2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Rules In Favor Of Pandora

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pandora-logoThe 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the March 19, 2014 rulings in performing rights organization ASCAP’s case against Pandora, rejecting efforts by ASCAP and music publishers that would force the internet radio company to pay higher royalties and have access to fewer songs.

The appeals court rejected ASCAP’s effort to increase the rate that Pandora must pay to license its music from 2013 to 2015, thus upholding two rulings from U.S. District Judge Denise Cote (Manhattan). The first ruling required Pandora to pay ASCAP a royalty rate of 1.85 percent of revenue for use of its songs from 2011-2015. ASCAP has proposed an escalating rate that capped at three percent.

The second ruling rejected efforts by Vivendi SA’s Universal Music Publishing, as well as Sony/ATV Music Publishing and EMI Music Publishing, to withdraw their new media licensing rights from ASCAP.

ASCAP WE CREATE MUSIC1“This ruling reaffirms what we already know – that the ASCAP Consent Decree and the rules that govern music licensing are outdated and completely out of step with the way people listen to music today,” said ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews of the ruling. “We are encouraged that the Department of Justice is reviewing the ASCAP Consent Decree and by the growing chorus of voices in support of our efforts to modernize music licensing – from the Copyright Office to Congressional sponsors of the Songwriter Equity Act. Powerful corporate interests, like Pandora, are determined to stand in the way of meaningful music licensing reform so that they may continue to shortchange songwriters. This is a wake up call for creators to stand together, get involved and fight for their right to be paid a fair market rate for the use of their works.”

HSN, Inc. Partners To Offer Margaritaville-Inspired Products

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margaritavilleMargaritaville Enterprises has partnered with HSN, Inc. to offer culinary, home, electronics, beauty, and apparel products to HSN and HSNi’s Cornerstone division brands, Frontgate and TravelSmith. All items will be in inspired by the Margaritaville brand.

“We’re thrilled to launch this new partnership with HSNi and provide millions of new consumers the opportunity to experience the Margaritaville way of life, wherever their current latitude,” said John Cohlan, CEO, Margaritaville Enterprises. “From our island-inspired home decor and entertaining products to our frozen concoction makers and apparel, each item in the collection embodies escapism, relaxation, paradise and the Margaritaville state of mind.”

The partnership officially launches today (Wed. May 6, 2015) with 142 home products on the Frontgate website. HSN will offer Margaritaville-branded merchandise starting July 3. HSN will also host a month-long celebration for its 38th Birthday with “5 O’clock Somewhere” shows each Friday on their TV, online, mobile and social platforms.

SOURCE Awards Honorees Revealed for 2015

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sourceThe honorees for the 2015 SOURCE Awards, slated for Sept. 29 at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum at the Historic Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, have been announced.

Recipients include Phyllis Deen Hill (Sun Records), Gayle Holcomb (WME), Cindy Mabe (UMG), Mary Del Scobey (Almo/Irving Music), Nancy Shapiro (Recording Academy), Sally Williams (Ryman Auditorium), and a posthumous award to Terrell Tye (Forerunner Music).

Founded in 1991, SOURCE is a nonprofit organization supporting women executives and professionals who work in all facets of the Nashville music industry. In 2003, the annual SOURCE Awards were established to pay respect to and honor the women who helped develop and build upon the foundation of the music industry in Nashville. SOURCE also pays tribute to women who presently make major contributions with their work in the industry.

NMPA Finalizes Licensing Deal with SoundCloud

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NMPA-SoundcloudNational Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) President and CEO David Israelite today (May 6) announced the organization has negotiated the terms of a Rights Agreement with SoundCloud.

The deal will benefit of NMPA’s independent music publisher and songwriters members to receive royalties through content monetization for their work on the streaming site.

“This agreement ensures that when SoundCloud succeeds financially, so do the songwriters whose content draws so many users to their site,” said Israelite. “I am thrilled that we could agree on terms that will benefit both creators and the SoundCloud platform that has brought online music access and creativity to a new level.”

SoundCloud launched in 2008 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss in Berlin. The audio platform gives users access to the world’s largest community of music and audio creators.

