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Friday 31 March 2017, 11:06 | By Chris Cooke
Double digit growth in US thanks to all those streams
Business News Digital Labels & Publishers Top Stories
Another page for your burgeoning ‘Subscription Streaming Is Booming And Taking The Recorded Music Market Back Into Growth’ file now. You all have that file, right? Mine is so burgeoning I’m thinking about investing in a lever-arch. You young people out there probably don’t know what a lever-arch is, having never had to deal with paper. It’s like when you upgrade your Dropbox account to get extra space, only 43 times better.
Anyway, the largest recorded music market – that being the USA of course – saw double digit revenue growth in 2016 according to the latest stats pack from the record industry there. Double digit growth! Yes, no longer does the record industry need to get all excited about fraction-of-a-per-cent growth, we’re talking full on double digits. The US record industry’s not seen double digit growth since the very peak of the CD mountain in 1998.
To be more precise, US recorded music sales last year were up 11.4% to $7.7 billion, still a long way off what the record industry generated back in the glory days of 1998/9, but impressive growth all the same. That growth was, of course, fuelled by the streaming boom. The American streaming market grew 68% last year, and streaming services brought in more cash than downloads, CDs and vinyl combined in the US in 2016 (just). Yes, that’s right, even when you throw in that mighty vinyl revival, streams beat discs and downloads (just).
Of course, it’s really paid-for subscription streaming that is driving all the growth, with revenues from that domain more than doubling year-on-year in 2016, while income from the ad-funded on-demand platforms like YouTube and Spotify Free were up a somewhat more modest 26%.
“Our story is one of innovation, investment in great artists, hard work, and a relentless commitment to music”, said Cary Sherman, boss of the Recording Industry Association Of America while blogging and bragging about the 2016 figures yesterday. “Look (and listen) around you – like never before, music surrounds us, it uplifts us, it narrates our big games and life’s major moments, it is who we follow on leading social media platforms”.
“That does not happen by accident”, he continued. “It is partly the result of a tireless community of label entrepreneurs who approach each and every day with passion and conviction, both about music’s importance and the great artists who bring it to life. The music business, more than any other creative industry, is leading the digital transition”.
“A year of growth in the US music business is welcome news”, the RIAA chief continued, “It suggests that years of patiently nurturing a nascent streaming marketplace has begun to pay off”. But, he noted, there is still some way to go if the US record industry is to ever return to its 1990s peak. Which means, while things may be going well, they could always be going weller. Ain’t that the truth?
And, of course, you know why things aren’t going weller, don’t you? Cary knows. Come on, you know too. Safe harbours! Value gap! YouTube! Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Check the RIAA’s stats here and Sherman’s blog post here. He wrote it on Medium. How modern.
READ MORE ABOUT: Recordings Industry Association Of America (RIAA)
Friday 31 March 2017, 11:04 | By Chris Cooke
Efforts to get radio royalties for recordings back on agenda in US Congress
Business News Digital Labels & Publishers Legal Media
Six members of US Congress yesterday put the Fair Play Fair Pay Act back onto the agenda in the latest effort to force AM and FM radio stations in America to pay royalties to artists and labels as well as songwriters and music publishers, preferably sometime before AM/FM radio becomes a defunct medium.
As much previously reported, US copyright law is unusual in that it doesn’t provide a general ‘performing right’ for sound recordings, meaning third parties do not need to secure a licence or pay any royalties to artists and labels when they play a track on the radio or in public. There is, however, a digital performing right, meaning online and satellite broadcasters do need a licence.
This peculiarity of American law means artists and labels do not earn any royalties when their music is played on the radio, unlike their counterparts in most other countries. Meanwhile online and satellite broadcasters are at a disadvantage to AM/FM broadcasters.
There have been various efforts over the years to introduce a general performing right for sound recordings in the US, most recently via the proposed Fair Play Fair Pay Act that is now back on the agenda in Congress thanks to politicians Jerrold Nadler, Marsha Blackburn, John Conyers Jr, Darrell Issa, Ted Deutch and Tom Rooney.
The six Representatives said yesterday: “Our current music licensing laws are antiquated and unfair, which is why we need a system that ensures all radio services play by the same rules and all artists are fairly compensated”.
They went on: “Our laws should reward innovation, spur economic diversity and uphold the constitutional rights of creators. That is what the Fair Play Fair Pay Act sets out to accomplish: fixing a system that for too long has disadvantaged music creators and pitted technologies against each other by allowing certain services to get away with paying little or nothing to artists”.
The proposals would specifically add a ‘terrestrial performance right’ for recordings into federal copyright law. There would be caps on royalty payments for smaller and non-commercial stations, measures to ensure artists as well as labels benefited, and a rule that the introduction of royalties for artists and labels couldn’t be used to try to reduce the royalties already paid to songwriters and publishers.
The act would also seek to apply the new performing right to recordings which pre-date 1972 and therefore are actually protected by state-level copyright law in the US. As also previously reported, whether or not the federal digital performing right should apply to pre-1972 tracks has been something of a contentious point.
The US Content Creators Coalition, for which this is a key issue, welcomed the news that the AM/FM royalties legislation was back on the agenda in Washington. Its President and Exec Director – Melvin Gibbs and Jeffrey Boxer respectively – said in a joint statement: “For decades, artists have been forced to let their music generate billions of dollars of advertising profit to the corporate investors of radio companies while not being paid one cent for their art. It is past time for Congress to right this wrong”.
The big traditional broadcasters have always objected to the introduction of a general performing right, but Gibbs and Boxer argue that “big corporate radio’s hollow arguments and Potemkin resolutions have worn thin – and failed to stem the tide of progress”. Noting all the past efforts to make US radio pay, they say they were “heartened” by this week’s developments, and that “we also are hopeful that this legislation will reform the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to restore the balance Congress had intended”.
They conclude: “We are at a decisive moment for music creators and our grassroots army of musicians and fans stands ready to mobilise in support of the Fair Play Fair Pay Act and other reforms to ensure the next generation of artists don’t disappear”.
The Recording Industry Association Of America also welcomed the return of the radio royalties act, with its boss Cary Sherman saying: “This bipartisan bill helps create a more level playing field when music is played on various platforms. By doing away with big radio’s subsidy that rips off artists and labels, helping streamline producer payments, fixing the pre-72 loophole to help legacy artists get paid, and finally bringing SiriusXM’s antiquated rate paid to music creators into alignment with its competitors, this bill is much-needed legislation made to fit today’s modern music industry”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Fair Play Fair Pay Act | US Congress
Friday 31 March 2017, 11:02 | By Chris Cooke
MegaUpload data to be rescued, though not shared with MegaUpload
Business News Digital Labels & Publishers Legal MegaUpload Timeline
The sixteen hard drives containing some of the data that previously sat on the MegaUpload platform will be rescued; or, at least, rescuers will be allowed to try to rescue it.
As previously reported, ever since the US authorities took the often controversial MegaUpload offline on copyright infringement grounds in 2012 there has been much debate as to what should happen to the servers the company rented from various suppliers around the world; or at least those that haven’t already been wiped.
The data on those servers is of interest to the music and movie companies, which reckon they need it as evidence for their civil litigation against the old MegaUpload company. The former MegaUpload management, meanwhile, want the data as evidence for their defence to both the civil and criminal proceedings they are facing. Plus there are those former MegaUpload customers who used the file-storage firm to legitimately store their own original content who would quite like to get their files back.
