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Thursday 20 September 2018, 10:27 | By Andy Malt
David Lynch’s lost Thought Gang album to be released
Artist News Releases
David Lynch and his frequent musical collaborator Angelo Badalamenti have announced the release of their previously unreleased 90s free jazz project Thought Gang.
Recorded in 1992 and 1993, music from the Thought Gang recording sessions has appeared in a number of Lynch’s film projects. However, it has never been made available for commercial release.
Speaking about those sessions, Lynch says: “I would tell [the musicians] a bunch of stuff and then they would play that. It was them catching the thing and painting a picture with their instruments and talent”.
The album is set for release on 2 Nov. Listen to a track from it, ‘Woodcutters From Fiery Ships’, here:
READ MORE ABOUT: Angelo Badalamenti | David Lynch
Thursday 20 September 2018, 10:20 | By Andy Malt
Public Service Broadcasting to release Titanic EP
Artist News Releases
Public Service Broadcasting have announced that they will release a new EP, ‘White Star Liner’, on 26 Oct. It will feature the Titantic-themed music that the band debuted in Belfast for the BBC’s Biggest Ever Weekend earlier this year.
As well as documenting the ship’s ultimate end, the EP also tells the story of its construction in Northern Ireland’s capital. “I thought it was an interesting challenge to tell the story of the ship’s construction as part of Belfast’s proud industrial history”, says the band’s J Willgoose.
That means, he adds, “the spirit of optimism of the pre-war age that she represented, and then an abstract and – I hope – respectful depiction of both the sinking of the ship – represented by the repeated morse code distress call C – Q – D – and the discovery of the wreck in 1985”.
The title track of the EP is available to listen to now:
READ MORE ABOUT: Public Service Broadcasting
Thursday 20 September 2018, 10:10 | By Andy Malt
Bloc Party to record Silent Alarm live album on European tour
Artist News Gigs & Festivals Releases
Bloc Party have announced that they will release a new live album featuring them performing their debut LP, ‘Silent Alarm’, in full. The new record will be unleashed on 22 Feb next year. Thing is, they still need to record it. That’s something they’ll do on their upcoming European tour.
The band will be playing six shows around Europe, where they will be performing the album from start to finish. Also, just announced is a warm-up show at Brudenell Social Club in Leeds on 13 Oct. Your only other chance to see them in the UK will be at Alexandra Palace on 24 Oct, which is, like, way bigger. Also, it’s sold out.
As will be the Leeds show very soon, so to be in with a chance of getting tickets you’d better get yourself on the band’s mailing list sharpish.
‘Silent Alarm’ was original released in February 2005, meaning the new live album will come out just as it hits its fourteenth anniversary. You know, the anniversary everyone traditionally celebrates. Just think, it’ll be old enough to legally drink alcohol in restaurants in Nicaragua!
READ MORE ABOUT: Bloc Party
Thursday 20 September 2018, 10:04 | By Andy Malt
One Liners: ERA, SoundExchange, Independent Music Cup, more
Artist News Business News Education & Events Gigs & Festivals One Liners Releases Retail
Other notable announcements and developments today…
• The Entertainment Retailers Association has published a new manifesto document called Entertainment 5.0, following one from a previous manifesto it published back in 2015. It talks about the five key challenges for the next phase in the evolution of entertainment retail. You can find out what they are in the document here.
• US collecting society SoundExchange has announced the appointment of Richard Conlon as Chief Corporate Development Officer. “Richard’s leadership in the music industry makes him the ideal person to help drive our strategy to grow SoundExchange into a diversified portfolio of companies and services for the entire industry”, says CEO Michael Huppe.
• A new short documentary has been released about this year’s Independent Music Cup charity five-a-side football tournament. This year’s chosen charity was the Young Urban Arts Foundation, whose CEO Kerry O’Brien says: “The day was full of fun, great team spirit and to know that everyone was there to support our cause and the Skip To The Beat mental health programme was heart-warming”.
• Jon Hopkins has released what he says is “the single most epic video I’ve ever had made”. It’s for his track ‘Singularity’, and here it is.
• Actor Sheridan Smith has announced that she will release her second album, ‘A Northern Soul’, on 2 Nov. “I’ve loved getting back into the music”, she says. “It feels great to be able to sing a song while telling a story in three minutes”. Here’s first single, ‘Priceless’.
• Marie Davidson has released ‘Work It’, the second single from her brilliant new album ‘Working Class Woman’. The album is out on 5 Oct, and she’ll play Electrowerkz in London the night before. Go.
• Tālā is back with new track ‘On Top’. “I wanted to capture the feeling when you’re carefree and having the best night of your life”, she says of the song. “You’ve met someone and completely indulging in the moment with no worries”.
• Daniel Brandt has released another track from his upcoming new solo album, ‘Channels’. Here’s ‘Sailboats III’.
• Praa has released her third single, ‘Y’, continuing her unbroken run of being excellent. “I needed to write something about this uneasiness of our generation”, she says. “We tend to lose true relationships over virtual ones. I feel like we’re losing each other and it’s terrifying me”.
• Laura Marling and Mike Lindsay, aka Lump, will play a one-off show at The Garage in London on 21 Nov. Don’t say I didn’t tell you. Because I quite obviously just did.
• Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily – updated every Friday.
READ MORE ABOUT: Daniel Brandt | Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) | Indie Music Cup | Jon Hopkins | Laura Marling | Lump | Marie Davidson | Mike Lindasy | Praa | Richard Conlon | Sheridan Smith | SoundExchange | Tālā
Thursday 20 September 2018, 09:51 | By Andy Malt
Oh no, Maroon 5 are rumoured to be playing the Super Bowl half time show
And Finally Artist News
Hey, it’s that time of year again. Time to start speculating about who’s going to play this year’s Super Bowl half time show. Will it be Drake? Will it be Rihanna? Will it be Taylor Swift? Ariana Grande, perhaps? No, all of your guesses are wrong, wrong, wrong. The word on the street is that it’s going to be… Maroon 5.
NFL bosses have refused to confirm whether or not they’ve booked the worst band in all existence to be their mid-sports game entertainment. Both Billboard and Variety have reported that it is so though.
In a statement, someone from the NFL says: “It’s a Super Bowl tradition to speculate about the performers for the Pepsi Halftime Show. We are continuing to work with Pepsi on our plans but do not have any announcements to make on what will be another epic show”.
Damn it, they managed to get two mentions for the show’s sponsor into that short statement. Bastards. Drink Coke. Drink Coke. Drink Coke.
Anyway, Billboard also reckons that Travis Scott and Cardi B will be brought on stage in an attempt to reduce the trauma of Maroon 5 being on TV for fifteen minutes. Cardi B features on a remix of Maroon 5’s ‘Girls Like You’ that’s currently at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 US singles chart.
Adding Travis Scott would mean that both of Nicki Minaj’s current nemeses would be on stage. Do Maroon 5 have beef with Minaj now? Well, while we’re speculating about things, we might as well throw that into the ring too.
The Super Bowl will take place in Atlanta on 3 Feb. It’s only September now of course, so you can expect a lot more talking about this to come.
READ MORE ABOUT: Cardi B | Maroon 5 | Super Bowl | Travis Scott
Thursday 20 September 2018, 08:55 | By Andy Malt
Approved: Kailee Morgue
CMU Approved
Since last year, Kailee Morgue has been releasing a steady stream of increasingly good singles. And that upwards trajectory continues on new track ‘Siren’.
