Viagogo/StubHub confirms streamlining of operations
The combined Viagogo and StubHub announced last week that it will be winding down its offices in San Francisco and Shanghai, which will result in the majority of the staff at those two bases being laid off.

Often controversial secondary ticketing company Viagogo announced it was buying its main rival StubHub off eBay back in 2019, with both ticket resale operations having been co-founded by the same man - Eric Baker - back in the day.

However, the merger took sometime to complete thanks to an investigation into the deal by the UK's Competition & Markets Authority. And, as a result of that investigation, Viagogo was forced to sell off StubHub's operations outside of North America.

That was a pretty big concession in order to get approval from the UK regulator, although Viagogo was mainly interested in it's new acquisition's operations in the US and Canada anyway, where the StubHub brand is much more established than the Viagogo brand.

The CMA investigation wasn't the only challenge for Viagogo as 2020 got underway, of course, with the COVID pandemic creating unprecedented challenges for the entire ticketing sector, primary and secondary.

And there were further regulatory challenges too, the COVID-caused shutdown of live entertainment not stopping regulators and courts in multiple countries around the world from cracking down on the more controversial aspects of secondary ticketing, often specifically in relation to touting on the Viagogo platform.

Nevertheless, with the offloading of the StubHub international business approved by the CMA last September, and the live sector slowly swinging back into action this year, the wider Viagogo business is now hoping that ticket touting will return to pre-pandemic levels, and that it is even better positioned to profit from all that, in North America and globally. But first, there's the need for some post-merger, post-pandemic down-sizing.

Confirming the office closures to the StubHub US workforce last week, Baker said in a memo: "After replicating StubHub's model with Viagogo in Europe, the best decision I ever made was to buy back this company I created. Since the sale finalised in February of 2020, we have worked tirelessly - navigating the COVID pandemic and jumping over regulatory hurdles - so that we could finally integrate the two businesses".

"Given the recent migration to one tech stack", he went on, "StubHub today has the technology and brand, coupled with the global scale and operational excellence, to transform the live events industry".

But first, the cutbacks. "Today, we are focusing on designing our organisation for the future we will create together", his memo continued.

"To that end, we have made the decision to wind down our Shanghai and San Francisco offices by the end of the year, thereby centring our corporate hubs in Los Angeles and New York. This will allow us to be more focused and more nimble going forward".

The wider Viagogo/StubHub business will still have its other bases in Switzerland, Ireland and Taiwan.

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Shakira could get eight years jail time if found guilty of tax evasion
Prosecutors in Spain are pushing for an eight year prison sentence if Shakira is found guilty of tax evasion. Or so it was reported last week as it was confirmed that the musician has refused to settle with the Spanish authorities, meaning her tax dispute will now head to trial.

The dispute relates to a disagreement over where Shakira was primarily based between 2012 and 2014. The Colombian pop star, who is married to Barcelona football player Gerard Piqué, became a full resident, and therefore tax payer, of Spain in 2015.

However, Spanish authorities believe that she was also a resident of the country between 2012 and 2014 - despite actually registering her residence in the Bahamas - and therefore should have been paying tax on her worldwide earnings in the country during this time too.

Anyone who spends more than six months of a year in Spain is considered liable for tax in the country. It is argued that Shakira spent most of her time in Spain during the years in question, only travelling abroad for brief periods.

Shakira's legal reps have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing ever since she was first charged in 2018, insisting that the singer's finances have been managed entirely legally and properly.

Confirming last week that the musician had declined to negotiate an out of court settlement, a spokesperson said that she "trusts her innocence and chooses to leave the issue in the hands of the law".

A date for the trial is yet to be set.

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Warner Chappell signs James Bourne
James Bourne off of Busted fame has signed a new worldwide publishing deal with Warner Chappell covering both his existing catalogue and future works.

Although best known for his musical output with the legendary Son Of Dork, surely, or - OK - maybe Busted, Bourne has also written plenty of songs for other artists, including 5 Seconds Of Summer, Backstreet Boys, Boyzone, Jonas Brothers, McFly, Pixie Lott, The Saturdays and The Vamps

Confirming the new deal, Warner Chappell Creative Manager Emily Foreman says: "James has been writing great pop and rock songs for almost 20 years now. He enjoyed incredible success in the early 2000s, but the last two Busted records, as well as his recent solo material, have shown how much he's developed and evolved as a songwriter. We're excited to work with him on the next stage of his career".

Meanwhile Bourne himself adds: "I'm beyond excited to begin a new chapter with Warner Chappell! My songwriting over the last 20 years has taken me on the most amazing journey. I still feel like I have a lot more to offer as a songwriter and an artist. Onwards!"

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Laura Mvula appointed to PRS Members Council
UK song rights collecting society PRS has announced that Laura Mvula has joined its Members Council. The new appointment has been made after Hannah Peel, who was one of four songwriters elected to the Council back in May, decided to stand down.

Commenting on her decision to that, Peel told the society's President Michelle Escoffery in an interview for M Magazine: "I'm extremely grateful that members voted for me - I didn't even expect to be in the top four that were nominated".

"I'm a producer, I'm a composer and an artist", she went on. "I'm a session musician, I'm an orchestral arranger, I'm a conductor, I'm a broadcaster. I've learnt in the last two years that there is only a certain amount that my brain can handle, and it's come to a point where I have to start managing my own mental health a lot better and with a lot more care for myself, not just work. That's incredibly important. I just don't think I could do a good enough job for those who voted for me right now with that in mind".

PRS issued a statement earlier today explaining how it had gone about filling the place on its Council left by Peel. "The process to fill casual vacancies is at the discretion of the Member' Council", it said. "The decision was made to invite all the candidates who stood for election at the 2022 AGM to be considered for the role". That included Mvula.