Last year one of the US companies that previously rented server space to MegaUpload – Cogent – said that some of the hard drives on which the ex-firm’s data had been stored following the 2012 shutdown were now unreadable simply because they hadn’t been used in such a long time. In a legal filing, MegaUpload itself said it had been told that “without the assistance of a computer forensic expert … Cogent cannot confirm that the data remains extant and uncorrupted”.
Earlier this month the Motion Picture Association Of America and the Recording Industry Association Of America put forward a proposal to a federal court in Virginia that said they would pay for a company called DriveSavers to review the sixteen hard drives and attempt to rescue the data. If it can, it would return the rescued data to Cogent without keeping any copies for itself, or providing copies to any third parties.
The old MegaUpload team had no problem with that plan, except that they wanted a commitment as part of the proposal that they would get a copy of any rescued data, adding that in return they would be happy to commit to only use said data as evidence in their legal defence. The MPAA and RIAA have generally resisted any suggestion that data be automatically returned to MegaUpload or former MegaUpload users on the basis that at least a chunk of it will be their members’ copyright protected material that was on the defunct site’s platform illegally.
For their part, the movie and record industries said that the debate over who gets access to the rescued data could be had another day, for now all that needed to be decided was how said data was going to be rescued. The judge overseeing the case recently agreed, knocking back a slightly altered proposal from Team Mega which included the commitment to provide them with the data.
Though, by approving the MPAA/RIAA version of the plan, they won’t automatically get the data either. Judge Liam O’Grady’s ruling reads: “Once the drives and devices have been returned to Cogent’s custody and stored in Cogent’s facility, no person … shall have access to those drives and devices, or to the data contained on those drives and devices, absent further order from this court”.
There are both criminal and civil proceedings ongoing in relation to the old MegaUpload business of course. Both of which have been held up as the US goes through the long drawn out process of trying to extradite MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom and his former colleagues from New Zealand to America.
READ MORE ABOUT: MegaUpload | Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) | Recordings Industry Association Of America (RIAA)
Friday 31 March 2017, 11:00 | By Andy Malt
A Perfect Circle sign to BMG
Artist News Business News Deals
A Perfect Circle have signed a new record deal with the BMGees, ready to release new music later this year. So that’s some perturbing news for anyone hoping for confirmation of the new Tool album.
Fronted by Tool’s Maynard James Keenan with guitarist Billy Howerdel, A Perfect Circle last released a studio album in 2004. Currently joined by James Iha, Jeff Friedl and Matt McJunkins, the band will also kick off a US tour next month.
While Howerdel says that the band are “looking forward to sharing new music” soon, BMG’s Jon Cohen adds: “We’re THRILLED to welcome A Perfect Circle to BMG and excited to present their highly-anticipated new music to the world. Their uncompromising approach, vision and legion of fans have made them one of the most artistic and commercially successful acts in rock”.
READ MORE ABOUT: A Perfect Circle
Friday 31 March 2017, 10:58 | By Andy Malt
Safe As Milk Festival cancels and goes into administration
Business News Gigs & Festivals Live Business
A festival that always felt like an unofficial attempt to fill the space left in the musical calendar after All Tomorrow’s Parties finally went under – North Wales-based Safe As Milk – has taken that association a little too far by cancelling and going into administration just weeks before the event. Organisers announced yesterday that “ticket sales have not reached a level to make the event viable”.
Due to take place on 21-23 Apr (ATP’s traditional spring slot) at Prestatyn Pontins (the last venue used by ATP), the event was a partnership between Newcastle’s Tusk Music and Alt.vinyl. Artists set to perform included The Butthole Surfers, Jeff Mills & Tony Allen, Omar Souleyman, Actress, Anna Meredith, Demdike Stare, The Residents, and more.
In a statement yesterday, it was announced that the company behind the festival had gone into liquidation, with a creditors meeting set for 25 Apr.
“We are very sorry to announce that we have had to take the decision to cancel Safe As Milk Festival”, it reads. “Despite the widespread excitement about the event, we’re sorry to report that ticket sales have not reached a level to make the event viable so, despite our best efforts, we have no other option but to cancel”.
Anyone who purchased tickets via credit card or a Visa debit card should be able to reclaim their money from the issuer. Others will have to try their luck with the administrators.
READ MORE ABOUT: Safe As Milk Festival
Friday 31 March 2017, 10:53 | By Andy Malt
Crowdfunding campaign for Poly Styrene documentary launched
Artist News
A crowdfunding campaign has been launched for a new documentary about X-Ray Spex vocalist Poly Styrene, titled ‘I Am A Cliché’. The aim is to release the film in cinemas in November 2018 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the band’s ‘Germ Free Adolescents’ album.
Director Paul Sng, who previously helmed Sleaford Mods film ‘Invisible Britain’, says of the project: “Poly Styrene remains one of the most original and dynamic voices in popular culture. We’re aiming to make a film that reflects her effervescent and vivid life, and provide a fitting cinematic tribute to her legacy as an artist and icon”.
The musician’s daughter, Celeste Bell, who will narrate and co-write the film, adds: “This film will be a celebration of the life and work of my mother, an artist who deserves to be recognised as one of the greatest frontwomen of all time; a little girl with a big voice whose words are more relevant than ever”.
Poly Styrene, real name Marianne Elliott-Said, died in 2011, shortly after revealing publicly that she had been receiving treatment for breast cancer.
Find out more about the crowdfunding campaign here. And you can watch a trailer here:
READ MORE ABOUT: Poly Styrene
Friday 31 March 2017, 10:50 | By Andy Malt
Alt-J release new single In Cold Blood
Artist News Releases
Alt-J have released a new single, ‘In Cold Blood’, taken from their upcoming third album ‘Relaxer’.
“We started writing ‘In Cold Blood’ in our Leeds [University] days and finished it last year in London”, say the band. “The brass was recorded at Abbey Road; the keyboards were done on a Casiotone that cost £1.05 on eBay; and no one is quite sure where the key change came from”.
The band – like so many others – have just been confirmed for Glastonbury too. So that’ll be fun for them. And they’ve got that O2 Arena show on 16 Jun. How lovely.
Here’s ‘In Cold Blood’;
READ MORE ABOUT: Alt-J
Friday 31 March 2017, 10:47 | By Andy Malt
Forest Swords announces compassionate new album
Artist News Releases
Forest Swords launched his new album, ‘Compassion’, this week by sending out free tracks to anyone who messaged him on WhatsApp. I’m not sure using mass media to service fans one-by-one in this way is likely to take off, but it’s a novel idea. And easier than going round to each of their houses with a CD, at least.
The idea actually feeds into the inspiration for the new record, as the producer, real name Matthew Barnes, explains: “Like many, with all that’s been going on since I started making the record, I’ve struggled to see any kind of light at the end of the tunnel. So I realised there’s some sort of power in trying to create our own instead. I’m inspired by the ways we’re communicating now, for better or worse, and thinking about new channels where we can distribute ideas. The idea of looking for flexible future ways of expression and language, that bends to our needs quicker, really excites me”.
‘Compassion’ is out on 5 May. And for those who didn’t manage a WhatsApp chat, here’s the new video for new single ‘Arms Out’:
READ MORE ABOUT: Forest Swords
Friday 31 March 2017, 10:40 | By Andy Malt
One Liners: Lana Del Rey, Kasabian, Paul Weller, more
Artist News Gigs & Festivals One Liners Releases
Other notable announcements and developments today…
• Lana Del Rey has released a trailer for her new album, ‘Lust For Life’.
• Kasabian have knocked together a video for new single ‘You’re In Love With A Psycho’.
• Paul Weller will release a new album, ‘A Kind Revolution’, on 12 May. From it, this is ‘Long Long Road’.