“The Greek mythology reference picks up where my first single ‘Medusa’ left off”, she says of the new song. “But this one has a much more sinister tone. The balance between lofty vocal and the sexy, unsettling instrumental mirrors the temptation to do something forbidden or ill-advised”.
Of the newly released video for ‘Siren’, she goes on: “This is the first music video that I completely thought up the concept for and directed myself. I modernised the story of the siren, but still wanted to keep the underwater feel. While the video as a whole is dark and sexy, I also wanted to include scenes where the colours are lighter to give you a sense of innocence and sympathy for this siren”.
Watch the ‘Siren’ video here:
Stay up to date with all of the artists featured in the CMU Approved column by subscribing to our Spotify playlist.
READ MORE ABOUT: Kailee Morgue
Wednesday 19 September 2018, 10:42 | By Chris Cooke
US Senate passes Music Modernization Act
Business News Digital Labels & Publishers Legal Top Stories
The US Senate has passed the Music Modernization Act after a last minute deal was reached that ensured the copyright reforms had the backing of satellite radio firm SiriusXM. The proposals were hotlined by the upper house of Congress, which means they went through after no senators voiced opposition to the current draft.
The MMA brings together a number of different copyright reforms. This includes fixing issues around the way mechanical royalties are paid in the US and confirming that pre-1972 recordings are due royalties from online and satellite radio services. It also changes the way America’s Copyright Royalty Board and rate courts assess what royalty rates are fair when ruling on compulsory licences or licences issued by collecting societies ASCAP and BMI.
As a satellite radio service, SiriusXM is affected by the second of those measures, although it has already been paying royalties to artists and labels when it plays pre-1972 tracks as a result of past legal action by the artist and label community (the royalty obligation being ambiguous under existing laws). The media firm’s late-in-the-day objections to the MMA, therefore, were more related to the third set of measures, reforming the way the CRB and rate courts will work.
Backers of the MMA were concerned that the last minute intervention by SiriusXM could scupper the whole package of copyright reforms, which the industry really needed to get voted through before the current Congressional session finishes at the end of the year. The option to ‘hotline’ the proposals was attractive, but it was thought that a couple of senators might object to the legislation while Sirius XM was still lobbying against it.
However, an agreement was reached in time. The main compromise was that the existing sound recording royalty rate for satellite radio would stay in place until 2027, five years longer than originally intended. With that commitment assured, the CEO of SiriusXM, Jim Meyer, told reporters: “SiriusXM is a platform that respects and actively supports artists and all music creators, and we are delighted to have reached this agreement to help pass this bill”.
The satellite broadcaster and its parent company Liberty Media, which also has significant stakes in Pandora and Live Nation, will be hoping that, with a compromise reached and the MMA passed by Senate, it can now put behind it the last few weeks of bad press. Both artists and music industry leaders had been pretty scathing about SiriusXM’s lobbying efforts.
Still, the MMA is not quite passed yet. The amendments made in Senate will have to go back to the House Of Representatives for approval, and then The Donald will have to put his signature at the bottom of the new laws. Assuming that all happens, the industry will then have to get on with implementing the new system for processing the mechanical royalties paid to songwriters and publishers by the streaming services.
For now though, everyone you could even begin to consider existing in the American music industry has issued a statement welcoming Senate’s approval of what has been renamed the Orrin G Hatch Music Modernization Act, because it’s not a proper act if it hasn’t been rebranded to celebrate one of its backers. Here are a few of them for you all to enjoy. I wonder if anyone is THRILLED.
David Israelite, CEO of the National Music Publishers Association: “Today is a momentous day for songwriters, artists, composers, producers, engineers and the entire industry that revolves around them. The Senate vote marks a true step forward towards fairness for the people at the heart of music who have long been undervalued due to outdated laws. This was a long and complex process but ultimately the music industry has come out stronger and more united than ever. Now we anxiously await the House’s final approval of the MMA and seeing it signed into law”.
Mitch Glazier, President of the Recording Industry Association Of America: “As legendary band the Grateful Dead once said in an iconic pre-1972 song, ‘what a long strange trip it’s been’. It’s been an epic odyssey, and we’re THRILLED to almost be at our destination. For the modern US Senate to unanimously pass a 185-page bill is a herculean feat, only achievable because of the grit, determination and mobilisation of thousands of music creators across the nation. The result is a bill that moves us toward a modern music licensing landscape better founded on fair market rates and fair pay for all. At long last, a brighter tomorrow for both past and future generations of music creators is nearly upon us”.
The bosses of the Association of Independent Music Publishers: “The AIMP applauds today’s unanimous passage of the appropriately named Orrin G Hatch Music Modernization Act in the US Senate, clearing the path for its much-needed reforms to become law once ratified in the House and signed by the President. With support from both sides of the political aisle, along with unprecedented cooperation between the music and technology industry, the MMA will be a massive step forward for the independent publishing community and the music industry in general, which has been hamstrung by antiquated copyright laws for far too long”.
Chris Harrison, CEO of the Digital Media Association: “This milestone for the MMA demonstrates that with bipartisan leadership and a united music industry looking to the future, consumers, creators and copyright owners can all benefit. The MMA is a groundbreaking piece of legislation that will streamline royalty payments and bring some much-needed transparency to the system”.
The bosses of campaign groups the Content Creators Coalition and MusicAnswers: “[The MMA] is a great step forward towards a fairer music ecosystem that works better for music creators, services, and fans. Our organisations have been pleased to join in the efforts of the music creator community in support of this bill. We also are gratified that our two organisations, in collaboration and independent of other groups, were able to make meaningful contributions to the final legislation, including comprehensive and publicly available audits of the MMA’s new mechanical licensing collective and ensuring that the collective uses best practices to find the owners of unclaimed royalties. We appreciate the receptivity of key legislators and their staffs to these fundamental notions of transparency and accountability”.
Chris Israel, Executive Director of campaigning group musicFIRST: “After passing unanimously in the House Of Representatives earlier this year, the musicFIRST Coalition is THRILLED to see the Senate follow suit with unanimous passage of the Orrin G Hatch Music Modernization Act. [The MMA] will bring music licensing laws into the 21st Century and cement the framework for a just relationship between music creators and the technology companies that benefit from their work”.
Paul Williams, President of collecting society ASCAP: “American songwriters work tirelessly behind the scenes to create the music that fans all over the world enjoy. Today, we made history by joining together and working for Senate passage of the Music Modernization Act, bringing us one step closer to a music licensing framework that reflects how people listen to music today. We urge the House of Representatives to swiftly pass the Senate bill, so the President can sign it into law and music creators can begin to see the benefits of this critical reform”.
Michael Huppe, CEO of collecting society SoundExchange: “The future of the music industry got brighter today. Creators of music moved one step closer to getting paid more fairly. And industry forces that fought to maintain an unfair and harmful status quo were rebuffed. Now, SoundExchange’s 170,000-member community has just one word for the House Of Representatives: Encore!”
READ MORE ABOUT: Music Modernization Act
Wednesday 19 September 2018, 10:41 | By Andy Malt
Spotify sued for gender discrimination by former US sales exec
Business News Digital Industry People Legal
Spotify is being sued in the US over claims of gender discrimination and that the company routinely pays women less than men.
