Sony/ATV Music Publishing Inks Licensing Deal With Facebook

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Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Facebook have entered a multi-territory, multi-year licensing agreement that allows Sony/ATV songwriters to earn royalties from the use of their music on both Facebook and Instagram. The deal is the second major publisher to sign with Facebook and the first agreement made with the social media giant and Sony/ATV, which oversees a catalog of more than 3 million songs.

Under the agreement, users can upload and share videos on Facebook, Instagram, and Oculus that contain compositions licensed from Sony/ATV’s catalog, as well as personalize their music experiences with songs from the catalog.

Sony/ATV Chairman and CEO Martin Bandier said, “We are thrilled that in signing this agreement Facebook recognizes the value that music brings to their service and that our songwriters will now benefit from the use of their music on Facebook. We are looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship.”

Sony/ATV’s contemporary roster includes The Chainsmokers, Drake, Pink, Ed Sheeran, Sia, Sam Smith, Taylor Swift, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams, while it also represents the songs of legends such as The Beatles, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Carole King and Queen, the Jobete catalog of Motown songs and standards including “Over The Rainbow,” “Moon River” and “Singin’ In The Rain.”

Tamara Hrivnak, Head of Music Business Development and Partnerships, Facebook said: “We’re excited to work with the largest music publisher in the world to bring amazing songs which deepen connections between friends and fans. Sony/ATV is a true leader and an absolute champion of writers in the digital space, and we’re thrilled to work with them as they grab new opportunities by the horns across all of our platforms.”

Songwriter Petition Circulates To Support Music Modernization Act

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The National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) has created a petition to collect and amplify the voice of songwriters in agreement of H.R. 4706, The Music Modernization Act of 2017, which is aimed at updating what the association calls “archaic laws” for the biggest achievement music creators have seen in the Digital Age.

Thousands of signatures have been collected so far in support of the December 21, 2017 legislation Congressman Doug Collins and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries introduced.

Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) has encouraged its members to sign the NMPA’s petition “that will give songwriters a new rate standard for digital mechanical royalties which should lead to better streaming royalty rates. The bill creates a new mechanical licensing entity that will represent all songwriters equally at no cost, establishes a licensing process controlled by music publishers and songwriters instead of tech companies or the government, ends the disastrous Copyright Office mass ‘Notice of Intent’ program, and mandates songwriters receive more than half of all unclaimed funds.”

Additional support for the bill comes from the Songwriters of North America (SONA), the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI), the Church Music Publishers’ Association (CMPA), the Production Music Association (PMA), MusicAnswers, the Music Publishers Association (MPA), the Council of Music Creators (CMC), the Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL) and the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP). The bill is also supported by the Digital Music Association (DiMA) which represents Amazon, Apple, Pandora, Spotify and YouTube.

Visit gopetition.com to read more or add your voice.

Kalie Shorr To Release New EP ‘Awake’ This Month

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Kalie Shorr is set to release her new EP Awake on Jan. 26, and she’ll be celebrating the release with a launch party on Jan. 25 at The Back Corner in Nashville. The new project features seven songs, and will be available for pre-sale on iTunes Jan. 15. The project’s first single “Two Hands” is currently playing on SiriusXM The Highway’s “On The Horizon,” Radio Disney Country, TuneIn Country Roads and on Apple Music playlists Breaking Country and Cool Country.

“Sometimes, this industry makes you second guess yourself,” Shorr explains. “It might not even mean to — there are just so many opinions and it’s easy to try to please everyone. This project is the first time I’ve tuned everything else out but my own gut feeling on who I am and what makes me unique. This past summer, I bought a new electric guitar, met an amazing producer, and fell back in love with the records that made me want to write songs in the first place. Before I knew it, the Awake EP was born. I couldn’t be more excited for it’s release, this record feels like the most authentic introduction to me I could give anyone.”

Shorr will hit the road beginning in February on the CMT Next Women of Country Presents Sara Evans All The Love Tour.

Shorr, who is part of the women-only music showcase in Nashville dubbed Song Suffragettes, recently teamed with fellow Song Suffragettes members including Lacy Cavalier and Lena Stone to cover Keith Urban’s “Female,” garnering praise from fans and critics alike.

Awake Track Listing:
1. Awake
2. Two Hands
3. Candy
4. Backseat
5. Damn Sky
6. Who What When Where Why
7. Cool Kids

YouTube video

Justin Timberlake’s 2018 Tour To Include Bridgestone Arena Date

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Justin Timberlake’s Man of the Woods video trailer.

