SMACKSongs Signs Belmont University Graduate Emily Falvey

Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Leslie Roberts, Kobalt’s Mark Abramowitz, SMACK’s Shane McAnally, Emily Falvey, Josh Osborne, Robin Palmer and Lee Krabel. Photo: Rachel Deeb

Nashville-based music publishing company, SMACKSongs, has signed songwriter Emily Falvey to an exclusive worldwide publishing deal. Falvey joins a roster of writers, producers, and artists, all led by Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne.

Falvey is a recent graduate of Belmont University, who earned a BA in Songwriting and a BBA in Music Business. During her time at Belmont, Falvey interned at SMACKSongs, as well as at other companies in the music industry.

“I can think of no greater honor than signing my first publishing deal with SMACKSongs, and to be able to join this extraordinary family of writers and industry leaders,” shares Falvey. “I am especially grateful to Robin Palmer and Lee Krabel at SMACK for believing in me, Mark Abramowitz and the entire Kobalt team, Leslie Roberts and MaryAnn Keen at BMI, Matt Cottingham at Ritholz Levy Fields, the Songwriting department at Belmont University, Emily Weisband, Josh Osborne and Shane McAnally for their mentorship and vision. I am excited to be a part of the changing landscape of Nashville and to be able to make music every day!”

“Over the last year we have absolutely loved getting to know Emily as our intern and resident cheerleader for SMACK,” said McAnally. “Her positive energy and budding talent caught our attention early, and we’re so excited to have her as our newest writer at SMACK. We look forward to her bright future ahead.”

Sony To Acquire Michael Jackson Estate Interest In EMI Music Publishing

Michael Jackson. Photo: Facebook

Overnight, the Sony Corporation of America, Sony Corporation’s wholly-owned subsidiary, announced its acquisition of the 25.1 percent interest in Nile Acquisition LLC held by the Estate of Michael Jackson. (Nile owns an approximately 40 percent equity interest in D.H. Publishing, L.P., which owns and manages EMI Music Publishing.)

As a result of the acquisition, valued at $287.5 million, Nile will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony, pending regulatory approval. Accordingly, EMI will also become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony upon the completion its acquisition of the approximately 60 percent equity interest in EMI owned by the investor consortium led by Mubadala Investment Company, as previously announced on May 22, 2018 and June 29, 2018.

In 2016, the Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC acquired the 50 percent interest the Jackson Estate held since 1995 for $750 million. This brings the total return for the Jackson Estate’s publishing investments to over $1 billion.

Travis Carter Named VP, A&R At Warner/Chappell Music

Travis Carter

Warner/Chappell Music (WCM) has promoted Travis Carter to Vice President, A&R. This appointment will expand on Carter’s previous role as A&R Director, Country/Pop & Rock, focusing on his efforts to discover and collaborate with a diverse roster of talent.

“It’s an honor to get to work with our amazingly talented songwriters and help them bring out their best work,” said Carter. “I’m grateful for the support of Ben and the team, as well as Warner/Chappell’s global network. I’m also grateful to be in Nashville, where there’s no shortage of great talent.”

“We are so happy to announce Travis’ promotion,” said Ben Vaughn, President of Warner/Chappell Nashville. “He’s someone who understands how to communicate with writers and we look forward to his continued growth.”

Carter works with a wide variety of songwriters across genres—from emerging talents like Ben Burgess, Niko Moon, and Jamie Kenney, to signed acts like Brothers Osborne, Midland, Devin Dawson, Morgan Evans, Calynn Green, Cale Dodds, and A Thousand Horses.

Previously, he served as A&R Manager. Prior to Warner/Chappell, Carter worked at Love Monkey Music, Tom-Leis Music and Sony Music, and was a touring musician.

Submissions Now Open For MusicRow’s 2018 ‘Publisher Issue’ Print Magazine

Submissions for the upcoming MusicRow Publisher Issue print magazine are now being accepted through Aug. 17.

