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GLOBAL MUSIC EVENT MUSEXPO KICKS-OFF IN BURBANK, CALIFORNIA MARCH 19 â€" 22 & FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS UNVEILED GLOBAL MUSIC EVENT MUSEXPO KICKS-OFF
IN BURBANK, CALIFORNIA MARCH 19 – 22
& FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS UNVEILED


MUSEXPO

MUSEXPO 2023 www.musexpo.net the highly regarded annual global music business conference and showcase event will return to the “Media Capital of The World,” Burbank, California from March 19th – 22nd. MUSEXPO joins a week-long series of events that includes the Global Sync / A&R Summit, the esteemed 20th year anniversary A&R Worldwide gala dinner event, and more, as it brings together the international music community for key insights and discussions on the evolution of the worldwide music business.
The renowned confab has unveiled its full schedule line up for this year’s conference and showcase events, which can be viewed HERE.
MUSEXPO will cover the various touchpoints of the worldwide music business from A&R, music publishing, management, digital, streaming, radio, booking and live, distribution, marketing, technology, Web3, synchronization (film, TV, videogames, eSport, trailers, promos), performance rights and so much more.
Pete Ganbarg
Pete Ganbarg
Some of the companies participating at this year’s event include: Atlantic Records, Netflix, The Hello Group, Columbia Records, Universal Music Group, Times Music (India), Tileyard (UK), iHeartMedia, Snap, Live Nation, Recording Academy (The GRAMMYs), Warner Records, APG, Fox Entertainment, Paramount, EA Games, Sony Music Publishing, Silva Screen, So Recordings (UK), Saregama (India), TM Ventures (India), Music Business Worldwide, Alchemic Sonic Environment, STEM, Seeker Music, Millennium Media, The Wilders, Mom+Pop, Reservoir Media, LAVA Records, Position Music, APM, Riptide Music Group, Universal Pictures, A&R Worldwide, Bally Sports, Westside Music (Sweden), Sound Czech (Czech Republic), Red Bull Records, United Masters, RCA, Epic Records, Blue Lemon (Sweden), Warner Music (Thailand), Phase 1 Events (India), InterTalent, Crush Management, Trevanna Tracks, Walt Disney Imagineering, Format Entertainment, SongTools.io, Songrunner Entertainment, SESAC, The MLC, Videohelper, and many others.
Mamie Coleman
Mamie Coleman
MUSEXPO will also include the presentation of the coveted “MUSEXPO International Music Person of the Year” award during a special VIP Awards Gala Luncheon on Tuesday, March 21st. Next year, MUSEXPO has confirmed that it will present this honor to one of the most influential and respected minds in the global A&R community, Pete Ganbarg, President A&R, Atlantic Records & President ATCO.

MUSEXPO will also present its first-ever “International Media Person of the Year“ award to one of the most influential and respected executives in television, Mamie Coleman, Executive Vice President & Head of FOX Entertainment Music, during a special gala dinner that will take place on Wednesday, March 22nd in the “Media Capital of The World” – Burbank, CA, which is home to The Walt Disney Company, Marvel Studios, ABC TV, Activision, iHeartMedia, Warner Bros. Pictures, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, The CW Network, Legendary Films, Universal Pictures, ESPN, Insomniac Games and many others.
Joel Denver
Joel Denver
Joel Denver, President & Co-Founder AllAccess Music Group will also be honored by the US and international music community for his fifty years of service and support for the radio and music industry as he’ll receive the inaugural “Lifetime Achievement Award” during a special event with colleagues from the radio and record label community on Monday, March 20th, 2023.

To register to attend this year’s MUSEXPO click HERE.

For more information on remaining event sponsorships contact Sat Bisla at sat@anrworldwide.com.



KOBALT NAMES ALISON DONALD AS HEAD OF GLOBAL CREATIVE KOBALT NAMES ALISON DONALD AS
HEAD OF GLOBAL CREATIVE


Kobalt Music

Kobalt has promoted Alison Donald to Head of Global Creative. In her new role, Donald will oversee Kobalt’s global creative team and will operate between London and Los Angeles.
Donald previously oversaw A&R and creative in the UK and Europe for Kobalt Music Publishing and AWAL’s UK and Europe creative team before its sale. Since joining Kobalt in 2017, Donald has been instrumental in leading the UK and Europe creative teams that have signed marquee artists and songwriters such as Rex Orange County and Jungle to AWAL and Mahalia, Sam Fender, Cigarettes After Sex, Koffee, Gabriels, Jade Bird, First Aid Kit, and many more to publishing deals.
Alison Donald
Laurent Hubert, CEO, Kobalt said, “If you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting Alison, you know her energy and passion are infectious. She is not only an accomplished A&R but an incredible leader and mentor to songwriters and A&Rs alike. I am excited to see her step into this role and build upon our award-winning publishing team.”

