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Tuesday 28 April 2015, 10:15 | By Andy Malt
Conor Maynard announces new single
Artist News Releases
Conor Maynard will release a new Labrinth-produced single called ‘Royalty’ on 5 Jul.
Speaking about the creation of the track, Maynard says of Labrinth: “He knew exactly what he wanted to create, in such detail that it took us three hours to record the first verse. I had to sing in a swing/jazz style, which I never imagined I’d even attempt. ‘Royalty’ really does sound like nothing else out there, which is such a rare quality in pop”.
Bold words. Though it reminds me a bit of our Eurovision entry. Watch the video here:
READ MORE ABOUT: Conor Maynard | Labrinth
Tuesday 28 April 2015, 10:14 | By Andy Malt
CMU’s One Liners: PJ Harvey signs to AGI, Billy Corgan joins TNA, Roisin Murphy to play ABC, and more fun with acronyms (actually none)
Artist News Business News Deals Gigs & Festivals Live Business One Liners Releases
Other notable announcements and developments today…
• New York-based booking agency AGI has signed PJ Harvey for North America. The singer, currently working on a ninth studio album, was previously booked by CAA in the region.
• Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has taken a new job as Producer, Creative and Talent Development at TNA Wrestling. The role will see him develop characters and storylines for the company’s ‘Impact Wrestling’ show. “As cultures currently evolve at great speed, so must pro wrestling meet and supersede such expectations to thrive”, says Corgan.
• As if Refused getting back together wasn’t bad enough, now they’ve further sullied their legacy by recording a new album. That’s out on 30 Jun. You could listen to the first track from it, ‘Elektra’, but I wouldn’t bother cos it is shit.
• Frankie And The Heartstrings have announced that they will return with their third album, ‘Decency’, on 10 Jul. Here’s first track, ‘Save It For Tonight’.
• Róisín Murphy has announced three UK shows in November, which will follow the release of her new album ‘Hairless Toys’ on 11 May. She’ll play Glasgow’s ABC on 14 Nov, Manchester’s Albert Hall on 25 Nov, and the Hammersmith Apollo in London on 27 Nov. Here’s the video for new single ‘Exploitation’.
• Wolf Alice have announced tour dates for September, which will close with a show at the Brixton Academy on 26 Sep.
• Editors have announced UK tour dates for October, including a show at London’s Hammersmith Apollo on 13 Sep. The band’s fifth album will also be out this autumn. You can download the first track from it, ‘No Harm’, from their website.
• Unicorn’s Alden Penner will be touring the UK in June. It might interest you to know that Michael Cera will be appearing as a member of his band. Or not, whatever.
READ MORE ABOUT: AGI | Alden Penner | Billy Corgan | Editors | Frankie & The Heartstrings | Michael Cera | PJ Harvey | Refused | Róisín Murphy | Wolf Alice
Tuesday 28 April 2015, 10:13 | By Andy Malt
Morrissey: Crowdfunding is “desperate and insulting”
And Finally Artist News Labels & Publishers Management & Funding
Last year Morrissey put out a new album, ‘World Peace Is None Of Your Business’. But then he fell out with Universal/Capitol’s Harvest imprint and revoked the licensing deal through which it had been released. As a result, it was removed from sale.
At the time, Morrissey said he believed that there was “a label out there with my name on it, and one that will issue ‘World Peace Is None Of Your Business’, and afford it the respect it deserves”. No such label has yet been found though.
Confirming that the search has been fruitless, the singer told Spanish newspaper El Pais: “I recently contacted some labels and all have rejected me. Pop music lives in the era of marketing which just leads to people with very low levels of competition, it is much easier to get rid of them once six months of fame have evaporated”.
But music also lives in an era of greater options for independent artists, leaving many to wonder why he hasn’t just self-released the record, maybe crowdfunding to cover the initial costs. Well, here’s your answer: “[Crowdfunding] is a desperate measure, and insulting to your audience”.
As a result, Morrissey is now solely a touring artist, it seems. But he’s fine with that: “It’s the only option left for me but fortunately it’s very good and exciting. The only unpleasant part of this is that, whenever a concert is cancelled the story captures attention, but if the concert takes place it will hardly be mentioned. Many people enjoy writing negative things about me. Which is fine with me. Let them, if it makes them happy”.
OK, Moz. Thanks.
READ MORE ABOUT: Morrissey
Tuesday 28 April 2015, 10:04 | By Andy Malt
Approved: Skepta – Shutdown
CMU Approved
Originally released on SoundCloud last month, and taken from Skepta’s upcoming new album ‘Konnichiwa’, ‘Shutdown’ has already had over two million plays on the site. Rapidly following is the video for the track, released on Sunday.
Highlighting the inroads Skepta has made taking grime out of the UK, the track is bookended by samples of a couple of Drake Vine videos (following a nod to Skepta on the Canadian rapper’s ‘If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late’ mixtape) and also features a sampled complaint about Kanye West’s performance at the BRITs, at which Skepta and numerous members of the UK grime scene appeared. But these references aside, the track stays true to the rapper’s roots making no concessions in sound to appeal to the wider audience he is nonetheless attracting.
Skepta and JME, who is also set to release a new album this year, will play the last of this year’s Dome shows at The Great Escape on 16 May.
Check out the video for ‘Shutdown’ here:
READ MORE ABOUT: Skepta
Monday 27 April 2015, 10:47 | By Chris Cooke
Grooveshark could face mega-damages bill in Universal legal battle
Business News Digital Grooveshark Timeline Labels & Publishers Legal Top Stories
Could this be the beginning of the end for often controversial streaming service Grooveshark? The “YouTube of audio” in that it lets users upload music and tells rights owners that they have to issue takedown notices if they want it removed. Which provides the digital firm with an extensive catalogue of tunes despite not having licensing deals in place with most record companies.
As much previously reported, Grooveshark has always insisted that its operations are entirely legal under America’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act because of the so called ‘safe harbours’ that protect tech companies when their users infringe copyright (and the abolition of which recently became target number one for the music industry’s lobbyists).
While many in the music business have always reckoned that the Groovesharkers were rampantly exploiting a major loophole in US copyright law, the labels and publishers were often nervous about testing the safe harbours in court, because it wasn’t at all assured they’d win.
But then Universal Music got its hand on some evidence that staff at Grooveshark HQ had also been adding tracks to the firm’s servers without the permission of copyright owners. And the DMCA provides no safe harbour protection if companies themselves – rather than their customers – do the infringing. Grooveshark management denied the allegations of staff members uploading content, but a judge ruled against them last September.
And now a jury will be asked to set the damages the digital firm must pay for those infringements. And last week judge Thomas Griesa, who will preside over those proceedings, said in a court order that because the copyright violations were “wilful” and made “in bad faith”, the jury would be given the option to award Universal the maximum damages allowed under copyright law of $150,000.
But that could be awarded per track infringed, and at last count Grooveshark was accused of infringing nearly 5000. So damages could reach a massive $736 million, which the Grooveshark company could never afford to pay, but it would likely push the digital firm out of business. Which – it’s always seemed – has long been Universal’s real agenda here. That figure is the worst case scenario for Grooveshark and the jury could set damages at a much lower sum. Though juries often pitch surprisingly high on copyright damages.
