Sony Taps RoyaltyShare

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According to a report by Billboard’s Ed Christman, Sony Music Entertainment has retained San Diego-based Royalty Share to process mechanical and artist royalties. Involved in the agreement is the hiring by RoyaltyShare of 70 Sony employees who will continue to be based in Sony’s Lyndhurst, N.J. offices. The agreement also includes a gradual transition and shift form Sony’s processing techniques to using RoyaltyShare’s specialized software.
According to the RoyaltyShare web site, the company is able to manage sales data from all music services in one location, “From the newest online marketplace to established industry distribution channels, we support the companies you do business with. Digital sales management on our Digital Advantage platform allows you to match transactions contained in these files to individual tracks within your catalog. The result is a consolidated, aggregated sales output file that makes it easier to integrate digital data with any existing internal systems and legacy royalties software.”

Bob Kohn


The company also has a royalty management division to “deal with complex digital transacitons as well as support all forms of physical distribution…” The RS software offers U.S.  and Canadian support and is compatible with Harry Fox Agency and CMRRA reporting standards.
“Just as record labels outsource their payroll accounting to experts who monitor the latest tax laws and spread the costs over thousands of clients,” says RoyaltyShare Chairman/CEO Bob Kohn, “so too will record labels outsource their royalty accounting. The cost of building and maintaining a modern royalty accounting system from the ground up would require an investment that is not feasible for one record label, even a major. No. Now more than ever, record labels need to focus on their core competencies: marketing and A& R, not building information systems.”
 

Flamingos Flock To MusicRow

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MusicRow staffers were greeted this morning by a flock of pink flamingos on the front lawn. As reported on Monday (7/11), organizers of the Music Row Ladies Golf Tournament, which benefits United Cerebral Palsy of Middle Tennessee, are promoting the fundraising event by placing pink flamingos in front of local businesses.

DISClaimer Single Reviews (7/13/11)

