Friday 27 September 2013, 11:21 | By Chris Cooke

Warner appoints Cools to global EDM role

Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers

Warner Music has announced the appointment of Bart Cools to the role of Executive Vice President, Global A&R And Marketing, Dance Music, Warner Recorded Music, which will certainly fill his business card.

Cools had a similar role at the pre-sale EMI where, having led various European units for the major, he ended up as overseer of the globally-focused EMI Dance Network. He also worked with EDM juggernaut and tedious-pop-template-maker David Guetta. Some of the EDM artists Cools worked with at EMI, including Guetta, have since moved to Warner via its acquisition of the Parlophone Label Group.

In his new role at Warner, Cools will report into Atlantic Records chief man Craig Kallman who told CMU: “There are few executives that can match Bart’s track record in dance music and I’m delighted to welcome him to the team. This is a dynamic genre that breaks many of the rules of traditional artist development, and Bart’s unique insight – gained working with some of the world’s biggest and most successful artists – will be invaluable as we continue to transform our capabilities”.

Cools himself added: “There have never been more opportunities for dance music artists than there are today and, in order to fulfil their potential, they need the support of a closely coordinated, multi-disciplinary and agile network across all their key territories. Warner Music has those elements in place and I look forward to working with Craig and the talented team here to discover amazing new artists and to continue to deliver best-in-class support to the incredible dance acts we already represent”.

Universal appoints VP for US recorded music

Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers

Universal Music yesterday announced Michele Anthony has been appointed to the new role of Executive Vice President, US Recorded Music.

Reporting into UMG big cheese Lucian Grainge, she will work with the management teams across Universal’s US labels to “maximise commercial and strategic opportunities … establish new revenue streams, form alliances with third parties and oversee a variety of the company’s special projects”. Previously with Sony Music, most recently Anthony has run her own music business consultancy and management firm 7H Entertainment.

Confirming the hire, Grainge told CMU: “There are scarce executives in music with the depth of Michele’s experience on both the label and artist sides of the industry. Michele’s versatility and creative approach to business will make her a valuable addition to our management team”.

Anthony herself said: “Over the past several years, Lucian Grainge has transformed Universal Music into the industry’s most progressive music company. I’m excited to be a part of the forward-thinking executive team Lucian has put into place, and I look forward to helping UMG lead the music industry’s reinvention, working along side the extraordinary artists, employees and entrepreneurs that make up today’s UMG”.

Radio 1 presenters to fall silent today

Business News Media

As Radio 1’s ‘Even More Music Month’ draws to a close today, the station will cram yet more songs into its schedule by forcing its presenters to shut the bloody hell up for twelve hours.

Already underway since the start of Nick Grimshaw’s breakfast show this morning, the jocks are only allowed to communicate with listeners via the official Radio 1 Twitter account. So, it’ll be really easy to avoid them all day. Except Newsbeat, which will insist on filling your brain with spoken words. I knew there had to be a catch.

From 5pm today, the station will also be playing its 100 most played tracks of the last five years back to back, culminating in a listener voted top 30. So that’s nice.

The Roots join The Muppets for a sing song

And Finally Artist News

Who doesn’t want to watch The Roots and Jimmy Fallon sing the ‘Sesame Street’ theme tune with Big Bird, Elmo and the Count? Who I ask you, who?

No one, that’s who. So let’s all just watch it now, enough of this unnecessary introductory waffle. Seriously, stop reading this. Why are you still reading it?

Playlist: CMU Re-Approved

CMU Approved CMU Playlists

Hey everyone, it’s time to slow things down again, stem the constant flow of new music rushing towards us and relax with ten of our favourite artists to appear in the CMU Approved column in recent (and in at least one case not so recent) months.

This time around we look back through instrumental hip hop, Faroese pop, warped disco, crunchy punk and more. So, make yourself a cup of tea, set your chair to mild recline and press play.

CMU’S RE-APPROVED TEN
Subscribe to this playlist on Spotify, and then read on to find out more about our choices.

01 Traams – Swimming Pool
Taking the DIY route when first approved last year, Traams have since signed to FatCat and released new album, ‘Grin’, from which this track is taken, just last week. And it’s nice to start with a smile. Cos the album’s called ‘Grin’, right? And also you’ll like it.

02 Tirzah – I’m Not Dancing
A co-mix with Micachu, Tirza’s main aide since 2005′s ‘Go’ (which the pair wrote whilst still at school), ‘I’m Not Dancing’ is an advance on that same grade of clingy garage minimalism, with bin-lid beats and a wavy bassline to sweeten the deal. The track features on a five track EP released last month.

03 Jackson And His Computerband – Arp #1
Eight years it took Jackson to follow-up his 2005 debut album ‘Smash’. But it was worth the wait. ‘ARP #1′ is sprawling monster of a track, driven by staccato beats it leaps onto a new idea every time you’ve just about got used to the last one.

04 House Of Black Lanterns – Worthless
Nestled in at the end of an EP to push album track ‘You, Me, Metropolis’, ‘Worthless’ stands apart from HOBL’s other music, while still sitting within the sonic boundaries producer Dylan Richards set for the project. Dark, foreboding beats and vocals are juxtaposed with almost euphoric stabs of synths.

05 Shigeto – Detroit Part 1
Producer Shigeto released his astounding third album, ‘No Better Time Than Now’, two months after appearing in the Approved column. This track starts out as instrumental hip hop, but gradually morphs into a soulful piece led by a percussive thumb piano melody.

