European Commission to investigate Apple's Shazam acquisition
The European Commission has announced that it will investigate the potential impact of Apple's acquisition of Shazam on the digital and music markets within Europe.

Apple confirmed it was acquiring the popular audio-recognition app back in December. Quite what the tech giant plans to do with Shazam's app, know-how and brand is not yet clear, though it is thought the audio ID technology may be used to enhance the Apple Music streaming service in one way or another.

The interference of the European Commission could scupper those plans though. The Shazam deal, reportedly worth $400 million, wasn't actually big enough for the EU to automatically investigate the transaction. However, the deal required approval from regulators in Austria under merger rules there, and it has decided to bounce the investigation up to the EC.

Six other European countries subsequently backed Austria's call for the Commission to investigate whether Apple owning Shazam will "adversely affect competition in the European Economic Area".

The EC said in a statement yesterday: "Austria submitted a referral request to the Commission pursuant to Article 22(1) of the EU Merger Regulation. This provision allows member states to request that the Commission examine a merger that does not have an EU dimension but affects trade within the single market and threatens to significantly affect competition within the territory of the member states making the request".

It added: "On the basis of the elements submitted by Austria and the countries joining the referral request, and without prejudice to the outcome of its full investigation, the Commission considers that the transaction may have a significant adverse effect on competition in the European Economic Area. The Commission has also concluded that it is the best placed authority to deal with the potential cross-border effects of the transaction".

Apple will now need to provide EC officials with information about its Shazam acquisition. Those officials will then review the deal with the option of instigating a more detailed investigation if they think there are legitimate concerns. If that occurred, Apple could offer remedies to the EC to address said concerns.

Shazam does currently promote digital music services that compete with Apple within its app, allowing people to link through and play identified tracks on other streaming platforms. Once in Apple's ownership, it might not want to promote its rivals in that way and, equally, its rivals might not want the tech giant knowing how many Shazammers are clicking through to their services.

BACK TO THE TOP OF THE BULLETIN

Cloudflare terminates Sci-Hub's account following piracy ruling
Internet services firm Cloudflare has terminated the account linked to several domain names used by Sci-Hub, the academic paper sharing platform that is sometimes referred to as the "Pirate Bay of science".

Last year Sci-Hub was sued by the American Chemical Society for distributing papers published by that organisation without licence. Although not a music case, it was an interesting lawsuit in that the final ruling in ACS's favour seemed to provide the framework for the plaintiff to seek web-blocks in the US.

Web-blocking, where rights owners get injunctions forcing internet service providers to block their customers from accessing copyright infringing websites, are common place in countries like the UK, but have never been previously instigated in the US. Attempts to introduce a specific web-blocking law Stateside in 2012 proved very controversial indeed.

The fact that the ACS v Sci-Hub ruling seemed to provide some web-blocks was therefore significant. Though ACS itself insisted that it wasn't seeking those kinds of sanctions, and would instead use its court order to force domain registries, hosting companies and firms like Cloudflare to stop providing services to the piracy site.

Cloudflare has been criticised by a number of copyright owners, and especially the record companies, for providing services to piracy sites. Though it always insists that it can only terminate the accounts of copyright infringing set-ups on the back of a court order, and not just on the say so of any one copyright owner.

The ACS v Sci-Hub ruling last November provided that court order, which is why the piracy site's Cloudflare account has now been terminated. Sci-Hub tweeted a copy of its termination alert from Cloudflare last weekend, stating "This is not critical but may cause a short pause of website operation".

Of course, the fact moves of this kind usually only result in a "short pause" of operations for targeted piracy sites is why some people argue anti-piracy tactics of this kind aren't worth pursuing. Although most copyright owners argue that any measures that hinder such sites, or put hurdles in the way for people seeking to access them, are worthwhile.

BACK TO THE TOP OF THE BULLETIN

Cigarettes After Sex sign with Peermusic and Big Deal for publishing
That band you like, Cigarettes After Sex I mean, have signed with not one but two publishing companies to represent their songs catalogue worldwide. Peermusic and Big Deal will form a new joint venture to shop around the work of the band's main man and songwriter Greg Gonzalez.

"Working with two of the leading independent publishers at the same time is really about as close as you can get to a dream come true scenario", says the band's manager, Ed Harris of Blue Raincoat Artists. "We've got an independent publishing team that spans virtually every territory in the world, comprised of some of the most talented executives in the business. The fact that Peermusic and Big Deal Music both agreed to work with the band is a testament to the creative thinkers that make up these two great publishing companies".