• The Magpie Salute – a new band featuring The Black Crowes’ Rich Robinson, Marc Ford and Sven Pipen – will release their debut album on 9 Jun. They’ll also be performing live in London at Under The Bridge on 12-15 Apr. Here they are doing a song.
• Pete Doherty has released a video for ‘Kolly Kibber’, from his ‘Hamburg Demonstrations’ album.
• Jimpster will release new album ‘Silent Stars’ on 13 May. Here’s a bit of first single, ‘Crave’.
• Dream Wife have released a video for new single, ‘Somebody’.
• Pharmakon has released the video for ‘Somatic’, taken from her new album ‘Contact’, which is out today.
• Shitkid will release her debut album, ‘Fish’, on 2 Jun. From it, this is ‘Tropics’.
• French export night Oui Love will return to Birthdays in Dalston on 17 May. Performing will be Fishbach, KillASon and Fauna Twin.
• As ever, we’ll be updating our weekly Spotify playlist with all the new music from the week’s CMU Dailies. Check it out here.
READ MORE ABOUT: Black Crowes | Dream Wife | Fauna Twin | Fishbach | Jimpster | Kasabian | KillASon | Lana Del Rey | Oui Love | Paul Weller | Pete Doherty | Pharmakon | Shitkid | The Magpie Salute
Friday 31 March 2017, 10:26 | By Andy Malt
Beef Of The Week #349: John Lydon v Everything You Thought You Knew
And Finally Artist News Media
John Lydon’s a man who’s made a career out of making contentious statements, so it’s always something of a surprise when people get angry about him doing just that. Still, with the world currently flipped on its head, many have suddenly found themselves in opposition to someone they’d generally considered to be a cartoonish figurehead of their ideals.
It all started last week when Lydon said he’d miss the Queen when she’s gone. Then, in the space of a minute and a half on ‘Good Morning Britain’ on Monday, he apparently came out in favour of Brexit, Nigel Farage and Donald Trump – who he described as “a possible friend”. I still think the most overlooked problem with all of this is that John Lydon was on ‘Good Morning Britain’ at all, but that’s seemingly not what’s got everyone else riled.
He started by describing a recent encounter with Farage as “fantastic”, saying: “After that up the River Thames argument he had with Bob Geldof, I wanted to shake his hand. Cos it was silly beyond belief”.
Indeed it was, but while it was hard to side with Geldof on that one, Farage didn’t exactly come out of it looking like the bigger man either. As a result, I thought we’d all agreed that no hands were to be shaken after that particular incident.
“And where do I stand on Brexit?” continued Lydon without stopping for breath, apparently now interviewing himself. “Well, here it goes: the working class have spoke, and I’m one of them and I’m with them”.
At this point presenter Susanna Reid, while not questioning Lydon’s current status with the working class, pointed out that, as Lydon these days is a US citizen, he has other things to worry about.
“The Donald”, nodded the musician. “Well, there’s a complicated fella. As one journalist once said to me, is he the political Sex Pistol?”
No, he’s not. But that didn’t stop Lydon’s other interviewer, Piers Morgan, from claiming that Trump is an “absolutely archetypal anti-establishment character”. Again, no. I know I’m not the first person to point this out, but true anti-establishment figures tend not to be billionaire businessmen who like to play golf at the weekend. You could argue that Trump is anti-establishment if you wanted, but archetypal less so.
Anyway, old Trumpy’s having a tough time of it at the moment, and Lydon reckons we should lay off him a bit. “What I dislike is the left wing media in America are trying to smear the bloke as a racist and that’s completely not true”, he said. “There’s many, many problems with him as a human being but he’s not that, and there just might be a chance that something good’ll come out of that situation because he terrifies politicians and this is joy to behold to me”.
Of course Trump doesn’t just terrify politicians, he also terrifies lots of other people too. Not least those people he’s been a bit, well, look, I know John said otherwise, but you could say, I mean, you could, it is possible, if you look at the evidence, you might conclude, just looking at all the evidence, but those people he’s been a bit racist towards.
Whatever, you just took all of that out of context anyway. And what Lydon meant to say was that – now the Trump is President – we should just let him get on with doing whatever it is he wants to do. Oh, and that he’s not racist.
“America now has a new President and whether you like him or not you have to support him or you will destroy the country”, said Lydon on Virgin Radio the next day. “You’ve got to make things work”.
You’d think John Lydon would have a better understanding of how democracy works, but perhaps the driving force behind punk was actually a desire to let Margaret Thatcher get on with what she was doing. Given that she came to power during that period and remained there long afterwards, maybe it was.
Anyway, what we should be doing is supporting Trump and stop calling him a racist, it seems. “The attitudes that are being pulled on him are stupid and wrong”, Lydon said, returning to the racism theme. “He’s got some serious money issues and business concerns that deeply fascinate all of us but to be smearing him as a racist, this isn’t right, there’s no evidence or proof to that and until there is, I’ll stand up and say that I think that’s wrong”.
He added: “There’s a terrible attitude in left-wing politics – they just feel they have the pomposity and right to just throw these accusations out without any evidence – well don’t because my world requires facts”.
Well sure, it may be hard to prove unequivocally what Donald Trump thinks inside his own head, but there is quite a lot of evidence that you might find a few racist thoughts in there, or – at least – a willingness to exploit other people’s racism. Like, you know, repeatedly accusing the former president of not being American and demanding to see his birth certificate just because he’s black. Or saying that a large proportion of Mexican immigrants to the US are criminals and rapists. Or, I don’t know, attempting to ban Muslims from entering the country.
It’s a sensitive subject for Lydon though, because he too has been accused of racism. “In my past I’ve had that accusation thrown at me willy nilly and it’s a damn hard one to have to listen to and endure – make sure it’s right”, Lydon added. “For the next week and a half the rag-and-bone trade that we call the media is going to be calling me a racist, that’s the tomfoolery of it all. That’s going to be damn upsetting all over again to my grandkids, isn’t it?”
With apologies to John Lydon’s grandchildren, I’ll now have to bring up what prompted that accusation of racism again. Back in 2008, Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke said that he had been assaulted by Lydon’s entourage and told “your problem is your black attitude” at a festival in Spain. This was prompted – according to Okereke – by him asking Lydon if Public Image Ltd would ever get back together. Which they did, the following year, as it happens.
Lydon responded by saying that he felt “very sorry for a man who needs to lie about what was a perfect evening”, suggesting that Okereke had made the whole thing up because he was jealous that Lydon was talking to some Spanish bands.
Of course the allegations in that incident were actually against Lydon’s entourage, rather than the man himself. Though maybe that’s an accusation of racism by association. Because he didn’t distance himself from anything that entourage may have said. You know, a bit like when Donald Trump refused to denounce an endorsement from the former leader of the Ku Klux Klan.
Anyway, all this talk of John Lydon makes me want to go and put some butter on some crusty bread. God save the queen.
READ MORE ABOUT: Donald Trump | John Lydon | Nigel Farage
Friday 31 March 2017, 09:30 | By Paul Vig
Vigsy’s Club Tip: Mark de Clive-Lowe at Prince Charles & April April at Kosmonaut
Club Tip CMU Approved
I am in Berlin this weekend, so thought I’d mark the occasion by tipping some clubs in the German capital. And it’s a double tip again.
First up, Mark de Clive-Lowe, a firm Club Tip favourite. Tonight the Kiwi-born US-living jazzmeister will be in Berlin with soul singer Nia Andrews offering up some well approved material. Tommaso Cappellato will also be playing his ‘Aforemention’ solo project live. JAW Family will be DJing and then hosting the afterparty, which runs well into the night.
