Shane McAnally Enters Top Five On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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Shane McAnally moves up two slots to enter the top five this week on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart with credit from co-writes such as Morgan Wallen’s “7 Summers,” Lady A’s “Champagne Night,” Midland’s “Cheatin’ Songs,” and Ashley McBryde’s “One Night Standards.”

The top three remains the same this week, with Josh Thompson at No. 1, HARDY at No. 2 and Josh Osborne at No. 3.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital downloaded track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.
Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

RIAA Releases 2020 Mid-Year Report

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The Recording Industry Association of America has released its mid-year 2020 report, which showed growth in subscription streaming more than offset revenue declines in other areas of the U.S. recorded music market. The report also detailed ways the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the music market.

Among the key findings of the report was total first-half 2020 revenues from recorded music in the U.S. increased 5.6% to $5.7 billion. Paid streaming subscriptions continued to drive the growth as the number of paid subscriptions increased by 24% to more than 72 million on average, growing subscription streaming revenues for first-half 2020 by 14% versus first-half 2019. 85% of U.S. music industry revenues in the first half of 2020 came from streaming, with 7% coming from physical product, 6% from digital downloads, and 2% from synch licenses.

At the same time, with advertising markets slowing across the economy due to the pandemic, growth in ad-supported streaming revenues slowed dramatically. Physical sales, including vinyl and CDs, were also affected by the pandemic and fell 23%.

“These are historically difficult times: the live music sector is shut down; studio recording is limited; and millions of Americans are out of work across the broader economy,” said RIAA Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier. “While we’re pleased that the years of hard work and resources we’ve invested in streaming are driving growth in paid subscriptions, today’s report demonstrates just how much work remains to achieve a sustainably healthy music ecosystem for both music creators and fans. We must continue working to help sustain live music and venues, support gig workers and session musicians, and ensure fair pay for music on all digital platforms. Despite all the challenges from the pandemic, one thing clearly hasn’t changed – fans still love music.”

Oracle Wins TikTok Bid

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Oracle has won the bidding for video-sharing app TikTok’s U.S. operations, reports The Wall Street Journal, less than 24 hours after Microsoft announced TikTok has rejected its bid to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations, which leaves Oracle as the leading bidder.

The Wall Street Journal states that Oracle will be referred to as TikTok’s “trusted tech partner” in the U.S., and reported that insiders say the deal will most likely not be an outright sale.

“ByteDance let us know today they would not be selling TikTok’s U.S. operations to Microsoft,” Microsoft said via a statement on Sept. 13. “We are confident our proposal would have been good for TikTok’s users, while protecting national security interests. To do this, we would have made significant changes to ensure the service met the highest standards for security, privacy, online safety, and combatting disinformation, and we made these principles clear in our August statement. We look forward to seeing how the service evolves in these important areas.”

Retailer Walmart had also bid on TikTok’s U.S. operations, and released its own statement: “Walmart continues to have an interest in a TikTok investment and continues discussions with ByteDance leadership and other interested parties. We know that any approved deal must satisfy all regulatory and national security concerns.”

Last month, Kevin Mayer resigned as CEO of TikTok, following President Trump’s executive order threatening to ban TikTok in the U.S., if its U.S. operations, owned by Chinese-based parent company Bytedance, were not sold by mid-September. The ban threat was due to alleged national security concerns.

In return, TikTok sued the Trump administration, stating that the ban is “not based on a bona fide national emergency and authorizes the prohibition of activities that have not been found to pose ‘an unusual and extraordinary threat.'”

TikTok has become one of the hottest apps in the U.S. and other western countries, and was downloaded 315 million times during the first three months of 2020.

Ryan Kinder Signs With The Anvil For Management

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Ryan Kinder. Photo: The Anvil

Ryan Kinder has signed with The Anvil for exclusive management representation.

The Anvil was formed in 2018 by Jake Kennedy, and represents music clients Sykamore (Wheelhouse Records/Music Knox Records), Sam Outlaw, and ENZI, along with filmmakers The Clyde Brothers.

“There’s a difference between a manager and a leader,” Kinder says of joining The Anvil. “Managers rely on positional authority whereas leaders exercise interpersonal influence. In a relationship like this, it can never be ‘I,’ it must always be ‘we.’ There’s a quote from Bill Taylor who started Fast Company and has written a bunch of great books, ‘The true mark of a leader is the willingness to stick with a bold course of action…even as the rest of the world wonders why you’re not marching in step with the status quo. The only way to stand out from the crowd is to stand for something special.’ When deciding on a manager I realized that’s what Jake and his company are doing, finding what is special and leading alongside his clients as an engaged and thoughtful partner.”

