Spotify Announces New Hate Content and Hateful Conduct Public Policy

Spotify has introduced a new policy on Hate Content and Hateful Conduct geared toward content that expressly and principally promotes, advocates, or incites hatred or violence against a group or individual based on characteristics, including, race, religion, gender identity, sex, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, veteran status, or disability.

The new policy allows the company, once alerted to content that violates the policy, to remove it (in consultation with rights holders) or refrain from promoting or playlisting it on the service. Spotify also states that “it’s important to remember that cultural standards and sensitivities vary widely. There will always be content that is acceptable in some circumstances, but is offensive in others, and we will always look at the entire context.”

In a statement Spotify said: “We have tens of millions of tracks on Spotify, growing by approximately 20,000 recordings a day. Nothing makes us more excited than discovering and sharing that music. One of the most amazing things about all that music is the range of genres, cultures, experiences, and stories embodied in it. We love that our platform is home to so much diversity because we believe in openness, tolerance, respect, and freedom of expression, and we want to promote those values through music on our platform. 

“We’ve also thought long and hard about how to handle content that is not hate content itself, but is principally made by artists or other creators who have demonstrated hateful conduct personally. We work with and support artists in different ways – we make their music available on Spotify and help connect them to new and existing fans, we program and promote their music, and we collaborate with them to create content. While we don’t believe in censoring content because of an artist’s or creator’s behavior, we want our editorial decisions – what we choose to program – to reflect our values. So, in some circumstances, when an artist or creator does something that is especially harmful or hateful (for example, violence against children and sexual violence), it may affect the ways we work with or support that artist or creator.”

To help them identify hate content, Spotify has partnered with rights advocacy groups, including The Southern Poverty Law Center, The Anti-Defamation League, Color Of Change, Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), GLAAD, Muslim Advocates, and the International Network Against Cyber Hate. They have built an internal content monitoring tool, Spotify AudioWatch, which identifies content on the platform that has been flagged as hate content on specific international registers.

The company urges users to report violations here that will be reviewed carefully against the new policy. The entire policy can be found here.

Exclusive: Nashville Band The Shadowboxers Talk Justin Timberlake Tour, New EP ‘Apollo’

The Shadowboxers

After being discovered by Justin Timberlake in 2013 and later signing with the superstar’s development company Villa 40, Nashville-based band The Shadowboxers have spent the past few years working meticulously in studios in both Nashville and Los Angeles to craft a swirl of classic pop music with infectious R&B and electronic elements. That one-track focus resulted in their EP Apollo, which released in March.

Now, the Nashville band, which consists of Scott Tyler, Matt Lipkins, and Adam Hoffman, is on the road opening shows for Timberlake’s Man of the Woods tour. The tour stops at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena tonight (May 9), followed by a Shadowboxers show at The Basement on May 10 as part of their On The Side Tour.

MusicRow spoke with the band about the tour and about their recent EP, Apollo.

MusicRow: Why the long wait for this album?

Scott: First, we wanted to get the songs right. We had been writing and recording for a long time and it took a while to get the songs exactly where we wanted them. They went through a lot of forms and also, we wanted to get in the studio with Justin [Timberlake] and his schedule is so busy, we needed to set aside the right amount of time to work with him. Once those two things lined up, we had a body of work that we felt represented who we were.

MR: How many songs would you estimate you wrote during that period?

Adam: We actually wrote probably 150 songs and we demoed 130. We have a SoundCloud that perhaps will see the light of day that we wrote, and some of those songs are co-writes but a lot of them were just us in our studio in Germantown writing every day. Through that process, we found out what Apollo was going to sound like, and what statement we wanted to make. We weren’t willing to go in to record until we felt we had the best of the best.

Matt: We have a lot of different ways we write and musical influences. One of the biggest hurdles we’ve had is figuring out how to put out a body of music that sounded consistent and a lot of songs that made sense together. A lot of the Apollo EP came from one writing session, with a co-writer and co-producer named K-KOV. “Brakes,” “Hot Damn” and “Timezone” and “Shadowboxer” came from a week we did in Los Angeles, and then “Runaway” was a song we had had for years. They all worked together. But I think writing a bunch of those songs at the same time when we were in the same mode really helped.

Scott: When we would finish writing a song with K-Kov, we would drive over to another studio in Los Angeles and play them for him on the main speakers there and that was like, an immediate test of whether the song worked or not. When we first played “Timezone,” he threw up his hat and ran around the studio, he was so amped up. It was that week that we wrote the majority of the EP.

MR: What did Justin bring to the mentoring and creative process?

