James Donio, the president of the Music Business Association, made a passionate plea for a better understanding between the creative and the tech communities to ensure "the future of the business of music".

Speaking at the organisation’s Music Biz 2016 convention in Nashville on May 17 during the event's Awards Breakfast, Donio said that "innovation, whether technological or cultural, is one of America’s greatest contributions to the world" and that "in the weeks and months ahead, the debate will rage on between music creators and technology innovators, about the continued evolution of our business, and the implications for both. There will be compelling arguments about the rules of the road that were created when the business was obviously in a very different place than it is today, and the need to update them.

Donio made parallels between the act of creating a song, which is "nothing short of pure magic," and technology innovations that "bring their own kind of magic." He added, "So, some could assert there are clear parallels between the artistry of songwriting, and the innovation of technology. When they come together, more fans can discover and enjoy more music in more ways than ever."

For Donio, "creators unequivocally must have the chance to shine and must be rewarded fairly. But, we also have to be realistic about how technological disruption brings worthwhile changes to business that must be supported to thrive."

Songwriters and creators with the new business ideas must find "common ground and making it work" as for Donio, this is "our only realistic and sensible path forward." He invited both parties to " truly value what each partner brings to the table" despite "the differences in perspective."

"I know this won’t be easy, he said. "And I know we can do that. Each role is critical in ensuring the future of the business of music." 

Donio also invited the music community to stand as "a positive force" in "promoting understanding," referring to the recent debates in the United States about "the new State laws that allow various kinds of discrimination against people for who they are, how they live, who they love, or what they believe -- and that are being considered in far too many other states." Donio said that as a gay man, he might not be delivering his speech if these laws were in place when he was building his career.

He said, "Fortunately, I had some strong and enlightened advocates who guided and fostered my journey so I could have the chance to be where I am today. My fervent hope is that the journeys of those in the worldwide LGBT family can receive that same acceptance and encouragement, in the face of extremely troubling judgment and narrow-mindedness that I feel simply cannot be allowed to prevail."

Donio added that when Music Biz was planning the event in Nashville in 2015 and 2016, "there were no legislative issues with the state of Tennessee. Even though that has changed, and not for the good, we’re here because this convention provides a perfect forum to highlight how music serves as a unifying force around the world. It brings people together, regardless of who they are. Our industry stands as a positive force for promoting understanding."

He concluded: "We can influence people and we can make a difference.  I know our industry can provide an inspiring soundtrack that highlights and celebrates diversity."

The Music Business Association regroups physical and digital retailers, including Pandora, Spotify and 7digital.

Music Biz 2016 continues until May 19.

One week after the Fair Play Fair Pay Day, which saw performing artists lobbying Congress for performance rights on sound recordings, US songwriters will be walking today (May 18) the corridors of Capitol Hill in Washington, DC to advocate for important reforms to what they describe as "outdated federal music licensing laws and regulations".

At the instigation of US performance rights organisation the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP), a delegation of songwriters -- including Khari Cain (Needlz), Savan Kotecha, Dan Foliart, Wayland Holyfield, Dean Kay, James Kendrick, Leeds Levy, Irwin Z. Robinson, Alex Shapiro, Paul Williams, and Doug Wood -- will meet with elected officials as part of ASCAP's annual “Stand with Songwriters” Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill.

High on the agenda is the reform of the Consent Decree with the Department of Justice that rule ASCAP since 1941 and that have not been updated to reflect the licensing challenges of the digital era. The DoJ has initiated in 2015 a review of the Consent Decrees. ASCAP members will invite policy-makers to support changes to ASCAP’s Consent Decree in a way that that would enable it to accept a limited grant of rights from its members and permit ASCAP to license all of the rights in a music composition (performance and mechanicals) in one transaction.

They will also promote the bipartisan Songwriter Equity Act, which would amend two outdated portions of the US Copyright Act that prevent songwriters from earning a fair market royalty rate when their music is streamed or downloaded.

Participants to the initiative will bring with them several “#StandWithSongwriters petition guitars” signed by a sampling of ASCAP’s more than 575,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members such as Erica Campbell, Pat Benatar, LaShawn Daniels, James Fauntleroy, Nate Ruess (of fun.), OMI and Adam Schlesinger.

“We’re asking policy-makers to stand with songwriters at a time when our future livelihoods and the future of American music are both in jeopardy,” said ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams. "Streaming has vastly changed music listening habits but licensing laws haven’t kept up with the way people consume music today, so songwriters are struggling. ASCAP is on the frontlines fighting for meaningful music licensing reform to ensure songwriters can continue writing the next great song, but we can’t do it alone. We’re asking legislators to recognise that songwriters deserve laws which enable them to be paid fairly for the use of their music.”

The meetings will follow with “We Write the Songs” concert at the Library of Congress, sponsored by The ASCAP Foundation. The event will features performances by ASCAP members Brian McKnight, Monica, Brett James, MoZella, Priscilla Renea, Randy Goodrum, Desmond Child and Jennifer Higdon who will be introduced by Members of Congress.

By Hayley Sigrist

Jack Daniel’s has announced plans for a summer of festival partnerships.

Its Jack Rocks programme is set to appear at UK festivals including Liverpool Sound City, Isle of Wight Festival, Hackney Wonderland, SWN festival and two yet to be announced big festivals later in the summer.

The brand's festival season is set to begin on May 28 when Jack Rocks hosts The Atlantic Stage at Liverpool Sound City. The stage will feature acts such as Catfish & the Bottlemen, The Coral and The Dandy Warhols. 

Jack Rocks This Feeling will also return to the Isle of Wight Festival on June 9-12, featuring breakthrough talent and headlined by Little Comets, Broken Hands and Yak, and featuring music from other rising stars Hidden Charms, Baby Strange and Hello Operator.

The company will then head to Hackney Wonderland on October 15-16, where live acts will perform across five east London venues. Jack Rocks will finally close its festival season at Cardiff’s SWN festival from October 21-23.

Jack Daniel’s senior brand manager Michael Boaler said: “Working with venues and promoters to give a stage to great talent is something that Jack Daniel’s takes immense pride in. This is a passion we share with This Feeling, which is what makes it such an electric partnership, and why we are delighted to see many of the bands on last year’s Jack Rocks stages continue to entertain fans on increasingly large stages. We’re certain that this year will be no different - Jack Rocks is a place where you can always enjoy live music and discover some of the best new talent first, taking home those moments that truly stick in the memory. This is why we’re so excited to be bringing it to an even wider line-up of festivals this summer.”

Lionel Richie is to receive the Nordoff Robbins O2 Silver Clef Award at this year's ceremony.

The O2 Silver Clef Awards are the music therapy charity’s biggest event of the year, and will take place on July 1 at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. 

Joining Richie will be Olly Murs and André Rieu who will pick up the AEG Live Best Male Artist Award, and PPL Classical Award, respectively.  

“I am so proud to be one of the few Americans to receive the O2 Silver Clef Award which supports such a wonderful charity,” said Richie. “Nordoff Robbins dedicate themselves to changing lives through music, and to me that is something truly special." 

It was recently announced that Jess Glynne will receive the Jack Daniel’s Best Newcomer Award and Florence Welch, singer, songwriter and lead singer of British indie rock band Florence and The Machine, will be presented with the Best Female Artist Award, previously won in its inaugural year by Rita Ora. 

Since launching in 1976 the O2 Silver Clef Awards have raised more than £9 million to fund Nordoff Robbins’ music therapy work. 

Nordoff Robbins CEO Julie Whelan said: “The O2 Silver Clef Awards are one of the reasons why Nordoff Robbins is able to continue delivering life-changing music therapy to so many vulnerable and isolated people. For 41 years the event has celebrated the brightest stars in the music industry, whilst raising over £9 million for our charity to date. We are delighted to announce the latest 2016 winners, all of whom are incredibly deserving of their awards.” 

Some of the biggest names in the music industry have been honoured in the awards 41-year history, including Iron Maiden, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Elton John, The Bee Gees, Michael Buble, Kylie Minogue and Pharrell Williams.