06 The Internet – Partners In Crime Part 2
Odd Future’s main jazz aficionados Syd ‘Tha Kyd’ Bennett and Matt Martians have expanded from a duo to a quartet for their second album, ‘Feel Good’. ‘Partners In Crime Part 2’ finds the band in a ‘laid back and in love’ frame of mind, riffing lazily on Erykah Badu and early Alicia Keys.

07 Christine And The Queens – Wandering Lovers
Christine And The Queens first planted a shady kiss on France’s alt-pop fascia via 2011′s ‘Mac Abbey’ and its dark star track ‘Narcissus Is Back’. Gratifyingly Gallic in all its OTT drama, danger and panache, the band’s ‘Nuit 17 à 52′ EP, from which ‘Wandering Lovers’ is taken, is out now.

08 Byrta – Eydnan
Formed by folk singer-songwriter Guðrið Hansdóttir and Janus Rasmussen of electronic outfit Bloodgroup, Byrta released their eponymous debut album earlier this year. Their dark-edged songs skirt the pop sounds of the 80s and the best of contemporary Scandinavian fare, with lyrics all delivered in their native Faroese.

09 Emilie Nicolas – Pstereo
Although trained in jazz performance, it’s Emilie Nicolas’ pop project that is gaining her particular attention at the moment. ‘Pstereo’, a cover of Norwegian rock band DumDum Boys, is her first release and shows exactly why she’s getting people so excited.

10 Las Kellies – Melting Ice
The present day Las Kellies have ditched a bit of the hyper-eclecticism of their early work, achieving a greater evenness evident in ‘Melting Ice’, taken from their just released new LP ‘Total Exposure’, dicing the band’s erstwhile basslines with slip n slide 80s reggae vibes that are all new, and all pleasing to hear.

Approved: The Field

CMU Approved

Axel Willner’s third album as The Field, ‘Looping State Of Mind’, released by Kompakt in 2011, demonstrated wonderfully what can be done with the most minimal of tools. As the album title suggests, it featured a series of tracks which leant heavily on revolving loops, each taking you on a different journey, from the rich swell of the album’s title track to the maudlin ‘Then It’s White’.

Next week, new album ‘Cupid’s Head’ is released, again via Kompakt, which sees Willner delve again into this vast world defined by the limitations placed on the project. And it’s those limitations which account for the two year gap between albums, according to the producer.

“When I started to work on ‘Cupid’s Head’, it was quite awkward”, he said. “I felt that I had nothing to put into a new album and I’m not the type to sit down and force something out in the studio. But then, after a few modest attempts, I got a first loop together and running”.

That initial loop developed into two tracks on the album, ‘No. No…’ and the title track, which Willner says “sets a mood for the entire album”. So, if you want to know what the mood on the new album is like before it comes out, look no further than this stream of the title track, ‘Cupid’s Head’:

“It was his money, his doctor, his choice”: Jacksons v AEG update

Business News Jacksons v AEG Timeline Legal Live Business Top Stories

Michael Jackson caused the death of Michael Jackson, is the very short summary of Marvin Putnam’s closing arguments at the long running Jacksons v AEG Live trial yesterday. Though that’s what he said way back at the start of the court battle too. But Putnam, representing live giant AEG, will be hoping that during the 83 days of testimony that have occurred since that he has convinced jurors of that fact. The Jackson family want AEG held liable for their famous son and sibling’s death, but Putnam wants jurors to rule otherwise.

He says that Michael Jackson had a long history of prescription drug dependency and doctor shopping, and of keeping his health problems and drug use a secret. That it was Michael Jackson who insisted that Dr Conrad Murray be hired as his personal medic for the ‘This Is It’ venture AEG was promoting. And that while, with hindsight, Murray’s financial affairs and Jackson’s ailing health during the ‘This Is It’ rehearsals were warnings that something wasn’t right, AEG couldn’t have been expected to spot them at the time.

Murray, of course, was jailed for causing Jackson’s death through negligent treatment. The core question for the jurors as they begin their deliberations, probably tomorrow, is did AEG hire the doctor? Putnam is adamant they did not. According to CNN, he said yesterday that Jackson had simply told AEG bosses “we’re bringing this doctor”, and that when his client’s reps suggested to their star that it would be more sensible to hire a British medic for his planned London residency: “Mr Jackson was undeterred. Ultimately, it was his money, his doctor, his choice. He certainly wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer”.

As part of AEG’s commitments to Jackson, it would have paid Murray’s mega $150,000 a month fees, though the live firm says that would have basically been an advance from the king of pop’s cut of the profits it was hoped ‘This Is It’ would generate. And besides, the contract that set all this out remained unsigned by AEG and Jackson when the popstar died (though lawyers for the Jackson family say an oral agreement had been reached, and that Murray’s actual employment began weeks before Michael Jackson’s untimely death).

Tackling claims by the Jackson team that AEG was negligent for not first investigating Murray’s background – he was facing major financial problems which, arguably, made him susceptible to giving his patient whatever he wanted rather than risk losing the highly paid gig – Putnam argued that the medic was fully licensed and “all AEG Live knew was Dr Murray was Mr Jackson’s longtime doctor”. Jackson and his children had used Murray’s services while living in Vegas.

As for the line of witnesses presented by the Jacksons who worked with the king of pop on the ‘This Is It’ rehearsals and described all the concerns they expressed at the time regarding the singer’s health (with hindsight the result of Murray pumping the singer with propofol every night), Putnam said “everyone believed at the time that a 50 year old man, who hadn’t performed in a decade was tired, out of shape and very nervous. That’s what they believed at the time and it makes sense”.

