Saturday, September 4, 2021

A new start



To readers:

It's been a busy summer. 

I have been working on the redesigned version of the Creative Industries Newsletter, which is now part of a wider platform that includes a news site (https://creativeindustriesnews.com/), and a Twitter feed (@LegrandNetwork). 

The site's content includes at this stage some 1,000 articles that have been transferred from this blog (yes, over the years, that's how many stories I have written). 

The new site will be available for free for the next two weeks (until Monday September 13), after which only subscribers will be able to access it, alongside with the weekly newsletter.  

After writing about the creative industries' sector for over 8 years I decided that time had come to move to a "business" proposal. 

So the content of this blog, which had hosted these stories over the years, has now shifted to the Creative Industries News platform

I will now go back to the initial purpose of this blog, which was to write whatever I felt like about anything, but was never really fulfilled since it became a vehicle for news stories.

I appreciate and I am thankful for the interest you had in my writing and following me over the years.

I hope you will continue to follow me, either at the new "home" or here, which will be a place where more personal views will be expressed about music, food, travel, etc.

Thanks your support over the years.

— Emmanuel Legrand


[I am not kidding you – as I was writing these final words, my iTunes shuffle started playing 'Keep Loving Me' by The Draytones. You don't need to!]

Saturday, August 21, 2021

Audius becomes the first DSP to integrate TikTok Sound Kit

By Emmanuel Legrand

Digital streaming service Audius has become the first DSP to integrate the Tiktok Sound Kit, allowing musicians to share their work across both platforms effortlessly.   

  Audius is a community-owned decentralised music protocol that is described as "the largest decentralised consumer blockchain app." It claims to have over 5 million monthly active users.

  Audius' 100,000+ artists can now reach out to TikTok’s estimated 1 billion+ users by uploading a track and clicking “Share to Tiktok”. Tracks can then be played behind their own videos and are also available to be selected by the entire TikTok user community.  

Increase the exposure of artists

  "We’re proud to be one of the earliest launch partners for TikTok Sounds and to give the artists on Audius a chance to increase their exposure even more," said Forrest Browning (pictured, below), Audius Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer. "We have a great community and we’re thrilled to give them easy access to share their music to TikTok Sounds."  

  Audius, founded in 2018, connects fans directly with artists and exclusive new music. Artists using Audius included Skrillex, Weezer, deadmau5, Russ, Mike Shinoda, Diplo, Madeintyo, Odesza, Disclosure, Alina Baraz, and Wuki

  "A lot of times artists can get in their own head and feel like they’re stuck," said Wuki, an artist/producer who has over 400,000 followers on TikTok. "Knowing that any track has the potential to pop off motivates me to be more productive and keep grinding."

Friday, August 20, 2021

TikTok Radio launches on SiriusXM as a full-time music channel featuring 'trending sounds'

By Emmanuel Legrand

TikTok's strategy to spread its brand through other platforms has reached a new step with the launch of TikTok Radio on US satellite radio service SiriusXM. The short-video format platform will be offering a full-time music channel that will feature "the trending sounds that are redefining pop culture from TikTok," according to a joint statement. 

  TikTok Radio will be presented by TikTok creators, tastemakers, artists, and DJs – including including Billy, Cat Haley, HINDZ, Lamar Dawson, and Taylor Cassidy – and will sound "like a radio version of the platform's 'For You' feed." It will be streamed on the SXM App, desktop, and all connected devices.   

  "Our groundbreaking new channel with TikTok is a first-of-its-kind, capturing the pulse of the global music culture, vibrancy and vitality found on the entertaining social platform and recreated as a full-time music channel on live national radio and our streaming platforms,” said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM. 

Tap into the latest music trends

  “The creators, who are also presenting the music on TikTok Radio, are deeply involved in the channel and will reflect the unique sound and personality of TikTok that is so enmeshed with today's music culture and community," added Greenstein. "TikTok creators will be delivering new audio experiences for our listeners as they tap into the latest music trends on TikTok."

  Ole Obermann, TikTok’s Global Head of Music, said that through TikTok Radio, SiriusXM subscribers will have "a new road to discover the latest trends in music and get a first listen to tomorrow's musical superstars. The channel captures song-breaking music culture that creates so much joy and entertainment on TikTok through video in an all-audio format."

SOCAN sells mechanical agency Audiam to HFA owner SESAC



By Emmanuel Legrand

Canadian rights society SOCAN has sold music publishing digital rights reproduction collection agency Audiam to Nashville-based music rights organisation SESAC.

  Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. SOCAN will retain a 15% minority share in Audiam, according to Billboard. The company, founded in 2013 by TuneCore founder and former CEO Jeff Price, will remain under the leadership of Jamie Purpora, who has been at the helm of the company since 2015.

  SOCAN bought the company in 2016 as part of a strategy to diversify into other streams of revenues, in this case mechanical rights. Audiam provided one-stop licensing and collecting in North America for mechanicals, with a particular emphasis on YouTube.

A strategic partner and capital supporter

  “SOCAN is delighted to complete this agreement with SESAC," said SOCAN CEO Jennifer Brown. "Since our acquisition of Audiam in 2016, the organisation has exceeded expectations, but the time is right for Audiam to continue its next phase with a new parent organisation. We look forward to seeing this new chapter for Audiam as the organisation benefits from new synergy with SESAC.” 

  SESAC Chairman and CEO John Josephson said SESAC was acquiring Audiam "with the intention of supporting the existing management team," and to act as "a supportive strategic partner and capital provider." He said he anticipates "a seamless transition in ownership with no disruption to the Audiam business activities as a result of this transaction."