Justin Timberlake announced he will launch his Man Of The Woods Tour in March, and the 27-city trek will include a stop at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on May 9.

The tour supports Timberlake’s album of the same name, which will release Feb. 2, two days before Timberlake performs the Super Bowl LII halftime show.

The tour will end May 30 at the FedEx Forum in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

Timberlake’s Man Of The Woods album will feature collaborations with Alicia Keys (“Morning Light”), and Chris Stapleton (“Say Something”).

Ticket sale dates vary depending on desired tour date. Although, American Express Card Members get access to presale tickets. Visit JustinTimberlake.com to see the full schedule of release dates.

Bobby Bones Launches New Red Hoodie Comedy Tour This Spring

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Bobby Bones is hitting the road again this Spring, bringing his stand-up comedy to fans on his Bobby Bones Red Hoodie Comedy Tour. Launching March 17 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the tour will feature musical guest Brandon Ray and an opening comedy bit from The Bobby Bones Show’s Mike D. Bones will sell red hoodies at each stop on the tour to help raise money for the patients of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Tickets for the tour go on sale this Friday, Jan. 12 at BobbyBonesComedy.com. 

“I can’t wait to get back out and meet all my people. And tell lots of jokes,” Bones said. “Some people have asked ‘Why the red hoodie?’ One, I didn’t want to have to dress up. And two, all red hoodies and red t-shirts sold on the tour will help St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. So yeah. Can’t wait.”

Bones’ last comedy tour, the Funny & Alone Tour, sold out more than 20 shows last year.

BOBBY BONES RED HOODIE COMEDY TOUR
3/17/18 Pikes Peak Center Colorado Springs, CO
3/30/18 Golden Nugget Casino Las Vegas, NV*
3/31/18 Tower Theatre Fresno, CA
4/6/18 Paramount Theatre Charlottesville, VA
4/7/18 Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall Munhall, PA
4/13/18 Kiva Auditorium Albuquerque, NM
5/11/18 Jefferson Theatre Beaumont, TX
5/12/18 Joy Theater New Orleans, LA
5/18/18 Paramount Theatre Austin, TX
5/19/18 Wichita Falls Memorial Auditorium Wichita Falls, TX
6/15/18 Charleston Music Hall Charleston, SC
6/16/18 Francis Marion University PAC Florence, SC
6/22/18 Morsani Hall Tampa, FL
6/23/18 Sunrise Theatre Fort Pierce, FL

Wixen Music Publishing Founder Speaks On Spotify Lawsuit

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While Spotify reportedly prepares for a coming initial public offering, having recently filed with the SEC, the streaming service has had to contend with several legal obstacles, including a recent $1.6 billion lawsuit from California-based publisher Wixen Music Publishing.

Launched by Randall Wixen in 1978, Wixen Music Publishing represents songs from artists including Tom Petty, the Black Keys, Neil Young, The Mavericks, and Rhiannon Giddens.

Wixen Music Publishing filed the suit on Dec. 27, 2017. In the lawsuit filing, 10,000 song copyright numbers are listed among those Wixen alleges Spotify has streamed without a proper license. The statutory penalty is a maximum of $150,000 per song.

“We don’t expect a jury or judge to award us that much but we will ask for the maximum for our clients,” Wixen tells MusicRow.

Part of the Wixen Music Publishing lawsuit stems from the company leader’s dissatisfaction with a previous class action lawsuit. In May 2017, Spotify reached a $43 million settlement to a class action lawsuit that had been filed by songwriters Melissa Ferrick and David Lowery. In 2016, they merged their suits into one legal action suit, initially seeking $150 million.

Wixen Music Publishing has been one of many publishers who spoke out against the settlement.

“The settlement meant $43 million for everyone that had not already settled their suits,” Wixen says. “We don’t like the settlement and we don’t like that lawyers representing the class action suit will get a large percentage of the money that comes from it. Probably $15 million of that will go to the lawyers.”

Wixen decided to file its own suit. However, a recent legal move necessitated the expediting of the suit’s filing. On Dec. 21, Doug Collins introduced the Music Modernization Act, which was supported by music companies including ASCAP, BMI, and NMPA. The bill intends to simplify the music licensing process in the modern-day era, and increase royalties to songwriters.

However, the introduction of the act also forced Wixen Music Group’s hand to file a suit against Spotify in order to protect their clients.

