Brett Young, Chris Janson, Lindsay Ell Among Newly-Added CMA Fest Performers

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Brett Young, Lindsay Ell, Chris Janson

Brett Young and Chris Janson are among the performers recently added as part of CMA Fest’s nightly concerts, taking place at Nissan Stadium in downtown Nashville this summer. Young will take the stadium stage Saturday night (June 8), while Chris Janson will perform Sunday night (June 9).

Nissan Stadium openers include Marty Stuart on Thursday, Jo Dee Messina on Friday, Billy Ray Cyrus on Saturday and David Lee Murphy on Sunday. Two different student groups from Nashville School of the Arts, a beneficiary of the CMA Foundation, will perform the National Anthem during CMA Fest – the first kicking off the Chevy Riverfront Stage Thursday morning, followed by a second group performing Thursday evening at Nissan Stadium.

Additional artists performing the National Anthem at the stadium include Lindsay Ell on Friday, Runaway June on Saturday, and Jimmie Allen on Sunday. More festival news and lineup additions will be announced in the coming weeks.

Previously announced artists performing during the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium include Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Pistol Annies, Rascal Flatts, Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban.

2018’s CMA Fest drew capacity crowds and the largest engagement of fans in the event’s history, with visitors from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and 36 international countries flocking to downtown Nashville. Additional stage lineups, Xfinity Fan Fair X activities and more will be announced in the coming weeks.

[UPDATED] SoundExchange Sues Music Choice For Underpayment

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[Updated, 4:25 p.m.]

Sam Harper, VP of Communications, offered the following statement on behalf of SoundExchange to MusicRow:

“The only stunt is claiming that we hold $1.2B of unpaid royalties. This is flat wrong. We pay out 90% of royalties within 45 days of receipt and 95%+ of royalties within three years. After 3 years, the balance is refunded to all artists and rights owners we pay in the form of an admin rate refund. And at 4.7%, our administrative rate is the lowest of any comparable organization.”

[Previous story, 10:49 a.m.]

SoundExchange filed a lawsuit on April 10 against Music Choice to recover underpaid royalties between Jan. 1, 2013 through Dec. 31, 2016, but its believed to extend beyond that period.

“Music Choice’s actions reflect a persistent effort to avoid paying royalties for its use of protected sound recordings,” said SoundExchange SVP/General Counsel Colin Rushing. “Its creative accounting has cheated creators out of the royalties they are due and is inconsistent with the Copyright Royalty Board’s regulations.

“We hope this action will compel Music Choice to pay the royalties that are due to music creators and to change its practices moving forward.”

The action comes after an audit of Music Choice’s royalty statements from their range of music channel subscription services with businesses and individual subscribers. Music Choice is one of many digital music service providers relying on a statutory license to obtain the rights to use sound recordings in its BES (business establishment service). The statutory royalty rate and payment terms for a BES are set forth in CRB regulations at 37 C.F.R. Part 384. Currently, the basic royalty rate for a BES is “12.5 percent of [the] Licensee’s ‘Gross Proceeds’ derived from the use in such service of musical programs that are attributable to copyrighted recordings.”

As a result of the audit, SoundExchange discovered that Music Choice systematically underreported its “Gross Proceeds,” leading to underpayment to SoundExchange for statutory royalties related to the BES.

In response, Music Choice offered the following statement to MusicRow:

“Music Choice has always paid all royalties it is required and, in fact, paid artist royalties even before it was required by law. This suit is a stunt by SoundExchange to distract people from the appropriate concerns copyright holders have that SoundExchange is holding $1.2 Billion of paid royalties without distributing them to the appropriate copyright holders.”

Brian Bunn Signs With Curb/Word Music Publishing

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Pictured (L-R): Jonathan Mason (VP Word Worship Music), Nathan Drake (Dickinson-Wright), Colt Murski (Senior Creative), Brian Bunn, Nina Jenkins (Creative Manager), Janine Appleton Ebach (VP Curb|Word Music Publishing), MaryAnn Keen (BMI, Writer Publisher Relations), Austen Adams (Dickinson-Wright), Ryan Dokke (SVP/GM Curb|Word Entertainment)

Brian Bunn has signed a publishing deal with Curb/Word Music Publishing.

Bunn is a Grammy-nominated songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist with years of live performance experience to his credit. Before stepping off the road to pursue songwriting full time, Brian was a lead guitarist for artists including Thomas Rhett, Third Day, DecembeRadio, and David Crowder. In 2016, he toured with Thomas Rhett as direct support for Jason Aldean.