  SESAC also operates mechanical rights unit the Harry Fox Agency (HFA), which was acquired from the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) in 2015, and which has been selected as one of the vendors to the newly-created Mechanical Licensing Collective, The MLC, to provide back office functions.

Position SESAC for enhanced growth

  Added Josephson: "Going forward, we believe this will position SESAC well for enhanced growth of our multi-rights, multi-territory global rights management business and continued delivery of best-in-class service to our affiliates, licensees and commercial partners.” In an interview with Billboard, Josephson suggested that Audiam could also pivot to become a collection agency for recorded music rights or neighbouring rights.

  Reacting to the news, Price, who left Audiam last year, said in a statement that by acquiring Audiam, "the Harry Fox Agency is eliminating competition and removing the sole entity that revealed HFA’s lack of payments to copyright holders as well as its role in widespread copyright infringement.”

  Price said that through Audiam’s daily auditing of HFA, Audiam has revealed "HFA’s incorrect payment amounts, underpayments and/or complete lack of payments to songwriters and music publishers globally." 

Offering an alternative to songwriters and publishers

  He continued: "With this acquisition, HFA neutralises the sole entity that exposes its own actions."

  Price founded in 2020 Word Collections, a rights licensing and collection agency for comedians and non-musical literary work. Price wrote on Twitter that he plans to expand World Collections  into music collections, explaining that with HFA and Audiam under the same roof, songwriters and publishers "need a place to go."

Jaxsta reverts to a paid model with the launch of Jaxsta Plus

By Emmanuel Legrand

Jaxsta, the Australia-based dedicated database of official music credits, has reverted to a pay model for its Premium service, after the decision from the platform to make its Jaxsta Pro version available for free since April 2020 in response to the Covid pandemic.

  Jaxsta Pro will now be available through two version: a freemium version, Jaxsta Core; or a paid version, Jaxsta Plus. Jaxsta Plus is offering "an extensive and evolving suite of new features designed to empower music creatives and those who represent them."  


  “We are thrilled to have the new structure of Jaxsta Pro ready and to move back to a paid model," said Jaxsta CEO and Co-Founder Jacqui Louez Schoorl (pictured, above). "Many users and advocates of Jaxsta have provided feedback on the use and value they receive from the platform, and this initial rollout will address a number of their requests."

A new range of features

  Louez Schoorl added that Jaxsta's team has been working on "a new range of incredible features which will be coming to our Jaxsta Plus service in the months to come."

  Jaxsta Plus features include: 

  > Claim Your Jaxsta Profile, or the profiles of the artists represented by the holder of the account, with the possibility to update the bio, image, social links and contact details. 

  > Prioritise Your Credits: allows to highlight the releases the holder of the account wants to be known for, and move others to the back of the profile page. 

  > Credit Alerts: a tool that notifies users by email every time a song they’ve worked on is released. 

  > Chart Alerts: a tool that notifies users by email every time a release they’ve worked on hits the charts. 

  > Jaxsta’s Events and Markets directory, providing territory-specific industry information from the world’s Top 20 music markets. 

  > Global Charts covering over 70 territories from Spotify, Apple, Shazam and other leading chart suppliers all in one place. 

  Jaxsta also offers the possibility to lodge Neighboring Rights claims via a partnership with Songtradr. 

  Jaxsta Plus will be available for the introductory offer of US$49 per year, or US$9.99 per month, with the offer of a free 14-day trial. Jaxsta Core, the freemium version of Jaxsta Pro, is already used by the existing 100,000+ Jaxsta Pro members that have automatically been migrated to the new service. 

  Jaxsta claims that its data solution system is now processing more than 240,000 new credits per day from the its list of official music industry data partners. At the moment, Jaxsta offers over 160 million official music credits from more than 1.2 million worldwide record labels, sourced directly from 291 data partners including publishers, royalty agencies and industry associations across the globe.

Thursday, August 19, 2021

7digital integrates Muzooka’s artist asset database to its B2B offering

By Emmanuel Legrand

B2B digital music platform 7digital has sealed a partnership with artist asset database Muzooka that will see content delivered via 7digital’s music-as-a-service platform pre-mapped with Muzooka’s pre-approved database of artist images, links, and other media assets. 

  7digital said the use of Muzooka's assets will allow brands to deliver "a highly visual experience to their users via a simplified integration."

  Muzooka's database contains assets from more than two million musical acts and comedians. Its central hub provides artists, record labels and managers to control their own artist assets (photos, bios, and links at HD-quality resolution) across multiple platforms, websites, apps, and smart displays. When an update is made on Muzooka, the new content is instantly distributed across all connected platforms.

Maximise engagement

  “By integrating our label-approved artist assets, music services offer deeper engagement with the artists connected to their branded experience,” said Shawn Wilson, Muzooka CEO and founder. “We are thrilled to join forces with 7digital and offer this turnkey solution to maximise engagement on music streaming platforms across all industries.”  

  Paul Langworthy, CEO of 7digital, said the integration of Muzooka's database will allow platforms to offer "new and differentiated experiences to market.” 

  He elaborated: "This collaboration between 7digital and Muzooka provides a powerful solution for our clients across streaming, B2B music, and fitness, as well as in automotive, gaming, and more. Combined with 7digital’s core music platform capabilities, strong visual content and enhanced metadata has the capability to positively affect key consumption and audience engagement indicators."

  Muzooka recently inked partnerships with US rights society BMI and the Recording Academy.

