DEALS
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Ticketmaster has acquired African ticketing company Quicket to expand its presence on the continent. The move builds on the Live Nation ticketing company’s 2022 launch in South Africa, with Quicket’s operations in Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia and Botswana enabling further growth. Mark Yovich, Ticketmaster President, says: “Partnering with Quicket will supercharge our mission to elevate Africa’s dynamic live events to the global spotlight they truly deserve”. Quicket will continue to operate as a standalone business unit from Cape Town under Managing Director James Tagg.
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Tunespotter, which describes itself as “a centralised platform dedicated to curating and showcasing extraordinary sync moments” has acquired What-song.com, “the web’s most comprehensive collection of soundtracks and playlists”. The merger combines Tunespotter’s audio-visual clip database with What-song.com’s collection of movie and TV soundtracks, which the site claims is accessed by one million unique users each month. Joel Klaiman, Tunespotter’s CEO, says that the acquisition creates “an immediate funnel for licensed content, enhancing the journey our users will take for a more satisfying discovery experience”.
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London Grammar has signed with UK collecting society PPL for international neighbouring rights royalty collection. The electronic-pop trio joins PPL’s roster alongside recent signings such as Lewis Capaldi and Ice Spice. “It’s clear to us that the PPL team is committed to supporting artists to pursue a sustainable music career”, London Grammar says. The band’s upcoming album, ‘The Greatest Love’, is set for release on 13 Sep.
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Native Instruments has partnered with Alicia Keys to release ‘Alicia’s Electric Keys’, a virtual instrument based on Keys’ Yamaha CP-70 Electric Grand Piano. The plugin, which follows a previous collaboration with Keys, features samples “meticulously recorded” and “processed with Alicia’s own custom effects chains”, including presets from her hit ‘Girl On Fire’. Keys says: “I'm so excited for everyone to experience Alicia’s Electric Keys. Whatever you’re doing, it’s going to add a layer that you’ve been missing”.
APPOINTMENTS
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HYBE, the K-pop company behind BTS and NewJeans, has appointed Chief Strategy Officer Jason Jaesang Lee as its new CEO, replacing Jiwon Park. Lee, who joined HYBE in 2018, has been instrumental in shaping the firm’s business strategy, including its IPO and acquisitions. HYBE states the leadership change aims to “facilitate a strategic shift” for global expansion, with Lee set to lead the company’s transformation into an “entertainment lifestyle platform”. Park will remain at HYBE in a role leveraging his expertise in entertainment and technology.
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Eclipse Music Group has appointed Courtney Crist as Vice President Of Publishing. Crist, previously Senior Director at Anthem Entertainment, joins the independent publisher to work with writers including Ronnie Bowman, Nick Connors and Jim McCormick. “Courtney is a songwriter’s best friend, ultimate ally and has the best ears in the business”, says Penny Gattis, Partner at Eclipse.
LEGAL
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Drama levels in the world of K-pop continue at peak ‘Mean Girls’ levels as ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin files a complaint against executives at parent company HYBE for defamation and business obstruction related to an April audit of the sub-label. The legal action accuses HYBE of forcibly seizing personal computers and illegally accessing private messages, including messages with a ‘shaman’ that Min apparently consulted. Min’s representatives claim that the “messages were edited and distorted to turn public opinion against her”. The latest drama follows HYBE’s earlier breach of trust accusations against Min and an unsuccessful attempt to remove her as CEO.
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TikTok has been fined £1.875 million by UK media regulator OfCom for providing inaccurate data about its parental controls feature. The social media platform failed to accurately respond to a formal information request and delayed reporting the issue, disrupting the publication of Ofcom’s child safety transparency report. “Gathering accurate information from regulated companies is fundamental to our job as a regulator”, says Suzanne Cater, OfCom’s Enforcement Director, adding, “We won't hesitate to take enforcement action if any company fails to do this”.
LIVE
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Primary Wave Music and Park Avenue Artists have announced a partnership to create orchestral concerts featuring the music of iconic legacy artists, starting with ‘The Voice Of Whitney Houston’ in August 2024. The show, premiering at the Ravinia Festival near Chicago, will pair original master recordings of Houston’s performances with live symphonic accompaniment by the Chicago Philharmonic. “We are constantly seeking new ways to bring culturally impactful, artful performances to more audiences”, says David Lai, PAA co-President. The new partnership also aims to develop similar concerts featuring the music of other late musicians.
DIGITAL
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Music streaming platform Audiomack has launched its Sponsored Songs programme, offering artists a legitimate way to boost streams and gain audience insights. The platform, which reports over 30 million monthly users across all African countries, aims to combat fraudulent streaming practices while allowing creators to promote their music using external funds or earnings from the Audiomack Monetization Program. “Paying for ‘black market’ streams can lead to the removal of your music and the loss of access to your artist profile”, says Brian Zisook, Audiomack’s Executive Vice-president Of Global Operations. The company reports that artists investing $50 in campaigns ending July 2024 saw a 39% median increase in engagements.