Though, while this could be the litigation that finally kills off Grooveshark, a long term thorn in the music industry’s side, another lawsuit against the service could actually have more significance. EMI – before becoming part of Universal – had its own legal battle with Grooveshark, at one point settling and doing a deal with the streaming service, and then later revoking the deal and going legal again.
That case didn’t rely on the staff-uploading allegation (or the other technicality Universal sued on – based on the whole pre-1972 thing), but rather tested whether Grooveshark was actually entitled to safe habour protection under the DMCA. Which made it a braver lawsuit on the label’s part, and the ruling in EMI’s favour just before Easter all the more significant.
The judge in that case said that Grooveshark’s takedown system was not of a higher enough standard to ensure safe harbour protection (which is pretty good going, given that judges in previous US safe harbour cases have generally set that standard pretty low). In particular, said the judge hearing the EMI case, Grooveshark didn’t do enough to tackle users who repeatedly infringed.
After that pre-Easter ruling Grooveshark immediately announced an overhaul of its takedown process, with a three-strikes and you’re out system for repeat infringers. Meanwhile a hearing is set for next month to consider damages for EMI. Though if things swing in Universal’s favour big time on the damages front this week, there may well not be a company left to attend that hearing.
READ MORE ABOUT: Grooveshark | Universal Music
Monday 27 April 2015, 10:46 | By Chris Cooke
Jean-Michel Jarre speaks up for creators on World Intellectual Property Day
Business News Labels & Publishers
So it was World Intellectual Property Day yesterday. Did you have a party?
Well, if you happened to allow the whole thing pass by without even adding a copyright symbol to your tweets, why not catch up now by reading this statement put out by Jean-Michel Jarre in his guise as President of CISAC, the global body for author rights collecting societies worldwide? The electronic music pioneer called on governments across the world to ensure they are safeguarding creator rights.
Said Jarre: “The article 27(2) of the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations’ General Assembly in 1948, states that, ‘Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author’. These words are as valid now as they were 70 years ago”.
“Culture is what brings people together”, he goes on. “And is the expression of the cultural diversity that is so cherished by the United Nations and UNESCO. Access to culture is paramount to the elevation of mankind. It goes hand in hand with freedom of speech and freedom to create. Equally important in our eyes are the rights of creators. Without these moral and economic rights, creators would be deprived of ways to sustain a living and continue to create freely, and would also lose control over the use of their works”.
“But for this to happen, creators need to be granted fair remuneration for the use of their creative works. In the music sector, we have launched the Fair Trade Music project to address this issue. In the visual arts sector, we are asking for an international treaty on the artist’s resale right under the aegis of WIPO”.
He concluded: “Sustainable creative eco-systems depend on the recognition that creative works bring value to so many businesses that would not exist without them. In return, what we, creators, are asking is simple: to be fairly compensated for the use of our works and to be protected for our rights. We are calling upon all the countries represented at the United Nations to endorse our pledge, and work with creators all around the world to ensure a better future for authors”.
And if that got you in the mood for World Intellectual Property Day related polemics, here’s a blog post I wrote ahead of speaking to Middlesex University students yesterday, who staged an evening of music and other creative endeavours to mark IP Day.
READ MORE ABOUT: CISAC | Jean Michel Jarre | World Intellectual Property Day
Monday 27 April 2015, 10:45 | By Andy Malt
Justin Bieber settles lawsuit with paparazzo
Artist News Legal
Because Justin Bieber is such a super super nice guy now, he has agreed to a settlement with a photographer who claimed to have been assaulted by the singer’s bodyguards outside a recording studio in Florida back in 2013.
As previously reported, Jeffrey Binion reported Bieber’s security to the police in June 2013. He said that he had been attacked while trying to take photos of the singer and had the memory card from his camera stolen. This was one of a number of similar accusations made around the same time.
Binion filed a civil lawsuit the same year. His lawyer confirmed last week that the two sides had now reached a settlement, though terms are confidential. I’d imagine, given what a nice guy Bieber is now, that there’s a big hug involved. And cash. Lots of cash.
READ MORE ABOUT: Justin Bieber
Monday 27 April 2015, 10:44 | By Chris Cooke
Jay-Z hits out at Tidal critics in Twitter rant
Business News Digital Labels & Publishers
Hey everybody, will you all stop saying Tidal is shit / doomed / dead / pointless / over-priced / delusional / disingenuous / all hype / same old same old / a waste of space / a closed shop club for multi-millionaire popstars / an offence to all decent creators / a joke / a mess / an abomination / a steaming pile of the most magnificent nonsensical nonsense. Because it’s upsetting Shawn.
And when Shawn gets upset he takes to Twitter to set the record straight. And so it came to pass that – after several weeks of disses and rumour following that bizarre relaunch event that one day we’ll all realise was a work of genius (or possibly a foretelling of the end times, one of the other) – Jay-Z took to the tweets yesterday to tell us all Tidal is doing just fine. “Tidal is doing just fine”, he tweeted, which is a sure fire sign that Tidal is doing just fine.
“We have over 770,000 subs”, he went on, noting that “we have been in business less than one month – the iTunes Store wasn’t built in a day and it took Spotify nine years to be successful”.
Of course, that would mean Spotify only became successful last week (it having launched as a company in 2006 and as a service in 2008), and he ignores the fact WiMP/Tidal actually launched in 2010, but Jay-Z never claimed to be a historian.
He tweeted on: “We are here for the long haul. Please give us a chance to grow and get better. There are many big companies that are spending millions on a smear campaign. We are not anti-anyone, we are pro-artist and fan. We made Tidal for fans. We have more than just music. We have video, exclusive concerts, tickets for events early, live sports!”
And as for anyone who doubted NuTidal when it said it was going to be the artist friendly streaming service, well, prepare that humble pie.
“Tidal is where artists can give their fans more without the middlemen”, says Jay. You know, like every other streaming service if you’re a self-releasing artist. “Indie artists who want to work directly with us keep 100% of their music”, he added. Unlike all those other streaming services who, erm, what now? I don’t know.
Though, he goes on, “Tidal pays 75% royalty rate to ALL artists, writers and producers – not just the founding members on stage”. Which is 5% higher than the Spotifys et al (though given rumours the labels were being offered that 5%, that’s not so great news for the songwriters and publishers who are also presumably hoping for more).
And as for the “rich getting richer?” slur fired at RocTidal, well, Mr Z rolls on: “Equity values… YouTube $390 billion, Apple $760 billion, Spotify $8 billion, Tidal $60 million”. See?
And if you’re not yet convinced, the rap/Roc/stream mogul went on: “My cousin just moved to Nigeria to discover new talent. Tidal is a global company. We have Tidal X – it supports artists by giving them a platform to connect with their most loyal fans. Tidal is for all. Our actions will speak louder than words. We made Tidal to bring people the best experiences… and to help artists give that to their fans over and over again. We are human (even Daft Punk ha). We aren’t perfect – but we are determined”. And then he plugged an exclusive Jack White stream.
So there you have it. We can confirm once and for all and without even a hint of doubt that Tidal is NOT shit / doomed / dead / pointless / over-priced / delusional / disingenuous / all hype / same old same old / a waste of space / a closed shop club for multi-millionaire pop stars / an offence to all decent creators / a joke / a mess / an abomination / a streaming pile of the most magnificent nonsensical nonsense. Thank you Shawn.