Universal Music Group inks exclusive global partnership with kids' content provider Moonbug Entertainment



By Emmanuel Legrand

Kid's content specialist Moonbug Entertainment and Universal Music Group (UMG) have agreed to an exclusive global partnership, which will see UMG providing worldwide distribution, publishing and licensing for the Moonbug Music label and its kids and family music catalogues.


  In a statement, the companies said the multi-year partnership "will see the companies work closely together to reach new audiences globally, explore new opportunities to improve the accessibility of kids music for parents as well as infants, toddlers and other key learning phases through optimisation of voice-activated technology and in-home devices, playlisting and other innovations."

  UMG will also work closely with Moonbug "to maximise the impact of its catalogue" through sync and licensing, through Universal Music Publishing (UMPG) worldwide.  

Expand the possibilities of Moonbug's music content

   Moonbug Entertainment popular shows include 'CoComelon' (pictured, below) and 'Little Baby Bums', which currently generate more than 150 million monthly streams across Moonbug brands.

  "We could not be more thrilled to partner with a respected and influential industry powerhouse like Universal Music Group to expand the possibilities of our music content," said René Rechtman, co-founder and CEO of Moonbug Entertainment. "Music plays a critical role not only in our company’s growth strategy but also in childhood development. We look forward to the possibilities for our already popular nursery rhymes and songs, and the new music that we’ll produce together."

  Through this agreement, UMG intends to capitalise on the increase in kids' music consumption across streaming services in the past two years, in particular through the adoption of voice-enabled devices.

Tremendous growth in the kids and family segment

  "We are delighted to partner with Moonbug Entertainment, reinforcing UMG’s position as the leading distributor and publisher of kids music globally," said UMG Chairman & CEO Lucian Grainge. "We have seen tremendous growth in the kids and family segment in recent years, thanks to advances in streaming and voice-technology. We look forward to working with Rene and the talented Moonbug team to amplify the reach of their catalogue to families around the world, and to further improve the accessibility of music for children of all ages."

  UMG added that through this exclusive agreement, the Vivendi-owned company will "leverage its world-leading expertise in publishing, distribution and its unparalleled global network of 300+ partners and DSPs to bring Moonbug’s library of great audio entertainment to families all over the world, reaffirming UMG’s position as the global market-leader for Kids and Family music of all ages, supported by UMG’s operations worldwide."


MUSO’s data shows visits to TV piracy sites were up 20% in the first half of 2021

By Emmanuel Legrand  

Visits to TV piracy websites have increased by over 20% in the first six months of 2021 compared to the first 6 months of 2020, according to a report from UK-based piracy tracking site MUSO.  

  During the period, MUSO tracked over 41 billion visits to TV piracy sites. The United States remain the leading market for accessing unlicensed TV content, followed by China and the Russian Federation.  

Top 15 countries in volume accessing to TV piracy sites, January-June 2021

Of this traffic, 94% visited unlicensed streaming websites with public torrent networks only accounting for 2.9% of traffic.

Disney+'s show ‘Loki S1’ was the most popular TV show with piracy audiences, and accounted for 40% of piracy consumption of the top 10 TV titles for June 2021. MUSO said the show’s audience was largely from Brazil and the US.    

  MUSO’s data also shows that there is a immediate correlation between the moment a show is available on licensed TV, and when it pops up on pirated sites. For example, the show ‘Rick and Morty’ (Season 5) was officially released on June 20th on HBO Max in the US, and was available via piracy networks on the same day.  It ended up being the second most in-demand show in June 2021, despite being only available for 10 days. The new season was especially followed by audiences in the US, Mexico, Turkey and the UK.  

  Netflix provides two of the Top 10 most pirated shows during the period: ‘Elite’ (Season 4) and ‘Sweet Tooth’ (Season 1).  

  MUSO tracks piracy data relating to over 165,000 films and TV titles.

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Justin Kalifowitz becomes Executive Chairman of Downtown Music Holdings; Andrew Bergman promoted to CEO

By Emmanuel Legrand

Justin Kalifowitz (pictured below, right), the founder and current Chief Executive Officer of Downtown Music Holdings, will take on the new position as Executive Chairman of the New York-based independent music company. Current Chief Operating Officer Andrew Bergman (pictured below, left) will assume day-to-day responsibilities as the company’s CEO, effective September 1.  

  The company said in a statement that Kalifowitz will continue "to focus on driving strategic development, leading Downtown’s Board of Directors and working together with Bergman and the executive team on transformational growth opportunities for the company."

  Kalifowitz created the company 14 years ago and has served as CEO since its inception. Over the years, Downtown morphed from a traditional music publishing unit to a service company for the independent sector, with a wide range of affiliates: Songtrust (rights management), FUGA (digital distribution), CD Baby (distribution), among others.

Expand Downtown's market position  

  "Downtown has always set ambitious goals both internally and with respect to our role in driving equity and innovation across the music industry," said Kalifowitz. "As we continue to expand our market position by empowering entrepreneurial creators and their partners, Andrew’s unrivaled knowledge of the business coupled with his operational excellence make him the perfect choice as our next CEO."

  He added: "With Andrew managing day-to-day operations for Downtown, I'm looking forward to continuing to work closely together in advancing the organization's strategic development at an accelerated pace." 

  Bergman commented, "I feel very fortunate to continue my 14 year collaboration with Justin in my new role as CEO and I am excited about what we will accomplish together in Downtown’s next growth stage. With an exceptional team, global operations, industry leading technology and substantial capital resources, Downtown is well positioned to continue expanding our role as the leading service provider to the global music industry."