Former Spotify sales exec Hong Perez is suing the streaming service’s US company and its Head Of US Sales, Brian Berner. She claims that there is a culture of disrespect against women at the company, set by the leadership style of key senior staff. In particular she singles out her former boss Berner, who she says “engineered the termination of [her] employment on baseless grounds”.
Among other things, she alleges that Berner organised networking trips to the Sundance Film Festival for sales staff in 2016 and 2017, referring to them as “boys’ trips”. Only male staff were selected to attend, despite there being more qualified women in the team. She adds that upon their return, men on the trip spoke of taking drugs while away, and one had become involved in a “physical altercation”.
These violated Spotify’s Code Of Conduct, she said, but Berner did not instigate any investigation or discipline against those involved.
On claims of pay discrimination, Perez says that her male counterpart was given a higher pay rise than her and another female colleague, despite her experience and performance surpassing the man in question.
She says that other men at the company were paid higher than female counterparts. Also, she claims, one male executive was promoted “after he had been the subject of a sexual harassment complaint and received multiple warnings from the company”. This same man, she says, later arranged a men-only supposed business trip to visit strip clubs.
Then alleging that this discriminatory attitude runs throughout the company’s hierarchy, Perez says in her lawsuit that “the Chief Financial Officer told a large audience of Spotify employees point blank at a company townhall Q&A session that he does not care about diversity at the company”. She adds that an HR exec had also confided in her that he had “gone easy on a male employee found to have engaged in harassing conduct because the Head Of Human Resources had ‘a soft spot for him'”.
In terms of her dismissal from the company, she says that Berner used her as a scapegoat for his own improper actions in negotiating a deal. She also accuses him and Spotify of defamation, for an email he sent to staff following her dismissal. In it he is said to have told staff that she had “acted in ways that are against our code of conduct and guidelines for internal compliance”.
For its part, Spotify denies Perez’s clams. In a statement to Variety, a spokesperson said: “At Spotify, we do not tolerate discrimination of any kind at any level. While we cannot comment on the specific details of a pending litigation, these claims are without merit”.
Perez is seeking damages to be determined at trial, including for loss of earnings and emotional distress. She is also requesting a jury trial.
READ MORE ABOUT: Brian Berner | Hong Perez | Spotify
Wednesday 19 September 2018, 10:38 | By Chris Cooke
Perfume firm seeks access to Jay-Z’s calendar
Artist News Brands & Merch Business News Legal
Plenty of superstar musicians are as much in the perfume business as anything else. With perfume being all about the brand – the often extortionate prices never being justified by the actual work involved in putting some smelly water in a bottle – pop stars are usually quids in whenever they enter into partnerships with perfume makers.
A simple trademark licence and some nominal plugging, and the money just rolls on in. Though please remember to do the nominal plugging. Fragrance company Parlux sued Jay-Z back in 2016 accusing the rapper of failing to meet his commitments to plug the smell in a bottle that it had launched under his brand.
The case continues to rumble through the system, and this week there was a somewhat tetchy hearing as lawyers for Parlux tried to force Jay-Z to hand over his calendar for the years 2013, 2014 and 2015, to prove that he really did have other commitments every time the perfume firm tried to get him to do some promo or to meet to discuss future marketing.
According to Law 360, Jay-Z’s attorney argued that that was too big an ask, and that the calendars could also reveal information to Parlux about his client’s other business ventures. The demand for the calendars was akin to having Jay-Z wear an “electronic bracelet”, the legal man argued, or to making his client submit to something like the “Spanish Inquisition”.
“My family went through the Spanish Inquisition”, judge Charles Ramos responded to the lawyer’s hyperbole, “[and] this is not the Spanish Inquisition”. Nevertheless, Ramos did agree that Parlux’s demands were a little OTT, even if it did have a right to an explanation for why every time it attempted to meet the rapper – including when it sent a team to Miami to see him – each meeting failed to materialise.
With all that in mind, the judge urged both parties to meet and seek a compromise, and report back to him in two weeks.
READ MORE ABOUT: Jay-Z | Parlux
Wednesday 19 September 2018, 10:36 | By CMU Editorial
Interviews, speed briefings and indie label discussions with CMU Insights at the Reeperbahn festival
Business News Education & Events
The Reeperbahn showcase festival kicks off in Hamburg today, and CMU Insights will be there this week interviewing leading music business people, presenting a speed briefing as part of the event’s training programme, and putting the spotlight on challenges and opportunities facing independent music companies in 2018.
CMU Insights MD Chris Cooke will lead three on-stage interviews as part of the event’s conference programme. Tomorrow at 1pm he will talk to Spotify’s MD of EMEA Michael Krause about the evolution of the streaming firm’s playlisting operation and playlist brands, and about opportunities for the streaming sector in emerging markets in the Middle East and Africa.
Then later tomorrow, at 3.45pm, he will chat to the President of Warner Music’s label services business ADA, Eliah Seton, about the evolution of label services, and how independent labels and artists go about choosing their business partners.
On Friday at 2.45pm he will chat with Jackie Wilgar, SVP Marketing International at Live Nation, about how the music industry’s marketing toolkit continues to grow, and how artists, managers and promoters decide which of those tools to employ. Wilgar will also discuss how recent changes in data protection rules in Europe affect fan communications and how each of an artist’s business partners can better work together to ensure better results.
In addition to the interviews, Cooke will also present one of the CMU Insights speed briefings on Saturday morning at 11am. Based on the ‘Dissecting The Digital Dollar’ report CMU Insights produced for the UK Music Managers Forum, this speed briefing explains how streaming services are licensed by record companies, music distributors, music publishers and collecting societies, and how royalties are calculated each month.
As well as that little lot, CMU Insights is also hosting an invite-only roundtable on Friday afternoon discussing challenges and opportunities facing the independent music sector, and how indie rights owners choose their distribution and marketing partners. The informal discussion will inform a CMU Trends article and CMU Insights research. Any indie label people at Reeperbahn interested in joining the conversation, email sam@unlimitedmedia.co.uk for more information.
The Reeperbahn festival and conference runs through to Saturday – the full programme is online here.
READ MORE ABOUT: CMU Insights | Reeperbahn Festival
Wednesday 19 September 2018, 10:28 | By Chris Cooke
New ad campaign calls for more diversity at music industry awards and conferences
Business News Industry People
A series of adverts will appear in the music industry trade press in the coming weeks calling for music business events – including conferences and award shows – to do a better job of ensuring that they feature and celebrate a diverse mix of music people.
The campaign was instigated after the nominations were published for this year’s Live UK Awards, in which the shortlists for a number of key categories – including agent, manager and independent promoter of the year – featured very few, if any, female nominees, despite there being hundreds of women working in these roles in the UK.
Organisers of the event subsequently acknowledged the “lamentable gender imbalance” in the shortlists, which are voted for by the readers of the Live UK magazine, and said that it would “work towards a more diverse result next year”.
Ensuring that anyone who might vote next year is definitely aware of the many, many, many women successfully pursuing careers as agents, managers and promoters, the #WomenInMusic ads being run this month feature or link to crowdsourced lists of some of the female agents, managers and promoters working in the UK industry today.
The ad campaign has been put together by Sammy Andrews, founder and CEO of Deviate Digital, who previously compiled a database of female music industry executives who were happy to speak at music conferences, part of the push in the UK industry to ensure such events have much more diverse line-ups. Both campaigns also seek to ensure conferences and awards do a better job of representing BAME and LGBT people working in music.
