Music Deals -- Week 11 - 2021

Spotify and South Korean music company Kakao Entertainment have reached an agreement that will see the repertoire owned by the label available on the music streaming service. Kakao Entertainment has taken the step to remove all its catalogue from Spotify following a breaking out in negotations as the two companies were discussing the terms of a new agreement. Kakao confirmed that it had entered into an agreement with Spotify and will "sequentially provide its music content to Spotify for service in and beyond Korea." It added: "Kakao Entertainment remains committed to the Korean music ecosystem and its growth and will continue protecting the rights of artists, labels and local rights holders going forward.”

DIY distribution company DistroKid has sealed an agreement with social network Snapchat that will enable artists who control their own sound recordings and music publishing rights to make their music available to Snapchat users. Snapchat has licensing deals in place with Warner Music Group, Merlin, NMPA, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Kobalt, and BMG Music Publishing. This new agreement opens to independent artists access to tools to directly distribute their music to the social platform, which has 265 million daily active users. “We’re thrilled to partner with DistroKid to integrate their artists into our new music-based Creative Tools, such as Sounds and AR Lenses, and see the significant impact it has for music creators and the industry," said Snapchat Global Head of Music Partnerships Ted Suh. 

British lyricist Don Black has extended his worldwide representation deal with Sony Music Publishing UK. His catalogue include the James Bond theme songs 'Thunderball', 'Diamonds Are Forever', 'The Man With The Golden Gun', among other works. Black said, “I'm delighted to renew my relationship with Sony Music Publishing. I am particularly excited to be working with the young and inspirational [Sony Music Publishing UK President, Co-Managing Director] David Ventura and [Co-Managing Director] Tim Major.” With a career spanning six decades, Don Black has worked with and written for composers such as Andrew Lloyd Webber, John Barry, Henry Mancini, QuincyJones, and Elmer Bernstein, among others.

Sony Music Publishing has also renewed a global agreement with Country music songwriter and artist Luke Bryan. Bryan's catalogue includes 26 No.1 singles. Bryan said, "I've enjoyed many years with Sony Music Publishing and I'm happy to continue our partnership. Songwriters are the backbone of country music and being included in this category with arguably the biggest company in the business is unreal. I'm so thankful."

Artist management companyTaP Music has added British artist and Little Mix girl band member Leigh-Anne Pinnock to its roster, offering global management for all her solo activities spanning music, film and TV. TaP Music will work alongside Modest Management, which will continue to look after Little Mix projects. TaP Music, co-founded by Ed Millett and Ben Mawson, represents such artists as Dua Lipa, Lana Del Rey, Ellie Goulding, Dermot Kennedy, and Hailee Steinfeld.

Californian band Ozomatli has signed a recording and distribution contract with Blue Élan Records. The Grammy Award-winning band will release a new album in 2021, as it celebrates its 25th anniversary.

American singer-songwriter Claire Guerreso has signed an exclusive administrative agreement with Kobalt Music. Her music has been featured in shows such as 'Grey’s Anatomy', 'Station 19', 'Lucifer', 'Pretty Little Liars', and 'Shades of Blue'. “It feels great to be a creative part of this company with people who are passionate about music and finding the right place for songs. I’m excited to see what we can do together!” said Guerreso.

Music managers Graham Martin, Diony Sepulveda, and Kimberly Schon have launched Grandview Music, a Los Angeles-based artists management and services company. Martin will serve as the company’s CEO, Sepulveda as President and Schon as Executive Vice President. At launch, Grandview’s roster includes Rise Against, The Story So Far, Pepper, Quicksand, Bad Child, Militarie Gun, Asking Alexandria, MotionlessIn White, Lowlives, and The Messenger Birds.

New Zealand singer, songwriter and performer Ladyhawke has signed a global label and publishing deal with BMG. The publishing deal covers her entire back catalogue. “Ladyhawke has crafted some seriously stunning new music and starting with ‘Guilty Love’ we are excited to be working closely with her manager Dan Medland on breaking these vibe-soaked new tunes on an international scale with typical BMG Australia panache,” commented Heath Johns, BMG's Managing Director for Australia & New Zealand.

BMG has also signed British band JLS to a recording deal. The group split up in 2013 and has now reformed with a new album scheduled for release this year and a tour.