Providing solutions for creators

  Bergman served as served as outside legal counsel for Downtown when the company launched and he formally joined Downtown in 2008 as General Counsel and Executive Vice President. He was promoted to COO in 2014. Most recently, Bergman has architected Downtown’s M&A integrations and operations spanning more than 500 employees on six continents.

  Downtown said it manages more than 23 million music assets on behalf of over one million artists and enterprise clients hailing from 145 countries from a catalogue that spans 100 years of popular music, including music for film and television.

  "With a strong foundation centered around service, Downtown provides solutions for creators and businesses at all stages including distribution, rights management, royalty collection, creative marketing and promotional services," said the company in a statement. "As creators of all types increasingly look to maintain ownership of their music IP, Downtown’s size, scale and business model uniquely enable clients to retain their rights for the long term while enjoying the operational benefits historically associated with traditional music companies."

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

DistroKid gets investment from Insight Partners valuing the distribution company at $1.3 billion

By Emmanuel Legrand

New York-based global private equity and venture capital firm Insight Partners has made "a substantial investment" in independent music distribution company DistroKid that values the company at $1.3 billion. 

  Silversmith Capital Partners, a Boston-based growth equity firm that led the company’s first outside investment in 2018, will retain "a meaningful ownership position" going forward and remain on DistroKid’s board.

  “DistroKid is transforming the music industry with its laser focus on innovation, including the latest technology and engineering expertise," said  Insight Partners Managing Director Deven Parekh (pictured, below). 

A household name for musicians

  He added: "By helping developing artists with the same opportunities as superstars, DistroKid stands out in an industry traditionally known for being hard to break through. DistroKid has already become a household name among musicians of all levels and we’re thrilled to partner as they continue their rapid growth.”


    The investment is expected to finance the continued development of DistroKid’s suite of tools for musicians. Distrokid's tools and services are used by over two million artists at every level. The company estimates that it accounts for more than a third of all new music distributed globally.

Building tools to help artists

  "My goal since founding DistroKid was to build great things for musicians”, said the company’s founder and CEO Philip Kaplan. "Our growth has been wild, but the mission hasn't changed. Most of all, we're incredibly honored and thankful for every artist who's chosen DistroKid to be a part of their journey. I’m excited to partner with Insight Partners as we continue building amazing things to help musicians and empower creators worldwide.”

  DistroKid was founded in 2013 and provides musicians, managers and record labels with online tools and services, covering areas such as music distribution, monetisation, metadata customisation, storage, and promotion.

Monday, August 16, 2021

PopArabia launches new UAE-based music Rights Management Entity called ESMAA

By Emmanuel Legrand

PopArabia, the Abu Dhabi-based independent music companyis launching ESMAA, a new UAE-based music Rights Management Entity to facilitate music licensing in the Gulf region. 

  ESMAA, which translates to the Arabic word for “listen,” has already secured significant representation deals with rights societies such as the UK’s PRS for Music and Canada’s SOCAN to represent their repertoire in the region. Through those deals, ESMAA has access to 30 million musical works from over 150,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers respectively through these deals

  It has also sealed agreements to license UK record label Chrysalis Music and neighbouring rights company Global Master Rights, which is among the societies managing neighbouring rights acquired at the end of 2020 by peermusicGlobal Master Rights represents over 300 record labels and more than 2500 performers, from Rihanna and Billie Eilish to Migos and David Guetta, among others.

A historic step forward for music licensing in the Gulf

 “We’re very pleased to have already begun working with rights holders to license music in the market and meet the needs of regional businesses who have been in need of a local solution," said ESMAA Founder and CEO Hussain ‘Spek’ Yoosuf. "After navigating music rights challenges in this region for many years, I can say with confidence that the work we are doing at ESMAA represents a historic step forward for music licensing in the Gulf.” 

  ESMAA will work with global rights holders and regional businesses "to provide Gulf markets with the ability to license music domestically for the first time." ESMAA has already begun developing a comprehensive music repertoire database for the Gulf territories.

  ESMAA has recently become a Client Rights Management Entity of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC). ESMAA’s status as a Client of CISAC marks the first and only time an organisation from the Gulf region has ever been able to benefit from CISAC’s technical tools and solutions for authors’ rights administration. 

Supporting the local music industry

  ESMAA is a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based PopArabia and a partner of twofour54, Abu Dhabi’s media and entertainment hub. PopArabia is a portfolio company of twofour54 and New York-headquartered independent music company, Reservoir Media Management.

  “Enabling content creation in Abu Dhabi and building the emirate into a leader within the creative industries is twofour54’s ultimate goal," explained Michael Garin, CEO of twofour54 Abu Dhabi. "Through our investment into PopArabia a decade ago, we have supported the local music industry and enabled home-grown artists. As the latest step in this journey, ESMAA will elevate music licensing in the region and place the emirate firmly on the global music stage.”

  Founded in 2011 by Yoosuf, PopArabia has grown into the leading music publisher and indie label in the Middle East through its own catalogue and as the sub-publisher major publishing houses such as Sony Music Publishing, BMG Rights, Kobalt Music Publishing, Songtrust, Concord Music Publishing, among others. In 2020, Reservoir entered into a joint venture with PopArabia to invest in the development of Arabic talent from the region.


DDEX names Universal Music Group's Kim Beauchamp as its new Chair of the Board

By Emmanuel Legrand

Music industry's international standards-setting organisation DDEX has named Kim Beauchamp, Senior Vice President Process Innovation & Advanced Operations at Universal Music Group, as its new Chair of its Board. She succeeds Jeff King, the former Chief Operating and Corporate Development Officer of SOCAN.

