Universal Music
Mushroom Group Aims for ‘New Heights’ Through Partnership With UMG’s Virgin Music
Mushroom Group, the independent music juggernaut, partners up with Universal Music Group’s indie label and artist services division on a multi-tiered arrangement that promises to lift the Australia company to “new heights” and secure global opportunities for its artists. The alliance, announced Thursday (March 17), is a two-way street, pumping fresh content into the Virgin Music Label & Artist Services (VLMAS) pipeline, and providing support and distribution services for Mushroom artists’ releases, for the world outside of Australia and New Zealand. Under the terms of the new deal, VLMAS will activate its global promotion, marketing and audience label services for Mushroom’s existing U.S. and U.K. activities, and, in situations where both parties agree on a project, certain Mushroom ar...
Universal Music Group Stock Jumps in Stock Market Debut
Universal Music Group (UMG) management, led by chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge, has touted the business momentum and outlook of the label home of the likes of Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift. The music firm was a key growth driver of Vivendi’s first-half 2021 results, with its earnings soaring 38 percent. UMG’s earnings of 753 million euros represented more than 70 percent of Vivendi’s total first-half earnings of 1.07 billion euros. As such, UMG spin-off also means that Vivendi, led by CEO Arnaud de Puyfontaine, will lose its crown jewel. That is why analysts during a recent earnings conference call asked Vivendi management how it may support the company’s stock price. CFO Hervé Philippe has said that a stock buyback program was one option. UMG management has said it was bullish...
Trance Legend ATB Unveils New Musical Alias, EANOH: Listen to His Debut Song
German trance legend ATB has long been revered as of the electronic music scene’s most iconic producers. His seminal 1999 hit, “9PM (Till I Come),” has already received two updated versions: a deep house rework with A7S and Topic titled “Your Love (9PM)” and a remix by Tiësto. Now, he’s spicing things up with a new club-focused alias, dubbed EANOH. The project’s debut single, “Simply Mad,” was released July 9th via Universal Germany. Featuring a sultry mix of haunting vocals and tangy percussion licks, “Simply Mad” is primed for the sweaty club nights characteristic of a hot girl summer. Stealing the show is the song’s sizzling trombone melody, dialing up its energy right in time for its drops. Mean...
Technotronic’s Iconic “Pump Up The Jam” Gets Official 2021 Remix From Hugo Cantarra
There’s nothing like a little bit of house music to chase away the Monday blues, and French producer Hugo Cantarra has got you covered with his newly minted remix of Technotronic’s “Pump Up The Jam.” Released May 21st via Universal Music Belgium, Cantarra’s deep house rework of the 1989 hip-house hit comes in both edited and extended cuts. With its instantly recognizable beat motifs and iconic lyrics, “Pump Up The Jam” is a tricky challenge when it comes to reshaping its stems into something new. For Cantarra, this meant producing a thick layer of bass along with chugging synths. This combination builds intensity into the remix’s compelling house drop, arranged around the original track’s topline and classic percussion rhythm...
Tom Petty Ex-Wife’s Lawsuit Over Universal Music Fire Dismissed Again
The class action lawsuit was originally filed against UMG on June 21, 2019, by Soundgarden, Hole, Tom Whalley, Steve Earle and Jane Petty, who were seeking to recover half of any settlement proceeds and insurance payments — reportedly valued at $150 million — that UMG received due to the 2008 fire on the Universal Studios backlot in a confidential settlement, according to court papers. The artists were suing UMG for breach of contract, negligence, reckless conduct and misrepresentation, as well as other causes of action claiming that they suffered irreparable losses to their master recordings. But Hole, Soundgarden, Tom Whalley, and Steve Earle all voluntarily dropped out of the litigation when it was demonstrated they suffered no losses due to the fire. On April 6, U.S. Distri...
Gorgon City and DRAMA Team Up for UK-Chicago House Crossover, “You’ve Done Enough”
After the monster release of their four-track REALM EP back in December, UK duo Gorgon City has returned in 2021 with a new single called “You’ve Done Enough” with DRAMA. Out January 29th via Universal Music, the song further explores the soulful sound of the artists’ first collaboration, last year’s “Nobody.” Following the lead of stirring vocals from DRAMA’s Via Rosa, “You’ve Done Enough” packs gorgeous resonance and kinetic house into its builds and drops. It also comes paired with an extended “Terrace Dub” rework, which adds in a pulsing percussion conclusion. Together, these tracks represent a modern take on classic UK and Chicago house influences. As if these two versions wer...
SG Lewis Taps The Brothers Macklovitch, Kassian to Remix “Feed the Fire”
Known for his talents as a multi-instrumentalist, producer and vocalist, powerhouse UK export SG Lewis is back again, this time with two imaginative remixes of “Feed The Fire” featuring Lucky Daye. Penned by The Brothers Macklovitch, a duo of brotherly love comprised of siblings A-Trak and Chromeo‘s Dave 1, and emerging talent Kassian, each artist used their signature styles to put their own spin on the original, whose melody was interpolated from Daft Punk‘s “Voyager.” With both remixes out November 27th via Jasmine Music and Universal Music, the reimagining from The Brothers Macklovitch is particularly noteworthy, as it marks only their third official release since reemerging in January. Reworking “Feed the Fire,” the d...
Nicky Romero Debuts Chilled Out Single “Nights With You”
Nicky Romero has made the most out of his increased time in the studio this year. The Dutch DJ and producer has released a total of eight original tracks, six remixes, and two EPs (one under another alias) since January 2020. Today, he has returned with his latest single, “Nights With You,” out via Universal Music. “Nights With You” will undoubtedly catch some fans off guard. Nicky Romero has ditched the bombastic, energetic synths listeners can usually find in his tunes and has instead adopted organic percussion, a beautiful piano melody, and a phenomenally written orchestral build-up. The vocals included are incredibly well-executed, adding another layer of depth to his chilled out smash. While “Nights With You” isn’t something t...
Here is What the UK’s Largest Music Companies are Paying Women Compared to Men
According to a report published in Music Business Worldwide, there was a sizable wage gap between men and women in some of the largest music companies in the UK this year. In the UK, companies with over 250 employees are legally required to report their gender pay gap stats by April 4th of each year, a mandate that has been in effect since 2017. However, after reporting deadlines were interrupted by the impact of COVID-19, many UK companies were not required to file their gender pay gap stats. Two of the three largest major music companies in the UK, Sony and Warner, did file their reports, though, in addition to a litany of others, including streaming behemoth Spotify. As of April 5th, 2019, the average gender pay gap at Sony Music UK was 26.0%, and 31.5% at Warner Music UK. Spotify UK re...
