Sony Group Corporation announced its consolidated financial results for the first quarter ending June 30, 2021. In all of Sony’s business endeavors, Q1 consolidated sales increased 15% compared to the same quarter of the previous fiscal year.

For Sony’s music segment, specifically, Q1 sales increased a significant 44% year-over-year as sales increased in all categories driven primarily by growth in streaming. For the rest of the fiscal year, both sales and operating income are expected to increase.

Streaming revenue, which is Sony’s largest growth driver, grew considerably due to strong paid streaming and a recovery in advertising-supported streaming negatively impacted by COVID-19. During the quarter, streaming revenue increased significantly, 53% year-on-year in recorded music and 70% year-on-year in music publishing. In this quarter, Sony had an average of 36 songs in Spotify’s global top 100 songs ranking, and debut songs from new artists are increasing in ranking.

Sony also completed the acquisition of the DIY artist service business AWAL in May 2021 to strategically complement The Orchard in the growing indie market. In June, Sony also acquired Somethin’ Else, a major British podcast production company, and Alamo Records, a music label focused on hip hop in the U.S. The company also formed an alliance with the rapidly growing online game platform Roblox in July to provide our artists the opportunity to connect with the Roblox community through virtual events and other means.

To read the full report, click here.

The Mechanical Licensing Collective has released the second version of its Educator Toolkit. This free resource is designed to help college educators teach their students about the landscape of digital audio mechanical rights in the U.S. and The MLC’s role in it following passage of the Music Modernization Act of 2018.

Created by Serona Elton, The MLC’s head of educational partnerships and a long-time university professor, the Toolkit provides instructors with a range of materials they can seamlessly incorporate into their existing syllabi or employ in the creation of new course modules.

“As an educator myself, I understand the importance of having up-to-date teaching materials, particularly with a subject matter that is as inherently complex and rapidly evolving as mechanical licensing,” notes Elton. “The updates we’ve made to the Toolkit–based in part on feedback we received from the educators who are already using it–reflect The MLC’s commitment to continuing to provide instructors with the comprehensive and current resources they need to navigate this complex subject matter and best prepare tomorrow’s music industry professionals.”

Like the original version, this new version of the Toolkit contains an easy-to-understand introductory video, a white-label customizable PowerPoint presentation, suggested classroom activities and exam questions, and a list of informational videos and articles on copyright law and the history of mechanical licensing. In addition, the updated version contains several new enhancements, including:

• Activities that provide students with hands-on practice using The MLC’s Public Search feature and other assets on The MLC’s website;
• Revamped video content that incorporates answers to the common questions pertaining to mechanical licensing that have arisen during The MLC’s Q&A webinars over the past several months; and
• A section of “learning outcomes” that are tied directly to the Toolkit’s video and presentation materials.

“The MLC’s Educator Toolkit provides an excellent starting point for teaching about the new world of music licensing brought about by the enactment of the Music Modernization Act and creation of The MLC, and its accessible learning exercises help make sense of those new developments in a straightforward way,” says Sean M. O’Connor of George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School. “I was able to easily customize and augment the Toolkit, which saved me time, and the results were appreciated by a class of law students with music backgrounds.”

For more information about the Educator Toolkit, click here.

Lainey Wilson. Photo: Alex Berger

Opry NextStage has named BBR Music Group/Broken Bow Records’ Lainey Wilson as the featured artist for August.

Developed by Opry Entertainment Group and the Grand Ole Opry, Opry NextStage invests in the discovery and development of new artists and highlights one up-and-coming artist per month. Initially launched in 2019, the inaugural class included Riley Green, Tegan Marie, Tenille Townes, and Travis Denning. Wilson joins 2021 artists Hailey Whitters and Parker McCollum.

“The Grand Ole Opry has always held a special place in my heart since I was a nine-year-old starry-eyed little girl,” Wilson shares. “I’m truly honored to be named the latest Opry NextStage artist and am so grateful for their unbelievable support of the next generation of country music.”

Wilson has been named as an Artist to Watch by Spotify, MusicRow, and Pandora; has been included in CMT’s “Next Women of Country” and “Listen Up” programs; and was chosen as an iHeartCountry On The Verge artist, a Billboard chartbreaker, and an Apple Music “Up Next” spotlight artist. Throughout her career, she has performed for sold-out crowds throughout the US, UK, and Germany with notable names like Jason Aldean, Justin Moore, Tyler Farr, Ashley McBryde, Randy Houser, Josh Turner and more.

The Louisiana native’s debut album, Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin,’ was released in February 2021 and received critical praise. Her current radio single, “Things A Man Oughta Know,” has garnered more than 130 million on-demand streams, claimed the No. 1 spot on Sirius XM’s The Highway Hot 30 Weekend Countdown, and is continuing to climb through the Top 10 on country radio. Additionally, Wilson is set to take the Grand Ole Opry stage on Tuesday, Aug. 10.

She is nominated for MusicRow’s Discovery Artist of the Year. This year’s winners will be announced on all MusicRow platforms on Aug. 19.

Opportunities for Opry NextStage artists include feature performances on the Grand Ole Opry and Circle’s Opry Live broadcast and livestream; a performance at a special Opry NextStage concert in 2021; content produced by Opry Entertainment’s award-winning content team that utilizes all Opry Entertainment venues including Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium and Ole Red locations nationwide; exclusive content to be distributed via Circle broadcast, streaming, and video-on demand channels; customized marketing and promotion activations utilizing Opry web and social assets; and other opportunities such as outdoor advertising, 650 WSM-AM radio specials, and more.