Deals
Sony Music Publishing has signed singer-songwriter Myles Smith to an exclusive global publishing agreement. Smith, known for his blend of folk, americana and pop, has gained popularity with streaming hits 'Solo' and 'My Home', amassing over 26 million monthly listeners on Spotify. His recent single 'Stargazing' reached number one on the Mediabase US Alternative Radio chart and topped airplay charts in several countries. Smith says, "Joining Sony Music Publishing is an exciting new chapter. I'm grateful for their belief in my music and looking forward to sharing more of my story with the world". Saul Fitton, Sony Music Publishing UK Senior Director of A&R, adds, "Myles is a once-in-a-generation talent, with exceptional drive and dedication".
The Circuit Group has announced an exclusive distribution partnership with LabelWorx, the world's largest independent digital distributor for indie electronic music labels. The collaboration aims to enhance distribution capabilities for The Circuit Group's roster of artists and labels, including partners such as Catch & Release and diviine. James Sutcliffe, CEO/President of The Circuit Group UK, says, "We are THRILLED to enter into this exclusive partnership with LabelWorx. Their forward-thinking approach to distribution and their shared commitment to enhancing the value of artists' IP aligns perfectly with our vision for the future". LabelWorx will manage all digital distribution for The Circuit Group's diverse catalogue, with Matt Abbott, CEO of LabelWorx, adding, "We're delighted to work with a forward thinking company like The Circuit Group whose ethos aligns very much with LabelWorx for helping artists and labels have more control over their IP and looking at ways to enrich this further".
Maren Morris has signed with William Morris Endeavor for global representation. The Grammy award-winning, multi-platinum artist was previously represented by Creative Artists Agency and is currently managed by Red Light Management. Morris's latest EP 'Intermission' was released last month, and she recently collaborated with Mt. Joy on their new song 'Highway Queen'.
Day After Day Productions and Emancipated Icon Entertainment Group have signed Lil' Kim and Teddy Riley for worldwide touring representation. The partnership, formed by Emancipated Talent's CEO Rich Murphy and Icon Entertainment CEO Greg Walker, will collaborate with Day After Day, founded by agent Seth Shomes, to represent the artists globally. "I am THRILLED to be represented by Richard Murphy and Greg Walker of Emancipated Icon Entertainment Group, alongside Seth Shomes of Day After Day Productions", says Lil' Kim, adding, "With their expertise and dedication, I am excited to take my touring shows around the world, ensuring that my artistry resonates in every corner of the globe".
Carry1st, Africa's leading consumer payments provider, has partnered with music streaming platform Audiomack to enhance access to music streaming in Africa. The collaboration enables Audiomack's African customers to purchase subscriptions using local payment methods through Carry1st's Pay1st solution. Guillaume Noé, VP of Growth for Platform at Carry1st, says, "We're really excited to be partnering with such an important platform like Audiomack, which champions entertainment and shares our passion for providing options to African consumers in the entertainment space". Audiomack subscriptions will be available via the Carry1st Shop in local currencies across twelve African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa.
Appointments
Warner Music has appointed Alen Torosyan as General Manager of its Emerging Markets division. Simultaneously, Jonathan Jules has joined the company as Vice President, Creative for the same division. Both executives will report to Alfonso Perez Soto, President Of Emerging Markets at Warner Music. Torosyan says, "We've been building our Emerging Markets division at pace over the last few years. There's never a dull moment when you're working with such a huge range of talent across some of the most exciting markets in the world and a team that's so driven to succeed".
Sony Music Publishing has appointed Caroline Elleray as Vice President, Creative, Songwriter Services, effective immediately. In her new role, Elleray will lead Sony's service efforts for the company's songwriters and catalogues, while collaborating with global creative teams to identify new opportunities. Elleray, who will be based in SMP's London office, brings over two decades of experience in music publishing, having previously worked at Universal Music Publishing and BMG. "Working with the Sony Music Publishing team over the past few years via Second Songs has been an absolute dream", says Elleray, adding, "It's an absolute privilege to work with the most successful music publishing team in the world and the most diverse and brilliant roster".