Friday 31 Mar, Prince Charles, Prinzenstrasse 85, 10969 Berlin, 8pm-11pm. More info here.
Next, the April April night over at Kosmonaut, a little off the beaten track that clubbers usually take in Berlin, but well worth checking out. Kicking off at a minute before midnight tonight – ie just as April gets underway – this is going to be a massive party with a plethora of DJs in the house, including David Jach bringing forth some nu-style old-school beats and Marcel Freigest playing his more minimal flavours.
Saturday 1 Apr, Kosmonaut, Wiesenweg 1-4, Friedrichshain, 10365 Berlin, midnight-11am. More info here.
READ MORE ABOUT: Mark de Clive-Lowe | Nia Andrews
Thursday 30 March 2017, 10:11 | By Chris Cooke
Lords back new ticket touting regulation beyond the bots ban
Business News Legal Live Business Top Stories
The House Of Lords yesterday backed proposals to go beyond the much talked about bots ban in the latest attempt to increase the regulation of secondary ticketing in the UK.
As much previously reported, the in-development Digital Economy Bill is set to outlaw the use of ticket touting bots, ie special software used by the touts to hoover up large quantities of tickets off the primary sites when they first go on sale.
Although the government initially argued that the use of such bots was probably already illegal under the Computer Misuse Act, ministers subsequently confirmed that they would support a specific bots ban being introduced via the DEB.
But as the legislation works its way through the Lords, Conservative peer Colin Moynihan, a former Chair of the British Olympic Association, proposed additional new regulation of the ticket resale market. His proposals basically involve expanding the obligations that already exist under the Consumer Rights Act that say ticket resellers must provide certain information about any tickets they are reselling, including seat numbers.
In part that compulsory information makes it easier for the buyer to see the kind of ticket they are buying, the mark-up they are paying and any restrictions on the ticket being bought. But in theory it also makes it easier for a show’s promoter to see any tickets that are being touted and, if they so wish, to then cancel those tickets.
However, campaigners complain that the rules introduced in the 2015 Consumer Rights Act are not being properly enforced and that even when touts do provide the required information, they sometimes fudge some of it – like the seat numbers – so that promoters can’t identify the specific tickets that are being touted. And, of course, at festivals and many smaller music venues tickets don’t usually come with a seat number anyway.
Under Moynihan’s proposal resellers would be obliged to provide additional information, including the booking reference of the original ticket purchase. This would in part stop speculative ticketing, where touts put on sale tickets they haven’t yet actually acquired themselves. It would also make it easier for promoters to identify touted tickets, including at events with no allocated seat numbers.
The bots ban is unusual in the secondary ticketing regulation domain in that the ticket resale sites like eBay’s StubHub and Live Nation’s Seatwave and Get Me In! generally support the move. However, the resale sites are opposed to further regulation like that being proposed by Moynihan in his DEB amendment.
The government also opposes the peer’s proposals, arguing not entirely convincingly that the Waterson Review of secondary ticketing rejected additional information requirements of this kind. But in the politically balanced Lords it’s easier to defeat the government, and peers voted in favour of Moynihan’s amendment despite the opposition of ministers.
That doesn’t mean that the government can’t try to get the extra secondary ticketing regulation taken out of the DEB as it goes through the final stages in Parliament, and it probably will. Though if these new regulations were to become law – and if that law was to be properly enforced – it would make it much easier for anti-touting artists and promoters to cancel tickets being resold on the big resale platforms as a matter of course.
The Lords’ vote was welcomed by the FanFair Alliance, which said in a statement this morning: “Despite concerted media and political scrutiny, the resale of tickets on platforms like Viagogo, Get Me In!, Seatwave and StubHub remains wholly lacking in transparency. This is the only online marketplace where buyers are given no identity about sellers – a peculiarity which is massively helpful to touts whose activities are anonymised, but not so much to consumers. It’s is a recipe for bad practice at best, and outright fraud at worst”.
It went on: “That’s why this small amendment to the Consumer Rights Act is so important, as it could help provide more certainty that a ticket actually exists in the first place, as well as crucial details about terms and conditions of resale. FanFair Alliance warmly welcomes the Lords’ decision last night, and alongside the other recent commitments we look forward to further discussions with government about how ticket resale can be made more transparent, honest and consumer-friendly”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Secondary Ticketing
Thursday 30 March 2017, 10:09 | By Chris Cooke
Lawyer says Sony/ATV’s delaying tactics are “devaluing” Paul McCartney’s rights
Artist News Business News Labels & Publishers Legal
Lawyers for Paul McCartney have responded to the recent bid by Sony/ATV to have his US lawsuit in relation to the reversion or termination right under American copyright law dismissed, telling the judge that the major music publisher is basically employing delaying tactics that puts “a cloud over the title to his works” and “devalues his rights”.
As much previously reported, under US copyright law a songwriter who assigns their rights to a music publisher has the statutory right to terminate that assignment agreement after 35 years, or 56 years for copyrights assigned before the termination right was introduced in the late 1970s. That right to terminate only really kicked in a few years back – ie 35 years after it was introduced – and so various technicalities around it are still be explored.
One big fat technicality is what happens with non-US songwriters who – say – assigned their rights to a British publisher under English law. Can those writers still reclaim the US rights in their songs? Or, more specifically, can those non-US publishing contracts interfere with the statutory right under American law, or make it impractical to employ? And if so, what specific contract terms are able to do the interfering?
The test case on all this from an English law perspective is Duran Duran’s legal battle with a Sony/ATV subsidiary called Gloucester Place Music. The publisher won at first instance but Duran Duran are now appealing. If Sony/ATV do ultimately prevail in court, a precedent would be set that said English publishing contracts can interfere with the US termination right, depending on how they are written of course.
Either way, McCartney is seeking assurances from Sony/ATV that it won’t interfere in his exercising of the termination right. He wants to reclaim the US rights in his half of the Lennon/McCartney songs repertoire. But the major publisher – while not specifically saying it will throw any spanners in the work as he goes through the termination process – hasn’t as yet provided those all important assurances. It is seemingly waiting to see how the Duran Duran case turns out before making any commitments.
McCartney went to court earlier this year in a bid to get those assurances sooner rather than later. But earlier this month Sony/ATV argued that the case should be dismissed, on the basis that there wasn’t actually currently a dispute between it and McCartney – because it hasn’t actually said it plans to interfere with the termination process – and anyway it would be wrong to discuss what is a matter of English law before the UK courts have had a chance to rule on the Duran Duran case.
Such delaying tactics are damaging for McCartney, his lawyers said in a response this week, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Lawyer Michael Jacobs argues: “Delay would not simplify the parties’ dispute, but it would prejudice McCartney. As long as Sony/ATV refuses to disavow any right to sue for breach of contract, McCartney has a cloud over the title to his works, which devalues his rights”.
Jacobs continues: “By seeking to dismiss this lawsuit, Sony/ATV intends to leave McCartney in suspense. Is he exposed to claims for damages if he relies on his undisputed rights under US copyright law or not? Will it sue him for breach of contract or not? Can he license his copyrights as his termination notices become effective, or does that present legal risks? Will third parties be willing to negotiate with McCartney, and at what reduction in price, concerned that they may ultimately face a Sony/ATV lawsuit for interference with contractual relations?”
