1. Independent Labels Release Global Study on Their Business

    June 03, 2016 2:29 PM EDT The global community of independent labels have done their own homework this time. As a counterbalance to the annual, major label-heavy "Recording Industry in Numbers" report from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry ...

  2. Majority of U.K. Record Labels Opposed to 'Brexit' Referendum, Study Finds

    June 03, 2016 12:14 PM EDT British record labels have come out in support of the United Kingdom remaining part of the European Union ahead of a national referendum. On June 23, British citizens will vote on whether the U.K. will exit the European Union or stay as one its 28 ...

  3. Dan + Shay, Maren Morris Among Acts Vying For Early-June Attention at CMA Fest

    June 03, 2016 8:54 AM EDT Roughly 80,000 people a day will participate when the Country Music Association’s annual mass event, the CMA Music Festival, takes place in downtown Nashville June 9-12. After bringing together so many bodies with one shared passion — country musi ...

  4. UMPG, SACEM Ink Licensing Deal With SoundCloud

    June 02, 2016 3:15 PM EDT Universal Music Publishing International -- through SACEM, France's Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music, have signed a licensing deal with SoundCloud that covers 33 territories. The deal brings UMPI's and SACEM's A ...

  5. Tencent and Ticketing Company Weiying Invest $85 Million Into YG, Home of Psy

    June 02, 2016 1:08 PM EDT Tencent -- the Chinese internet giant with a market cap of $209.7 and whose internet services capture  45 percent of its country's average time spent on mobile devices -- is getting (further) into the record business. According to a report fr ...

  6. Cold River President Pete O'Heeron Balances Diverse Worlds of Music and Medicine

    June 02, 2016 12:30 PM EDT A typical day for Pete O’Heeron isn’t like that of most other record-label heads. As both president of Cold River Records and CEO of innovative tissue engineering technology company SpinalCyte, it’s not unusual for O’Heeron to field consecutive ph ...

  7. Chrysalis Records To Be Re-Born After Acquisition

    June 01, 2016 2:59 PM EDT Chrysalis Records, one of the U.K.’s seminal independent labels, will be relaunched following its acquisition by Blue Raincoat Music from Warner Music Group.  Formed in 1968 by Chris Wright and Terry Ellis, the label helped break and develop the i ...

  8. Brandy Clark Gets Big Label Backing With Sophomore Album 'Small Town'

    June 01, 2016 2:34 PM EDT The first time Brandy Clark recorded an album, she didn’t have too many expectations. She self-funded the recording sessions for her 2013 debut, 12 Stories , and didn’t even have a label until tiny independent Slate Creek came along at the 11th ho ...

  9. Warner Grows Global Reach With Acquisition Of Indonesian Label Group ISS

    May 31, 2016 7:00 PM EDT Warner Music Group has signed a deal to acquire the catalog of leading Indonesian independent recorded music group PT Indo Semar Sakti (ISS). The agreement covers ISS label imprints Aruna, Billboard, Bulletin and Granada Records, whose combined ca ...

  10. Warner Music Nashville Chairman/CEO John Esposito on Making It in Nashville as an Outsider and Blake Shelton Being the Ultimate Team Player

    May 27, 2016 10:00 AM EDT As the captain of Warner Music Nashville, John Esposito has sworn a loyalty oath to Music City, but a wall in his office devoted to black-and-gold football ­memorabilia makes it clear that Pittsburgh owns a big piece of his heart. "I grew up ...

  11. Cherrytree Records Announces Distribution Deal With ADA

    May 26, 2016 8:01 PM EDT Cherrytree Records and ADA announced a new worldwide partnership deal for distribution on Thursday (May 26). The record label division of the Cherrytree Music Company will now distribute entirely through the Warner Music Group independent distribu ...

  12. J Balvin Renews Recording Deal With Universal, Signs Co-Management Deal

    May 26, 2016 7:57 PM EDT As he prepares for the release of his new studio album, and in the wake of his successful single “Bobo,” J Balvin has signed a new record deal with Universal Music Latin Entertainment that includes a co-management agreement with Capitol Latin, a U ...

  13. Danny Bennett and Graham Parker Talk the New Verve Label Group: Exclusive

    May 26, 2016 3:52 PM EDT Earlier in May, legendary jazz label Verve got a whale of a 60th birthday present from its parent, Universal Music Group: It was expanded into the Verve Label Group, which also comprises jazz imprint Impulse and all of UMG's U.S. classical ho ...

