Since it was revealed that Spotify would be changing the way it pays songwriters and publishers by acting as a bundled subscription service with the addition of audiobooks, songwriter organizations and community members have expressed their frustration with the streaming giant.
Billboard recently estimated that Spotify’s reclassification from a “standalone portable subscription” to a “bundled subscription offering” will cause a $150 million cut to U.S. mechanical royalty payments, leading organizations such as Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) and Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) to speak out.
“‘Bundling’ music with other offerings without a music-only option does not comport with our view of the intent of the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) in recent Phonorecord procedures in which the NSAI participated. Further, this move negates gains awarded to songwriters by the CRB,” NSAI shared in an open letter. “NSAI will not accept what we view as an attempt to manipulate the intent of the court though a ‘bundling’ gimmick. NSAI calls for Spotify to immediately reverse its course and offer separate music subscription choices at price points that will fairly remunerate songwriters.”
NMPA President & CEO David Israelite shares, “It appears Spotify has returned to attacking the very songwriters who make its business possible. Spotify’s attempt to radically reduce songwriter payments by reclassifying their music service as an audiobook bundle is a cynical, and potentially unlawful, move that ends our period of relative peace. We will not stand for their perversion of the settlement we agreed upon in 2022 and are looking at all options.”
The AIMP—including Michael Lau (National Chair and New York Chapter President), Marc Caruso (Los Angeles Chapter President), Ree Guyer (Nashville Chapter President) and Tony D. Alexander (Atlanta Chapter President)—also shared a statement.
They write, “It is a deeply cynical move for Spotify to attempt to circumvent the CRB settlement agreed to by the NMPA & NSAI and DiMA in 2022 via this bundling ‘loophole,’ and further insulting that the price of a Spotify subscription will actually increase for users while cutting revenue for the songwriters who keep their business alive. This is especially problematic for independent music publishers, as they and all publishers are legally prevented from negotiating protections against bad-faith tactics such as this, while labels are allowed to do so in a free market.
“At this point, we still do not know how Spotify plans to notify its subscribers of this change. The right thing to do is to default existing subscribers to music-only accounts, and then give them the option to add-on the audiobook service for an additional $9.99 per month—Spotify’s proposed standalone rate for audiobooks. This ensures a proper, non-devalued royalty rate for both music and audiobook publishers and rightsholders, who will otherwise both be negatively affected by bundling.”
In response to the conversation, a Spotify spokesperson shares, “Spotify is on track to pay publishers and societies more in 2024 than in 2023. As our industry partners are aware, changes in our product portfolio mean that we are paying out in different ways based on terms agreed to by both streaming services and publishers. Multiple DSPs have long paid a lower rate for bundles versus a stand-alone music subscription, and our approach is consistent.”
This is a developing story.
Weekly Register: Dasha Ascends The Country Streaming Songs Chart
/by Liza AndersonDasha. Photo: Adam Budd
Dasha‘s “Austin” ascends to No. 5 on the country streaming songs chart this week with 11 million new streams, adding to 100 million ATD, according to Luminate data.
Shaboozey‘s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” continues to take the top slot with 34 million streams, adding to 103 million ATD, as Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves‘ “I Remember Everything” rests at No. 2 with 16 million new streams, adding to 722 million ATD. Morgan Wallen‘s “Last Night” persists at No. 3 with 12 million streams, adding to 1.37 billion ATD, and Bryan’s “Something In The Orange” stays at No. 4 with 11.6 million new streams, adding to 1.38 billion ATD.
Additionally, Kane Brown and Marshmello‘s “Miles On It” marks the top debut at No. 10 with 10 million streams.
On the country albums chart, Wallen’s One Thing At A Time rules at No. 1 with 71K in total consumption (1.5K album only/89 million song streams), followed by his Dangerous: The Double Album at No. 2 with 42K (401 album only/54 million song streams). Beyoncé‘s Cowboy Carter falls to No. 3 with 41K (5K album only/45 million song streams). Bryan’s self-titled album bides at No. 4 with 36K (2.6K album only/43 million song streams), while his American Heartbreak resides at No. 5 with 30K (721 album only/38 million song streams).
Music Biz Kicks Off 2024 Conference
/by Madison HahnenVolunteers during check-in for Music Biz 2024. Photo: Jason Mallory
The Music Business Association kicked off its annual Music Biz conference yesterday (May 13) at the JW Marriott Nashville.