READ MORE ABOUT: Jay-Z | Tidal
Monday 27 April 2015, 10:43 | By Chris Cooke
Warner Music owner tops the Rich List
Business News Industry People
Warner Music owner Len Blavatnik is at the top of the Sunday Times’ latest list of rich Brits, which is pretty good going for a Ukrainian-born American. According to the latest Rich List from the Sunday paper, Blavatnik – at number four in the annual parade of fat cats last year – has seen his fortune grow to £13.17 billion, putting him ahead of 2014’s richest, Sri and Gopi Hinduja. And there’s two of them, so they cheated anyway.
Blavatnik’s Access Industries acquired Warner Music in 2011, of course, extending the media interests of a conglomerate that is also active in real estate, natural resources and tech.
According to the Times, the Access mogul is also a keen art collector, and he spent £9 million last year on Damien Hirst’s gold-plated mammoth. And with that in mind, I’m now hoping to combine Lenny’s business and personal interests by selling him a fine little portrait of Warner Music’s gold-plated cash cow Ed Sheeran, which I completed just this morning. I’ll tweet it later so Blavatnik can make his bid.
As for actual music makers (and Michael Flatley, for some reason), here’s the list of the richest according to the Sunday Times’ loot-counters…
1. Paul McCartney & Nancy Shevell (£730m)
2. Andrew Lloyd-Webber (£650m)
3. U2 (£431m)
4. Elton John (£270m)
5. Mick Jagger (£225m)
6. Keith Richards (£210m)
7. Michael Flatley (£195m)
=8. Ringo Starr (£180m)
=8. Sting (£180m)
10. Roger Waters (£160m)
11. Eric Clapton (£155m)
=12. Tom Jones (£150m)
=12. Tim Rice (£150m)
=12. Rod Stewart (£150m)
=15. David Bowie & Iman Abdulmajid (£135m)
=15. Robbie Williams (£135m)
17. Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne (£130m)
=18. Phil Collins (£110m)
=18. Brian May (£110m)
=18. Charlie Watts (£110m)
=21. George Michael (£105m)
=21. Roger Taylor (£105m)
=23. Jimmy Page (£100m)
=23. Robert Plant (£100m)
=25. Enya (£90m)
=25. David Gilmour (£90m)
27. John Deacon (£85m)
28. Noel & Liam Gallagher (£77m)
29. Nick Mason (£75m)
=30. Calvin Harris (£70m)
=30. Mark Knopfler (£70m)
=30. Pete Townshend (£70m)
=33. Gary Barlow (£65m)
=33. Engelbert Humperdinck (£65m)
=35. Barry Gibb (£60m)
=35. John Paul Jones (£60m)
=37. Kylie Minogue (£55m)
=37. Cliff Richard (£55m)
=39. Guy Berryman (£52m)
=39. Jonny Buckland (£52m)
=39. Will Champion (£52m)
=39. Chris Martin (£52m)
UPDATE 27 Apr, 14.30: Chris’ picture of Ed Sheeran has now been tweeted. We await Len Blavatnik’s bid.
READ MORE ABOUT: Len Blavatnik | Warner Music
Monday 27 April 2015, 10:42 | By Andy Malt
Jazz FM’s Richard Wheatly dies
Business News Industry People Media
Jazz FM chairman and presenter Richard Wheatly died last week following a short illness. He was 69.
Wheatley first joined the station in 1995 as Managing Director, leaving in 2002 when it was sold to the Guardian Media Group. He returned in 2008 as the head of a consortium which negotiated a management buyout of the station for a nominal fee of £1. He was also co-founder and director of the Love Supreme Jazz Festival, and presented a weekly show on Jazz FM called ‘Jazz Notes’.
In a statement, Siobhan Kenny, CEO of commercial radio trade group RadioCentre, said: “We are so saddened to hear the shocking news about Richard’s sudden death. He was a maverick in our industry when he launched Jazz FM. By creating Jazz’s ‘Listen In Colour’ positioning along with the brand’s well-loved chameleon, he was successful in creating one of the most recognisable radio offerings of its time”.
She continued: “He was driven by an entrepreneurial passion and a deep love of jazz music. The people who worked alongside him over his long career will testify that he was a decent man who brought something different to our industry and was always a calm presence in the room offering sage advice. Our thoughts are with his family and everyone at Jazz FM”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Jazz FM | Richard Wheatly
Monday 27 April 2015, 10:41 | By Andy Malt
Winehouse family condemn Amy documentary
Artist News Legal
Amy Winehouse’s family have issued a statement distancing themselves from an upcoming documentary on the singer, ‘Amy’, accusing it of being “misleading” and “unbalanced”.
As previously reported, the film, made by ‘Senna’ director Asif Kapadia, is due to hit UK cinemas in July, after a premiere at the Cannes film festival. David Joseph, CEO at Winehouse’s record company Universal Music UK, called it “a very complicated and tender movie”, while the director himself said that it’s “an incredibly modern, emotional and relevant film that has the power to capture the zeitgeist and shine a light on the world we live in”.
However, the singer’s father Mitch Winehouse said last week that he is planning to sue for defamation over his portrayal in the film, as well as attempting to block its release in July. He told The Sun: “I felt sick when I watched it for the first time. Amy would be furious. This is not what she would have wanted. I am painted as being an absent father during her last years. It gives the impression the family weren’t there”.
He added that he takes particular exception to Amy Winehouse’s former husband Blake Fielder-Civil’s appearance in the film, during which he apparently blames her father for her alcoholism and drug use.
In a statement, the Winehouse family said that they “would like to disassociate themselves from the forthcoming film about their much missed and beloved Amy”.
A spokesperson for the family told reporters: “They feel that the film is a missed opportunity to celebrate her life and talent and that it is both misleading and contains some basic untruths. There are specific allegations made against family and management that are unfounded and unbalanced. Fundamentally, the Winehouse family believes that the film does a disservice to individuals and families suffering from the complicated affliction of addiction”.
The film’s makers told The Sun in a statement: “We came on board with the full backing of the Winehouse family and we approached the project with total objectivity. We conducted in the region of 100 interviews with people that knew Amy. The story that the film tells is a reflection of our findings from these interviews”.
The release date for the film is currently set for 3 Jul.
READ MORE ABOUT: Amy Winehouse | Mitch Winehouse
Monday 27 April 2015, 10:40 | By Andy Malt
Mumford & Sons warn fans not to bring phones to pre-album launch gig
Artist News Gigs & Festivals
Mumford & Sons will play a special one-off show at the Dome in Brighton tonight, ahead of the release of their new album next week. However, anyone with a tickets has been advised to leave their mobile phone at home, as they will not be permitted in the venue.
In a message to their mailing list announcing the last minute show last week, reports BBC Newsbeat, the band said: “As this show is happening pre-album release, the band have requested all mobile phone and recording devices to be prohibited inside the venue”.
Anyone who decides to leave the house with the device that now controls their life is advised to arrive “a minimum of one hour” before the show in order to leave it with venue staff. The email also notes that “there will be a queue after the show to get your phone back”, which could delay attendees getting home in a timely fashion. And on a school night too.