The print ads being placed by the campaign state: “We believe it is the responsibility of every music industry conference, awards show and every trade publication to truly reflect and celebrate the increasing diversity in our industry. Time and time again incredible women are left out of nominations, not to mention successful BAME and LGBT people, and it’s time this changed”.
It goes on: “We call on and offer our support to all music industry conferences and awards to ensure they have a diverse and representative selection process in the future. As a sign of appreciation, recognition, gratitude and respect we list here just some of the amazing UK managers, co-managers, agents and promoters working in our industry that could and should have been nominated for such awards and hope you will join us in celebrating them and recognising them and their achievements going forward”.
Those lists can also be accessed online here or by clicking on online versions of the ad, like the one featuring in today’s CMU Daily.
Commenting on this latest initiative, Andrews says: “I would first of all like to thank the hundreds of people that collectively made this possible. These ads were funded by a combination of my own money and crowdfunding, along with donated ad space, and every name here was crowdsourced when I put a call out to the industry to name some of the amazing women they work with. The response was incredible and I received over 800 messages and emails backing the initiative from major label MDs and CEOs to artists, managers and beyond”.
She adds: “Clearly this is an issue that many people believe needs addressing and, to some degree, I am delighted to say that this action has already worked as the awards in question have publicly pledged to do better next year. But I hope these ads will serve more widely as a reminder of just how many amazing women we have in the music business as well as a reminder of what transformative change can be achieved when people work together for the greater good”.
READ MORE ABOUT: #WomenInMusic
Wednesday 19 September 2018, 10:23 | By Andy Malt
Rihanna calls for support in improving access to education for children
Artist News
Rihanna has written a new article for The Guardian calling on politicians worldwide to improve access to education for children.
“Growing up in Barbados, I did not always love school. It can feel like a grind, especially when you’d rather be singing, playing sports or doing pretty much anything other than homework”, she writes. “I realise now that I often took it for granted that I was even able to go to school. Education can be stolen from you in a second. As we’ve seen recently on an unprecedented scale, the Caribbean gets hit by natural disasters that wipe out schools, leaving thousands of children stranded”.
She continues: “In other parts of the world, conflict, poverty, deeply ingrained sexism, and bad public policy keep more than a quarter of a billion children and teens from getting an education. Almost a quarter of these children are affected by conflict or crisis, and girls are more likely not to complete school. But that’s just the surface of the problem”.
“In 2012, I launched the Clara Lionel Foundation because I believe we each have an opportunity to help one person”, she then says. “CLF is inspired by my passion for children, especially their health and education. We fund programmes that remove barriers to education by offering financial support to children and their communities. And following our time in Malawi, I am proud to say we are supporting thousands of girls there to move through secondary school”.
Find out more by reading the full op-ed here.
READ MORE ABOUT: Rihanna
Wednesday 19 September 2018, 10:21 | By Andy Malt
One Liners: Kanye West, AC/DC, Lana Del Rey, more
Artist News Awards Gigs & Festivals One Liners Releases
Other notable announcements and developments today…
• Kanye West has posted that he’ll be releasing something called ‘Yandhi’ at the end of the month. Along with the title and date, he posted an image of a MiniDisk in a clear plastic casing, looking similar to the CD pictured on the cover of his ‘Yeezus’ album. Could it be a sequel? Yes, sure. But more importantly, will it kick off the long-awaited MiniDisk revival?
• Speaking of Kanye West, he and Chance The Rapper have confirmed that they have recorded an album together, under the title ‘Good Ass Job’. The pair were speaking at a high school in Chicago yesterday.
• Axl out? It appears that Brian Johnson and Phil Rudd are back in AC/DC.
• Just like she promised last week, Lana Del Rey has released a new track called ‘Venice Bitch’. Here’s the video. She also announced yesterday that her new album, due out next year, will be called ‘Norman Fucking Rockwell’.
• Cat Power has released a cover of Rihanna’s ‘Stay’. The track will appear on her new album, ‘Wanderer’, out on 5 Oct. “I love the tradition of covering songs”, she says. “I think it’s one of the highest compliments you can pay another artist. It’s one of the great traditions in American music and one of the true pleasures of music history”.
• Paul McCartney has released the video for new single ‘Back To Brazil’. It’s filmed in Brazil. This seems like a clever songwriting ruse. I’m going to write a song called ‘A Brand New Really Comfy Sofa’. Who wants to make the video?
• Christine And The Queens has released the video for ‘La Marcheuse’. The song is taken from new album ‘Chris’, which is out on Friday.
• John Grant has released the video for recent single ‘He’s Got His Mother’s Hips’.
• The Joy Formidable have released the video for new single ‘The Better Me’. The band’s new album, ‘Aarth’, is out at the end of the month.
• Farao has released new single ‘Marry Me’. Her new album, ‘Pure-O’, is out on 19 Oct, and she’ll play a show in London at the Sebright Arms on 17 Oct.
• The winner of this year’s ‘Canadian Mercury Prize’ – that’ll be the Polaris Prize – is Jeremy Dutcher for his album ‘Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa’, which is performed in the indigenous Wolastoq language.
• Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily – updated every Friday.
READ MORE ABOUT: AC/DC | Cat Power | Change The rapper | Christine And The Queens | Farao | Jeremy Dutcher | John Grant | Kanye West | Lana Del Rey | Paul McCartney | Polaris Music Prize | The Joy Formidable
Wednesday 19 September 2018, 10:18 | By Andy Malt
Happy Mondays force Bargain Hunt reshoot
And Finally Artist News Media
The ending of a special edition of BBC game show ‘Bargain Hunt’ had to be reshot after it emerged that The Happy Mondays had cheated.
For readers outside the UK and non-students, ‘Bargain Hunt’ is a TV show where contestants buy some old tat at an antique fair, and then try and fail to sell it for a higher price at auction. As part of this year’s BBC Music Day festivities later this month, an edition was filmed pitting Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker and Candida Doyle against Bez and Rowetta from the Happy Mondays.
Things got off to a shaky start after Cocker refused to wear the usual ‘Bargain Hunt’ polo shirt to signify his position on the red team. Everyone else played ball, but that Cocker just has to be different.
Anyway, once they’d finished filming, it emerged that Bez and Rowetta had employed some underhand tactics that are not allowed. Someone went back and checked apparently, because they weren’t sure. And it turned out that, whatever it was they did, it was an illegal act. Within the laws of ‘Bargain Hunt’ anyway.
Exactly what happened the show’s makers are refusing to say, so as not to spoil the drama in the unlikely event you actually watch the programme. “Suffice to say I had to refer to the ‘Bargain Hunt’ rulebook”, presenter Charlie Ross tells the Radio Times. “I think it’s the first time in history that we’ve had to look at it”.
Producer Paul Tucker adds that during the show’s eighteen year run “various things” have gone wrong, but whatever this was, it was a first. “We had to deliver this show quite quickly after we filmed it, and of course we weren’t expecting to have to do the ending again”, he says. “Although it wasn’t expected, it certainly added an interesting twist and another layer to the show. I guess it’s what you might expect from a bunch of rock n rollers”.
