Getting It Done – Last Week in D.I.Y. & Indie Music: Albini, .music & MoreLast week, our tips and advice for independent, do-it-yourselfers covered the legacy of Steve Albini, .MUSIC deadlines, songwriting splits, Kanye marketing lessons, some of the best mental health resources for. Continue reading
The post Getting It Done – Last Week in D.I.Y. & Indie Music: Albini, .music & More appeared first on Hypebot.

REWIND – New Music Industry’s Week In Review: State of Live Music, TikTok & MoreIt was a busy week by any definition, and the music industry was no exception with an update on the state of live music, TikTok fighting its ban, more music. Continue reading
The post REWIND – New Music Industry’s Week In Review: State of Live Music, TikTok & More appeared first on Hypebot.

ClearBeats announces launch as derivative works clearance service from Music RightzAs the creator economy has exploded, so has the volume of derivative works; the covers, interpolations, remixes, mashups, DJ sets, samples, and alternate versions that have long captivated fans and bedeviled rights holders. Yet through all of the technological advances, the music industry continues to struggle with the millions of derivative versions pouring into music’s ecosystems weekly. Derivatives represent a massive asset category and untapped opportunity. Still, few labels and publishers implement a proactive catalog strategy that integrates the creation, clearance, and attribution of derivative works across their internal copyright, licensing, and collections organizations.

To address this, four music business leaders have come together to form ClearBeats, a licensing practice and tech company offering new approaches to today’s bespoke derivative rights clearance. The managing directors of ClearBeats, Nick Ditri and Bob Barbiere, have teamed up with Suzanne Coffman and Yolanda Ferraloro of Music Rightz, one of the industry’s oldest and largest (sync) licensing agencies. Together, they have the experience and approaches necessary to solve the challenges and turbulence associated with derivative music and smoothen the ride for both creators and rights owners. 

Tapping into Music Rightz’s size and volume, having cleared over 220,000 songs, ClearBeats is already taking cover, remix, interpolation, sample registration, and clearance to another level– collecting and sharing new and expanded information about the creator and their work while maintaining a strong commitment to transparency. The additional information ClearBeats provides to rights holders and administrators, particularly sync teams, is critical, as the velocity of creation and distribution of derivative works continues to outpace a label or publisher’s ability to ingest, track, and promote those assets for sync and placement deals. 

While labels and artists have some options to clear and license remixes, interpolations, and samples, they have been unable to do so at scale. They are frequently unable to track down rights owners and face inherent confusion in domestic and international compliance, even for traditional covers which can be digitally distributed under a compulsory mechanical license. This has led to dramatically different approaches to managing licenses across both labels and distributors.  

“As an artist and producer, I experience it firsthand daily, and it’s a common point of frustration in the industry,” says Ditri, best known for his work as part of the DJ duo Disco Fries and for more than 25 Billboard hits he’s been involved with. “Creators want to share information about their works. However, they fear that by doing so, their music will be taken down. When I spoke to Bob about this, he noted that labels and publishers are generally more interested in monetizing, in registering, tracking, and collecting royalties, than they are in taking music down. There’s definitely a disconnect between licensees and licensors, and we decided to innovate and bring the sides together.” 

This fresh approach to expanded communication, transparency and collaboration is working. Having just launched in 2024, the company is already having an immediate impact, filling holes in identifying copyright ownership while adding new categories of information and music links to the “traditional” cover, interpolation, and remix licensing process. “ClearBeats is already my go-to for sharing my favorite unreleased projects with the world. I’m thankful for their team’s ability to clear and monetize almost any record. In the past when I’ve created a sample or cover-based record, the rights owners had no idea. Now with ClearBeats, they’ve managed to register and clear the works helping leverage my new work for broader sync and other licensing opportunities,“ shares Domenico Randazzo, of Dom Did It and il Dottore Productions, songwriter and producer for artists including Chris Brown, Jason Derulo, and John Legend.

ClearBeats is tackling several pressing industry issues in parallel. In addition to the licensing team’s work, the company is developing catalog enrichment programs for labels and publishers and assisting creator platforms, such as Music.AI, in licensing catalogs for derivative creation and distribution. 

“We're excited Music.AI has the opportunity to offer its platform to Music Rightz to expand the licensing and revenue opportunities for its licensors,” says Matt Henninger, VP of Business Development and Sales at Music.AI. “Applying cutting-edge AI technology to the licensing frameworks of both Music Rightz and ClearBeats will allow content owners more control and greater revenue opportunities.”

In the ClearBeats lab, innovative tech and registry development is underway that will further close existing communication and value gaps, bringing creators into closer alignment with rights owners and administrators. And, along with tackling derivative registration and clearance shortcomings, ClearBeats has partnered with RoyaltyAmp to assist labels and publishers in finding the derivative works already on content platforms that have errors and omissions in their metadata, ensuring accurate attribution, tracking, and payments. 

