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MMF MECHANICS OF MUSIC MANAGEMENT WEBINARS Tuesday evenings in March and April The Music Managers Forum is currently running the CMU Insights-led 'Mechanics Of Music Management' programme as a series of webinars, taking place every other Tuesday. [READ MORE] |
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CMU+TGE CONFERENCES AT THE GREAT ESCAPE Wednesday 8 - Friday 10 May 2019 This year's CMU+TGE conferences put the spotlight on music education, digital dollars and music marketing, and are packed with research, case studies, interviews and debates. [READ MORE] |
| TOP STORIES | Spotify to remove recordings from India's oldest label following legal action READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| LEGAL | R Kelly loses civil abuse case by default after failing to appear in court READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| MEDIA | Ally McCrae and Sophie Paluch front new MMF artist management podcast READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| RELEASES | New Mark Lanegan Band album coming in October READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| GIGS & FESTIVALS | We Are Scientists announce 50th anniversary tour for debut album READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| AWARDS | The 1975, Ghetts, Jorja Smith and Arctic Monkeys among Ivor Novello nominees READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| ONE LINERS | Mustard, Madonna, FKA Twigs, more READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| AND FINALLY... | Tyler, The Creator says video mocking his songwriting style is "spot on" 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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!K7 MUSIC - SALES & MARKETING MANAGER (BERLIN) !K7 Music is expanding the sales and marketing division and is looking for an experienced professional to direct, implement and manage robust international release campaigns across multiple artist and label projects for both our in-house and partner labels.UK and non-Berlin based applicants that may be interested in relocating to Berlin for the role are very welcome to apply. For more information and to apply click here. |
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ROCKET MUSIC - DIGITAL MANAGER (LONDON) Rocket Music Entertainment Group is looking for a highly motivated, dynamic and passionate individual to join the team as Digital Manager. You will be responsible for creating, developing and managing our visual assets and content, working across our Artist Roster, both signed and in development. For more information and to apply click here. |
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MUSIC PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION - GENERAL MANAGER (LONDON) The Music Publishers Association is seeking a General Manager to implement a clear strategy which will deliver the best possible results on matters of music copyright protection and industry related policies. For more information and to apply click here. |
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BELIEVE - A&R ASSISTANT (LONDON) Supporting the A&R team across all releases this role at Believe is tasked with assisting the Senior A&R Managers in the day-to-day running of projects as well as working across general admin tasks. For more information and to apply click here. |
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BELIEVE - A&R INTERN (LONDON) This paid intern role is tasked with assisting the Senior Urban A&R Manager at Believe in the day-to-day running of projects as well as working across general admin tasks. For more information and to apply click here. |
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BELIEVE - INTERNATIONAL CO-ORDINATOR (LONDON) Working closely with the Label and Label Services team this role at Believe is tasked with co-ordinating the roll-out of priority campaigns in key international markets. For more information and to apply click here. |
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ABOVE BOARD DISTRIBUTION - MARKETING MANAGER (LONDON) Freelance part time maternity cover with the potential for a longer term. Above Board Distribution is looking for someone to join the team to manage the artists campaigns and weekly pitches to the digital stores. For more information and to apply click here. |
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SENTRIC MUSIC GROUP - DIGITAL MARKETING ASSISTANT (LIVERPOOL) Sentric Music is looking for an enthusiastic, creative and ambitious Digital Marketing Assistant to oversee all company social media marketing and analysis, as well as assist our Group Marketing Manager with overall company marketing implementation. For more information and to apply click here. |
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IDOL - UK KEY DIGITAL ACCOUNT MANAGER (LONDON) IDOL is looking for a UK Key Digital Account Manager to help promote its roster of labels and launch creative and innovative release campaigns to achieve commercial goals. For more information and to apply click here. |
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SOUND CITY - SPONSORSHIP SALES MANAGER (LIVERPOOL) Sound City is looking for a Sponsorship Sales Manager with a proven track record. You will be selling across our portfolio of services and products that are both B2B and B2C related in both the UK and internationally. For more information and to apply click here. |