  Beauchamp (pictured, below), who becomes the first woman to chair the organisation, has been part of DDEX since 2008, and has been a member of the Executive Board for the past eight years. She has been active in the Working Groups developing the Electronic Release Notification Message Suite (ERN) and the Media Enrichment and Description (MEAD) standards, as well as the newly-published version 2.0 of the Recording Information Notification (RIN) standard. 

  Based in Los Angeles, Beauchamp oversees the Process Innovation, Advanced Operations, and Metadata Modeling and Standards areas for UMG.

Moving the music industry forward in the digital age

  "The work of DDEX is absolutely critical in continuing to move the entire music industry forward in the digital age. I look forward to continuing to work with our member companies representing the entire music value chain, as well as our colleagues in adjacent industries such as film and podcasting, to continue to build a solid infrastructure that supports all uses of music, anywhere in the world," said Beauchamp.

  The remainder of the DDEX Board is made up of executives from the 20 other Charter members of the organisation, which in addition to Beauchamp include: AmazonJill Chapman; Apple Inc.Nick Williamson (Chair Emeritus); ASCAPNick Lehman; Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) – Ed Oshanani; Downtown Music HoldingsScott Williams; FacebookDan Simpson; GEMATill Evert; GoogleGreg Quillard (Executive Board); Kobalt MusicBob Bruderman; Pandora Media Inc.Noel Morrison; PPL – Mark Douglas; PRS for MusicKeith Hill; SCPPLaurent Fradin; SACEMPaul Cohen Scali (Executive Board); Sony Music EntertainmentKirit Joshi (Executive Board); SOCANAlan Triger; SoundExchange Inc. Luis Bonilla; Spotify ABSung Kyu Choi; Tencent Music Entertainment GroupRoberta Fong; and Warner Music Group Brigette Boyle.

  DDEX has developed eight families of standards that support the entire arc of digital music operations from initial recording through distribution and reporting as well as other types of business transactions in particular sectors of the industry. The standards are being used by all the major players in the digital music industry as well as most smaller organisations and start-ups.

Warner Music Group and Madonna agree to 'monumental' deal covering her complete recording career

By Emmanuel Legrand

US recording artist, songwriter and performer Madonna and Warner Music Group (WMG) have sealed career-spanning global partnership that includes a new agreement for her entire recorded music catalogue and well as her whole songwriting works. Terms of the deal, described as "monumental" by WMG, were not disclosed.

  "Since the very beginning, Warner Music Group has helped bring my music and vision to all my fans around the world with the utmost care and consideration," said Madonna. "They have been amazing partners, and I am delighted to be embarking on this next chapter with them to celebrate my catalogue from the last 40 years."

  The agreement was negotiated by by Madonna’s longtime manager Guy Oseary at Maverick, Allen Grubman of Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sachs P.C., her business manager Richard Feldstein of NKSFB, and Max Lousada, CEO of WMG's Recorded Music division. 

An incomparable superstar

  "We’re honored to be forming a dynamic new partnership with an incomparable superstar whose influence on our musical and artistic landscape is immense and immutable," said Lousada. "Madonna has changed the course of pop and dance music, while taking live performance to new heights of drama and invention. At the same time, she uses her fame to amplify some of the most important social issues and movements of our time. Constantly and fearlessly challenging convention, her four decades of music are not only an extraordinary body of work, but a playbook for creative and cultural evolution."

  WMG said the new partnership "marks the revitalisation of a decades-long relationship with Warner that began with the release of Madonna’s debut single in 1982." The deal encompasses her entire catalogue, released initially through Sire Records, her own Warner-backed label Maverick, and her Warner catalogue, such as 'Madonna', 'Like a Virgin', 'True Blue', 'Like a Prayer', and 'Ray of Light'. 

  The deal also includes Madonna's three most recent studio albums, 'MDNA', 'Rebel Heart', and 'Madame X' – released on Boy Toy as part of her deal with Live Nation and licensed through Universal Music Group's Interscope Records – which will join the Warner catalogue beginning in 2025. All in all, the new agreement includes 17 studio albums plus singles, soundtrack recordings, live albums, and compilations.

Multi-year series of releases

  In addition, MWG's music publishing division Warner Chappell Music will continue to globally administers all of Madonna’s songwriting work.

  WMG said the new deal will see the launch next year of "an extensive, multi-year series of catalogue releases that will revisit the groundbreaking music that made her an international icon," overseen by Warner Music’s catalogue team, led by Kevin Gore, President of Global Catalogue, Recorded Music.

  For the first time, Madonna will personally curate expansive deluxe editions for many of her albums, as well as introduce unique releases for special events, and more. 2022 will mark the 40th anniversary of Madonna’s recording debut.

  On October 8, Madonna will be releasing her documentary film, 'Madame X', available exclusively on Paramount+, the streaming service from ViacomCBS, and MTV Entertainment Studios in the US, Latin America, Australia, the Nordics, and Canada. Outside these regions, the documentary will be available through ViacomCBS channel MTV.

Sunday, August 15, 2021

Italy's Council of Ministers adopts the European Copyright Directive without major changes from the original text

By Emmanuel Legrand

The Italian government's Council of Ministers adopted the European Union's Copyright Directive with a text close to the original legislation. European Union member states were expected to transpose the Directive voted in 2019 before June 7, 2021, but so far only a handful have done so.

