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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] |
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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 | Copyright Directive remains controversial as final draft agreed READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| LABELS & PUBLISHERS | BMG partners on new Jamaican record label READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| LIVE BUSINESS | NME allies with Dice READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| MANAGEMENT & FUNDING | ie:music hires Leander Gloversmith to lead rock and metal expansion READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| RELEASES | Connie Constance announces debut album, English Rose READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| AWARDS | Grandmaster Flash among winners of this year's Polar Music Prize READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| ONE LINERS | Swedish House Mafia, Dua Lipa, Jessie Ware, more READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| AND FINALLY... | Idles "appropriating a working class voice", says Sleaford Mods' Jason Williamson 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. | |
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TEG LIVE - TOUR ACCOUNTANT (SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA) TEG Live has an exciting opportunity available for a pro-active, entrepreneurial and highly motivated Tour Accountant to join its team. Reporting to the Finance Manager, this busy role will see you preparing the accounts for international artists, touring in Australia, NZ and Asia. For more information and to apply click here. |
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SECRETLY GROUP - PROJECT MANAGER (LONDON) Secretly Group is looking for a motivated, ambitious and enthusiastic Project Manager to join its London team. 2-4 years of music industry experience are essential. For more information and to apply click here. |
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NINJA TUNE - A&R ASSISTANT (LONDON) Ninja Tune is seeking an entry level A&R assistant, full time, based in our London office. Must be passionate and knowledgeable about a wide variety of music. For more information and to apply click here. |
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SJM CONCERTS - MARKETING ASSISTANT (MANCHESTER) SJM Concerts is seeking a Marketing Assistant to work as part of our busy marketing team to maximise exposure of events promoted by the company. For more information and to apply click here. |
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SJM CONCERTS - TICKETING ASSISTANT (MANCHESTER) SJM Concerts is seeking an organised, enthusiastic and conscientious all-rounder with great attention to detail and willing to help with anything and everything the busy ticketing department throws their way. For more information and to apply click here. |
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RAYMOND GUBBAY - ILLUMINATED TRAIL ASSISTANT (LONDON) Raymond Gubbay Ltd (RGL) has grown significantly in recent years with the expansion of promoting illuminated trails in venues including Kew Gardens, Blenheim Palace, and ZSL London Zoo. A permanent role has been created within the Illuminated Trails department which will be central to supporting the delivery of this growth. For more information and to apply click here. |
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PROPER MUSIC - SALES LEDGER ASSISTANT (DARTFORD) Proper Music Distribution is recruiting for a Sales Ledger Assistant to join its dedicated Finance team at its new HQ in Dartford, Kent. The ideal candidate will have relative experience in a similar role, experience of working with SAGE 200 and a proactive and positive approach to work. For more information and to apply click here. |
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AWAL - HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL MARKETING (LONDON) AWAL is seeking a Head Of International Marketing, to be responsible for managing AWAL's international marketing teams who create and deliver successful, innovative and global marketing campaigns for a growing roster of artist and label clients. For more information and to apply click here. |
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DOMINO - DIGITAL MARKETING CO-ORDINATOR (LONDON) Domino Recording Company is seeking a full time Digital Marketing Co-ordinator. The role of Domino’s Digital Marketing Co-ordinator is to support the Digital Marketing Team in all aspects of campaign origination and management. For more information and to apply click here. |
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VISION NINE - SENIOR FESTIVALS MANAGER (LONDON) Vision Nine Group is seeking to recruit a Senior Festivals Manager to take a leading role in the Event Management team working across our award-winning portfolio of festivals and events. For more information and to apply click here. |
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VIP NATION - SENIOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, EUROPE (LONDON) Part of the Live Nation Entertainment group, VIP Nation (Europe) provides VIP package solutions to tours, festivals and special events. For fifteen years it has been servicing artists and fans, creating unforgettable experiences in more than 30 countries. For more information and to apply click here. |
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UNION CHAPEL - VENUE HIRE CO-ORDINATOR (LONDON) Union Chapel Project (UCP) seek a Programme and Venue Hire Co-Ordinator, on a full time contract. The person would be a key member of our events team, responsible for advancing and delivering on all events held in the Chapel. For more information and to apply click here. |
Copyright Directive remains controversial as final draft agreed
Representatives of the European Commission, European Parliament and EU Council have agreed a final single version of the pesky European Copyright Directive, meaning the copyright reforming legislation is now very close to becoming law. Although there is still the matter of a final, final, final vote in the Parliament.
The copyright reforms have been a very long time in development, with the Commission publishing its original draft of the directive in September 2016. The music industry supported article thirteen has, of course, been among the most controversial elements of the whole thing. It seeks to change the copyright safe harbour utilised by internet companies, mainly by increasing the liabilities of user-upload sites like YouTube.