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SJM CONCERTS - PR ASSISTANT (MANCHESTER) SJM Concerts is seeking a PR Assistant. This is a junior role which an ideal candidate will embrace and make their own to become a key member of an extremely busy and efficient marketing department. For more information and to apply click here. |
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VMS LIVE - VENUE MANAGER, LEMONGROVE (EXETER) VMS Live is recruiting for a full time Venue Manager who will be responsible for taking an active role in delivering and programming the live music and club business from sourcing, programming and through to event delivery. For more information and to apply click here. |
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NEKO TRUST - TRUSTEES (LONDON) NEKO Trust was founded to help build a sustainable future for the live events industry by supporting the next generation of talent. The charity is now seeking to appoint three high calibre trustees to join their board and add the vital capacity and expertise needed to deliver NEKO’s charitable programmes. For more information and to apply click here. |
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THE ORCHARD - DIRECTOR, UK SALES & MARKETING (LONDON) The Orchard is looking for an experienced and passionate Head of Sales & Marketing to join us in the UK, you will be responsible for managing The Orchard’s local and global repertoire in the UK market; as well as driving a talented team of local account managers. For more information and to apply click here. |
Spotify to remove recordings from India's oldest label following legal action
There's a little secret that they teach you at law school. It's a clever little trick that only lawyers know. It goes like this: if you're negotiating a deal with a company, try to remember to actually do the deal. Deal making's super fun, see. And sometimes you get all distracted with the fun times and forget to do the deal. Spotify was having so much fun negotiating its licensing deal with India's oldest record label Saregama, it forgot to do the deal. And now Saregama wants its music taken off the streaming platform.
Spotify recently went live in India, of course. It first started talking to Saregama - the music company that began life over a century ago as the Indian wing of EMI - in February 2018. A year later, as the streaming firm's long awaited Indian launch got closer, Spotify asked Saregama if it would send over its recordings catalogue so it could be ingested and therefore be ready to stream at launch, assuming a deal could be done.
However, it seems, a deal wasn't done. And yet, as Spotify switched on in India, Saregama's recordings were available to its users. Which is why the music firm headed to Delhi's High Court "seeking [an] ex parte injunction to restrain the defendants, directors, proprietors etc from doing any act including exploitation / use of the plaintiff's works as filed in the digital form, ie sound recordings/songs, including the underlying literary and musical works contained therein which are in infringement of the plaintiff's works".
Spotify has seemingly confirmed that it will indeed remove Saregama's music from its platform in an almost speedy fashion. A court filing notes that a legal rep for Spotify has said that "the defendant does not consider this litigation as an adversarial litigation. He submits that whatever work infringed the copyright of the plaintiff would be taken off / deleted by the defendant from its platform within ten days from today. The defendant shall remain bound by the above submission made in court".
Which is all nice and lovely. And will amuse, I'm sure, good old Warner Music. Because it - of course - has had its own spat with Spotify in India. The mini-major hadn't reached a deal with Spotify for the Indian market as it went live there, and therefore wanted the streaming firm to remove any recordings that are of songs published by its Warner/Chappell division (or at least those that are recordings of Warner/Chappell published songs that the publisher licenses directly in the digital space).
Spotify countered that it reckoned it could rely on a compulsory licence under Indian copyright law for those works. Warner angrily disagreed. Both sides said some snarky things. Warner went legal. The dispute is ongoing.
Of course that legal dispute centred on Warner's songs not its recordings, whereas Saregama is mainly requesting the removal of its tracks from Spotify's Indian service. And deleting recordings from a streaming platform is much easier than deleting songs, due to tedious music rights data issues.
Though the Saregama legal complaint does reference the company's song copyrights as well as its recordings, so, who knows? Either way, Saregama moans, Spotify removes the content. Warner moans and, well, Warner can fuck off. Sounds sensible to me.
R Kelly loses civil abuse case by default after failing to appear in court
R Kelly has lost a lawsuit accusing him of sexually abusing an underage girl. The ruling against the musician was made by default after he failed to appear in court to defend himself.
The woman who filed the civil litigation is one of the four whose accusations form the basis of the criminal charges that Kelly is also facing, for which he is yet to stand trial. She filed her lawsuit in February, claiming that she had a number of sexual encounters with the musician, the first in 1998 when she was sixteen years old.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Kelly was served a court summons in relation to the action but never responded. To that end, earlier this week, the judge overseeing the case granted a request by the woman's attorney to rule in her favour.
