| CMU Insights is our training and consultancy business providing training courses, conference sessions and research reports for music companies. | |
 |
MAKING MONEY FROM MUSIC COPYRIGHT SEMINARS Monday evenings in Feb 2019 These three seminars together provide a user-friendly guide to how music copyright works and how music rights make money, including ownership, licensing and key revenue streams. [READ MORE] |
 |
MUSIC MARKETING & FAN ENGAGEMENT SEMINARS Monday evenings in Mar 2019 These three seminars provide an overview of how to build a fanbase for new artists and new music, reviewing key tools and tactics, and explaining how music marketing is evolving. [READ MORE] |
| TOP STORIES | Rihanna sues her dad for fraudulently exploiting her brand READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| LEGAL | Government responds to music industry's Brexit concerns - sort of READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| RELEASES | The Cranberries release first single from final album Karen O and Danger Mouse announce album, release new single The Cinematic Orchestra announce first album for twelve years Lafawndah announces debut album and Midori Takada live performance READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| ONE LINERS | Æ Mak, Nonesuch, Vevo, more READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| AND FINALLY... | All signs point to something going on at Fabric READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| Check out all the latest job opportunities with CMU Jobs. To advertise your job opportunities here email [email protected] or call 020 7099 9060. | |
 |
NINJA TUNE - TV SYNC ASSISTANT (LONDON) Ninja Tune / Just Isn’t Music (The Cinematic Orchestra, ODESZA, Bonobo, The Heavy, Young Fathers et al) are looking to hire a sync assistant to join the TV team in London. For more information and to apply click here. |
 |
THE ORCHARD - LABEL MANAGER (LONDON) The Orchard has an immediate opening for a label manager in our London office. Managing key frontline relationships, you will be the first point of contact for a number of our distributed labels. For more information and to apply click here. |
 |
MUSHROOM GROUP - DIGITAL ACCOUNTS/INTERNATIONAL PRODUCT MANAGER (LONDON) Australia’s leading independent entertainment group, the Mushroom Group, is looking to add a digital account/product manager to its labels division, working from London. For more information and to apply click here. |
 |
ADELPHOI MUSIC - PRODUCER (LONDON) Adelphoi Music is one of the world’s leading and consistently successful music agencies, based in the heart of Covent Garden, London, and on Keizersgracht in Amsterdam. We are looking for a producer to join our fantastic London team. For more information and to apply click here. |
 |
PARAMOUNT ARTISTS - JUNIOR BOOKING AGENT (BRIGHTON) This is an exciting opportunity for a hard-working, enthusiastic individual to join a sociable, dynamic and successful agency as a Junior Booking Agent Assistant to work across artists including Mount Kimbie, Paula Temple, Mella Dee, Roy Davis Jr, Kelly Lee Owens. For more information and to apply click here. |
 |
STANDON CALLING - MARKETING & EVENT MANAGER (LONDON) Standon Calling is looking for a Marketing & Event Manager to join our London office as part of a small team in the lead up to the 2019 festival, taking place 25-28 July, and during the festival on site. You’ll report to the Festival Director to deliver the overarching 2019 marketing campaign. For more information and to apply click here. |
 |
THE WIRE - ADVERTISING SALES & MARKETING (LONDON) The Wire is looking to recruit a full time advertising sales & marketing person. The job will involve working as part of a three strong team selling advertising space in the monthly print edition of The Wire, and on thewire.co.uk, and in its editorial newsletters. The job will be based at The Wire office in Hackney Central, London E9. For more information and to apply click here. |
 |
NETTWERK MUSIC GROUP - JUNIOR PRODUCT MANAGER (LONDON) Nettwerk Music Group is seeking a Junior Product Manager. The role supports all aspects of marketing and the work of the Director, from the creation of the artist’s marketing plans and budgets through to the roll out of artist releases. For more information and to apply click here. |
 |
LONDON RECORDS - PRODUCTION & MARKETING CO-ORDINATOR (LONDON) This is an exciting opportunity for a Production & Marketing Co-ordinator to join London Records as part of the expanding team for this relaunched, legendary label (now part of Because Music). For more information and to apply click here. |
 |
ARCHANGEL MANAGEMENT / PACE RIGHTS MANAGEMENT - ASSISTANT (LONDON) A dual role at an artist management company with booking agency and global promo delivery roles (Archangel Management), and the global leader in assisting rightsholders to direct license their live pubic performance rights (PACE Rights Management). For more information and to apply click here. |
 |