Conference attendees were immersed into a full day of programing with the Music Biz Roadshow, a collection of panels with artists and industry executives, as well as different track programs.
In the “Arrested Development? Demystifying the Pathway to Artist Success” panel, attendees heard from artist Hitkidd, Kadeem Phillips of Power Entertainment and Drew De Leon of The Digilogue through a conversation led by Delante Murphy of Beatroot. The group broke down the myth of an “overnight success” and talked about the modern artist development process.
“Arrested Development? Demystifying the Pathway to Artist Success panel.” Photo: Jason Mallory
Elizabeth Brooks of Better Angels Ventures led a discussion with Jeremy Gruber of Friends at Work, Jeff Rosenfeld of MAX, Maddy Sunquist of Madkat Management and artist Stephen Day on how artists can embrace the power of AI to look into fan engagement data and create sustainable success in the “How AI & Tech Are Shaping the Business of Music” panel.
“How AI & Tech Are Shaping the Business of Music” panel. Photo: Jason Mallory
Attendees also got to hear about the importance of an advisor’s advice when creating relationships between startups and rightsholders, and the roadblocks to avoid when bringing your startup to market in the “Building a Healthy Relationship Between Startups & Rightholders” panel. Aileen Crowley of Lark42 led the conversation with Cliff Fluent of Lewis Silken, Elizabeth Moody of Granderson Des Rochers, LLP and Michael Pelczynski of Forms + Shapes.
“Building a Healthy Relationship Between Startups & Rightholders” panel. Photo: Jason Mallory
In the “Sustainability – Longevity or Environmentally Friendly? BOTH? ” panel, attendees heard from Patrick Amory from Matador Records, Brandon Seavers from Memphis Record Pressing and Dustin Blocker from the Vinyl Records Manufacturing Association through a conversation led by Sarah Robertson of A to Z Media. The group discussed how long the industry can sustain the comeback of the vinyl format while offsetting the carbon footprint of vinyl production.
“Sustainability – Longevity or Environmentally Friendly? BOTH?” panel. Photo: Jason Mallory
Tracks for day one included “#NEXTGEN_NOW,” “Let’s Talk Physical” and “Startup Lab: A Bootcamp for New Music Ventures.”
Day two of Music Biz 2024 continued today (May 14) with keynote event “The Enduring Value of Songs — Leveraging Technology to Drive Growth for Songwriters and Publishers” featuring Lauren Hubert of Kobalt. Other industry executives from Peermusic, The MLC, Downtown, Paramount, Venice Music and more are also participating in the day’s panels. Tracks for day two include “Sync Symposiu,” “Music and Money: Managing Today’s Financial Climate for Tomorrow’s Artist,” “Howdy Neighbor: Understanding Neighboring Rights Opportunities” and the “Indie Label Summit.” Music Business Association President Portia Sabin will also bring her annual President’s Address.
CMA Fest Reveals Latest Round Of Performers
/by Lorie HollabaughTerri Clark, Craig Morgan, Josh Turner and Gretchen Wilson will open the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium, with Old Dominion also added to the main stage. Special performances inside the stadium are also on tap from Jackson Dean, Shaboozey and Brittney Spencer. Tanner Adell, Chapel Hart, Dasha, Wyatt Flores, Dylan Gossett, Dylan Marlowe, Puddin (K. Michelle) and Zach Top will take on the Platform stage.
Returning for a second year, the Tennessee State University marching band, The Aristocrat of Bands, will welcome CMA Fest fans to Nashville Thursday morning as they march across the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. Reyna Roberts will kick off Thursday night at Nissan Stadium performing the national anthem.
Additional acts taking the stages include Sophia Scott performing the national anthem at the Chevy Riverfront Stage, as well as sets by Julia Cole, Allie Colleen, Shelby Darrall, Exile, Chris Housman, Willie Jones, Tiera Kennedy, Love and Theft, Dylan Marlowe, Matt Schuster, Sister Hazel, The Chattahoochies and Louie TheSinger.
