Centricity Partners With ADA; Plans New Music From Lauren Daigle and More

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Pictured (clockwise): Lauren Daigle, Apollo LTD, Coby James, Chris Renzema

Centricity Music, the No. 1 Billboard Top Christian Albums Imprint for the third consecutive year, partners with Warner Music Group’s ADA Worldwide for distribution in 2021.

Centricity Music and ADA were already partners for the release of Lauren Daigle’s Platinum-selling, Grammy-winning Look Up Child. Going forward, all active Centricity Music titles will be available for retail accounts to purchase through ADA.

This includes Daigle’s first new music in two years, “Hold On To Me,” set for release Feb. 26.

Other new music is coming from Chris Renzema, North Point Worship and Coby James, this is in addition to recent releases from Apollo LTD and Jordan Feliz.

“We are so excited to be partnering with ADA. When looking for a distribution partner we were looking for a world-class organization with additional opportunities for the Centricity artists,” said Steve Ford, Centricity Music General Manager. “With ADA we found an incredible team that was excited about the entire roster. We look forward to working with them to continue the artist development story for our artists.”

“We have long admired the extraordinary Centricity team and roster, and on behalf of everyone at ADA, we are proud to welcome Centricity to the family,” said Eliah Seton, President of Independent Music and Creator Services at Warner Music Group. “We can’t wait to help amplify the unique voices of this incredible label in the US and around the world.”

In 2020, Centricity Music artists and Centricity Publishing songwriters received 15 GMA Dove Award nominations and three wins.

Centricity was previously distributed by CCMG/Universal.

Spotify Launches Website Noteable For Songwriters, Artists

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Carole King featured on the Spotify’s Noteable site.

Spotify’s new global home for songwriters, producers, and publishers, Noteable, has officially launched.

The Noteable website features a central space to learn about everything Spotify has to offer, find new opportunities, and collaborate with other users. Through the new website, email newsletter, Instagram, and Twitter, listeners can get the latest news, updates on relevant products and services, new programs and video resources, and connect.

On Noteable (noteable.spotify.com) users can access all of the resources available, including relevant information on Spotify Publishing Analytics, Spotify for Artists, Songwriter Pages, the newly-launched Songwriters Hub, or SoundBetter, plus answers to FAQs and news straight from Spotify and the industry at large.

The site will also feature video series including The Game Plan and Songwriter Saturdays series, featuring Julia Michaels, Boi 1-da, and more. Later this year, a new series for students, “How I Started, How It’s Going,” featuring world-class producers walking viewers through their career arcs will be introduced, as well as “Song Start,” an educational video series in partnership with Ali Tamposi and Tamar Kaprelian to coach new songwriters and artists as they delve into the complexities of the industry.

A new monthly newsletter, The Beat Drop, will also highlight industry news and feature Noteable Releases for the month.

CMHoF Exhibit Highlights 2020 In Country Music

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The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will open the exhibit American Currents: State of the Music on Friday, March 12, 2021, highlighting the most significant developments in country music over the previous year.

Those recognized in this year’s exhibition through artifacts on display include Gabby Barrett, Casey Beathard, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Mickey Guyton, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Rissi Palmer, John Prine, Sister Sadie, Billy Strings and Eddie Stubbs.

“As a museum, we document and report on country music history—past and present. Each year through the American Currents: State of the Music exhibit, we explore the music and events that helped to shape it,” said Kyle Young, CEO, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “Amid a global health crisis, a renewed push for social justice, and more, the powerful role of country music and the stories told through it remained constant.”

The exhibit’s Unbroken Circle feature illustrates connections between country music’s past and present by pairing memorabilia from artists such as Jimmie Allen and Darius Rucker; Ingrid Andress and Faith Hill; Charley Crockett and Freddy Fender; and Dierks Bentley’s Hot Country Knights and the Statler Brothers’ Lester “Roadhog” Moran & the Cadillac Cowboys.

Also included is a video compilation of important country music moments from 2020, and the year’s chart-topping albums, singles and highest-grossing tours.

