Beats Music buys Topspin
Beats Music has announced that it has acquired direct-to-fan platform Topspin, bringing the service back under its former CEO Ian Rogers, who left to head up Beats in January last year.

Announcing the deal in a blog post, Rogers said: "The acquisition brings a team of talented people who have spent years working on building and fine-tuning the artist-to-fan connection into the Beats Music experience. Topspin + Beats Music combines music discovery and direct relationships between artists and fans in a revolutionary way".

He added: "A desire to be of value to artists in all facets of their career is in Beats Music's DNA. We're committed to establishing Beats Music as a conduit for the artist-fan relationship, a platform where artists have a voice, and a provider of useful data and analytics on how fans interact with artists and their music. This acquisition puts our money where our mouth is".

Back at the end of January, Topspin made just under half of its staff redundant, a move that was said to be pre-empting a strategy shift towards becoming primarily just a technology platform. And indeed, Rogers says in his blog post that the company will be looking for new ecommerce and fulfilment partners, suggesting that Topspin's own fulfilment service is on the way out. Nonetheless, both Rogers and Topspin itself have said that artists using the D2F service will see no change for the time being.

One thing that will be particularly interesting to watch though, will be Spotify's reaction to yesterday's news. The Beats rival added merch sellthrough to its own platform using Topspin's ArtistLink service back in January. Although the sale to Beats is unlikely to be a complete surprise, it seems like that this partnership will now be less appealing to the Spotify team.

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Trends report - 'Takedowns And Web-blocks'
After pursuing a plethora of measures against online piracy over the years, most of which achieved little, and often caused more damage than good, the music industry seems to have honed in on four part anti-piracy strategy in the last eighteen months: the targeting of ad networks and payment processors that provide revenue to piracy operations, the industrial-level issuing of takedown notices to compliant sites, the seeking of web-block injunctions (where available) against non-compliant platforms, and the (albeit unsuccessful to date) lobbying of Google to help enforce the web blockades.

Some of those measures will be analysed in detail as part of the Maximising Music Rights strand at the CMU-Insights programmed Great Escape Convention in May, with a look at how the takedown system works, and whether there are really tangible benefits to artists, labels and publishers in operating such a thing.

Meanwhile in this trends piece from the January edition of the CMU Digest report, now available online, Business Editor Chris Cooke reviews where we are at on takedowns and web-blocks. He writes: "2013 was the year when takedown notices and web-blocks seemed to become routine in the music rights sector, with record companies and music publishers now, in the main, resigned to the fact that they have to monitor the web day-to-day to seek and destroy copyright infringing files".

You can now read 'Takedowns And Web-blocks' on the CMU site at this link. And to receive a monthly overview of key trends in the music business, sign up to the new CMU Digest premium service. Providing a weekly news digest and monthly trends report, a CMU Digest subscription is just £4.99 a month, though the special introductory rate - £29 for the year - is still available for a very limited time. Click here to sign up.

More Bieber arrest footage to be made public
For reasons I don't really understand (except "crazy America"), a judge in Florida has given the all clear for photos and CCTV footage of a half-naked Justin Bieber, captured after the pop brat's arrest over alleged DUI in January, to be made public. But don't worry, his dick will be redacted first.

News media in Florida have used the state's liberal 'open records law' to force all the police footage captured after Bieber's arrest into the public domain, after a few edits to protect the pop star's privacy. Footage of Bieber walking unsteadily during a sobriety test has already been made public, while photos of the singer's various mainly rubbish tattoos have also now been published.

Two of the videos still to be released show Bieber urinating in a holding cell, and it is those that will be editing to ensure his genitalia can't be seen. The media organisations pushing for the footage to be made public insisted they would never show such footage unedited anyway, but Bieber's legal people understandably pushed for the police unit to make those edits before sharing the videos with anyone.