There has been intense lobbying from across the media, entertainment and tech industries. The music community has presented a pretty united front on article thirteen, though last week that consensus started to fall apart. Other articles will also affect the music industry, especially articles fourteen through sixteen which seek to increase artist and songwriter rights, mainly against their primary business partners, ie labels and publishers.
Since last year, there have been three versions of the directive: the Commission's original, and then the heavily amended versions respectively passed by Parliament and Council. Talks to agree a final single version - aka trilogue - stalled earlier this year because of disagreements within Council, where reps from each EU national government sit. But Council agreed its position last week allowing the new trilogue talks this week.
All interested parties will now scrutinise the final draft and form an opinion on what it means for them. But as the directive in its final form heads to a vote of the full Parliament, it seems likely that the tech sector will continue to call for the reforms to be blocked, principally because of article thirteen (and the also controversial article eleven).
Campaign group the Electronic Frontier Foundation last night said the final draft was "worse than any in the directive's sordid history".
Music industry groups will also be reviewing the latest edits of article thirteen - and articles fourteen, fifteen and sixteen - and forming a final view on what these reforms will mean. Though GESAC, which speaks for the song right collecting societies of Europe, has already welcomed the news that a final draft of the directive has been agreed.
The organisation's President, Anders Lassen, said yesterday: "This directive was long awaited in our sector. We still need to have a careful assessment of the final text, but its adoption sends a clear signal that large platforms dominating the online content market at the expense of creators must stop freeriding and comply with copyright rules. We trust that member states and the European Parliament will now endorse the directive and give their final approval to this historical breakthrough, without any further delay".
For its part, YouTube owner Google said in a statement: "Copyright reform needs to benefit everyone - including European creators and consumers, small publishers and platforms. We'll be studying the final text of the EU copyright directive and it will take some time to determine next steps. The details will matter, so we welcome the chance to continue conversations across Europe".
So roll on the final votes. Expect a little more "save music!" and "save the internet!" chanting as those votes approach.
BMG partners on new Jamaican record label
BMG has announced a partnership with musicians and producers Zak Starkey and Sharna Liguz to launch a new label called Trojan Jamaica. The new venture says it will "bring newly produced, Jamaican-made music to the world".
The duo already operate a studio in Jamaica, having built connections on the island after originally being booked to play at the opening of the Pete Tosh Museum in Kingston. That booking came about after the curator of the museum saw Starkey and Liquz cover the Bob Marley/Pete Tosh song 'Get Up, Stand Up'.
The new business shares its name, of course, with legendary reggae label Trojan Records, which BMG acquired in 2013. Under the deal between BMG and the two musicians, the music rights company will license the Trojan brand and has also invested into the venture. A first release is due this spring.
Discussing his work in Jamaica, Starkey says: "We felt so warmly welcomed and at home in the musical community, that we stayed and recorded all the music that has become Trojan Jamaica. We're committed to presenting local artists together with international musicians who, like us, have been inspired by roots culture".
Meanwhile BMG boss Hartwig Masuch adds: "We are delighted to partner with Zak and Sharna on this exciting new musical endeavour. This is a wonderful opportunity to reflect the new sounds of reggae's homeland".
NME allies with Dice
NME has entered into a partnership with mobile ticketing firm Dice. It's the ticketing app's first media partner, though the tie up follows partnerships with various venues that have also opted for mobile-centric ticketing, including the Troxy, Scala and Underworld.
Among other things, mobile ticketing - of course - makes it much harder for touts to access and resell tickets. Which is something NME Editor Charlotte Gunn noted when confirmed the alliance. "Finally, an effective way of preventing profiteering touts from forcing up ticket prices for real fans", she said.
She went on: "Dice's approach to ticketing is truly game-changing and is a solution to the age-old problem of touts generating millions in revenue that doesn't find its way back to the music industry. We hear from readers all the time who've been ripped off and have reported on the issue extensively. We are so proud to be the first UK media brand to stand alongside Dice so we can do our bit to make live music fairer for fans, artists and venues".
Over at Dice, Russ Tannen added: "Thousands of people discover artists and book tickets to their shows through NME.com each week. I want those fans to know that each time they buy a ticket through NME.com, they're supporting our fight against the touts".
ie:music hires Leander Gloversmith to lead rock and metal expansion
Robbie Williams management company ie:music has recruited rock and metal specialist Leander Gloversmith in a bid to further diversify the company's roster. His key focus initially will be on pop-punk act Neck Deep.
