Spotify hosted the virtual event Stream On Monday (Feb. 22) to discuss its new tools for creators, international expansion, new podcasts, and a hi-fi listening option.
Many celebrities participated in the event including Khalid, FINNEAS and Billie Eilish, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Halsey, Bruce Springsteen, President Barack Obama, and Justin Bieber, who closed out the livestream with a new version of his hit “Anyone.”
Among the highlights, Spotify announced expansion to more than 80 new markets and more than 36 new languages. It also revealed that premium subscribers will have the ability to upgrade to CD-quality, lossless audio in select markets later this year with a new subscription plan, Spotify HiFi.
New creator tools include upgrades to:
• Marquee, a sponsored song recommendation program
• Discovery Mode, an audience development tool which allows prioritization of tracks within Spotify’s algorithm
• Canvas, short looping visuals attached to a track (see Halsey’s video below)
• RADAR, the global emerging artist program
• Spotify Clips, which features artists in short videos on a playlist experience
Upgrades for podcasters include an Anchor + WordPress partnership, video podcasts which combine audio and visual storytelling, and new models for monetization.
Among the new podcasts announced on the livestream is one pairing former President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen for Renegades: Born in the USA, an eight-episode series exploring race, fatherhood, marriage, and the future of America.
President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen have joined up for the eight-episode podcast ‘Renegades: Born in the USA.’
According to the company, it paid more than $5 billion to rights holders in 2020, and its library contains more than 70 million tracks, 4.5 billion playlists, and more than 2 million podcasts, made by over eight million creators.
Joe Lasher Signs With Warner Chappell Music Nashville And KJM Music
/by Lorie HollabaughL-R): Kelly Janson (KJM), Lasher, Will Overton (WCM), Ben Vaughn (WCM)
Joe Lasher has signed a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music Nashville and Kelly Janson‘s KJM Music.
Hailing from Weaverville, North Carolina, Lasher’s sound is influenced by genres ranging from traditional country and gospel, to rock and heavy metal. Lasher has over 500 shows under his belt, and has shared the stage with Brett Young, Old Dominion, Ashley McBryde, and more. Last year the emerging singer-songwriter released “Messed Up,” which he co-wrote along with a video that premiered on CMT.com.
KJM Music and WCM previously signed songwriter Mitch Ogelsby, who landed a two week No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for Chris Janson’s “Done” last August.
Josh Turner To Perform First Virtual Livestream Show From Ole Red
/by Lorie HollabaughJosh Turner will perform his first-ever intimate livestream concert on the platform Sessions in front of a limited, socially-distanced live audience at Ole Red in Nashville on March 10. The Sessions livestream global exclusive event will be accessible in over 230 countries.
“It’s very exciting to see the growing number of artists embracing these hybrid shows,” said Tim Westergren, Sessions co-founder and former founder and CEO of Pandora. “Josh can simultaneously provide the intimate experience of a venue with limited capacity while also reaching a global audience. We believe this will become a standard practice for artists as they discover the power of our platform to engage virtual fans, drive substantial additional revenue and amplify the impact of local performances.”
“Because of platforms like Sessions Live, myself and all artists have the unique opportunity to connect with fans on an intimate and genuine level–all over the world. We’ve all had to cancel tour dates not only domestically but internationally as well. I’m thankful for the people who understand the tech side of things and continue to present opportunities for artists to connect with fans and continue to do what we love during these times,” said Turner.
Turner, who has sold more than 8 million units and topped more than 3 billion in global streaming, recently celebrated his 150th performance on the Grand Ole Opry stage.
Other artists who have used Sessions for their shows include Hank Williams Jr., Lee Brice, Jon Langston, Lainey Wilson, Lindsay Ell, The Shadowboxers, Mason Ramsey, Scotty McCreery, and Temecula Road.
Dan Auerbach Plans Release of Recordings From Late Singer Tony Joe White
/by Lorie HollabaughA new album of never-before-heard Tony Joe White tunes, Smoke from the Chimney, is set to be released by Easy Eye Sound on May 7.
