Deals
Usher has opened the first Dave’s Hot Chicken location in Georgia, situated in the Atlanta suburb of Conyers. The restaurant, co-owned by Usher along with Lawrence Kourie and Andrew Feghali, held a soft opening on 29 Aug featuring a drone show that spelled out the name of the musician’s’s hit single ‘Let It Burn’. This location is the first of nine planned Dave’s Hot Chicken outlets in the Atlanta area. Usher says, “Dave’s Hot Chicken is some of the best hot chicken I’ve ever had. Once I tried Dave’s Hot Chicken and spoke with the founders of the brand, I knew I wanted to be involved with the company”.
SM Entertainment and LG U+ have signed an agreement to use LG U+’s generative AI technology for SM’s upcoming virtual singer naevis. The collaboration will see LG U+’s ixi-GEN AI used to create promotional content for naevis, including music videos, short-form videos, concept photos and merchandise. naevis is set to debut on 10 Sep as SM Entertainment’s first official virtual artist, with AI-generated vocals and both 2-D and 3-D content. Tak Young-jun, co-CEO of SM Entertainment, says, “The collaboration between SM Entertainment’s virtual artist naevis and LG U+’s generative AI ixi-GEN goes beyond a simple business partnership but marks a major move in the two companies’ goal toward technological innovation in content”.
Miris, a company developing a content delivery network for spatial computing streaming technology, has raised $26 million in seed funding in a round led by IAG Capital Partners. The Culver City-based firm says that its patented technology enables real-time streaming of high-fidelity spatial content without downloads, providing “the critical infrastructure that will allow spatial computing to expand” and allowing “companies and developers to leverage generative AI in a spatial setting”. Marlin Prager, Miris CEO and co-founder, says, “The biggest tech and entertainment companies in the world are spending billions to grow the spatial computing market”. Joel Whitley, Partner at IAG Capital Partners, adds, “We believe that spatial computing will not see widespread adoption unless and until high fidelity, interactive spatial content can be delivered to consumers for easy consumption – via streaming”.
Appointments
BPI has appointed Gemma Cropper as Senior Events Manager, a newly created role effective immediately. Cropper, who will report to Maggie Crowe, Director of Events & Charities at the UK record labels association, will work on consumer-facing, industry and corporate events, including The BRIT Awards and the Mercury Prize. She joins BPI from Google, where she led partnerships with the British music industry, working with organisations such as the Music Managers Forum and the PRS Foundation. Cropper’s extensive industry experience includes roles at Warner Music, Virgin Records and EMI Music. This appointment marks a return to BPI for Cropper, who began her career in music with a BRITs work placement.
Legal
Missy Elliott will face trial over copyright claims from producer Terry Williams, who alleges he co-wrote four songs for her 1990s R&B group Sista without receiving credit. Judge Nitza I Quiñones Alejandro has refused to dismiss the lawsuit, ruling that a jury must decide on the conflicting accounts of when Elliott and Williams began collaborating. “A genuine issue of material fact exists as to whether Williams and Elliott were working together at the time of the production of the SISTA album,” says Judge Alejandro. The judge dismissed another claim by Williams relating to Aaliyah‘s 1996 song ‘Heartbroken’, citing the statute of limitations.
JYP Entertainment has announced plans to pursue legal action against creators of deepfake videos depicting members of TWICE and other artists on its roster. In a statement published yesterday on the fan community app FANS, the K-pop label says, “We are gravely concerned about the recent spread of deepfake (AI-generated) videos involving our artists”. The company adds, “This is a blatant violation of the law, and we are in the process of collecting all relevant evidence to pursue the strongest legal action with a leading law firm, without leniency”. This announcement comes amid what Korea JoongAng Daily describes as a “nationwide deepfake epidemic” in South Korea, with a recent report from US cybersecurity agency Security Hero identifying the country as the primary target for deepfake pornography creators.
Warner Music has demanded that Ed Sheeran‘s image and name be removed from the artwork of remixed versions of ‘Raise Em Up’, a track originally recorded with his cousin Jethro Sheeran in 2010, according to The Sun. Jethro, who performs as Alonestar, has created 21 remixes of the song for Spotify. The Bristol-based rapper says that he has complied with the request to avoid legal action. Jethro says, “I was super disappointed in him. Even my lawyers were shocked how he could do this to family.”
Streaming, Digital, Broadcast & Retail
HMV has reported a 526% increase in sales of Oasis‘ full catalogue since the announcement of the band’s 2025 reunion tour on 27 Aug. The music retailer saw sales of the ‘Definitely Maybe’ LP rise by 443% compared to the previous week, while ‘What’s The Story’ and ‘Knebworth’ experienced increases of 684% and 209% respectively. Pre-orders for the 30th anniversary edition of ‘Definitely Maybe’ also doubled. Phil Halliday, Managing Director at HMV and Fopp, says, “Sales figures from the past week, both in-store and online, pay testament to their popularity across the nation”.
TikTok has introduced a new ‘Manage Topics’ feature for users in the US, giving them greater control over content displayed in their For You feed. The tool, accessible through the app’s settings, allows users to adjust their preferences for various topics such as sports, travel, and current affairs by using a slider to indicate their level of interest. TikTok says, “These selections will help the app either show more or less of a topic in your For You feed”.
