| TOP STORIES | Two Astroworld victims settle their lawsuits READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| LEGAL | Pras accused of fraud in relation to Harbourview rights deal READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| LABELS & PUBLISHERS | IMPALA publishes diversity report READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| DIGITAL & D2F SERVICES | SoundCloud launches Discord bot READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| GIGS & FESTIVALS | Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe to bring co-headline tour to the UK and Ireland READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| AWARDS | Breakthrough category nominees announced for Artist And Manager Awards READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| ONE LINERS | Taylor Swift, Lewis Capaldi, Orbital & Sleaford Mods, more READ IN THIS EMAIL | READ ON THE WEBSITE |
| AND FINALLY... | Shygirl debuts music video on OnlyFans 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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ENTS24 - MARKETING MANAGER (BRISTOL/HYBRID) With your help, we can ensure that every single entertainment fan knows why they need Ents24. You’ll be responsible for helping to grow our online audience, managing our email communications to 2 million people, and developing our social media channels. If you have an in-depth understanding of the industry and a proven track record of helping companies to grow, we’d love to hear from you. For more information and to apply click here. |
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CITY SLANG - JUNIOR DIGITAL MARKETING (BERLIN) We are looking for young creative minds with a passion for music and numbers to join our Digital Marketing team in Berlin. Candidates must be knowledgeable and savvy in the world of digital culture and consider themselves a self-starter, quick learner and able to thrive in an open and fast-paced environment. For more information and to apply click here. |
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AEG EUROPEAN FESTIVALS - VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER (LONDON) We are seeking a Vice President & General Manager with overall responsibility for all revenue, marketing, operational functions and the festivals team. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of leading a team who manage and operate festivals and developing new and innovative approaches to growing the business. For more information and to apply click here. |
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PSYCHOTIC REACTION - A&R MANAGER (LONDON/REMOTE) We are looking for a creative A&R Manager whose primary responsibilities will be to find and organise creative opportunities for our existing artists, alongside our colleagues at Warp, bring in new artists, producers and writers, developing our roster and our catalogue, and find opportunities to exploit and grow awareness and commercial potential of our writers and catalogue. For more information and to apply click here. |
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GOODLIFE MANAGEMENT - ARTIST MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT (LONDON) We are looking for an individual who is passionate about the music industry and our roster, who has outstanding organisational skills and a can-do attitude. The job on offer is incredibly busy and varied and so it is essential that you are dedicated, able to multitask, prioritise and think on your feet. For more information and to apply click here. |
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TICKETLINE - BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER (MANCHESTER/HYBRID) Ticketline are looking for an experienced and passionate Business Development Manager to join our team. We are looking for someone who is dynamic, tenacious, hardworking and determined with solid negotiation skills to develop, manage and contribute to the business development strategy to support our growth plans. For more information and to apply click here. |
| The CMU Library is our online educational resource for the music industry, full of guides, briefings and reports from CMU Trends, CMU Insights and CMU:DIY. You can browse the Library and access all the resources by using the links below... | |
| THE MUSIC INDUSTRY | MUSIC COPYRIGHT |
| THE RECORD INDUSTRY | THE MUSIC PUBLISHING SECTOR |
| THE STREAMING BUSINESS | THE LIVE MUSIC SECTOR |
| THE DIRECT-TO-FAN BUSINESS | MUSIC MARKETING |
Two Astroworld victims settle their lawsuits
The families of two of the people who died at last year's Astroworld festival in Houston, Texas have seemingly settled their lawsuits against the event's organisers, Live Nation and its Scoremore subsidiary. Terms of the two settlements are not known.
Ten people died and hundreds more were injured when a crowd surge occurred during the headline set of Travis Scott at the festival he founded. Hundreds of lawsuits were filed in the wake of the tragedy, including by the families of all of those who died. All that litigation was consolidated in January and has been going through the motions ever since.