The danger! The intrigue! I can only assume that what went wrong involved Bez and Rowetta actually making some money. That can’t be allowed. Find out exactly what those scamps did on BBC One on BBC Music Day, 28 Sep, at 12.15pm. Or, you know, don’t.
READ MORE ABOUT: Bargain Hunt | BBC | BBC One | Bez | Candida Doyle | Happy Mondays | Jarvis Cocker | Pulp | Rowetta
Wednesday 19 September 2018, 09:27 | By Andy Malt
Approved: Sneers
CMU Approved
Set to release their third album – ‘Heaven Will Rescue Us, We’re The Scum, We’re In The Sun’ – this Friday, Italian duo Sneers are currently in the middle of a UK tour.
Their distinctive sound is made up of multiple layers. Maria Blaankart croaks and shakes her vocals out of her throat, while drawing heavily reverbed sounds out of her guitar. Behind her, drummer Leonardo Oreste lays down often sparse percussion, which builds an atmospheric tone. For four tracks on the new album, Swans’ Kristof Hahn also joins them on pedal steel guitar.
The tour dates continue in Leicester tonight at The Soundhouse, making their way through various towns until they finish up at the Rough Trade East Recommends night in London on 26 Sep.
Watch the video for new single, ‘No Man Is Poetry’, here:
Stay up to date with all of the artists featured in the CMU Approved column by subscribing to our Spotify playlist.
READ MORE ABOUT: Sneers
Tuesday 18 September 2018, 11:23 | By Chris Cooke
Artists galore call on SiriusXM to back the Music Modernization Act
Artist News Business News Digital Labels & Publishers Media Top Stories
A stack of artists have put their name to an open letter requesting that the board of SiriusXM owner Liberty Media end the company’s public calls for further amendments to the Music Modernization Act, and instead back the current draft of the copyright reforming legislation.
The letter includes a threat by its signatories that they might boycott the satellite radio company if it continues to oppose the current version of the MMA.
Many of the music industry people and organisations which have led on the drafting and promotion of the MMA have expressed concern in recent weeks that a last minute intervention from Sirius could cause the whole proposed legislation to fall at the final hurdle.
The MMA deals with a number of pressing issues with US copyright law. This includes fixing the mess around how mechanical royalties are paid Stateside. It would also end the infamous pre-1972 quirk with regards online radio and reform the way the US Copyright Royalty Board and rate courts consider what are fair royalties for compulsory and BMI/ASCAP licences.
A long time in the making, the MMA is backed by a plethora of organisations representing artists, songwriters, labels, publishers and digital music platforms, and has enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress. It was passed in a very speedy fashion by the House Of Representatives. And its industry backers are now hoping the act might get approved by Senate via a fast-track system called hotlining, where it goes through in the absence of any senator objections.
However, last minute lobbying by Sirius could as yet stop that from happening. With that in mind, an open letter signed by artists including Paul McCartney, Don Henley, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Carole King, Carly Simon and Katy Perry reads: “We are all aware of your company’s objections and trepidation but let me say that this is an opportunity for SiriusXM to take a leadership position”.
The letter goes on: “As you are aware, 415 representatives and 76 senators have already co-sponsored the MMA along with industry consensus. It’s SiriusXM vs all of us. We can either fight to the bitter end or celebrate this victory together. Rather than watch bad press and ill will pile up against SiriusXM, why not come out supporting the most consequential music legislation in 109 years?”
Throwing in a quick threat, the letter adds: “We do not want to fight and boycott your company but we will as we have other opponents. Stand with us! Be brave and take credit for being the heroes who helped the MMA become historic law! Momentum is building against SiriusXM and you still have an opportunity to come out on the right side of history. We look forward to your endorsement but the fire is burning and only you can put this out”.
As the letter went live, music lawyer Dina LaPolt – one of the people behind the MMA – told Variety: “As we continue to move from a product-based business to a service-based business, bringing the antiquated copyright act into the digital realm, SiriusXM’s unwillingness to support songwriters and artists is complete travesty given that every other group in the music industry has endorsed the bill. This shows their disgusting corporate greed at the expense of America’s greatest treasures… our legacy artists”.
That latter remark hones in on the fact that Sirius mainly objects to the pre-1972 element of the MMA, which will confirm that online and satellite radio services – including Sirius – must pay royalties to artists and labels when they play recordings released before 1972. Copyright law complexities have meant many radio services have previously argued no such royalties are due on golden oldies under the current system. Although, following legal action, Sirius has been paying royalties when it plays older recordings in more recent years.
Responding to the open letter, a spokesperson for Sirius told Variety: “Over the past several weeks, we have been the subject of some stinging attacks from the music community and artists regarding our views on the Music Modernization Act. Contrary to new reports and letters, this is really not about a SiriusXM victory, but implementing some simple, reasonable and straightforward amendments to MMA”.
Insisting that “there is nothing in our ‘asks’ that guts the MMA or kills the act”, the spokesperson added: “We truly do not understand the objections or why these concepts have incited such a holy war”. The spokesperson then once again ran through the amendments SiriusXM is seeking, stating the case for each proposed alteration. The arguments provided to Variety yesterday pretty much repeated the op-ed piece Sirius previously wrote for Billboard.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if the MMA is indeed hotlined by the Senate. It was thought that could happen yesterday, but there was an issue with the paperwork emailed out to senators. That has now been redistributed and we should know in the next 24-48 hours whether Senate will pass the legislation via the fast-track approval system.
READ MORE ABOUT: Music Modernization Act | SiriusXM
Tuesday 18 September 2018, 11:20 | By Chris Cooke
Marty Bandier confirms he will depart Sony/ATV
Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers
The boss of the world’s biggest music publisher, Sony/ATV, has confirmed he will depart the company next year when his current mega-bucks contract expires. The departure of Marty Bandier leaves the top job at the Sony publisher open for one of his former colleagues, Jon Platt, who last week announced he was leaving the CEO role at Warner/Chappell, and who is now widely tipped to take over at Sony/ATV next year.
In a memo to staff, Bandier wrote: “I want to let you know that I am planning to leave Sony/ATV at the end of my contract in March of next year, after what will have been twelve incredible years with the company. I can say without hesitation that my time here has been the absolute highlight of my career, and I am extremely proud of everything that we have achieved together”.
He went on: “On this journey, we have grown from being ranked the world’s fourth biggest music publisher to becoming the clear number one. As I have always said, being and staying number one is not a beauty contest, and we have grown into this position by being the best across the board – creatively, administratively and financially. This was underpinned by our most recent financial year, which was our best ever”.
Despite Bandier’s brags there, Sony mainly became number one through acquisition. And in particular the firm’s purchase of Bandier’s previous employer, EMI Music Publishing. Although Sony/ATV has administered the EMI songs catalogue since 2012, it actually co-owns those works with a number of other investors. However, regulator approval permitting, by the time Bandier departs next year, Sony could own the EMI catalogue outright, consolidating its position as the biggest songs company in the world.
Another big change on Bandier’s watch was Sony buying out its former business partner in the Sony/ATV business, that being the Michael Jackson estate. Assuming the current EMI deals go through, that will give Sony Corp complete control of its mega music publishing empire. That complete control might also allow the publishing side of Sony’s music operations to become more closely allied with the Sony Music record company, Sony Corp’s two global music firms having generally operated pretty autonomously from each other to date.