Of course if Putnam fails to convince the jurors that AEG was not in any way liable for Jackson’s demise (Jackson family lawyer Brian Panish said on Tuesday “it’s about shared responsibility”), then the issue of damages will need to be tackled. And although Team Jackson have distanced themselves from those reports that circulated earlier this year that the family would seek $40 billion in damages, Panish has indicated that he’ll be pushing for a pay out of between one and two billion.

But something closer to $21 million would be more reasonable, Putnam claimed yesterday, suggesting that the expert analysis of Michael Jackson’s potential future earning power presented by Panish was misleading, as it ignored the risks associated with the ‘This Is It’ venture, Jackson’s tarnished reputation and unpredictability, and the fact that the singer was facing massive debts at the time of his death that – without the ‘This Is It’ venture – could have led to the forced sale of his stake in Sony/ATV.

And even if Jackson had earned big again post-‘This Is It’, he was very expensive to run, and much of his earnings would have gone on his lavish lifestyle. The £21 million, Putnam argued, was much closer to what Jackson’s mother and children would have actually received from the star had he lived.

Panish will have the opportunity to deliver a rebuttal to AEG’s final arguments today before the jury deliberations begin.

Select committee calls on government to do more on copyright protection, and hits out at Google

Business News Digital Legal Top Stories

Parliament’s Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee has, perhaps unsurprisingly considering its remit, come out strongly in support of the creative industries’ ongoing efforts to crack down on piracy, criticising the government for ploughing ahead with new fair dealing exemptions while letting the piracy portion of the 2010 Digital Economy Act sit in limbo. Though the real harsh words are reserved for Google, with the committee endorsing the music industry’s favourite piracy gripe of late, the continued presence of links to vast amounts of unlicensed content on search engines.

In a new report the committee commends “the extraordinary success of the UK’s creative industries” and the individuals and organisations that “contribute over £36 billion annually to the UK economy”, but says this success is now jeopardised by a “dilution of intellectual property rights and the failure to tackle online piracy”. A string of subsequent recommendations include a proposed increase in the sentences for serious online IP theft, more scrutiny on the planned introduction of more copyright exceptions (as proposed by the Hargreaves Review), and tax reforms to “adequately recognise the freelance nature of much creative work”.

Launching his report, the committee’s long-standing chair John Whittingdale told reporters: “Britain’s creative industries are of huge importance to our economy and as successful as any in the world. We are blessed in the UK with extraordinary creativity which is backed up by superb training in technical skills and a supportive tax regime. However, all this will be put at risk if creators cannot rely on a strong framework of intellectual property rights which are robustly enforced. The delays in implementing measures to prevent piracy in the Digital Economy Act are costing the creative industries millions of pounds with serious consequences for the wider economy”.

He goes on: “We very much welcome recent moves to obtain a voluntary agreement between rights owners and internet service providers to take measures to deter illegal file-sharing. However, if this fails to materialise, the government must use the powers given to it by parliament in the Digital Economy Act. In addition, we are very concerned that the Hargreaves’ proposals to introduce certain copyright exceptions may create loopholes and dilute the protection of intellectual property rights. We are unconvinced of the claimed benefits that will result and believe that at the very least they require much closer scrutiny with clearer definitions and more evidence in support”.

And as for big bad Google, well: “We are also unimpressed by Google’s continued failure to stop directing consumers to illegal, copyright infringing material on the flimsy excuse that some of the sites may also host some legal content. The continuing promotion of illegal content through search engines is simply unacceptable, and efforts to stop it have so far been derisory. There is no reason why they cannot demote and ultimately remove sites hosting large amounts of illegal material from search engine results”.

He goes on: “Google and others already work with international law enforcement to block, for example, child porn from search results and it has provided no coherent, responsible reason why it can’t do the same for illegal, pirated content. Copyright infringement is a serious crime that threatens our economic future”.

Although we await a specific response regards Whittingdale’s remarks, Google frequently claims that it is going above and beyond its duties to help copyright owners protect their rights, publishing regular reports that hone in on the potential of the Google Play platform, the ContentID system on YouTube, it’s search link takedown operation, and changes to the Google search algorithm to prioritise legit content (even though content owners claim those changes did little). The web giant also regularly insists that the copyright industries should be going after the operators of profitable piracy sites by cutting off their revenue streams. Presumably a similar list will appear in any new response to Whittingdale.

Meanwhile Jo Dipple, CEO of the music industry’s cross-sector trade group UK Music, welcomed the select committee report, telling CMU: “The committee is right to say that the continuing promotion by search engines of illegal content on the internet is unacceptable. Google has to stop feeding up unlicensed free content. Google has to start acknowledging the responsibility it has to the consumers it serves. It is very un-British to ride so roughshod over our customers. It has to stop”.

“The report is also right to say that hasty legislation in this area might compromise new business-to-business deals and, ultimately, ministers might regret interfering in these markets. I intend to discuss the findings in this report next week with Secretary Of State Maria Miller when we host a panel with her at the Conservative Arts And Creative Industries Networking event in Manchester”.

Pirate Bay founder has hacking charges sentence cut in half

Business News Digital Legal

The Pirate Bay co-founded jailed for two years back in June over various hacking charges has had his sentence cut in half on appeal after judges ruled that some of the hacking claims made against him couldn’t be proven.

As previously reported, Gottfrid Svartholm was the Pirate Bay founder who, after being found guilty in the Swedish courts of copyright infringement for his role in setting up the controversial file-sharing site, went missing. But he was extradited back to Sweden last year on the back of the hacking allegations, and has since been serving jail time for both his Pirate Bay involvement and the other charges.

