business
Sony Music Opens Singapore Office, Shifting Asia Hub From Hong Kong
Sony Music Group is moving its Southeast Asia headquarters to Singapore, joining a host of other music and tech companies that have shifted regional business hubs away from Hong Kong amid street protests and crackdowns by the Chinese government. The new Singapore office will house SMG companies Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music Publishing and artists and label services company The Orchard, the company said in a press release Tuesday (March 22). It will also serve as the new base for Sony Interactive Entertainment, creators of PlayStation. A host of pan-regional specialists focused on Singapore and the wider region will work out of the new headquarters, including in marketing, data analytics, human resources, finance, digital innovation, business development, A&R, and publicity. Esta...
50 Cent Can’t Avoid Rémy Martin’s Copycat Cognac Lawsuit
50 Cent is headed toward a trial in a federal lawsuit that claims his Branson brand of cognac copied the design of Rémy Martin’s bottle after a Manhattan federal judge refused to dismiss the case. E. Rémy Martin & Co. sued in August, claiming the rapper’s liquor brand infringed patent and trade dress rights by mimicking Rémy ’s XO bottle. 50 Cent’s company, Sire Spirits, fired back in October, calling the case “meritless” and accusing the spirits company of trying to “destroy a competitor.” But in two recent rulings – one in January and another on Tuesday (March 22) – U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein denied Sire’s motion to dismiss the case at the outset. The decisions mean 50 Cent is headed for a long legal fight, including exchanges of evidence and potentially a jury trial. “...
US exceptionalism could be tested as digital assets find footing worldwide — Sheila Warren
Sheila Warren, CEO of the Crypto Council for Innovation and former head of data, blockchain and digital assets at the World Economic Forum, said the digital yuan may present certain challenges for the United States. However, regulators and lawmakers may want consider how to encourage digital innovation, as China is already “massively tech forward” for its residents. Speaking to Cointelegraph during Austin’s SXSW festival, Warren said that though she believed China’s digital yuan was unlikely to significantly affect retail payments in the United States, the adoption of the technology surrounding it could impact the dollar’s global dominance. The CCI CEO added that the Federal Reserve could make a “strong move” in preserving the dollar’s role by introducing a central ...
How Atlantic Records Plans to Promote 56 Songs From ‘American Song Contest’
The 56 artists competing in the inaugural edition of NBC’s American Song Contest – which debuted Monday (March 21) evening — will have their songs released by Atlantic Records, the legendary American label that has been home to iconic artists such as Aretha Franklin, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Ed Sheeran. Billboard spoke with Atlantic Records president, West Coast, Kevin Weaver about the label’s involvement with the competition and plans for the season. How did Atlantic Records become the label for the American Song Contest? Ben Silverman and Audrey Morrissey are both really good friends of mine. Ben propagated the deal to bring the format to the U.S. I talked to Ben very early on and then I saw the press announcements that NBC picked up the show and then they hired Audrey ...
The Legal Beat: Why Is Rap Music Still On Trial?
This is The Legal Beat, a weekly newsletter about music law from Billboard Pro, offering you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, important rulings, and all the fun stuff in between. This week: A deep dive into how prosecutors are still using rap lyrics to convict the artists who wrote them; a bold new argument centered on “teetotaling” in the Prince estate’s fight against ‘Purple Rain’ wine; a big copyright settlement for Lizzo after years of litigation over her smash hit ‘Truth Hurts,’ and more. THE BIG STORY: Why Are Rap Lyrics Still Cited In Court? “It made absolutely no sense,” Ezra Rosenberg told me, speaking about the 2008 murder conviction of a New Jersey man named Vonte Skinner. Rosenberg, an attorney who worked with the ACLU on Skinner’s case, was specifically talking about t...
FTX Ventures bets $100M on financial services firm Dave
FTX.US will be the official crypto partner of Dave as part of the sealed strategic partnership The exchange will also guide the firm’s entry into the digital assets space Crypto exchange FTX via its venture capital arm FTX Ventures has invested $100 million into Dave, a mobile banking company. This goes along with the ongoing payment industry’s wave towards a focus on systems that support crypto products. Even firms such as MasterCard and Visa that have previously dealt with legacy payment systems have launched initiatives to facilitate payments via crypto assets. PayPal and its Venmo platform added support for crypto last year, while JackDorsey’s Cash App allows US users (bar New York) to send BTC via the Lightning Network. FTX.US will help Dave enter the digital asset s...