Following the brags with a little name-dropping, Bandier went on: “During my time here, I have had the pleasure to get to know and work with so many talented songwriters, including Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, Pharrell, Pink, Sting, Carole King, Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy and Sara Bareilles. The list could go on and on, but there are simply too many phenomenal writers to mention everyone by name. I am nonetheless proud to have advocated for all of them”.
Thanking the corporates as well as the creatives, he then said: “I would also like to thank Sony for giving me the opportunity to lead this company through the music industry’s complex and ever-changing landscape, and at a time when representing the rights of songwriters has never been more important and necessary. It has been incredibly satisfying to grow the company to be the leading music publisher in the world, and I am confident that Sony/ATV and its writers are set for even more successes in the future”.
Having then thanked all his lovely staff, the out-going Sony/ATV chief concluded: “I look forward to sharing what’s ahead for me with you soon, and I’ll be following all of your successes long after I have left”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Martin Bandier | Sony Music Publishing
Tuesday 18 September 2018, 11:18 | By Chris Cooke
Warner buys merch firm EMP Merchandising
Brands & Merch Business News Deals Labels & Publishers
Warner Music is boosting its credentials in the merchandise space by acquiring German merch firm EMP Merchandising. The mini-major is buying the company off New York-based private equity outfit Sycamore Partners. It will become part of Warner’s services division WEA, though will continue to be led by its CEO Ernst Trapp and CFO Jan Fischer.
Confirming the buy, Warner’s CEO of International & Global Commercial Services Recorded Music, Stu Bergen, said: “EMP has built a powerful lifestyle destination that will be a perfect complement to our global artist development and marketing strategies. Their music-led expertise will give us great insight into what audiences love and what they want, and at the same time open up exciting new opportunities for our artists. We look forward to bringing Ernst, Jan, and everyone at EMP into WMG’s growing family of brands”.
EMP boss Trapp added: “It’s always been our goal to create the most authentic, exclusive products. Our team is made up of devoted fans who are curating the music, themes, and lifestyle brands that they know fellow fans will embrace. By joining WMG, we will be able to expand our international reach, explore new genres, reach new audiences, and take fan experience to a whole new level”.
Among the artists EMP works with are the likes of Twenty One Pilots, Panic! At The Disco, Metallica, Motörhead, Guns n Roses, Nirvana, Pink Floyd and AC/DC. They also work with various other entertainment, sporting and fashion brands.
READ MORE ABOUT: EMP Merchandising | Warner Music
Tuesday 18 September 2018, 11:16 | By Andy Malt
Steve Mason announces new album, About The Light
Artist News Gigs & Festivals Releases
Steve Mason has announced that he will release a new album, ‘About The Light’, at the beginning of next year. First single, ‘Stars Around My Heart’, is out now.
His fourth solo album under his own name, the former Beta Band frontman worked with producer Stephen Street. He also enlisted his live band to join him in the studio for the first time.
“I decided with this album that I wanted to get my live band involved at every stage”, says Mason. “I wanted to capture the energy that we produce when we play live shows, so this time the band and myself worked on a collection of songs over the course of last year”.
“When I listen to this album it feels and sounds like the first ‘legitimate’ record that I have ever made”, he continues. “It’s hard to explain but it sounds like a ‘real’ album. I think that is partly the production, the playing and the work that I did with the band for all those months in our rehearsal room on the South Coast”.
He concludes: “It’s a beautiful, confident, positive, angry, loving and gentle album which once again moves what I do forward”.
The album is out on 18 Jan, and you can watch the video for ‘Stars Around My Heart’ here;
There are also tour dates scheduled to coincide with the release. Here they are:
30 Jan: Newcastle, Riverside
31 Jan: Glasgow, SWG3
1 Feb: Leeds, Belgrave Music Hall
2 Feb: Manchester, Academy 2
7 Feb: London, Hackney Arts Centre
8 Feb: Bristol, The Fleece
9 Feb: Brighton, St Bartholomew’s Church
READ MORE ABOUT: Steve Mason
Tuesday 18 September 2018, 11:13 | By Andy Malt
The Struts announce second album, tour dates
Artist News Gigs & Festivals Releases
Fresh from their recent collaboration with Kesha, The Struts have announced that they will release their second album, ‘Young & Dangerous’, next month.
“Finally we can reveal our second album, ‘Young & Dangerous'”, says frontman Luke Spiller. “We have poured our blood, sweat and tears into this album and I know you are all going to love it. This is dedicated to all of our amazing fans who have waited so long for this record. I hope these songs provide the perfect soundtrack to this crazy thing called life”.
It’s been four years since the band’s debut album, ‘Everybody Wants’. During that time they’ve done a lot of touring, including supporting the likes of Guns N Roses, The Rolling Stones, The Who and Foo Fighters.
The album is out on 26 Oct, and new single ‘Bulletproof Baby’ is out now. Listen here:
The band will tour the UK in February. Here are the dates:
16 Feb: Leeds, Stylus
17 Feb: Nottingham, Rock City
18 Feb: Newcastle University
19 Feb: Glasgow, Garage
22 Feb: Bristol, SWX
23 Feb: Manchester, Academy 2
24 Feb: Birmingham, Institute
26 Feb: London, Shepherds Bush Empire
READ MORE ABOUT: The Struts
Tuesday 18 September 2018, 11:09 | By Andy Malt
Sleep Party People to release new album this week
Artist News Releases
Sleep Party People will release new album ‘Lingering Part II’ later this month. The fifth studio album for musician Brian Batz under this alias, it is the follow-up to last year’s ‘Lingering’.
“To me the two albums have a similar sonic universe and revolve around the same lyrical themes, but are still each their own albums”, says Batz. “After the release of ‘Lingering’, I went back to work on ‘Lingering Part II”, where I modified the structures and sounds a bit, giving them makeovers with new mixes and mastering. To make the album more coherent I added a few new songs”.
“The lyrical content of the album is characterised by being written in a certain period of my life”, he continues. “I reflect a lot on the present and not so much on the past. The album is mostly about personal matters and things that are close to my heart”.
The album will be released this Friday. Listen to new single, ‘Outcast Gatherings’, here:
READ MORE ABOUT: Sleep Party People
Tuesday 18 September 2018, 11:04 | By Andy Malt
One Liners: BMI, Music+Sport, BASCA, more
Artist News Awards Business News Digital Gigs & Festivals Industry People Labels & Publishers Live Business One Liners Releases
Other notable announcements and developments today…
• Karen Buse has left collecting society PRS For Music in to order to take up the role of Managing Director, European Society Relations at American performing rights organisation BMI. “We are THRILLED to have her join our team”, says BMI exec Ann Sweeney.
• P-C Rae has joined Music+Sport, which puts on live music in sporting venues, as Artist Booker. Rae has previously worked on a range of festivals and conferences. “Bringing someone with the experience and expertise of P-C Rae on board to oversee our artist booking is a fantastic coup for Music+Sport and puts us in a really strong position as we start thinking about our 2019 programme”, says the company’s CEO Andrew Wilkinson.
• The Association Of Independent Music has announced that its members have had five million links to piracy sites taken down from the internet since the trade body launched its partnership with content protection company MUSO. “AIM’s partnership with MUSO began in May this year, and to see five million takedowns achieved already reflects the speed and efficiency with which MUSO has covered the catalogues across the independent music community”, says AIM’s Gee Davy.