Jeannette Perez, President & COO, Kobalt added, “Alison is a creative force with stellar ears, great relationships, and a real gift for identifying and developing talent. She has been critical to the success of Kobalt's songwriters. I look forward to working alongside Alison in this next chapter as she leads our great global creative team.”

“We are in exciting times at Kobalt and in music generally,” said Donald. “With our amazing creative team, global outlook, and lack of borders, we are primed to take the company and our wonderful roster of artists and writers to new heights. I want to thank Laurent and Jeannette for their support and belief.”

Donald joined Kobalt from Columbia Records UK, where she was Co-President, and signed and worked closely with the likes of George Ezra, Tom Odell, Rag’N’Bone Man, and The Civil Wars.

Before joining Columbia in 2011, Donald was MD at Chrysalis Music Publishing (2000-2010). She signed and oversaw projects by the likes of Damon Albarn, Danger Mouse, The Gossip, Fleet Foxes, Laura Marling, Thom Yorke and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Donald was also Head of A&R at Warner/Chappell Music (1996-2000), where she signed The Strokes, and before that, worked for Capitol/EMI Records for seven years. She began her career over three decades ago at Arista Records.



TECHNO ICONS SCOOTER SIGN CATALOG DEAL WITH UNIVERSAL MUSIC GERMANY TECHNO ICONS SCOOTER SIGN CATALOG DEAL
WITH UNIVERSAL MUSIC GERMANY


Universal Music Germany

Universal Music Germany, a division of Universal Music Group, recently announced the acquisition of the master rights to the catalog of Germany’s most commercially successful dance music hit-makers, Scooter. As part of the deal, the catalog, acquired in its entirety, includes all 23 Top 10 singles, 20 studio albums and additional releases – including their 1994 hit single “Hyper Hyper” and the band’s most successful songs, such as “Nessaja,” “How Much Is the Fish?” and “Maria (I Like it Loud),” as well as the UK No.1 album Jumping All Over the World. Their latest album God Save The Rave saw the band return to the German album charts, with the project climbing to No.4.
Scooter
The agreement includes a multi-year cooperation, with Universal Music Germany becoming the exclusive worldwide recorded music partner for future Scooter releases. The first joint project is the release of a new album in autumn 2023. The first single from this album, “Waste Your Youth,” is already available via Universal Music’s Zeitgeist label, and coincides with the film premiere of the Scooter documentary FCK 2020. Preparations for their 2024 tour, the biggest Scooter has ever played, are also underway. On this tour, Universal Music’s leading brand management and merchandise division, Bravado, will once again serve as Scooter’s exclusive merchandising partner.

Scooter, fronted by H.P. Baxxter, has spent around 600 weeks in the charts over the course of the band’s 30-year history and has sold more than 30 million album units globally. This phenomenal success has been recognized with multiple accolades, including upwards of 100 Gold and Platinum certifications, two Echo and three Comet Awards. They are also one of Germany’s most well-known and successful bands internationally and undisputed icons of the techno scene. Baxxter was previously a core member in the coveted 80s German alt synth-pop band Celebrate The Nun.

Frank Briegmann, Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Central Europe and Deutsche Grammophon, “Scooter has been one of Germany’s most successful bands for 30 years – a status that they underscore time and again with every new release. At the same time, many of their hits have long held cult status, much like the band itself: they remain a firm fixture on every electro party playlist. We are delighted that H.P. and Jens [Thele] have decided to put their trust in us and are thrilled that they have chosen to place their music catalogue in our hands. We will draw on our passion and expertise to bring even more people into the Scooter camp to enjoy their catalogue and their new music.”

The wide-ranging partnership will provide new marketing and fan engagement opportunities in relation to their music catalogue and new releases, as well as the development of complementary business areas, such as fashion and brand partnerships. The catalog acquisition deal is effective immediately.



KRUPA SIGNS WORLDWIDE PUBLISHING DEAL WITH POSITION MUSIC KRUPA SIGNS WORLDWIDE PUBLISHING DEAL
WITH POSITION MUSIC


Position Music

Tyler Bacon, CEO & Founder of Position Music has announced that Platinum-selling producer and songwriter Krupa has signed a worldwide publishing deal with the company. Last month, Krupa was certified RIAA Double-Platinum for his production and songwriting work on grandson’s smash hit “Blood // Water,” which has surpassed half a billion streams on Spotify.
In addition to being one of grandson’s main producers and songwriters, Krupa also has cuts for the likes of Jessie Reyez, Dillon Francis, Kesha, Travis Barker, Zero 9:36, Oliver Tree, and Siiickbrain. Krupa’s music has been featured in blockbuster movies such as The Fast and the Furious, The Suicide Squad and others. Additionally, his productions have been synched by Mercedes Benz, UFC, Microsoft, Air Canada, Electronic Arts, and more.
Krupa
“I’m grateful to be partnering with the team at Position Music. I believe they have all the assets to best serve me as an artist, producer, and songwriter. The hustle and the ambition from the team before my signing is what drew me to Position. I love the direction they are heading, and I’m looking forward to this new venture with them,” says Krupa.