One of the lawyers involved in that litigation, Tony Buzbee, yesterday issued a statement confirming that one of his clients - the family of Axel Acosta, a 21 year old who died during the crowd surge - have now settled their lawsuit.
The statement read: "The claims brought by the family of Axel Acosta against Travis Scott, Live Nation and others involved in the Astroworld tragedy have settled. Acosta was a beloved son, brother, and student. He was kind and loving. He is greatly missed. Please keep his family in your prayers".
It has also been reported that the family of another of those who died at the festival, sixteen year old Brianna Rodriguez, have likewise settled. Terms of two settlements are not known, though the damages being demanded by all the combined lawsuits in relation to Astroworld were running to billions of dollars.
Although Buzbee's statement referenced Scott himself as well as Live Nation, a source close to the rapper's team told Billboard that his lawyers were not involved in negotiating any such settlement, which presumably means it was agreed with the live music giant.
It remains to be seen if any further details of these settlements become public, and whether other settlements are likely to be agreed anytime soon.
Pras accused of fraud in relation to Harbourview rights deal
A US-based company called Open On Sunday LLP has sued Pras and investment firm Harbourview over a rights deal they announced back in July. Open On Sunday claims that it had an existing loan agreement in place with the Fugees member that was secured on the rights he then sold to Harbourview in that deal.
Open On Sunday allows artists and songwriters to access upfront cash by selling their copyrights or royalty rights to the firm, with the option to buy them back down the line. Harbourview, meanwhile, is one of those equity funds that has been going around of late buying up music rights in big money deals, backed by Apollo Global Management.
In its lawsuit, Open On Sunday says that it agreed a deal with Pras back in January which included a loan agreement secured on royalties that the musician earns from Sony Music in relation to the Fugees' output and his 1998 solo album.
In February, it alleges, Pras asked for that agreement to be amended so that the loan would be secured on a book deal for an autobiography rather than the music royalties. But Open On Sunday declined to amend the agreement in that way.
The musician also allegedly asked for another $3 million loan to fund his defence counsel in relation to the criminal investigation into his connections with Malaysian businessman called Jho Low and the so called 1MDB scandal.
Concurrent to all that, Open On Sunday claims, Pras failed to meet his obligations under the loan agreement. As a result, in May it began legal proceedings which included foreclosing on the assets the loan was secured on, ie his Sony royalties.
It was at that point that Open On Sunday discovered that Pras had done a deal with HarbourView. Or, in the words of the lawsuit, "after issuing the notice of default, plaintiff discovered that defendant [Pras had] fraudulently transferred the assets to defendant Harbourview".
The lawsuit then alleges that - in order to "induce Harborview" into acquiring the Sony royalty rights - Pras and his legal team forged a release document showing that Open On Sunday had agreed to accept the theoretical book deal as security on the loan, which it had not.
Open On Sunday also reckons that Harbourview should have done more due diligence. It accuses the investment fund of being "wilfully blind", adding that it "eagerly accepted the release that they knew or should have known was forged".
Pras is accused of breach of contract, while he and his legal team are also accused of fraud.
However, legal reps for Pras strongly dispute the version of events presented by Open On Sunday, insisting that an agreement was reached to secure the loan on the future book deal. With that in mind, attorney Robert S Maloni told Law360: "There was no forgery. It's a bogus claim, the whole thing".
IMPALA publishes diversity report
IMPALA - the pan-European organisation for the independent music community - has published its annual report on equity, diversity and inclusion. It summarises the work undertaken by IMPALA and its membership in this domain over the last year, and also sets out areas for improvement in the year to come.
Among other things, it highlights the free equity, diversity and inclusion training programme IMPALA runs, and the diversity of guests who appear on the organisation's 20MinutesWith podcast. It also devotes a section to the ongoing debate around artist remuneration - going into more detail on why it doesn't think so called equitable remuneration is the way to address any concerns over the streaming royalties artists receive, a position it reaffirmed just last week.