As previously reported, Bieber has denied charges of driving under the influence, resisting arrest and driving with an expired licence after being arrested amidst an alleged drag racing incident on 23 Jan. A trial date for the charges is still to be set. Meanwhile the Biebster has caused a little more controversy after allegedly sipping from a cup of prescription-cough-syrup-plus-fizz sizzurp in a nightclub during his birthday celebrations this weekend.

Kanye West's DONDA company allies with Jay-Z's Roc Nation
Kanye West's company DONDA has announced an alliance with Jay-Z's Live Nation JV Roc Nation.

Described as a "multi-discipline design and content company", the DONDA business has to date primarily been home to West's fashion and film projects, his dabblings in the music business usually going through his Universal-allied label GOOD Music (he himself being signed to Universal as an artist).

Though in a statement confirming its tie-up with DONDA, Roc Nation said the "the partnership will focus on Mr West's international recording brand and worldwide touring ventures".

Free digital distribution platform goes live in the UK
A Finnish start-up offering free digital distribution services to artists went live in the UK last week. Called Music Kickup, the platform currently enables signed-up artists to get their content into iTunes, Spotify, Deezer and Google Play, with most other major European download and streaming services set to be added in due course. Although currently targeting self-releasing artists, the service says it will add additional tools for labels seeking roster-wide digital distribution later this spring.

Entering what is now a pretty crowded market place - with a plethora of digital distributors already offering the same services to artists or labels or both - Music Kickup's USP is that it won't charge a set-up free or commission for its services. While it's not entirely clear how the company will therefore make any money, the firm's FAQs say that distribution will be just one part of a wider business, with other operations presumably subsidising the costs of running a free-to-use digital distribution service.

The site says: "The whole Music Kickup service is built out of many pieces - the distribution platform is just one. We have been able to incur the costs of running this distribution service to other parts of our company services and profits. By doing this enabling one of the most disruptive and powerful music services ever to be built. We think that's pretty damn cool!"

Also due to go live later this spring is a Kickup Career Path platform, described as "a groundbreaking artist development toolset and service that serves as the artist's personal trainer, pushing them forward task by task".

Announcing the service's UK launch last week, the company's CEO Antti Silventoinen told CMU: "Our disruptive technology enables 100% free and super fast distribution. This combined with our upcoming Career Path creates a great platform for artists to develop and build their careers".

SFX takes complete ownership of B2S
What, another SFX acquisition? Why don't they just give us a list of all the EDM companies around the world they're not planning on buying, I think that would be quicker.

Actually, the bleepy-music focused live entertainment group already owned half of 'hard EDM' event maker B2S, a stake that came to SFX as part of its acquisition last year of Dutch promoter ID&T (which SFX ended up buying outright having initially taken 75%).

Amongst the dance music brands operated by B2S are Decibel, Hard Bass, Thrillogy, Knock Out and Loudness, all of which now will be owned outright by SFX as part of a $14.3 million deal, which will also see B2S's previous owners getting shares in the SFX company.

Tunecore co-founders raise new funding for YouTube revenue service Audiam
YouTube revenue service Audiam, which was launched by Tunecore co-founders Jeff Price and Peter Wells last summer, has raised $2 million in investment from a number of funders.

As previously reported, the service aims to ensure that independent musicians are properly credited and remunerated for their publishing royalties on YouTube videos. To date, the service represents over 100,000 songs from publishing firms such as Imagem, House Of Hassle and the personal companies of artists such as Dolly Parton, The Dandy Warhols and Tori Amos.

The new funding, which in part comes from Jason Mraz, Jimmy Buffett, and Epitaph Records founder Brett Gurewitz, will be used to expand the service and improve its technology.

Gurewitz, who also benefits from the service as frontman and songwriter in punk band Bad Religion, said of the set up: "Audiam's got a value proposition where everyone wins: the user at home posting videos, the songwriter, the recording artist, the fan, YouTube, everyone. Their combination of copyright knowledge and tech capability puts them in a class of their own. It's why we use them and why I invested in them".