Scott: He pushed us to be bolder with all of our decisions and vocal takes. Being songwriters from a more coffee shop, listening room space, as well being used to writing in our dorm rooms or home studios, it’s easy to get lost in the musicianship of a recording, and it’s easy to lose the boldness and vibrato that is required to make a statement for a new band at this point. We are now realizing the potential of these songs because they were meant for arenas. You can tell the difference in a song we wrote before working with Justin and K-Kov. The songs we did with them feel bigger and more worthy of reaching someone in the back row.

MR: How do you describe the songwriting vibe in Nashville versus Los Angeles?

Scott: We live in Nashville and we write in Nashville, so when we fly to L.A. for a songwriting trip, it makes all of our decisions into intentions. There’s a certain amount of gearing up mentally that you have to do, because you want to make the trip worthwhile. Going to L.A. made us focus more on creating, not that we don’t in Nashville, but it’s a different thing. We are spending money to go out to L.A. to record so we have to make it worth it.

Adam: In L.A., you exist indoors and outdoors at the same time. The weather is always very accommodating so it’s nice to always be able to step outside and get that vibe and return to writing. But in Nashville, I love that the seasons can influence your writing. There’s a lot of that in the batch of songs. We had a lot of cold weather songs we have written.

Matt: Also, Adam you have seasonal depression [laughs]. Putting on your pants and going to the library gets you one type of work, or song, and another type of song is the sitting at home in your underwear at 3 a.m. [laughs] when the thinking part of your brain is off, kind of song. Sometimes that’s when the best ideas come, when you are at home, and the things you learn from the day swirl together and you get to be subjective and create.

MR: As the tour has progressed, how have you had to tweak your set?

Matt: This tour has been the best learning experience as a band that we’ve ever had. We’ve never played the same show twice on this tour. After each show, we go into the greenroom, and it turns into a locker room vibe, watching highlights, where we are tweaking songs, changing out songs. It’s been a slow development of us realizing that we are not just there to promote our EP as Justin’s darling band, we are there to hype up this crowd and get everybody prepared for the headlining act. That has allowed us to maximize the effectiveness of all of these songs.

Scott: There’s no question we are opening for one of the greatest entertainers to ever do it, which is a huge amount of pressure, but that pressure forces us to get every bit of energy out of the songs and the transitions.

MR: After tonight’s Bridgestone Arena show, you will be at Nashville’s The Basement the very next evening, as part of your On The Side Tour. What impact does that have, alternating between Arena dates and more intimate club shows?

Scott: We know how to play a club, that’s our home. We take that energy and we are projecting to the back row of an arena. When we bring that into a club, you can feel that energy coming back immediately, it’s like we’ve been training with weights on our wrists and ankles and then we take them off and do what we know how to do and everything feels easier. The arena show has to be about the energy, but we can break it down and do some more intimate songs in a club than we can do in an arena. It informs both kinds of shows. The arena shows are the most fun working that you can have.

Bobby Karl Works The Room: Dan+Shay Preview New Album

BOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM
Chapter 590

The future looks blindingly bright for Dan + Shay.

With “Tequila” steamrolling towards a certain shot at No. 1, anticipation is high for the duo’s upcoming CD. At an exclusive listening party on Tuesday evening, May 8, the team offered a tantalizing sneak-peak of what we can expect. It took place at WB boss John Esposito’s vintage Belle Meade home.

“Five-and-a-half years ago, everybody in town was trying to sign Dan + Shay, but this house was a secret weapon,” said host Espo. “It was because of the back yard. They came and played here for four nights. They shot their first EPK here.

Dan + Shay

“You’re really lucky in life when you can hit a vein,” he added, pointing to the team’s songwriting talent, Shay Mooney’s stunning, effortless, tenor voice and Dan Smyers’ “ears” as a producer, guitarist and velvety baritone harmony vocalist.

“We’ve already had success. And then we got ‘Tequila.’” With 80 million streams, the song is one of the 10 most streamed country songs so far this year. And, “It’s getting on music charts around the world.

“We have seven or eight No. 1 single contenders on this record, and I’m not exaggerating. Welcome to ‘Live at Espo’s!’”

Dan + Shay sang their No. 1 smash “How Not To,” while the audience sang along. They followed it with “Tequila.” Both were performed without amplification, with Dan’s acoustic guitar as their only accompaniment. And both pinned our ears back.

“Thank you guys for always kicking ass for us,” said Dan, referring to the assembled media mavens. “It takes a village. We got to live our dream every day because of the people in this room. We feel so damn lucky. And I get to live this dream with my best friend in the world. I think this guy right here is the best singer in country music,” he added, smiling at Shay.

