 3 pm (Italian time), will explore the impact of AI on the production, promotion and consumption of artistic products. The panel will feature Abbas Lightwalla, Director Of Global Legal Policy at IFPI, and Alexandra Condon, VP Of European Public Policy And Government Affairs at Warner Music Group. Enzo Mazza, CEO of FIMI, will moderate the discussion, which will be livestreamed on the federation's Facebook and LinkedIn channels.
The Cat's Mother, a music and creative industries network and mentoring platform, has announced the second annual Cat's Mother Of The Year Awards, set to take place on 1 Oct at the Rosewood London. Amazon Music has confirmed support for the awards and plans to collaborate on several in-person events across the UK over the next twelve months. The partnership aims to make creative industries more accessible, particularly for young women in regional areas outside London. Sara Lord, Co-Chair of Cat's Mother, says, "We always wanted to make sure that just because you don't live in London, doesn't mean you can't get into the business, and now the Amazon Music team are making that a reality". Laura Lukanz, Head Of Music at Amazon Music UK, adds, "We're THRILLED to provide financial support that will extend the reach of their much needed services to young women across the country".
Music charity Youth Music has announced that Jordan Stephens will receive its first ever Grassroots Hero Award. The award recognises Stephens' advocacy for young people and support of the grassroots music scene. He will be presented with the award at the Youth Music Awards in association with Hal Leonard Europe on 16 Oct at Troxy, London. The charity has also revealed 41 nominees across eleven categories for its annual awards, selected by a panel including Eve, MNEK, Amelia Dimoldenberg and Gilles Peterson. The announcement comes as Youth Music's recent research found over half of grassroots music projects have reported falling income. Matt Griffiths, Youth Music CEO, says, "We are THRILLED to see the diverse wealth of talent and leaders shortlisted for this year's awards. It's testament to the incredible grassroots music scene we have in the UK".
The BBC's historic Maida Vale Studios in London were acquired by a group led by composer Hans Zimmer last year and their initial plans for renovation have now been unveiled. The group, which includes Zimmer, his business manager Steven Kofsky, and film producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, has proposed improvements to the studio structure and the addition of three new composing studios. The partnership aims to implement a "retrofit-first approach with sustainable design to improve energy efficiency," according to their consultation website. Zimmer says, "Our goal is to make Maida Vale Studios a place that inspires, teaches, technologically serves the arts and humanity, and gives the next generation the same opportunities I was given: to create and never give up."
Live Nation has entered into a partnership with Third & Hayden, an Atlanta-based management, label and publishing company founded by Kei Henderson, to provide resources to emerging artists. Sony Music’s The Orchard is also set to be the global distribution partner for future Third & Hayden releases. Henderson says, "We are committed to creating a space where both personal and artistic growth thrive side by side and are excited to partner with Live Nation as we continue to discover and support new talent and expand Third & Hayden."
Serato has announced a limited-edition reissue of its Scratch Live Control Vinyl to mark the company's 25th anniversary. The New Zealand-based music software company, founded in 1999 by Steve West and AJ Bertenshaw, will release 1500 units of the control vinyl, which was originally launched in 2004 as part of the first digital vinyl system for DJs. Each package will contain a pair of 12" 140g control vinyls in one of five classic colours, presented in a special anniversary jacket. Nick Maclaren, Chief Strategy Officer at Serato, says, "When Serato Scratch Live was first introduced, it reinvented what was in the realm of possibilities for DJs at the time".
HYBE has launched a new reporting portal to combat AI-generated deepfake content of its artists. The South Korean entertainment company says, "The creation and dissemination of fictitious explicit photos and videos of an artist is a blatant digital sex crime that not only infringes on the artist's human rights but also severely undermines basic ethics". HYBE is actively monitoring platforms such as Telegram, X and Discord for deepfake content and collaborating with authorities for a coordinated response. The company, which manages artists including BTS and Tomorrow X Together, states, "We are working to strengthen our collaboration with relevant government agencies, including the Korea Communications Standards Commission, as well as civic organisations".
Amazon Music has launched its City Sessions livestream series across Europe, with shows set to take place in the UK, Spain, Germany and Italy before the end of the year. The series, which features intimate performances from popular artists in unique venues, will begin on 15 Oct with events in Manchester and Madrid. Fans worldwide can watch the performances via the Amazon Music channels on Twitch. Bastille will open the series at Manchester's Aviva Studios, performing songs from their forthcoming album '&'(Ampersand). Phoebe Barter, Group Brand & Sponsorship Director at Aviva, says, "We are excited to team up with Amazon Music to bring City Sessions to Manchester and to Aviva Studios. With exclusive performances from some of the biggest names in music, City Sessions will come alive at Aviva Studios, bringing exceptional music experiences to fans in-person, and directly to homes around the UK".