Gretchen Wilson will take the CMA Close Up Stage inside Fan Fair X for a Q&A to celebrate 20 years of her hit single “Redneck Woman.” On the Spotlight Stage inside Fan Fair X, Color Me Country will host a writer’s round featuring Alyssia Dominguez, O.N.E The Duo, David Unlayao and Michael B. Whit, while the Canadian Country Music Association will present a writer’s round featuring Robert Adam, Zach McPhee and Trudy. CMA Fest also welcomes Country Proud back to the Hard Rock Stage for a second year, featuring performances from Denitia, Sonia Leigh, The Kentucky Gentlemen, Gina Venier and Julie Williams.
Limited CMA Fest tickets are still available.
Morgan Wallen & Post Malone Make History With ‘I Had Some Help’
/by Lorie HollabaughPost Malone & Morgan Wallen. Photo: Courtesy of Mercury Records/Republic/Big Loud Records
Morgan Wallen and Post Malone have made history with their new single, “I Had Some Help,” released on Friday (May 10) via Mercury Records/Republic in partnership with Big Loud Records.
The song earned 167 first-week adds at country radio, becoming the first single to accomplish that feat since Garth Brooks‘ “Longneck Bottle” in 1997, and opened at No. 15 on the Mediabase chart, marking the second-highest debut of the monitored era behind Brooks’ “More Than A Memory” in 2007.
“I Had Some Help” also broke Spotify’s single-day country streaming record with nearly 14 million streams, debuted at No. 1 on the streaming platform’s Global Daily chart and became its top male collaboration debut of all time, in addition to topping Apple Music’s Global chart and Pandora’s Top Thumb Hundred chart, upon release.
“Post and Morgan delivered a huge hit record; we knew we had to do our part and deliver a huge launch at country radio,” says Stacy Blythe, SVP of Radio Promotion, Big Loud Records. “Our radio partners made this set-up incredibly exciting and we are so grateful for how they stepped up to support with no hesitation.”
Lily Rose Makes Grand Ole Opry Debut
/by Lorie HollabaughLily Rose makes Grand Ole Opry debut. Photo: Anna Schaeffer
Lily Rose made her Grand Ole Opry debut on Saturday night (May 11), marking a full-circle moment in her career.
Pictured (L-R): WME’s Morgan Kenney, OH Creative’s Lexi Howder, Big Loud’s Isabella Rosalen, Back Blocks’ Rakiyah Marshall, Big Loud’s Stacy Blythe, Daira Williamson, Lily Rose, Big Loud’s Lucy Bartozzi, Big Loud’s Candice Watkins, Big Loud’s Brianne Deslippe, Fusion Music’s Dylan McGraw, Kevin Smith, Fusion Music’s Daniel Miller, Lewis Brisbois’ Matt Cottingham, OH Creative’s Olivia Hanceri, Big Loud’s Liam O’Brien. Photo: Anna Schaeffer
Performing two new songs from her just-released six song EP, Runnin’ Outta Time, Rose received a standing ovation for the first song, “Back Pew,” and continued with the autobiographical ballad “Two Flowers.”
Introduced by friend and Opry member Kelsea Ballerini, Rose reflected on her whirlwind journey from stocking shelves at the Opry Mills Mall as a young artist to stepping into the revered Opry circle.
“I always swore I was never going to step foot into this building until I got booked for my debut, and we did that. And you guys are here,” Rose shared from the stage. “I have been working, writing country songs for 16 years of my life, and I’ve been going after the artist thing for 11. And I wanted to make sure that when I stepped into this circle, I had something to say in country music that meant something.”
Rose also celebrated her new EP with an immersive live performance at Nashville’s Cannery Hall on May 9.
Muserk Opens New Headquarters On Music Row
/by Liza AndersonMuserk, the modern music copyright and rights management company, has opened its new Muserk House headquarters on Music Row.
Since its inception in 2017, the company has sought to represent the convergence of music and technology and revolutionize rights management. By managing copyrights for international rights owners and conducting business on a global scale, Muserk hopes to serve as a bridge between Nashville’s storied past and the music industry’s projected future.
“It’s been a longtime dream to move our headquarters to Music Row. When I started building Muserk here in Nashville, I was a tried and true NYC’er who commuted back and forth each month. Now Nashville is home for my family, and I want Muserk to be a proud Nashville company,” shares Paul Goldman, Muserk Founder & CEO. “As a global rights administrator with global customers and local connections, Muserk has the opportunity to help connect Nashville people with new opportunities abroad.”
