Tencent rival NetEase secures new funding for music service
As Tencent - operator of the biggest streaming service in China - prepares to IPO its music division, a key rival in the Chinese streaming music market has completed a new funding round of $600 million.

Although China is still only the tenth biggest recorded music market overall, it has seen considerable growth in recent years thanks to the rapid rise of the streaming sector, making it a priority emerging market for the music industry worldwide.

Local rather than global streaming music services dominate there, with Tencent's QQ Music by far the biggest. The closest rival is NetEase Cloud Music, which has just secured another $600 million of cash from a number of investors. With the money, it aims to take on Tencent and its QQ brand.

Among the investors is another Chinese web giant Baidu, which was for a time enemy number one of the global music industry for facilitating access to a mountain of unlicensed MP3 downloads via its search engine.

However, it then did a deal with the record industry and sought to take a lead in the then fledgling legitimate digital music market in China. However, it quickly lost ground to Tencent, NetEase and that other Chinese web giant Alibaba. This makes its recent alliance with NetEase to take on Tencent all the more interesting.

Some are now chattering about whether NetEase's cash boost will affect Tencent's plan to IPO its music division on the New York Stock Exchange.

Although Tencent has already filed some paperwork for that IPO, the Wall Street Journal reported that the company had slowed down its march to the market after share prices across the tech sector took a tumble. Increased competition on its home turf could also impact investor interest in a standalone Tencent Music.

Tencent nevertheless remains the dominant player in digital music in China - for now at least - and as that market continues to grow, that makes it a dominant player globally as well.

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Prince estate seeks final ruling on $4 million damages in unauthorised EP case
The Prince estate is awaiting approval of damages totalling almost $4 million in its case against a producer who attempted to release an unauthorised EP by the musician.

According to court papers seen by CMU, the Prince estate has requested that the judge in the case order Ian Boxill to hand over $3,960,287.65. This includes $3 million in damages set by an arbitrator, who ruled in August that Boxill had breached his contract with Prince. The remaining amount is to cover costs and attorney fees. It also demands that Boxill hand over all Prince recordings in his possession.

Boxill worked with Prince between 2006 and 2008, and in April last year announced plans to release a collection of six unreleased tracks they had collaborated on. However, shortly before the record's release date, the Prince estate was granted a temporary restraining order blocking it, before getting a preliminary injunction banning the release.

The estate claims that a contract between Boxill and Prince said that any copyrights created as a result of the two men's collaborations would be wholly owned by the latter. That would mean that Boxill could not release the music without Prince's permission, which now means without the permission of the Prince estate.

The motion submitted by the Prince estate earlier this week aims to counteract attempts by Boxill to have the previous arbitration ruling rejected by the court. The estate wants the judge to confirm that it stands, and issue a final ruling in its favour.

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Spotify expands into Middle East and North Africa
Spotify has confirmed its widely expected launch in thirteen new markets in the Middle East and North Africa.

The countries where the market leading streaming service has just gone live include: United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestinian Territories and Egypt.

The service launches in the region with a fully Arabic user experience and a bunch of locally created playlists. Which I'm sure we can all agree is super exciting.

"I am super excited", agrees Spotify's Global Head Of Markets Cecilia Qvist. "From today, Spotify is now available across the Middle East and North Africa".

She goes on: "Spotify is launching in [the region] with a full Arabic service, dozens of locally-curated playlists for every mood and moment, and access to a full catalogue of millions of songs, for both our free and premium users. Music fans will also enjoy Spotify's personalised music recommendations from day one, which will help them to enjoy, discover and share new music from both local and international artists simply and easily".

Lovely stuff. The latest expansion means Spotify is now live in 78 markets.

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Camden to start laying musical walk of fame next year
Camden is to get its own Hollywood-style Walk Of Fame. Although rather than film stars, it will mark the long list of musicians who have passed through the London borough.

Due to stretch the 1.3 miles between Koko at the Mornington Crescent end of Camden High Street up to The Roundhouse in Chalk Farm, it's thought the project will take 20 years to completely fill that route with musical tributes. The first stones will be laid in spring next year.

Founder of the project, Lee Bennett, says: "After many years of teasing the project along, the timing is now right to move it forward as the team I have assembled are more than capable to deliver what will be a defining moment in music history now and in the future. Added to this the fact that we have an accommodating and progressive Council with very supportive councillors and officers as well as a proud local community, the timing felt right. There are so many levels and avenues with this project and I look forward to watching it all unfold".

As well as being able to look at the names of artists on the pavement as they stroll around, people will also be able to interact with them through an augmented reality smartphone app. This will unlock behind-the-scenes stories, documentary footage and music.

Camden councillor Jonathan Simpson says of the project: "Throughout Camden's history the borough has been the stomping grounds for many well-known members of London's creative communities. The international Walk Of Fame project will celebrate this rich legacy by highlighting the accomplishments of some of the musicians, artists and prominent industry innovators connected with Camden's vibrant creative heritage".

The names of those to be honoured are still to be unveiled, but are set to be chosen by music industry figures and fans. For more information, check out the website here.

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Chvrches to release new EP this week
Chvrches have announced that they will release a new EP, 'The Hansa Session', this week. The five track release features new versions of songs from the band's 'Love Is Dead' album, recorded at Berlin's Hansa Studios.

"When we had the opportunity to record at Hansa we jumped at it even though we were in the middle of a hectic tour", explains Iain Cook. "It is such hallowed ground for me - my heroes Bowie, Depeche, Iggy, Siouxsie, Tangerine Dream, Nick Cave amongst others made arguably their best work in that building - and we hoped that when we went there, we would capture even just a tiny bit of that energy".