Mike Torres, A&R, Position Music stated, “I am beyond excited to have Krupa join Position Music. I first came across his work as a fan of grandson, and since then have become a fan of Krupa himself. Krupa has incredible attention to detail and next level sonics that makes him the ultimate finisher. He’s incredibly versatile, with the ability to seamlessly transition between electronic, hip-hop, latin, and more.”

Krupa joins a rapidly growing Position Music publishing roster that now includes Yonatan Watts, Dru “Falconry” DeCaro, Harmony “H-Money” Samuels, No Love for the Middle Child, ¿Téo?, Kyle Reynolds, Brandyn Burnette, JV, and more.

Krupa is managed by Amit Krispin and Brian Jaffe of PRIM8 MUSIC.



BMG PARTNERS WITH SCANDINAVIAN MANAGEMENT BMG PARTNERS WITH SCANDINAVIAN MANAGEMENT

BMG

BMG has announced a partnership with Stockholm-based artist management company Scandinavian Talent Management (STM), in line with its policy of deepening its relationship with the artist management community.
STM, which specializes in music supervision, music publishing, and live events, in addition to artist management, has simultaneously announced that the company will launch the music event Falkfest in the Swedish city Falkenberg in the summer of 2023 with Swedish singer-songwriter Miss Li as the headliner.
Albert Slendebroek, Managing Director Scandinavia at BMG, said, “BMG and STM are a perfect match! Both share the mission of helping artists to make the most out of their careers and, most importantly, they don’t work for us, we work for them as a service-oriented partner. Henrik Johansson is a great entrepreneur with a proven track record of building successful businesses. Over the last decades, Sweden has proven to be a flourishing market for music export with great success stories. We're looking forward to expanding with STM in Europe.”
Henrik Johansson, Founder and Managing Director of STM, added “Artists have increasingly diverse careers, and the importance of a strong personal artist brand is becoming more and more important. With the launch of STM, our vision was to create opportunities for artists who are shaping pop culture in Scandinavia and beyond. And we are not limited to the music industry. We are delighted with BMG's trust and are confident that we can create many synergies with their global resources and networks.” Johansson will be making his first appearance in the US since the announcement of this new deal at the global music conference MUSEXPO in Burbank, CA next week.
Launched in November 2022, STM strives to create strong personal artist brands and being in the market for only a few months, the start-up already has a growing, diverse roster of talent, including Swedish rock-pop singer-songwriter and BMG artist Kristofer Greczula; actor Wilma Lidén, who is starting her music career; British guitarist, songwriter and producer Chad Neale, who shared scene for years with the legendary Sting; Mando Diao bassist Carl-Johan ‘CeeJay’ Fogelklou and more.



GLOBAL NEWS UPDATES…


Nordic Oscars
NORDIC OSCAR WEEK IN LOS ANGELES

NORDIC OSCAR WEEK IN LOS ANGELES: The NORDIC Oscar Week (N.O.W.) played host to an insightful panel discussion on A&R and Sync with songwriter and producer Jakke “T.I.” Erixon and Sat Bisla, President & Founder of A&R Worldwide/MUSEXPO, Finnish composer Sanna Salmenkallio, and Iceland Music Project Manager Leifur Björnsson and renowned global vocal coach Jason Catron. They took the audience on an international journey through the challenges and opportunities of the ever-evolving A&R musical landscape and its intersection with sync. With a keen focus on artists creating brief specific and exceptional music, and the art of connecting it with the film, television, video game, and multimedia communities, the panelists delved into the importance of collaboration, networking, and building strong relationships within the creative community and authenticity. They stressed the significance of artists understanding the brief, mood, and emotional context of a sync project to match the right music with the visuals, whilst emphasizing the opportunities that await in the global marketplace and how crucial it is to work with experienced local industry professionals in emerging markets to navigate the ever-evolving terrain.