Bunn’s songs have been recorded by Lee Brice, Dylan Scott, Kellie Pickler, Parmalee and others and have earned air time on channels like CBS, The Outdoor Channel, and The Discovery Channel.

The Press House Hires April Dickey As PR Director

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April Dickey

With more than 10 years in entertainment public relations, April Dickey has joined The Press House as PR Director of Nashville. Dickey has previously worked for Live Nation, Warner Music Nashville, and BottleRock Napa Valley. She has been leading the charge of her own company, The BANDWagon, for the past five years, but decided it was time to join a team of like-minded motivated publicists when The Press House CEO Dawn Kamerling approached her about the position.

“I am thrilled to have April join our team at the helm of the Nashville office. The Press House is celebrating it’s 18th year in business this month, and I am excited to work side by side with April, her roster and her amazing energy.” says Kamerling.

The Press House, a full-service PR and branding firm, has offices in New York, Nashville, and Los Angeles.

Spotify’s “Secret Genius” Songwriters Pen Open Letter: “Do The Right Thing And Drop Your Appeal”

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Many songwriters who have been part of Spotify’s “Secret Genius” program are speaking out against the digital service provider’s appeal of the Copyright Royalty Board’s recent rates determination.

MusicRow has obtained a copy of an open letter to Spotify CEO Daniel Ek, which urges Ek and the company to drop its appeal. Several of Nashville’s top writers are among the letter’s signees.

Spotify launched its Secret Genius Awards in 2017 to honor songwriters who contributed to the top-streamed songs on the platform. The service also launched Secret Genius studios in Los Angeles, Nashville, Atlanta and London. Now many of those writers and creators are speaking against Spotify’s recent appeal (along with Amazon, Google, and Pandora).

“We’re hurt and disappointed. You created a songwriter relations team and ingratiated Spotify into our community,” the open letter reads. “We know that you are not the only DSP appealing the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) rate determination. You are, however, the only provider that made us feel we were working to build a modern music industry together.”

Shortly after the CRB finalized its rate determination in February—a decision which would ultimately raise the pay from digital service providers to songwriters and publishers by 43.8%—most of the leading streaming services appealed the rate determination. Apple Music chose not to appeal.

Numerous industry organizations, including the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and Songwriters of North America (SONA), have criticized the digital service providers’ appeal of the CRB rates. Additionally, the NMPA and NSAI are planning a Town Hall Meeting in Nashville for tomorrow (April 10) from 3:30 p.m.-5 p.m. CT at 3rd & Lindsley.

Read the full open letter to Spotify’s Daniel Ek below:

 

April 9, 2019
Spotify
c/o: Daniel Ek
4 World Trade Center
150 Greenwich Street, 62nd Floor
New York, NY 10007

RE: An Open Letter to Spotify

Dear Spotify:

We’re hurt and disappointed. You created a songwriter relations team and ingratiated Spotify into our community. We know that you are not the only DSP appealing the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) rate determination. You are, however, the only provider that made us feel we were working to build a modern music industry together.

Now, we can see the real reason for your songwriter outreach. You have used us and tried to divide us but we stand together.

Our fight is for all songwriters: those struggling to build their career, those in the middle class and those few who have reached your Secret Genius level. But none of us are “secret!” WE all create the ONE thing you sell… songs.

Do the right thing and drop your appeal of the Copyright Royalty Board rate determination.

