Deals
Jennifer Hudson has signed to Universal Music’s Interscope Records. Steve Berman, Vice Chairman of Interscope Capitol Label Group, says, “Jennifer has made so many important contributions to global musical culture onstage, onscreen and through her incredible body of recordings. She is a tour de force and we are THRILLED that she has chosen to spend the next phase of her career at Interscope”. Hudson’s previous accolades include two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award and an Emmy Award.
Blue Raincoat Artists has signed a global management agreement with singer-songwriter Weyes Blood, also known as Natalie Mering, who has been active since the mid-2000s and has released five albums to date. Her latest album, ‘And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow’, has received critical acclaim, earning album of the year honours from SPIN and Sunday Times Culture. Ed Harris, who will represent Weyes Blood worldwide, says, “She is an amazing and unique artist who consistently produces incredible work. It is a privilege to be working with her”.
IDOL has signed a global marketing and distribution deal with Berlin-based independent label City Slang. The partnership covers digital distribution, marketing strategy, international coordination and audience development for City Slang’s frontline and catalogue releases worldwide. IDOL will service Caribou’s upcoming album ‘Honey’, due out on 4 Oct, as well as releases from other artists including Efterklang, Faux Real and Lambrini Girls. Pascal Bittard, Founder and President of IDOL, says, “We look forward to working closely together to apply our expertise, services and tools to building the careers of its many exceptional artists”. The deal also covers classic acts such as Calexico, Tindersticks, and Lambchop. Christof Ellinghaus, Founder of City Slang, adds, “IDOL’s audience development and marketing prowess is truly impressive, making this partnership the logical next step for City Slang”.
Myst Music has signed a global distribution and label services deal with Sony Music’s The Orchard. Based in Los Angeles, Myst Music focuses on integrating South Asian pop music with dance and EDM sounds. Amrita Sen, CEO of Myst Music, says, “We are excited about our partnership with The Orchard and look forward to working with their team to help bring a new South Asian genre of music to the world”. Jacqueline Fernandez, a Sri Lankan musician, actress and model, will be the first artist released through this deal, with music scheduled for later this month. Fernandez adds, “I have spent much of the past year in the studio working on my new music and I am looking forward to seeing it released and working with my Myst Music family and The Orchard to have it heard all over the world”.
Appointments
Third Side Music has expanded its global creative team into the UK and Europe, appointing Stephen Christian as Executive Vice President Of Creative/A&R: International based in London. Christian, previously Creative Director/Head Of A&R at Warp Records, will work alongside TSM’s LA-based Creative/A&R heads to sign talent and foster creative opportunities for the company’s roster. At Warp, Christian was instrumental in signing and developing artists such as Danny Brown, Mount Kimbie and Yves Tumor. “I’m very grateful to be joining a crew of people so motivated by their genuine devotion to creativity, and a roster of supremely talented and visionary artists”, says Christian.
PULSE Music Group has promoted Tizita Makuria to Senior Vice President Of A&R. Previously Vice President at the company, Makuria will continue to be based at the company’s Los Angeles headquarters, responsible for signing, developing, and setting up creative collaboration opportunities for the company’s roster across both its music publishing division and PULSE Records. “Tizita was the first hire to our PULSE Records division, working across both publishing and label divisions, and she has been an integral part of building out our record label team and developing the PULSE Records roster from day one”, say Scott Cutler, Josh Abraham and Ashley Calhoun, co-CEOs and President of PULSE Music Group respectively. Makuria’s direct roster includes Fallen, producer of ‘Roses’ by Saint Jhn, which garnered 4.5 million streams in its first month of release and won a Grammy award.
Sony Music Publishing Scandinavia has announced two key promotions in its Stockholm office, with Atena Banisaid named General Manager and Christoffer Lindh appointed Head Of A&R. Both executives will continue to report to Johnny Tennander, Managing Director and SVP A&R International. In his new role, Lindh will oversee the company’s Scandinavian A&R operations, while Banisaid will focus on developing the company’s culture, team and business growth. Tennander says, “It feels very good to elevate Christoffer and Atena to these key positions for Sony Music Publishing Scandinavia. They have for a long time both proven to be incredibly important to our A&R team, but also to our wider team and company”.
Streaming, Digital, Broadcast & Retail
The Beatport Group has launched the Artist Network, a new feature on its LabelRadar platform designed to facilitate connections and collaborations among artists. The Artist Network allows users to discover and connect with peers based on specific criteria such as DAW, genre, country and language. It also enables artists to indicate their availability for remote, in-person or hybrid collaborations. Derek Clark, Director Of Product Management (Music Services) at Beatport and Co-Founder of LabelRadar, says, “The Artist Network makes it easier than ever for artists to collaborate with one another, marking a significant advancement in our platform, providing artists with the tools they need to connect, collaborate and thrive like never before”. The launch comes in response to recent data indicating that 68% of artists face challenges in collaborating due to difficulties in finding peers with similar interests.