Big Deal CEO Kenny MacPherson adds: "Cigarettes After Sex have captured the attention of music fans all over the world, and in a very short time have developed a global touring and sales base that is a reflection of their creativity and artistry. We are so excited to be able to come together with our friends at Peermusic, who are our sub-publisher in most territories around the world, to develop a unique team structure to help the band through the next phase of their career".

Meanwhile, Peermusic President Kathy Spanberger comments: "The immense talent and level of songwriting in Cigarettes After Sex is undeniable to anyone who's ever heard the band. We're THRILLED to be working with Kenny and our partners at Big Deal because we know from experience that they share our do-whatever-it-takes mindset to help the band attain even greater success all over the world".

BACK TO THE TOP OF THE BULLETIN

Beggars Music promotes Amy Morgan to MD
Beggars Music has announced Amy Morgan as its new Managing Director. Previously Creative Director, she will take over the day-to-day running of the Beggars Group music publishing company from Andy Heath, who will remain its Chair.

"The role of the publisher has never been so exciting", says Morgan. "We pride ourselves on signing and developing new talent and providing a holistic, creative home for our writers. We have had a great few years as some of our earliest signings have developed into international success stories. I am excited to continue to grow our artists' careers and our business internationally, and to embrace the changing media landscape and all the opportunities it creates for our writers".

Heath adds: "It's a privilege to hand over the reins to Amy. She is one of the most extraordinary executives I have ever worked with and she completely embraces the spirit of Beggars, which is to develop and expose the finest talent, being prepared for a long-term effort and putting the interests of the music maker first".

As Morgan moves up, there have been other changes at the company and two new hires. Doug Keeley becomes Royalties Manager and Roisin Page moves into a Creative Administrator role. Meanwhile Will Moore, formerly at Ninja Tune, becomes
Copyright & Licensing Manager at the company's London office, and Sam Carlin, previously of MTV, becomes Head Of Film & TV Licensing at the firm's LA base.

--------------------------------------------------

Paul Samuels to head up A&R at East West UK
Warner Music has placed Paul Samuels in charge of A&R at its East West Records UK label, concurrent to his role doing the same at Atlantic UK.

At the same time, East West UK has announced the launch of a new imprint for "mainstream entertainers" called Warner Music Entertainment. Samuels will receive A&R support from Ric Salmon in that domain, with artists on the label including Cliff Richard, Bette Midler, Boyzone, Alexander Armstrong and Sheridan Smith - the latter of whom signed to East West last summer.

Says East West President Dan Chalmers: "Paul's appointment and the launch of Warner Music Entertainment are a sign of our intent for East West. We're determined to grow the label's reputation as a home for artists with the power to move pop culture and the talent to become household names, whatever the genre. As we invest more in A&R, we'll be nurturing a new generation of stars at East West, while providing an industry-leading service to mainstream stars at Warner Music Entertainment".

Samuels himself adds: "I'm really excited for the chance to work with Angie [Somerside, General Manager] and Dan on the East West revival. They've already begun to create an impressive roster, together we're going to develop it further and recapture the spirit of the legendary label".

The first act Samuels has signed for East West is Irish singer-songwriter Áine Cahill, whose most recent single, 'Blood Diamonds', was released through indie label LAB Records last year.

BACK TO THE TOP OF THE BULLETIN

Proud Galleries to close
The flagship base of Proud Galleries, the Proud Camden arts and music venue in Camden's Stables Market, will close next month after seventeen years in operation. Two new Proud venues will open in its place, including one in Camden.

In a statement, owner Alex Proud said: "After more than seventeen years at the Stables Market in Camden, and having been part of the transformation of a town that is now thriving with visitors from across the globe, we have decided to move on. I'm dedicated to keeping the Proud venues fresh and we have found two new venues which will open in due course".

Proud Embankment is set to open under Waterloo Bridge, while the second new venue will be situated on Camden High Street.

"This is another chapter in our story", continued Proud. "But I do think it's a sad one for Camden to lose a venue with such a rich musical heritage".

Still to be announced, a series of closing parties at Proud Camden are due to be held between 16 Feb and 3 Mar. The venue will officially close on 4 Mar.

--------------------------------------------------

LiveStyle hires Neil Ryan
Festival owner LiveStyle has announced NRG Productions founder Neil Ryan as its new Senior VP and Head Of North America Production.

CEO Randy Phillips comments: "While running AEG Live, I had the pleasure of working with Neil and saw first-hand his depth of expertise in the live event/production space. He adds to LiveStyle's exceptional staff as we continue to bring on the best and the brightest".

Ryan adds: "After years of working with some of the best people in the music industry across all musical genres, I am excited to be reunited with Randy and to be working with the team at LiveStyle".

LiveStyle, of course, is the company that emerged after SFX Entertainment worked its way out of bankruptcy.

