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Congressional Bill Renews Effort to Get Artists, Labels Paid for Radio Airplay
Unlike satellite/online radio and streaming services, AM/FM stations pay only songwriter royalties on the music they broadcast. To rectify that, the AMFA legislation would establish fair market value for radio performance royalties in the same way it has been for those other platforms. The bipartisan bill is in part a response to the Local Radio Freedom Act, a non-binding resolution introduced last month by Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR) and Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) that opposes the imposition of a performance royalty, which proponents argue would be financially devastating for broadcasters. A companion resolution was introduced in the Senate by Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and John Barrasso (R-WY). Both resolutions are backed by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), which has long been oppo...
New Tech Brings Blackbird Studios’ Vintage Sound to Creators’ Homes
The BB N105 plug-in, which mimics the characteristics of Blackbird’s custom Neve 8078 board, was released a day early on June 21 after a high-tech review appeared on a YouTube channel on June 17 and spurred demand. The product is an early installment in a long-term program, which may eventually offer plug-ins that mirror 100 different pieces of Blackbird equipment. It’s an unprecedented step in branding the studio, making the quality of its machines widely available while maintaining the exclusive nature of its rooms. “Where I think having the plug-in is really cool is you can record in a studio, and then you can go home and go, ‘You know, I really wish we did a little more with that vocal on the console,'” says KIT Plugins CEO/founder Matt...
Event Designer Bobby Garza In Austin, In a Pandemic: Cash-Poor Venues Have Decisions to Make
When the concert business shut down in March 2020, Bobby Garza abruptly shifted from putting on live events to tearing them down — his company, Austin-based Forefront Networks, had to cancel the California food-and-music festival Yountville Live later that month. In early April, his life changed even more dramatically: Forefront furloughed 30 percent of its staff, including him. As part of Billboard‘s efforts to best cover the coronavirus pandemic and its impacts on the music industry, we will be speaking with Garza, a 44-year-old former Forefront creative team leader who used to be general manager of festival producer Transmission Events, every other week to chronicle his experience throughout the crisis. As of early January, he is now vice president of programs and community ...
After Long Delay, India Launches International Singles Chart
Global pop hits dominated the inaugural chart, with BTS’s “Butter” topping the list, followed by Dua Lipa’s “Levitating” (No. 2), Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” (No. 3), Justin Bieber, Daniel Caesar and Giveon’s “Peaches” (No. 4) and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Good 4 U” (No. 5). BTS and Rodrigo tie for the most entries with three songs each in the top 20. The K-Pop group’s enduring hits “Dynamite” and “Life Goes On” sit at No. 8 and No. 20, respectively, while the fast-rising Disney star’s “Deja Vu” and “Drivers License” occupy the No. 18 and No. 19 positions. Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group jointly lead all labels with seven hits on the chart. Warner Music Group has five. The only independent label on the list is Canada’s Namah Music Group whose “Jalebi Baby” by Ca...
WME Artists Urge Boris Johnson to Fix Travel Between UK and EU
In the letter below, agents and music artists ask that the government act without any further delay and engage with its EU counterparts to ensure visa-free touring for artists. RT Hon Boris Johnson MPPrime Minister10 Downing StreetLondon, SW1A 2AA Dear Prime Minister: The UK music industry, which sustains over 197,000 full-time jobs, is amongst the most affected by COVID-19’s devastating impacts, and thousands of musicians whose livelihoods depend on touring are keen to get back to work. However, due to the changes brought about by Brexit, we are facing a crisis that may prevent that from happening, and we need your help. Over the past several decades, the UK has experienced a consistent upward trajectory in live touring, bringing with it a significant and positive economic impact. Much of...
Sony Germany’s Urban Music Chief Stresses Need For More ‘Diverse Styles of Music’
Omerbegovic was a street basketball star — including a year playing in Kentucky — before studying political communication in Düsseldorf, with a stint at the Harvard Business School . He subsequently started performing hip-hop as Slick One. He is founder of the clothing label Pusher Apparel and the co-founder of the Suckit frozen cocktail popsicle company. A joint venture with Universal Music followed in 2014, where he was President of Rap for UMG’s German subsidiary. Under the new linkup with Sony, Omerbegovic’s title is President of Urban Sony Music Germany. In March this year, RIN‘s anthem “Dior 2001” reached platinum status – his most successful single with over 120 million streams. “Dior 2001” was previously released via Groove Attack, as were Eros from 2017 and...