"It is a privilege to be part of a company with such an effusive legacy, who continue to evolve and remain a source of ideas and creativity", says Gloversmith.
"A lot is said about the diminished state of this scene", he goes on, "yet ie:music are doubling down on rock and metal as we believe it to be in rude health, birthing some of the most exciting and creative artists around, many of whom are quietly ascending to arena headline status without a drop of mainstream support. Paired with its passionate, multi-generational audiences, this is truly a world of lifers, on and off-stage".
Gloversmith will work out of ie:music's LA base, ie:west, whose president Michael Loney says: "We are delighted to welcome Leander and his roster to the ie:music family. He has proved time and again that he has an eye for what's next. His roster will be able to avail of our world class artist services team who will apply experience developed across ie:music's other artists to maximise their potential".
In addition to Neck Deep, Gloversmith's roster as he joins the company also includes post-hardcore group As It Is and metal band Frost Koffin.
| Approved: Lunatraktors Hard to solidly pin down genre-wise, Lunatraktors term the music they make 'broken folk' and proudly proclaim it so in the title of their upcoming debut album, 'This Is Broken Folk'. The project brings to life vocalist Clair Le Couteur's academic study of traditional folk through this collaboration with percussionist and vocalist Carli Jefferson. For the album, they have selected songs from Britain, Ireland, Australia and Russia. While in many cases these songs date back as far as the 1800s, the duo's vibrant performances give them immediacy and relevance. Le Couteur's embodiment of the different characters in the songs brings humour and compassion to their stories, which - touching on themes like institutional violence, forced migration and personal hardship - can seem very contemporary. Jefferson's percussion, which can take the form of drums, tap dance or body percussion, adds a beating heart to the stripped back performances. "It's straight up archival folk music", Le Couteur explains. "I don't change the words, I don't change the tune. We add to the rhythm, we complexify the rhythm, but we don't really change the rhythm". Jefferson adds: "We both grew up experiencing a lot of hip hop, trip hop, jungle, all this kind of stuff. There's a big mix in our influences, and I think that comes out in the rhythms. [One] reason for the term 'broken folk' is that idea of broken beat and things shifting, not knowing where something's gonna drop, messing with it". The latest single, 'Black Raven', is released today. Le Couteur explains: "'Black Raven' is a new English mis-translation of a traditional Cossack folk song that is well known in Russia, reworked through the lens of English folk and blues". "We found it while researching world music about corvids - crows, ravens, magpies - which are a kind of clan emblem for us. The tune feels soaring, magnetic, with extremely deep roots. Something in the melody transports us, seems to open up a landscape, a trans-temporal space of connection with something very big, and very old, and very dark". It certainly provides a powerful opening to the album, due out on 18 May, and a good introduction to Lunatraktors. You can next catch them live at JW3 in London on 28 Feb. Right now, listen to 'Black Raven' here.Stay up to date with all of the artists featured in the CMU Approved column by subscribing to our Spotify playlist. |
Connie Constance announces debut album, English Rose
Connie Constance has announced that she will release her debut album, 'English Rose', next month. It features as its title track her own interpretation of The Jam's 1978 song.
"My stepdad used to play 'English Rose' all the time when I was young", she says of her relationship with the Jam track. "Even back then, I realised how beautiful that song is. It reminds me of everything I love that is British".
"The main thing behind the album for me is trying to reshape the identity of the English rose", she continues. "It's like, what do British people look like now? Because we certainly don't all look the same. And that's part of my message: inclusivity. Asking what young UK people look like now - what are our English roses today? For me, it felt important to show how diverse this country is".
Listen to her version of 'English Rose' here.
The album is out on 22 Mar, with tour dates set to follow in May:
1 May: Birmingham, Hare & Hounds
2 May: Manchester, Gullivers
5 May: Bristol, The Louisiana
6 May: Leeds, Belgrave Music Hall
8 May: London, 100 Club
Grandmaster Flash among winners of this year's Polar Music Prize
Grandmaster Flash, violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and music charity The Playing For Change Foundation have been named the winners of this year's Polar Music Prize. Presented by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, each winner receives one million Swedish kroner. That's about £86,000 in pre-Brexit money.
"It is such an honour, because a lot of times in our culture, what we do as DJs gets overlooked", says Grandmaster Flash. "So for these people to say, let's give this to someone who doesn't necessarily use a microphone as their gift - for me to be picked out of so many people, I am so, so deeply honoured".
Representing more traditional musicians, Mutter adds: "It is a huge honour to be in this illustrious group of musicians who have received the Polar Music Prize. I'm deeply honoured and humbled and I can't wait to come to Stockholm and meet the other recipients".