  14. Nashville Notes: Alan Jackson Teams With Habitat for Humanity; Moves at UMG Nashville, Black River

    May 26, 2016 1:37 PM EDT NEWS + NOTES Alan Jackson will be on hand June 10 in suburban LaVergne, Tenn., to help dedicate a Habitat for Humanity home on the pleasantly named Quiet Lane. It's one of 250 homes that will be built across the country from June 6-10, and Ja ...

  15. The Weeknd Co-Manager SAL Joins Guy Oseary's Maverick: Exclusive

    May 26, 2016 10:00 AM EDT SAL  (full name: Wassim "SAL" Slaiby) has joined Maverick, the management consortium that's home to Guy Oseary ( Madonna , U2 ), Larry Rudolph ( Britney Spears , Miley Cyrus ), Cortez Bryant and Gee Roberson ( Lil Wayne , Nicki Mina ...

  16. Bon Jovi Completes New Album, Returns to Universal Music Group

    May 25, 2016 1:50 PM EDT Bon Jovi shared some big news on Twitter today (May 25), announcing that a new album, to be titled This House Is Not For Sale , is completed. To celebrate, the band posted a photo taken at Electric Lady Studio in New York City on its website, whic ...

  17. Music Piracy Costs Europe $190 Million a Year, EU Study Estimates

    May 25, 2016 1:11 PM EDT Music piracy has taken a small but noticeable bite out of potential profits for the recording industry throughout Europe, according to a new study by the European Union Intellectual Property Office. The report places an estimate on lost music sale ...

  18. Sony Full-Year Forecast Down Following Japanese Earthquakes

    May 24, 2016 1:43 PM EDT Sony Corp. forecast profits of $732 million (￥80 billion) for the financial year to March 2017 on Tuesday in Tokyo, the announcement delayed by the earthquakes in Kumamoto, Japan, last month, which damaged two of its factories. Sales are predicted ...

  19. Executive Turntable: New Hires at CAA, Spotify, Timbaland's Mosley Music Group & More

    May 24, 2016 11:58 AM EDT -- Black River Entertainment  has promoted  Emily Hungate  to vice president of business operations. She first joined the entertainment company in 2010 and previously served as senior director of finance and business affairs. -- Olivia Bowlby  has ...

  20. Dustin Lynch Links Third Straight Country Airplay No. 1 With 'Mind Reader'

    May 24, 2016 11:46 AM EDT Dustin Lynch 's "Mind Reader" climbs 2-1 in its 34th week on Billboard 's Country Airplay chart (dated June 4), increasing by 6 percent to 48.2 million audience impressions in the tracking week ending May 22, according to Niels ...

  21. How Japanese Phenoms Babymetal Were Made in Pop's Image

    May 23, 2016 1:25 PM EDT The rare Japanese act to crack the Billboard 200's top 40 is Babymetal, a trio of ­teenage girls who sing sugary pop melodies over head-banging, guitar-­shredding heavy metal, which landed at No. 39 on the chart dated April 23. The creation o ...

  22. Dan Nevin Leaving CEO Post at AIR, Australia's Indie Trade Body

    May 23, 2016 10:30 AM EDT Dan Nevin has announced his resignation as CEO of Australia’s independent music labels trade body AIR. Nevin cited an opportunity to move to the U.K. as the reason for his exit, which will become official on June 15. "I'm grateful for th ...

  23. Adele, Sam Smith & Ed Sheeran Help U.K. Achieve Record Global Market Share

    May 20, 2016 11:05 AM EDT Around one in every six albums sold worldwide in 2015 was by a U.K. artist, according to latest figures from labels trade body BPI. Driven by chart-topping records from Adele , Sam Smith , Ed Sheeran and One Direction , among others, Brits share o ...

  24. 'If These Walls Could Sing': A Look Back at Capitol Studios On Its 60th Anniversary

    May 19, 2016 3:00 PM EDT Hollywood's iconic Capitol Studios opened in 1956 with Frank Sinatra conducting the orchestra for his Tone Poems of Color album. While millions have enjoyed the music made in the famed wood-paneled studios by artists ranging from The Beach Bo ...

  25. UMG Creates Verve Label Group, Danny Bennett to Lead

    May 19, 2016 11:00 AM EDT Universal Music Group (UMG) has realigned some of its most prestigious jazz and classical properties under the newly-formed Verve Label Group and appointed industry veteran Danny Bennett as its president and CEO. Bennett, a Grammy and Emmy Award-w ...

