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With 100 Million U.S. Subscribers, Streaming Services Declare: ‘We Are Fully Part of This Industry’
The topline stats in the new “Streaming Forward” report from trade group the Digital Media Association (DiMA) are reason enough to sit up and notice. By the end of 2019, there were 99 million active streaming subscribers — procured from 87.5 million paid users — in the U.S. alone. And over the previous two years, paid subs jumped 74.6% and revenue rose 57.7%, fueling optimism for a long-suffering industry and turning streaming services, labels and publishers into hot investments. It’s no wonder Spotify’s stock is soaring and Warner Music Group had a successful IPO in the pandemic’s early days. Streaming has made music hot again. But the 43-page report, conducted by MiDIA Research for DiMA, begs the question on why they would fund such a market research study. ...
Mexican Singer-Songwriter Silvana Estrada Becomes First Latin Artist Signed to Glassnote Records: Exclusive
Mexican singer-songwriter Silvana Estrada has become the first Latin artist signed to Glassnote Records, Billboard can confirm. Joining the indie label’s roster, which includes award-winning artists like Phoenix and Mumford & Sons, the artist-to-watch signed with Glassnote following a quick visit to New York back in February. “After meeting the team, and a spontaneous performance, both parties left mesmerized,” according to a statement issued by Glassnote. “She officially joined the Glassnote family shortly after.” Born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico and inspired by artists like Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan, Estrada began her musical career at a young age experimenting with different instruments — both her parents were luthiers. “My music i...
James Rodriguez set to join Everton
James Rodriguez is very close to completing a move to Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton. The Italian coach has been key in convincing the Real Madrid midfielder and, while negotiations are not yet closed, they are on the right track. An agreement could be closed between Everton and Real Madrid for a fee between 25 and 30 million euros. Ancelotti got the best out of James in a Real Madrid shirt during the 2014/15 season, while the 61-year-old also brought the playmaker to Bayern Munich on a loan deal in 2017. The relationship between Ancelotti and James is strong, which is why the 29-year-old has given the green light to move to Everton ahead of other options he had on the table. James stated in an interview with a Mexican media outlet last week that his priority is to leave Real Madrid for a club ...
Bayern Munich make Lionel Messi transfer decision
Bayern Munich will not be making an audacious swoop to sign Lionel Messi from Barcelona as they simply can’t afford it, according to club CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. On Tuesday, Messi sent a fax to Barca officials indicating his desire to leave the club, requesting that he be let out of his contract. The Argentine is unhappy at the decline of the Blaugrana on the field, as in 2019/20 they failed to win any major silverware for the first time in 12 years. He is also disillusioned with how the club is being run at boardroom level. It was actually Bayern who arguably caused the final straw for Messi as it was the German side’s 8-2 destruction of Barca in the Champions League which led to Quique Setien being fired and then the player handing in his request to leave. Only a handful of clubs arou...
Afreximbank clinches African Banker’s Debt Deal of the Year award
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has been announced the winner of the Debt Deal of the Year Award at the 14th Annual African Banker Awards 2020. The awards, which held virtually on Wednesday, recognized institutions and individuals driving growth and development in Africa and creating new economic opportunities for citizens and communities across the continent. The Debt Deal of the Year Award was granted to Afreximbank for a EUR 1 billion syndicated senior loan facility arranged with Credit Suisse for Nigeria’s Bank of Industry. The funds have supported the Bank of Industry’s (BoI) work expanding, diversifying and modernizing Nigeria’s industrial sector. Having originally been sized at EUR 750 million, the debt raising was successfully upsized to EUR 1 billion through a general...
Nigeria records lowest daily virus cases in three months
The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced 221 new cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak in the country. The NCDC made this known on its official twitter handle on Wednesday. Newsmen report that the 221 new cases was the lowest number of cases recorded in the country in about three months. It recalls that on Aug. 4, Nigeria reported 288 COVID-19 new cases and 290 one week later, while another low figure of 252 was recorded on Aug. 25. NCDC said that there were more persons who died of COVID-19 related complications in the country in the last 24 hours with the national death toll rising to 1,010. The NCDC said that the number of recovery crossed the 40,000 mark after 317 more people were treated and discharged from isolation centres across the country. The agenc...
TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer Resigns Amid White House Pressure to Sell App
TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer resigned Thursday amid U.S. pressure for its Chinese owner to sell the popular video app, which the White House says is a security risk. In a letter to employees, Mayer said that his decision to leave comes after the “political environment has sharply changed.” His resignation follows President Donald Trump’s order to ban TikTok unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells its U.S. operations to an American company within 90 days. “I have done significant reflection on what the corporate structural changes will require, and what it means for the global role I signed up for,” he said in the letter. “Against this backdrop, and as we expect to reach a resolution very soon, it is with a heavy heart that I wanted to let you all know that I have decided to leave the company...
UK spent N867.3 billion to end polio in Nigeria – British High Commission
The United Kingdom on Wednesday said that it invested £1.7 billion (N867.3 billion) since 1995 to help end the wild polio virus in Nigeria. The Senior Press and Public Affairs Officer of British High Commission, Christopher Ogunmodede, stated that the UK played a major role in Nigeria’s journey to become polio-free. The World Health Organisation on Tuesday at a virtual session of the 70th Regional Committee announced that Africa was free of polio. But the UK said it is the second-largest governmental donor in Nigeria after the United States Government in the continuing fight against infectious diseases such as polio. This is contained in a statement titled, ’UKAID helped Nigeria in its journey to become polio-free as Africa receives wild polio certification.’ It stated, “As a longstanding ...
Afreximbank approves $400 million facility to improve agriculture in Africa
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Africa’s foremost multilateral trade finance institution, has approved a $400-million revolving global credit facility agreement for the Export Trading Group (ETG), one of the largest and fastest-growing integrated agricultural conglomerates in Africa. The agreement will enable ETG to keep playing its vital role in the agri-foods supply chain of efficiently connecting African farmers to markets, as well as expanding access to key inputs to boost agricultural productivity in a continent with tremendous but yet unrealized potential. According to Afreximbank’s estimates, Africa spent over $90 billion on food imports in 2019, even though it possesses up to 60 percent of the world’s remaining arable land. Moreover, the Food and Agriculture Organizat...
Governor Abdulrazaq: EFCC stopped withdrawal of N4 billion from Kwara government account on eve of handover
Kwara State Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, on Wednesday praised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for helping to stop withdrawal and sharing of the sum of N4 billion by officials of his predecessor at the eve of handover of government in 2019. The Governor said this while expressed his support to the anti graft agency when the Ilorin zonal head of the EFCC Oseni Kazeem Oluwasina, paid him a courtesy bisit. The Governor noted that the EFCC has offered enormous support to the Kwara State Government in tackling graft and stabilising the government and any hand of fellowship offered to the Commission would be a gesture in the right direction. ”It is a good thing you are here, I thank you for the service you rendered for the Kwara State, humanity and Nigeria as a who...
Senator Kalu urges Nigerian government to look towards Abia, South East for economic solution
Former Governor of Abia state and Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Kalu, believes that the federal government and its economic teams must look towards Abia and South East if they must fashion out a way of salvation from the pandemic-induced economic slump threatening the country. He stated this as part of his commendation of the people of Abia state for their steadfastness, selflessness and patriotism. According to Kalu, the political class must place the collective interests of Abians above personal ambitions in a bid to improve the common lots of the people. Describing Abia state, as the commercial hub of the South East, the former Governor called on government at all levels, to support the business acumen of Abians. In his goodwill message, Kalu called on the people of Abia state ...
ICM Models, Bella Hadid, Hailey Bieber & More to Return Fraction of $1.7M Fyre Fest Promo Fees
A dozen of the agency’s models appeared in a video promoting the disastrous event that defrauded attendees and investors. ICM Models and its clients Bella Hadid, Hailey Bieber, Alessandra Ambrosio, Chanel Iman, Elsa Hosk, Shanina Shaik, Nadine Leopold, Hannah Ferguson, Alyssah Ali, Rose Bertram, Daniela Lopez and Gizele Oliveira have reached a settlement over a combined $1.7 million fee they received for promoting the disastrous Fyre Festival in 2017. In total, they will have to repay $150,000 to a settlement account set up for the festival victims. Baldwin, Bieber, Iman and the other IMG models appeared in bathing suits in a promotional video that announced the festival, promising two “transformative” weekends that “would exceed all expectations.” While the models, along with social...
