CRB Increases Satellite Radio Royalty Rates

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The Copyright Royalty Board set new rates that satellite radio, particularly SiriusXM, will pay to record labels and artists through SoundExchange.

In 2013, satellite radio will pay 9 percent of gross revenue for the use of sound recordings. The current rate is 8 percent. From 2014-2017, the rate will increase .5 percent each year until it reaches 11 percent in 2017.

The CRB’s decision, announced Friday, Dec. 14, does not include royalties paid to music publishers and songwriters. It also does not include Internet radio rates.

Read the official announcement here.

More from the New York Times here.

MusicRow’s exclusive interview with SoundExchange Pres. Michael Huppe is here.

Artist Action Compilation (12/17/12)

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LeAnn Rimes will perform her new single, “Borrowed,” for the first time on late night television Tuesday, Dec 18 on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The same day, Rimes’ new song “Borrowed” will be available for download on iTunes. Rimes’ new album, Spitfire, is due out in spring 2013.

                                                                   
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Steven Curtis Chapman has garnered his 47th career No. 1 radio single with “Christmas Time Again,” an original song from his fourth and latest Christmas project, Joy. The song received further attention this week, airing on SiriusXM Radio’s The Message “Eye to Eye” Christmas special. Also, fans can tune in to CBN on Dec. 20 to watch Chapman play “Christmas Time Again” on The 700 Club. His performance will re-air the following week on the program’s Christmas day show. Check www.cbn.com for local air times and listings.

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Blake Shelton joined his fellow Voice coaches on NBC’s The TODAY Show this morning.

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Artist Steven Clawson, a runner-up from CMT’s Next Superstar, has released new album Miles To Go. He self-produced the project with Chord Phillips as co-producer/engineer. Taylor Swaid served as executive producer for the album recorded at Gasoline Studios in Franklin, Tenn.

 

Kelly Clarkson Engaged to Brandon Blackstock

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Brandon Blackstock with fiancee Kelly Clarkson.

Kelly Clarkson announced her engagement to Starstruck Management’s Brandon Blackstock over the weekend (12/15) via social media. The couple has been dating since 2011.

Clarkson's custom yellow diamond ring.

“I’M ENGAGED!!!!!” announced Clarkson. “I wanted y’all to know!! Happiest night of my life last night! I am so lucky and am with the greatest man ever.”

Blackstock, 35, manages the career of Blake Shelton for Starstruck Management. The Nashville-based company, led by Blackstock’s father and Reba McEntire‘s husband Narvel Blackstock, also oversees the careers of Clarkson and Reba.

The 30-year old Clarkson revealed her yellow canary Johnathon Arndt diamond ring, designed in part by Blackstock, saying that she will work with the ringmaker to design one for her beau.

Clarkson, who was nominated for a CMA award in 2012, performed on VH1’s Divas last night (12/16) wearing the custom ring.

Aristo Int’l Report: New Country Music Festival, Global Accolades

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Click to view the report.

The AristoMedia Group has released the December issue of its Aristo International Report. Highlights include:

• Inaugural C2C: Country to Country festival, scheduled for March 16-17, 2013, in London

• 41st annual Country Music Awards of Australia, to be held Jan. 26, 2013

• Lady A’s global accolades and LadyAID Initiative

• Apple nearly doubles global footprint of iTunes 

• CMA International Country Broadcaster Award, CMA Wesley Rose Media Award, and CMA Songwriter Series overseas

•  Global Events during CMA Music Festival to celebrate 10th anniversary in 2013

• Q&A with BBC Radio 2 Controller Bob Shennan

AristoMedia has been issuing this quarterly review of global activities since 2008. Please click to view the newsletter online at www.AristoMedia.com.

Recording Academy Launches GRAMMY Promotions Via Social Media

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The Recording Academy has launched two interactive social media games to promote the upcoming GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 10, 2013.

“Get Me to the GRAMMYs,” will launch Monday (Dec. 17) and run through Jan. 29, 2013. Fans of the GRAMMYs on Facebook will have a chance to win seven weekly prizes from each of the GRAMMYs’ six participating partners — Delta Air Lines, Harman, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hitlab, MasterCard, and Proctor & Gamble. Prizes range from music gift cards to the Ultimate GRAMMYs Superfan prize featuring two tickets to the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards®.