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“After years of being nothing, they’re all looking right at you.”
That’s what it says in our Music Row anthem, “16th Avenue.” And that’s exactly what is happening to Blake Shelton right now. All at once, everything is going this man’s way. Male Vocalist award. Superstar wife. National TV stardom. Hit after hit. He deserves them all. As well as a Disc of the Day award for “God Gave Me You.”
Our DisCovery Award goes to a Canadian singer-songwriter who has a completely captivating album called Little Red Boots. If you buy one platter from today’s stack of sounds, by all means make it hers. Remember this name: Lindi Ortega.
BADHORSE/It’s All Good
Writer: Adam Grant/Robert E. Walden II/Charlie Gilbert; Producer: Larry Blackmon & Badhorse; Publisher: none listed; Global Maximus (www.badhorsemusic.com)
—More cowbell! The first thing you hear is the snap of a beer tab, then the stomping and romping begins. And, yes, the steady rhythm is punctuated by a cowbell. These guys sound like a built-in party.
MARTINA McBRIDE/I’m Gonna Love You Through It
Writer: Ben Hayslip/Sonya Isaacs/Jimmy Yeary; Producer: Martina McBride & Byron Gallimore; Publisher: WB/Melissa’s Money/Get a Load of This/Nashvistaville/Sonya Isaacs/Black to Black, ASCAP/BMI; Universal Republic
—A wife and mother faces cancer with a strong and steady husband by her side. This kind of ballad performance is what made this lady a star. Heart tugging, to say the least.
DAVID WOOD/Ride The Wild West
Writer: Lore Orion/Robert E. Byrd; Producer: Ronnie Guilbeau, David Wood & Billy Graham; Publisher: Shy Ann/Finest, BMI; Dew Note (track) (www.davidwoodcountry.com)
—Monotonic. I’ve heard more complicated nursery rhymes.
BLAKE SHELTON/God Gave Me You
Writer: Dave Barnes; Producer: Scott Hendricks; Publisher: No Gang/Razor & Tie, ASCAP; Warner Bros.
—I worshipped writer Dave Barnes’s version of this when I reviewed it last year. Blake sure knows a dynamite song when he hears it, too. Producer Hendricks surrounds his emotional reading with chiming guitars, sighing steel and thumping percussion. A shining, glittering gem of a disc.
LINDI ORTEGA/Angels
Writer: Lindi Ortega; Producer: Ron Lopata; Publisher: ShadowBox, SOCAN; Last Gang (Canada)(track) (www.lindiortega.ca)
—Enchanting. She has one of those sweet/tart vocal instruments that manages to sound both fragile and tough within the same song. This starts out softly, but builds into a smart shuffle with terrific, suppressed, undertow energy. This gal is definitely worth your attention.
ASHTON SHEPHERD/Where Country Grows
Writer: Ashton Shepherd/Bobby Pinson; Producer: Buddy Cannon; Publisher: EMI BlackwoodGin Road/Music of Stage Three/Bobby’s Song and Salvage/BMG, BMI; MCA Nashville (track)
—The title tune to Ashton’s sophomore CD is a soaring statement of purpose. Her voice on this is a resonant, ringing, victory bell of authenticity. I am hopelessly in love with this artist.
DANE ESTOK/Semiautomatic Kind Of Love
Writer: Dane Estok; Producer: The Zods; Publisher: Sounds from Space, ASCAP; DaneEstok (track) (www.daneestok.com)
—This Nashvillian is described as “pop-country.” I’d say he leans strongly toward the “pop” end of that spectrum. Whatever the genre, this twirling and utterly engaging wisp of romance was featured on TV’s Keeping Up the Kardashians soundtrack. Somebody at the E! network definitely has ears.
RONNIE MILSAP/If You Don’t Want Me To
Writer: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Bigger Picture (track)
—This bouncy ditty evidently accompanies a dance called The Freeze. The retro, repetitive ‘80s keyboard riff is bound to jog a few memories and tap a few toes, at any rate. Jaunty and smiley, despite the somewhat downbeat lyric.
CHRISTIAN KANE/Let Me Go
Writer: C. Beathard/T. Shapiro; Producer: Bob Ezrin & Jimmie Lee Sloas; Publisher: Sony-ATV Acuff-Rose/EMI Blackwood/Piano Wire, BMI; Bigger Picture (track) (www.christiankane.com)
—This Leverage TNT-TV star sings well, with admirable expressiveness and personality. So this sounds best when he’s allowed to shine through with a minimum of production adornment. Unfortunately, during many passages, the producers just can’t leave well enough alone. Still, it’s a highly melodic improvement over his overly rocked-up debut single.
DAN SIMONIS & THE WEST TEXAS MILLIONAIRES/Heart On Fire
Writer: Dan Simonis; Producer: Greg Schumacher; Publisher: Croaking Toad, BMI; 45 Caliber (track) (www.westtexasmillionaires.com)
—File this under “arty troubadour,” if there is such a category. Actually, make that “pitch-y, arty troubadour.”

Hall of Fame Preps Chet Atkins Exhibit

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The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will pay tribute to one of country music’s most versatile and visionary artists, Chet Atkins with a new exhibit opening Friday, Aug. 12. Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player will run for 10 months and is made possible by the Gretsch Company with additional support by GAC.
Highlights of the opening weekend festivities include a talk by a Museum curator, and a panel discussion featuring Ray Stevens, Steve Wariner and Billy Edd Wheeler. The exhibit will be accompanied by a companion book, also titled Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player.
Included in the exhibit will be Chet’s first guitar, a Sears Silvertone he acquired at age 11 and upon which he taught himself to play; Chet’s 1938 Gibson L-10 designed for original owner Les Paul; and a 1946 recording contract with Bullet Recording Co. There is also a meticulous re-construction of the work-bench and shelves in Chet’s basement home studio, including tools, meters and personal effects. The exhibit employs a wealth of instruments, vintage photos, personal possessions and correspondence, as well as career-spanning audio and video.
More at Countrymusichalloffame.org.