Another thing frontman Marcus Mumford has considered banning is his band’s own name, due to the change in direction of their sound on new album ‘Wilder Mind’. He told the NME: “I definitely regret the band name. If I’d known it was going to go this way I would have wanted to call it anything other than my last name. It’s a ball-ache. We thought about changing it but it’s a bit late now”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Mumford & Sons
Monday 27 April 2015, 10:39 | By Andy Malt
CMU’s One Liners: Apple Watch music apps, The Chemical Brothers’ new album, Josh Groban coming to the UK, and more
Artist News Digital Gigs & Festivals One Liners Releases
Other notable announcements and developments today…
• Gig listings app Bandsintown and radio app TuneIn are now available for the Apple Watch. [Insert 2000 word thinkpiece on how this will save the music industry here]
• The Chemical Brothers have announced that they will release a new album, ‘Born In The Echoes’, on 17 Jul. It features as guests St Vincent, Q-Tip, Cate Le Bon, Ali Love and Beck, which is pretty exciting. Here’s lead track ‘Sometimes I Feel So Deserted’, which features none of them.
• Silverchair will release a 20th anniversary edition of their debut album ‘Frogstomp’ on 15 Jun.
• DIIV’s second album will be called ‘Is The Is Are’ and will be out this autumn at some point.
• Health are back, mate. Yeah, pretty stoked. Well, there’s a new track, yeah. It’s called ‘New Coke’. Oh yeah, video? Yeah, it’s here. The album’s called ‘Death Magic’ and it’s out on 7 Aug.
• Noise rock troupe Årabrot have announced that they will release a new EP, titled ‘You Bunch Of Idiots’, on 18 Jun.
• Uccupanther will release his debut EP, ‘Chimera’, on 22 May. Here’s the video for ‘Down’.
• Josh Groban has announced three UK shows later this year. 28 Nov at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, 29 Nov at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, and then the Hammersmith Apollo in London on 1 Dec.
• Deftones will play a UK show at Wembley Arena on 21 Nov. Tickets go on sale this Friday. The show should follow the release of the band’s eighth album, so that’s exciting.
READ MORE ABOUT: Apple | Arabrot | Bandsintown | Deftones | DIIV | Health | Josh Gorban | Silverchair | The Chemical Brothers | TuneIn | Uccupanther
Monday 27 April 2015, 10:38 | By Andy Malt
Stephen Hawking consoles One Direction fans
And Finally Artist News
If you’re still upset about Zayn Malik leaving One Direction, you shouldn’t be. Partly because the whole group will split soon, so it’s not going to matter that much in the long run. But also, says Stephen Hawking, because if you could work out how to travel to an alternative universe, you might find that he’s still in the group. So it’s all fine.
Speaking at an event at the Sydney Opera House, Hawking was asked about the “cosmological effect” of Malik’s departure from the group, reports BBC Newsbeat.
“My advice to any heartbroken young girl is to pay close attention to the study of theoretical physics”, he replied. “One day there may well be proof of multiple universes. It would not be beyond the realms of possibility that somewhere outside of our own universe lies another different universe. And in that universe, Zayn is still in One Direction”.
So, hey, that also means that there could be a universe were One Direction will never split up. And also one where they are a death metal band. And one where they all have each other’s haircuts. And one where Harry killed and ate the other four. And one where they are a tap dancing troupe.
And one where they, rather than Simon Cowell, decided to form the group. And one where they formed a supergroup with Take That. And one where they actually won ‘X-Factor’. And one where they have their own range of orthopaedic shoes. But, we suspect, not one where Matt Cardle was more successful than them.
READ MORE ABOUT: One Direction | Stephen Hawking | Zayn Malik
Monday 27 April 2015, 10:37 | By Andy Malt
Approved: Nordic Giants
CMU Approved
Nordic Giants is a pretty bold name for a band, but Nordic Giants are a pretty bold band. A quick scan through their biog will confirm that. But it’s a front they deliver on with their grand, cinematic music.
‘Cinematic’ is a term that gets thrown around quite a lot in music criticism of course, but in this case it seems perfectly justified. Each of the band’s songs is accompanied by a short film to backdrop live performances, and it’s notable that in that biog, the two quotes they’ve included come from people who work in film.
The band’s debut album ‘A Séance Of Dark Delusions’ is out digitally this week, with physical copies available on 4 May, the same day that the band are due to headline a show at Village Underground in London (the second date of a wider UK tour).
Check out their latest video, for ‘Rapture’, which features vocals from Beth Cannon, here:
READ MORE ABOUT: Nordic Giants
Friday 24 April 2015, 12:09 | By Chris Cooke
Ne-Yo calls on American legislators to overhaul music licensing laws
Business News Labels & Publishers Legal Top Stories
Ne-Yo has called arguments presented by Spotify and Pandora in defence of the streaming business model “offensive and inaccurate”, while arguing that the current royalty structure in the streaming domain has put “American songwriting on the verge of its own collapse”. Which are dramatic words for sure.
The R&B star has penned a piece for Washington-based Roll Call amidst a flurry of music copyright debates in American political and legal circles, as Pandora pursues more favourable royalty rates through the Copyright Royalty Board and collective licensing rate courts; while artists and labels push for new laws to force AM/FM radio stations to pay royalties to sound recording owners for the first time; and the publishers seek a change in collective licensing rules Stateside so they can force digital services into direct deals away from the aforementioned rates courts, meaning they could demand higher payments.
Noting that streaming services often defend their business models by saying they are turning pirates into ad-revenue-generating and ultimately subscription-paying customers, Ne-Yo writes “as a songwriter, I find this to be an offensive and inaccurate argument”.
Very much pitching at Roll Call’s political audience, the singer goes on: “In most industries, the value of something increases with demand. The more people who want your goods or services, the higher the price you can expect to receive for them in the marketplace. It’s basic fairness. But the music business doesn’t work that way. How much a songwriter gets paid is mostly determined by federal regulations, rather than the free market. This regulatory system was created more than 70 years ago and has not been updated since 2001, before the introduction of the iPod and before streaming music was made popular”.
While supporting an overhaul of American licensing rules, so that music publishers can start direct dealing with streaming services to up their payments, Ne-Yo also references the disparity between the streaming monies earned by labels and publishers, acknowledging that the solution to his concerns is not just the mainly loss making streaming services paying more.
He writes: “Songwriters see the smallest fraction of royalty payouts because we are limited in how we can negotiate. Meanwhile, record labels and recording artists often earn twelve to fourteen times more than songwriters for a stream of the exact same song. As an artist who has experienced both sides of this split, I can personally speak to the nonsensical disparity between these different incomes”.
Calling for US Congress to back an overhaul of licensing rules and a rewrite of the so called consent decrees that govern collective licensing in America, Ne-Yo stresses that this isn’t for his benefit (possibly aware that consumers don’t always respond well to wealthy superstar artists calling for higher royalties – resulting in things like this).
He notes: “I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to earn a living off other revenue streams, such as concert tours and merchandise. But for my fellow songwriters, whose craft is focused on the powerful written word, music licence royalties are their sole source of income”.
Read the full op-ed piece here.
READ MORE ABOUT: Ne-Yo
Friday 24 April 2015, 12:07 | By Chris Cooke
DLT left “financially ruined” by indecent and sexual assault cases
Business News Legal Media
Former Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis says that the various long-drawn out legal battles he has had to fight amidst various allegations of indecent and sexual assault have left him “financially ruined”.