“Ryan is a perfect example of the kind of talent we are looking to represent,” Kennedy says. “When considering bringing someone into the family there are two questions that we ask. The first, is this artist exceptional and do they have something to say? Second, is this artist a good human being with whom we would enjoy working?’ During my time as an agent, if a client asked me for advice when choosing a manager, I’d always tell them to ‘choose someone you could sit next to on a flight to Tokyo.’ Find someone you really click with and enjoy spending lots of time with. Two years into this adventure, I can happily say that’s the case with not only Ryan, but each client we represent.”

Kinder has earned nearly 80 million on-demand global streams. In addition to the new management partnership, Kinder continues to be represented by Creative Artists Agency and Jess Rosen at Greenburg Traurig.

Jenn Schott Inks With RED Creative Group, Anthem Music Publishing

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Jenn Schott

Jenn Schott has signed a global publishing deal with RED Creative Group and Anthem Entertainment.

The Pittsburg, Kansas native has had songs recorded by Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, Eli Young Band, Pam Tillis, Francesca Battistelli, Mickey Guyton and many others. Schott co-wrote Mickey Guyton’s debut single, “Better Than You Left Me,” which was named one of Billboard’s 10 Best Country Songs of 2015, and also penned the title track of Tim McGraw’s Grammy-nominated album, Two Lanes of Freedom, which was the namesake of McGraw’s 2013 summer tour. She has already celebrated success in 2020 with the release of Tim McGraw’s “7500 OBO,” Rascal Flatts “Feel It In The Morning,” & LJ’s “Preachin.”

“Jenn’s songwriting has a depth and humility to it that will stand the test of time. Her talent, character and work ethic will continue to bring her success and we couldn’t be more thrilled to represent her,” said Jeremy Stover, President/Owner, RED Creative Group.

“Jenn is a powerhouse and we are excited to welcome her into the Anthem Entertainment and Red Creative family,” said Helen Murphy, CEO, Anthem Entertainment. “We look forward to more amazing songwriting from Jenn and to reaching new heights together with the Red Creative team.”

“I have so much respect for what Jeremy and Brooke have built at RED, and I’m so honored to be joining their team in partnership with Anthem. I’m grateful to both companies for their belief in me and can’t wait to see what we’ll accomplish together,” said Schott.

Warner Music Nashville Signs Ian Munsick

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Photo ID (L to R): Ben Kline (EVP / GM, WMN); Cris Lacy (EVP A&R, WMN); John Esposito (Chairman & CEO, WMN); Ian Munsick; Caroline Rudolph (CEO / Executive Creative Director, Not A Public Figure Management); Erv Woolsey (CEO & Founder, The Erv Woolsey Co.); Allen Mitchell (The Erv Woolsey Co.)

Warner Music Nashville has added singer-songwriter Ian Munsick to its roster. The Wyoming native has spent the past five years working on his music in Nashville, and has earned 20 million streams from his previous indie releases.

He is signed with Not A Public Figure Management/The Erv Woolsey Co., United Talent Agency, and Universal Music Publishing.

“I’ve always aimed to work with good humans,” Munsick said. “If you don’t have good humans on your team, longevity goes out the window and so does the potential to make a difference in the world. Warner Music Nashville is an ideal home not only because of their admiration for authenticity, but also because of their genuine, family-like workforce. From the executives all the way down to their boots on the ground, every member of the WMN staff loves his or her job. I never thought I would sign a record deal without physically meeting a single label representative, but that just goes to show how confident I am in their ability to amplify and nurture my artistry. I really believe that Warner is the final ingredient to round out my team and I cannot wait to show the world what we got cooking.”

Munsick will release his first major label track, “Long Haul,” on Friday, Sept. 18. Munsick wrote the track alongside Jamie Kenney and Dave Villa.

Songwriter Troy Jones Dies

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Troy Jones.

Songwriter Troy Jones, known for penning songs including Billy Currington’s “People Are Crazy” and “Pretty Good at Drinkin’ Beer,” died Friday (Sept. 11), following an accident when an electrical current came into contact with his boat dock.

A native of Port Saint Joe, Florida, Jones met his wife Patsy and they moved to Sylacauga, Alabama in the late ’70s. Inspired by the music of Randy Travis, Jones began writing songs in the mid-’80s and making trips to Nashville to pursue a career as a songwriter. He first joined Polygram Publishing, and later Carnival Music, led by Frank Liddell.