WARP RECORDS - LABELS CO-ORDINATOR (LONDON) Warp are looking for a capable, enthusiastic, music-lover to assist with the day-to-day support we provide to a growing roster of labels such as Duophonic, LuckyMe, Black Focus, On-U Sound, All Saints Records and Fade To Mind, as well as our own imprints. For more information and to apply click here. |
 |
!K7 - ARTIST MANAGER (LONDON/BERLIN/NYC) !K7 Music is seeking an experienced Artist Manager to join its growing management department. The successful candidate will have at least three years’ experience in artist management, with demonstrated successes from their rosters past or present. For more information and to apply click here. |
 |
THE REST IS NOISE - SENIOR EVENTS PR (LONDON) Music specialist communications agency The Rest Is Noise is looking for an experienced Events PR to join our tight knit events team in London, delivering high impact PR campaigns with some management responsibilities. For more information and to apply click here. |
 |
GRECO-ROMAN & RANSOM NOTE - LABEL ASSISTANT (LONDON) Two left of centre record labels seek an assistant to co-ordinate all aspects of the record release cycle across five sub labels. Training will be provided but twelve months' prior experience in a music company necessary. For more information and to apply click here. |
 |
ROYAL ALBERT HALL - HEAD OF PROGRAMMING (LONDON) The Royal Albert Hall is seeking an experienced and motivated Head Of Programming to strategically develop and produce the diverse range of programming at the Hall. For more information and to apply click here. |
 |
OUTPOST - MUSIC PR ACCOUNT DIRECTOR (LONDON) Outpost is looking for an exceptional Music PR Account Director with a minimum of three years music PR experience. This role will position you at a senior level at Outpost and give you the opportunity to contribute to the overall business in a significant way. For more information and to apply click here. |
 |
KOBALT MUSIC GROUP - DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER (LONDON) Kobalt is looking for a Digital Marketing Manager to join its recordings division AWAL and work with its growing roster of emerging and already established talent from all over the world. For more information and to apply click here. |
 |
BOUTIQUE MUSIC PUBLISHING COMPANY - NEW BUSINESS ROLE (LONDON) This boutique music publishing company is looking for a motivated and energetic new business person to join on a two/three day a week basis. For more information and to apply click here. |
|
NINJA TUNE - SENIOR PRODUCT MANAGER (LONDON) Ninja Tune is looking for an experienced product manager working across our main imprints Ninja Tune and Counter Records. You will manage record release campaigns from beginning to end working closely with the A&R, production, marketing, digital, social media and international teams. For more information and to apply click here. |
Rihanna sues her dad for fraudulently exploiting her brand
Rihanna is suing her father, accusing him of exploiting her name and brand to fraudulently generate millions of dollars for a company he set up in 2017. In a new legal filing, the star says that she has no formal business ties to her father or his firm, and yet he and his business partner have repeatedly claimed to represent his daughter's professional interests.
Ronald Fenty set up his company, Fenty Entertainment LLC, in 2017 with business partner Moses Perkins. From the off the name creates some confusion, given that Rihanna has used her surname in various business ventures and - given the family connection - her father doing so likewise arguably implies a formal link to said ventures. But more importantly, says the lawsuit, Fenty Senior's firm has made explicit claims to represent the musician, both on its website and in conversations and negotiations with third parties.
Among the specific allegations in the lawsuit is that Fenty Senior negotiated deals with one third-party for Rihanna to perform fifteen shows in Latin America at $1 million a gig and two short spots in LA and Las Vegas for $400,000. He told the third party his daughter "loved the idea" and wanted to sign up for the shows, but in fact he'd not spoken to her about the proposed concerts at all, nor did he have a formal mandate to have any such conversations in the first place.
Then last year Fenty Entertainment tried to file an application with the US Patent & Trademark Office for protected use of the Fenty mark in relation to a planned boutique hotel venture. But, Rihanna's people claim, that was just a ruse to make it look like Fenty Senior's company had some sort of formal affiliation with his daughter's business.
On top of all of that, Rihanna's reps have requested that her father stop suggesting or claiming that his company represents his daughter in anyway multiple times. The lawsuit states: "Mr Fenty, Mr Perkins and the company's fraudulent conduct is particularly egregious because they repeatedly have been told to stop making these misrepresentations, and to cease and desist all activity and efforts to exploit Rihanna's name and the goodwill associated with the Fenty brand". The most recent cease and desist letter was sent just last month.