  26. Nashville Notes: Eli Young Band Joins Pro-Texas Campaign; Mark Chesnutt Signs With Row Entertainment

    May 17, 2016 12:30 PM EDT Little Big Town is in the running for the Billboard Chart Achievement Award, a fan-voted trophy that will be presented during the May 22 telecast of the Billboard Music Awards on ABC. The nomination recognizes "Girl Crush" spending 13 we ...

  27. Interscope Records Opens Nashville Outpost

    May 17, 2016 12:11 PM EDT Interscope Records officially launched a Nashville outpost with a May 16 showcase at Music City venue The Basement, part of the annual Music Biz Conference, being held May 16 through 18. Among the new artists to take the stage were rock band Goodb ...

  28. Billboard Introduces Americana/Folk Albums Chart

    May 17, 2016 10:04 AM EDT Following in-depth dialog with industry contacts, Billboard is altering the name of our Folk Albums chart to Americana/Folk Albums . The change will take effect with the chart to post Tuesday, May 24 (dated June 4 and reflecting sales data, accord ...

  29. Polydor Elevates Co-Presidents Tom March and Ben Mortimer

    May 16, 2016 9:38 PM EDT Polydor Records has tapped two old friends, Tom March and Ben Mortimer , to lead as co-presidents of the storied Universal Music label. For Mortimer, it’s a promotion after spending four years as A&R director at the label, while March joins fr ...

  30. Timbaland Enlists Gary Marella As Mosley Music Group Exec VP

    May 16, 2016 4:11 PM EDT Grammy Award-winning producer Timbaland has appointed music industry veteran Gary Marella as executive VP of Mosley Music Group. Marella, working with Mosley senior VP Marcus Spence, will oversee an artist roster that currently includes Timbaland, ...

  31. John Esposito Promoted at Warner Music Nashville

    May 16, 2016 9:00 AM EDT John Esposito has been promoted to chairman & CEO of Warner Music Nashville.  Esposito, who continues to report to WMG CEO Steve Cooper, has served as president & CEO of Warner Music Nashville since the division was launched in 2009. In th ...

  32. 'Music Isn't a Commodity': Warner Music CEO Stephen Cooper on That Streaming Milestone, the 'Value Grab'

    May 13, 2016 10:18 AM EDT Last week, Warner Music Group became the first major label to announce  streaming as its primary revenue source, a major milestone and an oasis in the shifting sands of the digital media economy and the recording industry in particular. On the ...

  33. Seymour Stein on the Future of the Music Biz: India and China are 'Going to Explode'

    May 13, 2016 9:49 AM EDT Sire Records chairman and VP of Warner Bros/ Records/Warner Music International Seymour Stein was enjoying “the best Chinese food outside of Hong Kong” when he was redirected back to Toronto’s Sheridan Centre for his Canadian Music Week panel on A ...

  34. Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailers' Landmark Solo Albums Hit 40 Years

    May 12, 2016 2:42 PM EDT In the spirit of One Love that they championed as The Wailers , three momentous solo albums from  Bob Marley , Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer , Jamaican music's most influential triumvirate, all celebrate 40th anniversaries this year. Marley, To ...

  35. The Band Perry Signs New Label Deal: Source

    May 12, 2016 12:44 PM EDT Two months after officially parting ways with Big Machine Label Group’s Republic Nashville imprint, The Band Perry has signed a new deal with Universal Music Group in partnership with Interscope Records, Billboard has learned.  The Grammy-winning ...

  36. Universal Music Sees Revenues Up Slightly in First Quarter

    May 11, 2016 4:08 PM EDT Universal Music Group and parent company Vivendi, owner of the world's largest record label as well as the Canal+ Group, have announced first-quarter earnings results, and they write a familiar story. Revenues are up for digital sales and way ...

  37. De La Ghetto Signs With Warner Music Latina: Exclusive

    May 10, 2016 1:11 PM EDT After multiple releases on different labels over the past 10 years, reggaetón artist De La Ghetto has signed an exclusive recording deal with Warner Music Latin. For the time being, De La Ghetto will release singles, capitalizing on a robust socia ...

  38. Nashville Notes: Dustin Lynch Tries Hand at Radio; New Signings at Sony/ATV, Warner/Chappell

    May 10, 2016 12:57 PM EDT Carrie Underwood , Cam and Chris Stapleton each made the list three times as finalists were announced May 9 for the CMT Music Awards. Underwood's "Smoke Break" picked up nods for video and female video of the year, while a CMT Insta ...