Audiam CEO Jeff Price added: "YouTube is a sponge, which if squeezed correctly, rains money. The challenge is to create a cutting-edge, first-of-its-kind technology system built for the new digital music industry that can be applied to the analogue world of antiquated, complex and confusing copyright. With these systems in place, the right people and copyright holders get paid more money more quickly, with as much transparency and efficiency as possible. We work to serve the artist, songwriter, musician, label and copyright holder and get them paid in the new digital model. This is what we do, and we do it better than anyone else in the world".

Although YouTube's royalty payments to music makers have been criticised by some in recent months (particularly at MIDEM last month, where Google's Vice President of YouTube Content Tom Pickett found himself heckled), many labels are now enjoying sizable income from the video platform, even if per-play payments are very low. Though independent music publishers who are also due royalties (even though they don't usually directly upload content to the Google platform) have often found navigating the video service's ContentID and royalty systems confusing and unhelpful, and it's those rights owners Audiam aims to assist.

OfCom green lights switch from Heart to Capital in North Wales
UK radio giant Global has been given the all clear from media regulator OfCom to rebrand its Heart stations in North Wales and West Cheshire as Capital FM, even though there clearly aren't any capital cities in the region. Someone really ought to buy Team OfCom a dictionary.

Global needs to make the change because it plans to rebrand the Welsh frequencies of the Real Radio network it acquired off GMG Radio as Heart Wales, and it doesn't want two outposts of the same station in the north of the country. Switching the two FM frequencies currently used by Heart in the area over to Global's now quasi-national Capital network required a slight tweak to the terms of the OfCom licence that control the channels, basically to allow more chart music into the playlist.

OfCom said that the impact of the licence tweak would be "limited", except, of course, Capital is quite a different station to Heart. Though given these two FM slots were originally home to the more Capital-style local radio service Marcher FM, it's sort of a return to form for the frequencies.

Though, of course, the happy hey-day of commercial radio in the region, with that fabulous weekly pop news slot that went out each Sunday in 1992, can never be restored. Because it's presenter is now too busy writing this nonsense.

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Radio 1 expands International Women's Day celebrations
Radio 1 has announced that it is extending its International Women's Day celebrations to include a daytime all-female presenter line-up too, which will essentially banish men from the airwaves for almost two days.

As previously reported, the specialist schedules will also be handled exclusively by women from the evening of Friday 7 Mar, until the morning of Sunday 9 Mar, bookending the actual IWD on 8 Mar.

Announcing the news, Head of Programmes for BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra Rhys Hughes (a man) said: "Radio 1 is delighted to announce that we are extending our commitment to International Women's Day by adding an all-female line-up to daytime on Saturday 8 March as well. So from 7pm on Friday 7 Mar until 10am on Sunday 9 Mar we have a 39 hour celebration of our female presenter talent".

Presenter Jameela Jamil (not a man) added: "I'm so happy to be a part of Radio 1's 39 hour long celebration of International Women's Day. I'm really looking forward to hosting alongside some of my fellow Radio 1 and 1Xtra female DJs".

The full schedule is as follows:

Friday 7 Mar:

7pm: Annie Mac
9pm: B Traits
11pm: Heidi
1am: Magda
3am: Annie Nightingale
5am: Monki

Saturday 8 Mar

7am: Gemma Cairney
10pm: Jameela Jamil
1pm: Adele Roberts
4pm: Annie Mac
7pm: Sarah Jane Crawford
9pm: Sian Anderson
11pm: Jamz Supernova
1am: Madam X
3am: Claira Hermet
5am: Adele Roberts

Sunday 9 Mar

7am Gemma Cairney

Molly Smitten-Downes to sing for UK's Eurovision supper
The name on the lips of Eurovision fans (anyone?) today is 'Molly Smitten-Downes', the Leicestershire singer-songwriter who'll sing her song 'Children Of The Universe' for the UK at this year's big Song Contest. And if that name sounds at all familiar (anyone?), it's because Molly is the 'feat' singer on (and co-writer of) a 2008 'Raindrops' remix of Sash's 'Encore Une Fois'. Seriously... anyone?