"IMPALA has shown that it was not just making a fashionable gesture when it committed to striving for long term change in terms of equality and diversity", says Keith Harris, adviser to IMPALA's equity, diversity and inclusion task force. "The new report makes for interesting reading and shows that the independent sector across Europe is prepared to invest significant time and effort to bring about long term and meaningful change to improve fairness and equity".
"The spirit of cooperation and the willingness to share best practice and learn from each other's experiences has really been commendable and little by little equality, diversity and inclusion is moving to centre stage, and is manifestly becoming central to the thinking of the opinion formers and decision makers across the industry", he goes on.
Ben Wynter - as Entrepreneur And Outreach Manager at the UK's Association Of Independent Music - and who contributed to the report's section on equitable remuneration - comments: "For people from a low socio-economic background, and particularly people of colour, streaming has been a game changer. Whilst there is no doubt that streaming reform would benefit many, my concern is that in any reform there will always be a loser".
"The majority of solutions that I have seen would have a detrimental impact on those from low socioeconomic backgrounds as income would be repurposed from their share elsewhere, threatening to dismantle the democratisation that exists", he continues. "This is why I find it hard to support solutions such as 'equitable remuneration'. When searching for a solution, it is important to take into account the wider impact on all creatives that changes to streaming would have".
SoundCloud launches Discord bot
SoundCloud has confirmed its launch of an official music bot on Discord, which aims to aid the discovery and playing of music within the messaging platform.
Discord users can invite SoundCloud's bot to their server, and from there use text prompts to discover new music, play tracks from their SoundCloud library, adjust volume and more. Most importantly, it'll allow the sharing of music within Discord servers without the risk of any pesky takedown notices.
Earlier this year, global record industry trade group the IFPI included Discord on a list of online services that it reckons facilitate music piracy, in a submission detailing what it felt should be included on the next edition of the European Commission's Counterfeit And Piracy Watch List.
Meanwhile, last year a Discord server called RipRequests was taken down after members began sharing pre-release downloads of Adele's '30' album. The RIAA - which submitted the takedown notice on behalf of Sony Music - said that the community was "dedicated to the ripping and sharing of music".
Whether the SoundCloud bot is something actively pursued by Discord to counteract some of these concerns, or simply SoundCloud spying an opportunity, is not clear.
| CMU+TGE Sessions at The Great Escape 2023: Music + Education We recently announced initial details about the CMU+TGE conference sessions that will be taking place at The Great Escape in Brighton next May. That programme includes a full-day focus on music and education on Wednesday 10 May. CMU and The Great Escape will bring together music educators and the music industry to put the spotlight on the best ways to support future music talent, both on stage and behind the scenes. What respective role do educators and the industry play in providing the knowledge, skills and opportunities that people need to build sustainable and successful careers in music? How can we effectively equip musicians and creators with a framework that encourages creative entrepreneurship and helps them to develop the skills they need to succeed – whether as frontline artists with their own artist businesses or portfolio musicians and creators selling their skills and expertise to the industry, media, brands and beyond? And what do current and future music industry leaders – executives and entrepreneurs – need to know to pursue successful careers in the business, to help teams thrive, and to shape the future of the ever-changing music sector? Key topics include... What knowledge and skills do people need to build a fulfilling career in the music industry? Employers and entrepreneurs from across the sector - including labels, publishers, managers, promoters and agents – will identify what aspiring music people need to know, and discuss with music educators - both formal and informal - about how to make sure that knowledge is accessible to everyone. What does music business education look like in 2023? We'll hear from the people shaping and delivering music business education in colleges and universities, and from within the industry, and hear how they identify priorities, evolve their curriculums, and interact with and involve the music industry and learners themselves. How will the new national plan for music education in England impact on the way music is taught in and around schools? How can established music-makers and music industry leaders inform and support the music classes and activities experienced by young people? And how can industry and educators work together to deliver the future skills the industry needs? What new learning methods and platforms online are educating and inspiring the next generation of music industry talent? We'll look at how music-makers and those who work in the industry - or want to work in the industry - are interacting with content, contemporaries and collaborators on and offline, and how that is shaping new models for learning. GET YOUR DELEGATE PASS! |
Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe to bring co-headline tour to the UK and Ireland
Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe have announced that they will bring their co-headline tour to the UK and Ireland next summer.