Billboard reports Sony Music has removed original recordings from the SoundCloud pages of Adele, Hozier, Miguel, Kelly Clarkson, Passion Pit, Leon Bridges, and more “as part of a breakdown in negotiations between the major music group.”

“Until recently [Soundcloud] was a completely free service to more than 350 million monthly users,” notes Andrew Hampp. “Though its content was unlicensed, the platform has played an influential role in helping developing artists like Lorde and, ironically, Bridges get discovered and ultimately signed by major labels – as well as a destination for established acts like Beyonce, Miguel and Drake to debut new material.”

Toby Keith Adds More ‘Good Times’ To Tour

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Toby Keith

Like most A-list artists, Toby Keith is set on making sure his fans get the most entertainment possible during his concert stops. For The 2015 Toby Keith Good Times & Pick Up Lines Tour presented by Ford F-Series, Keith tapped newcomer Chris Janson as his opening act on more than 20 tour dates this summer.

Janson joins other artists, including Eli Young Band and Colt Ford, who will occasionally join the tour’s lineup.

Janson’s single “Buy Me A Boat” topped the iTunes chart recently, and the singer-songwriter became the first artist to have a music video produced and financed by CMT. Janson’s star keeps rising, as he recently made the switch from independent artist to major label artist, signing with Warner Music Nashville.

Tour dates for the 2015 Toby Keith Good Times & Pick Up Lines Tour presented by Ford F-Series (*denotes dates with Chris Janson in support):

5/29/15 – Mt. View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre *
5/30/15 – San Bernardino, CA – San Manuel Amphitheater *
5/31/15 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion *
6/13/15 – Gilford, NH – Bank of NH Pavilion at Meadowbrook
6/14/15 – Hunter, NY – Taste of Country Music Festival
6/19/15 – Vineland, CO – Bands in the Backyard
6/20/15 – Sheridan, WY – Big Horn Country USA
6/21/15 – Grand Junction, CO – Country Jam
6/27/15 – Detroit, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre *
6/28/15 – Cadott, WI – Country Fest
6/30/15 – Moose Jaw, SK (Canada) – Mosaic Place
7/01/15 – Calgary, AB (Canada) – Cowboy’s Stampede Tent
7/08/15 – Verona, NY – Turning Stone Casino *
7/10/15 – Hartford, CT – XFINITY Theatre *
7/11/15 – Darien Lake, NY – Darien Lake PAC *
7/17/15 – Raleigh, NC – Walnut Creek Amphitheatre *
7/18/15 – St. Clairesville, OH – Jamboree In The Hills
7/19/15 – Chillecothe, IL – 2015 Country Life Music Festival
7/23/15 – Monticello, IA – Great Jones County Fair
7/24/15 – Cheyenne, WY – Cheyenne Frontier Days
7/25/15 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre *
7/30/15 – Atlanta, GA – Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood *
7/31/15 – Birmingham, AL – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre *
8/01/15 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre *
8/02/15 – West Palm Beach, FL – Cruzan Amphitheatre *
8/07/15 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center *
8/08/15 – Washington, DC – Jiffy Lube Live *
8/09/15 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center *
8/14/15 – Boston, MA – XFINITY Center *
8/15/15 – Harrington, DE – Junction Festival
8/21/15 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion *
8/22/15 – Virginia Beach, VA – Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach *
9/04/15 – Chicago, IL – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre *
9/05/15 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre *
9/25/15 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center *
9/26/15 – Pittsburgh, PA – First Niagara Pavilion *

Gospel Music Hall of Fame Adds Bebe and CeCe Winans, Twila Paris and More

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Pictured (L-R, back row): Shelley and Louie Giglio, Bishop Paul S. Morton, BeBe Winans, Al Andrews, Roland Lundy, Twila Paris, CeCe Winans, Candy Christmas, Mark Lowry, Jackie Patillo and John Huie. Photo: Getty Images

Pictured (L-R, back row): Shelley and Louie Giglio, Bishop Paul S. Morton, BeBe Winans, Al Andrews, Roland Lundy.
(front row): Twila Paris, CeCe Winans, Candy Christmas, Mark Lowry, Jackie Patillo and John Huie. Photo: Getty Images

The Gospel Music Association honored several titans of the Gospel music industry last night (May 5) at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville. The GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame saw the addition five new members, including BeBe and CeCe Winans, Mark Lowry, Roland Lundy, and Twila Paris.