The nine-song project, produced by Dan Auerbach and rounded out by Nashville studio musicians, got its start as a number of raw voice and guitar demos from White’s home studio before being transformed into full band arrangements harkening back to the albums White recorded in the late ’60s and early ’70s in Nashville and Muscle Shoals.
A track from the project, “Boot Money” has been released along with an animated video from director Robert Schober which colorfully places White and Auerbach in the recording studio to kick off the tune before following along while White lives out the song’s storyline.
Among the musicians on the album are legendary keyboardist Bobby Wood (Elvis Presley, Dusty Springfield, Wilson Pickett), Nashville pedal steel ace Paul Franklin, next-generation guitar hero Marcus King, and Grammy and ACM award-winning fiddler Stuart Duncan, just to name a few.
Since meeting White backstage at an Australian music festival in 2009, Auerbach sought to make a record with him. For nearly a decade, White’s son Jody tried to line up session time for them but Tony Joe demurred. “For one reason or another, my Dad would never just want to go into a studio and write with somebody, or go work with somebody,” said Jody. “He liked to do it at his place, and his way, and it turned out how it turned out, you know what I mean? So, this album really all worked out perfectly. He was making these tracks for Dan all along, but we just didn’t know it.”
“Jody and I had been talking about this record for so long, and it didn’t happen for a reason,” said Auerbach. “It’s because it wasn’t supposed to happen. I was in a nervous cast of characters until the last few years, and if you’d given it to me any earlier, it wouldn’t have been right. I felt like all these people on the record were the right people and they laid in there behind Tony Joe. It felt really magical when we were making it happen. These songs feel like a collection to me and they all seem to work together, in a weird way, even though they’re so different. There’s some heartbreaking ballads and some really raunchy carnal blues. But it all works together like scenes of a movie.”
Smoke from the Chimney Track List:
Rising Artist Nick Wayne Signs With EMPIRE Nashville Publishing Division [Exclusive]
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): Sarah-Beth Gerlecz (Counsel, EMPIRE), Eric Hurt (VP of A&R, EMPIRE), Heather Vassar (VP of Marketing, EMPIRE), Nick Wayne, William Dyer (Product Manager, EMPIRE), Janine Ebach (CEO, Ebach Entertainment), Leslie Roberts (Executive Director, Creative, BMI). Photo: Steve Lowry
Nashville artist and writer, Nick Wayne, has signed with EMPIRE Nashville’s publishing arm. Formerly with Black River Entertainment, Wayne has had his songs recorded by Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Lady A, and more. EMPIRE and Janine Ebach‘s Ebach Entertainment will concurrently work with Wayne in the country market, while expanding his presence in the pop/R&B world as a songwriter and artist.
Wayne’s musical influences of classic country, soul, and the blues can be heard across the Nashville native’s projects of Two Sides, Coffee Black, and Bourbon Neat. His three-song EP AMERICAN ORIGINAL[s], released in June 2020, delivers a blend of traditional and southern rock influence along with his own soulful delivery as he celebrates one-of-a-kind girls who make their own rules.
Wayne began to creatively release songs under his Coffee Black and Bourbon Neat projects in March of 2019. Coffee Black includes “Maybe I Do,” “I Knew It Was You,” and “I Love You More”. Bourbon Neat consists of “Drink,” “Til the Wine’s All Gone,” and “Drunk Again (feat. Hannah Ellis)”. Wayne’s acoustic cover video of “If The World Was Ending,” now at 6 million views, amassed 1 million views in only three weeks.
Jesse Frasure Enters Top Three On ‘MusicRow’ Top Songwriter Chart
/by LB CantrellJesse Frasure breaks into the top three this week on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. He is a co-writer on Kelsea Ballerini’s “Hole In The Bottle,” Thomas Rhett’s “What’s Your Country Song,” Jordan Davis’ “Almost Maybes,” and Blake Shelton’s “Minimum Wage.”