  Enzo Mazza, CEO of Italy's record labels' trade group FIMI, said the adoption was "great news" for rights holders. Mazza praised the government for the adoption of a text in line with the EU Directive. "The new legislation will improve the digital transition and help the content industry to exploit the repertoire on online platforms," said Mazza (pictured, below).


  Mazza wrote in a long essay that the new legislation will rebalance the relationship between online platforms and the music sector, with more adequate remuneration and a better definition of the responsibility of the platforms.

Adherence to the EU text

   The text, approved by the Council of Ministers, will now be sent to Parliament for a vote. Mazza says the text "contains significant adjustments to the Italian legislation, which has already been the subject of significant updates in recent years, but never of this magnitude." 

  Mazza said the Italian Government has generally chosen "to follow the criterion of adherence to the EU text." On the controversial Article 17, which introduces the liability of internet service providers for the unlicensed content circulating on their platforms, Mazza writes that the Italian government has chosen to introduce a dedicated title in the law, defining the characteristics of the services and establishing their related responsibilities.  

  Notes Mazza: "In particular, according to the legislative decree, an online content sharing service provider is understood to be an information society service provider who cumulatively has the following requirements: a) it has as its main purpose, or among its main purposes, to store and give access to the public to large quantities of works or other materials protected by copyright; b) the works or other protected materials are uploaded by its users; c) the works or other protected materials are organised for the purpose of directly or indirectly benefiting from them."

Responsibility for content uploaded

  These providers of online content are distinct from those that give access to non-profit online encyclopedias, non-profit educational or scientific repertoires, as well as open source software development and sharing platforms.

  With regard to liability, in line with the EU regulation, Mazza explains that Italian law states that online platforms allowing for user-generated content, in the absence of authorisation from rights holders, are responsible for unauthorised communication to the public and making available to the public works and other materials protected by copyright, unless they can demonstrate that they have cumulatively satisfied the following conditions define by the law, in particular having made "best efforts" to identify rights holders and obtain licenses. 

  "In any case, the online content-sharing service provider who practices or facilitates copyright piracy is not exempt from liability," writes Mazza. 

A new season for rights holders

  The Italian transposition also establishes rules relating to the remuneration of authors and artists. The Directive establishes the notion of obligation of transparency from digital service providers, in particular providing authors, composers and performers with updated information on the exploitation of their works from licenses. The Italian law states that failure to notify can result in the application of a pecuniary administrative penalty of up to 1% of turnover. 

  Mazza concludes by analysing the impact the legislation is likely to have on the music sector. For him, the key point will be to see if the Directive will result in increasing revenues from UGC platforms, now that they have an obligation to licenses content. This should help rebalance the output from platforms like YouTube, which generated 22.5 million last year, compared to 104m from the streaming subscription sector. 

  "With the new legislation, a new season opens where a rebalancing is expected in the music sector, with adequate remuneration proportionate to the revenues of the high tech platforms and a more defined responsibility of them in fighting illegal content," writes Mazza.


SoundExchange strengthens its corporate affairs team in New York

By Emmanuel Legrand

US music rights management company SoundExchange has appointment of Stephanie Werner (pictured, below) to Vice President, Brand Marketing and Industry Engagement and Barry LeVine as Vice President, Marketing and Entertainment Partnerships. Both executives will form part of the company’s newly expanded corporate affairs group. 

  Based in New York, they both report to Esther-Mireya Tejeda, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer. The corporate affairs practice group encompasses brand strategy, industry engagement and partnerships, communications and PR, digital media and marketing, and government relations and public affairs.


  Werner was most recently Vice President, Head of Global Marketing at Global Citizen, Executive Director for VH1 Save The Music Foundation and Vice President of Consumer Marketing and Music Marketing for VH1 and LOGO

Best-in-class industry leaders

  LeVine (pictured, below) was Vice President, Industry Relations at SoundExchange and will transition from his current post into his new role "building strategic brand relationships and fostering alliances that strengthen SoundExchange’s suite of offerings for creators and that advance SoundExchange brand initiatives and impact across tech, music, and entertainment." 

  “SoundExchange is hard at work building innovative technology systems, growing our suite of fintech services and expanding our data capabilities to make the business of music more simple, efficient, and fair,” explained Tejeda. “It’s an exciting time to redefine our corporate affairs group with best-in-class industry leaders as we level-up to meet and surpass the demands of a digital-first ecosystem.”   

Saturday, August 14, 2021

US consumers spent $15.7 billion on movies and television shows in the first half of 2021

By Emmanuel Legrand 

US consumers spent $15.7 billion on movies and television shows consumed at home and on the go in the first six months of 2021, up 5% from the $14.9bn consumers spent in the first six months of 2020, according to latest figures published by the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) in its Mid-Year 2021 Report 

  Second quarter growth year-over-year was 1%, for a total of $7.9bn. The performance in the first half of 2021 is significant since it is an improvement over what DEG described as "a record-breaking period for home viewing as consumers limited out-of-home activity in response to the spread of the novel coronavirus."

  However, the results could have been even better but "factors limiting 2021 growth" included a dearth of theatrical new releases, which are "historically a key driver of home entertainment spending." Box-office performance for the films released during the period was down nearly 88%.

Few new releases made their way to market 

  "Due to theater closures during the Covid-19 pandemic, few new releases made their way to market in the first half of the year, and those that did were often released initially for rental or sale in a premium window, the spending on which was not reported by any major studio in the first six months of 2021," reads the report.