Bluegrass Musician Kenny Baker Passes

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Acclaimed bluegrass fiddler Kenny Baker died Friday, July 8, 2011 at age 85. The Kentucky native, best known as one of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, influenced future generations of fiddle players with his “long-bow” style. His four-decade career included about 20 years on-and-off with Monroe, who introduced him onstage as “the greatest fiddler in bluegrass music.” Baker is an inductee of the IBMA Bluegrass Hall of Fame, and a recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment For The Arts. At the time of his death, he was residing outside Nashville in Cottontown, Tenn.
Kenneth Baker was born June 26, 1926 in Burdine, Ky. During World War II he joined the U.S. Navy, and eventually returned home to marry Audrey Sizemore in 1946. Born into a family of fiddle players, Baker fostered his musical career while touring the South Pacific with the USO. In 1953, Don Gibson gave Baker his first break. By 1956, he had teamed with Monroe on a journey that would last intermittently until 1985. Baker helped bring Del McCoury and banjo player Bill Keith into the Blue Grass Boys.
After leaving Monroe’s band, Baker went on to play with Josh Graves, Eddie Adcock, and Jesse McReynolds.
Not surprisingly, Baker’s most popular solo album is Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe.
He is survived by wife Audrey, sons Kenneth Jr. (Holly) and Johnny Lee (Debbie), several siblings, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Services were held today July 12, 2011 at the Burdine Freewill Baptist Church in Burdine, Ky. Arrangements by Carty, Polly & Craft Funeral Home, (606) 832-2191

Likes? Follows? Why Bother?

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Looking for an afternoon info break? Some cranial nourishment? Good. Then let’s re-visit the reasons that influence a customer to follow a brand and how it affects their engagement with that brand..
The attached graphic spells out the story, but here are some of the big picture overview ideas…
One of the key drivers mentioned by both Twitter and Facebook respondents that causes someone to follow or like a brand is “special offers/deals.” The No. 2 reason is because a person is a current customer.
Most people, according to this research culled from reports by Razorfish.com, econsultancy.com and socialmedia.com, “like” 2-5 brands on FB (53.47%). About 21.2% of respondents “like” 5-10 brands on FB.
Is attracting likes and followers worth it? Does it add to a company’s bottom line? The results say definitely. In fact “an overwhelming majority are influenced by their online experience.” Of those who follow or like a brand, 70% have participated in a brand-sponsored contest and 24% have produced content to participate in a contest.
The Top five brands on Facebook and Twitter according to the information are Facebook, YouTube, CocaCola, Disney and Starbucks.
(Find this graphic here.)

 

Randy Goodman Co-chairs Nashville Music Council

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Mayor Karl Dean announced today that Music Row veteran Randy Goodman will serve as co-chairman of the Nashville Music Council. Goodman most recently served as president of Lyric Street Records in Nashville. Goodman is a member of the Country Music Association board of directors and served as president and chairman of the board in 2008 and 2009. He is also a trustee for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

“Randy is the right person to promote our Music City brand and to help Nashville continue to attract and retain musicians and other creative people,” said Mayor Dean, who also serves as co-chairman of the Nashville Music Council. “He will help us continue to improve music education in Nashville,” Mayor Dean said. “He is the right guy to convince companies that Nashville is the place to be if they want to do business in the music industry. And, like me, he believes you can never have too much live music happening in our city.”

The Nashville Music Council was launched in 2009 as a partnership between the Mayor’s Office, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau to capitalize on Nashville’s identity as Music City.

“Mayor Dean has been the strongest advocate, friend and supporter of the music industry of all the elected officials I have worked with in my 30 years in the business,” Goodman said. “To get the chance to serve as a co-chair is an honor and an exciting opportunity for me. I am eager to give back and to help Mayor Dean help the entertainment industry thrive as a business in a city that attracts musicians from all genres.”

Over the past year, the Nashville Music Council has also established a partnership with the Nashville Entrepreneur Center to help incubate startups in digital media and entertainment.  Additionally, it created an education plan for 2012 and helped develop plans for Nashville’s first artists’ residence, The Ryman Lofts.
For more information, visit www.nashvillemusiccouncil.com.
 