Josh Osborne moves back up to No. 1 this week, with co-writer credit on Morgan Wallen’s “7 Summers” and “Sand In My Boots,” as well as Rascal Flatts’s “How They Remember You,” Sam Hunt’s “Breaking Up Was Easy In The 90’s,” Carly Pearce’s “Next Girl,” and Darius Rucker’s recent No. 1 “Beers And Sunshine.”
Ashley Gorley is at No. 2 with Morgan Wallen’s “Warning” and “Sand In My Boots,” Kelsea Ballerini’s “Hole In The Bottle,” Thomas Rhett’s “What’s Your Country Song,” and Cole Swindell’s “Single Saturday Night.”
The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download 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.
Spotify Reveals Upgrades: 80+ New Markets, HiFi Tier, New Creator Tools
/by Sarah SkatesSpotify hosted the virtual event Stream On Monday (Feb. 22) to discuss its new tools for creators, international expansion, new podcasts, and a hi-fi listening option.
Many celebrities participated in the event including Khalid, FINNEAS and Billie Eilish, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Halsey, Bruce Springsteen, President Barack Obama, and Justin Bieber, who closed out the livestream with a new version of his hit “Anyone.”
Among the highlights, Spotify announced expansion to more than 80 new markets and more than 36 new languages. It also revealed that premium subscribers will have the ability to upgrade to CD-quality, lossless audio in select markets later this year with a new subscription plan, Spotify HiFi.
New creator tools include upgrades to:
• Marquee, a sponsored song recommendation program
• Discovery Mode, an audience development tool which allows prioritization of tracks within Spotify’s algorithm
• Canvas, short looping visuals attached to a track (see Halsey’s video below)
• RADAR, the global emerging artist program
• Spotify Clips, which features artists in short videos on a playlist experience
Upgrades for podcasters include an Anchor + WordPress partnership, video podcasts which combine audio and visual storytelling, and new models for monetization.
Among the new podcasts announced on the livestream is one pairing former President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen for Renegades: Born in the USA, an eight-episode series exploring race, fatherhood, marriage, and the future of America.
President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen have joined up for the eight-episode podcast ‘Renegades: Born in the USA.’
According to the company, it paid more than $5 billion to rights holders in 2020, and its library contains more than 70 million tracks, 4.5 billion playlists, and more than 2 million podcasts, made by over eight million creators.
Weekly Register: Taylor Swift’s Re-recorded “Love Story” Tops Country Songs Chart
/by LB CantrellTaylor Swift. Photo: Beth Garrabrant
Taylor Swift‘s re-recorded version of her 2008 hit “Love Story” is the top country debut, at No. 1 on the country song streaming chart and No. 10 overall. The track, which is the first released from her recently announced Fearless (Taylor’s Version), garnered 12 million streams this week.
Morgan Wallen‘s “Wasted On You” shifts down to No. 2 this week. His “Sand In My Boots” (No. 3 ) and “Somebody’s Problem” (No. 5) also appear in the top five. Luke Combs “Better Together” stays at No. 4, earning 7 million streams this week.
Wallen maintains his grip on the top country albums chart this week, with Dangerous maintaining the top position (93K in total consumption) for the sixth week, and If I Know Me sitting at No. 4. Combs’ What You See Is What You Get maintains the No. 2 spot and his This One’s For You takes No. 5.
Florida Georgia Line‘s fifth studio album Life Rolls On debuted at No. 3 on the country albums chart and No. 21 overall this week. The project generated 20K in total consumption (8.4K album only/12.5 million song streams).
Oh Boy Records Turns 40
/by Sarah SkatesOh Boy Records, home to music by the late songwriting icon John Prine, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year with a series of special releases and events.
To commemorate the milestone, Oh Boy will share a new documentary series chronicling the label’s rich history and legacy via its YouTube page. Additionally, Oh Boy will roll out new releases from Tré Burt and Dan Reeder, as well as a special edition John Prine 7-inch box set, Fair & Square on vinyl. There will be exclusive new merchandise, special curated playlists, outdoor pop-up events and more.