"After finally getting back on the road and having a monumental summer tour in the US and Canada this year, we're beyond THRILLED to be bringing this massive stadium tour to major cities all over the world, and kicking off Europe in Sheffield where it all started for us 45 years ago", says Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott. "We're looking to forward to seeing you out there, somewhere soon!"
Mötley Crüe add: "We had an incredible time playing The Stadium Tour in North America this summer and we truly can't wait to take the show around the globe with The World Tour in 2023. Crüeheads in Latin America and Europe: Get ready! We're coming for you next and can't wait to finally see all of you out there again next year!"
Oh yeah, there are dates outside the UK and Ireland. But we're just not interested in those. Here are the important dates:
22 May: Sheffield, Bramall Lane
1 Jul: London, Wembley Stadium
2 Jul: Lytham Festival
4 Jul: Dublin, Marlay Park
6 Jul: Glasgow, Hampden Park
Breakthrough category nominees announced for Artist And Manager Awards
The nominees for the Breakthrough Artist and Manager categories at this year's Artist And Manager Awards have been announced, ahead of next month's ceremony.
Among them are PinkPantheress, Self Esteem and Wet Leg on the artist side, and Deleon Blake, Josh Sanger and Phoebe Gold on the management side. As well as that, Red Light Management has been confirmed as winner of the Writer/Producer Manager Award.
"It was incredibly tough deciding on this year's Breakthroughs, but I think we're finally satisfied that these two shortlists reflect the past year's range of managerial and artist successes", says MMF CEO Annabella Coldrick.
"I'm also really pleased that we can recognise the achievements of Red Light Management with our Writer/Producer Manager Award", she adds. "As highlighted by the MMF's most recent 'Managing Expectations' report, the vast majority of our members also represent songwriters and producers and it's truly impressive to see how James [Sandom], Tyler [Brown] and their team have cultivated such a diverse and successful roster".
One other newly announced winner is Music Declares Emergency, which will take away the Industry Champions trophy. Featured Artists Coalition CEO David Martin comments: "Music Declares Emergency have brought a new sense of urgency to how the industry approaches climate change".
"Alongside their enormously impactful campaigns", he adds, "the organisation is also seeding much-needed practical advice - helping to highlight historical music industry practices that can be harmful to the environment, while providing guidance and support to help the sector tour and release music more sustainably. FAC and MMF are proud to be supporters of their work".
Now, here are the nominees for the Breakthrough categories in full...
Breakthrough Artist:
Beabadoobee
Cat Burns
PinkPantheress
Sam Ryder
Self Esteem
Tems
The Snuts
Wet Leg
Breakthrough Manager:
Callum Reece, One House (Eliza Rose, Sherelle, CKTRL)
Deleon Blake, Grumpy Old Management (Griff)
Hannan Malik, Nowherenear (Plested, Mac & Phil, KIN, Billy Khan, Deeps, Romain, ADP, Alan Sampson)
Josh Sanger, Deep End Management (Holly Humberstone)
Nimesh Jani, Catalyst Management (Sam Tompkins)
Phoebe Gold, Up Close Management (PinkPantheress, Tommy Gold)
Sandy Abuah, Dion Hamilton & Markhenry Nwachukwu, Tru Tribe (Knucks)
Sarah M, Muise Management (ShyGirl, Cobrah, Lou Hayter)
The ceremony will take place at London's Bloomsbury Big Top on 17 Nov.