• Florence And The Machine have released a live video of themselves performing ‘South London Forever’ at the Joiners Arms in Camberwell. UK tour dates are coming in November.
• Girli has released new single ‘Young’. “‘Young’ is about growing up and feeling like they taught you life wrong in school”, she says. “It’s about feeling lost and directionless and confused but soldiering on and trying to live life to the fullest through all of the madness”.
• 65daysofstatic have released new track ‘Z1’. “We’ve been busy trying to write music that isn’t also a song at the same time”, say the band. “So, here is some brand new music from us. It is a live take of some machines we made to make music like we make, except in ways we might not have thought of ourselves”. There will be UK tour dates in November.
• She Makes War has released new single, ‘Undone’. UK tour dates and new album ‘Brace For Impact’ are upcoming next month.
• BASCA has announced details of this year’s Gold Badge Awards winners. Who are they? Well, Reservoir’s Annette Barrett, the ENO’s Martyn Brabbins, manager Jackie Davidson, Squeeze’s Chris Difford, BASCA and PRS chair Guy Fletcher, Elbow’s Guy Garvey, jazz singer Claire Martin, composer Sarah Rodgers, composer Matthew Scott, conductor Scott Stroman, and engineer Nick Wollage.
• Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily – updated every Friday.
READ MORE ABOUT: 65daysofstatic | Association of Independent Music (AIM) | BMI | British Academy of Songwriters Composers & Authors (BASCA) | Florence And The Machine | Girli | Karen Buse | Music+Sport | P-C Rae | PRS For Music | She Makes War
Tuesday 18 September 2018, 11:01 | By Andy Malt
Beastie Boys had no advanced warning of Eminem artwork homage
And Finally Artist News
On his latest album ‘Kamikaze’, Eminem doesn’t have much nice to say about anyone. However, its cover art appears to pay homage to Beastie Boys’ debut album, ‘Licensed To Ill’.
“He likes us, I think”, confirms Beastie Boy Mike D when discussing the ‘Kamikaze’ artwork in a new interview with George Stroumboulopoulos.
Note the slight lack of certainty there. This is due to the fact that neither Eminem nor anyone else involved with the record contacted Mike D or Ad-Rock about their plans for the artwork. In fact, they seem to have found out about it all after pretty much everyone else.
“I got maybe ten text messages, 20 text messages”, says Mike. “And I’m like, why do I all of a sudden have like 50 text messages? I’d better see what’s going on. Everybody’s forwarding me the album cover from, like, the Twitter feed, or whatever. So, that’s how we found out about it”.
The pair’s interactions with Eminem overall are limited. “I met him once in a bathroom”, says Ad-Rock. “In Rome. It’s not a big deal. We didn’t embrace”.
“Eminem’s not a warm embrace type”, confirms Mike D.
Watch the full interview here, it’s fun:
READ MORE ABOUT: Beastie Boys | Eminem
Tuesday 18 September 2018, 10:16 | By Andy Malt
Approved: Masayoshi Fujita
CMU Approved
Composer and vibraphonist Masayoshi Fujita released his latest album, ‘Book Of Life’, earlier this year. The record sees him continue with his ambition to bring the often overlooked instrument to wider attention and experiment with its possibilities.
The techniques he has used include preparing the instrument’s bars with foil or beads, playing it with a cello bow, or simply turning his mallets around and playing with the ‘wrong’ end. When composing the album’s title track, he began by running the end of a mallet over the bars as if literally writing.
“‘Book Of Life’ is very different to my other songs”, he explains. “It was about humans, whereas the other songs are all about animals and nature. And it was improvised initially, whereas normally my songs are composed and planned”.
He goes on: “This one was free. I scratched the vibraphone bar as if I was writing something. An image connected in my mind: these two people meeting and sharing their lives. This image was the book of life”.
Ahead of a performance at the Southbank Centre in London’s Purcell Room on 23 Sep, Fujita has released the video for ‘Book Of Life’. Watch it here:
Stay up to date with all of the artists featured in the CMU Approved column by subscribing to our Spotify playlist.
READ MORE ABOUT: Masayoshi Fujita
Tuesday 18 September 2018, 07:54 | By Andy Malt
Setlist: 20 years of CMU – The impact of the death of Michael Jackson
Artist News Business News Labels & Publishers Legal Live Business Setlist
This week’s episode of Setlist is another marking CMU’s 20th birthday, the sixth in a series of special editions reviewing the 20 biggest stories CMU has covered over the last two decades. Here we discuss the events that preceded and immediately followed the death of Michael Jackson and the resulting criminal and civil action, leading to the big legal battle between the Jackson family and AEG Live. Setlist is sponsored by 7digital.
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The Jacksons v AEG Live timeline
20 Years Of CMU podcast series
READ MORE ABOUT: AEG | Michael Jackson | Setlist 20 Years Of CMU | Setlist Specials | Sony Music
Monday 17 September 2018, 12:47 | By Chris Cooke
Childish Gambino countersues Glassnote in royalties dispute
Artist News Business News Labels & Publishers Legal Top Stories
Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, has counter-sued his former label Glassnote in a dispute over royalties, which includes a disagreement over how monies administered by American collecting society SoundExchange should be shared between label and artist.
The revenue share arrangement in Glover’s deal with Glassnote was basically a 50/50 split. SoundExchange already allocates 50% of any money it collects to performers (45% to featured artists, 5% to session musicians). However, Glover reckons he is also due 50% of the money SoundExchange pays to whoever controls the copyright, in this case Glassnote.
The label counters that it’s industry convention to assume that with SoundExchange monies, the artist’s royalty is that which they receive direct from the society.
Glassnote released three Childish Gambino albums under its deal with Glover, before he opted to sign his next record deal with Sony Music. It then went legal back in July, seemingly seeking to pre-empt a royalties lawsuit by the artist.
Its bullish legal filing focused specifically on the SoundExchange royalties question, stating that: “Apparently unsatisfied with the approximately $10 million in royalties already paid or due to him by Glassnote and the 45% of the public performance royalties from SoundExchange … [Glover] has continued to demand from Glassnote payments corresponding to SoundExchange royalties which he is legislatively and contractually precluded from receiving”.
Glover’s company DJR – which was actually the other party in the Glassnote licensing deal covering the Childish Gambino albums – filed its own legal papers last week. In them, DJR goes through Glassnote’s litigation paragraph by paragraph, disputing most of what the label said, except for basic statements of fact like Glassnote being an independent record company and that Glover performs music under the name Childish Gambino.
In its actual countersuit, DJR raises a number of royalty issues that, it says, were uncovered last year when it audited Glassnote’s accounts from 1 Jul 2014 to 31 Dec 2016. It asks the court to force the label to pay all the outstanding monies related to those issues as well as the extra SoundExchange royalties Glover’s company believes it is due.
The dispute over SoundExchange royalties relates to the wording of specific terms in the original DJR/Glassnote agreement regarding the definition of ‘net proceeds’ and ‘gross revenues’, and whether or not those include the label’s share of SoundExchange income. The contract made specific mention of monies collected and distributed by the collecting society, but the two sides seem to disagree on what those specific terms actually mean.
For its part, DJR argues that “the licence agreement does not treat the net proceeds SoundExchange royalties any differently from other income included in the calculation of gross revenues”. It then argues that “Glassnote’s unilateral retention of 100% of the net proceeds SoundExchange royalties materially breaches DJR’s rights under the licence agreement because it improperly computes gross revenues and understates the net proceeds that are distributable to both Glassnote and DJR”.