Representing a break in recent Eurovision tradition (given last year and 2012's British entrants Bonnie Tyler and Engelbert Humperdinck), Smitten-Downes isn't quite so high-profile, and was scouted by TV bosses after submitting music to the BBC's Introducing spotlight for undiscovered artists.

Describing her reaction to the Beeb's taking a special interest in her, she says (via the BBC): "I was really surprised at first, and flattered that they thought I was worthy. And then I had a few reservations. Eurovision's not got the most credibility in this country, at the risk of sounding ungrateful".

She adds: "I feel, maybe naively, optimistic. I really believe music is something that breaks down political barriers. I think good music breaks through. Maybe I'm totally naive, but that's why I've spent the past few years being skint, perfecting my craft, gigging in small venues. It should be about the music".

And: "It might not be everyone's cup of tea but hopefully people will respect it. I'd like to think that whatever song wins is because of the song. I'd like it to be mine, but we'll just have to see".

Yes, let's wait until 10 May - which is when the grand final of this year's ESC begins in Copenhagen, Denmark - and see. If only Britain was allowed to just have Sash doing 'Encore Une Fois' one more time. Because that is/was a banging track.

Richie Hawtin reignites Plus 8 label, releases new 'Deadmau5' track
Canadian DJ Richie Hawtin has reactivated his Plus 8 label to release a new track by Canadian DJ Joel Zimmerman, aka Deadmau5, who in this case we're meant to call by his new alias: testpilot.

Titled 'Sunspot (White Space Conflict)', the single is Plus 8's first in a while. And Richie says this re that: "It's been nearly two years since the last Plus 8 record, but it seemed fitting that this record in particular, made by another skinny white kid from Canada, became part of the label's collection and history".

Hear the track, which is paired with a Pig & Dan remix and available to buy online now, right here.

Aerosmith headlining Live Nation's 'fresh' new Calling Festival
Back to rock London to its foundations for the first time in four years, hair bear bunch Aerosmith will headline the first night of Live Nation's first ever Calling Festival, which is happening later this year between 28-29 Jun.

Billed as a "fresh twist" on Hard Rock Calling, which was cut off following its 2013 edition after the Hard Rock International brand opted out of its alliance with Live Nation, the sort of new event will take place, as no other Calling do has done before, on London's Clapham Common.

Toby Leighton-Pope, VP Of Promotions at Live Nation, who are, it looks like, without a stand-in sponsor for the new festival, says: "This year is one of the most exciting on record for the Calling Festival. We're looking forward to bringing the new look event to Clapham Common, one of London's premiere outdoor locations".

Managing to shove in a promotional nod to his forthcoming book, Aerosmith's Joe Perry adds: "Speaking for myself I've been so involved writing my autobiography I did not realise how long it had been since we have played across the big pond. It's been far too long since we have performed in the UK. We can't wait to bring back some of the classics as well as some of the new songs. We miss our UK fans. See you soon".

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Gigs & Tours Round-Up: Tame Impala, Lykke Li, Katy B and Ratking
Since Tame Impala are trooping off on a trip to the UK (to support Arctic Monkeys' Finsbury Park shows, and play this year's Latitude and T In The Park fests) in the summer as it is, it's only right that they headline a few dates too (in addition to the one at Oxford's Academy they set recently). Which they are doing, at Manchester's Albert Hall (12 Jul), the Birmingham Institute (14 Jul), and Nottingham Rock City (15 Jul). So, that's a thing. If you'd care to buy into any of the shows, save this ticket link and click on it this coming Friday.

Lykke Li has followed the official confirmation that her third LP, 'I Never Learn', will be released on 5 May with news of a tour featuring twin-nights at London's Village Underground on 8 and 9 May. Tickets will be available here this Friday. Speaking on the LP, and touching on one of its songs, 'Love Me Like I'm Not Made Of Stone', which has just debuted online, she says: "Every song on the album is a power ballad. Like one of those old radio stations. This is a slow dance; a slow burner".