Each week the label will celebrate a different album or artist from its extensive catalogue. The series kicks off Wednesday, Feb. 24 highlighting The Bis-Quits.
Founded in 1981 by Prine, and his longtime manager, the late Al Bunetta, Oh Boy says it is the country’s second oldest artist-owned independent label, and the oldest in Nashville.
It continues today as a vital part of Nashville’s independent music community with the recent signings of emerging artists Burt, Arlo McKinley and Kelsey Waldon.
Prine’s widow and President of Oh Boy, Fiona Whelan Prine shares, “As long as there are people who want to listen to good music, who will value the singer-songwriter then we will keep on going.”
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of Prine’s landmark self-titled debut album, featuring the songs “Hello In There,” “Paradise,” “Sam Stone” and “Angel From Montgomery.” In celebration, Oh Boy will release a special anniversary edition of the album.
Kelly Price To Release New Album ‘Grace’ For Motown Gospel
/by Lorie HollabaughKelly Price has signed with Motown Gospel in a joint venture with SANG GIRL! Inc.
Price is currently readying the release of her new gospel project, Grace, due out on April 2. The six-track EP is available for pre-order, with the lead single, “Grace,” and an accompanying lyric video out now. Price poured her heart into the new album, and used it as a healing tool after losing her grandfather early in the 2020 pandemic, followed by the sudden passing of her mother at the end of the year.
The release of Grace comes 15 years after Price’s acclaimed gospel album, This Is Who I Am, hit No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Gospel Albums chart and landed in the top ten of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
“From her iconic vocals to her vast songwriting catalog, Kelly Price’s contributions to hip-hop, R&B and gospel music cannot be overstated,” said EJ Gaines, Co-Executive Director, Motown Gospel. “We’re excited to partner with her as she shares her craft, and her heart, with the world.”
“Whatever side of me that people have loved through the years, be it R&B or gospel, they are going to get all of that on this album,” Price said. “I let my team know that I needed to get back to work to finish this project and get my message out. I couldn’t imagine going through 2020 without having a foundation of faith and a strong belief in God.”
Nashville-Based 8 Pound Gorilla Records Specializes In Family Music
/by Sarah SkatesA new record label specializing in children’s and family music has launched in Nashville. 8 Pound Gorilla Records is a division of the noted comedy label 800 Pound Gorilla Media.
8 Pound Gorilla Records has tapped Kenny Curtis (SiriusXM Kids Place Live) to handle A&R, and Ed Rivadavia as Head of Marketing. 800 Pound Gorilla Media Head of Music Luke Youngblom handles that role at both labels.
8 Pound Gorilla has scheduled releases by Genevieve Goings (known for her work with Disney Jr.), comedian-musician Mike Phirman, pop songwriting duo Rabbit!, and Sesame Street songwriter Erica Rabner. In the fall of 2020, it released music by Australia’s Formidable Vegetable and Grammy-nominee Frances England.
Curtis said, “These are artists who go way beyond ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ when they write songs for kids. These are honest, well-crafted songs that speak to kids in their world today. Family dynamics are changing as millennials become parents, and there’s a new appetite for music and content that families can share. For artists, the possibilities of working in this genre are endless, and we give them free rein to imagine and create their own ‘8 pounds’ of fun.”
Also signed to the label are award winners Elliott Park, Tim Kubart, SaulPaul, The Lucky Band, RAII & Whitney and DJ WillyWow.
Youngblom said, “The children’s music genre is clearly untapped. With many talented artists not yet recognized in the mainstream, we hope to change that. We are developing a nimble indie approach to this niche genre, and we will individualize our process with each artist as we grow this space, releasing original music that only a few major labels have been able to undertake.”
The comedy label 800 Pound Gorilla Media was founded by Ryan Bitzer and Damion Greiman, and is home to Marc Maron, George Lopez, Kathleen Madigan, Affion Crockett and Kevin Hart’s LOL Records.