Universal Music has appointed Narcís Rebollo as CEO and President of its newly standalone Global Talent Services division. GTS, which provides management, booking, live events, promotion and brand partnerships for Latin artists, will now operate independently from UMG's local music labels. Based in Madrid, Rebollo will oversee GTS operations in the US, Latin America, Spain and Portugal, reporting to Jesús López, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Latin America and Iberian Peninsula. "Narcís is one of the most experienced executives in Latin music", says López, adding, "His vision of the evolution of the business and the expansion of Latin music around the world in recent years, has led him to create a very successful team in Spain and Portugal in the areas of management, booking, promotion and brands".
The Music Producers Guild has announced three new directors who have joined its executive board following a membership consultation and ratification process. Anu Pillai, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and DJ; Natalie Bibby, a mastering engineer at AIR Studios; and Emma Townsend, manager of RAK Studios, have been appointed to the board. Pillai says, "I'm delighted to be elected as a director of the MPG and continue the excellent work of the directors who are stepping down, Eve and Mika". Townsend, the first studio member to join the executive board, will focus on delivering the MPG's Safer Studios initiative and collaborating with CIISA to improve working conditions in the recording sector.
QMusic has appointed Maggie Collins and Jake Challenor to its management committee. Collins, the Executive Director of the Association Of Artist Managers, and Challenor, co-founder of Sound Story, join the Brisbane-based trade association that produces BIGSOUND and the Queensland Music Awards. Vivienne Mellish, QMusic's President, says, "We are so pleased to welcome Maggie and Jake to the QMusic management committee".
CMT's Senior Vice President Of Music Strategy And Talent, Leslie Fram, has departed the company as part of broader staff cuts at Paramount Global. Fram, who oversaw all musical integration for the Nashville-based country music network, left her position yesterday after thirteen years with the company. In a farewell letter, Fram highlighted achievements including the CMT Music Awards debut on CBS, the revival of franchises like CMT Giants, and the creation of the 'Next Women Of Country' programme. "Among my proudest achievements has been our decade+ support of women with CMT's 'Next Women Of Country,' a programme that has helped promote and elevate over 100 female artists on all platforms", Fram says.
Spotify Global Head Of Music Jeremy Erlich has announced his departure from the company to pursue an entrepreneurial venture. Erlich will remain in an advisory role at Spotify until the end of February, after which he will leave to begin a to-be-announced project. Erlich's direct reports will now report to VP Music & Audiobook Business David Kaefer. In an email to staff, Erlich says, "Leading all of you has been the privilege of my career. Thank you for the incredible memories, I am so grateful to every single one of you".
The KOKO Foundation, the registered charity of London's iconic KOKO venue, has appointed actor Benedict Cumberbatch as its new global ambassador for environmental advocacy. Cumberbatch will support the foundation's efforts to make London a greener and more sustainable city, focusing on environmental projects with potential to transform communities. To mark the partnership, a special fundraising edition of Letters Live titled ‘A Night In The Theatre’ will take place on 7 Nov 2024 at KOKO, featuring Cumberbatch and musician FKA Twigs. Cumberbatch says, "I am honoured to be a KOKO Foundation ambassador with a special focus on the environment. It's been so inspiring to witness first-hand, the amazing impact that the Foundation has quietly had over the past few years, making real and lasting change in Camden."
Legal
Lauryn Hill has been sued by her Fugees bandmate Pras Michel over alleged fraud related to the group's 2023 tour and the cancellation of their 2024 tour. Michel's lawyers filed a complaint in Manhattan federal court, claiming Hill exploited Michel's legal troubles to get him to sign an unfair tour agreement. The lawsuit alleges, "Hill's ploy to appear to be Michel's supposed savior was actually a devious attempt to make a big score for herself by generating millions of dollars from a Fugees tour". Michel also blames Hill for the cancellation of the 2024 tour, citing "gross mismanagement" and poor ticket sales due to inadequate marketing.