In the hacking case Svartholm was accused of staging a data grab after hacking into the servers of services firm Logica and of making illegal cash transfers after hacking into the IT systems of Nordic bank Nordea. But the Svea Court Of Appeal this week dismissed the latter charges saying that another party could have remotely used the defendant’s computer to hack into Nordea’s servers, and that it couldn’t be proven Svartholm himself was behind the hack.

The ruling means that Svartholm will now only have to serve a one year jail term in relation to the hacking case, in addition to the year relating to the Pirate Bay conviction.

Diddy tops Forbes’ hip hop rich list

Artist News

Ah brilliant, Forbes has made another of its rolling rich lists, this one a ranking of statistical ‘Cash Kings’, aka 2013’s 20 highest paid hip-hop artists.

Top is P Diddy, who has his many brands – like the Sean John clothing line and Bad Boy label – as opposed to his raps to thank for a cool $50 million mint made over the past twelve months. Jay ‘no hyphen’ Z dogs him with $43 million, whilst, “vaulting” in at fifth place, it’s Kanye West. Alas, he might’ve vaulted higher if only maniacal bravado was quantifiable.

Have a look at the list, which also names Dr Dre, Nicki Minaj and Kendrick Lamar, at this link.

Robert Fripp confirms King Crimson return

Artist News

Robert Fripp has announced that King Crimson will return next year for live performances with a new line-up. As well as founder member Fripp, the new version of the band includes multi-instrumentalist Mel Collins, returning for the first time since 1972, and longtime bassist Tony Levin.

Fripp told Uncut: “The first performance will take place in either North or South America. There will be rehearsals primarily in England, and the final batch of rehearsals will most likely be in America in August or September 2014. There is a plan to include the UK in the tour dates, but it depends on a number of circumstances. Right now the primary geographical focus is the United States”.

The reunion comes after Fripp’s long running legal dispute with Universal was finally resolved last year. Prior to that, Fripp told the Financial Times in an interview that he had all but given up music, saying: “My life as a professional musician is a joyless exercise in futility. I couldn’t concentrate on music. So I made the choice to give up my career as a musician in the frontline to deal with the business. It’s too debilitating”.

Apparently it’s all alright now. Hurrah!

Sub Pop signs Thumpers

Business News Deals Labels & Publishers Releases

Sub Pop has signed a transatlantic deal with alt-pop co-op (and Pull Tiger Tail spin-off) Thumpers, aka Marcus Pepperell and John Hamson Jr. The band, who say they’re “over the moon” to be signed by the Seattle-based label, will release a new single in ‘Sound Of Screams’ on 21 Oct, and have an LP in waiting for the New Year.

Give album track ‘Unkinder (A Tougher Love)’ a play here:

Lily Allen talks sweary feminist LP

Artist News

Lily Rose Cooper Allen’s new LP – which may or may not be advancing at a snail’s pace towards a March 2014 release – will feature:

a) feminist vibes
b) a bit of swearing
and
c) key changes here and there

And that’s it, essentially. It’s as Allen said earlier this week via celeb mag Hello: “It’s not an earnest ‘I’m a mum’ kind of record; it’s empowering. There’s some feminist vibes going on. It’s the same old me with a bit of swearing going on. Good choruses, key changes here and there – that’s it!”

It isn’t really it, because Lily added: “I’m really nervous because I haven’t been on stage for a really long time. I’m actually really scared. The music thing is great – creating is what I do. But being catapulted back into the limelight is something I’m anxious about, mainly because I’ve got two children now. It’s not just me – I’ve got family to think about”.

And that, really this time – since Lily is still to release a single or even reveal the LP’s title, dammit – is it.

Mastodon make start on long player

Artist News

Atlanta metal gods Mastodon are finally on the case of an LP to follow 2011’s ‘The Hunter’, or so the band confirmed the other day in a Facebook post.

Aiming to start making the TBA title in November, with a mind to finish by the end of the year, they say: “We’ve been busy jamming everyday writing and arranging the next studio album. We have quite a few songs and ideas that are taking some time to nail down what we think will make it to the next full length”.

Loop add post-ATP shows

Artist News Gigs & Festivals

Exactly as Television did last week, alt rockers Loop have released a list of live dates they’ll be playing in the same ballpark time-wise as ATP’s End Of An Era festival. Loop’s shows follow the fest’s final weekend (29-30 Nov), which they reunited especially to play.

The band’s Robert Hampson says: “We are very happy to be playing a series of shows in smaller venues to start the reformation of Loop. Next year, it will be on a bigger scale, so this is brilliant opportunity for us to play a number of intimate concerts to stretch our legs after 23 years of being away…”

2 Dec: Bristol, The Fleece
3 Dec: Leeds, The Brudenell
4 Dec: Edinburgh, Liquid Rooms
5 Dec: Brighton, Concorde 2

Gervais teases David Brent gigs

Artist News Gigs & Festivals

With a David Brent LP and film both potentially in the offing, it looks as if Ricky Gervais is also going to play live, like on a stage, as his oily ‘The Office’ cash cow, so that’s nice.

Having hinted last week at a few “very cheap, very low key warm up gigs” he/Brent have planned, with Brent’s fictional backing band Foregone Conclusion, Gervais has since released a flyer for the ‘work-in-progress’ shows, which are promoted by Live Nation. As per his initial tweet, they’ll apparently take place in London next month.