The company chose to settle in a bungalow on Music Row to honor the tradition of the local music industry that is supported by songwriting and copyrights. While aiming to show Muserk’s commitment to preserving the soul of Nashville’s music scene amidst a changing landscape, the opening of the new headquarters also serves as a strategic move in anticipation of the city’s rise as a global music and business hub.
“Nashville’s music scene indeed thrives on the talent of its songwriters, who are central to its identity and success. Muserk, which deals with global rights management, plays a crucial role in ensuring that songwriters and artists are fairly compensated for the use of their work worldwide,” says industry veteran Joe Galante.
Jordan Davis Scores Seventh Chart-Topper With ‘Tucson Too Late’
/by Lorie HollabaughJordan Davis. Photo: Harper Smith
Jordan Davis has earned his seventh career No. 1 hit with his latest single, “Tucson Too Late,” which topped the Country Aircheck/Mediabase and Billboard Country charts this week.
“Tucson Too Late” reunites the award-winning songwriting team of Davis, Jacob Davis, Matt Jenkins and Josh Jenkins—who also penned Davis’ award-winning hit, “Buy Dirt.” The track is also the singer’s fourth consecutive No. 1 single from his breakthrough Platinum album, Bluebird Days, joining multi-week No. 1 hits including the four-times Platinum “Buy Dirt,” double-Platinum “What My World Spins Around” and double-Platinum “Next Thing You Know,” which is currently nominated for Single of the Year, Song of the Year and Visual Media Of The Year at the upcoming 59th ACM Awards on May 16.
“Thank you to everyone at country radio, my team, and thank you to the songwriters,” Davis says of the milestone. “I will never take for granted the support you’ve all shown over and over again, especially across this latest album. The risks it’s allowed me to take in my writing and music, and the creative space that freedom has kept me in, is invaluable, and I cannot thank you all enough. Simply put, you all have changed my life, and I can’t wait to share more music with everyone soon.”
Davis is currently on the U.S. leg of his “Damn Good Time Tour” after returning from the tour’s sold-out European run, and is also on the road with Luke Combs for select stadium dates this summer.
Conner Smith To Set Out On ‘The Storyteller Tour’ This Fall
/by Liza AndersonConner Smith. Photo: Luke Hutcherson
Conner Smith will set out on “The Storyteller Tour” this fall with special guests Jonathan Hutcherson and Zach John King.
Photo: Courtesy of Conner Smith
Kicking off in October, the journey marks Smith’s second headlining trek of 2024. The ticket presale for his fan club began today (May 14) at 10 a.m. CT, with public sales starting this Friday (May 17) at the same time. For more information, click here.
“‘The Storyteller Tour’ feels like the beginning of the next chapter for me,” Smith expresses. “What made me fall in love with country music was three chords and the truth. I’m excited to share through my live show how my music has evolved into the heart of who I am. There is nothing better than directly connecting with fans and I can’t wait bring this tour to them!”
Nominated for New Male Artist of the Year at this year’s ACM Awards, he also plans to perform at the free ACM Country Kickoff At The Star in Frisco, Texas tomorrow (May 15) ahead of the 59th annual ceremony this Thursday (May 16), and will join Luke Bryan on his “Farm Tour 2024” in September.
This year has proven to be a big one for The Valory Co. recording artist as he released his debut album, Smoky Mountains, in addition to scoring a multi-week chart-topper with “Creek Will Rise” in the U.K. and delivering his new single, “Roulette On The Heart,” with Hailey Whitters as well as tying the knot with his now wife, Leah Thompson. Smith chronicled their love story with touching track “Meanwhile In Carolina” and shared its accompanying visual, which features home videos taken throughout both of their lives and footage from their engagement and wedding, last week.
NSAI, NMPA, More Share Frustration With Spotify’s Payment Change
/by LB CantrellSince it was revealed that Spotify would be changing the way it pays songwriters and publishers by acting as a bundled subscription service with the addition of audiobooks, songwriter organizations and community members have expressed their frustration with the streaming giant.
Billboard recently estimated that Spotify’s reclassification from a “standalone portable subscription” to a “bundled subscription offering” will cause a $150 million cut to U.S. mechanical royalty payments, leading organizations such as Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) and Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) to speak out.
