DEALS
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Warner Music has formed a strategic partnership with Red Light Management to help the artist management company better build its artists’ profiles in Japan. "In recent years we have worked hard to help international artists connect with local fans as we transitioned from physical to digital”, says Warner Music Japan’s COO Kaz Shimada. “This exciting new partnership is another significant step forward, as we combine our experience promoting some of the biggest global stars in Japan with Red Light Management's super-talented managers and amazing roster of artists”.
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Hang Your Hat Music - a joint venture between Concord Music Publishing and songwriter Hillary Lindsey - has signed country songwriter Chase McDaniel to a worldwide publishing deal. "It’s a dream come true to have the opportunity to work with such great creative teams”, says McDaniel.
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Warner Chappell has signed Swedish band Baloget to a worldwide publishing deal. "Bolaget is a major signing for us”, says Lars Karlsson, the company’s MD for Scandinavia and Germany, Switzerland and Austria. “The band have built a huge and loyal following in Sweden, and the passion of their songwriting and energy of their performances have blown people away. We're ready to support them as they take their career to the next level both here in the Nordics and around the world”.
APPOINTMENTS
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Universal Music Mexico has promoted Alfredo Delgadillo to the role of CEO and President. He previously became Managing Director in 2017. “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity and the trust that has been placed in me throughout my career and now in this new professional challenge”, he says. “The support of the entire UMG team will be integral to continuing to make history and furthering Latin music culture around the world”.
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Roger Daltrey has announced that he is stepping down as curator of the annual Teenage Cancer Trust shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London after this year’s series. He has overseen the gigs since they began in 2000. From 2025, each year’s performers will be selected by a different guest curator.
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Nitin Sawhney is to become the PRS Foundation’s first Patron, having been Chair of the music charity’s board of trustees for the last four years. “It has been an honour to work alongside such an inspiring, impressive and active music creator”, says CEO Joe Frankland. “I look forward to working with Nitin in this new capacity and am pleased he can continue to champion the work of the charity and the importance of funding for the music creators and organisations we support”.
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Anna van Nunen has been appointed as the new General Manager of Dutch showcase festival and music conference Eurosonic Noorderslag. She will officially take up the role on 18 Mar, replacing Dago Houben, who announced his departure last June. “I am eager to strengthen the conference and festival with the team”, she says. “In the coming years, I want to ensure a future-proof organisation and a rock-solid positioning of ESNS in Europe”.
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UK media regulator Ofcom has appointed five new non-executive directors to the board of Channel 4 Television. They include Warner Records UK MD Alex Burford, although he will not take up his post until June this year. The other appointees, starting immediately, are tech entrepreneur Tom Adeyoola, Boots CEO Sebastian James, Accenture Song marketing exec Annette King, and entrepreneur Debbie Wosskow.
ARTIST NEWS
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The BBC has announced plans to auction off 285,000 vinyl records from its vaults over the next year and a half. They include rarities from The Beatles, David Bowie and more. The first lot - which also includes a number of pieces of old equipment - will go up for sale on 30 Jan. Peruse at your leisure here.
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SoundExchange has revealed that ‘Flowers’ by Miley Cyrus was the most played track last year on non-interactive streaming services that operate under a licence from the US collecting society. Meanwhile, Mexican singer Peso Pluma has topped the organisation’s Breakout Creators list, which tracks the artists that enjoyed their first significant streaming activity on the services it licenses last year.
GIGS & TOURS
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Korn have announced that they will play their biggest ever UK show at London’s Gunnersbury Park on 11 Aug. Support will come Denzel Curry, Spiritbox, Wargasm and Loathe. Tickets go on general sale on Friday.
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A tribute concert to Sinead O’Connor and Shane MacGowan is set to take place at Carnegie Hall in New York on St Patrick’s Day, 20 Mar. Performers will include David Gray, Cat Power, Glen Hansard, Amanda Palmer, Dropkick Murphys, Eugene Hutz, The Mountain Goats and more. Find out more here.
RELEASES
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Jamie xx has released new single ‘It’s So Good’, which soundtracks the new Chanel Coco Crush marketing campaign.
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Pissed Jeans have announced that they will release their sixth album ‘Half Divorced’ on 1 Mar. Out now is first single ‘Moving On’.
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Benjamin Francis Leftwich has released new single ‘New York’, taken from his forthcoming album ‘Some Things Break’.
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Ferris & Slyvester have released new single ‘Rain’. The track is taken from their new album ‘Otherness’, which is out on 1 Mar.