Emerging British artists give multi-million pound boost to UK music exports

PRS for Music Foundation’s International Showcase Fund (ISF), which has supported the careers of Slaves, Little Simz, Kate Tempest, Everything Everything, Ghetts, Jake Isaac (pictured), Wolf Alice, and Dan Croll, amongst others, has boosted artist income and industry revenue by millions, revealed an Impact Report published today about the Fund.  PRS for Music Foundation, the UK’s leading charitable funder of new music and talent development, established the International Showcase Fund in 2006, in partnership with Arts Council England and UK Trade and Investment, and were later joined by British Underground and Musicians’ Union. The Fund responds to the challenge for artists of travelling to, and performing at, overseas industry showcase events. These include SXSW in Austin, A3C in Atlanta, JazzAhead in Germany and CMJ New York – all of which have proven to be successful springboards for launching the international careers of artists at crucial stages in their development.

Audio streaming continues to grow in the US  

The ongoing rise of audio streaming consumption in the US in 2015 does not show signs of slowing down in 2016, according to new statistics unveiled by Nielsen in Nashville during the Music Biz 2016 convention. While overall on-demand weekly streaming volume has increase by 203% in just two years, the volume of on-demand streaming rose to 149.8 billion during the first 19 weeks of the year, up 61.7% from the same period on 2015.   Audio streaming was driving the growth and accounted for 53.3% of that volume at 79.8 billion streams, up 96.2% compared to the same period of 2015, while video streams reached 70 billion up 34.7%.

ASCAP members lobby Congress to reform licensing laws

One week after the Fair Play Fair Pay Day, which saw performing artists lobbying Congress for performance rights on sound recordings, US songwriters will be walking today (May 18) the corridors of Capitol Hill in Washington, DC to advocate for important reforms to what they describe as "outdated federal music licensing laws and regulations." At the instigation of US performance rights organisation the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP), a delegation of songwriters -- including Khari Cain (Needlz), Savan Kotecha, Dan Foliart, Wayland Holyfield, Dean Kay, James Kendrick, Leeds Levy, Irwin Z. Robinson, Alex Shapiro, Paul Williams, and Doug Wood -- will meet with elected officials as part of ASCAP's annual “Stand with Songwriters” Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill.

Redeye, John Esposito honoured by Music Biz

Tor Hansen and Glenn Dicker, the co-managers of Redeye Worldwide, an independent production and distribution company from North Carolina, also home of the label Yep Roc, were presented with the Independent Spirit Award during a ceremony taking place during the Music Biz 2016 convention in Nashville on May 17. James Donio, the President of the Music Business Association, said that Redeye embodied "the principles of the Independent Spirit Award by using its first-class resources to give a voice to artists of all sizes all over the globe." Donio added: “Redeye has played such an instrumental role in the growth and development of the Southeast U.S. indie music scene, which has produced some of the most enduring artists of all time. "The company has built on that success to become one of the biggest independent music distributors in the world."

Music Biz's Jim Donio invites music and tech to "find common ground"

James Donio, the President of the Music Business Association, made a passionate plea for a better understanding between the creative and the tech communities to ensure "the future of the business of music." Speaking at the organisation’s Music Biz 2016 convention in Nashville on May 17 during the event's Awards Breakfast, Donio said that "innovation, whether technological or cultural, is one of America’s greatest contributions to the world" and that "in the weeks and months ahead, the debate will rage on between music creators and technology innovators, about the continued evolution of our business, and the implications for both. There will be compelling arguments about the rules of the road that were created when the business was obviously in a very different place than it is today, and the need to update them.

Tickets now on sale for Legends of Football celebration in aid of Nordoff Robbins

Tickets are now on sale for the Legends of Football event supported by hmv. The event previously known as the hmv Football Extravaganza will take place on Wednesday October 5, 2016 at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London’s Park Lane. This year the event will celebrate 25 seasons of the Premier League and also the achievements of the “100 Club”, an exclusive group of players who have notched a century or more Premier League goals.  Top of the list with 260, and the only member to break a double-ton, is Alan Shearer OBE DL, who said: “I always look forward to this event, it’s a cracking night out and for a really good cause too.  It will also be good to catch up with some of the members of the “100 club” and discuss when we will host one for the 200 club!”

Alison Wenham recently announced she would be stepping aside as chair/CEO of the Association of Independent Music (AIM) to take on a new, global role at Worldwide Independent Network (WIN). Wenham has been at the helm of AIM, which represents over 800 UK independent music companies, for 17 years, and will remain in place until a successor is found. Music Week caught up with her to find out why she’s moving, and what it means for both AIM and WIN…

Having worked at WIN part-time, what was the impetus for you to take it on full-time?

The changes in the market, quite simply. We’re speeding towards a globalised market and although the indies are as strong locally, the need to have a global platform, a voice of advocacy and lots of other things we will be doing, just became apparent to everybody. To do service to the independent global community is not a part-time job.

As we head towards a global music economy, will territories be expected to operate similarly, or have a uniting umbrella supporting them?

If you strip away the architecture of the industry, for a second, what you have is music. We’re all here because of music. Music happens irrespective of whether there is an industry or not; it is a deep part of the fabric of local culture. We can see structures globalising, but that isn’t necessarily going to diminish local music activity. We’re very much at the beginning of this digital economy; physical markets are holding up very well around the world as well. It’s wrong to jump to the conclusion that Anglo-American is it; the German market is incredibly strong, it’s incredibly local and it’s incredibly big. Ditto for Japan, and so on around the world. They’re not silos, they’re very much part of a complicated global music industry. 

How will that change things?

I think that global services will evolve around local offerings because at the moment they’re quite weak. This is set to change over time but the independents have to be at the forefront of change, they always have been. We have to make sure that we’re not crowded out by international priorities. If you look at how the independents are performing on subscription streaming platforms, then you know the future is bright indeed, because we’re over-indexing on those platforms, way beyond our market share. 

With WIN being an umbrella organisation, who will you be looking to get involved who isn’t already?

We have already identified markets where no independent trade association exists, and reached out so that we can find strong, independent labels to work with - Poland, for example - and maybe encourage them to start an independent trading association. In the rest of the world, there are dozens of independent trading associations and they’re all built differently, so some of them are very old and established like Canada, France and so on. Others are very young, but all share the common objective, which is to help independent music companies to compete in the marketplace.

Are there any projects at AIM that you would like to see completed before you leave?

I’d like to see the playlist project come to fruition. That is international in scope though, so AIM is a part of that and it’s being taken forward by WIN. Ultimately, the labels will decide if they want this and if they can fund it. It will be their service in the end so what we’re providing is the secretariat support, running the meetings and taking the project forward. I’d like to see the anti-piracy service that we’re going to be giving our members delivered, so our members will have a dashboard and have automatic takedowns for the repertoire that they feed in every morning.

What are you most proud of from your time at AIM?

I’m really proud we have carved a seat for the independents at every important table in the industry, and that we are now respected [and] not thought of as bit-part players. I’m really proud that AIM has that seat; we’ve earned it and our input is vital. At an individual level, I’m really proud both for and of our members. The day I started at AIM, I rang about 30 labels. I knew some of them, didn’t know others - and at the end of the day, I just thought: This is going to be brilliant, because these people are intelligent, smart, tell-you-like-it-is people. And it’s been like that ever since!

Geoff Travis’ name is, of course, synonymous with Rough Trade. He founded the original West London record shop and the iconic label and distributor. He still runs Rough Trade Records, now under the protective umbrella of the Beggars Group, and the management arm, in partnership with Jeannette Lee.

But he’s has no involvement in Rough Trade Publishing since it rose from the ashes of Rough Trade’s receivership in 1991. Now, however, he and Lee are back at the publishing company as senior directors of UK A&R, as part of the deal that saw Bank Robber Industries’ publishing arm House Of Hassle acquire RTP. Under the deal, Rough Trade and House Of Hassle have merged and will continue under the Rough Trade name. Bank Robber founder and House Of Hassle co-founder Lyle Hansen will oversee global operations, while original RTP co-founder Cathi Gibson remains as MD, heading up the UK business.