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Amazon Music has expanded its live music streaming programme, having recently livestreamed performances from Festival Republic’s Wireless Festival. The company is now rolling out its single-show City Sessions streaming initiative globally, with plans for UK shows later this year. “We are launching our City Sessions format globally. It’s an exciting livestream proposition, enabling fans to see really intimate, amazing performances”, says Mish Mayer, Amazon Music’s EU Head Of Production & Creative. Amazon Music has also streamed content from festivals including Vive Latino, Vibra Urbana, Stagecoach and Primavera Sound, with plans to broadcast from Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival this weekend.
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Burna Boy has partnered with YouTube to stream a one-off concert celebrating the fifth anniversary of ‘African Giant’. He performed an intimate 45-minute set at London’s KOKO on 15 Jul, featuring tracks from the album and his latest single ‘Higher’. “This album holds a special place in my heart as it represents a pivotal moment in my career and a powerful statement of African pride”, Burna Boy says. The concert will be available on his YouTube channel for 24 hours from 26 Jul.
MEDIA
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Media regulator OfCom has published its initial findings in a review of the local media landscape in the UK. The report shows that radio listenership remains stable despite shifts in local media consumption. 54% of UK adults listen to local radio weekly, with Northern Ireland leading at 80% reach. However, BBC nations/regions radio has seen a slight decline over the past five years, dropping from 14% reach in Q4 2018 to 12% in Q4 2023. Commercial radio stations have maintained their audience, reaching four times more listeners than BBC local stations.
AWARDS
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Youth Music has announced the judges and sponsors for its 2024 Awards, set to take place on 16 Oct at London’s Troxy. The event, celebrating its 25th year, will have artists Eve, BICEP and MNEK on its judging panel, alongside industry figures like Gilles Peterson. Sponsors include Live Nation, Ticketmaster and Sony Music. Youth Music CEO Matt Griffiths says: “We're proud to be marking our 25th anniversary at this year’s Youth Music Awards. Once again, we’ve been overwhelmed with nominations from people and projects representing the future of music”.
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Eminem has received the BRIT Billion Award from the UK record industry trade group BPI, recognising seven billion UK career streams. The rapper, who holds the UK record for most consecutive number one albums, recently topped the charts with his twelfth studio album, ‘The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce)’. Over 60 of Eminem’s songs have been BRIT Certified, with his top three most streamed hits accumulating over 770 million UK streams alone.
OTHER INDUSTRY NEWS
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Society Of Leaders In Development raised $40,000 for the Country Music Association Foundation through its annual Backstage Auction at CMAFest. The auction, led by SOLID board members Leah Ducey, Mark Thress and Samantha Funderlich, offered fans the chance to bid on signed instruments, merchandise bundles and concert tickets. SOLID President Rio Van Risseghem says, “With the addition of some highly coveted items donated from CMA, we surpassed our CMA Foundation contribution from last year and finally hit an incredible $40,000 mark”.
ARTIST NEWS
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Neil Young will return to the stage at Farm Aid on 21 Sep in Saratoga Springs, New York, following the cancellation of his tour with Crazy Horse due to illness. Young is not listed to perform with Crazy Horse at the event, suggesting the previous cancellations may have been related to the band rather than Young himself. The Farm Aid line-up also includes Willie Nelson, who recently resumed touring after his own health-related absence.
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Alison Goldfrapp is launching her own record label, A.G Records, with the release of a new single, ‘I Wanna Be Loved (Just A Little Better)’, co-produced with Richard X. Goldfrapp says, “It's an exciting new chapter for me after two decades in the industry. To own my masters for the first time and share my music with the world in my own way feels really quite exhilarating”. The single follows her 2023 solo debut album, ‘The Love Invention’, and precedes her upcoming performance at Latitude Festival.
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Two cars owned by rapper 6ix9ine described as a “paint-splattered” Lamborghini Urus and Bentley Continental GT Speed have sold for a combined $260,543 at an IRS auction. The sale, which concluded on 23 Jul, was conducted to satisfy a $9,825,000 injury judgment awarded to Alexis Salaberrios, who accused the rapper of hitting her with a champagne bottle in 2021. The vehicles were seized from 6ix9ine’s Florida home in April as part of the legal proceedings.
FESTIVALS
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Boomtown Fair has announced the full line-up for its 2024 event, featuring over 450 artists. The festival, taking place 7-11 Aug at Matterley Bowl in Winchester, will include performances by The Pharcyde, Ezra Collective and Damian ‘Jr Gong’ Marley. “It's one of the most hotly-anticipated line-up drops of the summer”, organisers say, noting that the event will continue its “incommensurable legacy blending together music, culture, entertainment and activism through the largest interactive theatre experience in the world”. Less than 1000 tickets remain available for the festival, which won UK Festival Awards’ Best Festival Production in 2022 and 2023.
TOURS
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Nina Nesbitt has announced a UK headline tour, including a show at Scala in London on 16 Oct. Tickets go on general sale 2 Aug.
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Pure Reason Revolution have announced a UK headline tour, including a show at Islington Assembly Hall on 8 Dec. Tickets go on sale Friday.
RELEASES
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Rosie Lowe has released her new single ‘Gratitudes’. Her new album ‘Lover, Other’ is out 16 Aug.
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Blossoms have released their new single ‘Perfect Me’. Their new album ‘Gary’ is out 20 Sep.
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Hinds have shared their new single ‘Superstar’. Their new album ‘VIVA HINDS’ is out 6 Sep.