In 2005, Kenny Chesney included the Jones-penned “Like Me” as an album cut on his project The Road and the Radio. In 2007, Chesney collaborated with George Strait on another song Jones penned, “Shiftwork,” which reached No. 2 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart.

Billy Currington recorded the Jones and Bobby Braddock collaboration “People Are Crazy,” which reached No. 1 and earned Grammy nominations in 2010 for Best Male Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song. The track also earned an ACM nomination for Song of the Year. Currington recorded another of Jones’ songs, “Pretty Good at Drinkin’ Beer,” for his album Enjoy Yourself.

Jones retired a few years ago and lived in Alabama. No funeral plans have been announced at this time.

ASCAP Announces Virtual Ceremonies For Country, Christian, London Music Awards

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ASCAP will hold its 2020 awards ceremonies recognizing winners of its Christian, Country and London Music Awards virtually, beginning with the ASCAP Christian Music Awards, which will kick off Oct. 7-8.

Each event will take over ASCAP’s social media channels with exclusive photos, performances and video acceptance speeches shared by top songwriters, composers and publishers.

This summer ASCAP hosted its Pop, Screen, Latin and Rhythm & Soul Music Awards in June and July on social media, giving the public a rare chance to participate in what are usually invitation-only events. During the events fans and friends engaged with ASCAP Awards-related posts nearly 370,000 times for a total of 7.2 million social media impressions.

“As we saw in June and July, these virtual awards events give us a much-needed reason to smile, laugh and celebrate together during this difficult time,” said ASCAP Chairman of the Board and President Paul Williams. “It is beautiful to see the outpouring of love and support as friends, family and fans cheer on the creators behind their favorite songs. Our members are the heart and soul of ASCAP, and we look forward to honoring the outstanding contributions of our Christian, Country and London-based songwriters this fall.”

Each event will use the hashtag #ASCAPAwards on @ASCAP across all social media channels.
The ASCAP Awards dates:

  • ASCAP Christian Music Awards: Oct. 7 – 8
  • ASCAP London Music Awards: Oct. 21 – 22
  • ASCAP Country Music Awards: Nov. 9 – 12

Music Industry And Non-Profit Veteran Jackie Proffit Joins Music Health Alliance

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Jackie Proffit

Nashville music industry and non-profit veteran Jackie Proffit has joined the ten-person team at Music Health Alliance (MHA) as Executive Assistant to Founder and CEO, Tatum Allsep. In her new role with the Nashville-based non-profit, Proffit will support Allsep with the organization’s research, strategy and daily operations.

“Jackie’s enthusiasm and passion for the mission of Music Health Alliance combined with her long-time commitment to the greater good of the music industry make her the perfect addition to our already incredible team of women,” said Allsep. “Her vast experience in both the music and the non-profit sectors will be invaluable to MHA now and moving forward—especially since we’ve experienced a 200% increase in advocacy cases since March.”

Proffit’s previous tenure includes stints at DreamWorks, Arista Records, and Radio & Records Magazine and most recently ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital where she specialized in entertainment marketing and radio development.

She can be reached at [email protected].

Based in Nashville, Music Health Alliance has provided free healthcare advocacy and support to more than 11,000 music industry members across the U.S. and saved the music community more than $50,000,000 nationwide by providing advocacy and access to lifesaving transplants, medicine, mental health resources, end of life care and many other necessary services.

BREAKING: Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett, Hillary Lindsey Earn Early ACM Award Wins

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Miranda Lambert

The Academy of Country Music has revealed winners in three categories ahead of the awards show on Wednesday, Sept. 16, airing on CBS.

The Music Event of the Year honor goes to Miranda Lambert‘s “Fooled Around and Fell In Love,” which features Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes, Caylee Hammack and Elle King, and was produced by Jay Joyce.

Thomas Rhett won Video fo the Year for “Remember You Young” (produced by Dan Atchison and directed by TK McKamy), while Hillary Lindsey has been named Songwriter of the Year.

Additionally, the awards show will kick off with each of this year’s Entertainer of the Year nominees—Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs and Thomas Rhett—performing a medley of their hits.

Over the weekend, it was announced that Taylor Swift will return to the ACMs stage for the first time in seven years, when she performs her song ‘betty,” from her record-breaking album folklore, onstage at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. It was also announced that this year’s host, reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year and 15-time ACM winner Keith Urban will team with P!nk for the world television premiere of their single, “One Too Many.”