As Music Week meets Travis and Gibson at Rough Trade’s West London HQ – Lee is keeping her customary low profile – it’s clear that Travis is relishing the role. He may joke that he and Lee’s roles are “ambassadorial” and that they’ll be “wheeled out like Bobby Charlton on public occasions” but he’s clearly relishing the chance to exercise his legendary A&R skills in a different sector to his usual recorded music hunting ground.

And so the man who signed The Smiths – and countless more of your favourite bands – sits down with Music Week to discuss the differences between publishing and recorded music A&R, why he’s glad to be back in the business – and tell us about the time he almost signed Prince…

How does it feel to be back involved with Rough Trade Publishing?

It feels really nice. It’s been really interesting to have Cathi and Pete [Walmsley, late RTP co-founder] when he was there, being Rough Trade Publishing in a parallel life to us. The guiding principle has always been: as long as the branches of Rough Trade are acting in a civilised and moral way and doing good things, that’s great. Other companies wouldn’t allow you to exist in that way, it’d have to be much more legal or people would be fighting, but that’s always been the case. It’s very nice that the family of Rough Trade activities could come back to here.

Have you taken an interest over the years?

Yeah, we’ve always taken a distant view of what Cathi’s been doing. We’ve had different publishing situations with different people over the years, we signed The Jesus And Mary Chain and Spiritualized, but it’s never been something we’ve done whole-heartedly because we’ve always done the label as our main thing, and the management company. But when you read all the showbiz books, people always say publishing is where the money is!

How did you hear about the sale?

Cathi came in to see us to tell us about the Bank Robber situation, which sparked the thought that it would be really nice to work together with Cathi and be involved. We didn’t expect it. Cathi didn’t have any legal need to get our blessing but the fact that she did tells you everything about the way that she acts. It was very serendipitous. I’ve been talking to Gandhar [Savur, RTP chief strategic officer/SVP of legal affairs] in New York because he is a lawyer for Mark Kozelek. When we were negotiating a contract, he was very easy to talk to – which is not always the case with lawyers! So that was another mark it was meant to be…

You and Jeannette have a lot of other stuff going on. So what’s your motivation to get involved in music publishing?

Being in the Beggars system [with Rough Trade Records] is great, we’re very happy with that. But one of the things we’ve had to learn over the years is, we have to do less, put out fewer records and do them better. Less is more, but part of the way Rough Trade has always operated is that we like to be a light on something that excited us and just do it quickly. Having the publishing company gives us a chance to work with a wider range of artists and less worry. That’s what appeals to us – all we really care about is working with interesting people and seeing if we can help them along the way.

You have a strong track record in recorded music A&R – is publishing A&R different?
I don’t know, we’re going to find out! When we’ve had publishing arrangements in the past, we’ve tended to work with people and then hand them over to the label, so it’ll be interesting to see. When Jeannette worked with Duffy, she was developing for five years, doing that very old-fashioned 1950s A&R of, There’s a singer, now what do we do? That’s a whole different kind of A&R to what we normally do, where we usually work with people who are 100% fully formed. That’s an interesting challenge. Think of someone like Clare Maguire who started off with so much promise and has made a good record again recently, but has had maybe five-six years of having a pretty tough time. Someone like that, we could probably be of value to. We like to think that we can help people to develop and timing is everything in this business. If you strike too soon, it doesn’t work and that can be the end of you as an artist, and that seems tragic if you really are a good artist. So we hope to bring our experience to bear.

Will you be signing songwriters as well as artists??

We’ve always been in situations where we’ve put people with the writers and that’ll probably continue to happen. You always dream of finding someone that can write great songs. We’re obviously not that interested in the high end of manufactured pop. We’re not suddenly going to change our whole modus operandi and try and compete with Linda Perry, but there are occasions when that can be appropriate. We like a lot more music than people probably imagine, we’re not really snobs, we’re not like, It has to be ‘indie-schmindie’! We love popular things, well, some of them anyway. And things we like sometimes get popular – we help to make them popular. It’s quite exciting because you always want to learn when you work, you always want to be in a situation where you’re doing new things.

Will you be competing hard with other companies for signings??

We’re not going to be competing from a financial standpoint. But, when we sign our artists to the labels, they are usually people who understand the heritage of the label and want to be associated with that. I think it’s the same thing with publishing. There aren’t many places like this left. There are also more artists than there are structures for them to fit into these days.

Do you have an ideal RTP signing in mind?
I don’t think there is a ‘one size fits all’ [approach]. We tried to sign Prince once with Rough Trade Records. Warner Brothers didn’t release the first album [in the UK], they didn’t release Dirty Mind outside of America, even though it was probably the best album of the year. They didn’t release the Controversy album and we phoned up management and said, What’s going on here? This is amazing, can we do anything? And he said, Would you like to do a composite of the first three albums, our greatest hits to date? And we said, Yeah we’d love to do that. He said, The only problem is, we’ve just got to deliver this new album to Warners and if they pass, we will do that with you. Unfortunately that new album turned out to be 1999 and they actually released it. So Prince would have been a good signing… I imagine we might just sign someone we just really like. It might take a year or two for what they do to come to fruition. Who knows?

How is it going to work with all the other things that you do?

Again, I don’t really know yet, but there’s definitely space to work with a few good things. I suppose, in the back of your mind, you always want to find someone you think’s going to be good enough to be on the label [as well]. But sometimes it’s just nice to work with people, you come across people that you can’t work with on the label but you can help in some way. It’s just a matter of trying to increase your pool of people that you can learn from and have a proper relationship with, that’s the interesting part.

The Rough Trade approach has clearly endured over the decades – and across different sectors of the business. So, what’s the secret?

We’re lucky; we can just do what the hell we like and luckily other people agree with us sometimes… Not all the time! But the way in which independent record companies work… if you read the history, most of them are just shysters really, and what happened in the late ‘70s and ‘80s with the new generation of people, myself and Daniel [Miller, Mute Records], Martin Mills [Beggars] and Iain McNay [Cherry Red], all the people like that, there was a completely different philosophy about how you should deal with artists. That’s very important to us, and that endures, the artists appreciate it. When people say bad things about record companies, we just don’t want to be included.

Is there still a bright future for the indies?

Yes. Having AIM and Merlin is important. The independent sector is a significant part of the industry these days in a way it probably wasn’t in the past. It’s much stronger because of those organisations.

And where do you want RTP to be in five years?

We just want to work with the next generation of Jonathan Richmans, Jarvis Cockers and Kevin Shieldses… although that would be difficult!

Universal Music Group’s Francis Keeling is joining Spotify as VP, global head of licensing. 

Keeling (pictured) has been with UMG for the past 14 years and was most recently its head of global digital business, working with the company's digital partners to create and license new opportunities and propositions.

He joins Spotify from June 1, based in London, and will report to the streaming service’s chief content officer Stefan Blom.

“Francis is one of the very best in the business - we’re super excited to have him join the band as we continue to evolve and bring together artists and fans by delivering the most compelling and engaging music and media experience,” said Blom.

Prior UMG Keeling held content and business development roles with Vivendi, Launch.com, Pearson and the Financial Times.

By Coral Williamson & Murray Stassen

The Great Escape takes place in Brighton from May 19-21, with 3,500 music industry professionals and thousands of punters descending on the UK’s favourite seaside town to see the best in new music - and listen to thought-provoking conversations about music.

“We’ve got a big job on our hands, with 450 bands and 30 outdoor shows,” says Rory Bett, MD of TGE operator Mama & Company. “And we’ve got a new partnership with the Rain Dance Film Festival, so we’re showcasing three music-led films at the show.

“We’ve also got a full road closure, so we’re going to be throwing a bit of a party down the street. We’ve got more going on this year, mixed with hot Alternative Escape and Great Escape conference programmes.”
Music Week has scoured TGE’s conference and festival programme to identify 16 things you cannot miss at 2016’s event...

1. Spotlight Shows
Tickets to The Great Escape’s Spotlight Shows (fka Dome Shows) have already sold out – but we’re going to tell you how great they are anyway. This year’s lineup sees Oh Wonder at All Saints Church (Thursday), Songhoy Blues at The Old Market (Friday), and Stormzy at Brighton Dome Concert Hall (Saturday).

