The ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre FestStephen Schwartz and Julie Garnyé performing “The Wizard and I” at the 2025 ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Fest at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Photo credit: Cheryl Mann ProductionsOn May 5-6, the ASCAP Foundation held the 2025 ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Fest, hosted by legendary composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis). According to a press release, "before the Fest, Schwartz told Variety that 'each night will contain nuggets of enlightenment.' Indeed, the two dazzling evenings offered a behind-the-curtain experience exploring the process and artistry of musical theatre with some of Broadway’s biggest composers.""On Monday, May 5, the Fest opened with 'Songs from the Cutting Room Floor,' a showcase for the unheard musical gems that didn’t make it into some of Broadway’s biggest shows. Schwartz, together with composers, lyricists and librettists Irene Sankoff & David Hein (Come From Away) and Karey Kirkpatrick (Something Rotten!, Mrs. Doubtfire), delivered a beautiful evening of intimate performances and stories about spectacular songs that had to be sacrificed to create a perfect musical. The evening was supported by the Gary Geld Musical Theatre Foundation." "On Tuesday, May 6, Schwartz hosted The ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre & Librettist Workshop, a unique double bill of new musicals that gave audience members a sneak peek at what could be Broadway’s next smash hit. The Workshop kicked off with the creative team of Julian Hornik, Khiyon Hursey and Mark Sonnenblick, who presented selections from their musical, WEEKEND. For the second show of the evening, Roslyn Catracchia and Peter Seibert presented an excerpt of their musical Piney Needlesmith and the Road Less Traveled.""Following the performances, Schwartz hosted a collaborative and instructive discussion with each writing team and expert panelists Kevin Bannerman (Anastasia), Jay Dyer (Alfred Hitchcock Presents), Winnie Holzman (Wicked), and Karey Kirkpatrick (Something Rotten!). The second evening was supported by the Kenward Elmslie Fund."Visit ascapfoundation.org for more info.The post The ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Fest first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Yamaha launches $50m fund to power music and media startupsThe fund is meant to cement Yamaha's “leadership position as an innovator in the fields of sound and music”
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Climate Change Impact on Festivals: Fan HesitationThe extreme weather and Climate Change impact on festivals an live music is real. Fan hesitation is causing some to delay buying tickets as others choose to attend few outdoor shows overall.
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Two Music Industry Grants worth applying for now!Two very different grants from music non-profits - Salt Lick Incubator and Family Alliance in Music - support musicians and music professionals.
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Rights Management is Crowded—So Why Does UniteSync Stand Out?From the Music Connection inbox -- UniteSync: How a Producer Merged Information Science and Artistic Passion to Find Songwriters and Musicians’ Unpaid RoyaltiesCarlos Palop should have been living the dream. A producer and electronic artist, Palop was seeing real traction with some of his lofi tracks. Streams were picking up--and yet the more he looked at his royalty statements, the more discrepancies and oddities he noticed.He set out to fix this. With a parallel life in library and information sciences, Palop knew the importance of organizing data. He went deep into how information was organized in the music industry, all the struggles of publishing, metadata, and rights administration. He decided to create software to automate some of the processes he found he needed as a composer and artist.What Palop built for himself, he has now brought to the world as UniteSync, a music rights administration platform that allows independent artists and small labels to collect more money faster. UniteSync can provide lightning-fast audits, procedures that once took weeks or months, finding millions in unclaimed digital royalties.Though the company is just becoming widely available to the public, UniteSync has audited nearly 1m artists and 1.2m albums--and discovered $40-100m in unclaimed US mechanicals alone. Once found, these royalties are collected by UniteSync thanks to its close relationships with 53 paying sources in 117 territories worldwide, powered by its highly efficient tech built for the industry.“Discrepancies can be big. Sometimes, songs simply don’t get registered properly, or matching systems don’t work. The whole industry talks about this. It’s hard to give really good service to this many artists but artists deserve it,” Palop reflects. “We are seeing that AI and better tech makes this possible or at least easier. We are digital from the beginning, and that’s helping us help artists.”UniteSync’s approach is straightforward, though the devil is in the details. Once a composer signs on, the platform pulls up all her tracks. After she verifies her splits for each composition, UniteSync’s algorithms can determine what has yet to be properly registered and how much money she is due for these unregistered tracks. The system uses IPI data, along with other metadata, to determine all the aliases and name versions for each composer, simplifying matters. Once royalties are found, UniteSync can collect them for a percentage fee.In addition to publishing administration, UniteSync can manage a composer or artist’s neighboring rights and sync licensing. The platform is expanding into enhanced analytics, as well as helpful aids such as AI agents that will guide artists and songwriters through this often complex and potentially confusing realm. For Palop, however, the technology is always in service to the artist and to music, the main driving force that led him to build UniteSync. As he puts it, “I always pushed the limit as a composer and as an entrepreneur. But I knew no matter what I did it always had to be connected to music.” And what better way to connect than to uncover hidden revenue and create a stable, sustainable foundation for all.Visit unitesync.com for more info.The post Rights Management is Crowded—So Why Does UniteSync Stand Out? first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

US Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission launch public inquiry into live music businessAgencies launch public inquiry under President Trump’s executive order
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G Herbo: No Spotify, just 13M direct to fan streams via MySeatIndie rapper G Herbo is bypassing streaming-first releases to bring his music directly to fans with impressive results.
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Importance Of Going Global: Rethinking Artist DevelopmentBreaking an artist isn’t just about going viral, it’s about building real fans across the globe. With fewer resources and more challenges than ever, it is essential that we begin rethinking artist development, writes Will Shanahan.
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Newfangled Audio Introduces ArticulateAudio technology innovators Eventide have announced the release of Articulate, "a new plug-in from Newfangled Audio that offers a fresh, intuitive approach to dynamics control. Articulate uses advanced envelope detection to split incoming audio into four core components: Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release. With a workflow as familiar as a 4-band EQ, users can quickly shape transients, enhance tone, and fine-tune space in a mix.""Each stage of the envelope can be adjusted independently with simple faders, making it easy to add Smack, Punch, Body, or Air to any sound," they say. "Whether you're enhancing clarity, improving impact, or managing sustain, Articulate offers a fast and focused path to precise dynamic shaping. Producer and musician Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, NIN, St. Vincent) praised Articulate, saying: “I’ve found my favorite tool for designing transients and envelopes. It gives you more control, a great sonic character, and an intuitive interface. Highly recommended.” Features70+ presets with full-featured preset librarian 

Easy independent envelope shaping (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release) 

Simple sidechain detection for ducking and dynamic separation 

Precise Separation control for natural or aggressive shaping 

Solo & mute per envelope stage 

Built-in peak limiter preserves headroom and prevents clipping 

Customizable UI with three color palettes Articulate is available for Mac and PC in VST, AU, and AAX formats from eventideaudio.com and authorized resellers worldwide. The MSRP is $69, with an introductory offer of $29 through June 6. Existing Newfangled Audio and Eventide plug-in owners are eligible for a loyalty price of $19.

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Daniel Ek has now cashed out $800m+ in Spotify stock, with his latest transaction banking $28.8mEk offloaded 50,000 shares on Wednesday at $576.94 per share, according to an SEC filing
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Shannon Wiles of Le Poisson Rouge: new In The Trenches seriesShannon Wiles of Le Poisson Rouge wakes up every morning thinking about how to sell more tickets to the eclectic shows at this legendary New York City club.
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Relearning Why We Buy MusicWe need to relearn why we buy music. We'll spend hundreds of dollars going to a concert, but balk at a few dollars to own our favorite song or album.Streaming made music accessible, but it's also made us forget that it has value. If we don’t relearn how to buy music, we risk losing the culture we claim to love.
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Space Jams - The Funky, Futuristic, and Featherbrained Universe of Sci-Fi Dance MusicInspired by Mon Mothma cutting loose on the dance floor in the recent Star Wars series Andor, we revisit Buck Rogers, Tron, and (ug) The Matrix Reloaded among others in our interstellar list of good (and so-bad-its-good) sci-fi funky performances and space jams.

Unsigned Only Music Awards: Last Call for the Next Big TalentFor independent artists navigating the ever-changing music industry, one name continues to stand out as a launchpad for emerging talent: Unsigned Only. Known for championing musicians outside the grasp of major labels, the organization is once again calling on artists worldwide—but the clock is ticking.With only three days left to submit entries, the extended deadline for the Unsigned Only Music Awards is fast approaching. Artists have until midnight on May 7th to submit either an original or cover song for a chance at recognition, exposure, and a substantial career boost.This year, Unsigned Only is doing more than just opening the stage—it's changing it entirely. In a notable shift, the competition has transitioned into an all-digital format. A statement from the company discloses that the new online music awards format reflects its “ongoing commitment to recognizing and honoring exceptional talent of independent artists while encouraging creativity, innovation, and the pursuit of musical excellence.”Artists can now participate from anywhere, making the process more accessible and inclusive than ever. And while the format has evolved, the rewards remain as enticing as ever.The top honor? Artist of the Year—a title that comes with a $20,000 cash prize and an industry-respected accolade. Winners will also receive a custom-designed award from Society Awards, the team behind prestigious trophies like the Emmys and Golden Globes.What sets Unsigned Only apart is its dedication to talent over trend. All submissions are reviewed by a panel of music industry professionals—including well-known musicians, producers, label executives, and journalists. The panel ensures that “each category will have one winner, such as Best Rock Artist, Best Country Artist, Best Latin Artist, etc.”For unsigned artists seeking a platform that values artistry and potential over connections and contracts, Unsigned Only offers a rare and valuable spotlight.With just days to go, this is a final reminder for musicians to take the leap. Whether you’re a seasoned songwriter or a fresh voice waiting to be heard, this could be your moment to rise—no label required.Click HERE to enter!The post Unsigned Only Music Awards: Last Call for the Next Big Talent first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

FTC warns speculative ticket sellers, clarifies fee rulesThe Federal Trade Commission last week issued an FAQ clarifying its "Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees." In it, the FTC warns speculative ticket sellers and clarifies fee transparency rules.
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