Now I’m going to close my eyes and hope this all goes away. Unless it turns out to actually be good, in which case I’ll shut up.

Charlotte Church to deliver John Peel Lecture

Business News Education & Events

Having been delivered by Pete Townshend and Billy Bragg in previous years, the third John Peel Lecture will be delivered by someone who is neither old nor a man, which is nice. Charlotte Church will take to the stage for the annual event at the Radio Festival in Salford next month, with the talk also broadcast on BBC 6music.

While her predecessors have focussed on how new artists should be supported, Church will focus on the issues faced by women in the music and other entertainment industries. She said: “Music is a big part of part of my life. I’ve had some interesting times during the past fifteen years, facing the same problems that many other women face when trying to forge their way in the music and entertainment worlds. I’m looking forward to encouraging a healthy debate around this important topic”.

Her speech will be broadcast live on 14 Oct, and will be made available as a free download afterwards. Church will also appear on a special edition of ‘Women’s Hour’ on BBC Radio 4 on 12 Oct, discussing the role of women in music.

Copyright Licensing Steering Group issues progress report

Business News Labels & Publishers

The rivetingly-named Copyright Licensing Steering Group, the body that stemmed from Richard Hooper’s ‘Copyright Works’ report, which in turn was motivated by Ian Hargreaves’ government-backed review of copyright law, yesterday published a progress report telling us all just how well things are going. So that’s good news.

The Group, as you may remember, is aiming to streamline the licensing processes operated by copyright industries, like the good old music business, as well as educating the world at large on how copyright and licensing works. As part of all this, and with some government funding, the organisation launched a website called the Copyright Hub earlier this year, which is undeniably a thing.

Aside from the Hub project, the Group’s report also reported on other ventures it has been involved in over the last twelve months, including the publication of a Voluntary Code Of Practice for creating and retaining metadata in images, the development of a range of initiatives to streamline the licensing landscape for educational establishments, new digital music licensing initiatives for start-ups and app developers, and the introduction of two new joint licences from the music industry’s two UK collective licensing agencies, the music publishing sector’s PRS For Music and the record industry’s PPL.

Commenting on the report, the CLSG Chair James Lancaster told CMU: “This report demonstrates the real progress that has been made in implementing the recommendations of the Hooper report. The work over the past year has demonstrated clearly the power of all parts of the creative industries working collaboratively together with the support of government to come up with pragmatic and workable solutions to the challenges of copyright licensing. I would like to thank all the individuals and organisations who have contributed to this report.”

Meanwhile, with their joint licences getting a big name-check in the report, PRS boss Robert Ashcroft and PPL chief Peter Leathem issued a joint statement, saying: “We welcome the CLSG report, which clearly displays the progress that has been achieved by the creative sector over the last twelve months to streamline copyright licensing, while outlining a road map for future developments. This could only have been achieved through the collaborative spirit that Richard Hooper and [report co-author and CSLG leader] Dr Ros Lynch have so successfully instilled. Both PPL and PRS For Music are committed to working with the Copyright Hub, while at the same time exploring more ways that our two companies can work together to make licensing easier for users”.

Download the report for some good times here.

Napster partners with SFR mobile network in France

Business News Digital

Napster, now the European arm of American streaming company Rhapsody of course, has announced a new partnership with SFR, the flagging French mobile network owned by Universal Music parent Vivendi (for now).

Asked how important deals such as these are to streaming services, Thorsten Schliesche, Napster Senior Vice President and General Manager Europe, told CMU: “Carrier deals are very important for our business in order to reach a broader audience and enable people to experience the benefits of music streaming. In general this type of deals do support our brand awareness in the market”.

Similar to Spotify’s hook up with Vodafone in the UK, Napster will be offered to SFR’s 4G customers as a free content add-on. And whereas Spotify, a service that has a much lower profile amongst mainstream consumers than a lot of people seem to think, has to compete for love from Vodafone customers with that rather-easier-to-figure Sky Sports, the even lower profile (these days) Napster will sit alongside four other content options for SFR customers.

Though it will be the only musical option. Being the only music service on offer put the company in a good position, said Schliesche, explaining that he believed that this would be enough to convince many SFR customers to choose a Napster account over any of the other four possible extras on offer: “Music has a high importance to a huge percentage of consumers and in delivering a great music experience to them, we strongly believe that Napster can become the preferred choice of the extras”.

As previously reported, Napster’s US parent company Rhapsody recently announced a restructure following new investment, which will see it take on a new Prseident and lose 30 members of staff.

Shift to digital radio slowing down

Business News Media

The shift from FM to DAB continues to be slow going, according to a new report on the UK radio industry by media regulator OfCom.

As much previously reported, government and some major players in the radio business are still eager to get to the point where enough listeners are accessing radio primarily through the DAB digital network, that the FM network can start to be wound down.

But it’s taking a long time to get to that point; though some argue that if the government set an unmovable deadline for FM’s demise, as with the analogue TV network, then the industry would get there a lot quicker (the radio industry awaits with anticipation a government report on switchover plans in November).

According to the OfCom survey, although about 45% of homes now seemingly have a DAB set and a third of radio listening is now via digital platforms (so DAB or via a digital TV platform or online), sales of DAB radios have stalled, and about a half of those households still with no DAB receiver say they are not motivated to buy one anytime soon.

Whether that is actually enough to further slow down any moves to force a digital switchover in radio remains to be seen, though it does mean the government and pro-DAB radio industry has a PR challenge on its hands if deadlines are set – and probably needs something much better than the woeful Digital Radio UK body, which is supposedly promoting the medium, to handle that task.

