Sam Taylor - CMU | the music business explained (Page 5)

Crisis for Scottish music industry as government pauses critical funding schemes

public

The Scottish Music Industry Association • 3 min read

Crisis for Scottish music industry as government pauses critical funding schemes

The Scottish government is under fire over funding for the music community following the closure of Creative Scotland’s Open Fund for individuals and delays in the reopening of other music funds. An open letter organised by the SMIA warns of a “cultural catastrophe” unless urgent action is taken…

Sam Taylor • 29 Aug 2024

Rachel Chinouriri cancels US support shows, putting the spotlight back on the ‘cost of touring crisis’

public

Rachel Chinouriri • 5 min read

Rachel Chinouriri cancels US support shows, putting the spotlight back on the ‘cost of touring crisis’

Rachel Chinouriri was due to support Remi Wolf on her US tour later this year, but she has pulled out because the economics of the shows just don't work. Touring is a challenge for many artists, with increases in US visa fees not helping what is already a precarious situation for many…

Chris Cooke & Sam Taylor • 21 Aug 2024

Lucian Grainge is back on the win-win, but which DSP is off his christmas card list? It’s not hard to guess.

public

Universal Music • 5 min read

Lucian Grainge is back on the win-win, but which DSP is off his christmas card list? It’s not hard to guess.

UMG’s Q2 earnings call was an unusually sombre affair, with good reason. With UMG’s market cap dropping by billions of dollars, the major’s CEO Lucian Grainge saw the prospect of his massive bonus turn from a near cert to a distant dream. And all because a couple of DSPs aren’t pulling their weight…

Sam Taylor • 26 Jul 2024

Spotify’s Q2: Cost cutting is paying off, Ek teases Supremium launch, hints at secret features beyond hi-res audio

public

Spotify • 4 min read

Spotify’s Q2: Cost cutting is paying off, Ek teases Supremium launch, hints at secret features beyond hi-res audio

Spotify's latest earnings are a mixed bag. Subscriber numbers are up, but user growth is still slow. Cost-cutting is paying off and ad revenue is slowly bouncing back. Meanwhile, the company is rethinking how to attract and keep users in different markets. The big news? Supremium is coming…

Sam Taylor • 23 Jul 2024

Hal Leonard hits back at Wise Music in sheet music licensing dispute

public

Hal Leonard • 4 min read

Hal Leonard hits back at Wise Music in sheet music licensing dispute

High drama in the cut-throat world of sheet music, as Wise Music and Hal Leonard have a set-to over the terms of a 2018 deal. Highlights include a particularly acerbic back and forth about who buys the sheet music of Christmas choral compositions, and when. Spoiler: not in the summer, dumbo.…

Chris Cooke & Sam Taylor • 15 Jul 2024

The votes are counted, and the Hipgnosis deal is done… there’s just one more thing

public

Hipgnosis • 4 min read

The votes are counted, and the Hipgnosis deal is done… there’s just one more thing

Following the restructure of Universal Music in the US, the UK division of the major has announced similar changes, with most of its frontline labels reorganised into two groups. There will also be a new Audience & Media division. The restructure will mean job losses, though we don’t know how many…

Sam Taylor • 09 Jul 2024

Labour’s landslide: UK music industry sets ambitious agenda for new government

public

General Election • 11 min read

Labour’s landslide: UK music industry sets ambitious agenda for new government

Labour's sweeping victory in the election prompts music industry calls for action on education, venues and AI. Unified on some issues, divided on others, trade bodies push for change. With new faces in Parliament, the sector faces challenges and opportunities in shaping post-election cultural policy…

Chris Cooke & Sam Taylor • 05 Jul 2024

Merck Mercuriadis to exit Hipgnosis - hints at global songwriter advocacy initiative

public

Merck Mercudiadis • 2 min read

Merck Mercuriadis to exit Hipgnosis - hints at global songwriter advocacy initiative

With a key vote to decide the future of Hipgnosis Songs Fund just days away, Hipgnosis founder Merck Mercuriadis has announced that he will step down from SONG’s investment adviser Hipgnosis Song Management at the end July when Blackstone’s proposed acquisition of SONG closes…

Sam Taylor • 02 Jul 2024

Ticketmaster data breach: new details emerge from official filings

public

Ticketmaster • 2 min read

Ticketmaster data breach: new details emerge from official filings

Live Nation’s Ticketmaster has revealed more information about the data breach which, hackers claim, affected more than half a billion customers. In a letter filed with the Attorney General in Maine, the company also states that it is offering affected customers free identity monitoring services…

Sam Taylor • 01 Jul 2024

One Media iP releases first half numbers, goes big on vinyl revival

public

One Media iP • 4 min read

One Media iP releases first half numbers, goes big on vinyl revival

One Media reports steady but unremarkable numbers for the first six months of its new financial year. The company highlights the challenges presented by its TCAT subsidiary, and talks up opportunities presented by a new vinyl label to further monetise evergreen catalogue assets…

Sam Taylor • 01 Jul 2024

Are hedge funds betting against Blackstone’s Hipgnosis deal?

public

Hipgnosis • 6 min read

Are hedge funds betting against Blackstone’s Hipgnosis deal?

When you’re living in a state of Hipgnosis, nothing is real until it's real. Just days away from the finish line, could Blackstone’s bid for Hipgnosis Songs Fund be blocked by a handful of well-dressed muggers looking to pluck a few more quid from the gazillionaire private equity fund’s wallet?…

Sam Taylor • 28 Jun 2024

public

SXSW • 8 min read

SXSW ditches weapons sponsors to burnish brand - so why won’t it ditch its ties to Saudi Arabia?

SXSW has ditched its relationships with the US Army and a bunch of weapons manufacturers, which has been positively received across the industry. But if those sponsors are a problem, what about SXSW’s ties to the Saudi Arabian government via its majority owner Penske Media Corporation?…

Sam Taylor • 27 Jun 2024