--------------------------------------------------

Music Venue Trust launches fundraising arm, Fightback
The Music Venue Trust has announced the launch of a new public-facing fundraising arm, Fightback. Previously the brand used for the organisation's one-off benefit gig, it will now take the form of a regular series of fundraising shows at various grassroots venues around the UK.

Fightback Events Manager Gary Prosser says: "Fightback has been over a year in the making and I am looking forward to working closely with every grassroots music venue in the UK to create some memorable shows for fans of live music all over the UK. We're building an incredible opportunity for artists and brands to come together to directly connect with grassroots music venues and make a real difference".

With five shows currently booked in - headlined by The Wombats and Bright Light Bright Light - Fightback hopes to raise £100,000 by putting on over 100 events throughout this year. This money will be used to fund the Music Venue Trust's Emergency Response service, which offers assistance and advice to music venues facing closure.

The currently scheduled shows are as follows:

9 Feb: Milton Keynes, The Craufurd Arms (The Wombats)
10 Feb: Blackpool, Bootleg Social (The Wombats)
11 Feb: Bradford, The Underground (The Wombats)
13 Feb: Stoke-on-Trent, The Sugarmill (The Wombats)
15 Mar: St Albans, The Horn (Bright Light Bright Light)

BACK TO THE TOP OF THE BULLETIN

PPL, Sting & Shaggy, Paramore, more

Other notable announcements and developments today...

• UK record industry collecting society PPL has announced a number of promotions in its top team. Sarah Mitchell, formerly Head Of Member Services, becomes Director Of Member Services. Operations Director Christine Geissmar becomes Chief Operating Officer. Director Of Legal & Business Affairs David Harmsworth becomes General Counsel. And Finance Director Chris Barton becomes Chief Financial Officer.

• Sting and Shaggy collaborating is still a thing that happened. Now there's video evidence.

• Paramore have released the video for 'Rose-Colored Boy', taken from their 'After Laughter' album.

• We're moving ever closer to the release of new US Girls album, 'A Poem Unlimited', on 16 Feb. Here's new single 'Pearly Gates', which is dead good.

• Noah Cyrus has released a new track, 'We Are...', featuring MØ.

• Poliça and Stargaze have released new single, 'Agree'. The track is taken from their upcoming collaborative album, 'Music For The Long Emergency', out on 16 Feb.

• Jane Weaver will release new single, 'The Lightning Back', on 6 Apr. But you can listen to it now.

• Zilla is back with a new single, 'Whatever It Is'. "It's a sensual love story with the voices living in my head, the temptation of letting go of sanity and surrendering to the crazy", she says of the track.

• Sloan will be back with their twelfth studio album, '12', on 6 Apr. From it, this is 'The Day Will Be Mine'.

• Idles have announced more UK shows in April, which will precede the three in Manchester, Glasgow and London that they've already sold out.

• Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily - updated every Friday.

BACK TO THE TOP OF THE BULLETIN

Noel Edmonds launches anti-Lloyds Bank radio station
Noel Edmonds has launched a new radio station exclusively dedicated to his ongoing dispute with Lloyds Bank. Positively Noel - billed as the station that "tells you the TRUTH about Lloyds Liars" - breaks up bank-related chat with songs such as 'Money' by Pink Floyd and 'Money Money Money' by Abba.

Last month, Edmonds secured the backing of a company called Therium, which helps fund lawsuits and then takes a portion of the damages if successful. That backing allows Edmonds to proceed with legal action against Lloyds Banking Group.

The TV personality and broadcaster fell victim to a scam by staff at the Reading branch of HBOS over a decade ago. HBOS was subsequently acquired by Lloyds, and Edmonds has been embroiled in a long-running dispute with the banking group over the extent to which the HBOS scam impacted on his business interests. Edmonds is seeking £60 million in compensation.

On the new internet radio station, Edmonds provides information about his own case, as well as the stories of other victims of the HBOS scam, and invites Lloyds staff to call a whistleblowing hotline. He also calls former Lloyds chair Victor Blank "either a liar or a shit banker" and demands: "Victor, give back your knighthood, or do we rip if from you like Fred The Shred?"

It's an unusual concept for a radio station, to say the least, and something of a departure from the other stations operated by Edmonds' Positivity Radio company, which promise to promote "a more positive approach to life and living".

Lloyds disputes Edmonds' compensation claim, with a spokesperson last month saying that the organisation had "made determined efforts to reach a consensual resolution with Mr Edmonds through mediation late last year, but this was not possible".

Edmonds said that compensation offered during those talks was "derisory".

Listen to Positively Noel here.

BACK TO THE TOP OF THE BULLETIN