  DEG identified the following trends during the first half of 2021:

  • Consumer spending on subscription streaming rose by 21% to $12.2bn in in the first six months of 2021, fuelled  according to DEG, by "consumer interest in multiple major services launched in the past 18 months" and the availability of new titles made immediately available on streaming services simultaneous with, or in place of, a theatrical release. 

  • The top titles rented and purchased by consumers in the second quarter 2021 "demonstrated viewers’ appetite for a variety of content." 

  • Spending on library titles has been "notably strong" during the period, due to a lack of new releases. DEG noted that since second quarter 2019, digital catalogue sales have increased at an annualised rate of 17%, compared, for example, from a 4% growth in fourth quarter 2019, just before the pandemic.

  • Consumers spent more than $2bn on Electronic Sell-through (EST) and VoD transactions in the full first-half of 2021.

Strong engagement with content

  "When compared against the comparable pre-pandemic period in 2019, however, total US home entertainment spending in 2021 shows growth of more than 35% for the second quarter and 32% for the first half, demonstrating consumers’ continued strong engagement with content. Internet-delivered video-on-demand (VoD) rentals grew 24 percent in the first half of 2021, compared to the same period in 2019," reads the report.

Revelator launches decentralised blockchain-powered Artist Wallet for rights holders


By Emmanuel Legrand

Rights management company Revelator has launched its Artist Wallet, a new web app for music distribution and royalties, powered by its new decentralised Original Works platform. 

  The system is described as "the most advanced B2B layer of its kind for music and will enable millions of dollars to flow directly to rights holders’ non-custodial wallets."

  The Wallet will allow for direct payout between creators and right holders, and the benefits for artists are multiple, according to Revelator's CEO Bruno Guez: daily payments; control and transparency; income tracking with an estimated pipeline; and assets and royalties management.

An easy experience for users

  "The Wallet has been designed to make it easy for users," says Guez, speaking from Israel where he is based.

  Central to the system is blockchain-powered Original Works platform. Guez explains that it operates as a distributed ledger solution for digital asset management, copyright administration and royalty distribution to automate, streamline and standardise the process of creating fungible and non-fungible assets, managing IP rights, distributing NFTs, collecting royalties, and financing music royalties and creative assets. 


  Original Works also allows rights holders to register and tokenise their creative intellectual property and then use the Wallet to manage metadata, assign splits, request or send payments, and collect daily on royalty streams. 

Access to real-time financing

  For Guez, the Wallet will change the relationship that rights holders have with streams of revenues. Through the use of data from the source – the DSPs – each usage of music is identified and generates royalties. Normally, the systems used by most rights management companies still take into account the time difference between the moment content is used and the moment money is effectively paid to rights holders.

  Through the Wallet, Revelator allows users to track their revenues and request advances. If, for example, a song has been played 50,000 times in one day, the Wallet will calculate the estimated revenues that these plays generate and make that money available to the rights holders through advances. 

  "What we are saying is there's money that is waiting for you. You can take it now," says Guez, adding that by speeding up the payment process, the Wallet will be a real game changer in the rights management business. Guez says that 50,000 artist clients of Revelator will start receiving royalties directly through the Wallet, and will have access to real-time financing.

Transaction verified on the Ethereum blockchain

  Guez explains that Revelator holds funds in FDIC-insured bank accounts while tokenising those funds into a proprietary stablecoin, called the OWN Token. "This allows money to move between users 24/7 without the need to interact with a bank — all transactions are confirmed and verified on the Ethereum blockchain," says the company.

  In a presentation for potential users, Revelator claims that Original Works "is the only smart contract solution on the market to offer a turnkey micro-lending protocol for music royalties, accelerating the settlement and distribution of royalties to real-time for all rights holders." 

  For Guez, the key to the system is to make it simple for users. “Most musicians and labels aren’t crypto purists and they aren’t about to go deep into the tech. They just want things to work so they can make music,” he says.

Friday, August 13, 2021

CCS' Daytripper Music Publishing partners with radio host and music supervisor Chris Douridas

By Emmanuel Legrand

Chris Douridas, a Grammy-winning music supervisor and former radio host at influential Los Angeles public broadcaster KCRW, has entered into a partnership with Daytripper Music Publishing, the newly-created talent-driven division of Canada's music rights management and music publishing company CCS Rights Management (CCS). 

  Douridas will help Daytripper build and develop its talent roster as it expands further into the US market. Douridas and Daytripper have a joint commitment to "discovering and nurturing artists and songwriters at all levels and stages in careers, providing personalised and curated global creative opportunities, while enhancing, capitalising, and promoting their works," according to CCS.  

  “As we expand into the US, I couldn’t be more pleased to be partnering with Chris, who embodies everything we envisioned as the philosophy behind CCS’ new Daytripper Music Publishing division. The company is centered around discovering and fostering great artists and songwriters, and Chris is unequivocally one of the best in the world at doing it,” said Jodie Ferneyhough, CCS Rights Management Founder and President. 

Spotting talent and break new artists

  Douridas is described as someone with "exceptional ability to spot talent and break new artists" throughout his career. At KCRW-FM, he served as the music programming director and host of 'Morning Becomes Eclectic' for most of the 90s, and later launched the station’s 24-hour online music channel Eclectic24, which he still programs. 

  Douridas also worked at Geffen and Dreamworks Records in A&R capacities. In 2010, Douridas founded the now long-running bi-coastal, weekly live music series School Night, showcasing new and up-and-coming talent. 

  As a music supervisor he worked on movies such as 'American Beauty', 'Shrek 2', 'Heat', 'As Good as It Gets', 'Austin Powers', among others. 