2. What if YouTube actually is the future?
YouTube has become the company the music biz loves to hate this year. Taking place on Thursday, this conference strand explores the relationship between YouTube and the industry, and how artists, publishers and labels can get the most out of video content.

3. TGE:DIY
This year’s TGE will see CMU:DIY take place on Saturday in partnership with TuneCore. The day, aimed at emerging and independent artists as well as people wanting to work in the music industry, will be dedicated to all things DIY. There will be a mix of lectures, interviews and panel discussions.

4. Transparency! Data! Blockchain! Let’s make buzzwords happen!
We’ve all heard the word Blockchain, but do we all know what it means? PledgeMusic’s Benji Rogers does and he and a range of digital experts are going to explain it to you in this conference strand, which will also discuss data, transparency and how we can work towards a fairer digital music industry.

5. Delegates parties
As always there will be various networking opportunities at delegate parties hosted by the likes of BBC Radio 3, Eventbrite, Audio Network, The Orchard, Music Export Latvia and the Lithuanian Music Business Association. Visit the Great Escape website for info on all delegates parties.

6. Courtroom Conversations
The Courtroom Conversations take place alongside the core conference and will kick off on Thursday afternoon. The segment will see select TGE partners present their own panels, such as UKTI and the British Council in The Old Courtroom, covering a wide range of topics and issues.

7. BIMM Presents
For a second year, BIMM has been named The Great Escape’s education partner. The Hope And Ruin on Thursday will see five BIMM acts play (12-4pm), including Good Foxy. A good place to catch acts at the very beginning of their careers.

8. The Alternative Escape
The official series of showcases take place alongside the core festival programme at The Great Escape. It starts on Thursday afternoon with End Of The Trail Records & South Coast Records hosting over 17 artists at the East Street Tap from 12:00-23:00.

9. CDs! Vinyl! T-shirts! Who the hell is buying this stuff?
Nobody could have predicted CD sales would be as resilient as they are in the UK and around the world. Sessions will look at the physical and merch market in numbers, as well as the future Of CDs & vinyl.

10. AIM presents Scuzz UK Throwdown
AIM and Best Before Records return to The Great Escape festival to represent heavy music for the second year running. Partnering with Scuzz TV, the Scuzz UK Throwdown showcases (part of The Alternative Escape) will be held over two days at Volks, with the likes of Heck and Press To Meco playing.

11. Brighton International Label Market
If your ears are ringing from too many gigs (and you shamefully forgot to wear earplugs), take a break at the second annual Brighton International Label Market. Expect to see a mixture of UK and international labels, including Erased Tapes, Mr Bongo, Freshly Squeezed, Clubhouse, and At The Helm Records.

12. Vevo
This year, Craig David’s TS5 headlines Vevo’s stage at Wagner Hall on Thursday. Daytime acoustic DSCVR sessions come from the likes of Frances, Jones and Declan McKenna, with full sets as the sun goes down. Then there’s the matter of a very special guest...

13. What has the music industry ever done for you?
The music industry has a responsibility to protect the mental health and well-being of its workforce. These sessions will discuss ways in which it can ensure its community receives the support it needs. Confirmed speakers for this include Help Musicians UK’s Richard Robinson and Vice’s head of music, Alex Hoffman.

14. Amazon Front Row Live: The Secret Show
The Temper Trap will play an Amazon Music show on Saturday, at a top-secret venue. It’s Amazon’s third Secret Show, with Paul Weller playing last year and The Kaiser Chiefs playing in 2014.

15. Alcopop! & BSM
Previously a staple at The Alternative Escape, this year sees the renowned indie label take over The Hub for an official matinee show on Friday with Johnny Foreigner, OhBoy!, Yndi Hylda and Woahnows.

16. Closing party
Q Magazine hosts a special closing party, featuring DMA’s and psych-dance group Jagwar Ma at the Corn Exchange. It’s the best way to see out your Great Escape 2016 with a bang.

This is a difficult time to be making music,” says The Heavy’s Dan Taylor. “But we love what we do,” he adds. “We don’t want to go back to what we did before this. That’s always in the back of our minds, breathing down our necks. The job you don’t want to be in.”

Nearly 10 years and four albums into their career, The Heavy’s highest chart position so far was No.36, which they achieved this year with their most recent LP The Hurt And The Merciless.

It’s been a slow climb for the band, formed in Bath in 2007. Their debut, Great Vengeance And Furious Fire, failed to chart, while Sophomore LP The House That Dirt Built peaked at No.168. Third album The Glorious Dead made it as high as No.119 with the latest album, released April 1 on the Ninja Tune-distributed Counter Records, marking the first Top 40 of their career.

The soulful rock ‘n’ roll quartet’s chart record may make them seem like they’re underdogs, but their sync history tells a different story, having secured major sync deals with some of the biggest brands around the world, from Jaguar to Microsoft, Argos to Virgin Trains and Pepsi.

“For a band like us who are on a small label, there’s no budgets and marketing,” says guitarist Taylor. “You have to be realistic about how you’re going to get to people. We don’t get mass radio play so we have to think smart.”
Taylor tells Music Week that a few of the band’s songs off their first album were placed in ads, but it wasn’t until their second album that they scored a sync placement during one of the biggest events any artist could hope to have their music featured in: The Super Bowl.

“That just tipped everything over and that’s probably enabled us to continue as a band, he adds. “That’s the one that put us into the living rooms of America, and all over.”

The track, How You Like Me Now, samples Let A Woman Be A Woman by Dyke And The Blazers and features horns played by The Dap Kings, The Daptone Records band who were once hired guns for Amy Winehouse on tour and in studio.

How You Like Me Now has since been used in various cinematic trailers, films, video game soundtracks and even by Canada’s National Hockey Leage (NHL). And this track is just one of many that have won over music supervisors for Hollywood films and advertisers around the world.   

“It’s hard to say what drives music supervisor and advertiser decisions but the combination of gritty blues, soul, rhythm, dirty rock, and hooky melodies definitely helps,” says Martin Dobson, head of publishing & worldwide sync at Just Isn’t Music/Ninja Tune, commenting on why the band have proved to be so big in sync. “Many of their tracks have motifs musically and lyrically that just connect well with visuals, and enable you to tell a story.”
Taylor insists that they don’t write music with the intention to score sync deals, but rather that they had always set out to make cinematic music.

“We’re all fans of film,” he says. “We grew up with all the classics - Scorsese, Kubrick, Tarantino - where music’s really important. But we didn’t go, Let’s do this for films or for TV. We’re fans of production.
“I think it’s just important for us to have the instrumentals really strong so even before you’ve got your vocals and all the extra stuff on top just as long as the instrumental stands up on its own.

“That’s what a lot of these music supervisors seem to pick up on. The whole essence of what we do suits visuals, but we never specifically set out to write with that in mind. If you were to do that it might put you down the wrong kind of path.

One of the band’s recent sync placements was for Quentin Tarantino’s western The Hateful Eight. Taylor, a fan of film score legend Ennio Morricone (who created the movie’s OST) says that having his band’s music used in a Tarantino film “was on his bucket list”.

“The email came through and it was just like, Oh my gosh. That’s a moment in anybody’s career when you go, Oh wow. It’s just a great thing. We come from really rubbish little towns all over England, and it’s such an achievement to get it to that point - music that you’ve written in your little flat in cinemas all over the world.”
One might think that The Heavy would get tired of hearing their music on TV all the time, but Taylor insists that its something they’re very grateful for.

“We make music ourselves, we self produce, we self-record, we do it all on our terms,” he says. “It’s as DIY as it gets. We’re grateful for that, you have to be realistic about it, and also proud. When you hear it on a film trailer you go, We did that.

“I recorded the How You Like Me Now bass line in my hallway at home. It was in an ad break on X Factor, and there you’re going up against Simon Cowell. It’s like, We did that ourselves. There’s no mass media, no mass marketing, there’s no big budgets. We’re the underdogs and it feels like that’s the way we are competing.”