And "woop!" What do you know? Katy B's only gone and announced some more shows in October, via which she'll take her excellent new LP 'Little Red' straight to fans. It spans nine dates, from the first at Birmingham's O2 Academy (18 Oct) to the last on 29 Oct at the Newcastle O2 Academy.

As well as making essential viewing at this year's Great Escape Festival in Brighton in early-May, NYC rap pack Ratking have also just announced an additional show at the Electrowerkz in London on 7 May. Go to this page for listings and links for those, and for Ratking's full US/European tour, which will support the trio's first LP 'So It Goes' post its coming out on 7 Apr.

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Festival Line-Up Update: V Festival, Sonar Barcelona, Boardmasters and more
It's V-Day in festival land, as Little Britain's cleanest twin-festivals reveal that they will this year be headlined by Justin Timberlake and The Killers, and feature the likes of Blondie, Rudimental, Above & Beyond, Tom Odell, Manic Street Preachers, Sam Smith, The Stranglers, Janelle Monae, Chic feat Nile Rodgers, Kaiser Chiefs, Jason Derulo, Ed Sheeran, Paolo Nutini, Example, Lily Allen and Elbow. So, that's the V2014 story so far, and what a story it is.

More on that and other things of a festival-like ilk here:

ARCTANGENT, Fernhill Farm, Compton Martin, Somerset, 28-30 Aug: Russian Circles. www.arctangent.co.uk

BOARDMASTERS, Watergate Bay, Newquay, Cornwall, 6-10 Aug: The Cribs, Peace, Yuck, 2manydjs, Duke Dumont, Roni Size, Boy & Bear, Current Swell, Decade, Southern, Jonas Rathsman, Kiri. www.boardmasters.co.uk

CALLING FESTIVAL, Clapham Common, London, 28-29 Jun: Aerosmith, Joe Bonamassa, Thunder, Walking Papers. www.facebook.com/CallingFestival

DOUR, Plaine De La Machine A Feu, Dour, Belgium, 17-20 Jul: Kaiser Chiefs, Tyler, the Creator, Skip The Use, Darkside, Rone, Bakermat, Boris Brejcha, Blawan, Gorgon City, Midland, Fred V & Grafix feat. MC Felon, Macky Gee & Harry Shotta, Acid Arab, Sinjin Hawke, Slow Magic, Mala In Cuba, Sohn, La Smala, L'Or Du Commun & Roméo Elvis, Exodarap, JCR, Fixpen Singe (Caballero + Lomepal + Fixpen Sill). www.dourfestival.be

HIDEOUT, Zrce Beach, Pag, Croatia, 30 Jun - 3 Jul: Jamie Jones, Maceo Plex, Duke Dumont, Kerri Chandler, Soul Clap, Butch, Dense & Pika, Dismantle, Friend Within, Hannah Wants, Infinity Ink, Midland, Mistajam, Paul Woolford, Pillowtalk, Richy Ahmed, Shadow Child, Special Request, Wolf & Lamb, Doorly, Enzo Siragusa, Gotsome, Hector, Jaymo & Andy George, Jon Rust, Karma Kid, Kidnap Kid, Kry Wolf, Krystal Klear, Mak & Pasteman, Maribou State, My Nu Leng, Patrick Topping, Reecha, Robert Dietz, RussYallop, Tessela, Waff. www.hideoutfestival.com