“It’s a really good act,” Randall Wixen tells MusicRow. “But on page 82 of that act is a clause that says if you don’t file a lawsuit against a music streaming company by Jan. 1, 2018, you lose your rights to get compensated. If that act was passed, and we hadn’t filed a suit by Jan. 1, we would have forfeited that right. It would retroactively give a free pass for a streaming service that has infringed on music rights in the past to build a service worth maybe $20 billion once it goes public. I didn’t want to have to tell clients that they can’t be compensated properly because we didn’t file in time,” Wixen says.

“We are continuing talks with Spotify,” he sums. “We want a fair go-forward license. We love [Spotify’s] service and we want a fair part of what is owed to us.”

CMHoF Names Sr. Director, Museum Sales And Retail

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The Country Music Hall of Fame has appointed Mark DeLelys to the position of senior director of museum sales and retail. The promotion recognizes his vital contributions to the museum’s work.

DeLelys joins the museum’s senior leadership team, which includes museum CEO Kyle Young; Sharon Brawner, senior VP of sales and marketing; Nina Burghard, senior VP of financial services and operations; Carolyn Tate, senior VP of museum services, Lisa Purcell, VP of development; Jay Orr, executive senior director for research, editorial, and content; Peter Cooper, senior director, producer, and writer; Warren Denney, senior creative director and Nando Rodriguez, senior director of events and culinary.

“As a nonprofit, museum ticket and retail sales are very important to us,” said Brawner. “That revenue sustains the work of the museum, which is to document and preserve the history of country music. It is gratifying to recognize Mark’s contribution to our success. He brings years of experience with arts and cultural institutions from across the United States. At our museum, Mark has elevated the profile of Hatch Show Print and increased retail sales there. He is a major asset to the museum as it grows and welcomes more guests.”

DeLelys will report to Brawner. He will direct the museum’s guest relations and tourism functions, all ticket sales, retail and wholesale operations, and Historic RCA Studio B and Hatch Show Print.

DeLelys came to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in 2012, from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, where he oversaw renovation and expansion projects related to retail development and the guest experience.

After joining the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum staff, DeLelys played a key role in developing the retail strategy and mix that includes three retail stores (Circa, Museum Store and Hatch Show Print Store) and the Haley Gallery, a fine-art gallery featuring Hatch Show Print-related artists and exhibitions. Between 2014 and 2017, with help from DeLelys, museum revenue from retail sales increased by 50 percent while centralizing retail buying and management staff to increase efficiency and improve customer service.

In the Haley Gallery, by featuring restrikes of historic Hatch posters alongside the work of contemporary artists who have collaborated with Hatch designers, DeLelys has created a fresh dialogue about the relationship between letterpress past and present.

Fiddle Reportedly Belonging To Roy Acuff Donated To Kansas City Goodwill Store

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Just one more reason shopping thrift stores can pay off — you might just come across a musical treasure owned and played by a legend. According to a recent story in the Kansas City Star, a fiddle owned by the late Roy Acuff is up for auction in Kansas City after being donated anonymously to Goodwill of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas. The fiddle was given to the Goodwill store on North Oak and is now in the possession of Gary Raines, who runs Goodwill’s e-commerce program in Kansas City.

Acuff’s fiddles were made by his uncle, Evart Acuff, and each one was numbered. A sticker inside the fiddle that reads No. 19 says it was handmade in August 1945 in Maryville, Tenn (labeled as “Merryville” on the sticker). It was made of applewood from a tree on a family farm.

“We recognized right away that it was something special and we now have it up for auction,” Raines said. “We have no information on the owner. They just donated it and moved on. … The certificate of authenticity and other paperwork are copies but we are confident that it’s the real thing.”

The auction is open until 11 p.m. Saturday (central time) at shopgoodwill.com, which has published photos and other details of the instrument. The high bid on the instrument is currently $8,002.

Acuff, who died in 1992, was a Grand Ole Opry star known for hits including “Wabash Cannon Ball,” “Great Speckled Bird,” “Wreck On The Highway” and “Fireball Mail.” In 1942, Acuff formed the influential music publishing company Acuff-Rose. In 1962, Acuff was elected as the first living member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

BMI And Arista Celebrate LANCO’s First No. 1, Platinum-Selling “Greatest Love Story”

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Pictured (L-R) front: Lead guitarist Eric Steedly, Lead singer/songwriter Brandon Lancaster, Drummer Tripp Howell, multi-instrumentalist Jared Hampton, bassist Chandler Baldwin; (Back Row L-R): BMI’s Josh Tomlinson Neon Cross’ Melissa Spillman, Sony Music Nashville’s Chairman & CEO Randy Goodman, Warner Chappell’s Ben Vaughn. Photo: Steve Lowry

BMI and financial partner Pinnacle Financial welcomed Sony Nashville’s LANCO to its headquarters on Thursday, Jan. 4 to celebrate the No. 1 success of the quintet’s single “Greatest Love Story.” Cooper Samuels from Pinnacle Financial offered remarks about a donation on behalf of the band to Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital.