Jennifer Blakeman
JENNIFER BLAKEMAN JOINS SEEKER MUSIC

JENNIFER BLAKEMAN JOINS SEEKER MUSIC: Seeker Music has hired Jennifer Blakeman as Chief Rights & Royalties Officer. In keeping with Seeker’s songwriter-led and creative-first strategy, Blakeman brings decades of experience fostering the careers of musicians and songwriters - and as a musician and songwriter herself - to the company. Blakeman’s career began in the 80s as a college student aiming for a career as a session keyboardist. After coming to the attention of Eddie Van Halen who enlisted her to create a signature keyboard sound for him, she spent several years working with him on multiple projects. She has served as an executive at companies including Atlantic Records and Universal Music Publishing and comes to Seeker from her previous role as President & CCO of the boutique music publisher one77 Music. At Seeker, she will lead and oversee the expansion of their rights management, administration, and royalty platforms.

Diamond Pistols
HIDDEN GEM PUBLISHING UNVEILS FIRST SIGNING

HIDDEN GEM PUBLISHING UNVEILS FIRST SIGNING: Ultra International Music Publishing has announced a new collaboration with acclaimed Los Angeles based producer Diamond Pistols, to launch a music publishing company, Hidden Gem. Diamond Pistols aka Christian Dold has enjoyed an impressive run of top 40 hits and multi-Platinum and Gold certifications in recent years. After securing a Billboard No.1 for his production efforts on Jackson Wang's “Mirrors,” he produced “Edamame” by bbno$ ft. Rich Brian, which charted Top 50 on Spotify Charts in 13 countries and has now accumulates more than 275 million streams on Spotify alone. The first signing to Hidden Gem has been announced as Jutes, a frequent collaborator with Demi Lovato, Iann Dior, Illenium, Huddy, Arizona Zervas and others.

Salt
SONG DATA STARTUP SESSION ACQURED BY SALT

SONG DATA STARTUP SESSION ACQURED BY SALT: Session, the Sweden-based song data startup that was co-founded by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, Max Martin, and Niclas Molinder, has been acquired by royalty platform Salt. Session was founded in 2019 with the goal of combatting inadequate song data collection. With the acquisition, Björn Ulvaeus will join former Chief Executive of PRS for Music, Robert Ashcroft, and former Chief Executive of EMI, Roger Faxon, on Salt’s board. Additionally, Salt has signed a 10-year deal with BumaStemra, the Dutch music society. Session also recently launched a partnership with SoundCloud that will allow SoundCloud to digitally receive both song audio and song metadata directly from the Session Studio app. The Session Studio app can be accessed on mobile and desktop devices.

Lemonade Shoelace
BDI MUSIC SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DEAL

BDI MUSIC SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DEAL: BDi Music has signed bedroom producer and songwriter Lemonade Shoelace to an exclusive worldwide publishing deal. The Irish artist, real name Ruairí Richman, shot to prominence after releasing his first single, “Autopilot Paradise”, in 2021. It was picked up by the likes of broadcasters KEXP and the BBC, with further support from big brands such as VANS and Gibson, and prominent artists including Yungblud and Denzel Curry. That led to performances in Mexico City, Austin and London, and his second single, “Hopscotch In The Sky”, was released in February 2023. The first Lemonade Shoelace EP, Do Whatever Makes You Happy, will be released on April 28.

Nigel Elderton
AUDOO APPOINTS NIGEL ELDERTON AS CHAIRMAN

AUDOO APPOINTS NIGEL ELDERTON AS CHAIRMAN: Audoo has appointed music publishing veteran Nigel Elderton as Chairman, adding to the company’s growing team of international industry experts. The renowned executive boasts a career spanning over 45 years in the music industry. Nigel brings decades of experience from both music publishing and PRO advisory and reform to Audoo. As company Chairman, he is tasked with steering and aiding the advancement of Audoo technology within the industry. This appointment bolsters a team, and board, of senior experts from APRA AMCOS, BMG, BMI, Bowers and Wilkins, Shazam, Spotify, and more who have joined Audoo since its formation in 2018.

Sentric Music Group
SENTRIC INKS GLOBAL DEAL WITH ROUGH TRADE

SENTRIC INKS GLOBAL DEAL WITH ROUGH TRADE: Sentric Music Group has agreed to a global administration deal with Rough Trade Publishing. The deal with Sentric covers all of Rough Trade Publishing’s artist roster, which will benefit from Sentric’s administration infrastructure and technology, as well as its expert team both in the US and around the world. The Rough Trade Publishing artist roster includes Alvvays, Chelsea Wolfe, The Magnetic Fields, Beau Young Prince, The Tallest Man On Earth, Fugazi, Against Me!, Built To Spill, Mission of Burma and Black Lips.

