CMA, Nashville Entrepreneur Center To Aid Music Biz Startups

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cma_logo_detailThe Country Music Association and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center have partnered for a new music business accelerator program, a 14-week program that will develop six to eight startups into investable businesses.
The accelerator will support the development of new business models for the music industry, seeking to help programmers, technology engineers, and entrepreneurs. Each startup will receive a $20,000 investment in exchange for equity.
“CMA was created to advance Country Music and provide a forum for new ideas that support our business interests across every segment of the industry,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “This is an investment in the future of our business community and city.”
Startups from around the world are invited to apply by submitting music business idea proposals. The competition will culminate in four rounds to select the top six to eight ideas that will participate in the accelerator. The accelerator will commence at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center.
“Nashville is the place where the best possible mentors for music and technology intersect. Any of our future startups will have a dream team to help them realize their vision,” said Joe Galante, mentor at the EC and member of the CMA Board of Directors.
For more information, or to get involved, please visit www.ec.co/music-tech-media.

Media Bytes: Spotify, RFD-TV, WholeWorldBand

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spotifySpotify is launching two new types of video ads that users will watch in exchange for free music streaming. With a Sponsored Session, a user views a brand-sponsored spot in exchange for 30 minutes of uninterrupted music. The other new option, Video Takeover, is where brands sponsor a video ad break on a user’s desktop. Spotfiy has 30 million-plus free users. More from Spotify.

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rfd tv
Nashville based television network RFD-TV will now be carried on AT&T U-verse.
As previously reported, Rural Media Group, RFD’s parent company, is relocating to the former GAC building.
According to the New York Times, Rural Media has been one of the most vocal critics of the proposed mergers between Comcast and Time Warner Cable, and AT&T and DirecTV.
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WholeWorldBand is a new app that lets musicians add their own vocal or instrument tracks, for a fee, to tracks started by celebrity musicians to complete the song. More from the LA Times.

The Peach Pickers To Play Nashville's 3rd & Lindsley

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(L-R): Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson and Rhett Akins

(L-R): Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson and Rhett Akins


CMS Nashville will present trio The Peach Pickers, including songwriters Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson and Ben Hayslip, on Sept. 26 at Nashville’s 3rd & Lindsley at 8 p.m. The performance will benefit the Wounded Warriors Project.
Since 2010, The Peach Pickers have garnered more than 50 No. 1 songs. Members of the trio have penned songs including “I Don’t Want This Night To End,” “Boys Round Here,” “It Goes Like This,” “Point At You,” “I Don’t Dance,” “Rain Is A Good Thing,” “We Owned The Night,” and others.
“We are thrilled to be sponsoring our friends the Peach Pickers for this unique event, especially for such a worthy cause as the Wounded Warriors Project,” states Christopher King, Chairman and CEO of CMS Nashville. “We’re excited to be creating new revenue streams for the country music industry, and this is the perfect event to introduce our client base to Nashville. ”
CMS Nashville, a division of sports and entertainment marketing firm CMS International, was developed for companies and brands interested in developing relationships in the Country music industry. CMS has relationships with 1,500 corporate clients worldwide, providing customized marketing solutions including tour sponsorships, artist endorsements, event sponsorships, product placement and more.
Tickets for the Peach Pickers’ performance are available at peachpickers.com or at 3rdandlindsley.com.

17th Annual Buds-n-Suds Preps for September

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Buds-'n'-SudsThe 17th Annual Buds-n-Suds Charity Concert, presented by NASH 103.3, will host a line-up including Craig Campbell, Chuck Wicks, and Jana Kramer. Benefiting the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) Tennessee Chapter, the event takes place on Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 5:30 p.m. at Anthem.
A silent auction will be available throughout the evening and will include autographed memorabilia, CMA dress rehearsal passes, a Southwest Airlines voucher, Titans and Predators tickets, a private tequila home tasting party, plus much more.
VIP tickets are $50 in advance/$75 at the door and include special seating area, drink tickets and appetizers. General Admission tickets are $10 in advance/$20 at the door.
Early bird tickets are available now at budsnsuds.com
Buds-n-Suds has raised over $450,000 for charity since beginning in 1997.

MusicRowLife: Josh Turner, Lady Antebellum's Dave Haywood

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haywood11Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood and wife Kelli Cashiola Haywood welcomed their first child, son Cash Van Haywood, on Sunday, Sept. 7.
“So happy to have a healthy baby boy here with us! Cash Van Haywood was born last night,” the Lady Antebellum member, 32, announced on the band’s Twitter account.
 
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josh turner2111Josh Turner and wife Jennifer Turner welcomed their fourth son, Samuel Hawke Turner, on Thursday, Sept. 4. The newborn weighed 8 lbs, 6 oz. He joins big brothers Hampton, Colby and Marion.
“God has truly blessed Jennifer and me with this healthy little boy,” said Turner. “We are so thankful and excited to see our family grow yet again.”