By Hayley Sigrist

Public Service Broadcasting will give the inside track at The Great Escape on how they have developed their offbeat ideas into Top 40 records and live propositions.

The band's J. Willgoose, Esq. will be joined on-stage by members of his live, label and management team, and will also discuss how he’s accessed vital funding opportunities including PRS Foundation’s Momentum Music Fund and International Showcase Fund. 

Hosted by PPL, PRS for Music and the PRS for Music Foundation, the panel, entitled Creating a Unique Sound and Show, will be held in the Old Courtroom at 12.30pm on Friday, May 20. 

"British music continues to thrive on both a local and international scale, and it’s vital that new and upcoming artists, songwriters and performers have the opportunity to reach their true potential and be as ambitious as they’d like to be," said Willgoose. "We’ve had some great support from the PRS Momentum Music Fund as well as other grants, and I look forward to discussing all the issues involved with the other panel members.”

Panellists on the day will also include  Ritu Morton (Six07 Press), David Manders (Liquid Management/Test Card Recordings/Liquid Records) and independent industry commentator James Endeacott (1965 Records/A&R expert). PPL consultant Keith Harris will chair the session.  

Harris said: “This is a great chance for emerging and established artists alike, and anyone involved in supporting these performers, to come and hear first-hand from Public Service Broadcasting on how they managed to stay true to their unique vision and still achieve great commercial success. Experts on the panel will also be on hand to give a 360° perspective on what it takes to make it as an artist today.”

 PRS for Music Foundation’s executive director Vanessa Reed added: “Public Service Broadcasting’s success demonstrates how independent artists can take control, build an exciting career and create music which is acclaimed by critics and fans across the world. We helped PSB to achieve this by supporting their Top 20 album ‘Race for Space’ through our Momentum Music Fund which we run using public funding from Arts Council England and in association with Spotify.

"Since 2013, Momentum has supported over 120 artists who are developing their career on their own terms, often with support from their independent labels and teams. I’m sure PSB’s insights will be an inspiration for current and future applicants to Momentum and other funds we manage at PRS for Music Foundation. I look forward to hearing their insights.”

By Hayley Sigrist

The Stone Roses' first single in 21 years is leading the way on this week’s Official Trending Chart.

The Manchester band are No.4 in the midweek Official Single Chart with comeback track All For One and will seal their first Top 40 hit in 17 years this Friday (May 20). The band’s last Top 10 single was Love Spreads, which reached No.2 back in 1994.

The second highest new entry of the week and another strong contender for a Top 10 entry is the Gareth Malone-led Invictus Games Choir with their theme song for this years games Flesh And Blood. 

Two of the newest tracks in this week's Top 20 are New Girl from X-Factors Reggie ‘N’ Bollie and David Guetta's theme for Euro 2016 This One's For You, which features Zara Larsson. Both songs looking likely to debut inside the UK Top 40 this week.

Two entries from last weekend's Eurovision Song Contest have also appeared in this week's Official Trending Chart. The UK's entry by Joe and Jake, You're Not Alone, and Sweden's If I Were Sorry, from representative Frans, which finished fifth.

With an upcoming performance on Britain's Got Talent confirmed, OneRepublic's newest single Wherever I Go also has a good chance of climbing the Official Chart in the coming weeks. 

Music tech platform Revelator is launching a new playlist analytics service after the recent launch of its mobile analytics app.

The company is set to demonstrate its playlist analytics and mobile analytics app at Music Biz Convention in Nashville this week, and the prestigious final of this year’s MidemLab - the music startup showcase at Midem in Cannes, France from June 3-6, 2016.

Revelator has developed a data management platform, with a dashboard to monitor individual or multiple tracks and artist playlist performance over time and across countries and cities.

The new Playlist Analytics function is available on Revelator’s web interface and is designed to track playlist activity on both Spotify and Apple Music, with other digital music services to follow.

“We are delighted to deliver another first to market with our Playlist Analytics offering, and honoured to be among the twenty finalists at this year’s MidemLab," said Bruno Guez, Founder and CEO of Revelator. "Playlists are without doubt an essential marketing tool for rightsholders and successful playlist performance has become one of the key influencers of a track’s chart position and revenue-earning potential. The numbers of playlists are rapidly increasing and robust analysis of that data has been limited - until now. The amount of playlist data that rightsholders need to analyse is increasingly problematic to manage, we plan to change all that.

“With more sophisticated analytics in the areas of postcode, audience and social media intelligence being developed, we plan even more music industry firsts this summer. We aim to offer further breakthroughs to our growing client base, delivering deeper insights so they can see the immediate impact of their efforts on the consumption of their music.”

Warner Music Group has promoted John Esposito to chairman & CEO of Warner Music Nashville (WMN). Esposito has been president & CEO of Warner Music Nashville since 2009, when the division was established to expand WMG’s presence in Music City.

WMN’s labels include Warner Bros. Nashville, Elektra Nashville, Atlantic Nashville, and Loudmouth Records. In his new post, Esposito will continue to report to WMG CEO Steve Cooper.

Coinciding with his promotion to WMN chairman, Esposito will be honored this Tuesday, May 17, when he will receive the prestigious Presidential Award for Outstanding Executive Achievement from the Music Business Association (Music Biz).

The presentation will take place during the Music Biz 2016 convention, held this year in Nashville. Music Biz president James Donio said: “John has devoted his considerable talents to our industry for more than 30 years to advance the growth and vitality of the music business.”

During Esposito’s tenure at WMN, the company has enjoyed a three-fold increase in its share of the country singles charts, with seven artists achieving their first No. 1 under his leadership, including Hunter Hayes, Brett Eldredge, Cole Swindell, Frankie Ballard, Michael Ray, Chris Janson, and Dan + Shay.

Prior to moving to Nashville, Esposito served as president and CEO of WEA Corp., WMG’s sales and marketing division. He joined WMG in 2002 from The Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJ) where, as general manager/executive vice president, he managed the company’s day-to-day operational activities. Prior to IDJ, Esposito held a variety of executive positions at PolyGram, Inc.

“Since taking over our Nashville operations nearly seven years ago, Espo has done a stellar job in making us a major force in country music,” said Steve Cooper. “Driven by his innovative thinking, inspiring leadership, and infectious enthusiasm, WMN has attracted and developed a fresh roster of amazing artists, built a world-class executive team, and delivered exceptional results. With Espo at the helm, we are expanding our commitment to Nashville and country music at large.”

“Nashville’s music community has an energy and creativity that are mind-blowing, and I’m proud to be a part of it,” said John Esposito. “Warner Music Nashville is blessed to work with brilliant artists who make tremendously exciting music, and are supported by the best A&R, marketing, and promotion teams in the business. We strive every day to create the most nurturing environment for our artists to do their best work, and we are thrilled to see our efforts bear fruit with a constant flow of hit records and industry awards. I look forward to the next chapter in building this great company.”

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) has received the President's "E" Award for Export Service from US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker at a ceremony in Washington, DC on May 16. The distinction, created by President Kennedy in 1961, is the highest recognition any US entity can receive "for making a significant contribution to the expansion of US exports."

Secretary Pritzker said that the 'E' Awards Committee "was very impressed with A2IM's dedication in assisting its members to enter export markets" and that A2IM "has demonstrated a sustained commitment to export expansion."

She added: "The organisation's sponsorship and participation in trade missions was also particularly notable. A2IM's achievements have undoubtedly contributed to national export expansion efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American jobs."

New York-based A2IM is a not-for-profit trade organisation representing over 350 Independently owned American record labels. A2Im was successfully lobbied the Department of Trade to help US label attend trade shows such as Midem and organise trade mission.

Jennifer Masset, A2IM senior director of member services, commented: "With our help, our Label Members have increased their exports significantly and as we continue to support trade mission efforts, we hope to see that percentage grow even more. Exporting and licensing copyrighted content is such a high-growth, high-margin area for the independent music sector and A2IM's objectives are to assist members in all aspects of increasing them. This growth is pivotal in creating opportunities and more jobs in the small to medium-sized music labels that we represent." 

