News Clips
Dec. 14, 2017 — A federal bankruptcy judge advanced the cause of creditors attempting to recoup losses on the disastrous Fyre Festival, which was scheduled to take place in the Bahamas earlier this year but canceled at the last minute due to poor organization. At a hearing Wednesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, Judge Martin Glenn granted a request that Fyre Media Inc.’s financial documents be turned over to a trustee who will attempt to untangle the company’s financial affairs and arrive at an assessment of its assets and liabilities. [ read more …]
Nov. 30, 2017 —From making records to protecting rights, negotiating contracts to discovering talent, the female executives included on Billboard’s 2017 Women in Music list represent the best of today’s dealmakers, influencers and tastemakers. Paula Parisi profiles ASCAP’s Elizabeth Matthews, BMI’s Ann Sweeney, Cumulus’ Mary Brenner, iHeartMedia’s Sharon Dastur and Marissa Morris, and Warner Chappell’s Katie Vinten. [read more …]
Nov. 28, 2017 — The compilation soundtrack category is more of a mixed bag than ever this year. It’s the place where music supervisors pick up the trophies, primary for song-driven compilation albums. But curated collections like the “Baby Driver” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” albums will compete against the song scores for “La La Land” and “Moana.” Will voters favor the original content of a musical, or think that Edgar Wright’s knack for picking ‘70s songs as the bed for action choreography is just as great an accomplishment? [ read more…]
Nov. 22, 2017 — Mudbound has generated awards buzz for its unflinching look at life in the violent, segregationist South. The story, based on novelist Hillary Jordan’s prize-winning work, follows the lives of two families — one black, one white — on a Mississippi cotton farm in 1946. In a breakthrough role, Mary J. Blige plays a long-suffering matriarch and also co-wrote and performs the end-title song “Mighty River.” The prestige pedigree also stars Carey Mulligan and Garrett Hedlund. The film is in theaters and available for streaming on Netflix, which picked it up for $12.5 million in January at the Sundance Film Festival. For composer Tamar-kali her feature debut’s most influential character was the mud. [read more …]
Oct. 31, 2017 — Powered by a selection of carefully curated tunes timed precisely to the action on screen, Edgar Wright’s “Baby Driver: Music From the Motion Picture” has raced to the front of Grammys’ soundtrack pack, with James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Awesome Mix Vol. 2” trailing by a couple of laps. Both films were written around lead characters that love music, in Wright’s case an earbud-obsessed getaway guy, and for Gunn, a Walkman-toting space cadet whose combat style includes dance moves. “I loved ‘Baby Driver,’” says Gunn of his competition. “Edgar and I would text each other making sure we weren’t using the same songs.” [read more …]
Oct. 28, 2017 — The Xbox game “Halo Wars 2” is shaking things up musically as the first game soundtrack in 12 years to record with American Federation of Musician union players on Twentieth Century Fox’s Newman Scoring Stage. There, composer Gordy Haab conducted an 80-piece orchestra last fall. The game was released in February. For the final mix, Haab also integrated a 20-piece choir, recorded at Skywalker Sound, and meshed electronic music created by Finishing Move’s Brian Trifon and Brian Lee White. “We had an opportunity to do something new, and then you stay up at night thinking ‘How?’ …” [read more …]
Oct. 19, 2017 — Four years in the making, Assassin’s Creed Origins takes gamers back to ancient Egypt with composer Sarah Schachner setting the tone. The Ptolemaic-era setting was at the request of fans polled in 2011 as to where they’d like to see the time-traveling series land. Schachner’s return to the Ubisoft franchise for this third installment seems inspired by popular demand, too, after well-received turns on 2014’s Assassin’s Creed: Unity and 2013’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Assassin’s Creed is Ubisoft’s top franchise, surpassing 100 million units sold as of 2016, according to the company. [read more …]
Oct. 14, 2017 — The year is 1972. On May 7, Tony Orlando & Dawn is in the middle of a four-week ride atop the Billboard Hot 100 with “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree,” and Edmund Kemper is indicted on eight counts of murder in Santa Cruz, Calif. Welcome to the world of David Fincher’s Mindhunter, a circa 1970s crime drama that debuts on Netflix this weekend. Set within the FBI’s elite Behavioral Sciences Unit, the show delves into the psyche of high-profile serial killers because, “How do we get ahead of crazy, if we don’t know how crazy thinks?” In other words, as sophisticated a study in depravity as audiences are likely to see outside of a theater showing a Fincher film, and he wanted the music to match. [read more …]
Oct. 12, 2017 — The job of a music supervisor is largely misunderstood, according to panelists at the Guild of Music Supervisors State of Music in Media Conference, who said their role is as much about detective and curatorial work as it is about sound-tracking. “I love creating something new with audio and picture, but it’s a lot more than that,” said Maggie Phillips, who handles song chores for the FX series “Fargo.” Speaking last night at USC’s Bovard Auditorium as part of the “Emmy TV Music Supervision Deep Dive,” Phillips said people considering a career as a music supervisor need to know “it’s not a sexy job.” [read more …]