ASCAP, SESAC, Nashville Cares Present Red Ribbon Rounds

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Screen shot 2014-09-08 at 2.52.56 PM1ASCAP, SESAC and Nashville Cares have teamed for Red Ribbon Rounds, a songwriters night benefiting the 23rd annual Nashville AIDS Walk and 5K run. Songwriters including Chris DeStefano, Brian White, Ashley Gorley, Greg Barnhill, Jon Nite,  Steve Pasch, Ken Johnson, and Jonathan Singleton will perform during two shows, which take place Tuesday, Sept. 16, beginning at 6 p.m. at Nashville’s The Listening Room.
At 6 p.m., ASCAP will present Chris DeStefano, Ashley Gorley, Jon Nite and Jonathan Singleton. At 8:30 p.m., SESAC will welcome Brian White, Greg Barnhill, Steve Pasch, and Ken Johnson.
Advance ticket prices are $20 per show, or $35 for both shows. Cost is $20 per show at the door. To purchase tickets, visit nashvillecares.org/songs
All proceeds benefit the Nashville AIDS Walk and 5K Run, which is Saturday, October 4 at Public Square Park.

Olson, O'Sullivan To Lead Pop Up Music in Nashville

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Pete Olson

Pete Olson


Television, film and commercial production company Jingle Punks has formed the offshoot Pop Up Music, which will focus on signing songwriters. Pop Up Music will be led by Jared Gutstadt, CEO of Jingle Punks. Two have been hired to run the Nashville office. Pete Olson has been added as VP, Artist Management and Development, and Liz O’Sullivan has been hired as VP, Publishing & Artist Management.
Olson was previously a manager with Rogue Music Group/AMP for five years. Prior to that, he worked as an agent at Paradigm for three years, and at WME for four years.
O’Sullivan was formerly Sr. VP at Sea Gayle for nearly 14 years. As a song plugger, she notched several No. 1 songs, including “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” and “Whiskey Lullaby.”
DSC_0116 edit333

Liz O’Sullivan


“We play in the sandbox with writers from all different publishing companies and talent from all walks of the music industry,” says Gutstadt. “Nashville is a particularly exciting space for us. We’re excited to have experienced veterans like Liz and Pete managing the day-to-day creative assets.”
Pop Up Music aims to serve as a bridge between Nashville, Hollywood, and Madison Avenue. Recently, Gutstadt and his team worked with Country artist J.R. Moore on the national re-launch of the Meow Mix brand.
Pop Up Music is located at  2613 Westwood Drive, Nashville. Olson can be reached at pete@popupmusic.com, and O’Sullivan can be reached at liz@popupmusic.com.

TuneCore Establishes Nashville Office Headed By Shelby Kennedy

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Shelby Kennedy

Shelby Kennedy


Digital music distribution and music publishing administration company TuneCore has launched a Nashville office under the direction of longtime industry player Shelby Kennedy.
TuneCore’s Entertainment Relations office is located at 1227 17th Ave. S., Unit D; Nashville, TN 37212.
Shelby brings 25 years of experience to the company, where he is serving as Vice President, Entertainment Relations. Prior to joining TuneCore, Kennedy has held diverse roles with ASCAP, BMI, Lyric Street Records, Wide Open Music Group and Cherry Heart Music and Entertainment, and his own Porch-Pickin’ Publishing. He is the son of legendary guitarist Jerry Kennedy.
“Nashville is one of the most creative cities in the world, and Shelby Kennedy has deep relationships and broad expertise in the music industry. As TuneCore expands our support for the increasing number of musicians and songwriters who choose independence to take control of their careers, both are a natural fit,” stated Scott Ackerman, CEO of TuneCore. “We’re confident that this expansion positions TuneCore to stay at the forefront of the evolving music industry.”
“I am tremendously excited to join TuneCore and take a leadership role in building the new model of the music industry,” commented Kennedy. “I hope to tap my experience spanning the spectrum of roles across the business—from songwriter to performer to business executive—to act as a catalyst in driving opportunities for artists, songwriters and other key partners.”
TuneCore has about forty employees throughout its headquarters in Brooklyn, NY, and offices in Burbank, CA and Nashville, TN. It is backed by Opus Capital and Guitar Center.
Since its inception in 2006, TuneCore Artists has distributed $438.8 million on 8.8 billion streams and downloads. In Q2 2014, it distributed $33.2 million, an increase of 18.4 percent over Q2 2013.
TuneCore Music Distribution services help artists, labels and managers sell their music worldwide through iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Play, and other major download and streaming sites while retaining 100% of their sales revenue and rights for a low annual flat fee.

