Leading independent DIY digital music company TuneCore has partnered with Facebook for the social media platform’s new Independent Artist Program.

Through TuneCore, owned by leading global digital music distributor Believe, independent artists will be able to distribute their music on Facebook and Instagram for free. This partnership will offer artists more opportunities to connect with fans around the world. Through the program, artists who distribute their music through the Independent Artist Program via TuneCore will also have access to data and insights offered by TuneCore.

“These days we are seeing a leveling of the playing field as discovery is happening via social media and no longer solely dependent on industry executives and DJs handpicking hits,” says Co-Head and Chief Revenue Officer of TuneCore Andreea Gleeson. “With the popularity of short form videos, Facebook Stories, and Instagram Reels are two important platforms on which fans are finding songs and artists, with careers being made when songs go viral. The Facebook Independent Artist Program provides an even greater gateway for indie artists from around the world to be heard.”

To participate in the Independent Artist Program, independent artists must sign up with TuneCore and will then be able to distribute their music everywhere Facebook offers a music library, free of charge, including in Stories and Reels. Artists will be able to upload their music to TuneCore via a music delivery process and will get paid every time their music is used to create content across Facebook and Instagram products.

“Facebook is proud to make it easier for independent artists and creators to reach new audiences on our platform and build community through music. When joining our Independent Artist Program, creators are backed by our outstanding distribution partners, allowing them to get their music in front of more people, across all of our apps,” says Chris Papaleo, Music Business Development manager for Facebook.

For more information on the Independent Artist Program or to sign up, click here.

The Gibson team, artists, and Nashville city leaders cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the Gibson Garage in Nashville on June 9. Photo: Jason Davis, Getty Images

The new Gibson Garage recently celebrated its grand opening with artists, Nashville city leaders, and the Gibson team gathering to celebrate the new destination which offers the ultimate guitar experience in the heart of downtown Nashville.

Fans lined up around the block to attend the opening of the Gibson Garage–falling on Les Paul’s 106th birthday–and enjoyed live music all day long leading up to the Gibson Live: A Celebration of Artists to Benefit Gibson Gives, a global concert. The event featured performances from the Gibson Garage and all over the world from Warren Haynes, Margo Price, Kip Moore, James Bay, Lzzy Haleand Joe Hottinger of Halestorm, Marcus King, Orianthi, Samantha Fish, Morgan Wade, Fer Casillas, Sadler Vaden, Tak Matsumoto, Celisse, Emily Wolfe, Jared James Nichols with Joe Bonamassa, Laura Cox, Wax, and more. Gibson Gives is donating 100% of the concert proceeds to MusiCares and Save The Music.

James “JC” Curleigh (President and CEO, Gibson Brands) & Emmylou Harris at the Gibson Garage. Photo: Gibson

Located at 209 10th Avenue South in Nashville, the new Gibson Garage is the place to explore, play, and shop all things Gibson, Epiphone, Kramer, MESA/Boogie, and KRK, including guitars, apparel, gear, and accessories.

“Beth (my wife) and I attended the grand opening of the Gibson Garage this week and WOW!” says Mike Voltz, Gibson Brands recently retired director of Research & Development, a 36-year veteran employee of the company. “In addition to being one of the finest retail experiences I have ever had, the Gibson Garage provides an amazing performance venue for artists and a great hang for the rest of us. The display of exceptional historical instruments brings true significance to all of the new guitars, amps, monitors and apparel for sale. As a builder, I especially appreciate the thought and care that went into creating the perfect environmental protection for the guitars from the acoustic salon to the Custom Shop Murphy Lab. The Garage reflects where Gibson is headed and it’s great!”

Fans across the globe that are unable to visit Nashville can experience the Gibson Garage in the brand-new episode of Gibson TV series The Scene. Host Mark Agnesi and Niko Moon take viewers on a tour of the Gibson Garage and show off the backstage artist lounge, which includes a secret vault containing historic guitars including a 1959 Les Paul, a 1958 Korina Flying V, a 1957 Les Paul TV Special, a 1961 SG Standard, and more.

The Americana Music Association has formed a committee to address issues of inclusivity, representation and identity within the Americana community.

The new committee’s members include artists Brandi Carlile, Leyla McCalla, Allison Russell, in addition to Garth Fundis (Producer, President of the Americana Music Association Board of Directors), Courtney Gregg (Carnival Music), David Macias (Thirty Tigers), Jacquelyn Marushka (Marushka Media), Shannon Sanders (BMI/Producer) and Caroline Randall Williams (Author/Activist/Teacher), plus Americana Music Association Executive Director Jed Hilly and Manager of Marketing and Member Relations Anna Lee Williams, who serve as facilitators.

The association has also shared its new identity statement across all platforms which proudly says, “All Colors. All Genders. All Abilities. All Sizes. All Orientations. All Identities. All Americana.” In line with this statement, the committee was established to declare the 21-year-old association’s ongoing commitment to representation in the Americana community to ensure a welcoming space for all identities as well as to educate on the rich and diverse history of American roots music.

“This committee was formed as an imperfect response to a heard need,” says Hilly. “It is a group that was established with people who have the insight and rapport to meet this moment.”

The association also plans to bring important conversations in person to attendees this September in the form of conference panels during its 21st annual AMERICANAFEST in Nashville. Curated by committee members, a variety of this year’s sessions will celebrate the legacies and cultural impact of Black, Hispanic/Latine* and LGBTQ+ communities within Americana. The association will curate additional panels with under-celebrated communities into the fall following the conference.

