This year, “Willie Nelson‘s 4th of July Picnic” will take place in the Philadelphia area for the first time.

Headlined by the country star, the annual concert event will be held at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey. The Independence Day celebration will also include performances by Bob Dylan, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Maren Morris, Mavis Staples and Celisse.

“I am thrilled to bring the ‘4th of July Picnic’ to Philadelphia for the first time in our storied history,” says Nelson. “It’s an honor to host such an extraordinary lineup of talent in the birthplace of our country. We can’t wait to celebrate Independence Day with you.”

Tickets go on sale to the public this Friday (March 29), and Citi cardmembers can access presale tickets now until tomorrow (March 28) through the Citi Entertainment program. For more information, click here.

Pictured (L-R, back row): Relative Music Group’s Caroline Bouldin, Make Wake Artists’ Chris Kappy and Sony Music Publishing Nashville’s Rusty Gaston; (L-R, front row): Relative Music Group’s Dennis Matkosky, Drew Parker, Relative Music Group’s Michael Hardy and Jesse Matkosky. Photo: Caylee Robillard

Relative Music Group has partnered with Sony Music Publishing to sign country singer-songwriter Drew Parker to a global publishing deal.

“I’m so grateful to be a part of the Relative family that Dennis [Matkosky], Jesse [Matkosky] and Hardy have built,” shares Parker. “Getting to learn from and be encouraged by a guy like Dennis who has written some of the biggest songs of all time is an experience I never even dreamed of. I’ve also always wanted to be seen as not only a great artist but as a great songwriter, and no one does both of those better than Michael Hardy. I’m so excited for this journey.”

Parker is a Grammy and CMA Award nominee that has penned hits including Luke Combs‘ “Doin’ This” and “Forever After All” as well as Jake Owen‘s “Homemade.”

“Drew is such a talented writer,” says Hardy, Partner, Relative Music Group. “He’s truly one of those guys that has a voice with his pen. It doesn’t matter who sings it, you know a Drew Parker song when you hear it. I’m excited to hear what he has to say over the next few years and can’t wait to watch his great songwriting pay off”

Additionally, Parker will be hitting the road this summer on Combs’ “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour,” and is also scheduled to appear at Big As Texas Fest, CMA Fest, Country Jam and more.

Music tech organization SoundExchange has distributed $11 billion in digital performance royalties since its inception in 2003. The company reached the milestone this month while making its 174th distribution of payments to creators and rights holders.

“We continue to be driven every day by the guiding principle of putting more money into the hands of creators and rights holders,” says Michael Huppe, President and CEO of SoundExchange. “The continuing growth in royalty distributions to a billion dollars a year is reflective of a healthy digital music ecosystem, but it’s not something we take for granted. Our dedication to the community of creators we serve is unshakable, and we will continue to advocate tirelessly for artists to receive fair and equitable compensation for the use of their work on all platforms.”

SoundExchange enables digital service providers to meet their obligations and advocates to ensure creators are properly compensated for their work in the digital age of music. They frequently represent creators in front of the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board and have gained increases of 711% for satellite royalties, 294% for subscription royalties and 215% for non-subscription royalties since their start.

The company also leads the push for the American Music Fairness Act in front of Congress. The legislation ends the practice of not paying performers when their music is played on broadcast radio. SoundExchange is also a contributor to ongoing discussions lawmakers are having around artificial intelligence and how it could affect creators.

The deadline to complete the Greater Nashville Music Census, a survey for anyone working in the music industry, has been extended to April 1 at 11:59 p.m.

The census aims to capture key information about the Nashville music economy to help the city and community make informed, data-driven decisions to support the music business going forward. Since its launch on March 1, more than 2,500 industry professionals have contributed to its findings. Lead partners include Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT), Music Venue Alliance of Nashville, Belmont University, Americana Music Association, Backstage Strategies, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC), Nashville Musicians Union (AFM Local 257), Tennessee Entertainment Commission and the Country Music Association (CMA).

“Our numbers have been steady since launch,” says Kelly Walberg, CFMT VP of Communications. “But we’re still low in a couple of key demographics, such as those aged 18-24, and we’re hoping with some additional time and outreach, we can capture those voices as well.”

Early findings have indicated that participation has been strongest among independent creatives (51%), followed by music industry professionals (35%) and venues (10%). However, the 18-24 demographic overall has only accounted for 6% of those participating.

“We know that our local colleges are putting out some the best and brightest young musicians and minds in the nation, but that the hustle and grind can often dominate bandwidth,” says Chris Cobb, Music Venue Alliance of Nashville President. “From TSU’s award-winning marching band to Belmont and MTSU’s stellar music business programs to Fisk University’s Jubilee Singers–the very reason Nashville is called Music City–we are confident the future of our city’s music ecosystem is already living here. We need to hear their voices, too.”

The Census Steering Committee also admits that, as Music City, they really want to break the record for most participants of any music census to date. Austin, Texas currently holds the record with approximately 4,000 surveys filled out in 2019.

“We have the highest concentration of musicians in the nation living here in greater Nashville,” notes Dave Pomeroy, Nashville Musicians Association President. “So we’re asking each and every one of them to take the census, spread the word, and help us set the bar for all other cities moving forward.”

The Census Steering Committee has created a Social Media Tool Kit and Communication Tool Kit available for anyone to download from the census website. Additionally, because the census will remain anonymous for all participants, the coalition has created a separate sign-up form on the website for those interested in participating in future advocacy initiatives that emerge from the census results.

For more information, click here.

Louie TheSinger. Photo: Victor Gonzalez

Louie TheSinger will launch the “Desperado Tour,” his first-ever U.S. journey, on June 15.

Produced by Live Nation, the tour will kick off at the House of Blues in Orlando and makes stops in San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, Chicago, Denver and more before wrapping at The Underground in Charlotte on July 27.

Despite facing obstacles, including a prison stint in 2018 that challenged his identity, the UMG Nashville artist strived to remain true to himself and his music. After amassing a fanbase and millions of streams, he is ready to share his story and sound with music lovers across the nation.

Citi is the official card of the “Desperado Tour,” and Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets now until Thursday (March 28) at 10 p.m. local time. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general sales beginning Friday (March 29). For more information, click here.