Asked why Kelly had failed to defend himself, his publicist Darrell Johnson told the Chicago Sun-Times: "We don't care about the lawsuit. The lawsuit means nothing to us".
A hearing has now been set for next month to determine what damages Kelly should pay the woman in the case. Whatever the figure, it will add to mounting debts for the star, who was recently revealed to have just $625 to his name. He is currently facing further jail time as he fails to keep up to date with child support payments.
Aside from his financial troubles, Kelly is also facing those criminal charges, of course. Accused of sexual abusing four women, three of whom were underage at the time of the alleged incidents, if convicted he faces up to 70 years in prison.
Ally McCrae and Sophie Paluch front new MMF artist management podcast
The Music Managers Forum has launched a new ten part podcast series called 'How Did You Manage That?' revealing the secrets of artist management. And it has the great benefit of being presented by Ally McCrae and Sophie Paluch.
"The goal of these podcasts is simple", says McCrae. "We wanted to get inside the minds of the most innovative and respected music managers on the planet. We want to find out what makes them tick, what goes on behind the scenes, and the secrets of their success. But we wanted to do it in a low-key, intimate and informative way. 'How Did You Manage That?' is like an hour down the pub, in the company of the most inspirational individuals in contemporary music".
Paluch adds: "We're both hugely indebted for the support of both [show sponsor] AWAL and the MMF to make this podcast happen. The role of the music manager has never been as important as it is today, and 'How Did You Manage That?' will offer an incredible insight into the challenges and rewards of being a manager today all wrapped up with some great stories and laughs along the way".
Episode one, an interview with The 1975's manager Jamie Oborne of All On Red, is available now through your absolute favourite podcast app.
| Approved: Aldo Brothers Andre and Mura Faria began recording under the name Aldo as a means of paying tribute to and processing memories of a childhood spent with their Uncle Aldo. Back in the 90s, Uncle Aldo seems to have been a somewhat outlaw-ish figure, introducing the two boys to a darker side of Sao Paulo, where they grew up. Illegal car racing, suspicious back-alley negotiations, football gang violence, parties and alcohol were all features of this unorthodox upbringing. These stories all seem ripe for mining creatively. However, Aldo has since found God and repented his sins, and neither he nor the wider Faria family were particularly keen on dredging up that past. But once the brothers eventually gained their uncle's blessing, they were free to proceed. Who knows if any of that is actually true, but whatever, I think it's safe to say that pretty much all other musicians are failing with their back stories by comparison. Aldo have since gone on to build a strong following in Brazil, last year opening for Radiohead at the Allianz Park Stadium. Now signed to Full Time Hobby in the UK they are set to release their debut EP, 'Trembling Eyelids', later this year. The title track is out now, showcasing a perhaps more restrained sound than you might expect from all I said above. They reference Happy Mondays, Prince and LCD Soundsystem, as well as 70s Brazilian soul and funk bands, among their influences. Watch the video for 'Trembling Eyelids' here.Stay up to date with all of the artists featured in the CMU Approved column by subscribing to our Spotify playlist. |
New Mark Lanegan Band album coming in October
The Mark Lanegan Band will release a new album, 'Someone's Knocking', in October, it has been announced. They've also confirmed UK tour dates for December. So consider that a reminder that - while the weather might have just warmed up - the summer will be over soon and we will all be plunged back into darkness. Thanks, Mark.
Speaking of being plunged into darkness, Lanegan says: "It seems to me that the entire world is in a weird, precarious place right now. I try to not be someone in a constant state of worry and alarm but watching the massive divide that is taking place and the political situations, especially in the US and UK makes me think, 'what the fuck are these idiots thinking?'".
He goes on: "The hatred, racism and all this other fear-driven shit, these 'adults' that continually drive the machine that perpetuates this ignorance to their own ends should all be in prison cells instead of the non-violent drug 'offenders' in them now".
"I can't specifically say how any of this effects my writing", he adds. "But I know that most of the things that occupy my thoughts have a way of coming back out in a song".