However the specifics of the DJR/Glassnote contract could and should have been interpreted, it is true that Glassnote’s approach – assuming the artist’s royalty on SoundExchange income is that which the society pays to them direct – is the industry standard.
Which means that if this case were to go to court, and if Glover prevailed, lots of other labels would likely be revisiting the specific terms in their contracts regarding SoundExchange income, to double check whether there are any ambiguities in their agreements too.
READ MORE ABOUT: Childish Gambino | DJR | Glassnote | SoundExchange
Monday 17 September 2018, 12:44 | By Chris Cooke
Music Modernization Act could be hotlined by Senate later today
Business News Labels & Publishers Legal Media Top Stories
The Music Modernization Act could be ‘hotlined’ in US Senate later today, according to sources who have spoken to Billboard. Hotlining is a process that can get legislation through in a speedy fashion where there is no objection from any Senators.
The MMA, of course, includes various reforms of US copyright law. Among other things, it seeks to address the issues around the payment of mechanical royalties by streaming services Stateside, as well as ensuring online and satellite radio services pay royalties on pre-1972 as well as post-1972 recordings. It also reforms the way the US Copyright Royalty Board and the rate courts that regulate BMI and ASCAP set rates where they control royalties.
A long time in the making, once in Congress the MMA sped through the House Of Representatives super fast. But there have been a few delays since it reached the Senate, even though an amended version of the legislation was passed by its judiciary committee. Last minute interventions by SESAC and subsequently SiriusXM have threatened to scupper things. The former was solved, though the latter remains a potential issue.
There is a deadline for the MMA project, in that the current Congressional session finishes at the end of the year, and if the reforms haven’t gone through before then, the process would have to begin afresh in the new session next year. With the mechanical royalties issue particularly pressing, the American music industry is keen to ensure that doesn’t happen.
Billboard’s sources say that all 100 senators were emailed the latest version of the MMA on Friday with a note that it would be considered for hotlining later today. With the SiriusXM dispute seemingly unresolved, it remains to be seen if the proposals can actually be passed in this way.
READ MORE ABOUT: Music Modernization Act
Monday 17 September 2018, 12:42 | By Andy Malt
Jon Platt to leave Warner/Chappell, rumoured to be joining Sony/ATV
Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers
Jon Platt will step down as Chair and CEO of Warner’s music publishing business Warner/Chappell before the end of the year, it has been announced. It’s now rumoured that he’s set to replace Marty Bandier in the top job over at rival publisher Sony/ATV.
In a memo to staff, Warner Music Group CEO Stephen Cooper praised Platt for his work since joining the company as President in 2012. He took on the CEO position in 2015.
“I know that many of you, like me, will be sorry to see Jon go”, Cooper wrote. “He’s one of the industry’s finest – principled, driven and compassionate. Warner/Chappell is a very different company than the one he joined in 2012, and he leaves it well positioned for continued growth and change”.
Cooper added: “Our songwriters’ success in shaping the hits of today and the sounds of tomorrow is attracting a wealth of creative talent at all stages of their careers. At the same time, our outstanding global team is growing its reputation for always backing our songwriters with integrity and ambition”.
In his own memo, Platt said: “I’ve grown so much in my time here, not only as a music executive, but as a leader. I’ll be forever grateful to Steve Cooper and [boss of Warner owner Access Industries] Len Blavatnik for their belief in me, and for their support”.
He went on: “Most importantly, I want to thank you – all of you around the world – I am humbled by the support and trust you’ve so generously given me. Throughout my career, I’ve always put songwriters first. It’s a philosophy that has guided me well. I know you feel the same way. So I know that nothing is going to stop you from continuing the great work you are doing for songwriters”.
Cooper also confirmed that Platt will stay on to assist Warner/Chappell COO Carianne Marshall in finding a new CEO for the company. Given that Marshall is the hot favourite to succeed him, this shouldn’t take too long.
According to Billboard, Platt has been released from his Warner contract two years early in order to go and take up his new role. Various sources point to him taking the top job at Sony/ATV next year, although he, Warner/Chappell and Sony/ATV are all currently tight-lipped on the matter.
READ MORE ABOUT: Carianne Marshall | Jon Platt | Sony Music Publishing | Warner Chappell
Monday 17 September 2018, 12:38 | By Andy Malt
Ed Sheeran warns of damaging effects of music education cuts in UK schools
Artist News Business News Education & Events
Ed Sheeran has spoken out against cuts to music education in British secondary schools. He warned that government policy is “damaging one of Britain’s best and most lucrative exports”.
He used his Instagram profile to comment on a new statement put out by UK Music, which said that ongoing cuts risked the future Sheerans and Adeles never being found.
The music industry lobbying group said that while the UK music industry is currently growing, contributing £4.4 billion to the British economy last year, cuts in both funding and prestige for music education in schools is undermining this.
These remarks come as UK Music plans to take a new report called ‘Securing Our Talent Pipeline’ to the upcoming annual conferences of the main UK political parties. The report looks at various challenges that could impact on the continued success of the British music industry, and how they might be overcome.
Sheeran writes: “I feel very strongly about this. I benefited hugely from state school music, as I’m sure many other UK musicians have. If you keep cutting the funding for arts you’re going to be damaging one of Britain’s best and most lucrative exports”.
This has been a big topic of discussion over the course of this year. In January, the Musicians’ Union called on the government to review its policies, after a BBC survey found that the vast majority of schools in England are cutting back lesson time, staff and/or facilities in at least one creative arts subject. A large part of the issue being how English schools are now assessed, and the fact successes in creative arts teaching are not considered.
The crisis facing music education was also put in focus at the CMU Insights Education Conference at the Great Escape earlier this year. CMU Insights used the conference to launch its ‘Redefining Music Education’ research project, in partnership with Urban Development and BIMM, which is currently mapping music education provision, to help educators, industry and young people navigate what’s on offer, and also to identify where the gaps lie.
READ MORE ABOUT: Ed Sheeran | UK Music
Monday 17 September 2018, 12:36 | By Andy Malt
Lily Allen details assault by record exec
Artist News Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers
Lily Allen has detailed being sexually assaulted by a record label executive in a new interview with The Guardian. The subject is also discussed in her autobiography, ‘My Thoughts Exactly’, which is set for publication later this month.
She explains that the unnamed man – whose name apparently did feature in the original draft of the book, but was removed based on legal advice – initially appeared to help her when she got too drunk at a party. She says that he left her lying on his bed to sleep it off before returning to the party himself. But later that night the same man assaulted her.
“I woke up at 5am because I could feel someone next to me pressing their naked body against my back”, she says. “I was naked too. I could feel someone trying to put their penis inside my vagina and slapping my arse as if I were a stripper in a club. I moved away as quickly as possible and jumped out of the bed, full of alarm … I found my clothes quickly … and ran out of his room and into my own”.
She said that she did not report the incident to the police or other colleagues for fear that it would harm her career. She added that she blamed herself for being drunk, and wasn’t sure that a crime had actually been committed. Although she later realised that it had.
Allen adds that even in the wake of #MeToo, the music industry remains “rife with sexual abuse” and that many are still unwilling to acknowledge the scale of the problem.
READ MORE ABOUT: Lily Allen