As previously reported, Travis was cleared of twelve charges of indecent assault in February last year, and of a further count of indecent assault and one of sexual assault in September. But he was found guilty of an additional allegation of indecent assault, added by the prosecution between the two trials, and was given a three month suspended sentence for that crime.
The former DJ’s lawyer revealed his client’s financial woes yesterday while making an application for the court to cover some costs, noting that – while Travis was convicted on one charge – “all of the allegations from trial one were found in his favour”. Adding that he was now working for Travis pro bono, lawyer Stephen Vullo said of DLT, according to the Mirror: “He has no money left whatsoever. He is now below zero. He lives in a house owned by his wife … he has been financially devastated by this”.
The judge awarded Travis travel costs, but limited to the value of a return train ticket and £50 taxi costs per day the DJ spent in court. Some of Vullo’s expenses will also be covered, even though prosecutor Joshua Munro argued the costs were not “reasonable” expenses for the taxpayer to fund.
READ MORE ABOUT: Dave Lee Travis
Friday 24 April 2015, 12:05 | By Andy Malt
Afrika Bambaataa signs to Sony/ATV
Business News Deals
Hip hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa has signed a new publishing deal with Sony/ATV for the world outside North America. The deal covers his entire songwriting catalogue and future work.
Says Afrika Bambaataa himself: “I am excited to team up with Sony/ATV Music Publishing and look forward to the future of many more spectacular, creative, mind blowing, positive events to happen from being with a company like this”.
He went on: “With so many great artists they already represent throughout the world, I will be following the greatness of many Motown groups that Sony/ATV looks after as well as the great Sly And The Family Stone, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Temptations, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Michael Jackson and many more. Respect to all the hard workers and staff at Sony/ATV Music Publishing and let’s rejoice and give the world more peace, unity, love and having fun in music and dance”.
He does seem genuinely excited, doesn’t he? Almost thrilled. Sony/ATV Catalogue A&R Yasmin Lajoie added: “It’s such an honour to welcome Bam to the Sony/ATV family. We are looking forward to working with him, not only helping preserve his legacy by introducing his songs to a new generation of music lovers, but also setting up collaborations and assisting Bam with exciting new creative projects”.
I’m so happy that everyone is so happy.
READ MORE ABOUT: Afrika Bambaataa | Sony Music Publishing
Friday 24 April 2015, 12:01 | By Chris Cooke
Indie festivals contributed a billion to UK economy between 2010 and 2014, says AIF
Business News Live Business
Independent music festivals in the UK contributed about £1 billion to the British economy during the five festival seasons that took place between 2010 and 2014, according to stats from the Association Of Independent Festivals which now represents 50 of the UK’s indie fests.
The trade group also reckons that 635,000 music fans attended its members’ events just last year, generating £296 million between them. And a portion of that figure comes from “audience spend along the supply chain including local businesses”, with £80 million odd benefiting other suppliers and companies based near festival sites during the five years AIF researched.
Other stats published by the AIF yesterday – based on a survey of festival-goers – revealed that 49% of those interviewed said they chose to attend an independent festival over taking a summer holiday, while 58.2% said “general atmosphere, overall vibe and character of event” was the single most important factor in choosing a festival to go to.
That was compared to just 8.3% saying that “headline acts” impact on their festival decision making. Which is interesting, given promoters at most larger music fests will say headliners are key to ticket sales, hence the negotiating power of headline level artists and their pesky agents.
The stats frenzy comes as AIF launches a new initiative called Festival Fever, which will see indie festivals bigging up their independent status, and the launch of an AIF YouTube channel and a fan footage competition, the prize for which will be access to all AIF-member festivals. Which would keep the winner busy.
Commenting on all this, AIF General Manger Paul Reed told reporters: “Our extensive research clearly shows that the independent music festival sector is thriving and enjoying an extended period of fantastic growth. Over the last four years our members events have contributed an estimated £1bn to the UK economy, primarily through audience spend, which has benefited the entire country, particularly local businesses in the areas where these festivals take place”.
He went on: “To celebrate that success we have launched Festival Fever to highlight the importance of independent music festivals and to illustrate the huge diversity of wonderful events and experiences our members stage throughout the year”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Association Of Independent Festivals (AIF)
Friday 24 April 2015, 12:00 | By Andy Malt
Slipknot fail to set the world on fire with Zippo partnership
Brands & Merch Business News
Slipknot have announced a partnership with Zippo Encore on their upcoming ‘Summer’s Last Stand’ US tour.
This isn’t just a straight sponsorship deal though. Oh, Christ no. This is a total two-way creative love-in. Because, you see, Slipknot are going to design some lighters, which Zippo will then hawk at the shows in its own pop-up shop. Fans will also have the chance to win prizes and create their own lighter designs.
“Who can think of a concert – especially a heavy metal or hard rock concert – without picturing Zippo lighters in the air, showing appreciation for the music that’s being played?” asked Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor (a generation of blank-faced young people just out of shot).
He continued: “We’re excited to partner with Zippo and put our creative caps on to ultimately create something special for our fans, something that they’ll appreciate and haven’t seen before”.
Oh, piss off. Why is this statement not telling kids to use the lighters to smoke bongs and set fire to any seating in the venue? What has happened to our rockstars?
I mean, I think that statement was actually worse than that from the marketing guy who followed. Look, here’s Zippo’s Global Brand Manager Brent Tyler: “In teaming up with Slipknot, we have a unique opportunity to pair rock royalty with one of America’s most iconic and recognisable brands. This partnership will be unlike anything Zippo Encore has done previously, and we’re looking forward to giving our fans something truly special to get excited about this summer”.
What does he mean “our” fans? Surely he means “Slipknot’s fans”. Or have the band lost so much of their edge in doing this, that he thinks that people are actually going to turn up mainly to buy lighters?
What a world we live in.
READ MORE ABOUT: Slipknot | Zippo
Friday 24 April 2015, 11:59 | By Chris Cooke
Local radio group in Norway hits out at FM shutdown proposal
Business News Media
While the Norwegian government wants its country to be first to turn off FM radio broadcasts, a group called the Norwegian Local Radio Association insists that opposition to the plan is growing, while claiming that figures quoted by the country’s Minister Of Culture to justify the switchover from analogue to digital radio were misleading.
As previously reported, Norway recently said it would switch off FM broadcasts in December 2017, giving radio listeners in the country two and half years to move over to exclusively digital platforms. Which is a tall order given nearly half of all radio listeners in the country tune into FM each day, 45% don’t own a digital radio set, and 80% of cars still only have analogue radio receivers.
Though some reckon that a firm deadline for FM shutdown is needed to speed up analogue to digital switchover and end the inefficiency of broadcasters having to operate on both FM and the DAB digital radio system.
But not everyone is pro the speedy FM shutdown in Norway, says the NLRA. The group writes: “This FM switch-off proposal is up for decision in Stortinget, the Norwegian parliament, later this spring. While there is still a majority in favour of the proposal, opposition is growing. The government coalition partner, the Progress Party, has been against switching off FM since the first proposal for DAB came up in Stortinget in 2011. Now, the Green Party, is also aligning against the switch-off”.