Sincerely,

Not So Secret Geniuses

Alex Hope, Ali Tamposi, Ammar Malik, Amy Allen, Andres Torres & Mauricio Rengifo, Andrew Goldstein, Ashley Gorley, Asia Whiteacre, Babyface, Barry Dean, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, Bibi Bourelly, Billy Steinberg, Brett James, Brian Lee, Brody Brown, busbee, Captain Cuts, Caroline Ailin, Chloe Angelides, Cirkut, Claudia Brant, Cook Classics, Danja, Dave Bassett, David Garcia, David Hodges, David Pramik, Doc McKinney, Ed Drewett, Electric, Emily Warren, Emily Weisband, Evan Bogart, Frank Dukes, Giorgio Tuinfort, Greg Kurstin, Greg Wells, Ian Kirkpatrick, Ilsey Juber, Jason Evigan, Jaycen Joshua, Jesse Frasure, Jin Jin, Joe Kirkland and Jason Dean from Whiskey Water, Johnny Yukon, Jonas Jeberg, Josh Osborne, Jozzy, J.T. Harding, Lori McKenna, Louis Bell, Luke Laird, Ludwig Goransson, Lunch Money Lewis, Madison Love, Marcella Araica, Mike Elizondo, Mike Wise, Mr. Hudson, Murda Beatz, Nasri Atweh, Neil Ormandy, Nic Nac, Nicolle Galyon, Nile Rodgers, Oak Felder, Priscilla Renee, Rob Knox, Rodney Clawson, RØMANS, Ross Copperman, Ross Golan, Ruth Anne Cunningham, Sarah Aarons, Scott Harris, Sebastian Kole, Sebastian Krys, Serban Ghenea, Shane McAnally, Simon Wilcox, Sir Nolan, Starrah, Steve Mac, Teddy Geiger, The Futuristics, The Orphanage Trevor Brown and Zaire Koalo, T-Minus, TMS, Tricky Stewart, Vinylz, Wayne Hector, Western Weiss, Zach Crowell

Women’s Audio Mission To Hold Nashville Conference

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Women’s Audio Mission, a San Francisco-based organization dedicated to promoting the advancement of women in music production and the recording arts, will hold an event in Nashville on April 27-28.

The organization will present their WAMCon Nashville immersive recording arts conference, a two-day event with workshops covering topics from studio recording and mixing techniques to songwriting, guided by award-winning female producers and engineers like Linda Perry (P!nk, Adele, Alicia Keys), Emily Lazar (David Bowie, Foo Fighters, Beck), Shani Gandhi (Alison Krauss, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jewel), Simone Torres (Cardi B, Sia, Dua Lipa, Usher, Sean Garrett), Gena Johnson (Brandi Carlile, Kacey Musgraves), Jordan Brooke Hamlin (Indigo Girls, Lucy Wainwright Roche), Jennifer Decilveo (Andra Day, Beth Ditto), and Melissa Pierce (Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire).

“While female artists including Ariana Grande, Halsey and Lady Gaga have dominated the charts in 2019, women throughout the music industry still remain hugely underrepresented,” said WAM Executive Director Terri Winston. “Programs like WAMCon Nashville, featuring some of the country’s most talented audio engineers and music professionals, are designed to inspire and grow the next generation of successful female producers and engineers and address this disparity. Nashville is country music’s creative hub and we look forward to bringing our program to its thriving music community.”

WAM trains over 2,000 women and girls a year in the recording arts to address the critical lack of women in the audio industry. Over the past year, WAM hosted three sold-out recording arts conferences in Los Angeles at Capitol Studios, New York at Jungle City Studios and YouTube Space NY, and Boston at iZotope/PRX Podcast Garage, which served over 500 women.

WAMCon Nashville will take place at The Tracking Room, as well as Ocean Way Nashville Recording Studios. The event is sponsored by Spotify, Eventide, Epidemic Sound, Shure, The Walt Disney Studios, iZotope, and Universal Audio, and presented in partnership with Change the Conversation, an organization that fights gender inequality in the music industry by providing support, education, and community for women artists and executives.

Additional details about WAMCon Nashville, including the information about the sessions, panelists and workshop leaders, as well as ticket purchase, is available here: WAMCon Nashville 2019.

 

Tortuga Music Festival Increases Onsite Sustainability Initiatives

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Rock The Ocean’s Tortuga Music Festival will take place for a seventh year in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on April 12-14. Each year, the festival strives to build on its conservation and sustainability initiatives onsite. Efforts such as providing compostable service-ware, enforcing no plastic straws or sales of plastic water bottles, donating all leftover food and serving food that is responsibly caught and farmed, as well as encouraging fans to take alternative transportation to help reduce the emissions associated with fan travel, are some of the ways Tortuga encourages attendees to live in an environmentally and eco-friendly way, all in support of ocean conservation.

For the first time, Tortuga Music Festival will also introduce another way to reduce single-use plastic by offering fans the opportunity to purchase a limited-edition pint cup that can be used all weekend long. Attendees will have additional opportunities throughout the weekend to learn more about ocean conservation and sustainability, alongside ways to actively help #RockTheOcean at the festival’s onsite Conservation Village where they can interact with over 30 worldwide leaders in ocean conservation. Conservation Village also allows attendees to enjoy games, interactive touch tanks, cooking exhibitions and the latest in ocean technology.