Oct. 07, 2017 — Synch licensing has edged past mechanical as source of songwriter revenue, according to National Music Publishers Association president and CEO David Israelite, who pegged the U.S. publishing and songwriting industry at $2.652 billion as of 2016, almost a 20% jump since 2014. But the boom is creating a world of haves and have-nots, with large companies trying to edge the songwriters out of the picture. Speaking at a keynote session at the 2017 Production Music Conference at the Loews Hollywood Hotel Thursday, Israelite rallied the 600 attendees – mostly songwriters and publishers – to fight for their rights. [read more …]
Oct. 06, 2017 — Perhaps it was because the band was on tour celebrating their 40th anniversary, or maybe because his marketing team came up with a ticket giveaway concept called #HeartbreakersHistory, but Tom Petty was feeling nostalgic onstage at the Hollywood Bowl the week before he died. On each of the three sold-out nights — Sept. 21, 22 and 25 — he shared with the audience the story of how the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers came to be, the result of a fateful night’s jam session at the Village Studios in West Los Angeles. It was a little-known tale, at least insofar as the specifics were concerned. [read more …]
Oct. 02, 2017 — Fyre Festival promoter Billy McFarland appeared in Manhattan federal court this morning where he pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud and making false statements to a bank. The proceeding was the result of a June 30 arrest and criminal charges of defrauding investors in the ill-fated Fyre Festival Bahamian concert. Cancellation of the fest, which delved into chaos as attendees began arriving on the island, resulted in addition to the criminal proceedings in several civil class actions and investor suits. McFarland, 25, waived indictment. [read more …]
Sept. 20, 2017 — Erstwhile Simpsons composer Alf Clausen and California State Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon are the guests of honor at the 24th Annual RMALA Night fundraiser for the Recording Musicians Association Los Angeles Chapter. The event takes place Sunday, Sept. 24, at the Bel-Air Bay Club in Pacific Palisades. “Alf is a legend, and has been a huge part of the fabric of our community,” RMA national president Marc Sazer said of the selection of Clausen as an honoree. “I can’t think of anyone else that has scored a television show for 27 seasons with original music and a live orchestra.” [read more …]
Sept. 18, 2017 — Production music is a $1 billion global industry “hidden in plain sight” that is ready for its close-up, according to Joe Saba, who promises to deliver just that with the fourth annual Production Music Conference, Oct. 4-6 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel. Saba, who is vice chairman of the Production Music Association, notes that this is the first time the trade group has put a value on the production music sector, which supports “tens of thousands of songwriters, composers and musicians” as well as ancillary businesses like recording studios, rights administration and software services. [read more …]
Sept. 15, 2017 — Streaming, which has made tech companies rich and benefited labels, has become an apt metaphor for songwriters’ and artists’ revenues going down the drain, according to a panel of experts pushing for political activism at the Recording Academy’s Thursday night (Sept. 14) advocacy town hall. Girding members for battle on its Oct. 18 District Advocate Day, Academy leadership — including producers Rodney Jerkins and Om’Mas Keith — addressed more than 100 attendees at Village Studios in West Los Angeles, sharing horror stories of dwindling royalties and toothless copyright law. [read more…]
Sept. 08, 2017 — Fans awaiting new music from Wu-Tang Clan, whose next album drops Oct. 13, can check out the single “Risyn: Rogue Absolver,” co-produced by RZA with composer Austin Wintory for the Absolver multiplayer online videogame. “After they saw the demo at E3 last summer they started tweeting me and said ‘Check this out, you should be involved,’” RZA told Billboard earlier this week as he prepped for the release ofWu-Tang: The Saga Continues, which the legendary hip-hop group reconvened to record as their first studio offering since 2014. RZA said when Paris-based game developer Sloclap reached out to him a few weeks later, “I was already waiting for the game.” [read more…]
Aug. 28, 2017 — As streaming drives the $15.7 billion global music business, these 50 executives, deep in data and from every industry sector, are on the cutting edge of music and tech. The tipping point had arrived: For the U.S. music business in 2016, streaming overtook sales as its leading source of revenue for the first time — echoing global results. Income from music streams last year also led to the first double-digit growth seen in the United States in nearly two decades. U.S. recorded-music sales rose 11.4 percent to $7.65 billion, the strongest annual increase since 1998. Paula Parisi profiled: Simon Dennet, Kobalt Chief Commercial Officer; Keith Hauprich, BMG North America General Counsel; Dennis Kooker, Sony Music Entertainment President of Global Digital & U.S. sales. [read more…]