Reactional Music
REACTIONAL MUSIC PARTNERS WITH HIPGNOSIS

REACTIONAL MUSIC PARTNERS WITH HIPGNOSIS: Reactional Music, the music delivery platform and personalization engine that connects the worlds of music and games for games developers, music artists and gamers, has confirmed that it has reached an agreement with Hipgnosis Song Management. Reactional’s patented technology allows any music to be brought into a game and the entire game - visuals, music, and sounds – to react live to that music. This will enable gamers to personalize their personas and gameplay with their favorite music in the same way they do with skins, something that has not been possible before. Already working with developers on several pilot projects, Reactional is changing the way gamers experience, interact with and enjoy music in games, which will open up a new era of music personalization and in-game purchase. For Hipgnosis this means that its catalog and artists’ music can become part of the gameplay. This will give Hipgnosis access to millions of gamers as well as the world’s games developers.

War Buddha Records
NEW LABEL WAR BUDDHA LAUNCHES WITH WARNER RECORDS

NEW LABEL WAR BUDDHA LAUNCHES WITH WARNER RECORDS: Nashville natives Jaren Johnston and Neil Mason (two-thirds of acclaimed Nashville trio The Cadillac Three) have entered into a joint venture partnership with Warner Records for their newly created, Nashville-based label War Buddha Records. The first artist signed to the venture is West Virginia-raised, Los Angeles-based vocalist and songwriter Rett Madison. Madison’s sound and ethos embodies the War Buddha philosophy. Fresh from a run of shows with St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Madison is currently on tour and will play a run of shows at in Austin including March 14 at Mala Vida, followed by the Quinnstorm/C3 Presents party at Lambert’s and the Cooper’s BBQ on March 15 and March 18 at The Stay Put for the Gigmor Showcase.

Karta
TONY BARNES NAMED CO-FOUNDER OF KARTA

TONY BARNES NAMED CO-FOUNDER OF KARTA: Karta, a fast-growing metaverse studio pioneering the world of in-game experiential marketing for musicians, brands and sports teams, has announced ex-Virgin EMI Records Sr. Director and music industry veteran Tony Barnes as its co-Founder. Founded in 2021 by Barnes and CEO Erik Londré, Karta helps connect brands with billions of people that inhabit the world’s most popular video games and virtual worlds. The start-up is on a mission to make the metaverse accessible and effective for all brands across all platforms. Since its launch, Karta has delivered successful projects across Roblox, Fortnite and Decentraland for the likes of Amazon Music, Fnatic, Unilever and Ronald McDonald House. Karta recently built the first persistent fan hub on Roblox for female K-Pop megastars TWICE, in collaboration with JYP Entertainment, Republic Records and Universal Music Group.

Fred & Lou Pace
MARATHON MUSIC GROUP LAUNCHES NEW IMPRINT

MARATHON MUSIC GROUP LAUNCHES NEW IMPRINT: Marathon Music Group has announced the launch of ‘PACE’ a new imprint that will sit within the Group’s already existing family of labels alongside Marathon Artists, Moves Recordings, Mahogany Recordings and New Soil. Pace is launched in partnership with ‘Women in Jazz’ co-Founder and manager, Lou Paley in collaboration with former VP of Sony Music, Fred Bolza. PACE aims to identify ground-breaking artists within rising music genres in order to bring their music to a global audience. The label will integrate with Marathon’s global infrastructure and marketing know-how to produce, distribute and market new releases from artists across genres and cultures. The newly launched label has announced London-based JGrrey & BODUR as its first artist partnerships that will see the release of new music under the Pace label later in the year.

Audius
AUDIUS INTRODUCES NFT-GATING TO PLATFORM

AUDIUS INTRODUCES NFT-GATING TO PLATFORM: Audius, the decentralized music community and discovery platform for artists and their fans, has introduced NFT-gating to its platform. The feature allows artists the ability to make certain songs, mixes, STEMs, and more accessible only to fans who hold a specific NFT. The innovation rewards artists’ most passionate fans and provides an important utility function for NFT holders. To enable NFT-gating on Audius, users simply need to “link” a 3rd party wallet (Metamask, Phantom, etc.) to their Audius wallet. Any NFT collections held by the user on both Ethereum and Solana can then be used to gate access to a particular piece of Audius content. The introduction of NFT-gating to the Audius platform represents a major milestone in the integration of blockchain technology within the music industry, creating a more holistic Web3 experience for artists and their fans.

Lewis Capaldi
LEWIS CAPALDI DOCUMENTARY SOLD TO NETFLIX

LEWIS CAPALDI DOCUMENTARY SOLD TO NETFLIX: BMG has sold its Lewis Capaldi documentary How I’m Feeling Now to Netflix with the intimate portrait of Scottish singer-songwriter set to stream globally in April this year. BMG commissioned the movie with co-financing assistance from Quickfire Films and was produced by Pulse Films and directed by Joe Pearlman. The verité-style film follows Capaldi from the chart-topping heights of his Grammy-nominated debut album Divinely Inspired To A Hellish Extent and one of the last pre-pandemic global arena tours to the stark reality of recording its follow-up in his parents’ garden shed during the pandemic lockdown. The global Netflix deal – BMG’s first global sale to a streaming service – is believed to be the largest UK music documentary transaction of the past 12 months.