She added that A2IM was also actively taking a stand on global piracy issues. "We hope to decrease content theft, which in turn increases exporting," said Masset.

A2IM receives US award for Export Service

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) has received from US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker the President's "E" Award for Export Service at a ceremony in Washington, DC on May 16. The distinction, created by President Kennedy in 1961, is the highest recognition any US entity can receive "for making a significant contribution to the expansion of US exports." Secretary Pritzker said that the 'E' Awards Committee "was very impressed with A2IM's dedication in assisting its members to enter export markets" and that A2IM "has demonstrated a sustained commitment to export expansion." She added, "The organisation's sponsorship and participation in trade missions was also particularly notable. A2IM's achievements have undoubtedly contributed to national export expansion efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American jobs."

Revelator launches playlist analytics service

Music tech platform Revelator is launching a new playlist analytics service after the recent launch of its mobile analytics app. The company is set to demonstrate its playlist analytics and mobile analytics App at Music Biz Convention in Nashville this week, and the prestigious final of this year’s MidemLab - the music startup showcase at Midem in Cannes, France from June 3-6, 2016.

Coalition Talent and NewState Entertainment form Pure Music Live

Pure Music Live is a joint venture between Pure Music Media (a division of the NewState Entertainment Group) and leading live entertainment agency, Coalition Talent. The management team behind this new venture are NewState’s Tom Parkinson and Tim Binns, along side the Pure brand originator and Suburban Base Records founder Danny Donnelly, have been the driving force behind the phenomenal compilations. Joint partners, Coalition Talent, is headed up by CEO Guy Robinson alongside Ministry of Sound’s ex global head of tours and events, James Sutcliffe.

UK Intellectual Property Office investigates how Google and Facebook can deter piracy

The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) published a four-year strategy to deal with copyrght infringement last week called Protecting Creativity, Supporting Innovation: IP Enforcement 2020. Government is reportedly considering updating anti-piracy legislation if tech companies current measures are not seen to be working. “A number of companies do have procedures in place and they are taking some action. I’m not saying they’ve been wholly effective. Some are not doing as much as they could,” said Rob Lynch, IPO's director of copyright and enforcement. (TorrentFreak)

Grammy winner says 'YouTube is guilty of criminal racketeering'

Grammy Award-winning musician Maria Schneider has said that “YouTube is guilty of criminal racketeering," following the US copyright office's request for comments about safe harbour rules. Schneider wrote an open letter to the platform, in which she continued: “YouTube has thoroughly twisted, contorted, and abused the original meaning of the outdated DMCA ‘safe harbor’ to create a massive income redistribution scheme, where income is continually transferred from the pockets of musicians and creators of all types, and siphoned directly into their own pockets.” (TorrentFreak)

Today's Official Charts Midweek Sales Flash is in.

Justin Timberlake leads the way in the Singles Chart with his comeback track Can't Stop The Feeling. The song, which went straight in at No.3 on last Friday's chart, has sold 38,878 this week and holds a healthy lead over No.2 This Is What You Came For by Calvin Harris Ft. Rihanna, which is on 32,934. Last week's No.1 One Dance by Drake Ft. Wizkid & Kyla falls to No.3, down 19.1% week-on-week to 30,642. All For One, The Stone Roses' first new single in 21 years is a new entry at No.4, with sales of 19,909. 

Beyonce looks set to reclaim the top spot in the Albums Chart, Lemonade holding off nearest challenger Drake's Views by 11,549 sales to 8,635. Kygo is a new entry at No.3, Cloud Nine selling 8,039 units to date, while last week's No.1, Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool, drops to No.4, having shifted 7,643 copies. Meghan Trainor's Thank You goes straight in at No.5 on 7,178 sales, with Pierce The Veil's Misadventures another new entry at No.9 on 4,191 sales.

Singles:

Albums:

By Hayley Sigrist

Wandsworth’s Cato Academy has organised the launch of a collection of taster courses for aspiring tour and production managers.

Starting in June, the one-day courses will explore an array of skills associated with tour management, including the planning and running of a small tour, the importance of sound in live production set up and an introduction of the basics of lighting design for live music. 

The course is said to be ideal for anyone currently working in management, booking agencies or promotion or any individual who wants a greater understanding of the touring process.

The sessions will be taught by current professionals and will be held at Cato Music’s Wandsworth premises.
Full details are available at http://catoacademy.co.uk/day-courses/  To book a place contact lynne@catomusic.co.uk

An anti-touting petition, launched just over a week ago and sponsored by Mumford & Sons manager Adam Tudhope has amassed over 34,000 signatures.

“We were told that hitting 10,000 signatures would be difficult and we’re at nearly 35,000,” said Tudhope, speaking to Music Week.

He added that the petition was launched “to give the music-loving public a voice to air their disgust at how they’re being ripped off by the industrial scale harvesting of tickets by touts”.

The petition, launched in collaboration with fan-to-fan ticket site Twickets, calls for Parliament to enforce last year’s amendment to the Consumer Rights Act, which intended to curb profiteering on secondary ticket websites.

Government is currently conducting a statutory review of the consumer protection measures relating to secondary ticketing platforms, to be published by May 26. The independent review is being chaired by Professor Michael Waterson.

Consumer group Which? carried out an investigation last November that monitored four of the biggest secondary ticketing websites - Get Me In, Seatwave, StubHub and Viagogo and found that the rules outlined in the amendment were being broken.

“The evidence from fans of my artists is that they’ve had enough,” added Tudhope.

The campaign has gained support from the likes of Florence & The Machine, One Direction, Iron Maiden, Olly Murs, Jess Glynne and Royal Blood.

“The petition has had great support from artists, industry and fans, which is indicative of the level of feeling on the issue across the board,” said Twickets founder Richard Davies. “We hope this encourages the government to take decisive action to protect music, arts and sports fans.”

Among industry supporters are primary ticket agents such as The Ticket Factory and WeGotTickets, as well as indie festivals trade body the Association of Independent Festivals.

“We have until October to reach 100,000 signatures, at which point the petition will be considered for debate in Parliament,” added Tudhope. “As we wait with bated breath for Professor Waterson to publish his report, this petition has been a great opportunity to galvanise the industry around this issue.”

Annabella Coldrick, chief executive of the Music Managers Forum said: “MMF is supporting the #ToutsOut petition and encouraging our members to sign and share. The current Consumer Rights legislation is not being enforced and touting continues to do damage to the ability of real fans to get hold of tickets for their favourite artists.

“We wish to see the Government take this issue seriously. We are committed to campaigning and raising awareness of what managers can do to stop their artists’ tickets ending up in the hands of professional touts.”

After a breakthrough year, 2016 could have been a case of after the Lord Mayor’s Show for DHP Family. The company co-promoted Ed Sheeran’s trio of Wembley dates, its first stadium concerts, and its fabled Rock City venue in Nottingham and multi-city Dot To Dot festival turned 35 and 10 respectively over the course of the year. 

It also debuted the latest addition to its festival portfolio, the American indie-tinged Mirrors in Hackney, in October, which showcased the likes of Rhye, Nadine Shah, The Thurston Moore Band and The Wytches. “It sold out and we got great feedback so we are planning to do it again,” says DHP director of promotions Anton Lockwood. 

Away from the stage, the Nottingham and London-based firm recently upped promoter Dan Ealam to director of its new DHP Live division, covering concerts, festivals and ticketing. Ealam has also joined the board alongside Lockwood and owner George Akins (pictured). DHP also promoted production manager Bob Bark to head of concert operations, overseeing its marketing, ticketing and production services. 

Allied with its club nights, DHP welcomed more than 1.5m people through its doors last year, recording a 12% increase in turnover to £21 million, as ticket sales reached 800,000 from a record 1,446 gigs. 

It was always going to be a tough act to follow, but this year has begun in similarly impressive fashion, from organising Ellie Goulding’s Motorpoint Arena Nottingham concert to Brian Wilson’s sold-out Pet Sounds UK tour, which arrives at London Palladium for a hat-trick of shows this weekend. 