The NLRA also says that Norwegian ministers claiming that FM shutdown could now be scheduled because the country has passed the 50% “digital listening point” was misleading because those numbers include those who listen to radio via digital TV or the net. The group adds: “Last week, the Norwegian Government Statistical Bureau reported that listening to DAB radio is presently limited to 19% on a daily basis”.
And: “The decision by the government for a fast track to DAB ignores the millions of foreign motorists visiting Norway annually as tourist or business professionals. This proposed change means that most visitors will not be able to listen to national channels or public radio for emergency alerts, traffic or other important information”.
The concerns expressed by the Norwegian Local Radio Association replicate points raised against DAB by some smaller radio operators in the UK, who argue the push to switch from FM to DAB is being led by the bigger radio firms despite the concerns of smaller companies. Though, as previously reported, the push here hasn’t yet led to any firm date for a widespread FM wind-down as yet.
READ MORE ABOUT: DAB
Friday 24 April 2015, 11:57 | By CMU Editorial
Full schedules now live for three of the CMU Insights @ The Great Escape strands
Business News Education & Events The Great Escape 2015
The full schedules are now live for three of the conference strands set to be presented by CMU Insights at The Great Escape next month.
As previously reported, there’s a whole new look to the Great Escape Convention this year, with CMU presenting four full-day conference strands, each exploring a different theme in-depth through a combination of talks, interviews, original research and discussions. Delegates can still dip in and out as they wish, though if they choose to join a strand in its entirety we’ll walk them through all the key trends, issues and developments that have occurred in that part of the music business.
The music marketing strand on Friday 15 May will look at the impact the shift to streaming and the potential of direct-to-fan have had on the way both labels and managers market their artists and releases. We’ll look at the different kinds of playlists that are driving repeat listening (and therefore repeat royalties) and how labels and artists can influence the compilers. And we’ll consider how analytics and new ticketing apps and platforms are changing the way we publicise gigs, tours and festivals. Check the schedule here.
The music licensing strand on Thursday 14 May will provide a concise overview of how music copyright works, covering the ‘beginners guide’ basics, and then quickly looking at latest trends, developments and technicalities. It will reveal how music rights are making money around the world in 2015, before explaining in clear terms how labels and publishers are licensing streaming services, what is happening to streaming income, and why gaps and inconsistencies in copyright ownership data are an increasingly big issue. Check the schedule here.
The brands strand on Thursday 14 May will look at recent developments in the brand partnerships domain, and explore how better collaboration between each element of the music industry is needed to get the most out of artist/brand alliances. We’ll have a series of case studies looking at how different partnerships between brands and artists, festivals and venues have worked, before considering the ins and outs of a sync deal and what artists can do if they think a brand has ripped off their music. Check the schedule here.
The fourth strand on Friday 15 May will put the artist/label relationship under the spotlight. Looking first at the growing direct-to-fan and label services business, we’ll ask why so many artists – and especially new talent – still seek a traditional label partnership. But how can artists get the most out of that alliance, what are the real commercial opportunities for both artist and label, and how are their deals evolving to capitalise on all that? Look out for the full schedule to this final strand going live next week.
To access these conference strands and all the other Great Escape festivities this year you need yourself a delegates pass, which – if you haven’t already got it – you can buy here. And don’t forget the CMU:DIY programme for future talent taking place on Saturday 16 May, check the full line up to that here.
READ MORE ABOUT: CMU Insights | The Great Escape
Friday 24 April 2015, 11:54 | By Andy Malt
Alabama Shakes announce UK shows
Artist News Gigs & Festivals
Popular historical re-enactment group Alabama Shakes have announced that they will be playing some of their music that sounds like it comes from ages ago in various live settings around the UK.
The band will play two dates around their sold out headline show at The Great Escape on 15 May, heading to the Academy in Birmingham on 13 May and the Apollo in Manchester on 16 May.
“But what about London?” you may legitimately be screaming at the sky right now. “What sort of band books a UK tour and doesn’t come to London?”
Calm yourself, they have thought of this. They will play the Brixton Academy on 18 Nov. Yes, you’re right, that is a long time after those other dates. However, on the plus side, it means that, come Autumn, everyone outside London can complain that American bands all think that London is the only city worth playing in the UK, having forgotten that the Shakes played in a couple of other places earlier in the year. Everyone can go home happy.
Here’s the video for ‘Future People’, in honour of the future and us feeling that warm glow of superiority:
READ MORE ABOUT: Alabama Shakes
Friday 24 April 2015, 11:52 | By Chris Cooke
CMU’s One Liners: Solid Steel relaunch, Kanaku Y El Tigre signing, Michael Eavis’s train, more
Artist News Business News Deals Gigs & Festivals Industry People Live Business Releases
Other notable announcements and developments today…
• Universal Music Publishing has renewed its worldwide alliance with UK publishing and production firm Metrophonic, with the major providing rights administration to the indie. “Positive” says Metrophonic’s Brian Rawling. “Delighted” added Universal’s Paul Connolly.
• Booking agent Cris Hearn, previously off of Primary Talent, has joined rival agency Coda as a Senior Agent. “Philosophy” says Hearn. “Universally” adds Coda MD Claire Horseman
• Ninja Tune’s Solid Steel DJ mix show has relaunched its website. It will continue to put up a new two hour mix every week, and for the new site producer DK has collected 50 of the best dating back to 1988. It’s very cool, check it out.
• Peruvian indie folk band Kanaku Y El Tigre have signed joint record deals with K7!’s Strut Records and Tiger’s Milk Records, as well as a publishing deal with Sony/ATV. This is new single ‘Si Te Mueres Mañana’.
• Kaskade has shared the video for new track ‘Never Sleep Alone’. And if you want more, you can watch a bit of slow motion drone footage from his Coachella set here.
• Palma Violets have released the video for ‘English Tongue’, taken from their new album ‘Danger In The Club’, which is out on 5 May. And here is that video.
• Calexico have shared the video for ‘Falling From The Sky’ from their new album, ‘Edge Of The Sun’. Watch it here. Next week they kick of a short UK tour with a sold out show at the Shempire.
• Jurassic 5 have announced UK tour dates to mark the re-issue of their 1995 debut album ‘Quality Control’ later this year. They’ll play in Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol, finishing up at The Forum in London on 10 Sep.
• If you want, you can book to stay in Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love’s old bedroom in LA on Airbnb, for £199 per night.
• Or, if you’ve got a bit more money knocking around, you could buy Trent Reznor’s house for $4.5 million. Up to you.
• A new train that will travel from Paddington to Castle Carey, the nearest station to the Glastonbury festival, has been named Michael Eavis. Appearing at the unveiling yesterday, Eavis said: “There have been ups and downs over the last 45 years of the festival but this is one of the best moments”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Calexico | Coda | Courtney Love | Cris Hearn | Glastonbury Festival | Jurassic 5 | Kanaku Y El Tigre | Kaskade | Kurt Cobain | Metrophonic | Michael Eavis | Ninja Tune | Palma Violets | Solid Steel | Strut Records | Tiger's Milk Records | Trent Reznor | Universal Music Publishing
Friday 24 April 2015, 11:41 | By Andy Malt
CMU Beef Of The Week #252: Leona Lewis v Syco
And Finally Artist News Beef Of The Week
Whenever Leona Lewis does anything these days, people keep rushing around to point out how it sounds like she’s saying her split from Syco last year was acrimonious.