A poll carried out by New Zealand political pollsters Talbot Mills has found that 46% of respondents think that MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom should be extradited to the US, while 23% oppose extradition and 31% are unsure. 58% said that they were aware of the potential extradition over criminal charges related to Dotcom's former business, which was accused by the music and movie industries of encouraging and facilitating rampant copyright infringement. The extradition order, signed by the country’s Justice Minister, is currently paused due to a judicial review in the High Court. Dotcom says, "I have done nothing criminal and they know it", maintaining his intention to remain in New Zealand.
Streaming, Digital, Broadcast & Retail
Merlin has announced that TikTok has ended licensing renewal talks for music from the 30,000 or so indie labels repped by the digital rights agency, potentially leading to the removal of tracks from Merlin members from TikTok after 31 Oct. In a letter to members, Merlin says that TikTok "walked away" from negotiations and intends to pursue direct licensing deals with some Merlin members. TikTok says it is "committed to entering into direct deals with Merlin members in order to keep their music on TikTok". Richard Burgess, President of the American Association Of Independent Music, says, "TikTok's refusal to negotiate a deal with Merlin isn't just a setback - it's a threat to the whole music ecosystem".
Vinyl Group has acquired the assets of digital collectible specialist Serenade in a deal announced to the Australian Securities Exchange. The agreement includes an upfront payment of AUD $800,000 in shares and a further earn-out of AUD $1.5 million in shares based on profit and loss targets. Max Shand, founder and CEO of Serenade, has joined Vinyl Group as a full-time employee to both lead Serenade and accelerate the Vinyl.com business. Serenade's digital marketplace has served over 200 global artists and has partnerships with more than 100 record labels. Josh Simons, CEO of Vinyl Group, says, "Max Shand has built Serenade into a business with significant potential, and through our acquisition of the platform, we'll put the resources into Serenade to allow it to reach that potential".
Sonos has given another update on its plan to address customer backlash following its May 2024 app overhaul, which resulted in widespread criticism due to missing features and reduced functionality. The audio company's CEO, Patrick Spence, announced several measures to rebuild trust, including extended warranties for select products and a more rigorous testing process for future updates. Sonos reports that over 80% of the app's missing features have been reintroduced, with further improvements planned. The company is also creating a customer advisory board and a 'quality ombudsperson' role to prevent similar issues in future. Spence says, "Any major change to the Sonos app will be released gradually, allowing customers to adjust and provide feedback before it becomes the default".
Live
ABBA Voyage grossed more than £100 million in 2023 after attracting over one million visitors, according to documents filed with Companies House by Aniara, the company behind the virtual concert residency. The show completed 374 performances last year, achieving an occupancy rate of 97.8% at the purpose-built 3000-capacity 'ABBA Arena' in London. Revenue from ticket sales reached £103,665,597, with Aniara declaring a pre-tax profit of £6,065,402, more than double the £2,990,757 earned in 2022. "There is a substantial market demand for ABBA Voyage and the directors anticipate a continued high level of activity throughout 2024", Aniara says.
DF Concerts' TRNSMT Festival has become the first dedicated music festival to be awarded platinum status by Attitude is Everything. The 50,000-capacity Scottish event, owned by Live Nation, received the recognition for its commitment to creating an inclusive environment for all music fans. This year's festival saw significant improvements in accessibility, including a 74% increase in the Main Stage accessible area. Geoff Ellis, CEO of DF Concerts, says, "We are THRILLED to receive Platinum status from Attitude Is Everything. Our accessibility team created a culture to ensure everyone working on the planning and delivery of the festival viewed accessibility as a priority".
Sweaty Ceilings, a new book documenting London's independent music venues, has been announced. Spearheaded by artist Sophie Mo and music manager Tash Cutts, the book aims to capture the stories of those involved in the capital's grassroots music scene. The project features contributions from numerous photographers and writers, with a foreword by Carl Barât of The Libertines. Felix White of The Maccabees and 86TVs says, "There will never be a better or more important time to document and celebrate independent venues across London. Even reading the list of the featured venues for Sweaty Ceilings is like a flashback of meeting lifelong friends, or seeing all kinds of special bands for the first time."
