Record Labels
UK Parliament Inquiry Recommends ‘Complete Reset’ of Streaming Business
But the committee’s report goes further, concluding in sweeping fashion that the global streaming model pioneered and dominated by Spotify, Apple, YouTube and Amazon Music, is unsustainable in its current form. “Streaming has undoubtedly helped save the music industry following two decades of digital piracy, but it is clear that what has been saved does not work for everyone,” the committee writes in its 200-page report. “The issues ostensibly created by streaming simply reflect more fundamental, structural problems within the recorded music industry. Streaming needs a complete reset.” In 2020, roughly two-thirds of Spotify’s global streams came from music distributed by the major record labels, Spotify said in a March 19 written submission to the DCMS committee, although that total ...
Warner Music Group Elects Nancy Dubuc to Board of Directors; Thomas Lee Stepping Down
“Nancy is an exceptional addition to the board,” said Len Blavatnik, vice chairman of the WMG board and founder and chairman of Access Industries. “Her experience in visual and digital media, combined with her knowledge of youth culture and the entertainment market, make her well suited to help guide WMG’s growth. I would also like to thank Tom for his many years of valuable service on the board, and I’m pleased that we’ll be able to call on his expertise in the future.” Added Dubuc, “Music now lives in many different forms, across cultures, technologies, and media. Warner’s dynamic, global approach to creativity and commerce, along with the powerful value proposition it offers artists and songwriters, make it a truly progressive and exciting company. I’m looking forward to working with ev...
Virgin Music Forges Label Services Pact in Brazil With WorkShow
Under the new partnership, Universal says WorkShow has signed sertanejo duo Henrique & Juliano, which is bringing their entire catalog spanning their nine-year career. The act, which has 13.2 million subscribers on YouTube had the top streaming track in Brazil in 2020, “Liberdade Provisória,” according to IFPI. The act was already a WorkShow management client and was signed to Som Livre. The deal underscores the interest that sertanejo, Brazil’s pop-country genre, has continued to generate among the majors. With artists like Jorge & Mateus dominating streaming charts in Brazil, in April Sony Music Entertainment spent about $255 million to acquire Som Livre, the country’s third-largest label and leading sertanejo imprint, from Grupo Globo. The deal, which followed an intense bidding...
Inside Track: How the Music Business Is Preparing to Return to the Office
Katovsky explains that BMG tested its return-to-work plan at its offices in Sydney, Australia, where COVID infection rates were low until recently. After surveying its global staff, Katovsky says that moving forward, the majority of BMG’s employees will be permitted to work from home two days per week. “We’re eager and excited to get back into the office, but we’re also pragmatic about that, and accept that we’ll have to make changes along the way,” he says. Meanwhile, a source says Sony Music has told its employees that, moving forward, the company plans to support more flexibility regarding working from home, and Triple 8 Management founder George Couri says the company’s employees, who are based in Nashville and Austin, Texas will have the option to work at home for part of the week. “A...
MAY-A Signs With Atlantic Records: Exclusive
Those skills also grabbed the attention of Atlantic chairman & COO Julie Greenwald, who describes the youngster as a “one-of-a-kind artist” who has created her “own brilliant musical and visual universe.” Atlantic will represent MAY-A for the world outside Australia and New Zealand. “As a performer and songwriter,” continues Greenwald in a statement, “her art reflects wisdom and talent well beyond her years. We’re so thrilled to be on this journey with her and excited to welcome her to the Atlantic family.” To coincide with her new arrangement, MAY-A shares a new cut of “Swing Of Things,” featuring a fresh collaboration with Powfu. “It honestly feels like a dream to be working with Atlantic Records,” MAY-A says about her major-label signing. “I am so appreciative of t...
Sony and Roblox Strike Strategic Partnership to Bring More Artists Into Games
The music and gaming industries have increasingly converged over the past two years, and while Fortnite led the way with in-game performances by Travis Scott and Marshmello, Roblox — where players don’t just play games, but create their own — has recently grown its profile as well. Lil Nas X performed the first-ever live virtual concert in Roblox in December, where he debuted new track “Holiday,” sold virtual merchandise like a cowboy hat and offered a behind-the-scenes interview, and Roblox says the experience drew 36 million visits. In May, Larsson drew 4 million visitors to the Roblox launch party for an expanded edition of her album Poster Girl, which was set in a virtual rendering of her Swedish lake house. A major selling point for these music-gaming par...