Meanwhile, on Sony/ATV’s argument that the UK case should be resolved before a US court gets involved in this debate, Jacobs adds: “Because McCartney’s termination notices apply only to his rights arising under US copyright law, the court need not undertake a traditional conflicts of laws analysis”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Paul McCartney | Sony Music Publishing
Thursday 30 March 2017, 10:04 | By Chris Cooke
Spinal Tap creators hit out at Vivendi’s “distracting and obfuscatory conduct”
Artist News Business News Labels & Publishers Legal
The creators of ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ have responded to Vivendi’s response to their $400 million lawsuit, mainly focusing on the termination right element of the case.
Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Rob Reiner all accuse Vivendi – which controls the ‘Spinal Tap’ movie via its StudioCanal business and the soundtrack via Universal Music – of misreporting financial information about the cult film and its spin offs in order to short-change the four creators who had a profit-share arrangement with the original producer.
Having gone legal on the matter, the four men say that Vivendi “wilfully manipulated certain accounting data, while ignoring contractually-obligated accounting and reporting processes, to deny [the] co-creators their rightful stake in the production’s profits”.
For its part, Vivendi called the litigation “absurd”, insisting that the movie’s financial performance had always been modest, and accusing the four creators of not going through the correct formalities before filing their lawsuit.
In its response, Vivendi also noted Shearer’s bid to reclaim the rights in all things ‘Spinal Tap’ in the US by exercising the termination right in American copyright law, which allows creators who assign their rights to third parties to reclaim them after 35 years. Vivendi is opposed to those efforts – and is threatening to go legal over the termination claim – on the basis that the various ‘Spinal Tap’ outputs were produced on a ‘work for hire’ basis.
This is one of the big get-outs for corporate rights owners in America keen to stop performers and creators from reclaiming the rights in their 35 year old work. The termination right does not apply to so called work for hire contracts, though that has led to much debate over what kinds of contracts in the entertainment industry actually constitute work for hire arrangements. Not the ‘Spinal Tap’ deals, reckon the movie’s creators.
Having filed a response with the court overseeing the case yesterday, Shearer told reporters this morning: “Vivendi’s distracting and obfuscatory conduct is entirely in line with our experience of the corporation to date – failing to provide participation statements; declaring piddling revenue share from exploitation over 33 years, particularly ‘Tap’ music and merchandise; and neglecting or abandoning the protection of ‘Tap’ trademarks worldwide. As a result, we have seen a deluge of unofficial Spinal Tap-branded apparel, dishware, pet accessories, and god knows what else. And perhaps the greatest irony? Learning that the only party against whom Vivendi threatens to enforce copyrights, is me!”
He went on: “That Vivendi suddenly appears concerned about certain exploitation opportunities would be laughable if it were not so disingenuous. The hypocrisy on display is unreal. On the one hand, Vivendi claims ‘Spinal Tap’ and all its associated collateral have hardly made the thinnest of dimes. On the other, they hold the rights with the ferocity of a death grip, all the while refusing to enforce them, excepting the recent threat targeting me. Seemingly Vivendi is prepared to allow anyone but the creators to enjoy enrichment from these works”.
The other three ‘Spinal Tap’ creators, who followed Shearer’s lead in suing Vivendi, have also followed suit in filing termination notices under US copyright law. Giving his take on this specific issue, Guest added: “It’s absurd that Vivendi now claims our creations were ‘works for hire’ and that Harry’s termination – notwithstanding we have all given notices – places a ‘cloud over the movie and music copyrights’ which ‘threatens Studio Canal’s ability to distribute ‘Spinal Tap’ and to otherwise enjoy its lawful rights to the movie'”.
He added: “Vivendi is re-writing history and showing a complete lack of understanding of copyright law. The band, the characters, the distinctive logo and most of the songs performed both live and televised all existed long before any agreement to produce a motion picture”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Christopher Guest | Harry Shearer | Michael McKean | Rob Reiner | Spinal Tap | Studiocanal | Universal Music | Vivendi
Thursday 30 March 2017, 10:02 | By Chris Cooke
Universal Music signs Carrie Underwood
Artist News Business News Deals Labels & Publishers
Universal Music, which, remember, is, and I quote, “the world leader in music-based entertainment”, has signed up “seven-time GRAMMY® Award winner” (and please never forget the registered trademark symbol there) Carrie Underwood to one of those record deals via its Capitol Records Nashville label. The one time American Idol has previously put out her records with Sony Music, but, you know, Sony doesn’t have a knight of the realm in charge does it? And everyone knows how much country stars like colluding with knights.
Taking a break from slaying some dragons, Universal Music big cheese Sir Lucian Grainge confirmed his latest signing by saying: “I’m so THRILLED that Carrie has decided to make Capitol Records Nashville and UMG her home globally. As a talented writer, recording artist, performer and actor, Carrie is that exceptionally rare artist who can do it all. I know I speak on behalf of our teams around the world when I say that we look forward to executing her creative vision and bringing her musical career to the next level”.
Some other non-knights at Universal also welcomed Underwood to the fold, but who cares what non-knights have to say? No one, that’s who. So let’s just skip straight to the quote from Dame Baroness Lady Underwood herself. “It’s so inspiring to me as an artist to feel this excited about the future”, says she. “The incredible team at UMG shares the heart and passion I have for music as well as the drive, and their innovative spirit has shown that together the possibilities are endless”. Ain’t that the truth. No.
READ MORE ABOUT: Carrie Underwood | Universal Music
Thursday 30 March 2017, 09:57 | By Andy Malt
Henrik Schwarz launches new classical label with !K7
Artist News Business News Deals Labels & Publishers Releases
Producer and DJ Henrik Schwarz has partnered with !K7 to launch a new label, Between Buttons. Focusing on acoustic sounds and contemporary classical music, the label’s first release will be an EP from Schwarz himself, titled ‘Works Piano’.
“In these times of constant turbo mode, likes and thumbs-up, we need to go back to basics”, says Schwarz. “We want to move away from the idea that relentless hasty productivity is a must, and instead take time to create space, to let ideas mature and to focus the mind on subtler sounds”.
Listen to the first track from ‘Works Piano’ – ‘4011 Liter’ – here:
Schwarz’s EP will be released at the end of next month, and will be followed by another EP from the new label by Syrian artists Khaled Kurbeh & Raman Khalaf Ensemble, titled ‘Aphorisms’.
As previously reported, !K7 launched a new contemporary classical division – 7K! – late last year. Through that label, Schwarz will release a studio recording of his ‘Scripted Orchestra’ show, which he performed with Metropol Orkest at the opening of the Amsterdam Dance Event last year. He will also release new electronic music through !K7.
READ MORE ABOUT: !K7 | 7K! | Between Buttons | Henrick Schwartz
Thursday 30 March 2017, 09:53 | By Andy Malt
MU, FAC and MMF publish example fair management contract for artists
Business News Legal Management & Funding
The Musicians’ Union, Featured Artists Coalition and Music Managers Forum have collectively created an example of what they deem to be a fair management contract. The aim is to provide artists with a document that they can compare with potentially unfair deals they are offered.
The three organisations note that “there is no such thing as a ‘standard’ contract” in the artists management domain and that “artist-centric business models are constantly developing”. However, they say that the frequency with which they are shown contracts unfairly weighted against the artist highlighted the need for some sort of guidance. Especially as artists, particularly those early in their careers, may not have access to any other contracts for comparison.
Soon-to-be General Secretary of the MU, Horace Trubridge says: “This example management agreement grew out of the MU’s Contract Advisory Service, to which our members submit contracts for legal scrutiny. Our lawyers raised concerns about the poor contract agreements widely available online to performers, managers, recording companies and others. Once both parties have signed an agreement, it’s very hard to do anything about it. By using this example management agreement, all parties can be confident that they are using a document that is up to date and fair to all concerned”.
