APPOINTMENTS
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Universal Music UK has appointed Andrea Pattico as Chief People Officer. âMusic has always been a personal passion of mine whether performing, running live events or, of course, listening to great artistsâ, she says. âCombining that passion with my personal purpose of making individuals, teams and culture better is a dream come true. Iâm really excited for the future and canât wait to get startedâ.
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Live Nation-owned livestreaming platform Veeps has hired Bart Coleman as Head Of Comedy. He joins from Moment and previously worked at Spotify. âPeople around the world love to laugh, even if theyâre not able to attend their favourite shows in person as much as theyâd like toâ, he says. âIâm honoured to be playing a role in bringing the comedic performances we all love direct to fans in their homesâ.
DIGITAL
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Google is in talks to invest in AI chatbot company Character.AI, according to Reuters. The platform allows users to chat with virtual versions of celebrities, such as Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande.
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Deezer has added a new feature called Shaker, which allows users to share music with friends using other streaming services. âShaker is designed to create a feeling of connection, encourage people to experience music more freely, erase the boundaries between friends, and create a space where you can discover new songs to fall in love withâ, says Alexandra Leloup, VP Product at Deezer. âTo achieve this, it was key to not only include tailored playlists based on the musical tastes of users and their friends, but to make sure everyone can join in no matter which streaming platform they useâ.
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Music creation platform BandLab has expanded its existing partnership with FUGA to offer worldwide digital distribution to its paying subscribers. "The success of BandLab users powering the charts continues to amaze us, and finally launching digital music distribution fully to our BandLab community represents a significant step towards fulfilling our mission to streamline the artistic path and empower creators at every stage of their journey", says BandLab boss Meng Kuok.
ARTIST NEWS
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Ty Dolla $ign has said that his collaborative album with Kanye West is still in the works, days after a âmulti-stadium listening eventâ was reportedly cancelled. âI just landed on a flight from Saudi Arabiaâ, he told the audience at a recent show. âIâve been out there recording a part of my album with my brother Ye and thatâs coming real soonâ.
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âAll I Want For Christmas Is Youâ by Mariah Carey and âLast Christmasâ by Wham both entered the UK Top 40 this week as people start streaming festive songs once again. Last year they didn't make the singles chart until the third week of November. Both tracks entered Spotify's UK Daily Top Songs Chart on 1 Nov last year, with Wham going in at position 54 with 98,792 streams and Mariah taking 41 with 125,933 streams. A year on, they both hit the same Spotify chart on the same day - 1 Nov - with Wham going in at 24 with 150,401 streams and Mariah at 19 with 170,316 streams. So, basically, more people are listening to more Christmas music earlier this year. Please stop it.
RELEASES
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The Smile have announced that they will release their new album âWall Of Eyesâ on 26 Jan. The title track is out now. Theyâve also announced UK tour dates, including a show at Londonâs Alexandra Palace on 23 Mar.
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Jane Weaver has released new single âLove In Constant Spectacleâ. She's also announced UK and Ireland tour dates in April and May next year, including a performance at the Scala in London on 2 May.