International
Latin Music US Recorded Revenue Hits Record $886M in 2021: RIAA
Latin music continued its relentless expansion path in the U.S. last year, with recorded revenues reaching $886 million, according to a year-end report released by the RIAA Tuesday (April 12). That’s the highest figure ever for Latin music before adjusting for inflation and marks overall revenue growth of 35% compared to 2020 — far outpacing the 23% growth rate seen in the overall U.S. music market, as previously reported by the RIAA. “With growth of 35% – far surpassing the overall growth rate for recorded music revenues – Latin music is connecting with fans in a historic way,” said RIAA COO Michèle Ballantyne in a statement included in the report. The 2021 numbers mark the sixth consecutive year of double-digit growth in revenue for Latin music, which is defined as music recorded predom...
New Around the World: Demi Lovato’s ‘Cool for the Summer’ Reheats on Global Charts
Glass Animals, GAYLE and Anitta infuse the upper reaches of the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated April 2) with songs from 2020, ’21 and ’22, respectively. But elsewhere on the global tallies, a hit from the mid-2010s roars back. Demi Lovato debuts in the top half of both global charts with 2015’s “Cool for the Summer,” at No. 66 on the Global Excl. U.S. list and at No. 93 on the Global 200. The song, from 2015, earned 13.4 million official streams and sold 950 downloads worldwide in the week ending March 24, according to Luminate, formerly MRC Data. Those figures represent increases of 224% and 573%, respectively, week-over-week. [embedded content] “Cool” is resurging as a sped-up, pitched-up remix of it has gone viral, soundtracking numerous dance videos ...
Toronto Music Management Company CAMP Officially Launches
CAMP, the Toronto-based music management firm founded by Logan Kearns, made its official launch on Monday (March 28). Kearns, who landed his first industry job at Bedlam Music Management/Dine Alone Records in 2014, laid the groundwork for CAMP just two years later. He says it wasn’t until the pandemic hit, though, that he could finally dedicate his full attention to the company. “I decided it was time to focus on the growth, branding and restructuring,” he says. “Formally launching as we come out of the pandemic with an incredibly strong team of people behind it felt right. We also signed some incredible new artists during this downtime who are about to come out swinging.” One of the newest and key components of CAMP’s growing team is partner Riley Kirkwood, who started in management in 20...
New Around the World: Aitch & Ashanti’s ‘Baby’ Update Hits Global Excl. U.S. Chart
Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” continues to simmer atop the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated March 26), while Lil Durk debuts a double-digit sum of tracks from his new No. 1 Billboard 200 album, 7220, on the Global 200. Elsewhere on this week’s global surveys, British rapper Aitch makes his first appearance, debuting on the Global Excl. U.S. list at No. 109 with “Baby,” alongside Ashanti. Released March 10, the song arrives propelled by 7.2 million official streams and 2,300 downloads sold outside the U.S. in the week ending March 17, according to Luminate, formerly MRC Data. Those figures make up 96% and 98%, respectively, of the song’s worldwide totals. It’s likewise the first global chart entry for New York-born Ashanti, building upon her extensive U.S. ch...
Sony Music Opens Singapore Office, Shifting Asia Hub From Hong Kong
Sony Music Group is moving its Southeast Asia headquarters to Singapore, joining a host of other music and tech companies that have shifted regional business hubs away from Hong Kong amid street protests and crackdowns by the Chinese government. The new Singapore office will house SMG companies Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music Publishing and artists and label services company The Orchard, the company said in a press release Tuesday (March 22). It will also serve as the new base for Sony Interactive Entertainment, creators of PlayStation. A host of pan-regional specialists focused on Singapore and the wider region will work out of the new headquarters, including in marketing, data analytics, human resources, finance, digital innovation, business development, A&R, and publicity. Esta...
In Ukraine, Music Promoters Pivot to War’s Front Lines: ‘Culture Needs to Hold On’
The ritual is the same every August. Promoters for Zaxidfest, about an hour southwest of Lviv, Ukraine, dig into storage containers and haul out electrical generators, walkie-talkies and other equipment to put on the latest edition of the event, which has been held since 2009. This summer will be different. “All our storage goes to armed forces and refugees,” says Yakiv Matviychuk, the founder of the festival, which booked punk and metal bands like Cradle of Filth and Lacuna Coil in 2019 and drew 75,000 fans in a single day. “Unfortunately, I am not a soldier. So I help with donations. All people do what they can do the best.” Many men on Zaxidfest’s staff have joined the military to repel the Russian forces who attacked the country on Feb. 24. They’re scattered throughout Ukraine, from Ky...