Additionally, The Recording Academy and Curalate, the marketing platform for visual sites such as Pinterest, have teamed for “Pin Your Way To The GRAMMYs,” — a social media promotion offering Pinterest members the opportunity to share exclusive GRAMMY images. The promotion launched Thursday (Dec. 13) and will run through Jan. 16, 2013. Images for the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards ad campaign, “#TheWorldIsListening,” debuted online on Dec. 13. Exclusive photos will only be seen on the official GRAMMY Pinterest page (www.pinterest.com/thegrammys).

“The GRAMMYs remains focused on connecting fans, not only with their favorite artists, but with each other,” said Evan Greene, Chief Marketing Officer of The Recording Academy. “The exclusive images on Pinterest will allow fans to show their love of music in a creative way.”

The GRAMMYs will be held on Feb. 10, 2013 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and will broadcast on CBS Television Network from 8-11:30 p.m. ET.

For more information on the GRAMMYs social media contests, visit www.facebook.com/thegrammys, www.twitter.com/thegrammys, or www.pinterest.com/thegrammys.

Brad Paisley Helps Provide Clean Water in Haiti

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Kimberly Williams-Paisley with children in Haiti. Photo courtesy of Schmidt Relations.

Brad Paisley and wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley have signed on to support the non-profit organization Live Beyond…Thirst, both financially and as volunteers. Led by Dr. David and Laurie Vanderpool, the organization provides clean water for households throughout Thomazeau, Haiti, a poor suburb of Port au Prince. Live Beyond…Thirst hopes to establish 100 clean water collection sites as a foundation for improved health within the community and for disease prevention.

“Going to Haiti really opened my eyes to the plight of these hundreds of thousands of people–many of them mothers, fathers, and children–who are our neighbors. With Live Beyond…Thirst, we can help give them a basic human necessity they have never had: Clean water. I want to show them they are not forgotten,” said Kimberly via a release.

 

The Paisleys invite others to join them in support of Live Beyond…Thirst. Visit www.livebeyond.org or www.bradpaisley.com to donate to the water project.

Star Percussionist Willie Ackerman Passes

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Willie Ackerman on the set of Hee Haw. He was on the show for 25 years.

Willie Ackerman, a longtime drummer on the Grand Ole Opry, on Hee Haw and on Music Row recording sessions has died at age 73.

Ackerman passed away at Skyline Medical Center last Thursday, Dec. 13. Born William Paul Ackerman, he was a Nashville native who became a professional musician at age 17.

He rose to prominence during the Nashville Sound era of the 1950s and 1960s and can be heard on records by Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Charley Pride, Tom T. Hall, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Chet Atkins, Ray Price, Faron Young, Roger Miller, Johnny Paycheck, Bobby Bare, Jim Reeves and hundreds of others.

Among the hits he set the tempo for were “El Paso” by Marty Robbins, “The Grand Tour” by George Jones, “Amos Moses” by Jerry Reed, “Wings of a Dove” by Ferlin Husky, “Black Rose” by Waylon Jennings, “Walk on By” by Leroy Van Dyke, “Ahab the Arab” by Ray Stevens and “Girl on the Billboard” by Del Reeves. He was extremely active as a musician between 1957 and 1990.

Willie Ackerman was a member of the Nashville local of the American Federation of Musicians for 50 years and served on the union’s board of directors. He was also a Deputy Sheriff of Davidson County.

He is survived by his wife Jeannie, his musician son Trey, daughters Kelly Ackerman and Angela Pardaen, seven grandchildren, brother John Robert and sisters Helen Demonbreun, Sammie Guthrie and Frankie Corinne Boyle.

His memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. this morning [Monday, Dec. 17] at Marshall-Donnelly-Combs Funeral Home, followed by burial at Spring Hill Cemetery in Madison. Memorials can be made in his honor to the Opry Trust Fund.

Willie Ackerman and Jim Glazer, circa 1958.