Warner Music Nashville Chairman & CEO John Esposito hosted the spring edition of “Live at Espo’s” last night at his home with a new music preview from double CMT Music awards nominees Dan + Shay. The Platinum-selling duo also performed their global hit “Tequila,” which currently stands as one of the Top 10 most streamed country songs of 2018 with more than 80 million on-demand streams and sits inside the Top 15 at country radio. [Click to enlarge.]

Dan was our DJ as he played some tracks from the upcoming album. “All to Myself” was joyous and bopping, followed by a string of additional titles from the upcoming project.

Grooving to the tunes were Jon Freeman, John Hamlin, Susan Stewart, Sherod Robertson, Steve Buchanan, Shane Tarleton, Lisa Ray, Leslie Fram, Beville Dunkerley, Brittany Shaffer, Ann Powers, Alicia Warwick, Chuck Aly, Tom Roland, Wes Vause, Jewly Hight, Cris Lacy, Frank Tanki and R.J. Curtis.

One particular delight was Dan + Shay’s merry riffing on an improvised ditty with the theme of “Drinkin’ Wine at Espo’s,” which was what we were doing, after all.

“This is a special place for us,” said Shay of their label chief’s elegant, 101-year-old manse. “This is awesome.”

Then label chief presented Dan + Shay with Gold Record plaques for “How Not To” as a climax of the eve.

“This is the year for Dan + Shay,” said John Esposito. “They are superstars in waiting.”

Devin Dawson To Join Brett Eldredge’s Fall Tour

Having wrapped the spring dates of Brett Eldredge’s Long Way Tour this past weekend in New York, Warner Music Nashville/Atlantic Records recording artist Devin Dawson will join labelmate Eldredge again for a second set of tour dates this fall. The tour’s fall dates will begin Sept. 13 in Denver, Colorado, and will run through Oct. 19 in Boca Raton, Florida.

Before joining Tim McGraw & Faith Hill for the summer 2018 leg of their Soul2Soul The World Tour, Dawson will be taking his headline tour overseas this month with stops in Germany, Netherlands and the UK. Recently, Dawson received the ultimate surprise during his stop at ELLEN, where Ellen DeGeneres herself presented him on-air with his very first RIAA Gold-certified plaque for “All On Me.”

Dave Matthews, Tim Reynolds Added To Pilgrimage Lineup

Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds join the growing lineup of artists slated to perform at this year’s upcoming fourth annual Pilgrimage Festival September 22-23 at The Park at Harlinsdale in Franklin, Tennessee.

The two-day festival already boasts a lineup that includes Jack White, Chris Stapleton, Lionel Richie, Brandi Carlile, Counting Crows and more.

A 2Day Pilgrimage pass ($185) or 2-Day VIP Village pass ($975) as well as on-site parking passes for $60 are available while limited supplies last. The VIP Village is presented in partnership with Strategic Hospitality of Nashville. Passes can be purchased at pilgrimagefestival.com/tickets.

The full 2018 lineup includes:
Jack White * Chris Stapleton * Lionel Richie * Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds
* Hozier * Brandi Carlile * Counting Crows
Amos Lee * Bleachers * Lord Huron * Dawes
Maggie Rogers * Elle King * Mat Kearney
Valerie June * The Struts * Jade Bird * Kevin Griffin * Keb’ Mo’
The White Buffalo * Pete Yorn * The Record Company
Caitlyn Smith * John Moreland * The Infamous Stringdusters *
Tall Heights * Tyminski * Aaron Lee Tasjan * Jillian Jacqueline
Low Cut Connie * Donovan Woods * Courtney Marie Andrews
Rebirth Brass Band * Wild Rivers * Joshua Hedley * Caroline Rose
Robert Finley * Devon Gilfillian *Whitney Rose * Lilly Hiatt
Sarah Shook & The Disarmers * AHI * Liz Longley * Hannah Dasher
Josh Martin * Bishop Gunn * Ralph’s World + Friends * Siama’s Congo Roots * 123 Andrés
Mister G * Cajun Mike * Tom Mason and the Blue Buccaneers + more

Exactuals Adds Jeff Van Driel, Mark Montgomery To Advisory Board

Exactuals, a platform provider for complex payments in the entertainment industry, has announced the addition of Jeff Van Driel and Mark Montgomery to its advisory board.

The Exactuals team will share additional news and details about its music platform on site at Music Biz 2018 in Nashville May 14-17. The California-based company recently opened a Music City office to more closely serve Nashville’s music community.

