Bloomberg is reporting Apple plans to update the app its users access music, effectively “ending” iTunes. Users will access music through a “Music app,” as the company is said to be expanding aggressively beyond hardware.

“iTunes has been the way Apple users listen to music, watch movies and TV shows, hear podcasts, and manage their devices for almost two decades,” says the outlet’s Mark Gurman. “The company is launching a trio of new apps for the Mac – Music, TV, and Podcasts – to replace iTunes. That matches Apple’s media app strategy on iPhones and iPads. Without iTunes, customers can manage their Apple gadgets through the Music app.”

The report, which has been rumored for years, comes ahead of Apple Inc.’s Worldwide Developers Conference, which begins at noon CT Monday (June 3) with Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook and other leaders revealing such updates in San Jose, California.

Rolling Stone similarly notes, “Users can expect the new Music app to offer some of the same functionalities that iTunes currently does — such as purchasing songs and syncing phones — just with a sleeker interface that’s free of the outdated and oft-bemoaned features of the heritage product, and more closely bundled with streaming service Apple Music.

“But the scrapping of iTunes’ brand symbolizes a lot, too,” continued the outlet’s Amy X. Wang. “By portioning out its music, television and podcast offerings into three separate platforms, Apple will pointedly draw attention to itself as a multifaceted entertainment services provider, no longer as a hardware company that happens to sell entertainment through one of its many apps. That’s crucial for Apple’s future, as the company combats sluggish phone sales with aggressive growth in its services division. At WWDC this year, according to various reports, Apple is planning to buff up other apps including Books, Messages and Mail; it also announced ambitious plans for original video programming.”

ICMC Hosts Annual Honors

Pictured (L-R): ICMC co-host James Akenson, Brian Ward, Belmont University’s Don Cusic

The annual International Country Music Conference (ICMC) awards lunch, held Friday (May 31), honored Brian Ward and Patrick Huber with the Belmont Award for the best book on country music, for A&R Pioneers (CMF Vanderbilt). The Chet Flippo Award for the best journalism article went to The Washington Post‘s Emily Yahr, for her feature “How Country Music Has–And Hasn’t–Addressed The #MeToo Movement In A Difficult Year.”

Pictured (L-R): Belmont University’s Don Cusic, Holly George-Warren, The Washington Post‘s Emily Yahr, and Rolling Stone Country’s Jon Freeman

So Much Moore Media Expands Roster

Martha Moore‘s so much MOORE media has added singer-songwriter Brinn Black and rock/Americana artist Bobby Messano to its roster. Black recently released the new single “72’s,” while Messano will release his ninth album, Lemonade, in July via Fishhead Records/WB.

 

Drake White Announces Partnerships With Three Outdoors Lifestyle Brands

Drake White. Photo: John Shearer

Eric Church

Sony/ATV songwriter (not to mention record-breaking headliner) Eric Church tops the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) songwriter certifications for April 2019, with six certifications. His tracks “Record Year,” “Smoke A Little Smoke,” and “Wrecking Ball” have all been certified multi-platinum, while “Guys Like Me” is platinum and “Over When Its Over” and “Sinners Like Me” are both certified gold.

In partnership with the RIAA’s Gold and Platinum Program, NMPA finds and certifies the songwriters and publishers of RIAA-certified singles. RIAA counts both sales and on-demand streams towards its gold, platinum and multi-platinum thresholds. For April there were 280 certifications of hit songs.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing was April’s most-certified publisher, with 82 certifications, followed by publishers including Warner Chappell Music Publishing (58), Universal Music Publishing Group (42), Kobalt Music (40), BMG (15), Reservoir (14), Disney Music Publishing (7), PEN Music (4), Big Machine Music (3), ole (2), Pulse Music (2), Round Hill Music (1) Bluewater Music (1) and Downtown Music Publishing (1).

Genre-bending BBR artist Blanco Brown has released his self-titled debut EP. The songwriter, producer (Fergie, Childish Gambino, Chris Brown, Kane Brown), vocalist and multi-instrumentalist affectionately calls his music “TrailerTrap.” The EP is inspired by his youth in Atlanta and splitting his time in rural Georgia during the summers, and draws upon the rawness and storytelling abilities of his two biggest musical influences, Johnny Cash and Outkast.

“I’ve loved country music since I can remember—it’s what makes me happy,” said Brown. “My Atlanta friends never quite understood my passion for it so when I started making my own music, I set out to blend the elements of country that I love with the sounds I’ve been working with to represent who I am and what I listen to.”

“Some of the Country Music’s biggest recent moments have come from collaborations between Country and Urban artists. It’s increasingly evident that fans simply don’t live in just one genre anymore,” said Jon Loba, EVP of BBR Music Group. “That sentiment embodies itself in Blanco Brown who is from Georgia, a place that is home to one of the epicenters of Urban music and incubator for some of Country’s biggest stars. It was only natural that those two communities would influence each other and eventually morph into a sound and genre drawing upon the best of both worlds. Like The Allman Brothers Band, Otis Redding, and Jason Aldean who came before, Blanco is part of a rich Georgia tradition that not only bends genres but eventually defines them.”

Track Listing:
“Ghett Ol Memories” (Blanco Brown, Corey Marquez Stephens, Liby Vongmanee)
“Georgia Power” (Blanco Brown, Isaiah Brown, John Whitfield, Dominic Crawford)
“Tn Whiskey” (Blanco Brown)
“CountryTime” (Blanco Brown, Sam DiCesare, Abraham Abushmais)

Brown will celebrate the launch of his EP with live performances next week with several appearances at CMA Fest. He will perform at the Official Dee Jay Silver CMT Award Show After Party on Wednesday night (June 5), the Firestone Country Roads Stage at Ascend Amphitheater on Thursday night (June 6), the Nashville Acoustic Corner stage on Friday (June 7) and he will appear at the Music Choice booth at Fan Fair X and hit the Radio Disney stage and Spotify’s Ole Red stage on Saturday (June 8), in addition to hosting a #GitUpChallenge at the Wildhorse Saloon at noon for fans.