“‘Bundling’ music with other offerings without a music-only option does not comport with our view of the intent of the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) in recent Phonorecord procedures in which the NSAI participated. Further, this move negates gains awarded to songwriters by the CRB,” NSAI shared in an open letter. “NSAI will not accept what we view as an attempt to manipulate the intent of the court though a ‘bundling’ gimmick. NSAI calls for Spotify to immediately reverse its course and offer separate music subscription choices at price points that will fairly remunerate songwriters.”
NMPA President & CEO David Israelite shares, “It appears Spotify has returned to attacking the very songwriters who make its business possible. Spotify’s attempt to radically reduce songwriter payments by reclassifying their music service as an audiobook bundle is a cynical, and potentially unlawful, move that ends our period of relative peace. We will not stand for their perversion of the settlement we agreed upon in 2022 and are looking at all options.”
The AIMP—including Michael Lau (National Chair and New York Chapter President), Marc Caruso (Los Angeles Chapter President), Ree Guyer (Nashville Chapter President) and Tony D. Alexander (Atlanta Chapter President)—also shared a statement.
They write, “It is a deeply cynical move for Spotify to attempt to circumvent the CRB settlement agreed to by the NMPA & NSAI and DiMA in 2022 via this bundling ‘loophole,’ and further insulting that the price of a Spotify subscription will actually increase for users while cutting revenue for the songwriters who keep their business alive. This is especially problematic for independent music publishers, as they and all publishers are legally prevented from negotiating protections against bad-faith tactics such as this, while labels are allowed to do so in a free market.
“At this point, we still do not know how Spotify plans to notify its subscribers of this change. The right thing to do is to default existing subscribers to music-only accounts, and then give them the option to add-on the audiobook service for an additional $9.99 per month—Spotify’s proposed standalone rate for audiobooks. This ensures a proper, non-devalued royalty rate for both music and audiobook publishers and rightsholders, who will otherwise both be negatively affected by bundling.”
In response to the conversation, a Spotify spokesperson shares, “Spotify is on track to pay publishers and societies more in 2024 than in 2023. As our industry partners are aware, changes in our product portfolio mean that we are paying out in different ways based on terms agreed to by both streaming services and publishers. Multiple DSPs have long paid a lower rate for bundles versus a stand-alone music subscription, and our approach is consistent.”
This is a developing story.
Brendon Anthony Named VP Of Big Loud Texas
/by LB CantrellBrendon Anthony. Photo: Dani Brubaker
Texas music veteran Brendon Anthony has been named Vice President of Big Loud Texas, effective immediately. Based in Austin, Anthony will oversee the label imprint across its functions, working hand in hand with Big Loud Texas’ Co-Founders Miranda Lambert and Jon Randall, as well as key members of the Big Loud Records team.
“I am very proud to join the amazing team at Big Loud and look forward to working with Miranda and Jon to create something truly special in Big Loud Texas,” Anthony says. “Being a part of growing and supporting the Texas music industry has been my focus for over 25 years and I am thrilled to continue that effort by joining Big Loud Texas.”
“We’re so proud to have Brendon join us at Big Loud Texas,” Lambert shares. “He is as passionate as we are about the Texas music scene and has knowledge that will benefit artists in so many ways.”
“Not only does he bring years of knowledge of the Texas music industry and culture to the table,” Randall notes, “but his legendary and respected musicianship has given him firsthand experience in touring and recording, and a deep understanding of what Texas music artists need in a record label. We are lucky to have him.”
Anthony most recently served as Director of the Texas Music Office, the agency within the Office of the Governor tasked with overseeing policy related to the Texas commercial music industry. During his tenure as Director, Anthony created the Music Friendly Texas Communities program, and was instrumental in the creation of BMI Texas and the Texas Music Incubator rebate program, which supports music venues in Texas with over $20 million in tax rebates.
Prior to that he served as Head of E-Commerce and Artist Relations for ONELIVE Media. He is also a longtime touring and recording musician.
“We’re so proud to have Brendon as part of the Big Loud Texas team,” Big Loud COO Austen Adams adds. “With his experience and vast knowledge on all things Texas music, he’s the perfect partner to help realize Jon and Miranda’s vision for this new venture. We are honored to be part of his story and excited to see what this next chapter brings.”