Meanwhile, speaking both as an artist and head of the FAC, Imogen Heap adds: “How I wish I had had something like this when I was starting out as an artist. A really useful piece of collective work that I’m certain every artist at the start of his or her career will find invaluable”.
On the management side, MMF GM Fiona McGugan says: “This is a result of a lot of hard work and a long negotiation process, demonstrating how complex these things are. We hope that artists and managers will use this agreement to protect themselves in the early days but also to think entrepreneurially about their future partnerships as they become more attuned to the business they’re in”.
The document is available now to members of all three organisations through each of their websites.
READ MORE ABOUT: Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) | Music Managers Forum (MMF) | Musicians Union (MU)
Thursday 30 March 2017, 09:49 | By Chris Cooke
Native Instruments acquires unofficial mix monetisation service MetaPop
Business News Deals Digital
Ah, licensing and monetising unofficial mixes and remixes, that’s very much in vogue at the moment, isn’t it? In the ‘start-ups trying to make that work as a business’ sense of being in vogue, I mean. Music production tech maker Native Instruments has acquired a start-up called MetaPop, which aims to get unofficial remixes licensed and monetised. Presumably NI wants to offer that service alongside its music production products.
MetaPop was set up by former Beatport CEO Matthew Adell, who becomes Chief Digital Officer at NI as part of the deal. Confirming the acquisition, NI boss Daniel Haver said: “At Native Instruments we want to inspire and empower music lovers to express themselves, and in a very short time MetaPop has enabled thousands of new producers and remixers to do just that. With MetaPop and Matthew joining, we’re very excited to take our online offering to the next level”.
Adell added: “MetaPop was born from an ambition to redefine the world of remixing music. Joining Native Instruments opens up new doors to build on our shared vision, working alongside leading talent and world-class products. We are excited to inspire even more creativity and revenue opportunities for our users and partners”.
READ MORE ABOUT: MetaPop | Native Instruments
Thursday 30 March 2017, 09:44 | By Andy Malt
Billy Bragg announces Bridges Not Walls tour
Artist News Gigs & Festivals
Yesterday, the UK stood defiantly on the white cliffs of Dover, hoisted the Union Flag above its head, tripped and began the slow fall onto the rocks below. So now seems like a good time to see what Billy Bragg is up to. Thankfully, he’s going on tour.
“Music can’t change the world, but it does have the power to bring people together”, says Bragg, ahead of his ‘Bridges Not Walls’ tour. “In such divisive times, it seems a good place to start”.
Tickets for the dates in November will go on sale here on Friday. Here’s where you can catch him:
5 Nov: Bexhill, De La Warr Pavilion
6 Nov: London, Islington Assembly Hall
8 Nov: Cambridge, The Junction
10 Nov: Oxford, Academy
11 Nov: Birmingham, Town Hall
12 Nov: Sheffield, Leadmill
14 Nov: Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall
15 Nov: Edinburgh, Queen’s Hall
16 Nov: Newcastle, Wylam Brewery
18 Nov: Nottingham, Rock City
19 Nov: Cardiff, Tramshed
21 Nov: Southampton, The Brook
22 Nov: London, Clapham Grand
READ MORE ABOUT: Billy Bragg
Thursday 30 March 2017, 09:42 | By Andy Malt
One Liners: Throbbing Gristle, Spotify, Elton John, more
Artist News Business News Deals Digital Gigs & Festivals Labels & Publishers One Liners Releases
Other notable announcements and developments today…
• Throbbing Gristle have re-signed to Mute Records, bringing their catalogue to streaming services for the first time. The label is also planning a series of physical and digital reissues.
• Spotify has teamed up with Russell Simmons’ All Def Digital to create an original content series called ‘Traffic Jams’ where a rapper and producer will work on creating a new song in the back of an SUV while stuck in rush hour traffic. So that’s a thing.
• Elton John is working with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice on an animated adaptation of their musical ‘Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’. So that’s a thing.
• Danny Brown has released the new John Hill-directed video for ‘Ain’t It Funny’.
• Coldcut and On-U Sound have released ‘Vitals’, featuring Roots Manuva, from their upcoming ‘Outside The Echo Chamber’ album.
• PWR BTTM have released the video for new single ‘Answer My Text’. Their new album, ‘Pageant’, is out on 12 May.
• Sarah P has released the video for ‘Who Am I’, the second single from her forthcoming debut solo album.
• Half Waif has released the video for ‘Frost Burn’ from her ‘Form/a’ EP.
• Perfume Genius will play Heaven in London on 8 Jun. His new album, ‘No Shape’, is out on 5 May.
READ MORE ABOUT: All Def Digital | Coldcut | Danny Brown | Elton John | Half Waif | Mute | On-U Sound | Perfume Genius | PWR BTTM | Roots Manuva | Sarah P | Spotify | Throbbing Gristle
Thursday 30 March 2017, 09:37 | By Andy Malt
Bob Dylan has decided to pick up his Nobel Prize
And Finally Artist News Awards
Bob Dylan will collect his Nobel Prize chequebook and pen this week, it has been announced. Although it’s still not clear if he’ll jump through the necessary hoops to get an actual signed cheque from the Nobel gang.
As previously reported, Dylan is due in Stockholm this weekend to perform two concerts. However, Sara Danius, Permanent Secretary of the Swedish Academy, which awarded the musician its Nobel Prize In Literature last year, said in a blog post earlier this week that Dylan had not yet been in touch about collecting his as yet uncollected award. Seemingly that jogged his memory about that whole Nobel Prize thing.
“The Swedish Academy and Bob Dylan have decided to meet this weekend”, said Danius in a new blog post yesterday. “The Academy will then hand over Dylan’s Nobel diploma and the Nobel medal, and congratulate him on the Nobel Prize In Literature. The setting will be small and intimate, and no media will be present; only Bob Dylan and members of the Academy will attend, all according to Dylan’s wishes”.
If an award is handed over and there is no one from the media there to report on it, does it really happen? Well, I suppose it might. Anyway, there’s still the matter of that lecture. As per the rules, Dylan will only receive his $900,000 prize money if he gives a lecture “relevant to the work for which the prize has been awarded” before 10 Jun. Not to worry though, it’s all in hand.
Although Danius notes that “no Nobel Lecture will be held” while Dylan is in town this weekend, she says that “the Academy has reason to believe that a taped version will be sent at a later point”.
This is not unprecedented. Writer Alice Munro provided a pre-recorded interview in place of travelling to Sweden in 2013. The then 82 year old she said that she was unable to travel to Sweden from Canada due to health problems. In case you forgot, Bob Dylan will be in Stockholm this weekend. It’s nearly six months since he was announced as the 2016 winner of the Nobel Prize In Literature.
READ MORE ABOUT: Bob Dylan | Nobel Prize
Thursday 30 March 2017, 08:34 | By Andy Malt
Approved: Syd
CMU Approved
Odd Future member and latterly leader of The Internet, Syd released her debut solo album, ‘Fin’, last month. With the dust still not settled on that fantastic album, she’s back with new music already. Actually, the new track that appeared on SoundCloud this week was originally intended for the album, so isn’t entirely new.
“This was my favourite song on ‘Fin’ before I had to cut it”, she said on Twitter. While it’s possible she was taking the ‘kill your darlings’ approach to completing her LP, it actually seems that she was forced to drop the track after the instrumental was used by Jhené Aiko and Big Sean, in their Twenty88 guise, for their track ‘Selfish’.
If you’re yet to throw yourself into ‘Fin’, then ‘Treading Water’ certainly tells you everything you need to know about why you should do that as soon as possible. So get started here:
Stay up to date with all of the artists featured in the CMU Approved column by subscribing to our Spotify playlist.
