Songwriter
Songwriters’ New Streaming Royalties Approved Before the New Year
Arriving just before New Years’ Eve, on Friday (Dec. 30), the Copyright Royalty Board judges issued their ruling on streaming royalty rates for songwriters for the period of January 2023 to December 2027, upholding a settlement proposed by the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), Digital Media Association (DiMA), and Nashville Songwriters’ Association International (NSAI) in late August. This ruling sets the rates for Subpart C and D of the five year period known as Phonorecords IV (or “Phono IV” for short), and it represents a compromise between the music industry and the streaming services, creating certainty around the royalties owed to songwriters for U.S. mechanicals. According to the settlement, which the NMPA touts as the “highest rates in the history of digital streaming,...
TikTok Is Testing Ground for New Singles — Why Labels Love It (and Some Artists & Writers Don’t)
Artists have previewed unreleased songs at live performances and with radio stations for decades, but thanks to the rise of TikTok and a handful of successful DIY social media campaigns — Lil Nas X’s heavily teased and memed efforts for “Old Town Road” on Twitter and Triller is an early example — the practice has become de rigueur for artists. And not everyone thinks it’s good business. What started as a low-cost method for unsigned talents to casually test audience reaction and build up streaming service pre-saves to their songs is now the norm for even household names hoping to break their next hit before committing to a release date on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. The Billboard Hot 100 contains ample proof of the method’s success: SZA earned her first solo...
Singer-Songwriter Andrea Martin, Who Penned Songs For Toni Braxton & En Vogue, Has Died
HipHopWired Featured Video CLOSE Source: Cindy Ord / Getty Andrea Martin, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter and singer, has died according to a statement that appeared on social media. Martin, a Brooklyn, N.Y. native, penned hits for the likes of Toni Braxton and En Vogue among others. While the details of Martin’s passing are being kept private by the family, the news has sent shockwaves throughout the music industry where Martin was deeply respected for her work as a songwriter and remembered as an artist herself. “Dear Family and Friends, it is with a heavy heart we inform you of the passing of our beautiful Andrea Martin also known as ‘Annie,’” began the statement, which was shared via Martin’s Instagram Story feed. “Andrea will always be remembered for her passion and dedication...
Keyshia Cole says she is retiring
Popular American singer and songwriter, Keyshia Cole, says she’s retiring from music. The Grammy-nominated singer disclosed this on Wednesday on her Twitter account. Cole shared the news as she responded to tweets from fans. A fan had enjoined the singer to remain focused after the release of her single and she responded, “I’m retiring” . The announcement caused reactions as many wondered why she would want to take a bow now that her recently released single “I Don’t Want to Be in Love” is among the songs topping the chart. Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by ...
Rapper Jawara Headley sues Nicki Minaj for song ‘Rich Sex’
Nicki Minaj may have ushered in 2021 with adorable baby pictures of her son but the rapper has legal woes as she has been sued for $200 million. The lawsuit is over her song “Rich Sex” which Queens rapper and songwriter Jawara Headley says she stole from him after he played it for her. Jawara who goes by the name Brinx Billions is suing Nicki alongside Universal Music Group, Young Money, and Cash Money for damages. In court documents obtained by TMZ, Jawara who is already credited as a writer of “Rich Sex” according to the ASCAP database claims that he let Nicki listen to his version of “Rich Sex” in 2016. He also claims that he is the sole author/creator/composer/writer/producer of “Rich Sex” and Nicki told him it would be extremely marketable and become a global hit. The rapper and songw...
Rollercoaster: Bitcoiners who missed rally feel relief and regret
Arianna O’Dell, a 30-year-old entrepreneur and songwriter based in New York City, had a tumultuous four-year journey in cryptocurrency before selling her investments in February. During her rollercoaster ride, bitcoin prices swung from less than $1,000 to nearly $20,000. O’Dell may not have made optimal decisions about when to buy or sell, and missed out on the recent rally – but said she does not regret that. Investing $2,705 worth of proceeds into her business was better than enduring the stress of daily fluctuations, even though the price has since doubled, she said. “Honestly, I’ve had more luck in Vegas than I’ve had with cryptocurrencies,” O’Dell said in an interview. She is part of a relatively new class of retail investors who joined the cryptocurrency market years ago, helping pro...
Nigerian doctor named one of TIME’s Most Influential People in the world
TIME named Nigerian physician Tunji Funsho to the 2020 TIME100, its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The full list and related tributes are available now at time.com/time100, and Mr Funsho’s TIME100 profile is available here. The list, now in its seventeenth year, recognizes the activism, innovation and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals. Mr Funsho, a cardiologist based in Lagos, Nigeria, is the first Rotary member to receive this honour for the organisation’s work to eradicate polio, having played an essential role in ensuring Africa’s certification as wild polio-free in August of 2020. “I’m honored to be recognized by TIME for my part in ensuring that no child in Africa will ever again be paralyzed by wild polio, a disease that once disabl...
RZA Sells 50 Percent Of Catalog To Hipgnosis Songs
Source: Tim Mosenfelder / Getty RZA has certainly amassed a lengthy catalog over the past two decades and more, with a career that began before the global impact of The Wu-Tang Clan where he found fame. The Abbot of the Shaolin Swordsmen sold half of his classic catalog to Hipgnosis Records, joining other artists and producers by placing their catalog into the hands of the British music publishing company. Variety reports that RZA, born Robert Diggs, sold half of his copyright interest and writers share to Hipgnosis, which specializes in protecting and promoting the value of popular music as the industry pivots primarily towards the streaming market. Given that physical copies are largely niche items among collectors, monetizing music in the near future will have to find new pathways to su...
Miley Cyrus: How I lost my virginity to Liam Hemsworth at 16
American singer and songwriter, Miley Cyrus, says she lost her virginity to her ex-husband, actor Liam Hemsworth at the age of 16. The singer disclosed this while discussing her personal life in an interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast with Alexandra Cooper, saying that her first sexual experience was a threesome with two girls. The singer got personal talking about heartbreak, sex, and how Liam, 30, was the first man she had sex with at the age of 16. She said: “I didn’t go all the way with a dude until I was 16. But I ended up marrying the guy, so that’s pretty crazy.” Miley admitted that she lied to the actor about it not being her first time. “I lied and said he wasn’t the first so I didn’t seem like a loser,’ she said, adding that she couldn’t think of anyone so she chose a friend. ...
Nigerian celebrities mourn deceased Majek Fashek
Nigerian celebrities have taken to their social media platforms to mourn the death of Music Legend, Majekodunmi Fasheke, a.k.a Majek Fashek. Fashek’s a.k.a rain maker’s death was announced by his manager, Omenka Uzoma, through a short video on his instagram page. Some of the celebrities include Chibuzor Azubuike a.k.a Phyno, Olanrewaju Fasasi, a.k.a Sound Sultan displayed the reggae artist pictures on their Instagram pages. Other include Yomi Black, Bimbo Esho, actress Toyin Adegbola and Jude Okoye were not equally left out. Phyno wrote: “Rest in peace, Legend.” Sound Sultan had this on his page: “Rest in peace, power Majek.” Yomi Black wrote:” Rest in peace, Majek Fashek.” Also, Bimbo Esho, Chief Executive Officer, Evergreen Musical Company, mourned the late reggae maestro as she wrote ” ...