BTS’ Jin Undergoes Surgery After Injuring Finger
BTS‘ Jin is recovering after surgery, Big Hit Music revealed in a notice released on fan community platform Weverse on Saturday (Feb. 19). “We would like to provide you with some information regarding BTS member Jin’s finger injury,” said the company that manages BTS. “Jin injured his left index finger during his daily activities and visited the emergency room at a hospital nearby for examination and treatment on Friday, March 18. He consulted doctors and was told he required surgery as the tendons in the finger had been partially damaged. He underwent surgery to repair the extensor in his left index finger on the afternoon of Friday, March 18,” Big Hit wrote. Explore Explore BTS See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The note went on to offer the BTS ARMY an...
K-Pop Label JYP Entertainment Doing ‘Full-Scale’ Expansion Into US
One of K-pop’s biggest record labels is firmly planting its foot into the U.S. market in the latest move to indicate South Korean pop music is increasingly creating significant stateside business. JYP USA, the North American subsidiary of JYP Entertainment, will focus on the U.S. development of JYP’s roster, as part of a “full-scale North American market development and global expansion maximization” by the South Korean label, Billboard has learned. JYP Entertainment, one of South Korea’s publicly traded agencies, was founded in the late 1990s by musician-producer J.Y. Park, who created early breakout stars like Wonder Girls, the first K-pop act to enter the Hot 100 chart in 2009. The North American launch follows last month’s news that JYP’s strategic partnership with Republic Records wou...
Sony Music Suspends Operations in Russia Over Ukraine Invasion
Sony Music Group has joined a growing list of global music companies pulling out of Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine. “Sony Music Group calls for peace in Ukraine and an end to the violence,” the company said in a statement on Thursday. “We have suspended operations in Russia and will continue our support of global humanitarian relief efforts to aid victims in need.” The move by Sony to suspend its operations in Russia, where it has roughly three dozen employees, follows similar actions by Universal Music Group, Spotify, YouTube, TikTok and Live Nation, among others. A source familiar with Sony’s decision tells Billboard that the company will continues to provide financial and wellbeing assistance to the impacted employees but could not elaborate further.This is a develop...
Spotify Suspends Premium Accounts in Russia
Spotify has suspended its premium accounts in Russia after the country’s invasion of Ukraine, a company executive said on Wednesday (March 9). Paul Vogel, the streaming platform’s CFO, said the shutdown would result in a loss of about 1.5 million paying customers in the first quarter of 2022, Variety reported. That is not expected to be material for the company: Russia represents less than 1% of Spotify’s total revenue of 9.67 billion euros ($10.93 billion) in 2021, up 22.7% from 2020. In the wake of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Spotify said last Wednesday that it was closing its office in Russia and removing content from state-sponsored broadcasters RT and Sputnik. The platform has been unable to add new premium accounts or to run advertising in Russia since credit card companies Visa, Mas...
Alok se apoiou em produtores fantasmas não pagos para criar seus hits de Brazilian Bass
Nota do Editor: A Billboard publicou anteriormente uma versão condensada deste artigo em português. Como uma cortesia aos nossos leitores brasileiros, a Billboard decidiu publicar a matéria original em inglês na íntegra em português. Inclui atualizações sobre o status de “Un Ratito”. RIO DE JANEIRO – Atrás de um complexo murado numa estrada de terra cercado por palmeiras e uma exuberante montanha verde, os produtores e DJs Sean e Kevin Brauer aprenderam a fazer música enquanto viviam na comunidade religiosa Meninos de Deus nas duas primeiras décadas de suas vidas. O objetivo, no entanto, não era o estrelato na dance-music — era produzir rock cristão e música folclórica para apoiar o movimento religioso. Os irmãos Brauer tiveram uma educação domiciliar, não tiveram acesso à internet e tiver...
US Trade Rep Identifies 7 Online Platforms as Significant Threats to Music Creators
A U.S. government report highlighted the ongoing challenges that piracy poses to creators around the world, including from seven online platforms that pose significant threats in the music realm. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), in its 2021 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy released Thursday (Feb. 17), identified 42 online markets and 25 physical markets that reportedly engage in or facilitate significant trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy. The 2021 findings reflect a slight improvement over the 2020 report, which identified eight online threats to music creators. Last year’s list includes all the same sites listed this year in addition to Russian social media site VK. While VK is still listed in the 2021 report for its popularity in the...