  39. Florida Georgia Line Flies to No. 1 on Hot Country Songs; Dierks Bentley's 'Beach' Blankets Radio

    May 10, 2016 11:53 AM EDT "H.O.L.Y.", the new single from Florida Georgia Line ( Tyler Hubbard , Brian Kelley ), vaults 39-1 on Billboard 's Hot Country Songs chart (dated May 21). Written by Nate Cyphert , William Larsen and busbee (aka Michael Busbee ), &q; ...

  40. New Label Muzic School Issues First Release, an EP Aimed at Boosting Autistic Kids

    May 10, 2016 12:02 AM EDT Muzic School, an indie label started by music industry veteran Richie Gallo , has issued its first record. Songs About Us is an EP containing five songs recorded by Kerry Fenster , with a goal of helping, entertaining and empowering autistic child ...

  41. Universal Music Canada Chief Jeffrey Remedios Calls Digital Exclusives 'Great for Business, Not Great for Fans'

    May 06, 2016 4:04 PM EDT New Universal Music Canada president and CEO Jeffrey Remedios has, as was made clear during his half-hour keynote at  Canadian Music Week ,   brought a long-established indie ideology to his new job, saying he feels "an overwhelming responsib ...

  42. Nashville Notes: The Country Network Returns On-Air; Moves at CRS, Big Loud Records

    May 06, 2016 2:51 PM EDT NEWS + NOTES Outside of Bakersfield, Calif., there’s likely no city more closely aligned with the late Merle Haggard ’s memory than Muskogee, Okla. Plans are underway for a June 16-18 G Fest that mixes national and local talent, and Haggard was or ...

  43. Drake's OVO, Spotify Among Winners at Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Awards 2016

    May 06, 2016 10:14 AM EDT More than 700 members of the Canadian music industry and delegates from around the world gathered Thursday night in Grand Ballroom of Toronto's Sheraton Centre for Canadian Music Week's annual Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Awar ...

  44. British Artists Claim Biggest Ever Share of U.S. Albums Market

    May 06, 2016 9:00 AM EDT Huge-selling albums by Adele , Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith helped British artists claim their highest-ever share of the U.S. artist albums market, according to new figures released from labels trade body BPI. In 2015, British artists accounted for mo ...

  45. Warner Music Group Revenue Up Big, Streaming Hits Milestone

    May 06, 2016 8:31 AM EDT Warner Music Group's double-digit revenue growth coincided with streaming becoming the main source of revenue -- from any source -- in its recorded music division, the company announced Friday morning in its earnings release for the quarter e ...

  46. Carlos Vives Teams Up With Shakira for New Song 'La Bicicleta': Exclusive

    May 05, 2016 3:44 PM EDT Shakira has teamed up with fellow Colombian superstar Carlos Vives for the new song “La Bicicleta” (The Bicycle), Billboard has learned. The track -- a catchy, danceable mix of vallenato, pop and reggaetón -- was written by Vives and Shakira and w ...

  47. Jay Z & Beyonce: On the Heels of His Rumored 'Lemonade' Response, Talk of a Possible Joint Album

    May 05, 2016 1:31 PM EDT Long before there was Lemonade , Beyonce  and Jay Z attempted to put out a joint album, sources tell Billboard, and the power couple still may see the project through in the near future.  Talk of a combined musical effort began during the twosome& ...

  48. Tig Notaro Launches 'Offbeat' Comedy Label: Exclusive

    May 05, 2016 12:02 PM EDT When comic Tig Notaro gave up booking and promoting obscure local bands during her formative years in Denver, little did she know that she would be circling back to the record ­business two decades later. The 45-year-old stand-up star and cast mem ...

  49. High Valley's 'Progressive-Meets-Old-School' Sound Piques Interest of Atlantic/WMN, Spotify

    May 04, 2016 12:36 PM EDT The members of High Valley can be forgiven for drawing a blank on a few pop culture references here and there. Brothers Brad and Curtis Rempel grew up in a remote wheat and canola farming community in Alberta, Canada. They didn’t have a TV — just ...

  50. Rootfire Cooperative Helps The Movement, Other Reggae Acts With No-Interest Loans

    May 04, 2016 10:30 AM EDT When American reggae band The Movemen t 's sixth album Golden  topped the Reggae Albums chart for the week of April 30, it was a testament to their supportive fan base, earned through years of consistent touring, and a triumph for an alterna ...

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