Liam Payne driven insane by snakes on a plain

And Finally Artist News

All One Direction’s Liam Payne asks is that his fans stay away from wild snakes. Which isn’t that big an ask, is it? Well yeah, it is apparently, especially when death by snake bite might mean a kiss of life from Harry Styles.

Warning a pack of distracted/naïve/silly Directioners waiting to catch sight of the band in Adelaide, Australia, via Twitter, a panicked Payne said: “Girls behind the hotel please get out [of] the fields, there’s a huge sign saying snake habitat. It’s just not worth it someone’s gunna get hurt”.

Hear that? Only a ‘snake habitat’, and a clearly labelled one at that. Irritated that the fangirls (fang-girls?) showed no sign of retreating, he added: “Are you not reading what I’m saying – it’s a SNAKE HABITAT TURN AROUND”.

Playlist: Frankie Rose

CMU Playlists

Quizzed by CMU on the eve of her lauded 2012 solo debut ‘Interstellar’, Frankie Rose is at it again, this time presenting her strings-enriched new LP ‘Herein Wild’. Frankie releases that via Fat Possum on 7 Oct, afterwards playing several headline dates starting at Sheffield’s The Harley on 2 Dec.

Ahead of all the live/release activity, she gave over a bit of spare time and imagination to making a CMU Playlist, about which she said: “I suppose I referenced each one of these songs at some point in the making of my new album ‘Herein Wild’. I borrowed little production ideas: the way a vocal was treated, or a guitar tone, sometimes a drum sample. I was tempted to include The Damned’s ‘Street Of Dreams’ because I covered this on the record, and that one ended up being one of my favourite recordings on the album. It might surprise people that stuff like Philip Glass has inspired me, but these are the songs that I’ve been listening to most and which have helped shape my sound”.

FRANKIE ROSE’S TEN
Subscribe to this playlist on Spotify, and then read on to find out more about Frankie’s selections.

01 Cocteau Twins – Cherry Coloured Funk
One of the things that amazes me about Elizabeth Fraiser is how she can have three different vocal melodies happening at the same time and yet the song never becomes confused or muddled.

02 Tones On Tail – Twist
I like how driving and simple this song is. It keeps moving forward in just the right way with the guitars and synths swirling in at just the right moments.

03 The Gun Club – The Breaking Hands
This is the strangest Gun Club song. There is so much chorus on the guitar, it’s a real departure from their usual guitar sound and style.

04 Carly Simon – Why
This song sounds super modern to me. In fact it sounds as if this could have been released this year.

05 The Cleaners From Venus – Living On Nerve Ends
This guy does everything himself, and it sounds great. Such simple melodies but all the sounds are just perfect.

06 House Of Love – Christine
House Of Love are such a great band. I really like how they play their synths against their guitars and the vocal harmonies are great.

07 The Cure – A Strange Day
The drum sounds on this record are amazing. So dark and spooky

08 The Smiths – Barbarism Begins At Home
I love the whip sounds on this song. Every song should probably have a whip crack in it somewhere.

090 Colourbox – Phillip Glass
This is their homage to Phillip Glass. It’s a synth jam. I love the repetition. When I play it for people they usually ask if it actually is Phillip Glass.

10 Stereolab – Cybeles Reverie
The vocals in Stereolab songs are perfect. I love their multiple vocals and the voice being used as percussion.

Approved: Cillian Murphy – BBC 6music Sound Of Cinema Mix

CMU Approved

Cillian Murphy of ’28 Days Later’, ‘Inception’ and now ‘Peaky Blinders’ fame did a one-off show on 6music the other day as part of the BBC’s ongoing Sound Of Cinema season.

Choosing tracks from abiding film faves like Bob Dylan’s ‘The Man In Me’ from ‘The Big Lebowski’, Johnny Greenwood’s avant garde ‘The Master’ commission ‘Able Bodied Seaman’, and Ennio Morricone’s ‘The Harvest’, Cillian also plays a pretty miscellany of songs he’d add to his own imaginary road movie score, given the chance, for instance John Martyn’s ‘Over The Hill’ and Howlin Wolf’s ‘All In The Mood’.

The compilation starts with a transcript of Lynchian aide Angelo Badalamenti explaining (in animated style) what inspired his ‘Twin Peaks’ theme, and hits a weird zenith via what I can only call a ‘mash-up’ of Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s jarring refrain to ’28 Days Later’, and a clip of 1940s kids’ audio cartoon ‘Sparky’s Magic Piano’.

If any of that appeals, and I’d hope at least some of it might, click this link to listen in on the mix.

“No AEG, no Murray, no propofol, Michael’s still here”: Jacksons v AEG Update

Business News Jacksons v AEG Timeline Legal Live Business Top Stories

Michael Jackson may have played a role in creating the perfect storm that caused his death in 2009 – we know he was dependent on prescription drugs, and that he desired access to the propofol that ultimately killed him – but, said legal reps for the Jackson family yesterday, without AEG Live the singer would not have hired Dr Conrad Murray, and without Murray, Jackson wouldn’t have had access to the medications that caused his demise.

Attorney Brian Panish was presenting his closing arguments in the very long running Jacksons v AEG court battle. As much previously reported, the Jackson family say that, as the employer of Murray, the doctor convicted for causing the late king of pop’s demise through negligent treatment, AEG should be liable for Michael Jackson’s death. AEG counters that, while it may have provided the money to pay Murray, Jackson himself recruited and managed the negligent doc.