Van Driel most recently was the CEO of Naxos of America, the leading independent digital and physical distributor of classical music in North America. He first joined the company in 2007. He has also served as Executive Producer at Nashville independent label Suite 28 Records.

Montgomery has founded and co-founded numerous companies, including the anti-venture fund, FLO and most recently, IDDO, an innovation lab. Montgomery’s influence can be found in everything from tech recruitment to state-run brand accelerators, and he is a long-time fixture in the growing Nashville venture community. He is also a professor in the College of Media and Entertainment at MTSU.

“In my 10+ years at Naxos, I saw firsthand how complicated metadata management, royalty calculation, and payment execution can be in the music space,” Van Driel said. “Exactuals is doing exactly what needs to be done to make the process smoother and more secure, and I look forward to lending my voice to their team.”

“Having created, led and advised a wide variety of businesses over the years, including in the music sector, I instantly appreciated the impact that Exactuals was going have on both payments and business intelligence,” Montgomery said. “As a longtime advocate for the creative community in Tennessee, I welcome their expanded team to Nashville and look forward to working with them.”

“Jeff Van Driel brought tremendous success to Naxos of America and is one of the most intelligent and well-respected music industry voices in Nashville,” Exactuals CEO Mike Hurst said. “Mark Montgomery has been involved with many successful endeavors, and his accumen in commerce, marketing, and entrepreneurship will benefit our company greatly as we expand in the music sector. Jeff and Mark will help to guide our growing team in Nashville and we are thrilled to welcome them to our advisory board.”

Since its founding in 2011, Exactuals has established itself as the SaaS leader in the film/TV payments space, solidifying high-profile deals with the industry’s largest talent union, SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild), and the industry’s largest payroll company, Entertainment Partners. It has received more than $23 million in funding to date.

Artist Growth, Pinnacle Financial Team For Live Entertainment Financial Services

Artist Growth, a leading artist management software platform, and Pinnacle Financial Partners, a leading financial services firm for the entertainment industry, have announced a strategic partnership and equity investment aimed at bringing a new model of financial services to touring entertainers, via platform integrations and financial innovations.

“We couldn’t be more excited about our partnership with Pinnacle,” said Matt Urmy, Artist Growth founder and chief strategy officer. “Their music, entertainment and sports team has demonstrated a commitment to providing real support to working artists and built an internal culture around that mission. This is in lock-step with who we are at Artist Growth. We can do so much together to help artists unlock the capital they need to focus on their art.”

“The industry has changed, and Matt is way ahead of the curve with Artist Growth,” said Andy Moats, Pinnacle’s director of music, entertainment and sports. “As touring has taken over and become one of the biggest money makers for all involved, the systems for managing it haven’t kept up. Artist Growth has figured out a way to put more power and control into the hands of the artists and the teams who support them. We are ready to help them unlock the further potential in their platform to better serve those on tour and those who finance it.”

 

Lori McKenna’s New Album ‘The Tree’ Coming In July

Lori McKenna is set to release her latest album, The Tree, July 20 on CN Records via Thirty Tigers. The project features four tracks penned solely by McKenna, and also includes collaborations with Barry Dean, Luke Laird, Natalie Hemby, Aaron Raitiere, Hailey Whitters, Hillary Lindsey, and Liz Rose.

The Tree is McKenna’s eleventh studio album and second with producer Dave Cobb. Recorded at Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, the 11-song album features McKenna (vocals, acoustic guitar), Cobb (acoustic/electric guitar, mellotron), Anderson East (electric guitar), Brian Allen (bass), Chris McKenna (mellotron), Chris Powell (drums, percussion) and backing vocals from Kristen Rogers, Natalie Hemby and Hillary Lindsey.

“I love people’s stories about their families—the way they tic and the ways we’re all crazy and love each other,” said McKenna. “I hope my songs shine a little light on that for a second. Maybe our stories remind us of our families and what they give us. It’s beautiful, and sometimes we take it for granted.”

In advance of the release, the album track, “People Get Old,” is premiering today.

 

McKenna will embark on “The Way Back Home Tour” in support of the new project this summer with stops in Boston, New York, DC, Chicago and Atlanta as well as Philadelphia’s World Café Live and Nashville’s CMA Theatre, among others.

Last year McKenna became the first songwriter to win back-to-back Best Country Song awards at the Grammys since Shania Twain in 1999-2000 with her solo-penned, No. 1 hit “Humble & Kind” (following 2016’s win for “Girl Crush” co-written with Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey). Her current cuts include Carrie Underwood’s new single, “Cry Pretty,” also penned with Rose and Lindsey.

