DEALS
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Veteran music publisher Eddie Levy - who was a founding director of ATV Music (ultimately bought by Michael Jackson and then merged with Sony) and later ran Chelsea Music (which he sold in 2019) - has launched new publishing company Chelsea Songs as a joint venture with Bucks Music Group. "This is a relationship between two indies coming together”, he says. “I think we will attract people who are less than happy with their current situation and are interested in a relationship deal rather than a money deal”.
APPOINTMENTS
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Music rights company Bella Figura Music has hired Billy Millar - previously at BMG and Hipgnosis - as SVP Creative, and Chris Presland - who joins from AWAL - as Catalogue Project Manager.
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The US-based Digital Media Association - which represents the streaming services - has appointed Colin Rushing as Executive Vice President and General Counsel. “I am THRILLED for Colin to join DiMA as we embark on our new strategy”, says CEO Graham Davies. “He brings all his invaluable expertise of US copyright law and a reputation for achieving consensus solutions. Colin’s knowledge of the US licensing system combined with his passion for championing streaming will be hugely valuable”.
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Australian collecting society APRA AMCOS has promoted Karen Don to Head Of Membership. “I am very excited to be stepping into the position of Head Of Membership, which is such an important role, both within APRA AMCOS and the wider music industry”, she says. “I look forward to leading the organisation’s membership initiatives and service delivery, and am committed to championing the creativity and professional growth of our songwriter, composer and music publisher members”.
DIGITAL
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Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has posted a video to counter the regular criticisms of the streaming service regarding the amount of money artists receive from plays on the platform. If three and half minutes seems like too much of your day to give up to that, here’s the thrust: There are way more artists hoping to make a living from music than the industry can sustain, but it’s not just the superstars taking all the cash - half of Spotify’s payouts go to the independent sector. He doesn’t discuss the recent move to freeze millions of grassroots creators out of the royalty pool entirely.
RETAIL
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Kate Bush has been announced as ambassador for Record Store Day in the UK this year. “It really is a great privilege”, she says. “Isn’t it great to see how the resurgence in vinyl has taken the music industry by complete surprise? It had decided to leave vinyl far behind, but it would seem that not everyone agrees! I love that!” RSD is on 20 Apr.
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Key Production has announced that it is expanding into Europe with a new division in Germany to be headed up by European Operations Manager Andreas Kohl. “I am absolutely THRILLED to be bringing the services of Key Production to the German market”, he says. “In a setup that is lacking in comparison pretty much in all aspects in Europe and the EU in particular, Key Production offers expertise and power in all fields of manufacturing vinyl, digital data carriers such as CDs, DVDs and Blu Rays, and first and foremost outstanding packaging”.
LIVE BUSINESS
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Attitude Is Everything, Julie’s Bicycle and A Greener Future have published a new toolkit on how to make disabled people’s access to live events environmentally sustainable, based on a survey of live events and festivals last summer. Find out more here.
EVENTS
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An exhibition documenting 500 years of black music in Britain - called ‘Beyond The Bassline’ - is set to open at the British Library in London on 26 Apr and run until 26 Aug. “The exhibition represents a timely opportunity to broaden our understanding of black British music and situate it within a historical conversation”, says curator Aleema Gray. “Black British music is more than a soundtrack. It has formed part of an expansive cultural industry that transformed British culture”.
AWARDS
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Ahead of the ceremony this Saturday, the BRIT Awards has announced Raye as the winner of its Songwriter Of The Year prize. "I am so, so honoured and blown away, honestly, to be given this prestigious award for Songwriter Of The Year, it is my very first BRIT award and I will treasure this trophy very much”, she says. “I am so grateful to be recognised as a songwriter as this is a craft I am so passionate about and have been since I started my journey as a musician, and I'm very grateful to those who voted for me to have this award”.
🇰🇷
K-pop boy band Seventeen’s ‘FML’ has been announced as the most successful album worldwide in 2023 by the IFPI. Second place went to another K-pop group Stray Kids with their album ‘5-STAR’. Both bands also have albums at numbers eight and nine in the top ten list. Taylor Swift, meanwhile, has five albums in the top thirteen. Greedy. Find out more here.
RELEASES
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Nick Cave has released a cover of ‘La Vie En Rose’, the latest track taken from Jack Antonoff’s soundtrack to Apple TV+ series ‘The Look’.
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Cat Burns has released new single ‘Alone’.
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Rachel Chinouriri has released new single ‘What A Devastating Turn Of Events’, the title track of her debut album, which is set for release on 3 May.
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Knocked Loose have announced that they will release new album ‘You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To’ on 10 May. Out now is first single ‘Blinding Faith’.
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Les Savy Fav will release new album ‘OUI LSF’ on 10 May. Out now is new single ‘Guzzle Blood’.
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Ho99o9 have released new track ‘A Machine Of’. A new album is due later this year.
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CLT DRP are back with new single ‘Until You Showed Me’.