READ MORE ABOUT: Syd
Wednesday 29 March 2017, 10:42 | By Chris Cooke
Tensions between Prince heirs continue, questions asked about Universal deals
Artist News Business News Labels & Publishers Legal
Questions are being asked about the three big deals done between the Prince estate and Universal Music by some of the late musician’s heirs, or at least those advising said heirs, according to the Wall Street Journal. Though the two men who negotiated the deals – L Londell McMillan and Charles Koppelman – insist that everything was above board, with one dismissing any complaints from Prince’s siblings as “sour grapes”.
As previously reported, Universal secured the big three deals with the Prince estate, getting the rights to rep the musician’s self-released and unreleased recordings via its record company, his songs catalogue via its music publisher, and his brand and merchandise business via its merch company Bravado. It’s thought the three deals combined were worth around $60 million. However, the WSJ says that some of those close to the estate are now asking whether there were actually better deals that could have been done.
This is in part based on allegations that the estate generally ignored attempts to bid by Sony Music and didn’t provide Warner Music with enough information about the recordings catalogue available to represent. Sources also claim that Sony/ATV put forward what might have been a better offer for the music publishing rights, while at least one other party topped Bravado’s bid for the merchandising rights.
McMillan insists that he and Koppelman secured the best deals for the estate, pointing out that the two men were on a commission – so were incentivised to maximise the return – though that they also had to consider other factors, such as each bidder’s size, scope, expertise and vision. He adds that there wasn’t actually much information to share regarding the vault of unreleased recordings – because no one has as yet delved into that library – and that the other bidder for merch rights wanted to buy rather than license the Prince brand, which wasn’t an option the estate was considering.
As previously reported, there have been various tensions and disagreements between the six presumed heirs of Prince, some of whom have already criticised McMillan and Koppelman’s work for the estate. Those heirs also blocked McMillan’s bid to become a permanent advisor to the estate, with the judge overseeing the case ultimately deciding not to officially appoint any individual advisors because of the ongoing disagreements.
Elsewhere in Prince estate news, the legal wrangling continues between it and Tidal over what rights the streaming service was given by the musician before his death to stream his recordings. As previously reported, the estate argues that Tidal only secured short-term exclusive rights to Prince’s penultimate album, but the streaming firm says it had a wider arrangement with the star, who took most of his music off the other streaming services after striking up an alliance with Tidal and its owner Jay-Z.
The matter went legal last year, with the estate arguing that Tidal doesn’t have the paperwork to back up its claims of having a wider deal with Prince. In the latest development, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Tidal is now seemingly arguing that in 2015 Prince became one of the streaming firm’s celebrity shareholders via an arrangement which obligated the musician to license it the streaming rights in his catalogue. A so called ‘equity term sheet’ setting out the basics of that arrangement has been submitted as evidence.
READ MORE ABOUT: Prince
Wednesday 29 March 2017, 10:40 | By Chris Cooke
Kobalt’s AWAL launches new mobile app to crunch streaming data
Business News Digital Labels & Publishers
Kobalt’s AWAL service has launched a new mobile app to help artists, managers and labels who use the music rights firm’s distribution platform to access key streaming data on the move, and to better understand what all those stats and charts actually mean.
At launch the app will pull in data from Spotify and Apple Music, and present that in a variety of ways. Users will be able to see sources of streaming (eg from a playlist, personal library, album page etc), listener location and demographics, and information on what playlists have featured a track.
In addition to the charts, the app also includes a running total of what royalties are heading the artist’s way, plus what Kobalt is calling AWAL Insights, bullet point information that explains key trends and facts from the data in a simple way, to inform an artist’s priorities and marketing plan.
Launching the new app, Kobalt chief Willard Ahdritz said: “What’s true today is that the opportunity for independent artists to make a living off streaming is growing. We want to speed that up. The first step is helping independent artists de-mystify their streaming data. Today’s artists need to understand the signals that drive future success and be able to act quickly. The AWAL App puts the power of data into the hands of independent artists to help them build a sustainable career from streaming”.
Artists and managers, of course, can already access a stack of stats directly from Spotify via its Fan Insights platform, though the AWAL App will put that data right alongside Apple stats, with the aim to include other data sources down the line. In addition to providing Fan Insights-style information for other services, it will also enable artists, managers and labels to more easily see differences in how their music performs on different platforms.
Sometimes there are marked differences, according to the Kobalt team. The new app’s product manager Mark Newman told CMU: “Both Spotify and Apple Music are supporting independent artists, but the ways in which they choose to promote and curate new music differ, whether that’s Spotify using Fresh Finds and Apple using Beats 1 to get new independent music to their users”.
“As a result, some of our artists have seen different tracks break simultaneously on each service”, he continues. “The AWAL app allows artists to see how the services are promoting their music, the impact it has on their streaming performance and what that means for them in terms of the royalties they receive”.
Most digital distributors provide online tools to enable clients to more easily process the flood of data that comes out of the streaming services, though Kobalt reckons that having that information available in an easy way via mobile is key, especially for artists and managers. The firm already has apps on the music publishing and neighbouring rights side, and it says those tools informed the creation of the AWAL app.
“We learned a lot from Kobalt’s other apps”, Newman continues. “But primarily we learned how to present a massive amount of data in a way that’s digestible and usable by our clients. Not everyone is a trained analyst or used to looking at these large data sets, and so decisions made around design and UX can make a huge difference in how effective these products are to our clients. With the AWAL app, we’re proud of not only providing a wealth of streaming data, but how easy it is to use and navigate for independent artists”.
Having gone officially live yesterday after a period in beta, Kobalt says it will look to further hone its AWAL app as time goes on, enabling labels on its platform to share information with their artists, and expanding the data sets it crunches, even beyond digital.
Newman: “At launch, the app is primarily focused on steaming data but that’s just one revenue stream for an independent artist. Ultimately, we want the app to be capturing and presenting any set of data that will be helpful in supporting the careers of our artists. We’ll be talking to our client base regularly and listening to their feedback to make sure that we’re focusing our efforts on the areas that will have the most impact for them”.
READ MORE ABOUT: AWAL | Kobalt
Wednesday 29 March 2017, 10:39 | By Chris Cooke
Warner launches vinyl reprint label Run Out Groove
Business News Digital Labels & Publishers
Having recently launched a new label focused on finding future streaming hits, now Warner Music has formally put live a new label focused on old music and vinyl. Well, you’ve got to tick all the boxes, I guess.
US-based Run Out Groove is being described as a “fan-driven, vinyl-only” label. The venture has parallels with the Ninja Tune-founded Beat Delete venture that ran in the UK from 2013 to 2015, and the recently launched Vinylised project, though this one will be specifically tapping the Warner Music archives for deleted and rarity recordings to put out again on vinyl – as Universal did briefly with its own catalogue back in 2013.
Each month fans will be asked to vote on which of three previously unreleased or out-of-print recordings they would like to see released on a twelve-inch disc. Once a recording has been selected, fans will be able to pre-order their copy, plus a limited run of each Run Out Groove release will be sent to participating American record stores.
Says Billy Fields at Warner’s WEA division: “Warner Music Group is home to many legendary labels – Atlantic, Warner Bros, Reprise, Elektra, Sire, Rykodisc and more – which have produced a wealth of expertly curated music over the years. What makes Run Out Groove unique is that the crate-digging community is steering the ship. We are crowd-sourcing niche, but in-demand, selections from our vast vault to be pressed on high-quality vinyl, and it’s going to be a lot of fun to see where the community decides to take us”.
