Music deals -- Week 7 of 2021

Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment have secured licensing agreements with Africa's music streaming service Audiomack, which counts 17 million monthly active users. The service started as a discovery platform for hip-hop artists and and since evolved to encompass other music genres such as R&B, Latin, electronic, Afrobeats, dancehall/reggae and African music. The service has now deals in place with all three majors, as an agreement with Warner Music Group has been in place since 2019. “Audiomack serves a unique listener base that is distinct from the audiences found on competing platforms,” said Vanessa Wilkins, Audiomack’s Director of Music & Data Partnerships. Launched 2012 by Dave Macli and David Ponte, Audiomack is the leading iOS music app in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Senegal, and Kenya. 

Warner Music Norway has inked a distribution deal with Bergen-based GEMS, a new independent label set up by Ruben Nesse, founder of Brilliance Records, and Geir Luedy of Made Management. GEMS's roster includes artists such as iris, Jonas Hibiki, døssi, Hedda Mae, Cabin Fever and Ur Monarch. “Myself and Geir have talked about a collaboration for some time and about a year ago we started co-managing an artist together," said Nesse. “Working together felt natural and we decided to join forces and start a new label, and voila!"

Music company One Media iP Group has acquired the licensor’s share of the royalties to the 21 Vision catalogue of rights, which contains over 2,000 recordings. Since 2009, the 21 Vision catalogue has been licensed to One Media on a royalty-sharing basis. As part of the deal, One Media has acquired the licensor's royalty share of the catalogue on an in perpetuity basis. The Catalogue includes rare recordings of music concerts and live recordings performed by over 70 artists such as Glenn Miller, The Andrews Sisters, The Ink Spots, Vera Lynn, Count Basie, Flanagan & Allen and Cole Porter.

Uruguayan singer-songwriter Jorge Drexler has signed a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music Spain. 'I'm delighted to be back with Warner Chappell Music. We've worked successfully together in the past and I know that [Warner Chappell Music Spain Managing Director Santiago Menendez-Pidal] Santi and the team will be great partners for the next stage of my career," said Drexler, who won an Academy Award for Best Original Song with 'Al Otro Lado Del Rio', featured in the 2005 movie 'The Motorcycle Diaries'.

American singer and songwriter Brandon Ratcliff has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music Nashville and Kelly King’s King Pen Music. His his debut EP, 'Sometime Always Never', released on Monument Records, has accumulated over 50 million views on all platforms.

Guitar maker Gibson has formed a full-scale partnership with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) in China and Hong Kong to offer tailor-made support for artists, songwriters, and producers in China, such as UMPG songwriting camps and artist events. “With Gibson’s support, we will now have the chance to jointly promote emerging artists, support music education, and create causes for music education and charity events," said UMPG China Managing Director Joe Fang.