With none of those demands having been met by Fenty Senior and his company, the lawsuit reckons that "judicial intervention is necessary because defendants have made clear that they have no intention of ceasing their fraudulent and infringing conduct". In fact, they add, "in the face of clear warnings, defendants continue to unabashedly perpetuate this fraud in an attempt to profit at the expense of Rihanna's rights".
In case you wondered, the legal papers specifically accuse Rihanna's dad of false advertising, false designation of origin, invasion of privacy and a breach of his daughter's publicity rights under Californian law. She is seeking an assortment of damages, including all lost profits, costs for 'corrective advertising' and all and any legal fees she will incur along the way.
Government responds to music industry's Brexit concerns - sort of
So, all that Brexit nonsense is still proving a bit of a distraction, isn't it? Let's have some more music-related Brexit gubbins, so that attempting to follow it all at least it counts as work.
One of the government's Brexit ministers has sought to allay the music industry's fears about the impact the UK leaving the European Union might have on the sector. He responded specifically to key concerns set out by UK Music, all of which are shared by all of the music community's various trade groups and associations.
Robin Walker, a minister at the Department For Exiting The European Union, sent his letter to UK Music last week, safe in the knowledge that Theresa May's proposed Brexit deal - cleverly drafted to please absolutely no one - was already dead in the water.
He was, presumably, also safe in the knowledge that neither he nor any of his ministerial colleagues are likely to still be in their posts this time next year. So, you know, fuck it, let's make a whole load of big promises now and leave it for some other poor fucker to admit they can't be met down the line. That is, after all, the Brexit way.
Though, to be fair, Walker didn't actually make many actual promises. Instead he said that the transition period set out in the Prime Minister's always-doomed-never-going-to-happen-I-mean-what's-the-fucking-point Brexit deal with the EU means that most of the music industry's big concerns can be put off until 2021. Then he waffled on a lot about "collective endeavours" and "co-operative accord" and "sovereign choices", all of which can be summarised as follows: "yeah, we'll see what we can do about that, maybe it'll be OK".
For the music business, Brexit raises questions about the future distribution of the UK industry's discs and merchandise around the rest of Europe and the future direction of the UK and EU copyright regimes. Though by far the most pressing concerns relate to whether Brexit will impact on British artists touring Continental Europe and European artists playing here. For the more grassroots end of the industry in particular, any new visa requirements or other bureaucracy could be enough to make tours unviable.
On that point Walker also employs the "won't be a problem until 2021 and maybe it'll be fine after that" approach. He writes: "I would like to reassure you that the UK and EU negotiating teams have reached agreement on the terms of an implementation period that will start on 30 Mar 2019 and last until 31 Dec 2020. During the implementation period, the UK will no longer be a member state of the European Union, but market access will continue on current terms and UK nationals, including musicians, will be able to travel and work in the EU as they do now".
"Looking to the future", he goes on, "I can assure you that ... we recognise the long history of collective endeavours between the UK and EU to improve the lives of our citizens through cultural activities. Therefore, we will seek a specific co-operative accord with the EU which will make specific provision for mobility to allow UK musicians to perform in the EU and EU musicians to perform in the UK".
He concludes: "We are working with our European partners with ambition and creativity to develop the details of a partnership that we firmly believe will be in the best interests of both the UK and the EU". Yay for ambition and creativity!
Of course, Parliament delivered a big fat "NO" to May's proposed Brexit deal last night leading to no confidence votes, new calls from the more staunch Brexiters for the UK to crash out of the UK with no deal in place at all, and increased hopes on the Remain side that a second referendum may now be inevitable which might - just might - result in Brexit being called off entirely. All of which make anything Walker wrote in his letter last week pretty much irrelevant.
Still, fans of waffley ways to say "maybe it'll be OK" and "we'll see what we can do" can read the full letter here.