The issue includes company listings for Nashville’s top publishing companies in addition to exclusive, publisher-pertinent edit. To submit your company for consideration, visit MusicRow.com.

To reserve ad space in the Publisher Issue print edition, email [email protected]. Rate card information is available here.

ole Song Search Challenge Offers Single Song Contracts To Four NSAI Members

Four members of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) have been offered single song contracts by music publishing company ole, as part of NSAI’s inaugural “ole Chapter Challenge” song search. In April, every NSAI member throughout the world was able to play a song at their chapter meeting. Local members then voted for their favorite song for further consideration by ole.

“The four songs we selected for contracts were professional caliber and we are excited to pitch them to artists, for film and tv and other uses,” said ole’s Nashville Vice President John Ozier. “It is exciting to find talented songwriters from around the country whose songs deserve a chance for placement. I applaud Bart Herbison and his team at the NSAI for giving both the songwriters and ole this opportunity.”

“This is an unprecedented opportunity for unsigned songwriters to find a partner with ole’s clout to help them get a placement. It is really a chance for dreams to come true,” said NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison.

Each April NSAI will present the “ole Chapter Challenge” across its 100 plus chapters located around the globe. NSAI members vote at each chapter. The winning song is then forwarded for further consideration by ole for a possible contract. In addition, each local NSAI Regional Chapter Coordinator gets to submit a song for consideration as a reward for their service to the organization.

Songwriters who received single song contract offers from ole and their chapters were:

“Filling Space” by Selda Sahin — NSAI NYC Chapter;
“Good Things” by Josh Cottrell — NSAI Knoxville, TN Chapter;
“Insane” by Aubrey Toone — Salt Lake City, UT NSAI Chapter;
“Keep Talking Like That” by Scott Forman – coordinator, NSAI NYC Chapter

Winners pictured (L-R): Josh Cottrell. Selda Sahin (with Derek Gregor), Aubrey Toone, Scott Forman

Are Institutional Investors The Future Of The Music Business?

Q Prime management is experimenting with a new form of investing for its Grammy-winning band Cage The Elephant.

With a co-publishing deal (which includes mechanical, public performance, sync, and print royalty streams), Cage The Elephant is the first to take part in a new offering from Royalty Exchange, which began offering royalty financing opportunities with iconic catalogs today (July 24).

Called Private Syndicates, Royalty Exchange creates Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) designed to hold music catalogs from those top-tier artists. For Cage The Elephant, Royalty Exchange agreed to purchase the co-publishing catalog of the band’s first four studio albums, including the 2017 Grammy-winning Best Rock Album Tell Me I’m Pretty (2015), the Grammy-nominated Melophobia (2013), Thank You, Happy Birthday (2011) and their self-titled release (2008).

Accredited investors can then buy shares of that entity, which grants them a proportional share of the royalty income it generates. For Cage The Elephant, 40 individual and institutional investors participated, attracted by the potential for double-digit yield (based on the catalog’s five-year compound annual growth rate, industry growth projections, the catalog’s cash flow and other factors).

“We expected strong demand for this incredible catalog, but we were taken aback by how fast investors reacted,” said Royalty Exchange CEO Matthew Smith.

Currently, the band’s catalog is administered and publishing is co-owned by Sony/ATV, which is expected to continue in that role, notes Billboard.

The magazine goes on to explain that the “accredited and institutional investors” able to invest include Wall Street financial institutions (bank, investment bank, insurance fund or investment advisors), a pension fund, a charitable organization, trust, or corporation (with assets exceeding $5 million) or an individual (with a net worth of more than $1 million, excluding the value of that person’s home).