Lockwood believes the firm, which has promoted acts as varied as The Flaming Lips, Lana Del Rey, Nick Cave, The War On Drugs and James Blunt, are already reaping the benefits from Sheeran’s triumphant Wembley Stadium shows last year, which were 

co-promoted with Kilimanjaro Live. “Obviously it helped our profile,” he notes. “You can’t do anything bigger than that and I think that was a real stake in the ground announcing, We’ve arrived, we’re serious and you can trust us all the way; there really is no need to use the other guys.”

“It was a monumental weekend, it was absolutely incredible,” beams Ealam, who has worked with Sheeran since a concert at DHP’s 440-capacity Nottingham club Stealth in 2010. 

“It shows how far we’ve progressed because six or seven years ago, when things got to a certain level, we’d be told we weren’t the right people because we hadn’t done it before and safer hands needed to come in. We haven’t heard that for a long time,” reflects Lockwood.

Though run by Akins since 1995, DHP’s active expansion began after Lockwood came on board in 2003. “People obviously want to tour more now, which is great for us,” points out Akins. “But we grew up through the recession anyway, so we came through when everyone else was being hit hard.”

DHP is the UK’s largest metropolitan festival promoter, with events held in four cities. Previous headliners of its Dot To Dot event, held in Nottingham, Manchester and Bristol, include The xx, Mumford & Sons, Ellie Goulding, Ed Sheeran and Foals, while Splendour, in Nottingham, has welcomed artists such as Blondie, Paolo Nutini and Jake Bugg. “Splendour’s growing from a fairly local event to a pretty big event now,” says Akins. “We’ve grown to 20,000-capacity and I think we’re going to smash that this year and go even bigger.”

He adds: “Festivals can be tough. Sometimes festivals sell fewer tickets than the headliner on their own are worth, so if that happens then you’ve got something wrong in terms of what you’re offering. We’ve had that happen and had to go back and rethink it. That’s your job really, you learn from what works and what doesn’t work and try and do it better next time.”

Other DHP venues include Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms and Bodega, Bristol’s Thekla and Oslo, its first London venue, which opened in Hackney in January 2014. “We really wanted to get a venue in London and to be recognised as a serious national promoter you have to have a significant roster of artists in London as well, so we really want to grow in those two areas,” explains Akins. “We found a venue and Dan moved from Nottingham to London to open our London office.

“We’re pretty confident that we are very good at venues and there is a clear path there. It’s clear that there’s more demand for venues in cities than there was five years ago and you can make more money out of those areas now.”

The company also has a management division, representing D.I.D and Indiana, and its own ticketing arm, Alt-Tickets. “We’d love to sell your tickets through Alt-Tickets if you work with us but we’re not dogmatic about it in the way that some promoters are,” stresses Lockwood. 

Having broken through the glass ceiling to become recognised as a national promoter at the highest level, Lockwood is determined to retain DHP’s forward momentum. “I guess our mission now is, [Ed Sheeran at Wembley] was great, but it was last year, we’ve got to move on and pick up more things – like the Brian Wilson tour. That’s been brilliant; I mean, Brian Wilson doing Pet Sounds,” he smiles. “Would we have got it if Sheeran hadn’t happened? I don’t know, but the fact is it’s UTA, it’s [Wilson’s agent] Neil Warnock, it’s the biggest guys in the business feeling confident they can give us a big tour like that.”

Tony Barrow, the man who coined the term Fab Four, died on Saturday, May 14 in Morecambe, England at age 80.

Barrow, born May 11, 1936, worked with The Beatles from 1962-1968 and went on to work with the Kinks and The Monkee.

Paul McCartney paid tribute his former PR man in a tweet: "Tony Barrow was a lovely guy who helped us in the early years of The Beatles. He was super professional but always ready for a laugh. He will be missed but remembered by many of us." 

Via: BIllboard

By Hayley Sigrist

TuneCore UK has announced a partnership with The Great Escape festival to present CMU:DIY, a dedicated DIY day designed to educate, guide and support UK independent artists and emerging musicians.

Music distribution service TuneCore will co-host CMU:DIY day on Saturday, May 21. The day will provide a platform for independent and emerging musicians to build on their knowledge of the complex modern music industry and bring together industry experts, artists and other speakers such as Mark Kelliher (TicketScript), Rosie James (Tru Thoughts), Joe Porn (Music Glue) and Seymour Stein (Sire Records).

Led by experts Chris Cooke (CMU), Jen Long (Dice FM) and DJ John 00 Fleming, the event marks TuneCore UK’s commitment to investing in the UK independent music community.

TuneCore CEO Scott Ackerman (pictured) said: “TuneCore is committed to investing in the global independent music scene, and we understand how important it is for artists to feel supported locally as they take charge of their careers. As our core mission is to empower and expand the careers of independent and emerging musicians, partnering with The Great Escape has been a great way to align our shared goals. With events like CMU:DIY and others in the UK, we continue to innovate and create new opportunities to support independent artists.”

“It is important for TuneCore UK to engage with, support and find opportunities for our local independent and emerging artist communities, CMU:DIY will be the first among many events where we will do just that," added Tunecore UK brand manager Sam Taylor. “Our aim is to be at the beating heart of the UK’s independent music scene, helping artists find their fans so that they can make their passion a career.”

The third edition of Music Cities Convention will return to Brighton on May 18 and will take place at the Sallis Benney Theatre.

The Convention brings together the top minds from municipalities, regions, academics, consultants and the music industry to discuss, debate and introduce new thinking, action and structure to develop more vibrant, global cities.

Here, Music Week speaks to event organiser Shain Shapiro:

What do you think will be the highlights of this year’s Music Cities convention? Why should people come along? 

There's so many highlights to me, but I do feel one of the most exciting talks to look forward to is Jocelyn Kane from San Francisco. They pioneered a new type of building codes that requires noise assessments and community consultations to be brought in that protect nightclubs, bars and music venues from new developments. Or Bjorn Blondal, the leader of Reykjavik City Council who is also the bass player in HAM, a famous Iceland punk band. And one of my biggest influences, Charles Landry, a cultural theorist and urbanist.  But I feel people should come along to understand the role music has on place making and the cities we live in.  What we do is incredibly important to shape the places we live, and we need a more active role in that. 

How much traction has the Music Cities movement gained since your first event?

It's about a year old and it's night and day. When we started, the term wasn't fully understood and now most cities understand what it is, or at least have their own interpretation of what a music city means to them. But the fact that we're having an apolitical, sector neutral debate that supports our industry, and having supportive conversations with all levels of government is a great sign. 

What have been the key developments in the Music Cities movement in the last year?

In June of last year, Music Canada (the BPI of Canada) published a report about Music Cities, which helped massively in contextualising and qualifying the topic. We did a Music Cities Convention in Washington, DC which made us more aware of the work being done around the US for the last five to seven years, including in Austin, Seattle, Chicago and Denver.  There have been music cities strategies written about Sheffield, Katowice in Poland, Toronto, Chicago, Adelaide, Odense and Aarhus in Denmark and many other cities.  And in London, the GLA has created the London Music Board and Night Time Commission, as well as published the Music Venues Rescue Plan. Lots has happened. 

The new London mayor, Sadiq Khan, has announced his intention to appoint a new ‘night mayor’. What can he learn from other cities with such a role? 

I am the Secretariat of the Night Time Commission, which will advise the new Mayor on the position, and I was lucky to go to the Night Mayor Summit in Amsterdam a few weeks ago. What we learned, and what we'll pass on, is that this is a movement that over 30 major cities are having. We've also learned that we have to do it in the way that works for us. In Amsterdam the Night Mayor is voted in (and he's a terrific influence and speaking at Music Cities Convention), in Geneva it's a 'Grand Council of the Night'. In Toulouse it's a non-profit foundation. I think for us we need to ascertain what kind of 24-hour city we are, and then work to implement the most forward thinking, apolitical policies to work towards that. 

How big a threat is gentrification and the demand for more housing to the music scene in modern cities? 