The three-day, newly three-stage festival will provide fun-in-the-sun to fans throughout the weekend with news that Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney & Thomas Rhett will headline this year’s festival alongside Danielle Bradbery, Kane Brown, Sheryl Crow, Delta Rae, Lindsay Ell, Morgan Evans, Flo Rida, Chris Janson, Jillian Jacqueline, Joan Jett And The Blackhearts, Cody Johnson, Elle King, Dustin Lynch, Maddie & Tae, Midland, Maren Morris, David Lee Murphy, Carly Pearce, Cassadee Pope, RaeLynn, Michael Ray, Trombone Shorty, Mitchell Tenpenny, The Wailers and more will perform across the weekend. Single-Day and Three-Day passes are available at: tortugamusicfestival.com.

Tammy Ragusa Returns To Premiere Networks

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Tammy Ragusa

Tammy Ragusa has returned to Premiere Networks as a writer and producer for the company’s country radio prep team, effective immediately. Based in Nashville and reporting to Ira Robbins, VP/Editorial Director for Premiere, she will be responsible for creating and developing show news prep, music and special event coverage, and holiday programming for 200 country radio affiliate stations across the U.S.  Tammy served in a similar role for Premiere from 2006-2012. 

Most recently, Tammy was a Senior Correspondent and Community Manager for Rare Country, where she provided editorial and social media content for the country music-focused website.  She served as a senior staff writer for Country Weekly from 2012-2016. Tammy previously held positions in marketing and artist development at Capitol Records and Sony Music Nashville.

Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin Announce 2019 Tour

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Grammy-winning artists Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin announced today (April 9) a series of tour dates throughout the fall of 2019. Carpenter and Colvin will appear on stage together as an intimate acoustic duo, swapping songs and sharing stories. These shows will feature the acclaimed songwriters performing material from their vast catalogues as well as some of their favorite songs. The tour will make a stop in Nashville on Nov. 13.

Carpenter and Colvin previously toured together in 2013. Audiences were invited to share the artists’ “living room” as they played music and traded quips in a warm, comfortable setting inspired by the duo’s long-lasting camaraderie.

For ticket information, visit marychapincarpenter.com/tour or shawncolvin.com.

Promotions: FBMM, O’Neil Hagaman

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FBMM Promotes Brad Akin, Betsy Lee

Pictured (L-R): Betsy Lee, Brad Akin

Brad Akin and Betsy Lee have been promoted to Associate Business Manager at Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy. Lee is based in Nashville, while Akin is based in New York.

Akin came to FBMM more than 10 years ago as one of the first New York office employees. Originally from Larchmont, New York, he is a graduate of Union College and began his career in artist management before transitioning to FBMM. He is a member of the Country Music Association and an active supporter of the New York chapter of Women in Music.

Originally from Milledgeville, Georgia, Lee joined the FBMM team more than 15 years ago following her graduation from the University of Georgia. Lee has extensive worldwide touring experience and, while working at FBMM, has served as interim European tour accountant for her clients. Lee is a member of the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association and SOURCE. She has previously served as treasurer of the Nashville Film Festival.

“Betsy is an incredibly valuable part of the FBMM family,” said Julie Boos, owner and chairman of FBMM. “Not only is she the financial watchdog for every aspect of her clients’ fiscal world, but she also does a fantastic job at keeping her clients informed every step of the way. I’m excited to see her grow in her new role and continue to be a great representative of FBMM to our clients and the music industry.”

“Brad and Betsy have earned the confidence of their clients,” said Jamie Cheek, owner and president of FBMM. “Their promotions are well-deserved and showcase not only their expertise and dedication to our clients, but also our commitment to developing a deep bench of industry experts here at FBMM. We know they will thrive in their new roles as associate business managers. ”

 

O’Neil Hagaman Promotes Tiffany Wiggers

Tiffany Wiggers

O’Neil Hagaman, LLC. has promoted Tiffany Wiggers to Manager.

Wiggers began her career at the firm as an intern in the business management division in 2004. After graduating from David Lipscomb University in 2005 with a Bachelors of Arts in professional accounting and management, she continued her education by studying law at Nashville School of Law. In the summer of 2009, she passed the Tennessee bar and is a current member of Nashville and Tennessee Bar Association’s Entertainment Divisions. Her daily duties include management of staff, overall financial management of clients business including financial and tax accounting, contractual oversight and review, and monitoring of risk management.