“When I was building Dubset, I was told no one would solve the clearance challenges of derivative works at scale in our lifetime,” states Barbiere. “Yet once we built the music identification and attribution technology, we were able to clear the world’s catalog–over 55 million tracks across majors and indies, for use in DJ sets. We definitely opened eyes to what could be achieved with transparency and aligned incentives across creators and rights owners. Our mission with ClearBeats is to move derivative attribution to the point of inception, we want creators to create without fear and copyright owners to know when and how their catalog is being used before it is distributed. Our work is already having an immediate and sustainable impact on the industry and we are excited about what the future brings.”

Hollywood & Mind Brings Together Top Mental Health Advocates and Entertainment HeavyweightsHollywood & Mind, a venture positioned at the intersection of the entertainment industry and the mental health sector, held its second annual Summit today on the UTA Campus in Beverly Hills, with a diverse group of thought leaders, artists, creatives, executives, and advocates united in their commitment to destigmatizing mental health challenges within the entertainment industry.

Singer-songwriter Mike Posner joined the event for a performance of his 2017 Grammy-nominated song “I Took A Pill in Ibiza” and a brand new song. He joined Hollywood & Mind founder Cathy Applefeld Olson for a thought-provoking conversation during which he shared his experience with self-exploration and discovery, including his epic walk across the United States in 2019. “Not all crazy ideas are great but all great ideas are crazy. I went on this journey and it changed my life. I’m not saying everyone here should walk across America, but sometimes there’s an internal walk we need to go on,” he said. 

In a panel with Joel Goldman of The Kids Mental Health Foundation, Angel Carter Conrad, Aaron Pearce, and Soleil Moon Frye, Frye talked about her experience making her 2021 documentary. “From my experience doing ‘KID 90’ I thought I was doing something very different, and in reliving my own childhood I had a lot of ghosts that came back and I had to process that and it was one of the true healing experiences of my life.”

Kevin Hines, storyteller, author, filmmaker, investor, and one of only a small number of survivors who attempted suicide by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge, shared, “Suicide does not take the pain away. It transfers it to everyone left behind and makes it wholly impossible for things to ever get better.” 

Through candid panel discussions, speakers encouraged attendees to address the stigma surrounding mental health struggles and shared personal strategies for effectively navigating the formidable pressures inherent within the industry. "Couples Therapy" Star Dr. Orna Guralnik, actor and singer Chyler Leigh, Maybelline Head of Brand Engagement Sarah Shaker, comedians Kevin Fredericks and Carmen Esposito, professional basketball player Imani McGee-Stafford, Indianapolis Colts vice chair/owner Kalen Jackson, “Bel Air” creator and showrunner Morgan Stevenson Cooper, model Emma Brooks, The NAACP’s Kyle Bowser, actor/singer Kevin Quinn, The Squeeze podcast co-host Tay Lautner, advocate and model Rose Montoya, Creators Capital/Empower GenZ founder Jaxon J Huffman, multi-Grammy-winning producer Aaron Pearce, were just a few of the notable speakers who offered attendees unique perspectives for managing mental health. Additional attendees included Vanderpump Rules star Rachel Leviss and actors James Haven and Gary Dourdan. 

This year's event marked the second Hollywood & Mind Summit. The inaugural Summit in 2023 featured a fireside chat between Cathy Applefeld Olson and Demi Lovato and conversations about mental health storytelling, the power of song, and partnerships among mental health organizations and creators among topics. With each gathering, Hollywood & Mind reinforces its commitment to fostering a culture of empathy, resilience, and support within the entertainment industry. As conversations continue beyond the summit, Hollywood & Mind remains steadfast in its mission to drive lasting change and elevate mental health awareness across industries. More information is available at www.hollywood-mind.com.

From Downtown’s $500m credit agreement to Concord’s Hipgnosis bidding war exit… it’s MBW’s Weekly Round-UpThe five biggest stories to hit our headlines over the past seven days…
Source

Steve Albini: musician, producer and fierce music industry criticSteve Albini died this week at age 61. Best known as a musician and producer who made records with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey, Robert Plant and hundreds more, he was also a biting critic of the music industry and a fierce advocate for artists.....
The post Steve Albini: musician, producer and fierce music industry critic appeared first on Hypebot.

Is Groover actually a good marketing tool for musicians?Groover strives to raise up independent musicians and give them more exposure to industry professionals. But is it too good to be true? Randi Zimmerman of Symphonic digs in to find out.....
The post Is Groover actually a good marketing tool for musicians? appeared first on Hypebot.

A chat with LyricFind CEO Darryl BallantyneLyricFind CEO Darryl Ballantyne discusses his beginnings in the industry, his biggest milestones, and some wise words to pass on to other aspiring entrepreneurs.....
The post A chat with LyricFind CEO Darryl Ballantyne appeared first on Hypebot.