Chris Young Signs New Publishing Deal

Front Row (L-R): Kent Earls, UMPG Nashville; Chris Young; Cyndi Forman, UMPG Nashville. Back Row (L-R): Bill Simmons, Fitzgerald Hartley; Travis Gordon, UMPG Nashville; Ron Stuve, UMPG Nashville; Larry Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald Hartley; Becky Harris, Huskins-Harris Business Management; Dorothy Leonhardt Huskins-Harris Business Management; Missy Roberts, UMPG Nashville

Having co-written several of his own No. 1 singles, in addition to penning hits for artists including Kane Brown, Chris Young is becoming as known for his songwriting as for his signature country voice.

Young has now announced a new global publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group.

“Chris Young is a publisher’s dream. He’s a gifted songwriter, incredible vocalist and selling out arenas on his current headlining tour. We’re honored and thrilled that he has joined the UMPG family and look forward to an exciting future together,” said Kent Earls, Executive Vice President and General Manager, UMPG Nashville.

“Kent, Ron Stuve, Cyndi Forman, Evan Lamberg and everyone at Universal Music Publishing are passionate about my work as a songwriter and what can be accomplished together in the future. I can’t wait to see where we will go together as a team,” said Young.

Young co-wrote his consecutive No. 1 singles, “Losing Sleep,” “Sober Saturday Night,” “Think Of You” and “I’m Comin’ Over.” The RCA Records artist has also earned 17 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum projects. The Grammy and ACM-nominated artist is currently headlining his Chris Young Losing Sleep 2018 World Tour, with more than 55 arena and amphitheater scheduled dates.

Reba McEntire Inks Publishing Deal With Given Music

Pictured (L-R): Jenny Hall, Creative Director, Given Music Publishing; Reba; Michael Hollandsworth, VP/GM, Given Music Publishing; Cindy Owen, Given Founding Partner.

Reba McEntire has signed an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with Given Music Publishing,

McEntire’s professional relationship and friendship with Given Music founding partner Cindy Owen dates back to the early ’80s, when McEntire gave her a start in the music industry when Owen was in her teens. Owen later became McEntire’s VP of Creative Services, a position she held for 15 years before launching her own entertainment company in 2002 and then Given Entertainment with business partner Jim Kacmarcik in 2013.

“Signing Reba to Given is for sure a full circle moment for me,” Owen says. “One of my greatest blessings is having had a front row seat for all these years to watch her blaze new trails and become the icon she is. Her work ethic, talent and determination are unmatched and examples to us all. Reba has always made evident her lifelong passion for songs, songwriters and the songwriting community. We at Given look forward to being a part of her team as she continues to expand new horizons in entertainment and create opportunities for herself and other songwriters.”

“It has been said that it all begins with a song. For me, it starts with the songwriter,” McEntire says. “From their very talented and creative imaginations, they create something that can make you laugh, lift your mood, get you two-stepping or break your heart. What they write affects people in a way that few things can. Joining the Given team is something that excites me in a number of ways; first and foremost that I again get to work with my longtime friend and colleague Cindy Owen. I have great respect for the rest of the creative team, as well as the incredibly talented roster of songwriters who are part of the Given family. As I continue to explore new creative avenues, this is the perfect home for me as a writer.”

Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame Nominees Announced

The Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame has revealed its 12 nominees, in two categories.

In the Songwriter/Artist category are Ronnie Dunn, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley and Eddy Raven.

In the Songwriter category are Skip Ewing, Byron Hill, Ed Hill, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Kerry Kurt Phillips, Bob Regan, Jim Rushing and Steve Seskin.

Inductees will be announced in August.

Ewing has penned 11 No. 1 singles and has earned CMA Triple Play Awards and been named BMI Writer of the Year. He has had more than 250 album cuts, with hits including “You Had Me From Hello” (Kenny Chesney), “Love, Me” (Collin Raye), “Something That We Do” (Clint Black), and “I Believe” (Diamond Rio).