Anyway, as I've sure you're all expecting, the video for the first single for the album, 'Stitch It Up', is like a mini-episode of a silly sitcom.
"I had a blast making this video", says Lanegan. "My head was pounding from laughing so hard the day of the shoot. It was extremely tough to keep a straight face when Donal [Logue] was in character. There's a reason it's the first video of mine I've been in for the last fifteen years".
'Someone's Knocking' is set for release on 18 Oct. If you fancy a bit more of Lanegan's characteristic chirpiness, you can catch him and his band on tour at these dates:
10 Dec: London, Roundhouse
11 Dec: Bristol, SWX
13 Dec: Sheffield, Leadmill
14 Dec: Edinburgh, Liquid Rooms
15 Dec: Manchester, Ritz
17 Dec: Dublin, Button Factory
18 Dec: Belfast, Empire Music Hall
We Are Scientists announce 50th anniversary tour for debut album
We Are Scientists have announced a 50th anniversary tour for their debut album, 'With Love And Squalor'. It's hard to believe it's been so long, but it really has. Who would have thought we'd still be talking about this here in 2055?
"A long time ago our management came to us and suggested we do some 'With Love And Squalor' shows on the fourteenth anniversary of its release, which we thought was pretty dumb", says the band's Keith Murray. "'Come back to us on a real anniversary', we told them. Fast-forward to a couple weeks ago, when they told us the big 50 was coming up. I'd say that's worth celebrating".
As well as the tour, the band will be re-issuing the album on vinyl, of which bassist Chris Cain explains: "Fans have been asking us to re-issue 'With Love And Squalor' on vinyl ever since the last printing, in 2006, ran out. The fact that it took 50 fucking years to make this happen still blows my mind".
The vinyl will be out on 18 Oct. Here are the tour dates:
4 Dec: Leicester, Academy 2
5 Dec: Glasgow, Oran Mor
6 Dec: Manchester, Ritz
7 Dec: London, Roundhouse
The 1975, Ghetts, Jorja Smith and Arctic Monkeys among Ivor Novello nominees
The nominees for this year's Ivor Novello Awards have been announced, with The 1975, Ghetts, Jorja Smith and Arctic Monkeys among the nominees for the top awards.
"The works nominated for The Ivors 2019 are brilliantly diverse, and we're delighted to see so many first-time nominees recognised", says Ivors Academy Chair Crispin Hunt. "As the only peer-nominated music award in the country, they are a fantastic reflection of the exciting emerging talent of British and Irish music creators today".
The winners will be announced at Grosvenor House in London on 23 May. Here are all the nominees. All of them:
Best Song Musically And Lyrically: Arctic Monkeys - Four Out Of Five (Alex Turner), Ben Howard - Nica Libres At Duck (Ben Howard), Hozier - Nina Cried Power (Hozier)
Best Contemporary Song: Ghetts - Black Rose (Ghetts, Kojey Radical, Daniel Miles, JoJo Mukeza, Jaime Naldo Menezes), Jorja Smith - Blue Lights (Guy Bonnet, Dizzee Rascal, Roland Romanelli, Jorja Smith), The 1975 - Love It If We Made It (George Daniel, Adam Hann, Matthew Healy, Ross MacDonald)
PRS For Music Most Performed Work: Jax Jones - Breathe (Jax Jones, Ina Wroldsen), George Ezra - Shotgun (George Ezra Barnett, Fred, Joel Pott), Rudimental - These Days (Julian Bunetta, Dan Caplen, Macklemore, John Ryan, Jamie Scott)
Best Album: Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar (Kayus Bankole, Graham Hastings, Alloysious Massaquoi), Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears (Jenny Hollingworth, Rosa Walton), Idles - Joy As An Act of Resistance (Jonathan Beavis, Mark Bowen, Adam Devonshire, Lee Kiernan, Joseph Talbot)
Best Original Film Score: American Animals (Anne Nikitin), Phantom Thread (Jonny Greenwood), Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Daniel Pemberton)
Best Television Soundtrack: Flowers Series 2 (Arthur Sharpes), Happy New Year, Colin Burstead (Clint Mansell), Requiem (Natasha Khan, Dominik Scherrer)
Best Original Video Game Score: Happy New Year, Colin Burstead (Michael Georgiades, Joe Henson, Alexis Smith), QUBE 2 (David Housden), Sea Of Thieves (Robin Beanland)
Mustard, Madonna, FKA Twigs, more
Other notable announcements and developments today...
