2 days left to apply for Women Empowerment++ music industry mentorship programAs part of Women’s History Month, indie music distributor Symphonic is launching its second edition of Women Empowerment++, a mentorship program aimed at furthering the progress of women throughout the. Continue reading
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How the Punk Ethos can (and should) drive every music career [Ben Weinman]The music industry and punk music veteran Ben Weinman has taken all he’s learned from his impressive career and boiled it down to some life-changing lessons. by Ben Weinman on. Continue reading
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Saxon's Biff Byford Discusses New LP and Punk's Influence on the New Wave of British Heavy MetalSaxon's Biff Byford spoke with AllMusic in the middle of a European tour to discuss their latest release, the recent announcement of a band member's impending departure from touring, and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

Metallica Acquires Majority Interest in Furnace Record PressingMetallica and Furnace Record Pressing ("Furnace”) today announced that Metallica has acquired the majority interest in Furnace, a leading provider of high-quality vinyl records and related services. The acquisition formalizes a long-standing relationship between the band and Furnace that has produced more than five million pieces of Metallica vinyl since 2014.

Having worked together on such landmark projects as the highly acclaimed definitive deluxe box set editions of Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All, Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, …And Justice For All, Metallica (a/k/a The Black Album) and S&M2, Metallica and Furnace have long enjoyed a prolific and productive relationship — one rooted in a shared fiercely independent ethos and passionate dedication to quality. This partnership between Metallica and Furnace represents yet another example of the band’s unflagging commitment to artistic control of all aspects of its career, as well as its devotion to its fans: The capacity to meet the massive demand for Metallica vinyl via trusted partner and industry leader Furnace will enable the band and its Blackened Recordings label to better serve the needs of any and all vinyl lovers in the Metallica family—as well as those of the various artists and record labels who will continue to utilize Furnace’s services.

Founded by Eric Astor in 1996, Furnace is known for making extremely high-quality records at its 70,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility in Alexandria, Virginia. With it’s 12 Pheenix Alpha presses and two Finebilt presses, Furnace is one of the largest record pressing companies in the U.S. Furnace offers standard and heavyweight pressings, color vinyl, special effect color vinyl, and custom vinyl etching to meet the creative needs of any music artist. Furnace also oversees other services related to the creation and packaging of records. In addition to Metallica, Furnace counts many major artists, global music companies, record labels and indie/punk acts as clients. Eric Astor (Founder and CEO), Ali Miller (COO) and Mark Reiter (VP - Operations) will continue in their respective roles leading Furnace. Each remains an equity owner of the company and each will be a member of the company’s Board of Directors.  

“Building Furnace into the dedicated and experienced family of experts that it is today has been a huge effort, but immensely gratifying” said Eric Astor, founder of Furnace. “Knowing our long-term future is secured while also being better able to take advantage of growth opportunities is really exciting for every member of the Furnace staff.” Ali Miller, Chief Operating Officer of Furnace, added, “We have found ideal partners in Metallica. They want us to continue our customer driven focus. To that end we look forward to providing even greater capacity and service to each of our customers in the future.”

“We couldn’t be more happy to take our partnership with Furnace — and Eric, Ali and Mark specifically — to the next level,” said Lars Ulrich, co-founder of Metallica. “Their indie spirit, the passion they have for their craft… culturally we’re kindred souls.” James Hetfield, co-founder of Metallica, added, “Furnace has been great to Metallica and more importantly to our fans. This deepened relationship between Metallica and Furnace ensures that fans of vinyl everywhere, particularly our Fifth Members, will have continued access to high quality records in the future."

Metallica was represented by its affiliated growth equity and content investing platform known as Black Squirrel Partners ("Black Squirrel”), with Kirkland & Ellis acting as counsel and Citrin Cooperman assisting with financial due diligence and tax advisory. Dunlap, Bennett & Ludwig acted as counsel to Furnace.

Eric Levin, long-time Warner Music Group CFO, to retire later this yearLevin, who joined WMG in 2014, will help Robert Kyncl search for his successor
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4 things to DO NOW before TikTok is banned: The Breadcrumb StrategyAs a bill advances in Congress fueled by new anti-U.S. statements from China that could ban TikTok, it’s time for every musician, label, and music marketer to contemplate life without. Continue reading
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Which new Spotify features are worth using? [Michael Brandvold & Jay Gilbert]Last week Spotify announced significant new features for artists, including Clips, countdowns, pre-serves, Marquee, Discovery Mode, Showcase, DJ, and more. Experienced music marketers Michael Brandvold and Jay Gilbert take a. Continue reading
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SESAC Music Group acquires distribution and content delivery platform AudioSaladAudioSalad has over 16 million audio and video assets under management
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Music fans have much more power than you (and they) thinkIf music fans were given ranks, Leah D. Nelson would be an expert. Here she discusses the true and ultimate power of today’s music fan. by Leah D. Nelson from. Continue reading
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Royer Labs Introduces R-10 "Hot Rod" 25th Anniversary MicTo kick off its 25th anniversary celebration, Royer Labs has announced the R-10 “Hot Rod” 25th Anniversary microphone—a passive mono ribbon microphone designed for use both in the studio and on live stages. The limited-edition R-10 “Hot Rod” is fitted with a custom Anniversary Edition transformer, has 5dB hotter output than the standard R-10 with a punchier, more open sound characteristic, and comes with a 25th Anniversary trim package that sets it apart from the standard R-10.

Like the original R-10, the R-10 Hot Rod handles extremely high SPLs (160dB @ 1kHz), has an internally shock-mounted ribbon transducer and 3-layer wind screen system that combine to give the ribbon element excellent protection (making it their best choice for live work), features lowered proximity effect that make it a excellent for close miking instruments and singers, and carries a 5-year warranty with the first re-ribbon free. Like all Royer microphones, the R-10 Hot Rod is hand-built in Royer’s Burbank, CA facility.

John Jennings, Royer Labs’ Vice President of Sales and Marketing, commented on the new 25th Anniversary microphone, “Royer Labs is thrilled to be in our 25th year, and kicking it off with the R-10 Hot Rod is just pure fun. The guys in our shop cooked this version of the R-10 up and we’re all into it, with its cool looking trim package and its different sonic personality. It expands on the R-10 in interesting ways, creating a different flavor of R-10 that we think recording engineers and FOH engineers will really like.”

R-10 25th Anniversary “Hot Rod” microphone: royerlabs.com/r-10-hot-rod

HYBE’s not the only K-pop giant eyeing the US: SM Entertainment plans $150m Stateside acquisition to speed up global expansionOver the weekend,  HYBE officially ceased its attempt to acquire a 40% stake in SM Entertainment.
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Spotify’s mission statement is preposterous. Its latest announcements prove it.Drilling behind the numbers released by Spotify last week, to discover the hard truth
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Oversaturation, rising costs & delocalization: a preview of SXSW panel ‘Who Gives A Sh!t About Indie Music?’Ahead of this Thursday’s not to be missed SXSW panel, “Who Gives A Sh!t About Indie Music?” we asked the panelists to share some of the challenges and opportunities facing. Continue reading
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As Spotify and YouTube make streaming more like radio, what’s next?More streaming services like Spotify and YouTube Music are adding AI-powered radio-like features. What do Sptofy DJ and all of this mean for both broadcast radio and streaming? by Tatiana. Continue reading
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Beginner’s Guide to the TikTok Creator FundIn this post, musicians can find the answers to frequently asked question and learn the basics of building a paid platform on TikTok with the Creator Fund. Here’s everything you. Continue reading
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