Green Man Festival has sold out its 2025 edition in a record 60 minutes, becoming the first UK festival to completely sell out eleven months in advance and without a line-up announcement. The 25,000-capacity event, set to take place from 14-17 Aug 2025 in the Black Mountains of Wales, sold all tickets within an hour of going on sale at 10am on 28 Sep. Green Man Festival is one of only three remaining large independent festivals in the UK, generating £10 million for the Welsh economy. The event's organiser, Fiona Stewart, says, "Green Man has evolved to include music, comedy, literature, film, performance and installation art, wellness, science, as well as specific arenas for both children and teens".
Domingæ, the artist behind experimental psych project Föllakzoid, has launched a new club night in Berlin in response to an alleged transphobic assault. The event, called ABOV, will debut at Kwia on 16 Oct, aiming to address what Domingæ describes as oppressive "cis energies" in nightlife spaces. This initiative follows an incident last month where Domingæ reported being physically attacked and misgendered at Sameheads, another Berlin venue. Domingæ says, "We're people who love ourselves and each other, and lack contexts to express ourselves safely".
Other Industry News & Events
AIM has announced the final nominees for its 2024 Independent Music Awards, set to take place on 17 Oct at London's Roundhouse. The association has introduced a new category, 'Best Independent Record Store', with nominees including Drift, Piccadilly Records and Rough Trade Bristol. Heavenly Recordings, Ninja Tune, Partisan Records, Sub Pop Records and Transgressive Records have been nominated for 'Best Independent Label' in association with BBC Radio 6 Music. AIM interim CEO, Gee Davy, says, "We're looking forward to a glorious night celebrating the growing success and creativity of the independent music community".
Reservoir Media has faced a call for a strategic review from activist investor Irenic Capital Management LP, which owns approximately 8% of the music rights company. In a SEC filing on 30 Sep, Irenic Capital stated it "believes that the securities of [Reservoir] are substantially undervalued" and encouraged the company to "undertake a full strategic review of all alternatives to maximise shareholder value and to form a special committee of the board" to oversee the review. In response, a Reservoir spokesperson says, "The Reservoir Media board of directors values shareholder input and we remain focused on executing our strategy to drive value, in line with our fiduciary duty to all shareholders".
UK record industry collecting society PPL has distributed £16.5 million in its Q3 2024 payment to performers and recording rightsholders, marking a 30% increase from the previous year and the largest payout since 2020. The payment includes international revenues collected from 55 other collecting societies across countries such as Germany, Denmark and the US, as well as the first payment to over 1000 performer members from Indian Singers' And Musicians' Rights Association following a bilateral agreement signed in January. Additionally, the distribution includes over £2.3 million from PPL's sister company VPL for music video licensing. Laurence Oxenbury, PPL's Director Of International, says, "We are proud to make this record payment to our members who invest so much of their talent, creativity, and time into recording music to be enjoyed by people around the world".
Brain Records' pivotal role in shaping UK hardcore and jungle music will be showcased in a new exhibition. ‘Trackers And Breakbeats: Celebrating Brain Records' Underground Revolution’ will run from 11 Oct to 2 Nov 2024 at The Stephen Lawrence Gallery, University Of Greenwich. The exhibition, presented by Rendezvous Projects, highlights the label's innovative use of 8-bit technology in the 1990s and the contributions of its founder, Bizzy B. Featuring key releases, studio equipment, photography and flyers, the exhibition aims to correct the overlooked narrative of Brain Records in mainstream accounts of jungle and drum and bass. Katherine Green of Rendezvous Projects says, "This exhibition seeks to correct that imbalance by honouring and recognising these true pioneers and innovators who have played a crucial role in shaping the UK music scene".