It's not a threat, it's an opportunity. Gentrification is a challenge as it always pushes someone out when letting someone else in. But housing is a basic human right and music cities works alongside. We want more and better housing, just in a way that can exist peacefully alongside other uses, as and when required. So having housing on top of venues, for example, is a solution. And taking greater risks at putting nightclubs and entertainment districts in city fringes, which Amsterdam did. With the Night Tube, for example, it both brings people in and takes people out.  We can mould our work with the need for housing and they can work together.  It's never, ever either/or.  It's both.

Data and metada issues will feature high on the agenda of the Music Biz 2016 convention, held May 16-18 at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel, which will gather several thousand industry representatives from retail, digital distribution, labels, publishers as well as researchers and experts.

It is the second year in a row that the Music Business Association (known as Music Biz) hosts its annual convention in Nashville, one of America's foremost music capitals. The Music Biz conventions have traditionally been the forum to discuss the future of music retail (especially when it was known as NARM) and with the changes in the way music is accessed and distributed, the conference has gained a strong digital flavour.

"It is simply the best and biggest music industry conference in the US, the world's largest music market," Larry Miller, Director of the Music Business Program at NYU Steinhardt tells Music Week. Miller is moderating the session "Investor Chart: Proof of Idea Required" on May 16. "The move to Nashville was brilliant. MusicBiz has become a must-attend conference for top professionals and aspirants alike. The networking opportunities are invaluable, and I appreciate the uniquely serious focus on teaching, sharing and learning in the digital music supply chain."

One of the main focus of the conference is on data, in particular with the return of the popular Metadata Summit to Nashville. “Ever since we launched the Metadata Summit four years ago, we have been impressed by the number of people who have come out to learn more about and contribute their expertise,” said Bill Wilson, Vice President of Digital Strategy and Business Development for Music Biz. “Metadata is the bedrock on which the digital music business is built, and many of the issues facing the business around payment, discovery, and attribution all rely on metadata.”

The fourth annual Metadata Summit will feature a keynote presentation from SOCAN’s Michael McCarty, Chief Membership & Business Development Officer, and Jeff King, Chief Operating Officer, who will discuss global revenue, discovery, and attribution. This session is particularly timely, coming a week after SOCAN announced it had acquired B2B data company MediaNet.

Other sessions will focus on international data infrastructure, new business models tied to metadata, and global publishing data with executives from companies such as 7digital, AFEM, Beggars Group, BMI, Consolidated Independent, County Analytics, Dart Music, DDEX, Digimarc, Loudr, MovieLabs, Music Week, PledgeMusic, PRS for Music, Rough Trade Music Publishing, SOCAN, Syntax Creative, and TGiT.

Chris McMurtry, Founder and CEO of Dart Music, an automated distribution platform built to handle complex music metatada, will take part in two Music Biz panels: "Back To The Drawing Board: New Business Models in Global Metadata" and "Starting Up in Music Tech: The Agony & The Ecstasy." He rates the conference as "my favourite industry event each year" because it brings together the entire music industry in one place and is "very solutions-driven."

"It's where music business happens," he explains. "I feel it's very different from a typical networking event, though, in that everyone is focused on one thing -- moving music forward. With that singular mindset, Music Biz does a great job of providing a platform for open and transparent dialogue. What's even better is that as we discuss we lay the groundwork for and often times arrive at real solutions to problems. All of this can be attributed to the unique and diverse programming of the conference itself -- from covering all facets of the business itself, to deep dives into subjects like Metadata, to an eye on the future by providing a platform for startups."

MusicBiz 2015 will also explore the role data plays in opening up new opportunities for artists online, in-store, and on the road, as well as the changing role of today’s artist managers, through a special Artists, Management & Touring Town Hall. The event will provide in-depth insight on how streaming data can influence touring and unlock doors for artists, and how to harness the power of fan data to maximise tour revenue. It will feature presentations from top executives from Borman Entertainment, CAA, Girlilla Marketing, Mtheory, OnTour with Ticketmaster, Pandora, Spotify, Starstruck Entertainment, Tunespeak, Vector Management, and WME.

“With streaming services growing by leaps and bounds and the touring industry fully embracing the digital age, there is more fan data available now than ever before, which can sometimes be overwhelming for artists and their managers,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “We need to view this abundance of data as an opportunity rather than an obstacle, and our Artists, Management & Touring Town Hall is designed to encourage that viewpoint by showing today’s managers exactly how to take advantage of this powerful tool to further their artists’ careers and get the most out of going on the road.”

Music Biz 2016 will also feature the inaugural Brand & Strategic Partnerships Summit on May 17. Co-organised by Jon Vanhala of Crossfade Partners, the Summit will focus on the process of connecting with brands and negotiating deals that are favorable to artists and brands. Keynote speakers at the Brand Expert Activation session are Afdhel Aziz of Absolut Labs and Joe Belliotti of The Coca-Cola Company, two of the most active brands in music and nightlife.

The convention will also be packed with side events, presentations and showcases. Music Biz will present its Chairman’s Award for Sustained Creative Achievement to powerpop band and 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Cheap Trick on May 18. “The Chairman’s Award honors artists who have consistently remained creative long into their careers, and Cheap Trick is a shining example of that,” said YouTube’s Fred Beteille, Chairman of the Music Biz Board.

The ceremony will also feature the presentation of the Artist of the Year Award to chart-topping Country singing group Little Big Town and Breakthrough Artist Awards to Country act Sam Hunt and up-and-coming Alternative singer/songwriter Halsey. In addition, the Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award will be presented to the T.J. Martell Foundation in recognition of its four decades of charitable and philanthropic contributions to leukemia, cancer, and AIDS research.

MusicBiz will also celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Redeye, a physical and digital distributor and label services provider, which will receive Music Biz's  Independent Spirit Award. The event will feature a performance from Eli Paperboy Reed with full band and a DJ set from Chris Wilson. In addition, Spotify will presents Anatomy of a Song, which provides a unique perspective from songwriters as they showcase original songs and share the great stories behind their work.

And new Music Biz member Pandora will host for the first time the concert event “Pandora Presents” on the conference's opening night at The Cannery Ballroom, featuring KONGOS and The Strumbellas. “Pandora is one of our newest members, so we are pleased that in their first year as a member they are stepping up to create such an exciting event for attendees,” said Donio. “Artist discovery is a core mission for us, and Music Biz 2016 is the perfect place to demonstrate that. We also throw one hell of a good part,” said Lars Murray of Pandora, SVP of Music Makers Group.

For music industry consultant Geoff Mayfield, a former Universal Music Group and Billboard executive, who has attended every NARM or Music Biz from 1985-2014, the fact that what used to be NARM managed to adjust to market changes and embrace the new digital world is commendable. "More than 20 years," Mayfield recalls, "when there were a lot more retailers and the organisation was more retail focused, I'd would hear some label execs ask in snarky tones, 'Will this be the last NARM?' But, long before it changed its name, the association began changing to meet the needs of the business at large, reflected in its focus and even in the structure of the annual convention. Jim Donio and the board deserve praise for adapting to a quickly evolving business. The industry would lose an important ally and key resources if there was no Music Business Assn."

!K7 is expanding it’s management division with additional staff and a host of new clients. The company is also re-branding from !K7 Records to !K7 Music.

The company offers a range of services such as financial investment, publishing, merchandising, accounting and licensing, as well as global marketing and social media strategy and expertise.  The company currently employs 30 people and has offices in Berlin, London and New York.

Will Saul, founder of AUS Music and head of A&R at !K7, recently joined the management division and has added his own roster of artists within the electronic music sphere.

His recent signings include DJ Tennis (DJ/producer, owner of Life & Death Records ), Bwana (signed to Lucky Me/Warp), Marquis Hawkes (DJ/producer signed to Houndstooth Recordfs) and South African electronic producer Portable.

The current !K7 Management roster includes Tricky, Mykki Blanco, DJ Tennis, Brandt Brauer Frick, Marquis Hawkes, Portable and Luca D’Alberto.

“As the company has grown and matured we realised that we could offer artists a full palate of services by leveraging the existing infrastructure of !K7”, said CEO Horst Weidenmuller. “We now have four dedicated staff entirely focused on the management roster and it’s a constantly  growing area of !K7’s business” he added.