"Of those that chose to stand and based on the collegiate voting system, Writer Council Members voted in a blind ballot", the PRS statement continued. "The result was then ratified by the entire Members' Council. Casual vacancies to the Members' Council are appointed until the next AGM, when the role becomes vacant and is subject to a vote at the AGM".

Commenting on her appointment to the Council, Mvula says, "Writing has always been part of my everyday life. Teaching, conducting, arranging, performing - each has taught me something about what it means to be a musician and songwriter. As a PRS Writer Council Member, it's my desire to ensure music creators are given the support they need to navigate the ever-changing landscape".

"I believe songwriters and composers should benefit from the structures and processes of which they are the foundation", she adds. "I believe that representation truly matters. It can turn the tide in conversations and decision-making. As a writer, composer and recording artist but also, a black British woman with over ten years in the industry, there are countless experiences to which I can uniquely speak, and I look forward to bringing that to the table".

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Serenade and Warner to put out chart eligible NFT release of new Muse album Music NFT start-up Serenade has announced a partnership with Warner Music - and the official music chart compilers in the UK and Australia - which will see a special NFT-based digital release of the new Muse album - 'Will Of The People' - made available later this month, sales of which will count towards the new record's overall chart position.

Serenade refers to the chart-eligible NFT-enabled release as a 'digital pressing', and says that the standalone digital product aims "to cater for a superfan's appetite for scarcity, exclusive content and community recognition". And, in case you wondered, yes, the digital pressing will "live on the blockchain and offer Web3 capabilities such as verifiable ownership and the ability to trade on secondary markets".

Following the alliance with Warner on the 'Will Of The People' digital pressing, the NFT firm says it will "set out to support and empower any artist" that likewise wants to put out a standalone chart-eligible NFT-based release, adding: "Unlike vinyl production that demands significant overheads and a current six to nine month lead time, there is no cost associated with creating a digital pressing and the turnaround time can be less than two weeks".

Commenting on the new NFT format, Serenade founder Max Shand says: "As a simple, standardised and chart eligible format, digital pressings will be a game changer on the global stage, and we wouldn't have been able to achieve this without the support of the visionary teams at Warner Records, the [UK] Official Charts Company and Australian Recording Industry Association, who all want to give artists every opportunity to bring creativity and innovation into their campaigns".

On the first release utilising that format, he goes on: "I have always been a huge fan of Muse, so I am beyond excited that they will be the first artist to release a digital pressing with Serenade".

Sebastian Simone, VP of Audience & Strategy at Warner Records UK, adds: "We're THRILLED to be partnering with Serenade and the Official Charts Company on the first chart accredited NFT album format. Muse have always been at the forefront of technological innovation and were one of the first music artists to pioneer in Web3 back in 2020. Their fans have an appetite for collectible rarities and this format brings them closer to Muse than ever before, propelling them into a new space and offering an entirely unique experience".

And Official Charts Company boss Martin Talbot chips in: "Over their seven decades, the Official Charts have always strived to move with the times, reflecting consumption of new formats and all new ways of distributing music, as they have evolved".

"Just as vinyl, 8-track, cassette tapes, CDs and even MiniDisc, DCC and DAT have been welcomed into the charts", he continues, "we will also welcome non-fungible tokens - and we will be delighted when the first album delivered as an NFT contributes to the chart, with Serenade and Muse leading the way this summer".

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Snapchat launches Creator Fund for independent music-makers
Snapchat last week announced a new Creator Fund which will pay out monies to independent artists whose music is being placed into videos by the social media firm's users via its Sounds audio clip library.

The new fund builds on Snapchat's existing partnership with DIY distributor Distrokid, which announced a scheme last year to allow independent artists to get their music into the Snapchat Sounds library.

Announcing the fund, Snapchat said: "We are excited to announce our first-ever Snapchat Sounds Creator Fund - a new grant programme designed to recognise emerging, independent artists for the critical role they play in driving video creations, inspiring internet trends and defining cultural moments".

The firm's Global Head Of Music Partnerships, Ted Suh, added: "We want to support the independent and emerging artists that are driving creation on Snapchat. By providing meaningful funding and creative support, our goal is for artists to feel empowered to continue creating and pursue a career in music".

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BTS might be able to do military service while still performing
With BTS definitely not on hiatus, the debate continues regarding how South Korea's compulsory military service rules will impact on the K-pop powerhouse. And now the country's defence minister has suggested maybe BTS members could continue to be involved in the group while also fulfilling their military service obligations.

Under South Korean law, all able-bodied men must begin serving around two years in the military at some point between the ages of eighteen and 28. There are formal exemptions for athletes and classical musicians with an international following, but nothing for pop acts.

The oldest member of the group, Jin, who is 29, has so far avoided conscription thanks to a change in the law that allowed some pop artists to defer the start of their military service until the age of 30.

That recent rule change was very much in response to the negative impact military service could have on the BTS enterprise - and, by association, the Korean economy - with some arguing the new law was written so that only BTS members would qualify.

However, that rule change only delays Jin's military service, rather than providing a full-on exemption, and while further more radical amendments to the law are being considered, the idea of allowing BTS members to avoid military service entirely is controversial in some quarters.

According to News1 in Korea, the country's Defence Minister Lee Jeong-seop commented on all this earlier today and proposed a compromise of sorts. He reportedly stated: "I believe BTS could enlist in the military and still be given time to practice and perform overseas".

He added that his ministry continues to review possible options, and that allowing BTS members to balance their military service commitments with their pop careers is being considered. And such a compromise, he reckons, might be in the national interest, and good for the group too.

According to Reuters, the minister added of that compromise: "As many people highly value [artists serving] in the military, that may help boost their popularity even more".

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