business
Cheryl Tiano, Longtime Film/TV Music Agent, Dies at 59
The Society of Composers & Lyricists also acknowledged Tiano’s death with the following statement: “Cheryl had long ago taken her place amongst the top tier of composer agents in the entertainment industry. Her clients loved her, and she loved repping them. She is an enormous loss to our media music community.” Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Tiano studied composition at Boston’s Berklee College of Music and later graduated from the California Institute of the Arts. Early in her career, she spent several years working at a variety of high-profile arts organizations, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where she ran the Monday Evening Concert series. She was hired at Gorfaine/Schwartz in May 1993. It was Tiano’s music background that, in the words of GSA partner ...
Capitol Music Group Chairman/CEO Steve Barnett Announces Retirement, Taps New Leadership Team
Capitol Music Group chairman/CEO Steve Barnett has announced his retirement, effective Dec. 31, 2020, the company announced today (Nov. 5). Barnett, a 50-year veteran of the music business, had spent the past eight years at the helm of the Universal Music Group-owned company, which he joined in 2012 after a stint as chairman of Columbia. As part of the announcement, Barnett announced that current Capitol Records president Jeff Vaughn and current Capitol Music Group COO Michele Jubelirer will take over atop the company. Vaughn will serve as chairman/CEO of CMG, while Jubelirer will become president/COO of CMG. “This has been an incredible journey, and I’ve been tremendously fortunate to work with such amazing people along the way,” Barnett said in a statement. “I am indebted to ...
Canada’s SOCAN Reports Growth In 2019, Distributions Shrink Due to Tech Rollout
Finally, the company says that mechanical royalties totaled C$12 million ($9 million) last year. As part of its results, the company acknowledged that its move to diversify beyond performance rights collections begun in 2016 has not worked out to its satisfactions. So it says it’s taking steps to rectify that situation. As part of that move, SOCAN said it registered a C$41.7 million ($31 million) impairment charge to its Dataclef subsidiary. But that charge have not impacted distribution, the organization said. Dataclef includes its acquisitions of Audiam, which tracks songwriter royalties at YouTube and other digital services for songwriters; Musicnet; and the Canadian mechanical licensing organization SODRAC. “At the time of our investment in these operations, we were exploring new...
The Players Behind Ariana Grande’s ‘Positions’: See the Full Credits
Artists:Main Artist – Ariana Grande Songwriters:Composer Lyricist – Angelina BarrettComposer Lyricist – Ariana GrandeComposer Lyricist – Brian Vincent BatesComposer Lyricist – James JarvisComposer Lyricist – London HolmesComposer Lyricist – Nija CharlesComposer Lyricist – Steven FranksComposer Lyricist – Tommy Brown Vocal Arranger – Ariana Grande Producers:Producer – London On Da TrackProducer – Mr. FranksProducer – Tommy Brown Production Team:Vocal Producer – Ariana Grande Engineers:Engineer – Ariana GrandeEngineer – Billy Hickey Mastering Engineer – Randy Merrill Mixer – Serban Ghenea Performers: Background Vocalist – Ariana Grande Guitar – James Jarvis Other Contr...
Trump and the Future of the Celebrity Candidate
Some experts in presidential campaigning caution against seeing Trump as much more than a unique phenomenon. “It’s important not to over-read what his candidacy means for future elections,” says Stephanie Cutter, who served as deputy campaign manager for Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign and held similar positions for John Kerry and Ted Kennedy. But others contend the fresh dynamics in star power are just beginning to play out and, regardless of what happens on Nov. 3, have already changed the calculus. “Donald Trump rang a bell that a lot of people heard: ‘If he could be elected president, then I can be elected president.’ A lot of celebrities with a big platform now believe that,” says longtime political advisor Mark Mc...
Ariana Grande on Track For U.K. Chart Double
Positions is the most streamed album of the week so far, the OCC reports, and if it wins the race, it’ll become Grande’s fourth consecutive U.K. No. 1 album following Dangerous Woman (2016), Sweetener (2018), and Thank U, Next (2019). Smith’s previous two albums In The Lonely Hour (2014) and The Thrill Of It All (2017) both debuted at the summit. Coming in at No. 3 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart Update is Cliff Richard’s 41st studio album Music… The Air That I Breathe (East West/Rhino). It’s the best-selling album in the first half of the week, and Breathe should become the veteran singer’s 46th Top 10 album. Meanwhile, Bruce Springsteen’s latest album Letter to You (Columbia) dips 1-4, while The Style Council’s career retrospective Long Hot Summers (Polydor/UMC) starts at No. 5. ...