THE TREE TRACK LISTING:
1. A Mother Never Rests (Lori McKenna, Barry Dean)
2. The Fixer (Lori McKenna)
3. People Get Old (Lori McKenna)
4. Young And Angry Again (Lori McKenna, Barry Dean, Luke Laird)
5. The Tree (Lori McKenna, Natalie Hemby, Aaron Raitiere)
6. You Won’t Even Know I’m Gone (Lori McKenna)
7. Happy People (Lori McKenna, Hailey Whitters)
8. You Can’t Break A Woman (Lori McKenna, Hillary Lindsey, Liz Rose)
9. The Lot Behind St. Mary’s (Lori McKenna)
10. The Way Back Home (Lori McKenna, Luke Laird)
11. Like Patsy Would (Lori McKenna, Hillary Lindsey, Liz Rose)

Devin Dawson Celebrates First MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart No. 1

Pictured (L-R): MusicRow owner/publisher Sherod Robertson, Jacob Durrett, Devin Dawson, and Austin Smith.

Devin Dawson marked his first No. 1 MusicRow CountryBreakout title in January with “All On Me,” from his debut album, Dark Horse. The singer-songwriter, along with his “All On Me” co-writers Jacob Durrett and Austin Smith, visited the MusicRow offices on May 8 to receive their MusicRow Challenge Coins in celebration of “All On Me” topping the MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart.

Dawson, who is signed to Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville, was recently named one of MusicRow’s Next Big Things for 2018. “All On Me” has also been certified Gold by the RIAA.

Dawson initially gained popularity after a mash-up with Louisa Wendorff featuring Taylor Swift singles “Style” and “Blank Space” went viral.

Jacob Durrett, Devin Dawson and Austin Smith with MusicRow staffers.

Cam, Sheryl Crow, Beth Laird Included In Recording Academy Diversity Task Force

The Recording Academy has announced the names of its newly formed task force on diversity and inclusion that will examine barriers and biases affecting women and other underrepresented voices in the industry and, specifically, the Recording Academy.

Tina Tchen, Chair of the Recording Academy’s task force, has spent weeks since her appointment meeting with and listening to constituents across the music community, and using that feedback to assemble a task force that is balanced in perspectives and interests to ensure that the group is independent and focused on making progress in the industry. All members will volunteer their time and expertise, and none are employed by the Recording Academy or hold any position on its Board. The task force includes the following music creators, executives, scholars, and thought leaders in gender equality and diversity:

  • Stephanie Alexa, vice president of finance and licensing administration, ATO Records
  • Michele Anthony, executive vice president and executive management board member, Universal Music Group
  • Cam, GRAMMY-nominated artist
  • Common, GRAMMY-winning artist
  • Sheryl Crow, GRAMMY-winning artist
  • Andra Day, GRAMMY-nominated artist
  • Giselle Fernandez, award-winning television journalist
  • Jimmy Jam, GRAMMY-winning artist
  • Beth Laird, CEO and co-owner, Creative Nation
  • Debra Lee, chairman and CEO, BET Networks
  • Rebeca Leon, co-founder and CEO, Lionfish Entertainment
  • Elizabeth Matthews, CEO, ASCAP
  • Dr. Stacy L. Smith, founder and director, USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative
  • Ty Stiklorius, founder and CEO, Friends At Work
  • Julie Swidler, executive vice president of business affairs and general counsel, Sony Music
  • Dean Wilson, CEO, SEVEN20

“I’m honored to lead such an esteemed group of visionaries who possess the experience and passion needed to drive real change in building a more inclusive and equitable music community,” said Tchen. “This is an important first step made possible by the Recording Academy’s leadership, which recognizes the benefit of examining these issues with fresh eyes.”

The task force is set to meet shortly to begin a review of Recording Academy operations and policies across the areas of corporate governance, hiring and promotion, membership, awards, and the GRAMMY Awards telecast. As Chair, Tchen will develop an operational roadmap for the task force and update the Recording Academy on the group’s progress on an ongoing basis throughout the year. As one of its first orders of business, the task force has established a feedback tool to collect public input and suggestions for the group’s review and consideration. Anyone interested in providing suggestions for the task force can do so by visiting grammy.com/taskforcefeedback.

“This is an extremely important initiative for us,” said John Poppo, Chair of the Recording Academy Board of Trustees. “The Board takes seriously any role the Recording Academy can play in serving our music community, and certainly one that could facilitate increased diversity and inclusion. We are inspired by the prospect of what this task force might accomplish, and we’re grateful to Tina and the group’s esteemed members for graciously agreeing to partner with us in this effort.”