BBR Music Group Adds Findley

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Mary Forest Findley

BBR Music Group has hired Mary Forest Findley as its new Director of National Syndication and Radio Strategy for the music group, beginning Jan. 3. In this role, Findley will oversee national radio syndication initiatives for all three labels (Broken Bow Records, Stoney Creek Records, RED BOW Records under the BBR Music Group umbrella. She will report to BBR Music Group Executive VP Jon Loba and GM Rick Shedd.

“I am so excited to be joining BBR Music Group. I have been such a fan of this company – and its amazing staff and artists – for many, many years. To have the opportunity to join this incredible group of professionals is thrilling, and I am truly thankful. I can’t wait to get started!” says Findley via a release.

Findley has spent the last six years as the VP of Sales & Marketing at Country Aircheck following her stint as the Country Record Label Sales Representative for R&R.

Beginning Jan. 3, she will be reachable at maryforest@brokenbowrecords.com. Until then, she can be reached at Maryforestc@hotmail.com.

 

 

 

iTunes Reveals Best Of 2012

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Yesterday (12/13), iTunes released its 2012 Best Of lists for Music, Movies, TV Shows, Apps, Books and Podcasts. Recognitions included Editors Choice and top-selling 200 songs and albums for the store.

Adele’s 21 stands atop the top selling albums, right in front of Taylor Swift’s Red. Top selling singles were led by Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.” (Top 100 Album and Single sales are listed below for Nashville notables.)

Editor’s Choice for Country music went to Little Big Town’s “Pontoon;” Swift earned a mention for her latest album Red, as did Lee Brice’s Hard 2 Love for Breakthrough Album.

Christian and Gospel categories noted tobyMac’s Eye On It for Best Album, for KING & COUNTRY’s Crave as Breakthrough Album. Jack White’s “Sixteen Saltines” earned Best Song for the Alternative Genre.

For the digital toolbox, Free iPhone App downloads saw Pandora at No. 6, Spotify at No. 18, and iHeartRadio at No. 20.

Albums in the top 100 from Nashville notables include:
2. Taylor Swift–Red
10. Jason Aldean– Night Train
12. Carrie Underwood– Blown Away
17. The Black Keys­– El Camino
19. Luke Bryan– Tailgates & Tanlines
21. Zac Brown Band­­– Uncaged
23. Lionel Richie– Tuskegee
35. Eric Church– Chief
37. Jason Aldean– My Kinda Party
38. Kelly Clarkson– Stronger
41. Jack White–Blunderbuss
42. The Civil Wars–Barton Hollow
46. Hunter Hayes–Hunter Hayes
50. Kenny Chesney– Welcome To The Fishbowl
53. The Black Keys– Brothers
60. Lady Antebellum– Own The Night
67. Zac Brown Band– You Get What You Give
75. Taylor Swift– Speak Now
76. Miranda Lambert– Four The Record
84. The Band Perry– The Band Perry
87. Rascal Flatts– Changed
93. Lee Brice– Hard 2 Love
96. Brantley Gilbert– Halfway To Heaven

Singles in the top 100 from Nashville notables include:
7. Kelly Clarkson– “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”
16. Taylor Swift ­– “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
30. Luke Bryan – “Drunk On You”
34. Hunter Hayes – “Wanted”
35. Eric Church – “Springsteen”
48. Little Big Town – “Pontoon”
58. Carrie Underwood – “Good Girl”
60. Carrie Underwood – “Blown Away”
67. Luke Bryan – “I Don’t Want This Night To End”
68. Kip Moore– “Somethin’ ‘bout A Truck”
71. Taylor Swift– “Eyes Open”
75. Lee Brice – “Woman Like You”
77. Kenny Chesney– “Come Over”
81. Lee Brice– “Hard To Love”
82. Florida Georgia Line– “Cruise”
83. Miranda Lambert– “Over You”
87. Taylor Swift – “I Knew You Were Trouble”
89. Jason Aldean– “Fly Over States”
92. Eli Young Band– “Even If it Breaks Your Heart”

Connecticut Shooting Tragedy: Artists Respond

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Many Country music artists took to Twitter today (Dec. 14) to express their grief and disbelief surrounding the events at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. A gunman opened fire at the elementary school, killing nearly 30 people. Some of the victims were students, as reported by CNN.com. Blake Shelton, Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, Little Big Town, The Band Perry and Pistol Annies’ Ashley Monroe are just a handful of the artists whose thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.