Passionate about songwriters

  “Identifying great artistry and helping it find its way out into the world is at the heart of everything I do," said Douridas. "An alliance with Jodie is an obvious fit. He is extremely passionate about nurturing and developing great songwriters. More than that, he has a clear vision of what he wants Daytripper to become, and I am very excited about helping him and Jordan build it.”


  Daytripper Music Publishing was launched in 2021 by CCS as a stand-alone brand dedicated to creative development and support of established and up-and-coming artists and songwriters. Songwriters, artists, musicians and producers signed to the company include:
Hill Kourkoutis, Tribe Friday, Featurette, POESY, Nuela Charles, CARYS, Yukon Blonde, Laurent Bourque, and Mikhail Laxton, among others.  

  CCS Rights Management administers over 150,000 copyrights and specialises in publishing administration, royalty collection, creative services, neighbouring rights administration, and music licensing for film, TV advertising, games and other media.

Thursday, August 12, 2021

New US legislation targets Apple's App and Google's Play stores with 'fair, clear, and enforceable rules'

By Emmanuel Legrand

US Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have introduced a bill, the Open App Markets Act, which seeks to "promote competition and reduce gatekeeper power in the app economy, increase choice, improve quality, and reduce costs for consumers."

  The Open App Markets Act is targeted at Google and Apple, whose respective app stores are the market leaders in the Android and iOS eco-systems. 

  The two companies are described as having "gatekeeper control of the two dominant mobile operating systems and their app stores that allow them to exclusively dictate the terms of the app market, inhibiting competition and restricting consumer choice."

Break tech giant's grip on the app economy

  Blumenthal said that the bipartisan bill "will help break these tech giants’ ironclad grip, open the app economy to new competitors, and give mobile users more control over their own devices.” 

  In a statement, Apple said it would continue to focus on connecting developers with consumers: "Since our founding, we’ve always put our users at the center of everything we do, and the App Store is the cornerstone of our work to connect developers and customers in a way that is safe and trustworthy. The result has been an unprecedented engine of economic growth and innovation, one that now supports more than 2.1 million jobs across all 50 states. At Apple, our focus is on maintaining an App Store where people can have confidence that every app must meet our rigorous guidelines and their privacy and security is protected."

  The new law – which would only apply to "any person that owns or controls an App Store for which users in the United States exceed 50,000,000" – has the ambition to set "fair, clear, and enforceable rules" that will "protect competition and strengthen consumer protections within the app market," according to a joint statement by the three Senators.

Provide guidelines for app tores

  According to the law, an app store, described in the bill as a "Covered Company," will not be able to:

  (1) Require developers to use an In-App Payment System owned or controlled by the Covered Company or any of its business partners as a condition of being distributed on an App Store or accessible on an operating system; 

  (2) Require as a term of distribution on an App Store that pricing terms or conditions of sale be equal to or more favorable on its App Store than the terms or conditions under another App Store; or 

  (3) Take punitive action or otherwise impose less favorable terms and conditions against a devel- oper for using or offering different pricing terms or conditions of sale through another In-App Payment System or on another App Store.

Tear down anticompetitive walls

  “This legislation will tear down coercive anticompetitive walls in the app economy, giving consumers more choices and smaller startup tech companies a fighting chance,” said Blumenthal. “For years, Apple and Google have squashed competitors and kept consumers in the dark—pocketing hefty windfalls while acting as supposedly benevolent gatekeepers of this multi-billion dollar market. I’m proud to partner with Senators Blackburn and Klobuchar in this breakthrough blow against Big Tech bullying."

  Added Blackburn: “Big Tech giants are forcing their own app stores on users at the expense of innovative start-ups. Apple and Google want to prevent developers and consumers from using third-party app stores that would threaten their bottom line. Their anticompetitive conduct is a direct affront to a free and fair marketplace. Senator Blumenthal, Klobuchar, I are committed to ensuring US consumers and small businesses are not punished by Big Tech dominance.”  

  Klobuchar said that “a few gatekeepers control the app marketplace, wielding incredible power over which apps consumers can access," and that this situation "raises serious competition concerns.” She added: “By establishing new rules for app stores, this legislation levels the playing field and is an important step forward in ensuring an innovative and competitive app marketplace.”  

Protect developers' rights

  The co-sponsors of the Bill explain that the Open App Markets Act would:

  > protect developers’ rights to tell consumers about lower prices and offer competitive pricing; protect side-loading of apps; 

  > open up competitive avenues for startup apps, third party app stores, and payment services; 

  > make it possible for developers to offer new experiences that take advantage of consumer device features; give consumers more control over their devices; prevent app stores from disadvantaging developers; 

  > and set safeguards to continue to protect privacy, security, and safety of consumers. 

Greater consumer choices

  The Open App Markets Act has been endorsed by a number of technology and consumer groups, including Consumer Reports, Internet Accountability Project, Public Citizen, Coalition for App Fairness, Color Of Change, News Media Alliance, Public Knowledge, Lincoln Network, Consumer Action for a Strong Economy (CASE), Digital Progress Institute, Electronic Frontier Foundation, American Principles Project, and the American Economic Liberties Project.

  “The Open App Markets Act will ensure fairness for both users and developers without forcing security or privacy compromises, resulting in greater consumer choices and lower prices in the app ecosystem,” said John Bergmayer, Legal Director at Public Knowledge. 

   In an interview with Reuters, Blumenthal said that he expected a companion legislation to be introduced in the House of Representatives "very soon."