Fox-Metoyer Promoted

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Kerri Fox-Metoyer has been named vice president of Sony United, effective July 18. In this new role, she will partner with Sony sister companies to distribute and market products and services across the Sony brand. She will continue to be based in Nashville, but outside the Sony Music office.
“Kerri has been a valued member of the Sony Music team and we are happy that her talents as a sales and marketing executive will now benefit the entire Sony family in this important new role,” says Thomas Hesse, President, Global Digital Business, U.S. Sales and Corporate Strategy, Sony Music Entertainment. “We look forward to working with her in the future to drive Sony United initiatives across our various retail partnerships.”
Fox-Metoyer was most recently VP Sales for Sony Music Nashville, where she oversaw sales and retail marketing initiatives for the label’s roster. A 20-year industry veteran, she joined the company in 2009 after previously serving as VP Sales for Walt Disney Records. Her background also includes tenures with Liquid Audio and EMI Christian Music Group.

BE Music & Entertainment Announces Team Members

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(L-R): Chelsea Drimmel, Elisabeth Jordan


Dallas and Nashville-based artist development company BE Music & Entertainment has announced its new management team. The company recently opened its Nashville office.
BE Music & Entertainment Pres. Michael Blanton has named Chelsea Drimmel as Artist Development Manager for the Nashville office and Elisabeth Jordan as Artist Development Manager for the company’s Dallas office. Both will be responsible for overseeing all operations in their respective offices. BE is headed by Blanton with Carl Kornmeyer, and is a subsidiary of Dallas-based London Broadcasting Company headed by Terry London.
Artist managers David McCollum, James Hodgin, and Chris DeTray and Assoc. Artist Manager Jami Crockett also join the BE team following a merger with Dryve Artist Management. The merger includes artists Dave Barnes (whose song “God Gave Me You” is Blake Shelton’s new single), Dove Award winner Chris August, Jackopierce, Cary Pierce, Manafest, Derek Webb, Shawn McDonald, Nathan Angelo, Slugs & Bugs, Stephen Gause, Bryan Brown, Downhere, All Sons & Daughters and Andrew Ripp.
“In a music business where rules are being rewritten and ingenuity is the necessary status quo, we relish the opportunity of this new partnership. The BE Music creative vision of the future, experienced leadership, and fairness model align perfectly with our team and we couldn’t be more excited,” says McCollum.
The company has also announced a relationship with Nashville production team Sorted Noise, which specializes in artist branding and TV/film production and licensing. BE is also building audio/video production space in the Terrazzo development in the Gulch with offices, writing rooms, performance space and more. For general inquiries about BE, contact [email protected].

(L-R): David McCollum, James Hodgin, Chris DeTray, Jami Crockett

Tabloid Tuesday: Lambert, Milsap, Pickler and Pistol Annies

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(L-R) Ashley Monroe, GMA’s Lara Spencer, Lambert, Angaleena Presley, & GMA’s Sam Champion. Photo: Fred Lee/ABC


 

Miranda Lambert’s dual career now includes a new solo album plus a digital release with her new trio, Pistol Annies. The singer songwriter made announcements on Good Morning America (7/8) that her Columbia Nashville solo effort will be released on Nov. 1 and named Four The Record. The all-girl trio, which features Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley will debut a digital-only effort named for its single, Hell On Heels which the trio performed on GMA’s morning Summer Concert Series.
Lambert’s previous solo album, Revolution earned a Platinum certification with No. 1 singles such as “White Liar,” “House That Built Me” and “Heart Like Mine.”
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Ronnie Milsap and Kellie Pickler. Photo: Montine Felso


 

Ronnie Milsap and Kellie Pickler made time for a quick visit during CMA Music Festival while both were visiting radio station remotes.
Milsap is promoting a new album that will be released on July 26, Country Again. Pickler’s new single “Tough” has just started climbing radio charts.