According to the LA Times, Panish summarised his arguments to the jury by saying: “We’re not looking for sympathy. We’re looking for justice, full and complete. It’s about shared responsibility. Michael probably has some fault… I’m not going to deny that Michael used prescription drugs and that people told him it’s risky to use propofol. [But] no Murray, no AEG, no propofol, Michael’s still here”.

Panish also touched on the issue of damages, for the first time formally commenting on the sorts of money the Jackson family would be looking for if the jury finds in their favour. The Jackons’ legal team previously denied news reports they would seek $40 billion in damages, a figure five times what the entirety of AEG is worth. But it’s no secret that the Jackson family will seek mega-bucks if they win.

Panish told the jury that, if they find in his client’s favour, the issue of economic damages would need to be discussed further, though, he added, let’s not forget the expert his team presented in court who reckoned that Michael Jackson would have earned between $1.2 billion and $1.6 billion had he lived and continued to release records, tour, do endorsement deals and go through with a planned Vegas residency. Meanwhile Panish said he thought each of Jackson’s three children should be due in the region of $85 million in personal damages, and his mother – the main plaintiff in the case – a further $35 million.

AEG’s lawyers will present their final arguments later today, with the jury due to begin their deliberations later this week. On Monday judge Yvette Palazuelos provided the jury with instructions ahead of their deliberating, telling jurors that they must not be swayed by prejudice, sympathy or public opinion in reaching a judgement, and if a debate on damages is required, they should not consider grief or either side’s wealth when deciding on figures. A unanimous verdict will not be required, the judge added, though nine of the twelve jurors must agree with the final ruling.

BBC/Eos dispute goes to Copyright Tribunal

Business News Legal Media

The ongoing dispute between the BBC and Welsh-language collecting society Eos has reached Copyright Tribunal, which is never dull. As previously reported, a group of Welsh language songwriters and publishers withdrew their collective catalogues from UK-wide rights organisation PRS For Music at the start of the year.

The songwriters and publishers had been in conflict with PRS since 2007 when it changed the way it distributed the monies it collected from the BBC’s two Welsh radio stations – BBC Wales and the Welsh-language BBC Cymru – for the use of its member’s music by the radio services. The Welsh-language music publishing community argued that the change had had a massive negative impact on their public performance income just as said revenue was becoming crucial, as record sale income continued to slump.

The BBC was quickly caught in the crossfire, though once the angry publishers had withdrawn from PRS and set up Eos the Beeb was fully drawn into the dispute. And for six weeks earlier this year Eos withdrew its members’ content from the BBC entirely, forcing the Corporation to cut back considerably on the amount of Welsh language music it played on its Welsh language station.

An interim agreement was then reached, which – according to BBC News – saw the BBC agree to pay Eos £120,000 a year for access to its members’ repertoire. However, Eos is pushing for something closer to £1.5 million a year, presumably arguing that the Corporation spends nearly £16 million annually on its Welsh-language content, and music makes up a significant part of BBC Cymru’s output.

With neither side able to agree on rates – the BBC actually argues that it is already overpaying at £120,000 a year – the matter has gone to Copyright Tribunal, a special court that considers disputes in the collective licensing domain. The main hearing on the matter is taking place this week. It remains to be seen what the Tribunal rules, and whether the Welsh publishers get the big pay day they think they deserve.

New Spanish law targets piracy sites

Business News Legal

While Spanish copyright law hasn’t proven great in helping copyright owners to fight online piracy in the past, the government there continues to try and step up anti-piracy rules in the country, presumably because of continued pressure from the US to tighten up copyright protection.

Though ironically, in more recent years Spanish politicians seem to have been rubber stamping measures that US Congress has been nervous to debate, fearing the wrath of the tech lobby. In the latest development, according to Reuters, a new law has been passed that will make it a criminal offence to run a website that provides links to sources of unlicensed content, and anyone convicted of running such an operation could face up to six years in jail. The law only targets those sites that are run for profit, though carrying advertising would be enough to fall under that category.

The new law enables rights owners in Spain to go after those who facilitate copyright infringement, in addition to those who actually distribute copyright material without licence. Though search engines and P2P networks are specifically excluded from the new rules, presumably because they both have legitimate uses even if they predominantly link to illegal content sources, and that may limit the reach of the new laws considerably.

Confirming the new rules, Spain’s Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon told reporters: “This is a real balance between protecting copyright and new technologies”.

Beady Eye’s Gem Archer breaks leg

Artist News

Unfortunate Beady Eye guitarist Gem Archer, the same Gem Archer who fractured his skull falling down a flight of stairs last month, has now broken his leg. This may mean the band cancel the tour they’re supposed to be doing in November, especially given they wiped several live dates after Archer’s previous injury.

The Sun reports that Archer’s leg snapped in two places following a “freak accident” in a bathroom, and will take four months in a cast to heal. Which hardly bodes well for him making those aforementioned November live dates. Still, he could always give this a go.

Pussy Riot’s Tolokonnikova placed in solitary confinement

Artist News Legal

Pussy Riot’s Nadezhda Tolokonnikova has been placed in solitary confinement, following the publication of an open letter stating that she was going on hunger strike in protest against conditions in the prison where she is being held. However, prison authorities said that the move was for “her own safety”, after she complained of “slave-like” working conditions and accused the deputy head of the prison of making death threats against her.

According to The Guardian, the authorities have denied the claims made by Tolokonnikova but have agreed to launch an investigation into conditions at the prison. Russia’s human rights investigator Vladimir Lukin also said that he had sent two representatives to the jail to investigate the claims, adding: “As soon as we get a report of their work, I will be able to give my opinion of what actually happened; about who is right and who is guilty”.

