DEALS
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Armada Music’s BEAT Music Fund has announced two deals. It has acquired the artist shares and songwriter royalties of Jax Jones, and the artist shares on popular tracks by Amba Shepherd. “We are honoured to be entrusted with a portion of Jax Jones’ incredible catalogue and several of Amba Shepherd’s most notable tracks and look forward to taking their work to exciting new places”, says Armada CEO Maykel Piron.
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Concord Music Publishing has signed songwriter Jin Jin, who has worked with artists including Raye, Jess Glynne and David Guetta. “There are few songwriters that have made as much of an impact as Jin Jin in the last decade”, says EVP Worldwide A&R Kim Frankiewicz. “Her work ethic, creativity and imagination are simply extraordinary. We are privileged to have her partner with us for the next chapter of her remarkable career”.
DIGITAL
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Top level domain company .MUSIC and global identity verification provider Shufti Pro have partnered to offer a new identity verification service for music creators, professionals and businesses. It aims to counter threats posed by AI-powered musical impersonation, deepfakes and bots. "Our partnership with .MUSIC marks a pivotal moment for global identity verification in the music industry”, says Shufti Pro CEO Patrick Cox. "We are excited to set a new industry standard for identity authentication for artists, bands, industry professionals, organisations and other members of the global music community”.
PUBLISHING
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The UK’s mechanical royalties collecting society MCPS distributed £204.3 million to its members in 2023 - an 8.5% increase year-on-year and 43% in the last five years. In the last five years it has also added 9000 new members - up 32% - to bring the total membership up to 37,000.
LIVE BUSINESS
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The Music Venue Trust has launched new campaign The Artist Pledge, which sees artists commit to support grassroots venues by adding a levy to their ticket prices if and when they reach the point in their careers where they are playing arena venues. “We are asking artists today to stand with all of us in the grassroots sector as a show of solidarity”, says MVT Campaign & Communications lead Toni Coe-Brooker. “We are asking for a commitment that when you reach a point in your career when you can insist on change, you will demand that change”. Find out more here.
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Broadwick Live and TCE Presents have announced their first venue under a partnership announced earlier this year. Brooklyn Storehouse will open later this month, housed in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. “We are committed to repurposing industrial spaces in an unexpected way that honours their past and creates lasting value for local areas and communities”, says Luke Huxham, Director of Development & Place at Broadwick Group. “Brooklyn Storehouse is an impressive hybrid home for culture”.
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A new 300 capacity outdoor venue Camden Courtyard is opening in London on 4 Jul, run by the owners of the nearby Electric Ballroom. “The venue will offer something new for Camden, an area that has surprisingly few open-air locations for drinking, dining and dancing”, says owner of both venues Kate Fuller. “We’re working with a great selection of forward thinking promoters, DJs and food and drink brands and we can’t wait to welcome new faces and regulars alike”.
INDUSTRY ORGANISATIONS
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What does the music industry need more than anything? That’s right, another trade body! So, let’s all welcome The Web3 Music Association. Led by CEO Sergio Mottola and Vice President Charlie Rapino, it aims to facilitate research and development into new technologies. “Our goal is to cultivate a fertile ground for discussion, comprehension, and practical application of advanced technologies”, says Mottola. “We aim to ensure the music industry is not only a participant in the digital age but a driving force behind it. Our goal is to elevate the worries around the current impact advanced technologies - such as AI - are having on the industry”.
RELEASES
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Billie Eilish has released an extended version of ‘L’Amour De Ma Vie’ from her new album ‘Hit Me Hard And Soft’.
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Alfie Templeman has released new single ‘Beckham’. His second album ‘Radiosoul’ is out on 7 Jun.
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Fraser T Smith has released a new single in his Future Utopia guise, ‘Stars Align’. New album ‘Django’s High’ is set for release on 12 Jul.
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DIIV have released their latest single ‘Raining On Your Pillow’. New album ‘Frog In Boiling Water’ is out this Friday.
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Umbra Vitae have share new single ‘Anti-Spirit Machine’. Their latest album ‘Light Of Death’ is out on 7 Jun.
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Orbury Common have released new single ‘Pale Faith’. Their debut album ‘Sylvan Chute’ is out on 7 Jun.