I think it's safe to say everyone feels honoured. The annual prize is usually handed to two musicians, so the inclusion of a third winner this year - and that then being a music charity - is a double wildcard.
Co-founder of The Playing For Change Foundation, Whitney Kroenke, says: "This is incredibly humbling and mind-blowing - we are ecstatic. We started the project so that musicians that would not otherwise be seen or heard would have the chance to express themselves and be recognised. To be in the company of people that have made us all love music for so many years, is truly an honour".
Phew, for a minute there I thought she was going to let the side down by not being honoured. Anyway, the prizes will be formally handed out on 11 Jun. What an honour.
Swedish House Mafia, Dua Lipa, Jessie Ware, more
Other notable announcements and developments today...
• Swedish House Mafia have signed a new record deal with Sony's Columbia label. So you can stop asking if their reunion is going to result in new music all the bloody time now.
• Futures Forum, a new one-day event for young live music professionals that will take place as part of the International Live Music Conference in London next month, will include a keynote interview with Dua Lipa and her musician father Dukagjin Lipa, it has been announced. Info on the full programme here.
• The Association Of Independent Music has announced more details about its all new three day conference AIM Connected, which will take place at Studio Spaces in London. It takes place from 1-3 Apr. Info here.
• The UK premiere of the film of Beth Gibbons and the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra's performance of Henryk Górecki's 'Symphony No. 3 (Symphony Of Sorrowful Songs)' will take place at the Barbican in London on 28 Mar.
• Jessie Ware has released a new standalone track for Valentine's Day, 'Adore You'. "It's just a little something to tie you over with until my next release", she says. "It feels fitting to put this out when I'm about to become a new mum again and feel the most confident I've ever felt about my music. Happy Valentines, I adore you all".
• Lizzo has released new single, 'Cuz I Love You', the title track of her upcoming new album. The video for the track will premiere at 3pm sharp today. Wait for it to go live here.
• Offset has released new single 'Red Room', taken from his debut solo album, which is out next week. The track previously appeared on streaming services last year, before being removed. Just in case you wonder why it sounds familiar.
• The Cinematic Orchestra have released new single 'A Promise', taken from their upcoming new album 'To Believe'.
• Modeselektor have enlisted Tommy Cash for new track 'Who'. The production duo's new album, 'Who Else', is out next week.
• Snapped Ankles have released the video for their brilliant new single, 'Rechargeable'. They've also announced that they will play Village Underground in London on 29 Oct.
• Das Body has released new single 'Taller Than The Average Man'.
• Daniel Thorne has released new track 'Fear Of Floating', the closing track from his upcoming debut album 'Lines Of Sight'.
• Ezra Collective have released new single 'Quest For Coin' from their debut album 'You Can't Steal My Joy', out on 26 Apr. "'Quest For Coin' is about the pursuit of money but not losing your soulfulness in the process", explains bandleader and drummer Femi Koleoso. "You know when you can't afford the train, so you get the bus and meet a beautiful stranger who talks to you about your saxophone case; yeah, that. Basically city life, London life".
• Little Simz will play the Courtyard Theatre in London on 6 Mar. Her new album, 'Grey Area', is out on 1 Mar.
• Hozier has announced UK tour dates for September and October, which will finish up with a five night run at the London Palladium.
• Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily - updated every Friday.
Idles "appropriating a working class voice", says Sleaford Mods' Jason Williamson
Sleaford Mods' Jason Williamson is not averse to bad-mouthing other bands - even if they refuse to take the bait. Recently, tensions have been arising with popular punk outfit Idles. So in a Guardian Q&A this week one fan came out and asked him straight, "Why the beef with Idles?"
"I quite liked [Idles' debut album] 'Brutalism' when it came out", admits Williamson. "It wasn't my kind of music but I liked some of it - it was catchy. And they were nice lads, polite online and stuff. But I thought they were kind of a street band, there were lines like 'Tarquin' [in 'Well Done'] that would insinuate that they were knocking the middle classes, but it turns out they're not working class. That offended me, because I then held the belief that they were appropriating, to a certain degree, a working class voice".
"Obviously that excelled when the second album came out, and I felt a bit cheated", he goes on. "I also became jaded by this idea that we were a band that was campaigning for social justice, when we're not, we're just talking about what's around us. Music can't solve political problems. And I think their take on it is cliched, patronising, insulting and mediocre. And that's why I have a problem with them".
He concludes: "I take music seriously, and I've come from a place where this music has been created. Without that, we wouldn't be here. I went through a lot of pain - I understand Idles' singer has gone through a lot of pain. But I don't believe their slant on this. I don't like them at all".
Well, you did ask. Idles haven't responded to this, but they have written a haiku about top sitcom 'Arrested Development'.
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