Jake Bugg LP inspired by beer and car park stabbings

Releases

Mardy bum Jake Bugg has gone and done another LP, a Rick Rubin production titled ‘Shangri La’. Named after Rubin’s Malibu studio, in which (no kidding) it was made, it’ll be released on 18 Nov.

Bugg says: “I said on this album I wouldn’t talk about stuff that happens on the streets, like stabbings in car parks and drinking beer and that. But you know, no matter where you go, you see that stuff anyway. You try and escape it, but it finds you”.

Speaking of inescapable things, let’s get Jake’s new single ‘What Doesn’t Kill You’ over with:

Imogen Heap details LP

Releases

Imogen Heap recently detailed a new LP named ‘Sparks’, setting its release date at 3 Mar 2014. It features a kind of ‘lifespan’ track, ‘The Listening Chair’, which Heap says she’ll add to every seven years that she’s alive, meaning, as its press release eagerly states, it’ll “only be finished when she’s dead!”. I’d say I can’t wait to hear the finished product, but that doesn’t sound quite right.

‘Sparks’ will also be available as a limited edition ‘deluxe package’, developed by Heap and creative firm CSV, the team that did Radohead’s ‘The King Of Limbs’ packaging.

Released a week earlier than the standard version, the deluxe edition will contain thirteen individual CDs, the LP on ten-inch vinyl, and a special ticket entitling fans to meets and greets at any of Heap’s international live dates. Fans paying for the limited LP can also mail in photos of their footprints which will be incorporated into its front cover. Details on all that at imogenheap.com/deluxeboxset.

Heap speaks: “The album began with someone sending in the sound of a striking match for what became [album track] ‘Lifeline’ in March 2011. I then dived into the most immense, intense creative two and a half years of my life that took me all over the planet, collaborating on so many projects with so many people and often totally spontaneously. The album is then in some ways for me grounded with fans’ footprints bringing the finishing touch for the album art, as so many of them came along for the ride”.

Lastly, and harking back to 2011, this is one of the new record’s tracks ‘Propeller Seeds’:

Friday 27 September 2013, 11:21 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Bart Cools | Warner Music

Friday 27 September 2013, 11:20 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Michele Anthony | Universal Music

Friday 27 September 2013, 11:19 | By Andy Malt

READ MORE ABOUT: BBC Radio 1

Friday 27 September 2013, 11:18 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Jimmy Fallon | The Muppets | The Roots

Thursday 26 September 2013, 11:42 | By CMU Editorial

Hey everyone, it’s time to slow things down again, stem the constant flow of new music rushing towards us and relax with ten of our favourite artists to appear in the CMU Approved column in recent (and in at least one case not so recent) months.

READ MORE ABOUT: Byrta | Emilie Nicolas | House Of Black Lanterns | Jackson And His Computerband | Las Kellies | Shigeto | The Internet | Tirzah | Traams

Thursday 26 September 2013, 11:41 | By Andy Malt

READ MORE ABOUT: The Field

Thursday 26 September 2013, 11:40 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: AEG | Michael Jackson | The Jacksons

Thursday 26 September 2013, 11:39 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Google | Jo Dipple | John Whittingdale

Thursday 26 September 2013, 11:38 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Gottfrid Svartholm | The Pirate Bay

Thursday 26 September 2013, 11:37 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Forbes | Forbes Rich List | Sean Combs

Thursday 26 September 2013, 11:36 | By Andy Malt

READ MORE ABOUT: King Crimson | Robert Fripp

Thursday 26 September 2013, 11:35 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Sub Pop | Thumpers

Thursday 26 September 2013, 11:34 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Lily Allen

Thursday 26 September 2013, 11:33 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Mastodon

Thursday 26 September 2013, 11:32 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Loop

Thursday 26 September 2013, 11:31 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: David Brent | Ricky Gervais

Thursday 26 September 2013, 11:30 | By Andy Malt

READ MORE ABOUT: Charlotte Church | John Peel Lecture | Radio Festival

Thursday 26 September 2013, 11:29 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Copyright Hub | Copyright Licensing Steering Group | Ian Hargreaves | James Lancaster | PPL | PRS For Music | Richard Hooper

Thursday 26 September 2013, 11:28 | By Andy Malt

READ MORE ABOUT: Napster | Rhapsody | SFR | Thorsten Schliesche | Vivendi

Thursday 26 September 2013, 11:27 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: DAB | OfCom

Thursday 26 September 2013, 11:26 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Liam Payne | One Direction

Wednesday 25 September 2013, 11:08 | By CMU Editorial

READ MORE ABOUT: Frankie Rose

Wednesday 25 September 2013, 11:07 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: BBC Radio 6 Music | Cillian Murphy

Wednesday 25 September 2013, 11:06 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: AEG | Brian Panish | Conrad Murray | Michael Jackson | The Jacksons

Wednesday 25 September 2013, 11:05 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: BBC | BBC Radio Cymru | BBC Radio Wales | Eos | PRS For Music

Wednesday 25 September 2013, 11:04 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon | Spain | US Congress

Wednesday 25 September 2013, 11:03 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Beady Eye | Gem Archer

Wednesday 25 September 2013, 11:02 | By Andy Malt

READ MORE ABOUT: Nadezhda Tolokonnikova | Pussy Riot

Wednesday 25 September 2013, 11:01 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Jake Bugg | Rick Rubin

Wednesday 25 September 2013, 11:00 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Imogen Heap