| Making Money From Music Copyright Seminars The first CMU Insights seminar series of 2019 is our always popular 'Making Money From Music Copyright' programme, which kicks off on Monday 4 Feb. If you are writing songs, recording tracks, releasing music, distributing music, selling music, licensing music, broadcasting music, staging gigs, promoting clubs, running venues or doing the sync thing, then you are creating, exploiting, managing and/or utilising music copyright. So welcome to the copyright business! Copyright matters can get pretty complex pretty quickly for a variety of reasons, though the basics are actually quite straight-forward. And with these three evening seminars from CMU, we will talk you through all the basics in a concise and easy-to-follow fashion. Find out what enjoys copyright protection for how long, who owns a copyright, and what controls come with the copyright. Get your head around the difference between recording rights and song rights, mechanical rights and performing rights, direct licensing and collective licensing, contractual rights and performer rights. And, perhaps most importantly of all, find out about all the different ways music copyright makes money. These three seminars, taking place on consecutive Monday evenings from 4 Feb at the London HQ of Lewis Silkin, explain how music copyright works, talk through the ins and outs of music licensing, and provide an overview of the music rights sector, including streaming, physical product, sync and public performance. You can book into individual seminars for £49.99 or all three for just £125, including VAT and booking fees. Find out more and book in here. |
The Cranberries release first single from final album
The Cranberries have released new single 'All Over Now'. It's the first track from their eighth and final album, 'In The End', which was completed following the death of frontwoman Dolores O'Riordan on 15 Jan last year.
At the time of O'Riordan's death, the band were in the process of recording the album with producer Stephen Street. With the backing of her family, the surviving members subsequently decided to finish and release the record.
"Dolores was so energised by the prospect of making this record and to getting back out on the road to play the songs live", says guitarist Noel Hogan of the decision to go ahead and release the album. "We knew this had to be one of the, if not the, best Cranberries album that we could possibly do".
"The worry", he goes on, "was that we would destroy the legacy of the band by making an album that wasn't up to standard. Once we had gone through all the demos that Dolores and I had worked on, and decided that we had such a strong album, we knew it would be the right thing and the best way that we could honour Dolores".
"It was a bitter sweet time", he recalls of going back to the studio to finish the record. "The joy of recording new tracks is always exciting and one of the best parts of being in a band. At the end of every day when we'd laid down our parts there was a sense of sadness, knowing that Dolores wouldn't be in that evening to work on that day's track".
Also speaking about the new record, O'Riordan's mother Eileen said yesterday: "I miss her awfully, specially today, as does the entire family. That said I can't think of a more fitting way to commemorate the first anniversary of her passing and to celebrate her life than to announce to the world the release of her final album with the band. She was very excited about this new album and was really looking forward to its release".
'In The End' will come out on 26 Apr. Listen to 'All Over Now' here.
--------------------------------------------------
Karen O and Danger Mouse announce album, release new single
Following the release of collaborative track 'Lux Prima' last year, Karen O and Danger Mouse have announced that they will release an album bearing the same name in March.
Having initially discussed making a record together in 2007, the pair eventually got together and made a plan to do so in 2015, while Karen O was pregnant with her son. Following the birth, they went into the studio and wrote the album's nine tracks, including new nine minute single 'Woman'.
"'Woman' came like a bolt out of the blue when we were in the studio", says O of recording the track just after the last US Presidential election. "We did a first pass where I was blurting unintelligible words, and Danger Mouse and I were like, 'Dang! That was intense'. The atmosphere was volatile with it being just after the election. A lot of people felt helpless like you do when you're a scared kid looking for assurance that everything is gonna be alright".
She goes on: "I like to write songs that anyone can relate to but this one felt especially for the inner child in me that needed the bullies out there to know you don't fuck with me. I'm a woman now and I'll protect that inner girl in me from hell and high water".
'Lux Prima' is out on 15 Mar. Listen to 'Woman' here.
--------------------------------------------------
The Cinematic Orchestra announce first album for twelve years
The Cinematic Orchestra have announced that they will release their first new album for twelve years in March. There will also be tour dates, including a three night run at London's Roundhouse.
For the album, Jason Swinscoe and Dominic Smith enlisted various collaborators such as Moses Sumney, Heidi Vogel, Grey Reverend, Dorian Concept and Roots Manuva, the latter of whom appears on new single 'A Caged Bird/Imitations Of Life'.
Tickets for the tour went on sale this morning. Here are the dates:
20 Mar: London, Roundhouse
21 Mar: London, Roundhouse
22 Mar: London, Roundhouse
25 Mar: Dublin, Vicar Street
26 Mar: Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
27 Mar: Gateshead, Sage
29 Mar: Birmingham, Institute
30 Mar: Manchester, Academy
--------------------------------------------------
Lafawndah announces debut album and Midori Takada live performance
Lafawndah has announced her debut album 'Ancestor Boy', setting it up well with the release of one of her strongest singles to date, 'Daddy'.
News of the first album proper follows the release last year of her second 'Honey Colony' mixtape, which was then expanded out into a live performance at the Southbank Centre in London last month.