The Players Behind Lil Baby & Lil Durk’s ‘Hats Off’ Feat. Travis Scott: See the Full Credits
Artists:Main Artist – Lil BabyMain Artist – Lil DurkFeatured Artist – Travis Scott Songwriters:Composer Lyricist – Chidi OsonduComposer Lyricist – Dominique JonesComposer Lyricist – Durk BanksComposer Lyricist – Jacques WebsterComposer Lyricist – Thanush Perinpanesan Producers:Executive Producer – James HardenExecutive Producer – Kevin “Coach K” LeeExecutive Producer – M. “Twan” TraylorExecutive Producer – Pierre “P” ThomasProducer – Chi ChiProducer – James HardenProducer – Kevin “Coach K” LeeProducer – M. “Twan” TraylorProducer – Pierre “P” ThomasProducer – Young TN Production Team:A&R Coordinator – As...
Inside Track: Leadership Shakeup at UMG Latin; KAABOO’s Future Up In the Air
Universal Music Latino is home to major stars like J Balvin, Karol G and Sebastian Yatra, with Kaminsky, a seasoned and respected executive, having had a hand in the regional and international development of all of them. “I’m thrilled to be a part of this talented team and looking forward to working together with our amazing roster of artists through the next phase, making Universal Music Latino even more successful,” said Kaminsky. “I want to thank UMG for this exciting journey, and for this new opportunity to continue making history for Latin culture.” In addition, Salomón Palacios, who has been at Universal since 2013, most recently as director of live and artist services division GTS, has been appointed senior vp of marketing & artist strategy for Univ...
Sony Music Beefs Up Podcasting Strategy by Acquiring Major UK Producer
Outside of podcasting, Somethin’ Else’s TV and social media business will be integrated into Sony Music U.K.’s 4th Floor Creative division, broadening the company’s ability to provide creative and commercial opportunities for its artists, labels and partners. In a statement, Kooker said that Sony Music’s podcast division “is key to our plans for a fast-paced expansion in the market, diversifying our creative abilities and providing a home for exciting content that will benefit millions of podcast-lovers around the world.” Since first getting into business together, Sony Music and Somethin’ Else have partnered on podcasts including David Tennant Does A Podcast With…, Power: The Maxwells, The Fault Line: Bush, Blair & Iraq and Cheat!. “Having collaborated with Somethin’ Else on a number ...
The Challenges (And Thrills) of Returning Hundreds of Tour Buses to Road Duty
“They’re like workhorses,” says Doug Oliver, general manager of Pioneer Coach in Nashville, whose 50-some buses have transported road regulars from James Taylor to Old Dominion. “They want to be running. We don’t like to let them set for long periods of time.” Financially, those who run tour bus companies view the upcoming concert schedule with relief. Hemphill Brothers lost $30 million in revenue from March through December 2020 and “had to downsize a little bit,” says CEO Trent Hemphill, who co-owns the company with his brother Joey. Coach Quarters had to take out a small PPP loan to afford the $7,000-8,000 it owes on each of its buses. Like artists, roadies, lighting and sound companies and rehearsal studios, bus companies have teetered on...
Eshy Gazit Launching New Label With BMG To Release Monsta X, Wonho
Along with Monsta X and the group’s former singer, Wonho, who launched a solo career in 2020, Gazit worked with BTS during that group’s early attempts to break through in North America. Gazit will remain a partner at Maverick, as well as president at Gramophone, an artist and brand development company that was acquired by LiveXLive Media last month. “Eshy has played a vital role in strategically developing the K-pop subculture as the new mainstream music not only in the US, but around the world,” says Thomas Scherer, BMG executive vp repertoire & marketing, Los Angeles. “His relentless passion, expertise, knowledge, and track record of success speaks volumes. BMG is proud to deliver exciting new K-pop music to fans around the world. Hallyu!.” Gazit confirms that Monsta X, the...
Demi Lovato Signs With UTA For Worldwide Representation
According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, Lovato’s tours have grossed $56.8 million and sold 1.1 million tickets. Their most recent tour, 2018’s Tell Me You Love Me Tour, was their biggest yet, earning $21.5 million. In 2020, Lovato kicked off a career resurgence when they debuted their ballad “Anyone” during a stripped-down performance at the Grammy Awards and performed the national anthem at Super Bowl LIV. In April, Lovato’s Dancing With The Devil…The Art of Starting Over reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The album coincided with the launch of Lovato’s powerful four-part documentary series from YouTube Originals and director Michael D. Ratner entitled Demi Lovato: Dancing wit...