She’s managed all this through the medium of thinly-veiled criticism, veiled just enough that you can’t be entirely sure you’re not imagining it. Hey, it’s a marketing plan. And also, if you were wondering, it’s how you maintain your image of being a nice person while also sticking the boot in.
It all began when she signed to Island last June, and Lewis said in a statement that she’d had “seven incredible years at Sony” but was happy to now be on a label where “artists can really flourish and are encouraged to express themselves” and which “stands for quality music”.
See, I’m picking out the choice words to create my own narrative, she might not have meant anything by it at all. She said her time with Sony was “incredible”, after all.
Then there was that letter she wrote in September, posted to her Facebook page, in which she directly discussed her departure from Syco, saying: “After several years, I thought about leaving over and over again. I was terrified of walking away from a somewhat secure relationship, even though I knew that we were no longer right for each other and at times even bad for each other. However, I clung to the safety net I had grown so attached to”.
She went on: “One day everything changed. For my fifth album, I was asked to make a record that would not have been true to myself. By all means as an artist in this climate, I was thankful to even get the chance to make another record. But I cannot make music that does not speak to my soul, and as scary as it seemed, I could no longer compromise myself, and so I decided to leave”.
She also said that she was “threatened with the fact that if I left, it would come out that I had been dropped”.
That, could, perhaps have been the final word on it all. Though was the disagreement on album five the first falling out or the final nail? And how harsh had that fall out really been? Lewis did add: “The end of a relationship can really burn but underneath it all, there is still love there”. Still love! Yes, it might have gone sour at the end, but they can still be friends. There’s no need to burn bridges and go on about it all the time. Let’s just drop it all now.
But no, things can’t be dropped. People still need to find hidden meaning in things. Earlier this month someone suggested to the Mirror that lines in her first Island single, ‘Fire’ are all about Syco. She was “drowning in quicksand”, she sings, adding: “I’m set free, I begin to spread my wings. I’m happy and I’ve earned this”.
Oh yeah, it could just be a song about a messy break up with an actual romantic partner, but don’t you think it’s more likely that someone would write about their relationship with a division of a multi-national company? And what’s more, the paper pointed out, while previewing the single at a live event in London, she also thanked Island, saying from the stage: “Thank you for allowing me to make an honest and genuine album and show the real me”.
Honest, genuine, and real. It doesn’t mean her albums with Syco weren’t those things, of course. She could just be surprised that Island let her make an album she appears to be happy with. But at the same time, she could totally sticking it to the stifling Syco.
Then this week, Lewis posted a video to her YouTube channel. A simple, innocent, tightly-edited video in which she lists all the ways she has been wronged since her time on ‘X-Factor’, without ever directly saying it.
“It’s like full circle back to where I started and where I began and why I started doing music”, she says of where she’s at now. And please note here point there: she had played music before falling into the jaws of Syco. She continues: “I’ve met people that I respect and love so much doing this, and that have become like best friends to me, and I’ve met people that have come in and taken advantage of me. I always embrace everyone with open arms and see the best in people”.
Well, I think we might have identified the problem. But there’s more: “Having that creative freedom, I’m going out there and doing my own things. A lot of people were telling me how to be and how act and what to say. You should be able to do whatever you wanna do, however you wanna express yourself. No one is one dimensional. I’m gonna say whatever it is I wanna say and I’m not gonna compromise myself anymore and I’m not gonna censor myself”.
So, there you go. I think that’s pretty conclusive evidence that Leona Lewis sees everything that has happened to her since 2006 as terrible and is only now starting her career in music. “Fuck you, Sony”, she seems to say. “And fuck you Simon Cowell. Fuck you right in the eye”.
Hey, speaking of people dishing out sly insults, Calvin Harris tweeted this week that his hit with Rihanna, ‘We Found Love’, “wouldn’t have been a hit if anyone else had sung it”.
Back in 2012, you might remember, Leona Lewis revealed that she’d been the original singer on the track. Honestly, these popstars…
READ MORE ABOUT: Leona Lewis | Syco
Thursday 23 April 2015, 10:48 | By Chris Cooke
Canada set to increase sound recording copyright term to 70 years
Business News Labels & Publishers Legal Top Stories
Canada is set to follow Europe in extending the copyright term enjoyed by sound recordings from the current 50 years up to 70 years. The country’s federal government announced that very plan amongst a list of other intellectual property measures in its 2015 budget statement earlier this week.
And if you don’t believe me, look, here are the government’s actual words: “Economic Action Plan 2015 also proposes to amend the Copyright Act to extend the term of protection of sound recordings and performances from 50 to 70 years following the first release of the sound recording, so that performers and record labels are fairly compensated for the use of their music for an additional 20 years”.
Why not make a recording of yourself saying those words and enjoy a whole extra 20 years of copyright protection? And in Canada, no less.
As previously reported, record companies in Europe lobbied hard for over a decade to get the sound recording copyright term extended beyond 50 years, not least because the still-very-lucrative 1960s rock n roll oeuvre was getting very close to going public domain, so that anyone could exploit those recordings without getting a licence from or paying any money to the copyright owner (though the copyright in the song – which is linked to the life of the songwriter – would likely still be in play, so a licence would be required for that).
The UK government, initially hesitant to grant a longer sound recording term, changed its policy in 2009. However, copyright terms in the European Union are controlled by European law, so a few more years of lobbying were required to get the all-clear at the EU level. In the end the term extension – which wasn’t applied retrospectively – kicked in just in time to keep The Beatles catalogue in copyright in Europe. Except poor old ‘Love Me Do’ and its b-side.
Copyright term extensions are always controversial, with some arguing that 50 years is more than enough time for labels and performers to recoup any time or cash investment they made in creating a record. The record industry argues that – while everyone recouped on the hits long ago – the hits have to carry the vast majority of recordings that lose money, either because they are of niche interest, or in most cases because they never find an audience.
Also, wherever performers are due – under law – ‘equitable remuneration’ when their recordings are exploited in certain ways, there is an individual as well as corporate element to this debate. Because individual performers earn royalties even if they don’t own the copyright or have a label contract that guarantees a share of revenue
Political types are usually more easily persuaded by the thought of aging session musicians of limited means losing life-line royalty payments than by labels claiming they need more Beatles money to fund the next big thing’s new record (even though labels will earn way more during the extra 20 years).
Nevertheless, critics are already lining up in Canada to oppose copyright extension there (even though ministers are arguably compelled by global treaties to increase the sound recording term). In a statement, the Electronic Frontier Foundation said the announcement had come out of the blue, without a public consultation. And, indeed, during recent copyright reforms in the country it was decided not to extend the recording term.
The group writes: “Canada just completed a copyright reform process between 2010 and 2012, and it was decided not to extend copyright. Indeed, the idea received relatively little attention. There was no evidence, then or now, that the extension would increase incentives for the investment in the recording and performance of copyright works”.
It goes on: “On the contrary, as [law professor] Michael Geist explains, the significant costs of the new measure will be paid by the public, and the benefits will accrue mostly to record labels (and much less significantly to a few of the most successful recording artists). The sudden inclusion of such a measure in the federal budget therefore seems to come out of nowhere”.