Top Music Execs & Their Employees Aren’t Donating to the Same Political Candidates
“I don’t love that [Phil] supports all these right wing causes, but his political beliefs are so far detached from the work we do and our company values,” explains one high ranking executive, who notes that despite being very conservative, Anschutz supports LGBT causes and has given millions to groups some describe as being left of center. Employees at Liberty Media, which owns SiriusXM, Pandora and a 35% stake in Live Nation, for the first time ever have given more money to Democratic candidates than Republican ones. In 2020, individuals at the company gave $209,374 to Democrats and $92,485 to Republicans — more than a 2-1 margin. Back in 2016, Democrats only received $134,636 while $385,700 was spent on Republican candidates, while in 2012, only $12,500 was spent on Democrats with ...
Steve Earle, Bobbie Gentry, Kent Blazy to Be Inducted Into Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
Three-time Grammy winner Earle has released 18 studio albums, beginning with his acclaimed 1986 debut, Guitar Town, and is known for writing songs such as “Copperhead Road” and “The Devil’s Right Hand.” Singer/songwriter/producer Gentry is best known for her 1967 No. 1 smash “Ode To Billie Joe,” as well as “Fancy” and “Mornin’ Glory.” Blazy’s songwriting credits include “If Tomorrow Never Comes” (Garth Brooks), “Ain’t Goin’ Down (’Til The Sun Comes Up)” (Garth Brooks) and “Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song)” (Chris Young). James has a long list of songwriting credits, including “Jesus Take The Wheel” (Carrie Underwood), “When The Sun Goes Down” (Kenny Chesney & Uncle Kracker) and “Summer Nights” (Rascal Flatts). Oldham has written such R&B and pop hits as “I’m...
‘Taylor Is Free’: Taylor Swift Can Officially Re-Record Her First Five Albums & Fans Are Celebrating
Swift herself first revealed the new recording deadline for her first five LPS — 2006’s Taylor Swift through 2014’s 1989 — back in August 2019 following her highly public feud with Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta over control of her masters. (In July 2019, Braun bought Swift’s former label, Big Machine Records, in a landmark $300 million deal through his company Ithaca Holdings, effectively giving him ownership of the star’s entire pre-Lover catalog of work. At the time, Swift called the move her “worst case scenario.”) “Yeah, that’s true and it’s something that I’m very excited about doing because my contract says that starting November 2020, so next year, I can record albums one through five all over again,” she told Good Morn...
BBC exposes European pyramid scam exploiting Africans, others
A new investigation by BBC Africa Eye has uncovered a global pyramid scam, run from Europe, that is using smartphones to cheat ordinary people across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Crowd1 describes itself as “the fastest growing crowd marketing company in the world” and produces social media videos which show members buying new cars and enjoying luxury holidays. Using nothing but a smartphone, Crowd1 claims, you can become a millionaire by promoting and selling a series of exciting digital products to your network. These claims have persuaded thousands of people across Africa to hand over the 99 Euros that buys an entry-level membership to Crowd1. But a six-month investigation by BBC Africa Eye reveals that, behind the slick marketing, Crowd1 is peddling a range of bogus products and fal...
Ariana Grande, Bruce Springsteen Make U.K. Chart History
Last week’s chart leader, Internet Money’s “Lemonade” (Tenthousand Projects) featuring Don Toliver, Gunna and Nav, slips to No. 2, while KSI is new at No. 3 with “Really Love” (BMG) featuring Craig David and Digital Farm Animals. It’s the rapper and YouTuber’s highest-charting single as a lead artist, and David’s highest since 2005’s “All The Way”. Over on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, Springsteen is the boss once more as Letter to You (Columbia) blasts to the top, for the rock legend’s 12th leader. Letter to You was an express delivery, outselling the rest of the Top 5 combined and bagging 51,800 chart sales, with 95% made up of physical and download sales. It trails onlyLady Gaga’s Chromatica (Interscope) for the biggest opening week overall for an album this year, debuting at No. 1 in...
Hipgnosis Songs Buys Kobalt Music Catalog: 33,000 Songs for $323 Million
The catalog contains such songs as “Go Your Own Way” and “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and “One Sweet Day” featuring Boyz II Men by Mariah Carey, “Bailando” and “Hero” by Enrique Iglesias, “Higher Love” by Steve Winwood, “Roar” and “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry, “Gimme Some Lovin’” by The Spencer Davis Group, “Can’t Find My Way Home” by Blind Faith, “Never Give Up on a Good Thing” by George Benson, “Bad to the Bone” by George Thorogood, “Halo” by Beyoncé, “Love Shack” by the B-52s, “In Da Club” by 50 Cent, “Sorry” by Justin Bieber, “Don’t You Worry C...