They'll be more interesting live projects once the album is out. She'll return to the London stage in April with another expanded live version of a recent release, this time a full production based on her 20 minute recording with Japanese composer Midori Takada - 'Le Renard Bleu - titled 'Ceremonial Blue'. That will take place at The Barbican on 7 Apr.
Before that, 'Ancestor Boy' will arrive via Lafawndah's own Concordia label on 22 Mar. Listen to 'Daddy' here.
Æ Mak, Nonesuch, Vevo, more
Other notable announcements and developments today...
• Independent publisher BDI Music has signed Æ Mak - aka Aoife McCann - and her songwriter/producer partner Daniel McIntyre - aka Lullahush. "Aoife and Daniel are both incredibly creative artists and writers, and they are thriving in this collaboration", says BDI founder Sarah Liversedge.
• Dan Cohen has been promoted to SVP Marketing at Warner's Nonesuch Records in the US, adding a whole S to his job title a year after joining the company. He replaces Peter Clancy, who retired at the end of 2018, after 35 years with the label.
• Vevo has promoted JP Evangelista up to Senior Vice President of Content, Programming And Marketing. "I've worked with JP for some time now", says CEO Alan Price. It's good that someone's keeping count.
• The Killers have released new protest song 'Land Of The Free', which comes with a Spike Lee-directed video opposing US President Donald Trump's proposed wall on the US/Mexico border.
• The Drums will release a new album, titled 'Brutalism', on 5 Apr. Here's the first track from it, 'Body Chemistry'.
• Chaka Khan will release her first new album for twelve years, 'Hello Happiness', on 15 Feb. Here's the title track.
• Maroon 5 have finally confirmed that they are going to play the Super Bowl half time show this year. Doing so means they are ignoring the many calls for them to boycott the gig in solidarity with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, over his treatment by the NFL after 'taking a knee' during the US national anthem in protest against racial inequality and police brutality. They will be joined by Travis Scott, who is reported to have spoken with Kaepernick before agreeing to perform.
• Nicole Atkins will be touring the UK in April, finishing up at The Lexington in London on 20 Apr. Here's her cover of Guns N Roses' 'November Rain' with Mark Lanegan.
• The annual run of BRITs Week live shows is set to return again next month, in the run up to the big awards ceremony. Among those confirmed to play gigs around London from 11-22 Feb are Jess Glynne, The 1975, Anne-Marie, Bring Me The Horizon, Mabel, Idles, You Me At Six, AJ Tracey and Enter Shikari. The big prize draw to get free tickets is running now on the BRITs Week website, while you can just go ahead and pay for them from 9am on Friday.
• Speaking of the BRITs and performers, the first performers to perform at this year's actual BRITs ceremony have been announced. They are the performers Little Mix, George Ezra and Jorja Smith.
• Alicia Keys is going to host the Grammy Awards. So that's at least one woman guaranteed to get on stage.
• Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily - updated every Friday.
All signs point to something going on at Fabric
Fabric now has arrows. Yesterday we brought you news that the London club had wiped its social media accounts and website, as well as putting big black boards up around the venue itself. Well now there are some big white arrows on those boards and a message suggesting that the venue definitely hasn't just closed down.
The blacking out of the club's website and deletion of all of its Twitter and Instagram posts, replacing them with a single black square, hinted at a big fat publicity stunt. However, some of those who only saw the Facebook page deleted entirely, or the physical club boarded up, feared it had been shut down. The venue, of course, closed temporarily in 2016 after its licence was revoked.
However, others speculated that it was all to do with Fabric's upcoming 20th anniversary - something hinted at by automatic email replies from Fabric staff, containing 20 black squares. Now a further indication of that has arrived.
Yesterday, two large arrows were painted on the boards in front of the club - a picture of which replaced the black squares on Twitter and Instagram. Anyone able to get down to Farringdon to take a look will find that those arrows point to a message, reading: "The next chapter starts here. Love, fabric xx".
Now, it could be that this is Fabric affectionally announcing that the building is being turned into something entirely different. But many sharp-eyed folks have noted that XX is Roman numerals for 20. I hope it's kisses too though.
|
 |
CMU supports the music community by providing news, business intelligence, training and education. CMU Daily covers all the latest news and developments direct by email. Setlist is a weekly podcast dissecting the biggest music business stories. CMU Premium gives you access to the weekly CMU Digest and CMU Trends. CMU Insights provides training and consultancy for music companies. CMU:DIY provides workshops and resources for future music talent.
You can read our Privacy & Data Policy here |