The exhibit runs through Feb. 6, 2022.

Pre-Pandemic Music Industry Generated $170 Billion GDP

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A comprehensive report released this week examines the music industry’s contribution to the U.S. economy. The report by economists Robert Stoner and Jéssica Dutra of Economists, Inc. evaluates pre-pandemic data and documents music’s ability to drive job creation and economic growth.

Among the findings, based on data from 2018, the music industry contributed $170 billion to US GDP annually, and supported 2.5 million jobs nationwide in core music activities like recording, streaming, and live performance, as well as adjacent fields like travel, retail, and marketing.

As an export, music generated $9.1 billion in foreign sales annually. And, for every dollar created by music activities, an additional fifty cents is created in adjacent business or fields.

In Tennessee, the music industry contributed $5.8 billion GDP and almost 62,000 jobs.

“This data provides an important pre-COVID benchmark of the music economy that will guide us as we determine what a return to ‘normal’ must include,” said Josh Friedlander, SVP of Research and Economics at RIAA. “It also charts a course for state and federal policymakers to leverage music’s ability to produce strong economic growth and high-paying domestic jobs.”

Read The U.S. Music Industries: 2020 Jobs & Benefits Report.

Sony Music Publishing Rebrands, Revitalizes Mission

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The Sony Music Publishing name has returned after 25 years, introducing a new brand identity with a redesigned logo and revitalized mission.

Driven by the leadership of Chairman & CEO Jon Platt, the renewal of the Sony Music Publishing name signifies the company’s desire to identify as “A Creative Entertainment Company with a Solid Foundation of Technology.”

The refreshed logo is designed as an abstraction of sound waves—with resonance and vibrations that express infinitely expanding opportunities for songwriters. Complementing the symbol, the Sony Music Publishing ethos is ‘every voice matters’, elevating the vision and goals of songwriters.

Sony/ATV was established in 1995 through a joint venture with Michael Jackson that brought together the original Sony Music Publishing with Jackson’s ATV Music. Jackson had acquired ATV Music, which owned the Northern Songs catalogue, in 1985. Northern Songs owned the rights to all the songs that John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote during their time with the Beatles. In 2016, Sony acquired the Michael Jackson Estate’s 50% share of Sony/ATV making it a wholly owned Sony company.

Sony Music Publishing Chairman and CEO Platt commented, “Sony Music Publishing has always embraced the power of songwriting to connect cultures and bring people together. Since its inception, Sony Music Publishing has supported the careers of songwriters and continues to defend their rights. Returning to the Sony Music Publishing name reconnects us to our legacy and further unifies our mission and culture with the Sony Corporation. Our new brand embodies a modern vision to be an authentic reflection of the music and songwriters we represent.”

Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston spoke to MusicRow about the rebrand and its implications for the company’s Nashville presence.

“Jon Platt came in as a new Chairman and CEO 18 months ago, and he has done such an incredibly terrific job at transforming the entire company’s culture,” Gaston tells MusicRow. “Part of this rebrand is breathing a fresh and new life into what he has done to this company in general; making the focus on relationships and service. When he came in, he was very vocal about wanting this company to be the destination for the world’s greatest songwriters. This rebranding is a natural evolution of the way he is transforming this company and it’s all incredibly positive.”

Gaston, who is also newly at the helm of Sony Music Publishing’s Nashville office, is excited about the company refresh.

“It’s really exciting because I’m brand new here as well. I’ve only been here a year and I walked in with the same passion and enthusiasm that Jon Platt did for the company overall. It was about making the focus of this Nashville office to be on one-on-one relationships with songwriters and about us providing hands-down, the very best service the songwriter could possibly get in Nashville.”

He says that the Sony Music Publishing Nashville office is getting a refresh as well, with the space being renovated.

“I am incredibly excited about when we come out of this pandemic, not only are we going back into a new Sony Music Publishing campus on Music Row, but it’s going to be completely renovated and it’s going to be the actual destination that songwriters want to come to.”