Confirmed: Better Noise Music sold 50% of its catalog for ‘around $100 million’ in 2022, is now reinvesting into expansionDan Waite and Steve Kline confirm deal was reached two years ago, as hard rock label eyes bigger ambitions
Source

Todd Rundgren's Spirit of Harmony Auction Now Open for BiddingBidding for the Spirit of Harmony's online fundraising auction is now open, and you are invited to check out wide variety of treasures, large and small. Choose from an array of t-shirts, jewelry, posters, music, accessories, collectibles, and much more. Even if you aren't looking to bid, we hope you have fun visiting our auction site to check out our music-related items. Here is the auction link: 32auctions.com/SOHF2024

Auction ends Sunday, May 26 at 5 pm Central time.Packages will be sent out USPS Priority, within ten days after payment is received at the end of the auction. Of course, international postage and shipping costs are higher, and we will contact international winners with an invoice for the actual postage/shipping amount.This auction supports the Spirit of Harmony's Music Education Advocacy.

Auction Link: www.32auctions.com/SOHF24

Apple Music launches ‘Apple Music Partner Program’ for labels and distributors, including ‘premium’ data analytics toolsNew program is available initially for a limited number of record labels and music distributors in the US
Source

Will Bloomfield joins TaP Music as Co-President and Head of Global Artist ManagementBloomfield was named one of Billboard's 40 Under 40, and is part of the team leading the Richard Antwi Scholarship
Source

MusixMatch wants a photo ID selfie before adding lyrics for Spotify, Apple, MetaMusixMatch, which provides lyrics to Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Meta, Google, and more, now requires artists and fans who want to add new songs to first upload a selfie with a valid government-issued photo ID.....
The post MusixMatch wants a photo ID selfie before adding lyrics for Spotify, Apple, Meta appeared first on Hypebot.

Electronic music, fandom, and the rise of the Global SouthI recently presented the tenth edition of the IMS Business Report at the Ibiza-based conference. In MIDiA’s second year creating the report, the findings reveal a global electronic music industry that not only has positive revenue trends but is also experiencing a global cultural resurgence. Here are some of the key findings of the report, which can be downloaded for free here:

Fandom surge: Electronic music is the smaller of the big, global music genres, but it is, nonetheless, a member of that genre club and it is quickly gaining ground on its peers. Electronic music is growing fandom faster than most other leading genres, adding more fans across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Spotify in 2023. This was a turnaround from 2022 when the other big genres (hip hop, rock, Latin) were growing faster than electronic. Electronic music is having a fandom moment.

New fan markets: Germany, the UK, and Australia have been three of electronic music’s leading markets in terms of culture, fanbase, and revenue for many years. Unsurprisingly, they are also the three countries with the largest cumulative number of Spotify monthly listeners to electronic music (by cumulative we mean the gross total of all ‘listeners’, which means one person can be more than one listener, as per Spotify’s definitions). But the remainder of the top ten Spotify markets reveals the rise of the Global South, with India, Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa all claiming top ten spots. South Africa is particularly interesting; it entered the top ten for the first time in 2023 and has twice as many cumulative monthly listeners as the country does people. Electronic music has quickly established cultural heft in South Africa.

Rise of Africa: You can tell a trend is worth paying attention to when it starts cropping up in many different places. Not only is South Africa now a top fan territory, but Afro House also became a top 10 Beatport genre for the first time in 2023 as well as a top search term for sample platform LoopCloud. The former points to success of already-made music, the latter music yet-to-be-made. On top of this, #Amapiano views on TikTok hit 9.8bn in 2023, up 168% on 2022, with Tyla hitting 21.7bn global views. Western music, Anglo repertoire especially, has long been used to being the music that ‘exports’. Streaming and social are changing this. The strong rise of African music in global dance music culture is part of a seismic shift in global music culture, with the Global South set to increasingly shape global tastes.

Of course, the highlight of the IMS Business Report is the industry value figure. In 2023, the global electronic music industry was up by 17% to reach $11.8 billion. Growth didn’t always come easy, with over a third of executives saying they had to work hard at success in 2023, but it was nonetheless a good year for electronic music. 

Continued strong growth in live (festivals, clubs) was a core component of the industry revenue trend but recordings and publishing also performed well. While total industry growth was not as strong as in the 2022 post-pandemic ‘rebound’ year, 2023 showed what long term, organic growth can look like. The global dance music business is now in its post-post-pandemic growth phase!

How to find and negotiate the right Music Distribution DealDistroKid, CD Baby, TuneCore, Symphonic, The Orchard, Believe, Downtown. The list goes on and on. This guide will help you find what's right for you.....
The post How to find and negotiate the right Music Distribution Deal appeared first on Hypebot.