Artist Updates: Eric Church, Glen Campbell, Miranda Lambert, Ray Scott

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EMI Nashville recording artist Eric Church will perform a benefit concert for The Grammy Foundation® at The Orpheum Theater in Madison, Wisconsin on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. “An Evening with Eric Church” tickets go on sale Friday, Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. General admission tickets are $67 and a limited number of VIP reserved tickets will sell for $87.
Church will embark on the first leg of his The Outsiders World Tour this Thursday, Sept. 11 at the CenturyLink Center in Bossier City, La. His current album, The Outsiders, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart and the Billboard Country Albums Chart earlier this year, and recently earned him four CMA nominations for Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Single and Song of the Year for his hit “Give Me Back My Hometown.”
His current hit single “Cold One” is rising up the charts.
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GlenCampbell_HpHonored in 2012 with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Country Music Hall of Fame member Glen Campbell has recorded his last song. “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” was written by Campbell and Julian Raymond specifically for a new documentary Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me which opens in theaters in New York on Oct. 24, followed by a national release to 50 cities.
Produced by Raymond, the song was recorded in Los Angeles based Sunset Sound Factory and East West Recording Studios. The song will be released on Sept. 30.
“We are so honored to not only release Glen Campbell’s final recording, but to be associated with such a profound film that will help raise the awareness of those suffering from Alzheimer’s and spotlight the important role of those who care for them, ” remarked Big Machine Label Group President & CEO Scott Borchetta, who served as the project’s Executive Producer.
Previewing the full body of work, Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me Soundtrack EP will be released on Sept. 30 and include the following tracks:
1. I’m Not Gonna Miss You
2. Gentle On My Mind (recorded by The Band Perry)
3. Home Again (recorded by Ashley Campbell, his daughter)
4. Wichita Lineman (Live from Ryman Auditorium)
5.  A Better Place (Live from Ryman Auditorium)
A complete soundtrack featuring additional tracks from the film will be released later this fall.
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Miranda Lambert has opened her new venture in her adopted hometown of Tishomingo. The Ladysmith Bed and Breakfast is taking reservations with rates that range from $200-$320 per night.
The B&B located at 221 W. Main, near Lambert’s popular shop The Pink Pistol, features eight bedrooms, each individually designed by Lambert and her creative team to match her eclectic style, billed as “Shabby Chic meets Rock & Roll.”
It is also home to a dining hall, two funky lounges, a tea room, fully-stocked bar, and ballroom for 60-80 guests. For more information, visit theladysmith.us.
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Ray Scott will release his self-titled full-length studio album on Oct. 7, produced by Dave Brainard, and featuring the album’s first release “Drinkin’ Beer.”

Scott wrote the murder ballad “Papa And Mama” and enlisted Mark Stephen Jones to co-write “Ain’t Always Thirsty,” and Brandy Clark for “Wheels on The House.”
Ray Scott Track Listing
1. Cookin’
2. Ain’t Always Thirsty
3. Drinkin’ Beer
4. Papa and Mama
5. Tijuana Buzzkill
6. Wheels On The House
7. It Ain’t Gonna Be You
8. Leave This World
9. Her Old Man
10. The Ugly One
11. I Miss The Days

Industry Ink: 101 Ranch Records, CTM Writers INK

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101 ranch records11Nashville-based 101 Ranch Records has appointed Teresa Vinson as VP, Operations. Founded by RayLynn Records creator Bob Simpson, the label previously announced Mark Collie as its first signing.
Most recently, Vinson served as Sr. Manager of Artist and Label Relations at Lyric Street Records, as part of her 13 years with the label.
Prior to joining Lyric Street, she was the Exec. Assistant for RCA/BNA Label Groups President and General Manager for 17 years.

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Brandon Perdue

Brandon Perdue


CTM Writers INK has hired Brandon Perdue as Director of Production and Development. Perdue will work with Shawn Bowling (Creative Manager) to develop the brand and roster at Writers INK. He will manage all internal production projects, oversee the development of artist-writers, and work with Eddie Robba (CEO/President) to seek and develop strategic partnerships for CTM.
Brandon’s previous experience includes a stint at RPM Music Group as the catalog manager and in-house engineer. During that same time, he worked as Production Coordinator and Assistant Engineer for Blake Chancey, working with artists such as Montgomery Gentry, Kellie Pickler, Gretchen Wilson and Heidi Newfield.
CTM’s roster includes Marcus Hummon, Chris Roberts, Autumn McEntire, and Jared Mitchell.

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mcmakin12

Robert McMakin


Robert C. McMakin, father of Pat McMakin (Director of Operations at Oceanway Nashville Studios), died Tuesday, Aug. 26 at Friendship Manor Rehab in Kentucky.
He spent more than 30 years as an agent for KY Farm Bureau, served on the South Oldham Fire Department Board, was a founder and builder of Northeast Christian Church and a founding elder of River Valley Christian Church, a former chief of the Eastwood Fire Department, and an Army veteran.
McMakin was preceded in death by wife Alice Viola McMakin, and is survived by sons Dale and Patrick McMakin Sr., grandchildren Micki Sweatman, Patrick McMakin, Jr., and Jennifer Osborne, and three great-grandchildren.