FTX exchange expands operation by launching Australian unit
The exchange completed an acquisition to gain the required regulatory license to launch in Australia FTX Australia will offer locals derivatives and other market-leading products Sam Bankman-Fried led crypto exchange FTX has revealed that it’s launching a new service for its customers in Australia. The leading global exchange announced the creation of FTX Australia in a statement published yesterday. The exchange said that Australian consumers will get exposure to market-leading products and services, including derivatives and a collection of exchange and over-the-counter products. CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was keen to point out that the launch of the subsidiary would allow users to conduct their activity on a locally regulated and licensed platform. Though Australians have previously be...
Australia’s Frontier Touring Unveils New Leadership Team
A little more than a year after Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski unexpectedly passed away at age 68, the principals at Mushroom Group subsidiary Frontier Touring have unveiled a new leadership structure to ensure the “legacy, mission, and culture of Frontier is preserved and nurtured,” according to a press release. Frontier’s executive team will be comprised of four members of the current leadership team, all of whom have been elevated to new roles within the company: Dion Brant to CEO, Susan Heymann to CFO, Reegan Stark to chief marketing and communications officer and Andrew Spencer to chief commercial officer. The executive team will report to the Frontier Touring board, comprised of representatives from both AEG Presents — which formed a joint venture with Gudinski and Frontier ...
Radio Promotion Vet John Boulos Launches Consulting Firm
Veteran radio promotion executive John Boulos has launched a new consulting firm, JBoulos Music, it was announced Monday (March 21). The company will aim to develop and break new artists while also mentoring young music executives. JBoulos’ current clients include BlackBox Media Agency, In2une Music, Aware Records MGMT and unnamed major labels. Boulos most recently served as executive vp, promotion at the relaunched Arista Records for three years, where he oversaw all aspects of radio promotion for the label and built and led a multi-format national promotion team. Before exiting the role in June 2021 to spend time with his loved ones, he led campaigns for JP Saxe, including the singer’s Grammy-nominated duet “If the World Was Ending” featuring Julia Michaels. Before landing at Arista, Bou...
Tennis star Naomi Osaka becomes ambassador for crypto exchange FTX
Naomi Osaka, once one of the highest-ranked tennis players in the world, has become the latest figure in sports and entertainment to endorse crypto exchange FTX. In a Monday announcement, FTX said Osaka will be taking an equity stake in the exchange as well as receiving an undisclosed amount of cryptocurrency as compensation for her endorsement. According to the crypto exchange, the tennis star will be part of a “long-term partnership” aimed at bringing women into the space. “We have seen the statistics about how few women are part of crypto by comparison, which kind of mirrors the inequality we see in other financial markets,” said Osaka. “Cryptocurrencies started with the goal of being accessible to everyone and breaking down barriers to entry.” If @StephenCurry30 @TomB...
Hardwell to Close Out Ultra Miami 2022 After Four-Year Hiatus
Four years after stepping away from the EDM scene that made him a global star, Hardwell will take the stage again in Miami next weekend at Ultra Music Festival, Billboard has learned. The Dutch DJ-producer will close out the three-day festival as the “special guest” in the final main stage slot at 9 p.m. on Sunday, March 27, say three people familiar with the matter. Explore Explore Hardwell See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Hardwell, whose real name is Robbert van de Corput, rose to fame amid the hands-in-the-air commercial explosion of dance music in the U.S. from 2012 to 2018, headlining major festivals like Ultra and TomorrowWorld and holding residencies at top-flight venues like Hakkasan in Las Vegas. He produced a slew of high-energy progressive ho...
Paul Simon Shopping Simon & Garfunkel Recorded Royalties
A year after Paul Simon sold his song catalog to Sony Music Publishing, the legendary artist is now shopping his master recording royalties from his Simon & Garfunkel recorded works, multiple sources tell Billboard. The master royalties include the five Simon & Garfunkel studio albums that the duo recorded for Columbia/Sony starting in 1964, including 1971 Grammy album of the year Bridge Over Troubled Water. The duo has sold more than 100 million records, according to Sony. “The Sound of Silence,” “Mrs. Robinson,” “America,” “Homeward Bound,” “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)” and “The Boxer” are among the classic recordings on these albums. A source says Art Garfunkel is not selling his master recording royalties. Simon, one of the most revered singer-songwriters in mo...