María Isabel Signs To Warner Records, Releases ‘No Soy Para Ti’ Single: Exclusive
The Queens native released her first track, “The 1,” in 2020, after spending multiple years developing her songwriting technique. Her debut EP, Stuck in the Sky, demonstrated a poetic flair within both Spanish and English lyrics, and was followed by the two-track release of “Buy Your Own Flowers” and “Love song” earlier this year. “Beyond her sheer talent, there is a unique passion, vulnerability and intelligence present in María’s music and lyrics that immediately draws you in,” says Dominique Maldonado, Warner Records’ senior director of A&R. “María shows up unabashedly as herself in everything that she does, and I know she’s going to continue to inspire as the world gets to know her.” In the “No Soy Para Ti” music video, which was directed by Alfred Marroquin, Isabel returns h...
Motown Records Hires Brian Nolan to Lead Marketing Team
Motown Records announced Thursday (July 1) that music marketing veteran Brian Nolan has been appointed executive vp of the label and evp, marketing, effective immediately. Previously, Nolan was executive vp, Capitol Music Group. Nolan will report to chairman and CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam — Billboard‘s latest Executive of the Week — as he takes the lead on the label’s marketing teams and initiatives. Motown’s roster spans artists like Lil Baby, Lil Yachty, Migos, Ne-Yo, Asiahn, City Girls, Erykah Badu, Kem, The Hxliday, Tiana Major9 and Vince Staples. “I have been preparing for this role for over 20 years and I am so grateful to Ethiopia for the opportunity,” Nolan said in a statement. “We are building an incredible new legacy at Motown and ...
Jay-Z’s Lawyer and Damon Dash Clash Over Truth, NFTs and Conflict of Interest
Roc-A-Fella was founded in 1995 by Dash, Jay-Z and Kareem “Biggs” Burke, each of whom own a third of the company. Dash writes that he does not oppose the preliminary restraining order preventing him from selling the Reasonable Doubt copyright, “as I do not own the copyright nor have I ever represented that I do.” The Roc-A-Fella lawsuit allegations are based on a press release promoting the Reasonable Doubt NFT sale, but Dash claims that the press release for the since-cancelled auction was incorrect. Dash says that what he was actually attempting to sell as an NFT was his one-third ownership of Roc-A-Fella, which he says Jay-Z tried to buy at a low price in March (and suggests that the lawsuit was Jay-Z’s form of revenge). As such, Dash writes ...
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...
Cordae Announces His New Record Label Hi Level: ‘I Know What It Takes to Make Artists Legendary’
“Hi Level [will house] artists, production, and management, where everyone elevates together, by way of working together,” says Cordae’s manager, Ace Christian. The label will offer in-house marketing and PR services, in addition to artist development. While Cordae has yet to sign any artists, he says that there are a few he has his eye on. “Everybody thinks my first artist is gonna rap like me, when that may not be the case at all,” says Cordae. “If we find the next Jazmine Sullivan, I’d be extremely happy.” Christian says Cordae’s vision spans beyond the music, centering the importance of signed artists’ personal and professional growth. “Hi Level was created to focus on the well-being of artists and creatives, even before the business,” says Christian. “Artist developme...
Roc-A-Fella Records Sues Co-Founder Damon Dash Over ‘Reasonable Doubt’ NFT
Roc-A-Fella Records is seeking a ruling that states the label exclusively owns all rights to Reasonable Doubt. The label is also asking that Dash transfer ownership of “any NFT or other asset in his possession, custody, or control reflecting rights to Reasonable Doubt” to Roc-A-Fella Records Inc. Dash co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records alongside Jay-Z and Kareem Burke in 1995. It was officially incorporated in New York on Jan. 8, 1996, and became a division of Def Jam in 1997. The label became defunct in 2013. Dash disputed the claims to Rolling Stone on Monday (June 21), claiming the lawsuit is inaccurate. He says he was not attempting to sell an NFT of the album, but that he was trying to auction his stake in Roc-A-Fella Records after he claims the label attempted ...