APPOINTMENTS
Production music firm Epidemic Sound has announced Rikard Herlitz as its new CTO and Julian Persaud as CCO, both starting in January 2023. Herlitz joins from Google, while Persaud moves over from travel platform Omio. "We're THRILLED to welcome both Rikard and Julian to our leadership team", says CEO Oscar Höglund. "Their in-depth knowledge and global experiences from both the commercial and the technological side will be essential as we move into our next stage of development. I am confident we have found the right talents to help us take Epidemic Sound into the next phase on our journey to soundtrack the world".
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RELEASES
Taylor Swift has released her tenth studio album 'Midnights'. The video for 'Anti-Hero' premieres on YouTube at 1pm UK time today.
Lewis Capaldi will release his new album 'Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent' on 19 May. He'll also be touring the UK and Ireland in January and February.
Joel Corry and Tom Grennan have teamed up for new single 'Lionheart (Fearless)'. "Tom is an amazing artist on top of his game", says Corry. "This record is a new direction for me and an evolution of my sound. I wanted a create an anthem for the festival main stages and I can't wait to perform it with Tom around the world".
Orbital have teamed up with Sleaford Mods for new single 'Dirty Rat'. "This track is a giant capital letter", says Orbital's Paul Hartnoll. "Like in the 'Book Of Kells', where the very first letter always gets the big treatment from the monk when he's doing his illustrated borders. It's got that old school dance music vibe with bits of Cabaret Voltaire in there, even bits of The Shamen. It's a little bit punk rock, nice and loud. A really refreshing 'wake up' kind of track. And [Sleaford Mods vocalist] Jason [Williamson] is just brilliant!"
Babymetal have released new single 'Divine Attack - Shingeki' - the first from their new album 'The Other One', which is out on 23 Mar.
Phoenix have released new single 'Winter Solstice'. New album, 'Alpha Zulu', is out on 4 Nov.
Genesis Owusu has released new single 'Get Inspired'.
Okay Kaya has released new single 'Inside Of A Plum'. Her new album, 'Sap', is out on 4 Nov.
Agar Agar have released new single 'The Visit'. "This is a song about your personal space being invaded but it is also a dance song", they say. "The best representation would be when you have an afterparty at your place with strangers you just met, dancing in your living room. At some point you just want them to go away so you can sleep".
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs have released new single 'Terror's Pillow'. The band have also announced UK tour dates running from February to April next year.
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GIGS & TOURS
Sam Smith has announced UK tour dates in April next year, including two shows at London O2 Arena on 18-19 Apr. Tickets go on general sale on Thursday.
The Wannadies have announced that they will play Islington Assembly Hall in London on 3 Nov. Tickets are on sale.
Fabric and the Museum Of London have announced a new partnership, which will see them working on a variety of events in the coming years. First is a show from artist Tai Shani, soundtracked by Maxwell Sterling and Richard Fearless. More information on the partnership here.
Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily - updated every Friday.
Shygirl debuts music video on OnlyFans
Shygirl has become the first artist to debut a music video on OnlyFans. An explicit version of the video for her single 'Shlut' is now streaming on the digital media platform, best known for its adult content.
"OnlyFans is a space for me to get personal with true fans only", says Shygirl. "It's a little experiment to see what I'm inspired to create when I know I have your full attention".
"It's somewhere where I can give better context to my work, the motivations behind it, and a more in-depth look at the things that inspire me", she adds. "I want to be able to create and share my imagery in all aspects, and this platform allows me full visual freedom without censorship. On OnlyFans you will know me best".
OnlyFans CEO Ami Gan adds: "We are delighted that Shygirl has launched an OnlyFans profile to debut her music video. We are passionate about empowering all creators on our platform and look forward to watching Shygirl's artistic vision unfold while her fans experience her brilliance sans restrictions".
Anyway, if you want to see this video, you can go to Shygirl's OnlyFans profile and drop her $15.99 to unlock it. Or you can watch the censored version here.
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