Bluesky has added over 2 million new users in four days, following X‘s shutdown in Brazil. The social networking startup’s rapid growth led to occasional server errors as engineers worked to maintain stability. Bluesky became the top app in Brazil, surpassing Instagram Threads. According to Appfigures, Bluesky’s downloads in Brazil increased by 1,018,952% compared to the previous weekend. A Bluesky engineer notes, “The number of likes on the social network grew to 104.6 million over the past four-day period, up from just 13 million when compared with a similar period just a week ago”.
YouTube has announced the development of new AI detection tools to protect creators from having their likeness copied and used in other videos. The company is expanding its Content ID system to include synthetic-singing identification technology, which will identify AI content that simulates someone’s singing voice. YouTube says, “We’re developing new ways to give YouTube creators choice over how third parties might use their content on our platform.” The company plans to begin testing the synthetic-singing identification technology with partners in early 2025, as part of its efforts to address concerns around AI-generated content and protect creators’ rights.
Soundstripe has launched an AI Song Editing feature in partnership with DAACI, allowing users to customise tracks from its licensed music library. The tool, which analyses songs to identify self-contained sections, enables editors to rearrange, loop, add or delete sections in-browser to produce custom variations. Lauren Cutrell, VP Of Product at Soundstripe, says, “Soundstripe is devoted to increasing the value of music by giving marketing creatives and producers more possibilities than ever within our catalogue while ensuring they have total confidence to use their custom edits, because they remain recognisable and protected”. Ken Lythgoe, Head Of Corporate Development at DAACI, adds, “We’re so excited to partner with Soundstripe, and the collaboration to bring our tech to their users has been an incredible journey”.
Snap has announced it is testing a simplified version of Snapchat. Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snap, says, “We will be thoughtful and deliberate about making a change of this magnitude”, referring to the simplified redesign in a letter to employees published on the company’s website on 3 Sep. The move comes after Snap’s stock price has fallen nearly 50% in 2024. Spiegel acknowledges, “investors are concerned that we aren’t growing faster”. The company aims to improve Snapchat’s accessibility and usability, potentially to attract older users who have historically found the app difficult to navigate. Early tests of the simplified redesign have been “directionally positive”, according to Spiegel.
Safe Superintelligence, an AI startup co-founded by former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, has raised over $1 billion in capital from investors including NFDG, a16z, Sequoia, DST Global and SV Angel. The company plans to use the funds to acquire computing power and hire researchers and engineers in Palo Alto and Tel Aviv, though specific research goals remain undisclosed. Reuters reports, “SSI plans to use the round to acquire computing power and hire researchers and engineers split between Palo Alto and Tel Aviv”. Reuters adds that according to a source familiar with the matter, the new funding values SSI at $5 billion.
The Australian government has published a proposals paper for AI regulation, acknowledging that the current regulatory system is not fit for purpose. The proposals include transparency guardrails, which have been welcomed by the Australian music industry. Dean Ormston of collecting society APRA AMCOS says, “If implemented, these measures have the potential to compel AI platforms and developers to disclose the origin and composition of datasets used to train their systems”. Leah Flanagan, director of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Office, notes, “The rise of AI technology presents serious risks to the cultural and economic wellbeing of Indigenous communities”.
Live
Ticketing company Eventbrite has opened up its platform and marketing tools to all event organisers, offering unlimited event publishing and promotion with no organiser fees. The company has also reduced its Pro Plan fees and introduced a new timed entry feature, set to launch soon for US organisers before expanding internationally. Julia Hartz, Co-Founder, CEO & Executive Chair of Eventbrite, says, “When you use Eventbrite, you’re getting access to a comprehensive suite of tools that are both powerful and easy to use, all designed to help you connect with new audiences and engage your community. We’re here to make the process from idea-to-execution as smooth and cost-effective as possible”.
Other Industry News & Events
ERA, the UK trade body for entertainment retailers and digital platforms, has honoured seven entertainment industry champions at its second annual summer party in London. The event, held at Eastcheap Records, recognised behind-the-scenes professionals who play crucial roles in bringing entertainment to UK fans. Honorees include Gennaro Castaldo, BPI Communications Director, Sam Allison, Head Of Events & Partnerships at Rough Trade, and Karen Emanuel, CEO of Key Production Group. ERA CEO Kim Bayley says, “The entertainment industry could not flourish without the hard work of these ambassadors, fixers and problem-solvers”. The awards aim to highlight the contributions of backroom staff who are often overlooked in the industry.
The Association Of Independent Music, the trade body representing independent record labels in the UK, has confirmed the full line-up for its annual member gathering AIM Connected, taking place at London’s Barbican Centre on Thursday 12 Sep. Commenting on the event, AIM boss Gee Davy told CMU, “AIM Connected is the UK’s key forum dedicated to the realities of operating an independent music business, with best practice and knowledge sharing at its core”.