Gaston sums, “It’s a new culture and in Nashville, we’re going to have a brand new space.”

Kane Brown, Sony Music Nashville Launch 1021 Entertainment

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Pictured (L-R): Zach Beeken, Garrett Nichols, Colton Pack, and Kane Brown. Photo: Matthew Berinato

Kane Brown and Sony Music Nashville have launched a new record label, 1021 Entertainment, with Restless Road as the first signing. The trio comprised of Zach Beeken, Colton Pack and Garrett Nichols have released their first single via the joint venture, “Took One Look At Her Momma.”

Brown has been mentoring the group for some time, including take them on the road as openers on his Worldwide Beautiful Tour.

Said Brown, “I want to give people chances to succeed. With 1021 Entertainment, I feel like we have a platform and team that can mentor and build up talent in country music. With my own label, I want to use it as an opportunity to shape and promote artists that may not have gotten a chance otherwise, for Restless Road and others in the future.”

“We are excited to welcome Restless Road to the Sony Music Nashville roster. Colton, Zach, and Garrett each bring undeniable talent, dedication, and innovation to this trio. It has also been rewarding to collaborate on this project with Kane and watch him mentor and advise as a label partner in ways only a superstar artist can,” said Margaret Tomlin, Sony Music Nashville Director, A&R.

Restless Road’s self-titled debut EP (released in February 2020 by Sony) was produced by Dann Huff and co-producer Lindsay Rimes. The trio, which is signed to Sony Music Publishing, co-wrote three of the four songs with a roster of hit-making collaborators.

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New Series ‘Breaking Bobby Bones’ Coming To Television

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The television series Breaking Bobby Bones will debut on National Geographic on May 31. In the 16-part unscripted series, multimedia personality Bobby Bones will travel the country to meet people who have extraordinary skills. He will then accept the challenge of living a day in their lives and attempting new feats, such as becoming a stunt performer in Hollywood with one of the few women of color in the industry, or learning to kayak while blindfolded from a blind honorably discharged naval officer.

Bones will host and executive produce the show, seeking to feature people who embody his personal mantra: Fight. Grind. Repeat.

The show premieres May 31 (Memorial Day) at 10/9 CT with two back-to-back episodes, then moves to Sundays at 10/9 CT with two 30-minute episodes premiering each week.

Bones adds this to his many roles, including radio personality, bestselling author, and a full-time mentor on ABC’s American Idol.

Breaking Bobby Bones is produced by BBC Studios’ Los Angeles production arm for National Geographic. Alongside Bones, Betsy Forhan serves as executive producer for National Geographic, and Travis Shakespeare and Jeffrey L. Weaver executive produce for BBC Studios.

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ONErpm Upgrades Platform, Drives Success For YouTube Sensation Tiko

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ONErpm has debuted a new distribution and marketing platform with numerous upgrades. The new streamlined user interface combines daily performance statistics and demographic consumption data with direct-to-fan marketing tools, allowing artists and labels to create and manage marketing campaigns using proper audience targets. The site also allows users to create advertising campaigns on social media and DSPs like Spotify and YouTube, with the support of ONErpm’s specialized advertising teams in each of its global territories.

ONErpm has grown significantly since it was founded 11 years ago by Emmanuel Zunz. Today the company offers three levels of service: DIY (for new artists), Taking Off (for emerging artists) and Next Level, where breaking artists receive full label support and funding.

In step with the new platform, ONErpm is investing in a global direct-to-fan marketing group that will assist its clients in navigating new opportunities on platforms like Tik Tok, Facebook and YouTube, all of which are generating significant new revenue.

For example, YouTube sensation Tiko has found major success through his partnership with ONErpm. Originally known around the world for his Fortnite gaming videos, his audience has increased more than 750 times since 2020 through new original music released across the ONErpm distribution platform and YouTube network, including his latest song, “Expectations.”

Tiko’s songs have amassed over 205 million streams on combined platforms serviced by ONErpm. He is represented by WME and partnered with mtheory.