“Tonight is about honoring service,” said GMA president and executive director Jackie Patillo. “Even though we use the phrase ‘Hall of Fame,’ what we really mean is notable service to God and to others. Likewise, our GMA Honors provides a platform to acknowledge the many ways that people faithfully serve God and are lights for His Kingdom.”

Additionally the second annual GMA Honors paid tribute to Bishop Paul S. Morton, The Bridge Ministry’s Candy Christmas, Passion founded by Louie and Shelley Giglio, and Porter’s Call founded by Al Andrews.

Point of Grace, Melinda Doolittle, Tauren Wells, Joy and Landy Gardner, and the Grace Church Choir featuring the Martins and Chris August honored the recipients in song. Meanwhile, presenters including Bill Hearn, Amy Grant, Brandon Heath, Dr. A.R. Bernard, Jeff Stultz, Bill Gaither, Bishop Joseph Walker III, and Steve Green shared testimonies of their relationships with the honorees and inductees.

“Louie and Shelley are a powerful combination…They are nurturing leaders and songwriters under their care; you can count on these two to make the name of Jesus famous throughout the earth,” said Hearn.

“The exciting thing about gospel music is it never gets old,” said CeCe Winans. “God just gets greater and greater over the years. The more things you go though, you get to see Him in a different way.” BeBe Winans added, “You do what you do because you love God. You can dream some things but sometimes things happen that you never could dream of.”

Last night’s event will air on JUCE TV on Friday, June 5 at 7 p.m. PST, and Saturday, June 6 at 12 p.m. PST.

The third annual GMA Honors ceremony will take place May 10, 2016.

 

Weekly Register: Strong Debuts From ZBB, Tyler Farr

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tyler-farr and Zbb albums

Country had a great showing this week. Zac Brown Band’s latest, Jekyll + Hyde, debuts at No. 1 overall, with 228K total activity, 214K album only. The superstar act scored one of the biggest country debuts in recent memory, along with October 2014 releases by Florida Georgia Line (197K) and Jason Aldean (278K).

Meanwhile Tyler Farr’s sophomore effort had a strong debut, entering at No. 2 country with Suffer In Peace moving 42K (36K album only). With today’s chart position, Farr is the only solo male country artist in the last 10 years to have his first two studio albums debut in the top 5 on the Billboard 200 Chart. 

Both Farr and ZBB had hit singles going into release week, with “Homegrown” and “A Guy Walks Into A Bar,” respectively.

Rounding out the top 5 on the country album chart are No. 3 Reba (15K), No. 4 Sam Hunt (15K) and No. 5 Little Big Town (8.2K).

The foursome also holds the top country track position, with “Girl Crush” selling 81K TW. By comparison, the top overall track, Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” sold 285K.

The Voice’s Corey Kent White had the top country track debut with “When I See You Smile” selling 15K and coming in at No. 16. Fellow contestant Sawyer Fredericks had the top overall debut with “Simple Man” selling 59K.

Top 5 Country Tracks this week
LBT “Girl Crush” 81K
Blake Shelton “Sangria” 58K
Sam Hunt “Take Your Time” 45K
FGL “Sippin’ on Fire” 30K
Eric Church “Like A Wrecking Ball” 29.5K

YTD Tracks
Overall -10.6%
Country -16.6%

YTD Albums
Overall -2.6%
Country -7.5%

According to Nielsen Soundscan.

Artist News: Meghan Linsey, Greg Bates, RaeLynn, Ricky Skaggs

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Meghan Linsey Advances on The Voice

Meghan Linsey. Photo: The Voice

Meghan Linsey. Photo: The Voice

Nashville singer Meghan Linsey is among the contestants to advance to the Top 5 on NBC’s The Voice, bolstered by her performances this week of James Taylor’s “Steamroller Blues” and the gospel classic “Amazing Grace.”