The makers of the Mammoth app for Mastodon,the decentralised social media service, have launched Sub.club, a platform that allows creators on Mastodon to offer paid subscriptions and content. Using Sub.club, creators can create premium feeds, which can be consumed from any Mastodon client on the web. Bart Decrem, co-founder of Mammoth, says, “I think it’s important, for the ecosystem to thrive, that there be a way to have premium content to build businesses here”. Thomas Ricouard, developer of the Ice Cubes Mastodon app, will be the first to implement the subscription feeds, commenting, “We believe sub.club will help fund various creators and services over the fediverse, as it’s much needed”.
Amazon has decided to power its upcoming improved version of Alexa primarily with Anthropic’s Claude artificial intelligence model, according to Reuters. The new AI-enhanced Alexa, reportedly dubbed “Remarkable Alexa”, is expected to launch in mid-October. Amazon says, “We have used, and will continue to use, a variety of different models – including (Amazon AI model) Titan and future Amazon models, as well as those from partners – to build the best experience for customers.” The company is considering placing the new Alexa behind a $5 to $10 monthly subscription, says the Reuters report, while keeping the current “Classic Alexa” as a free service.
Sonos has shared a public Trello board detailing fixes for its new app following a problematic rollout in May 2024. A Sonos employee says, “All the cards here are sourced from various posts and release notes communications, including communications from [Sonos CEO] Patrick Spence directly”. The board includes entries for features such as “Full Queue Editing / Management” and “Playlist Editing” in its “On The Roadmap” section. Spence previously posted a public apology in July, which included a roadmap of planned app improvements over the coming months.
Live
Glasgow club The Shed has announced its closure after 26 years of operation. The venue’s organisers made the announcement on 29 Aug via Instagram, citing an aging building and industry challenges as reasons for the “difficult decision”. The club referenced a study by the Night Time Industries Association which suggests that, at the current rate of decline, there may be no clubs left in the UK by 2030. “As we take a step back we hope to find the next generation to flourish at this Southside institution in some form”, The Shed’s statement says, “but it won’t be a nightclub”. The club plans to release tickets on 2 Sep for a two-week closing series called Armasheddon, with organisers stating, “We hope you can all join us to say your goodbyes and make some final memories with your pals”.
Simply Red have announced that Soul II Soul will be special guests for two London dates of their 40th Anniversary 2025 UK & Ireland Arena Tour. Soul II Soul will perform on 9 Oct and 10 Oct at London’s O2 Arena. Jazzie B, founding member of Soul II Soul, says, “The collective and I are looking forward to be joining Mick Hucknall and Simply Red in London as part of their 40th Anniversary 2025 UK & Ireland Arena Tour”. Mick Hucknall adds, “Fans can expect to hear all their favourite Simply Red tracks from 1985 to the present, and enjoy a memorable night celebrating the incredible journey that we’ve been on together over the past four decades”.
Other Industry News & Events
Cre8ing Vision has announced the return of its Ultimate Seminar flagship event to Manchester‘s Band On The Wall on 21 Sep, partnering with Warner Music UK. The event, aimed at unsigned artists and bands looking to enter the creative industries, will feature industry experts including Paul Samuels, VP A&R at Atlantic Records UK, and Femi Bello, Creative Consultant at Warner Records UK. Tony Harlow, CEO of Warner Music UK, says, “We’re proud to support The Ultimate Seminar for the fourth year in a row. We continue to be focused on providing opportunities for young and underrepresented talent outside of London”. Additionally, Cre8ing Vision has announced new Ultimate Studio Sessions to take place in London and Manchester from September 2024 to March 2025, funded by The Talent Development Network and supported by PPL.
The Radiophonic Institute and PRS Foundation have announced the winners of this year’s Oram Awards, recognising five innovative experimental artists, composers and instrument designers from across the UK. The awards, which celebrate women, trans, non-binary and gender expansive artists pushing creative boundaries in sound, music and related technology, have partnered with No Bounds Festival in Sheffield for live performances and workshops. This year’s winners include Hanna Tuulikki, a British-Finnish artist studying migrating birds, and Lola De La Mata, a Liverpool-based conceptual sound artist whose work explores tinnitus and aural diversity. Beka Bee, Grants Coordinator at PRS Foundation, says, “I am THRILLED to be working with the Oram Awards team to amplify the voices of a further five outstanding winners”.
DJ Awards has announced its return after a four-year hiatus, with the 23rd anniversary event set for 2 Oct at Chinois in Ibiza. The awards, founded in 1998 by José Pascual and Lenny Krarup, are now under new ownership. Andy Grant, the new owner of DJ Awards, says, “Music has power – the power to unite us, to cheer us up, to give us the chills, to instantly remind us of a long lost memory, to create a vibe, to set a mood, or to even motivate change”. The event will feature various categories including house, tech house, and drum & bass, alongside industry awards voted for by professionals from the Association For Electronic Music.
Artist News
Megan Thee Stallion and BTS member RM have announced that they will collaborate on a new song called ‘Neva Play’, set for release on 6 Sep. The Houston rapper revealed the news via social media sharing a promotional image and allowing fans to pre-save the track on streaming services. Megan Thee Stallion says, “This is one of my favorite RM verses I’ve heard! I’ve never heard him rap in this style before”. This marks the second collaboration between Megan Thee Stallion and BTS, following her feature on the remix of their single ‘Butter’ in 2021.