Qobuz
QOBUZ LAUNCHES QOBUZ CLUB

QOBUZ LAUNCHES QOBUZ CLUB: Qobuz, the high quality music streaming and download service, is launching a new community platform designed to connect audiophiles and music lovers around the world: Qobuz Club. The interactive forum will allow Qobuz users to convene with like-minded listeners on topics like music discovery and recommendations, as well as hardware and Hi-Fi advice. As part of their overall focus on creating the best music experience possible, Qobuz is launching Qobuz Club to add an even more social, human element to that experience for both casual listeners and serious audiophiles alike. While algorithms and A.I. can help with personalized recommendations, on their own they lack the emotional and social context that makes discovering music in a community setting so exhilarating - enter Qobuz Club. And in addition to offering users the ability to connect on the music they love, Qobuz Club also facilitates a space for audiophiles to discuss complex topics like hardware, Hi-Fi advice, and more.

Secretly Distribution
CHRYSALIS SIGNS DEAL WITH SECRETLY DISTRIBUTION

CHRYSALIS SIGNS DEAL WITH SECRETLY DISTRIBUTION: London-based independent record company Chrysalis Records, which is part of the Reservoir group of companies, has announced a new agreement with Secretly Distribution. The global deal, which covers all physical and digital distribution for the label’s frontline releases moving forward, will include new projects from Laura Marling, Emeli Sandé, Ben Harper, William The Conqueror, The Wandering Hearts, and new signings Marika Hackman & Gia Ford, among others. The label’s first release with Secretly Distribution is The Endless Coloured Ways - The Songs of Nick Drake, with the first track “Cello Song” (adopted by Fontaines D.C.) launched globally last week to a universally positive reaction from media, retailers, and DSPs.

Eliah Seton
ELIAH SETON NAMED CEO OF SOUNDCLOUD

ELIAH SETON NAMED CEO OF SOUNDCLOUD: SoundCloud has named Eliah Seton as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Seton first joined SoundCloud as President in 2021 where he oversaw the Creator and Roster operating divisions, as well as strategy, M&A, content partnerships, business development, and distribution and artist partnerships. Stepping into the role of CEO, he succeeds Michael Weissman who has served as CEO since 2021. The company has announced a number of leadership changes including the announcement that Fred Wilson, who has been a member of SoundCloud’s board since 2011, has been appointed as the new chairman of the board.

Above Board
THE ORCHARD ACQUIRES ABOVE BOARD

THE ORCHARD ACQUIRES ABOVE BOARD: The Orchard has announced the acquisition of the UK dance music distributor, Above Board. Above Board was launched in 2007 by founder Dan Hill. Hill will remain at the company and will report to Ian Dutt, Managing Director, The Orchard, UK. The deal will see that Above Board’s roster will have access to The Orchard’s global distribution and artist & label services. The Orchard recently achieved their first ever UK No. 1 single in January with Raye’s “Escapism” featuring 070 Shake. The deal also follows the recent trend in major labels locking in licensing deals in the dance sector amid the boom in dance music consumption across streaming platforms.

Julie Adam
UNIVERSAL MUSIC CANADA NAMES NEW EVP & GM

UNIVERSAL MUSIC CANADA NAMES NEW EVP & GM: Universal Music Canada has announced that award-winning music and media executive Julie Adam has been named Executive Vice President & General Manager. The widely respected industry trailblazer has been tapped by Jeffrey Remedios, Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Canada to lead UMC’s front line operations, overseeing the company’s marketing, digital strategy, commercial affairs, and brand partnership portfolios. Adam will work alongside Remedios and the executive leadership team to drive UMC’s commitment to breaking world class artists on a global stage, bringing her expertise to all elements of artist strategy, strategic planning, culture building, people leadership, and more.

Aaron Harrison
SOUNDEXCHANGE ADDS AARON HARRISON TO BOARD

SOUNDEXCHANGE ADDS AARON HARRISON TO BOARD: SoundExchange has announced the appointment of Aaron Harrison to the company’s Board of Directors. A music business executive with nearly two decades of experience, Harrison will lend business development expertise to SoundExchange as it focuses on strategic investments and partnerships that make it easier for creators to receive the royalties that they are due. Aaron Harrison is a Sr. Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs for Universal Music Group. In this role, he provides legal and business affairs support for UMG’s digital strategy and deal negotiations to provide the company’s repertoire of audio and audiovisual recordings to digital services, including ad-supported and subscription music services, fitness services, and social media applications. Harrison replaces Jeff Walker of Sony Music Entertainment on the SoundExchange Board of Directors.