One of the first bands set for a limited edition vinyl release via the Run Out Groove project is Echo & The Bunnymen, from which guitarist Will Sergeant says: “I am chuffed that our fans came out in droves and voted for us and that Run Out Groove are releasing our live-in-Sweden recording. It’s a historical document of another time, another place, another me and a very interesting stop off travelling the road map of the band’s life”.
He goes on: “I love the fact that vinyl is having an amazing resurgence and many young music fans are embracing the medium. I am an avid vinyl enthusiast and my vinyl collection is a route map to my life – when you lay them out on your bedroom floor like tarot cards, having a pocket full of MP3s can’t do that. The cover art of an LP is almost as important to me as the music. With LPs you feel like you have actually got something worth having, to hold and read while you listen”.
Those of you collecting new Warner labels should also know about Black Diamond Records, a new UK-based joint venture between the major and David Olusegun and Derek Edmund Ojofeitimi’s Black Diamond Music Group.
Says Warner Music UK Max Lousada chief: “We’re always looking for the brightest and most creative talent to work with throughout the Warner Music family – our team and our artists. That’s why David and Derek are a great fit. They’ve shown they’re natural A&Rs who gravitate towards brilliant artists and have a strong understanding of what it takes to develop and break artists in today’s environment. It’s good to be working with them and I’m looking forward to seeing who else they discover”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Run Out Groove | Warner Music
Wednesday 29 March 2017, 10:36 | By Andy Malt
Abbey Road recording console sells for $1.8 million
Business News Labels & Publishers
A recording console originally housed at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios has sold for just over $1.8 million at auction in New York. The equipment was used to record albums by Paul McCartney and Wings, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Kate Bush, The Cure, and Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’, among others.
The EMI TG12345 MK IV recording console was one of only two made for Abbey Road Studios, used there between 1971 and 1983. The other is now in Prime Studios in Austria, while the one just sold was acquired by its seller – producer Mike Hedges – when Abbey Road upgraded its equipment in 1983. It had been expected to sell for around £700,000.
“The world record price of this important item of music engineering only confirms the military precision of EMI craftsmanship and the powerhouse persona of Abbey Road Studio”, says auction house Bonhams’ Katherine Schofield. “The intense bidding seen in the room and on the phone speaks to its association with one of the UK’s most relevant and successful bands, Pink Floyd, and highlights the fact that this is far from being any ordinary console”.
It’s not known who the new owner is, or their plans for the bit of studio kit they now own.
READ MORE ABOUT: Abbey Road Studios
Wednesday 29 March 2017, 10:32 | By Chris Cooke
Amazon Tickets to offer Prime perks
Business News Digital Live Business
As Amazon pushes ever more into the ticketing domain, the firm yesterday announced a number of new benefits in the live music space for members of its Prime scheme in the UK.
That includes the option to buy tickets for special Amazon lounges within the AEG-managed O2 dome and Wembley Arena venues in London and priority access to shows where tickets are being sold via Amazon Tickets.
There are other tie-ups with AEG which, despite having its own ticketing business in AXS, would probably be happy for Amazon to take on the might of Live Nation’s Ticketmaster, especially in the UK market. As a result Amazon Prime members can get access to a special ‘terrace’ at AEG’s British Summer Time shows in Hyde Park this year. Good times.
“Enhanced live entertainment experiences are a fantastic addition to Amazon Prime in the UK”, says Amazon Tickets GM Geraldine Wilson. “We’re always looking to add to Amazon Prime, and today we’re delighted to give our members exclusive access to tickets to our new Amazon lounges, premium seating and pre-sales for live music and entertainment experiences across the UK”.
Most people join Amazon Prime for the free delivery service it provides, but then get access to video-on-demand, the limited-catalogue Prime streaming service, an e-book platform, and other goodies, such as the Amazon Ticket offers.
As previously reported, having originally launched it in the UK, Amazon now has global ambitions for its ticketing operation, having noted last year that “the ticketing business is ripe for innovation and improvement, as much of the industry has not fundamentally changed since the 1970s”. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, efforts are being made to more closely align Amazon’s various music strands, include CD, downloads, streams, merch and now ticketing.
READ MORE ABOUT: Amazon | Amazon Prime | Amazon Tickets
Wednesday 29 March 2017, 10:30 | By Andy Malt
Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly and James McAlister announce Planetarium album
Artist News Releases
Sufjan Stevens, The National’s Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly and drummer James McAlister have announced that they will release an album together, titled ‘Planetarium’, on 9 Jun through 4AD.
The album is a new version of a composition they created for Dutch concert hall Muziekgebouw Eindhoven three years ago. “We had recorded all the arrangements and the live parts in a studio after our last performance”, says Stevens. “So years later when we all kind of settled down, we said, ‘let’s open Pandora’s box'”.
Here’s the video for the first single from the album, ‘Saturn’:
READ MORE ABOUT: Bryce Dessner | James McAlister | Nico Muhly | Sufjan Stevens
Wednesday 29 March 2017, 10:12 | By Andy Malt
Skepta to play show in aid of Shelter
Artist News Gigs & Festivals
Skepta will play a special one-off show at the Islington Assembly Hall on 4 Apr in aid of homelessness charity Shelter.
The 750 tickets for the gig will be available via ballot. I wonder how many will show up on Viagogo, which I’m sure likes exploiting the homeless almost as much as it enjoys exploiting teenagers with cancer. Maybe the tight turn round from ballot to gig will stop the touts.
“I am a man of the people and I can’t wait to touch down”, says the rapper of the next week’s charity show.
Shelter’s Graeme Brown adds: “Every penny raised from this very special gig will help Shelter to be there for more people and to ensure that no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own”.
You have until 10am tomorrow to put yourself forward for the ballot. Tickets for those picked will cost £40 each and be limited to four per person.
READ MORE ABOUT: Shelter | Skepta
Wednesday 29 March 2017, 10:10 | By Andy Malt
Kate Nash announces Made Of Bricks tenth anniversary tour
Artist News Gigs & Festivals
Kate Nash will be heading out around the still-for-now United Kingdom in August this year to celebrate the tenth anniversary of her debut album, ‘Made Of Bricks’.
“I am so excited to celebrate my ten year anniversary of ‘Made Of Bricks”, says Nash. “This was a life-changing record for me. At the time of making it I had no idea what to expect, what making a record even was, and how much this would open up a world of art and music to me. After a decade of creating, recording, performing and living I feel more confident about my abilities than ever and I look forward to approaching these performances from where I am today”.
“I can’t wait to share this with fans old and new”, she continues. “I’ve honed my performance skills and this will bring new life to old material, mixing a sense of nostalgia with a shiny bright future. I’m so proud of how far I have come and I actually feel like I have a stronger connection to the songs now than I did then. I’m more in tune with myself and I think that translates through my performance. I also feel like this album keeps me connected to why I create music. It’s an important reminder to me to stay creative, open, imaginative, to have a sense of fun and remember the London streets I grew up in”.
She concludes: “It’s amazing to be fortunate enough to have a career as an artist. So hashtag blessed. I’m as ever grateful to my beautiful fans! And I’m excited to invite them to something extra special this summer!”
Here are the dates:
1 Aug: Edinburgh, Queens Hall
3 Aug: Leeds, Church
4 Aug: Manchester, Ritz
5 Aug: Nottingham, Rock City
6 Aug: Bristol, Academy
8 Aug: Brighton, Concorde 2
10 Aug: London, Shepherd’s Bush Empire
READ MORE ABOUT: Kate Nash