• Mustard, in the Sony/ATV office, with a pen. Yeah, Mustard's signed a publishing deal with Sony/ATV. "Mustard is an amazing songwriter and producer", says CEO Jon Platt. "I already have friends in the building", boasts Mustard.
• IMPEL, the grouping of indie publishers that does digital licensing gubbins, has appointed music lawyer Sarah Williams as its CEO. Previously an off-shoot of the Music Publishers Association and collecting society MCPS, IMPEL is now an independent entity that works with French society SACEM on licensing its members rights.
• Global Radio's grand plan to become a big fat music company - which included launching units doing management, publishing and touring, as well as setting up shop Stateside - is seemingly at an end. Only the festivals side of that venture still existed in the form of Global's significant stake in Broadwick Live. But, according to IQ, Broadwick's management is now planning to buy Global out of the company. Meanwhile, the newly acquisitive Superstruct is acquiring some of the Global/Broadwick events.
• Madonna has released new single, 'Medellín', the first track from her new album, 'Madame X', which is out on 14 Jun.
• PKA FKA Twigs has released her first single in, like, a really long time. Here's 'Cellophane'. "Throughout my life I've practiced my way to being the best I could be, it didn't work this time", she says of recording her new music. "I had to tear down every process I'd ever relied on. Go deeper. Rebuild. Start again".
• Mumford & Sons have released a short behind the scenes video with a performance of their song 'Forever'. So that's nice.
• Diplo has unveiled his new country music alter ego Thomas Wesley. Here's the first single from the project, 'So Long'. Play it to a country music fan today, they are sure to love it and recognise it instantly as pure, authentic country music. You probably won't even get punched that much.
• Two Door Cinema Club have announced that they will release their new album, 'False Alarm', on 14 Jun. This is not a false alarm, it's really happening. Look, they've even released a new single, 'Satellite'.
• The Drums have released the video for 'Body Chemistry' from new album 'Brutalism'.
• Kelly Moran has released 'Night Music', the first track from her new EP 'Origin', which will be released on 17 May. "These recordings show first hand my musical discoveries in real-time for when I was having my major creative breakthrough", she says.
• Sacred Paws have released new single 'How Far'. They've also announced UK tour dates in June.
• Petrol Girls have released the video for new single, 'Big Mouth'. "Thematically, 'Big Mouth' follows on from our previous single, 'The Sound'", says Petrol Girls' vocalist Ren Aldridge. "But it focuses in on voice as a physical sound that comes directly from our bodies, and also more generally as self-expression. There's a lot of politics around who is heard and what that means, and many marginalised groups are only tolerated when they're quiet. When they refuse this containment and control, they're met with attempts to silence them".
• Guitar Wolf are back with new single 'Love & Jett'. And not a moment too soon.
• King Princess has announced that she will play Dublin Academy on 24 Jun and Heaven in London on 26 Jun.
• Entries for this year's Mercury Prize are now open. You have until 6pm on 15 May to submit albums for consideration. Email [email protected] with the subject line 'token jazz act' for more info.
• Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily - updated every Friday.
Tyler, The Creator says video mocking his songwriting style is "spot on"
Tyler, The Creator has praised a video mocking his songwriting style. Musician Nat Puff, who records as Left At London, posted the video earlier this week and has gained over six and a half million views.
Tackling Tyler's early work, Puff - seemingly a fan of the man she is mocking - first lays down a backing track featuring a "shitty piano" and "an out of key synth that is nowhere near the original key of the song". On top of that come backing vocals made up of a "really pitched-down voice, saying, 'fuck', 'yeah', 'shit', and 'uh'" and finally lyrics featuring "violence, made up words, hating your father and not being gay".
"I legit laughed, this [is] lowkey spot on", Tyler said, reposting the video. Although, he observed, "you forgot the 'ayo'", noting another key feature of his vocals.
The new video is building on a theme - Puff previously tackled Tyler's Odd Future colleague Frank Ocean songwriting's style.
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