The MLC
THE MLC HAS DISTRIBUTED $1 BILLION TO RIGHTSHOLDERS

THE MLC HAS DISTRIBUTED $1 BILLION TO RIGHTSHOLDERS: The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) a nonprofit organization created under the Music Modernization Act of 2018 (MMA), which ensures songwriters get paid their mechanical royalties from streaming and download services have distributed over $1 billion (USD) in royalties to date.. Each month, The MLC collects royalties from digital service providers (DSPs) like Spotify and Apple Music and distributes them to rightsholders, either through their publisher or administrator or directly to independent (self-administered) rightsholders. In the two years since launching operations, The MLC has distributed more than $1 billion in total royalties to its members and achieved historically high match rates. The current average match rate for the nine distributions completed in 2021 is more than 90%, and the current average match rate for the twelve distributions completed in 2022 is more than 89%! These match rates continue to improve each month thanks to the additional data members are submitting and The MLC’s continued reprocessing of any royalties still pending distribution. Independent songwriters (not affiliated with a music publisher or administrator) who stream their songs on digital platforms in the US, are entitled to receive royalties for the use of those songs. In order to get your monthly mechanical royalties, you must become a Member of The MLC, which is free to join.



IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Briony Turner, Lucas Keller, Damon Forbes, Ian Cripps, Jeremy Vuernick, Paul Spraggon, Gavin Sheppard, Livy Behar-Rodriguez, Howard Benson, Aaron Rosenburg, Ben Maddahi, Jai Prateek, Zane Lowe, Dave Pichilingi, Ashley Newton, Rudy Chung, and Paul Wiltshire.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Briony Turner, Lucas Keller, Damon Forbes, Ian Cripps, Jeremy Vuernick, Paul Spraggon, Gavin Sheppard, Livy Behar-Rodriguez, Howard Benson, Aaron Rosenburg, Ben Maddahi, Jai Prateek, Zane Lowe, Dave Pichilingi, Ashley Newton, Rudy Chung and Paul Wiltshire.


JACKASS OF THE WEEK

Have you ever sent a text message you regretted, clicked on the wrong link, posted an inappropriate message or image on social media, accidentally replied “send all” on an E-mail, or made a total ass of yourself? Yes, we’ve all had a jackass moment at one time or another in our lives. Sometimes in life we just don’t see things coming or going. Click HERE to watch a smorgasbord of interesting things and fails that people just didn’t see coming, let alone have going, before they had coming.


A&R WORLDWIDE'S ARTIST OF THE WEEK - HOLLY RIVA A&R WORLDWIDE’S "ARTIST OF THE WEEK" – HOLLY RIVA

Holly Riva

Blessed with a perfect pitch, a four-octave range and a melodic and lyrical sensibility that belies her age is Australian singer-songwriter Holly Riva. One of her early tracks has already been featured in the indie movie Lair, starring John Hanna (The Mummy), which inspired Fairwood Music Publishing (UK) to sign Holly. Over the last couple of years, under her London-based management team, she has been writing with some of the very best songwriters in the UK. Holly, along with Craig Gannon (The Smiths), wrote a beautiful and inspiring song called “Hope,” which was used as a theme for all videos and information products released by the Hope Foundation Kolkata charity, a charity which supports thousands of deprived street children in India. Last year, Holly released her debut EP, A Memory, which was co-written with producer James Birt. She is just about to release her warm and empowering single “Love Who You Wanna Love” and will be showcasing in Los Angeles at MUSEXPO on Monday March 20th at S.I.R. Studios. Listen to “Love Who You Wanna Love” by Holly Riva HERE and contact Bill Kimber at billkimber11@gmail.com for available opportunities.


A&R WORLDWIDE'S VIDEO OF THE WEEK - LOUIS BERRY A&R WORLDWIDE’S "VIDEO OF THE WEEK" – LOUIS BERRY

Louis Berry
Louis Berry is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter hailing from Liverpool, England the renowned birthplace of many legendary music greats including The Beatles. Louis prides himself on creating honest music, insisting that his lyrics reflect genuine experiences and emotions. Berry's dedication to authenticity has won him critical acclaim, earning him multiple “Hottest Record in the World” accolades from BBC Radio 1 and widespread international radio support. Despite not yet releasing his debut album, Berry has garnered the attention of GRAMMY Award-winning producers Jacquire King and Steve Fitzmaurice, both of whom have worked with renowned musicians such as Kings of Leon, Tom Waits, James Bay, Sam Smith, U2, and Seal. Berry has also toured with distinguished artists, including Liam Gallagher and Richard Ashcroft. Berry’s popularity is evidenced by his 20 million streams and his recent signing with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG). His debut album is highly anticipated by both his loyal fan base and industry insiders and is set to be released this year. Experience the talent of Louis Berry with his performance video for “Caledonia” HERE. Louis will showcase in Los Angeles at MUSEXPO on Sunday March 19th at S.I.R. Studios. For additional information on Louis Berry, please contact Sat Bisla sat@anrworldwide.com.