Aug. 18, 2017 — He made a punchline of elevator music in The 51st State, but after 45 years of acting, Samuel L. Jackson is now doing some serious singing. His soulful take on Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” for Capital One and Spotify has generated more than 183 million television impressions since debuting July 10, according to iSpot.tv, which estimates the financial services firm has spent $4.4 million on placements for the slick-yet-stirring spot that is scheduled to run through the end of September. It is directed by Joseph Kahn (of the upcoming battle rap film Bodied). At 68, Jackson is coming into his own as a crooner. [read more…]
Aug. 14, 2017 — The 51 masters of the independent music business, led by the California-born owner of race cars Big Machine’s Scott Borchetta — who has driven Taylor Swift and Florida George Line up the charts. Paula Parisi profiles: Jeanette Perez, Kobalt Global President of Synch and Brand Partnerships and Lonny Olinick, Kobalt Chief Strategy Officer. [read more…]
July 27, 2017 — The 100 leaders, achievers and influencers on Billboard’s third annual Nashville Country Power Players list drove another solid year for country music. Paula Parisi profiles: Kent Earls, Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville EVP/GM; Ann Edelblute, Owner, The HQ; Larry Fitzgerald, President, Fitzgerald Hartley; Michael Martin, ASCAP Nashville VP Membership; Mike Milom, Partner, Milom Horsnell Crow Rose Kelley; Steve Lassiter, APA Nashville Partner, Head of Concerts; Kerry O’Neil, Co-owner, Big Yellow Dog Music; Carla Wallace, Co-owner, Big Yellow Dog Music; Jody Williams, VP BMI Nashville. [read more…]
May 28, 2017 — As the $16 billion global music business sees its greatest growth in decades, these 53 executives are driving industry success outside the United States, led by the man who signed Adele, DJ-producer Richard Russell of XL Recordings. Paula Parisi profiles: Warner Music Group CEO of International Stu Bergen. [read more…]
April 17, 2017 — Efforts to compel the United States Congress to reform the country’s “antiquated” music copyright laws were the burning issues at the 2017 edition of the ASCAP Expo, as the performing rights organization’s leadership attempted to advance causes designed to help its members earn a decent living. ASCAP President Paul Williams noted that while the group collected a record $1.059 billion in 2016 on behalf of its songwriter, composer, and music publisher members, that increase of slightly more than 6% is inadequate when measured against the number of performances, which nearly doubled, to 1 trillion… [read more]
April 17, 2017 — Is Stevie Wonder contemplating a run for office? The crowd gathered at Los Angeles’ Loews Hollywood Hotel for the 2017 ASCAP Expo wildly cheered the thought, which the legendary music-maker floated while sharing insights on his career and the current political scene during a speech on Saturday. “I’m practicing to become President myself,” he said while explaining his close association with the Obamas. “We’ll be building love bombs.” Wonder accepted the inaugural “key of life” award from the performing rights organization… [read more]
Feb. 14, 2017 — “My ears weren’t working!” has been an artist’s rejoinder for everything from cueing the wrong playback to singing off-key. But sometimes things really do go wrong. Tiny though they may be, in-ear monitors can certainly have a huge impact on a live performance, delivering a custom audio feed directly into an artist’s head. As integral as an amp or microphone, in-ear monitors also isolate noise… [read more]
Feb. 11, 2017 — Attorneys and entrepreneurs came together to feast on a menu of big ideas, artistic ideals and red meat (rare, the way lawyers like it) at the Grammy Foundation’s 19th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative Luncheon Friday afternoon (Feb. 10) at the Beverly Hilton. The hotel’s intimate ballroom was packed to capacity… [read more]
Feb. 09, 2017 — If the music industry is indeed in turnaround, that’s in no small part due to the digital disrupter at No. 1, the live titan at No. 3, Alexa’s mastermind at No. 12 and the visionary label bosses, tech gurus, artist managers and media moguls (including 41 first-timers!) who comprise Billboard’s annual ranking of executive excellence…. [read more]
Feb. 06, 2017 — With the final count in, Sony/ATV retained its lead with 10-plus Super Bowl synch licenses, followed by Kobalt and Universal Music Publishing Group, tied with seven, Warner/Chappell with four, and BMG three. The figures are for consumer products only, and do not include promos for TV shows or movie trailers, a sector to which most of the above had at least 2 additional songs, and in the case of Warner/Chappell, 5… [read more]
Feb. 03, 2017 — Lady Gaga glams for Tiffany, Justin Bieber breaks for T-Mobile and Justin Timberlake imbibes with Bai in some of the most highly anticipated music commercials set to air during Sunday’s Super Bowl 51, which has fewer synch licenses than last year, but still sees music center stage. Lady Gaga, of course, is the main event with her halftime show and its expected audience of more than 100 million… [read more]
Jan. 04, 2017 — Live performing isn’t what it used to be, as an increasing number of large-venue artists take advantage of digital technologies, turning stage shows into feats of engineering. While Mariah Carey’s techno-glitch on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve made painfully clear how reliant artists — and audiences — are on the stream of data feeds that wind invisibly through a show, the honey-voiced singer is far from alone. There are few acts today that don’t utilize some form of pre-recording to improve live sound… [read more]