Linsey, who is Team Blake (Shelton)’s sole contestant at this point in the competition, earned a spot in the Top 5 alongside Sawyer Fredericks, Koryn Hawthorne, Joshua Davis, and India Carney.

 

Greg Bates Marries

“Did It For The Girl” singer-songwriter Greg Bates married fellow singer-songwriter Shelley Skidmore on May 2, 2015, among close family and friends. After a Valentine’s Day 2014 engagement, the couple chose to wed in the bride’s hometown of Stanton, Ky.

Photo: Robert Vicks Photography

Photo: Robert Vicks Photography

 

RaeLynn’s 21st Birthday Bash

RaeLynn knows how to throw a party. The singer-songwriter celebrated her 21st birthday on Monday evening (May 4) with a party at John Rich’s home in Nashville. Guests included Miranda Lambert, The Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston, Big Kenny, Chris Lane, and A Thousand Horses’ Michael Hobby. Frequent songwriting collaborators Laura Veltz, Nicolle Gaylon and Jimmy Robbins as well as producer Joey Moi were on hand to toast the occasion.

RaeLynn will hit the road with Rascal Flatts’ Riot Tour 2015 later this month before joining Lambert once again for the Roadside Bars and Pink Guitars Tour this fall. 

Photo Credit: Susannah Barber

Photo Credit: Susannah Barber

Photo Credit: Susannah Barber

Photo Credit: Susannah Barber

 

Skaggs, White, Cooder To Launch National Tour

Ricky Skaggs, Sharon White, and guitarist Ry Cooder have teamed for a national tour, which will launch in Salt Lake City this June. The Cooder-White-Skaggs Tour will include visits to Denver, Milwaukee, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, New York City, and more.

“Getting to work with Ry Cooder has been a dream of mine for a long time. He is a world-class musician,” notes Skaggs. “We met at a GRAMMY Awards show many years ago and thought it would be a blast to do something together sometime, and now we’re getting to create new sounds around old music. But the best part is getting to share the stage every night with my wife and sweetheart Sharon White. My heart is full!”

For more, visit rickyskaggs.com.

Photo: Erick Anderson / eafoto

Photo: Erick Anderson / eafoto

Martina McBride Collaborates With Top Writers For Nash Icon Album

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Photo: Big Machine Label Group

Photo: Big Machine Label Group

Martina McBride recently welcomed several of Music City’s top song crafters for an intimate afternoon at Big Machine Label Group’s offices, as the powerhouse vocalist preps her first project on Nash Icon Records. McBride discussed her vision and hopes for the upcoming project, which will be produced by Nathan Chapman.

With what will be her 13th album, McBride aims to add to her arsenal of hit songs, which have included “Independence Day,” “A Broken Wing,” “Blessed,” and numerous others.

Next week, she will be honored with The Music Business Association’s prestigious 2015 Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award before heading back out on her Everlasting Tour, which continues throughout the fall.

Comcast Bringing Gigabit Service to Nashville

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comcast logoNot to be outdone by Google Fiber and AT&T, Comcast has announced it will offer a 2 gigabit-per-second service called Gigabit Pro to eligible Middle Tennessee homes, as early as June of this year.

The service was also announced for Atlanta; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Florida and California.

“We are clearly in a space where customers are pushing the boundaries of what the Internet can do,” said Doug Guthrie, Comcast regional senior vice president. “Nashville being named No. 5 city for startups in the country, these are the types of cities we want to be in first.”

The service will be offered to residents within a one-third mile of Comcast’s fiber network, or an estimated 500,000 homes. Pricing for the service and installation has not been revealed.

It was announced in January 2015 that Google plans to bring Google Fiber to the Nashville market. The move is said to offer faster internet connection and television service—up to 100 times faster than traditional broadband. The Google Fiber service is free after an up-front $300 installation, or $25/month for 12 months. Google Fiber for Nashville is currently in the design stages.

AT&T revealed its Gigapower plans for Nashville in July 2014. Though the coming GigaPower will only apply to Nashville, AT&T said at the time that it is considering five surrounding areas for service, including Clarksville, Franklin, Murfreesboro, Smyrna and Spring Hill.