Together, Sony Music Nashville COO/EVP Ken Robold and VP Sales Caryl Healey surprised LANCO with a Platinum plaque, commemorating a million sales of the title.

Formerly known as Lancaster & Company, the group originally released “American Love Story” on their 2015 EP before renaming the song ahead of the Arista Nashville impact date on March 6, 2017.

BMI’s Josh Tomlinson welcomed a crowd to the first No. 1 party of 2018, a solo-write by the group’s frontman Brandon Lancaster, who has writing credits on all 11 tracks (including four solo-writes) on their debut album Hallelujah Nights, available Jan. 19. Tomlinson presented Lancaster with a commemorative BMI Epiphone guitar for writing his first No. 1.

Lancaster is published by his producer’s Neon Cross together with Ben Vaughan‘s Warner/Chappell. On behalf of producer Jay Joyce, Melissa Spillman offered remarks.

“Congratulations Brandon and the team—here’s to many more” said Spillman before presenting military dogtags and artwork to the group. “We’ve made a donation to our debt at Warner/Chappell on your behalf,” she teased to the audience’s laughter.

Pictured (L-R): Drummer Tripp Howell, Lead guitarist Eric Steedly, Lead singer/songwriter Brandon Lancaster, Multi-instrumentalist Jared Hampton, bassist Chandler Baldwin. Pictured: Steve Lowry

For the label, Josh Easler from Arista noted, “This [No. 1] is a testament to the band as people, their management company and to the people they surround themselves with—they will outwork any band in this town.” Easler additionally noted the work of leader Steve Hodges, alongside his promotions staff Lauren Thomas, Abi Fishbone, Rusty Sherrill, Lisa Owen, Olivia Laster, Jenny Shearin and RG Jones.

While the full band performed select titles from their album, Lancaster offered his remarks.

“We’ve been together as a band for years. I remember 3-4 years ago, we had these songs this dream and this vision,” Lancaster praised. “We started getting exposed to this industry and how hard people work to make what we hear on the radio, the things we see on TV and the things we buy a reality. One by one the people in this room believed in us. We are fortunate to be on the road to see the impact y’all are having. You are changing people’s lives because you allow people like us to impact fans. Thank you so much this has been the journey of a lifetime!”

LANCO performs. Photo: Steve Lowry

Pictured (L-R): Lead guitarist Eric Steedly, Drummer Tripp Howell, Lead singer/songwriter Brandon Lancaster, Multi-instrumentalist Jared Hampton, bassist Chandler Baldwin, MusicRow Owner/Publisher Sherod Robertson. Photo: Steve Lowry

MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson presented the band with No. 1 Challenge Coins for its chart-topping success on MusicRow‘s CountryBreakout Chart. Brooke Sanders from the CRB noted “Greatest Love Story” had earned 216,855 spins, reaching an audience of over 9.85 million. The CMA’s Brandi Simms presented the group with CMA Medallions. Country Aircheck‘s Lon Helton presented plaques for Lancaster, the band and Arista Nashville.

LANCO will release “Born To Love You” as their next single.

Mickey Gilley Recovering Following Car Accident

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Mickey Gilley and his son were involved in a car accident earlier this week, on Jan. 3. The pair were returning to Branson after an event in Texas and rolled over numerous times off the interstate. Both Gilley and his son are recovering with minor injuries, and Gilley sustained a fractured ankle and a fractured right shoulder along with some bumps and bruises in the accident. 

Due to the injuries, Gilley is forced to reschedule his Jan. 6 show at The Texas Theatre in Greenville, Texas. While the new date will be announced in the coming weeks, he plans to resume his normal touring schedule on January 20 at the Orange Blossom Opry in Weirsdale, Florida.

“I had an accident yesterday. We rolled a car about three times over,” Gilley explains to fans via Facebook, “I have a fractured left ankle and a fractured right shoulder. I am having a hard time walking because I have a big boot on my left leg. But other than that I’m doing pretty good. To be 81 years old and put myself through what I’ve been through it’s kinda tough sometimes on the old man but I don’t intend to retire. I will be out there on the road and I’ll see you real soon.”