YouTube recognized Tiko as the No. 5 Top Creator, No. 2 Breakout Creator in the U.S., and one of the Top 10 Breakout Creators on the planet. This is among a reported 40 million+ active gaming channels on YouTube.

Tiko, Photo Credit: Allyson Ly

Curb|Word Music Publishing Adds Five New Writers To Country Roster

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Top Row (L-R): Rose Falcon, Kelsey Hart, Joe Leathers; Bottom Row: Houston Phillips, Kyle Schlienger

Curb|Word Music Publishing has signed new worldwide publishing deals with songwriters Kelsey Hart, Rose Falcon, Joe Leathers, Houston Phillips and Kyle Schlienger.

Western Kentucky native Kelsey Hart found his first co-writing success with Jake Owen’s “As Long As You’re In It,” on his Greatest Hits collection. Hart is currently writing and recording for his debut artist project in addition to writing songs for fellow country artists.

Aside from her own artist projects, Rose Falcon has channeled her songwriting talents into meaningful music for others, earning her a No. 1 single with Eric Paslay’s “Friday Night” and notable cuts for Lady A, Faith Hill, Rodney Atkins, Mackenzie Porter, Will Hoge and more.

Joe Leathers returns to his former publishing home on the Curb|Word Music Publishing roster. Leathers has achieved three Top 10 hits with Tim McGraw’s “Still,” Craig Morgan’s “Tough,” and Jason Michael Carroll’s “Where I’m From,” and also has cuts with Lee Brice, Kenny Chesney, Randy Houser, Clay Walker, Trace Adkins and many others.

Former tour manager Houston Phillips landed cuts with Jerrod Niemann and Tyler Farr, which led to his first publishing deal. He has also had songs recorded by Jason Aldean, Trace Adkins, Heath Sanders, Aaron Lewis, Dillon Carmichael, Trent Tomlinson, and more.

Multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and producer Kyle Schlienger co-wrote Brett Young’s first career No. 1 and 5-times RIAA Platinum single, “In Case You Didn’t Know,” which led to a musical director position in his touring band. Since coming off the road, he has honed his focus on writing and producing full time.

This past year, Curb|Word Music Publishing also extended its publishing deals with Billy Montana, Bobby Tomberlin, Jennifer Denmark and Wil Nance.

Brandon Ratcliff Signs with Warner Chappell Music Nashville and King Pen Music

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Pictured (L-R): Ben Vaughn (WCM), Kelly King (King Pen), Ratcliff, Harrison Sokoloff (King Pen)

Monument Records artist Brandon Ratcliff has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music Nashville and Kelly King’s King Pen Music.

As an artist, Ratcliff has accumulated 50M streams across platforms thanks to his debut EP, Sometime Always Never, produced by Shane McAnally and Pete Good. Ratcliff co-wrote Teddy Robb’s current chart climber “Heaven on Dirt,” and has cuts by Rascal Flatts (“Quick, Fast, In A Hurry”) and Trea Landon (“Get The Girl”).

Ratcliff first moved to Nashville in 2016 to pursue music full time before landing a deal with Monument Records. He has toured with Kelsea Ballerini, Brett Young, and Keith Urban, and in 2020 was named to Pandora’s Ones to Watch list and topped Rolling Stone’s all-genre Breakthrough Artists chart. Born in Webster Parish, Louisiana, Ratcliff is the son of multi-Grammy Award winner Suzanne Cox (of The Cox Family). The burgeoning singer-songwriter’s unique sound blends his family’s bluegrass and country blood with his love of R&B, funk, and pop.

“Brandon impressed me years ago with his beautiful voice and great instincts as a songwriter,” said King, CEO/Owner, King Pen Music. “He has the unique ability to write for the outside market as well as his own artistry, and he never ceases to make me proud as his publisher. I’m very excited about the amazing opportunities we can create and what the future holds working as a team – Brandon, King Pen, and Warner Chappell – to take Brandon’s career to the next level.”