But needless to say, reps for the Canadian music industry welcomed the announcement. Music Canada President Graham Henderson told reporters: “By proposing to extend the term of copyright in recorded music, Prime Minister Harper and the government of Canada have demonstrated a real understanding of music’s importance to the Canadian economy. Thank you. We look forward to seeing the full details when the Budget Implementation Act is tabled”.
Even Leonard Cohen was on hand to big up the proposals, saying: “In just a few short years, songs we recorded in the late 1960s will no longer have copyright protection in Canada. Many of us in our 70s and 80s depend on income from these songs for our livelihood. We would deeply appreciate any adjustment that would avert a financial disaster in our lives”.
News of impending term extension in Canada comes amidst much chatter online about the UK Green Party’s opinion on copyright terms. Everyone’s noticed that the Greens advocate shorter copyright terms for all, going as low as fourteen years. “Outrageous”, say creators and rights owners. “Good on em”, say the pro-copyright reformers. “Erm, you said what now?” say the lawyers.
Of course, while increased support for the Greens in the UK has added an interesting alternative voice in political debate, the party won’t wield any real power in the British Parliament for the foreseeable future, and certainly not on IP issues. And even if it did, as mentioned, copyright terms are controlled at the European level. But hey, at least it’s distracted everyone from all that increasingly tedious “did you hear Tidal’s bombed/doomed/fucked” chatter.
READ MORE ABOUT: Copyright extension
Thursday 23 April 2015, 10:47 | By Andy Malt
German publishers call for larger cut of streaming income
Business News Labels & Publishers
The German Music Publishers Association has come out against the way streaming income is currently split between record labels and publishers, it may surprise you to learn. I mean, assuming you’re surprised by most things. Even unsurprising things.
Speaking at the trade body’s annual meeting yesterday, President Rolf Budde said that “composers, lyricists and music publishers must not be sacrificed on the altar of digital music”.
According to Billboard, Budde told the meeting that German publishers were increasingly worried about the amount of money coming to them via the country’s performing rights society GEMA. This, of course, echoes similar protestations made by publishers, songwriters and their trade bodies in the UK, US and elsewhere in recent months.
Budde told the room: “It is high time that streaming services with their ‘gold rush’ mentality stopped ignoring creative people and jeopardising their livelihoods. The streaming services do not pay adequate compensation to the authors and publishers via GEMA. The streaming services and the record companies must give authors and music publishers a fair share of the revenues once and for all”.
Of course, some might say that the publishers really should have thought about all this ten years ago, rather than signing up to deals akin to the CD model where labels take a much bigger slice of income. Others might say publishers are actually already seeing a bigger cut of streaming income compared to their share of CD and download monies.
But, hey, let’s just start with a clean slate, shall we? If this is something that needs fixing, how is that going to happen? The streaming services have already made it clear that they can’t afford to give up any more of their revenues to the music industry. Though, admittedly, Tidal is seemingly saying it can. But if publishers and songwriters are going to see a serious uplift in streaming income, that will likely require the labels to take less. Why would they ever do that?
As previously reported, this will be a topic of discussion at this year’s CMU Insights @ The Great Escape, where representatives of the labels, publishers, songwriters and more will debate how the digital pie should be chopped up. More info here.
READ MORE ABOUT: German Music Publishers Association
Thursday 23 April 2015, 10:46 | By Andy Malt
Universal production music division launches new urban label
Business News Deals Labels & Publishers
Universal Music Publishing’s production music division has announced the launch of a new urban and hip hop-focussed unit, called Block, in partnership with management company London Boy Entertainment.
Working with artists and producers from LBE’s roster, including ADP, Alan Sampson, Levi Lennox and Tiago, the label will launch with a number of albums aimed at commercial use in film, TV, radio and advertising, drawing on trends in both UK and US urban music.
Universal Publishing Production Music’s Kris Pilling, who will act as the new label’s Senior Producer, said in a statement: “Production music clients love authentic urban music. It’s still quite an untouched landscape, so we’re thrilled to have Block in our arsenal as it means we can offer content producers a quality of urban music that has only ever been available on the commercial side. Block really does bridge the gap between commercial music and production music, and we are all very excited about its potential”.
LBE MD Sef Naqui added: “The beauty of Block is that we’re putting out music from the same pool of tracks that are being pitched to contemporary recording artists and labels across the world. UPPM works with us to select their favourites and then we act real quick to ensure they’re not signed up else where first. We’ve got such a strong set of producers now that we’ve got enough material to cover all channels”.
Block joins a number of other urban-leaning labels under UPPM, including Chuck D Presents, Hip Hop Chronicles, Chronic Trax, and Velocity.
READ MORE ABOUT: Block | London Boy Entertainment | Universal Music Publishing
Thursday 23 April 2015, 10:45 | By Chris Cooke
Global reveals more about its new live music business
Business News Live Business Media
Global Radio’s rapidly expanding and now fully operational Stateside music and entertainment business, Global Entertainment, has confirmed a load of information about its promised live music division, which will be called – brace yourself – Global Live.
Led by one time AEG Live CEO Randy Phillips who, of course, is heading up Global’s new US operations, Global Live has recruited Paul Korzilius, manager of Bon Jovi since 1992, to be its Vice President, while in the UK operations will be headed up by another former AEG-er in the former of Sam Bush, previously Director Of Live Music in the UK. Ned Collett has also been confirmed as a consultant to the new business, leading operations and finance.
As for actual shows, it looks like Phillips will be collaborating with his former employer on some ventures, with the division’s first UK project the current Vamps tour while in the US it will be an Indianapolis Rolling Stones show, both co-promotions with AEG.
Saying words on all this, Phillips told reporters: “Having built AEG Live from the ground up with some really gifted executives, I know what it takes to build a live entertainment company. Global is well positioned to do this again in the year 2015, and the industry is anxious for another professional, well resourced, financially stable live promotion company to enter the market”.
He went on: “As a new company, whose only mandate is not to be constrained by legacy and to focus on presenting great talent on stages around the world, we are able to independently promote and/or work with partners on a project-by-project basis”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Global
Thursday 23 April 2015, 10:44 | By Andy Malt
BASCA names Dan Moore Head Of Marketing and Membership
Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers
The British Academy Of Songwriters, Composers And Authors has announced Dan Moore as its new Head Of Marketing And Membership. He has previously worked for Warner Music UK and US collecting society ASCAP, as well as in artist management.
But how does he feel about his new job? I’ll let him tell you: “I am thrilled to be joining such an esteemed organisation that does so much important work for songwriters. With so many changes in the way music is being consumed it’s crucial that the writers are being represented fairly. I’m looking forward to working with [BASCA CEO] Vick Bain and her team, and with the 60th Ivor Novello Awards around the corner it’s a very exciting year for BASCA”.
Bain added: “We are very much looking forward to Dan Moore joining our team; his is a pivotal role and we are sure his proven experience and contacts throughout the music industry will bring huge benefits both to BASCA and all of our members”.
Which is all good. Though “very much looking forward to” is no “thrilled”, is it?
READ MORE ABOUT: British Academy of Songwriters Composers & Authors (BASCA) | Dan Moore