SONAR BARCELONA, various venues, Barcelona, Spain12-14 Jun: Chic feat Nile Rodgers, Royksopp & Robyn, Despacio (James Murphy + 2manydjs), Lykke Li, Neneh Cherry, James Murphy, 2manydjs, Boys Noize, Trentemoller, Loco Dice, Todd Terje, Kid Koala's Vinyl Vaudeville, Audion, Spoek Mathambo, DJ Snake, Four Tet (DJ Set), BFlecha, DaM-FunK, Future Brown, Brodinski, Forest Swords, WhoMadeWho, 2020Vision presents Debukas, Paul Woolford, and Ralph Lawson, FM Belfast, Kaytranada, Matthew Dear, Camo & Krooked, Machine Variation, Daniel Miller, Henry Saiz, Daito Manabe, Robert Piotrowicz & Oren Ambarchi feat Sinfonietta Cracovia, Chris Madak, Hucci, Tarek Atoui, Roll The Dice, Sibot, Professor Angel Sound, Sinjin Hawke, Astroboyz, Koreless, T Williams, Throwing Snow, Emufucka, Louis Baker, Trancemicsoul, Suzanne Kraft, De La Montagne, Leo Aldrey, Harald Bjork, Rudi Zygadlo, Jolly Mare, Love Cult. sonar.es

STOP MAKING SENSE, The Garden, Tisno, Croatia, 31 Jul - 3 Aug: Anja Schneider, Hunee, Mosca, Optimo, Psychemagik, Tiger & Woods. stopmakingsense.eu

VICTORIOUS FESTIVAL, Southsea Common, Portsmouth, 23-24 Aug: Seasick Steve, Dizzee Rascal, The Pigeon Detectives, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Shed Seven, Naughty Boy, Swim Deep, Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, Lucy Spraggan, Beans on Toast, Public Service Broadcasting, Southsea Alternative Choir, The Counterfeit Beatles. www.victoriousfestival.co.uk

V FESTIVAL, Hylands Park, Essex/Weston Park, Staffordshire, 16-17 Aug: The Killers, Justin Timberlake, Blondie, Above & Beyond, Tom Odell, Manic Street Preachers, Sam Smith, The Stranglers, Janelle Monae, Chic feat Nile Rodgers, Kaiser Chiefs, Jason Derulo, Ed Sheeran, Paolo Nutini, Example, Lily Allen, Elbow, Axwell & Ingrosso, Bastille, Rudimental, John Newman, Katy B, Embrace, Chase & Status, Nina Nesbitt, The Strypes, Kodaline, Foxes, Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott, All Saints, The Wonder Stuff, Alesso, Birdy, Train, Newton Faulkner, The Wailers (performing Legend), The Rifles, Starsailor, George Ezra, Aloe Blacc, Rizzle Kicks, The Magic Numbers, M People, Miles Kane, The Human League, Sub Focus, Ella Eyre. www.vfestival.com

Big Scary win Australian Music Prize
Big Scary have won the ninth Australian Music Prize for their album 'Not Art', and if you're not happy with that result, well tough. Tom Iansek and Joanna Syme have already run off with the AUS$30,000 prize, and there's nothing you can do about it. And anyway, what do you mean they don't deserve it? They're great. Debate closed.

Says Syme about her band's win: "We're huge fans of the AMP - any award that has bands like The Mess Hall and Eddy Current Suppression Ring in its short history of winners has gotta be doing something right. That's why it's a huge honour to be awarded this year's prize".

So there you go. Oh, and yes, the AMP is "the Australian Mercury Prize". I nearly forgot that that statement is compulsory when reporting on music awards of this kind.

The other shortlisted albums up for this year's AMP were as follows:

Beaches - She Beats
Cloud Control - Dream Cave
Dialectrix - The Cold Light Of Day
Horrorshow - King Amongst Many
Jagwar Ma - Howlin'
Jen Cloher - In Blood Memory
Jimblah - Phoenix
Kirin J Callinan - Embracism

It's all gone Pete Tong MBE
Long-serving Radio 1 DJ Pete Tong has gone and got himself an MBE off of that there Prince William. As previously reported, Tong was amongst the most recent random list of peoples to be given an establishment honour at the very end of 2013.

Speaking to the BBC ahead of the actual regal badge-pinning ceremony, Tong said: "I've been standing here for a few hours waiting to do this and still have to pinch myself. I've spent my career doing something I love, playing records. There are so many worthy people here today, I feel quite humbled by all the servicemen, policemen and the charity workers and people like that. So I count myself lucky to be recognised in this way".

So that's nice, isn't it? For him.