He goes on: "It was also a chance to hold a mirror up to these five songs and look at them from a different angle, and that is something that you don't always get the chance to do as an artist".

Lauren Mayberry adds: "It was really fun to try to reinterpret the songs and still communicate the messages and emotions with different arrangements. Once an album is out and you're on the road, it's harder to be creative so it's exciting when those opportunities present themselves, and getting to make music in places like Hansa is really a bucket list thing for all of us".

Watch the trailer for the EP here.

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Deaf Havana announce 2019 UK & Ireland tour
Deaf Havana have announced UK and Ireland tour dates for next March, following on from the release of their fifth album, 'Rituals', earlier this year. They are already set to play a one-off show at Brixton Academy on 7 Dec.

"We are all so excited to get back on the road", says frontman James Veck-Gilodi. "It will be over two years since we did our own headline run in the UK, and even longer since we played in Belfast and Dublin, can't wait to see you all again!"

"It will be the first time touring 'Rituals' as an album, so it will be great to play a lot of new songs from the record that we haven't played before", he goes on. "Mainly, I've just been itching to get back on the road in recent years, as I've really started to enjoy touring and finally feel at home being a frontman after years of struggling with it".

Tickets go on general sale on Friday, and here are the dates:

15 Mar: Cardiff, great Hall
16 Mar: Portsmouth, Pyramids
17 Mar: Bristol, Academy
19 Mar: Nottingham, Rock City
20 Mar: Hull, The Welly
21 Mar: Glasgow, SWG3
22 Mar: Aberdeen, Unit 51
24 Mar: Middlesborough, Empire
25 Mar: Manchester, Albert Hall
27 Mar: Sheffield, Leadmill
28 Mar: Birmingham, Academy
30 Mar: Belfast, Limelight
31 Mar: Dublin, Green Room

Here's the video for new single, 'Worship'.

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Max Chapman, Selling, Robyn, more

Other notable announcements and developments today...

• Producer Max Chapman has signed a publishing deal with Bucks Music Group. He was already working with the company through an administration deal. "We're delighted to be able to do this deal to take that relationship further", says Bucks Music's Sarah Liversedge.

• Universal Music Publishing has promoted Simon Baker to the role of General Manager, European Operations. "I'm confident", says COO Marc Cimino. "I'm grateful", says UK MD Mike McCormack. "I'm privileged ... and I am grateful", says Baker.

• Selling - aka Gold Panda and Simian Mobile Disco's Jas Shaw - have released the video for 'Dicker's Dream' from their 'On Reflection' album.

• The Japanese House has announced that she will release her debut album, 'Good At Falling', on 1 Mar. Here's new single, 'Follow My Girl'. She's also set to tour the UK later this month, including a sold out show at The Scala in London.

• Susanna has released new single, 'City Of Hope'. The track is taken from upcoming new album, 'Garden Of Earthly Delights', which is inspired by the works of medieval Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch.

• Robyn has announced that she will play a London show at Alexandra Palace on 12 Apr. That's your lot for UK shows on her world tour, so make the most of it.

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

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Christina Aguilera denied stage time in New Orleans bar
The house band in a bar in New Orleans turned down the opportunity to perform with Christina Aguilera last week, it has emerged. Band leader Claude Bryant seemingly mistook her for some drunk idiot, while she assumed that she doesn't need to introduce herself properly to anyone.

Someone who did recognise her posted a video of Aguilera's exchange with Bryant on Twitter. Leaning over to ask if she can get on the mic, she can be heard in the video saying, "You don't want that? Oh, it's OK. I don't have to sing". Bryant then ends the conversation by breaking into Dawn Penn's 'You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)'.

Aguilera had been in New Orleans ahead of a show the next night, and recounted the incident in front of that audience.

"I go to this little bar and there's this live band playing", she recalled. "I was with a couple of my dancers and I was just like, 'Let me just get up on stage and jam with this guy. Maybe I'll sing a song or whatever and be fun'. But, I don't know if he didn't know the song, but he would not give me the mic. He was, like, a little older and he was just not feeling it. He was not gonna give up his mic. I was like, 'Oh, I just want to come just let me come up', and he just said, 'What, are you gonna dance for me?' I was like, 'No, I just want to sing a song with you'".

"So I was like, 'OK I'll just save it for tomorrow, then. It's alright. It's all good'", she continued. "He was like, 'Don't hurt yourself!' I was like, 'OK, you're not feeling me. It's OK. I'm just gonna depart ways. Be on my little merry way. Find somewhere else to go'".

So, as framed by her, she basically went up and offered to entertain the bar for free using her celebrity lungs, and Bryant was all like, "No way, Christina Aguilera. We don't need you here with your terrible pop star ways".

Although, to be fair to him, she didn't look much like a pop star at the time. Dressed in a baggy football shirt and a baseball cap, she looks a lot more like an annoying drunk tourist who thinks it'll be helpful to warble out a few numbers. Which I'd imagine is the sort of person he's more used to dealing with.

Speaking to WGNO, Bryant said as much, explaining: "I'm sorry, Christina. I just didn't recognise you! I didn't recognise her because she had a cap over her head and over her eyes. She was in a jersey. She didn't introduce herself to me. I asked her if she wanted to dance and she said that she wanted to sing. I started playing the beginning riff of the song, 'No, No, No' by Bob Marley, but then her bodyguard picked her up off the stage and she left".

OK, so most drunk tourists probably don't have bodyguards. And that song isn't by Bob Marley. Still, I hope this doesn't set a trend where he and other bar bands start letting anyone up on stage just in case.

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