Deals
Primary Wave Music has partnered with the estate of Ric Ocasek on his music publishing catalogue and name and likeness rights. The deal includes all songs from Ocasek’s time with The Cars and his solo work. Primary Wave will work with the estate on marketing, branding, digital and sync opportunities, as well as film and television projects. The partnership covers Ocasek’s biggest hits including ‘Just What I Needed’, ‘Let The Good Times Roll’ and ‘Drive’. Adam Lowenberg, Primary Wave Music’s Chief Marketing Officer, says, “It is an absolute honor to partner with the estate of Ric Ocasek. His words, music and overall vision left such an indelible mark on the historical musical landscape”.
Reservoir Media has signed a publishing deal with country songwriter and producer Travis Heidelman. The agreement covers Heidelman’s full current catalogue, including his recent hit collaboration ‘Austin (Boots Stop Workin)’ by Dasha, which peaked at number three on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, as well as all future works. Based in Los Angeles, Heidelman has collaborated with artists such as Annie Schindel, Arden Jones and Claire Rosinkranz. “Reservoir has shown unparalleled passion and initiative, which every person I’ve met at the company embodies”, Heidelman says, while John Ozier, Reservoir’s Executive Vice President Of Creative, notes, “We are proud to bring his multi-genre talent to Reservoir and connect him with other creators across our roster”.
Canadian performer collecting society ACTRA RACS has partnered with Noctil to enhance its rights management and royalty distribution systems using automated metadata processing. The collaboration aims to reduce operational costs and improve rightsholder remuneration through the use of Noctil’s AI and machine learning technology for data ingestion and processing. Andrew Karis, Senior Administrator at ACTRA RACS, says, “The customisation and ease of integration gives us flexibility to adapt to a changing ecosystem”. Jacob Varghese, Founder and Director of Noctil, adds, “Unmatched, duplicate or incomplete metadata can lead to delayed or missed royalty payments for artists and other rightsholders”.
Legal
The sports agency co-founded by Bad Bunny has been found in contempt by a federal judge in Puerto Rico for defying a court order to arbitrate claims against the Major League Baseball Players Association. US District Judge Camille Velez-Rive ruled that Diamond Sports LLC, operating as Rimas Sports, disobeyed the 15 Aug order by filing a parallel demand for arbitration with the American Arbitration Association, which is not in line with MLBPA regulations. The judge has ordered Rimas Sports to withdraw its AAA arbitration demand by close of business on 7 Sep and to pay “reasonable attorney’s fees and costs” related to the contempt of court. Rimas Sports initially opposed arbitration, arguing that some claims fell outside the scope of the MLBPA’s arbitration clause.
Streaming, Digital, Broadcast & Retail
SoundCloud has officially launched Ascending, its global artist development programme designed to propel emerging artists to breakthrough success. The programme, which has been running as a pilot since March 2023, provides selected artists with a month-long support package including billboard placements, curated playlists and strategic marketing efforts. Laila! has been announced as the September Ascending artist. “I’m excited to be a part of Ascending's inaugural programme” she says, “The support from SoundCloud has been amazing and with my release of my first album 'Gap Year', this is gearing up to be a September I will always remember!” SoundCloud reports that, on average, artists in Ascending see a ~60% increase in followers during their month in the programme, with their streams nearly doubling during that time.
EQUA.LS, a new music sharing iOS app, has launched with a feature that pays users for recommending releases to others. As part of the app’s ‘tastemaker’ programme, users can claim a 5% fee for any sale originating through their ‘Grid’, effectively turning them into affiliates for artists. Users can only display music on their Grid that they have purchased themselves, with a limit of fifteen recommendations at any time. The company says users will soon be able to withdraw their fees in local currency, moving beyond the current system of in-app credits. Artists already on the platform include Babymorroco, Saint Ludo and Scott Garcia, with more set to join soon.
Other Industry News & Events
PROMUSICAE has reported that Spain’s recorded music revenue has increased by 16.6% to €249.8 million in the first six months of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. The digital market, particularly streaming, is driving this growth, accounting for 89.7% of the industry’s turnover. Antonio Guisasola, President of PROMUSICAE, says, “It is very encouraging that in this first part of the year growth of recorded music in Spain [exceeded] 16%, as this highlights that the efforts and talent of Spanish artists and recording companies bear fruit, and music continues grabbing the interest of the public”. The physical market remains stable, with vinyl sales increasing by 11.9%, while CD purchases decreased by 15%.
PPL has published its gender and ethnicity pay gap report for 2024, providing an update on its Equity, Diversity And Inclusion strategy. The UK record industry collecting society has improved its gender balance by 2% to a 60/40 split of men to women, moving towards its target of 50/50 by 2027. The ethnicity pay gap has decreased, with more employees from non-white backgrounds moving into senior roles. PPL’s mean gender pay gap increased to 9.7%, while its mean ethnicity pay gap fell to 27.1%. Kate Reilly, Chief Membership & People Officer at PPL, says, “We have made progress on our wider EDI targets, improving the representation of women in the business and increasing the number of people from non-white backgrounds in the upper echelons of our organisation”.
Colombia's Bógota Music Market has announced more information about its thirteenth edition, set to take place from 9 Sep to 13 Sep at the Delia Zapata Olivella National Arts Center. The event, partially sponsored by the Bógota Chamber of Commerce, will feature 218 musical acts selected by sixteen curators, offering regional artists opportunities for engagement through roundtables, performances and panel discussions. Among the artists showcasing are In-Correcto and Llorona Records producer Santiago Navas, and Aleroj, known for blending local sounds with techno and other genres. The programme also includes talks on Latin club culture and licensing programmes for DJs and promoters.
Dolby Laboratories has announced that President and CEO Kevin Yeaman will host a fireside chat at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia And Technology Conference in San Francisco on 12 Sep. The event, scheduled for 8.50am PT, will be available via live webcast and replay on the company’s investor relations website.
Artist News
English Teacher has won the 2024 Mercury Prize for 'Album Of The Year' with their record 'This Could Be Texas'. The announcement was made yesterday at Abbey Road Studios during a live TV programme hosted by Annie Macmanus and Huw Stephens. The judging panel praised the album’s “originality and character”, noting its “winning lyrical mix of surrealism and social observation”. 6 Music presenter Jamz Supernova announced the winner on behalf of the judges, who said, “‘This Could Be Texas’ reveals new depths on every listen; the mark of a future classic”.
Linkin Park has announced a comeback album and tour, introducing Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara as their new co-vocalist. The band has unveiled a new single, ‘The Emptiness Machine’, and will release their album ‘From Zero’ on 15 Nov. The six-date ‘From Zer’ tour begins on 11 Sep at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, with stops in Brooklyn, Hamburg, London, Seoul and Bogota. Mike Shinoda says, “We are proud of what Linkin Park has become over the years and excited about the journey ahead”. Shinoda adds that the band will be “touring heavily” in 2025.