Tim Dugger. Photo: Courtesy of Curb Records

Country singer and racing fan Tim Dugger has been added to the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix lineup for Saturday, August 7, the night before the inaugural IndyCar race.

“It’s going to be the party of the summer and you ain’t gonna want to miss it,” says Dugger via Instagram. The “Signs of a Good Time” singer is set to bring his country rock-fueled sound to the main stage at 5 p.m. on Saturday night.

“This event is something that I am excited to be a part of as an owner,” says Dale Earnhardt Jr. “So to add a friend like Tim Dugger can only make it better. Tim is a great entertainer and will add to the party. I’m really looking forward to watching him play in his hometown of Nashville this August.”

Dugger joins previously announced artists for the weekend including Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Tyler Farr, Vince Neil, Danielle Bradbery, Justin Moore, Callista Clark, Riley Green, and Jamey Johnson. More exciting announcements about additions to the lineup will be rolling out over the coming weeks.

The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix will be a three-day international festival running Aug. 6-8. It will be staged on a temporary 2.17-mile grand prix circuit in Nashville and around the Nissan Stadium campus. The course will cross the Cumberland River via the Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge, making the Music City Grand Prix the only current event in motorsports to cross over a major body of water. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Maddie & Tae’s ‘Die From A Broken Heart’ Goes Double Platinum

Pictured (Front Row, L-R): Maddie Font, Taylor Kerr. (Back Row, L-R): Colton Thomas, Jeremy Little, Shane Smith, Dave Lapsley. Photo: William Hamilton

Award-winning duo Maddie & Tae recently earned RIAA Double Platinum status on their record-breaking No. 1 smash hit “Die From A Broken Heart.” To help celebrate and present the plaques to Maddie Font and Taylor Kerr were their longtime friends and bandmates Colton Thomas, Jeremy Little, Shane Smith, and Dave Lapsley.

“These guys have been on this wild ride with us and they believed in us even when we may have doubted ourselves,” says Kerr. “We are a family!”

When “Die From A Broken Heart” topped the country airplay charts, Maddie & Tae became the first and only female twosome with multiple No. 1’s. The track was also named one of Billboard’s Top 10 Country Songs of 2020 and was a standout track on the pair’s critically acclaimed sophomore album The Way It Feels.

Big Machine Label Group Receives Great Place To Work Certification

Big Machine Label Group has been certified by global authority on workplace culture Great Place to Work, joining previously certified companies like Hulu, Comcast, AT&T, Cisco, and Bank of America. Leading the industry with the most rigorous, data-based model for quantifying employee experiences, Great Place to Work’s Trust Model is the standard for ensuring every employee is consistently having a positive work experience.

The study revealed that BMLG employees have an overwhelming sense of pride in what the company accomplishes. The report also noted that BMLG has a significantly higher percentage of employees declaring it is a great place to work compared to those at typical U.S.-based companies. Big Machine Label Group has also been named twice in leading business media brand Fast Company’s annual ranking of the Most Innovative Companies.

The coveted Great Place to Work status comes as Big Machine nears the close of its 15-year anniversary. Over the past year, the label group has achieved numerous monumental milestones across its artist roster including Florida Georgia Line becoming the first country act to earn two RIAA Diamond Single Awards, Thomas Rhett earning the ACM Entertainer and Male Artist of the Year trophies, Carly Pearce winning her first CMA and ACM awards, and Lady A earning a Grammy nomination.

Bob Morelli Celebrates One Year Anniversary Of Cool Is Forever Consulting

Bob Morelli. Photo: Donna Morelli

Long Island-based Cool is Forever Consulting LLC, owned by former Sony Music RED President, Bob Morelli, celebrated their one year anniversary.

“After a successful 14 years as President of Sony RED, I have happily and smoothly transitioned to the Founder and CEO of my own company, Cool is Forever Consulting LLC,” says Morelli. “It’s pretty exciting and rewarding helping either an artist, a label, or an industry partner move their agenda along and find success. Starting out as an indie record store owner, then paying my dues in sales, then a marketing executive, to finally running both a major and indie distribution company and a label group… I’ve gotten pretty good at a wide variety of things that help my clients.”

Cool is Forever Consulting specializes in big picture strategies, tactical marketing, sales initiatives, negotiating distribution, and label deals. It also offers a full team providing service in digital marketing, online advertising, social media, creative, data analytics, A&R, and influencer marketing.

Kasey Cleckler Launches Executive Coaching Company Cape + Anchor

Kasey Cleckler

Music industry member Kasey Cleckler has launched her executive coaching venture Cape + Anchor.

With over 15 years industry experience in business management and touring, Cleckler brings knowledge of the intricacies of the entertainment industry that is instrumental in the success of coaching in that space. Her career in business management started at Flood Bumstead McCready and McCarthy where she was an Account Manager responsible for the day-to-day management of business for multiple Grammy-award winning artists that toured extensively both nationally and internationally.

“I see a special place for coaching in the music industry,” explains Cleckler. “It’s an important time of personal and professional change and adaptation. For an industry that is known for recreating itself again and again, this is work that will be fruitful in improving the entertainment business along with the lives and relationships of those who work in it. I’m excited to work alongside creative thinkers and leaders in music as they define and create the way forward for themselves and their businesses.”

Through Cape + Anchor, Cleckler aims to provide tools for individuals and organizations to improve communication and teamwork, create a successful business and touring culture, navigate personal and professional change, and improve adaptability.