Since moving to Nashville and signing his first publishing deal in 1978, Hill’s songs have generated more than 700 recordings, and have been released on ninety-one industry certified Gold and Platinum albums and singles. His song include “Fool Hearted Memory” (George Strait), “Pickin’ Up Strangers” (Johnny Lee), “Politics, Religion, And Her” (Sammy Kershaw), “Nothing On But The Radio” (Gary Allan), “Born Country” (Alabama), “High-Tech Redneck” (George Jones), “Alright Already” (Larry Stewart), “If I Was A Drinkin’ Man” (Neal McCoy), “Size Matters” (Joe Nichols), “Nights” (Ed Bruce), “The Strong One” (Mila Mason), and “Lifestyles Of The Not So Rich And Famous” (Tracy Byrd), among others.

Hill has penned hits including “Find Out Who Your Friends Are” (Tracy Lawrence), “Just Fishin'” (Trace Adkins), “Georgia Rain” (Trisha Yearwood), “It Matters To Me” (Faith Hill), “The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter” (Reba McEntire), “Be My Baby Tonight” (John Michael Montgomery), “How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls” (George Strait), “Whatever You Say” (Martina McBride) and more. He also co-wrote “Most People Are Good,” recorded by Luke Bryan and earning a MusicRow Award for 2018 Song of the Year.

Kirkpatrick is known for his writing credits on Eric Clapton’s “Change The World,” Little Big Town’s “Boondocks” and “Bring It On Home,” Garth Brooks’ “Wrapped Up In You,” as well as numerous cuts for Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, and numerous CCM artists.

Phillips is known for the hits “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair” and “Where The Tall Grass Grows” (George Jones), “Is It Cold In Here,” “Prop Me Up Beside The Jukebox,” “In My Own Backyard,” and “Pickup Man” (all recorded by Joe Diffie), “Down on The Farm” and “Maybe We Should Just Sleep On It” (both recorded by Tim McGraw), “Almost Home” (Craig Morgan), “It’s All The Same To Me” (Billy Ray Cyrus), “She Let Herself Go” (George Strait) and more.

Regan moved to Nashville in 1985 and has had more than 200 songs recorded, including “Dig Two Graves” (Randy Travis), “Busy Man” (Billy Ray Cyrus), “Your Everything” (Keith Urban) “Thinkin’ ‘Bout You” (Trisha Yearwood), “Everytime I Cry” (Terri Clark), “Steam” (Ty Herndon) and more.

Rushing is known for hits including “American Honky-Tonk Bar Association” (Garth Brooks), “Cheap Whiskey” (Martina McBride), “Feelin’ Good About Feelin’ Bad” (Patty Loveless), among others.

Seskin penned songs including “I Think About You” (Collin Raye), “Don’t Laugh At Me” (Mark Wills), three John Michael Montgomery hits including “Life’s A Dance,” “No Man’s Land,” and “If You’ve Got Love,” as well as Tim McGraw’s “Grown Men Don’t Cry,” Kenny Chesney’s “All I Need To Know,” Waylon Jennings’ “Wrong” and Alabama’s “She Can,” among others.

 

 

Parallel Music Publishing Signs Joey Hendricks

Pictured: Back row (L-R): Denise Stevens, Partner, Loeb & Loeb; Austen Adams, Of Counsel at Dickinson Wright PLLC; Dustin Kovacic, Associate of Dickinson Wright PLLC. Front row (L-R): Tim Hunze, Parallel Music Publishing; Joey Hendricks; Travis Myatt, Parallel Music Publishing

Parallel Music Publishing has signed singer-songwriter Joey Hendricks to an exclusive songwriting agreement. Hendricks moved to Nashville in 2017; Parallel’s Tim Hunze first heard his music in May 2018. Hunze and Travis Myatt offered Hendricks a deal upon their first meeting.

“I tell people all the time to trust their gut and I knew from the first song I heard that we had to sign Joey immediately. His melodies and lyrics are so fresh and unique. We are so excited to be a part of Joey’s journey,” said Hunze, Partner, Parallel Music Publishing.

“I”m so thankful and excited for the opportunity to create at Parallel,’ Hendricks said.