PASSPORT APPROVED™ PLAYLIST – 3/12/2023


“PASSPORT APPROVED” PLAYLIST FOR Sunday, March 12th, 2023: The weekly import show. Heard on more than 50 radio stations on six continents weekly including: Flux FM Berlin, Germany; NINETYSIX Radio (Indonesia); JioSaavn (India); Radio Doble Nueve, Lima, Peru; WZRH–FM New Orleans, LA; KWSS “93.9FM”; Phoenix, AZ; KRML “102.1FM”; Carmel, CA; KFRR “New Rock 104.1FM”; Fresno, CA; Radio 1, Mumbai, India; WCNR Charlottesville, VA; KIWR “The River”; Council Bluffs, IA; 2XM Ireland (national radio); 96.2 ZFM The Netherlands; WAPS–FM “The Summit.FM”; Akron–Canton, OH; WKTL–FM Youngstown, OH; 105.5FM XFM Nairobi, Kenya; PUK–FM Johannesburg, South Africa; Rock 96.5FM Zambia; 897 FM Bratislava, Slovakia; WITH “90.1FM”; Ithaca, NY; UCFM 87.8FM Australian Capital Territory, Australia; WRUR 88.5FM Rochester, NY; WCRU–FM Hamilton, NY; KZND Anchorage, AK; KQCJ Quad Cities, IL; Allgauhit–FM Bavaria Germany; Indie Xfm Los Angeles and on The Independent FM (iHeartRadio) in the United States, as well as many others internationally.

Listen to this two hour show by clicking HERE:

CAESARIA – “Hope” (Colligence Records, France)
KAMRAD – “Feel Alive” (Sony Music, Germany)
THE LOTTERY WINNERS – “Love Yourself” (Modern Sky, UK)
BROOKE COMBE – “Black Is The New Gold” (Island Records, UK)
3REE – “Out Of My Mind” (Unsigned, Australia) 

REST FOR THE WICKED – “Fade Away” (EMI/UMG, Australia) 
THE ROYSTON CLUB – “Blisters” (Run On Records, UK)
TEENAGE DADS – “Hey Diego!” (Chugg Music, Australia)
NOBLE – “Lost In You” (Metrosonic Records, Portugal)
TOM A. SMITH – “Little Bits” (Unsigned, UK)
HARINA FT. DANNY BALDURSSON – “Done With You” (Aux Family, Germany)
THE ACADEMIC – “My Very Best” (Capitol Records/EMI, UK)
MADYX – “Walking On The Moon” (Unsigned, N. America)
THE AMAZONS – “How Will I Know” (Fiction/UMG, UK)
MASI MASI – “Moaner Lisa” (Unsigned, UK) 
BELDON HAIGH – “Dumpster Fire” (Unsigned, UK)
SLOPES – “This Is Goodbye” (Sony, Norway) 
TALISCO – “Human” (Talisco Music, France)
CIRCA WAVES – “Your Ghost” (Lower Third/[PIAS], UK)
THE JORDAN – “Best Damn Day” (Unsigned, Holland) 
WE ARE SCIENTISTS – “Settled Accounts” (Believe Music/Gronland, UK)
MATTHEW MOLE – “Countryside” (Universal Music, South Africa)

WESTON LONEY – “We Get On” (Unsigned, UK)
HIGH TROPICS – “Girlfriends” (Unsigned, Australia) 
THE SHERLOCKS – “Sirens” (Unsigned, UK)
RHETT REPKO – “Tell Me That It’s Not Over” (Unsigned, N. America)
ALEX LAHEY – “Good Time” (Liberation, Australia) 
LIME GARDEN – “Bitter” (So Young Records, UK)
KATEA – “Louder” (Unsigned, Finland) 
PADDY ECHO – “Butterfly Kissing” (Unsigned, New Zealand)
THE VELVET HANDS – “Telephone Love” (Jam X Recordings, UK)
LAUREN WALLER – “3-2-1” (Unsigned, N. America)
MONSTER FLORENCE – “Borstal” (Project Melody Music, UK) 
FELLY – “Bad Radio” (Unsigned, N. America) 



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