Pictured (L-R): moderator Gray Gannaway, panelists Margaret Hart (YouTube/Google), Parul Chokshi (Vevo), Bryan Calhoun (The Blueprint Group/Maverick), Todd Schefflin (TikTok/ByteDance). Photo: MusicBiz
TikTok, YouTube and VEVO reps were on-hand at the 2019 Music Biz conference in Nashville on Tuesday, May 7 to discuss leveraging video in today’s culture.
Of course with the recent popularity of Lil Nas X launching from TikTok, attention was paid to the platform. The parent company ByteDance equipped the panel with rep Todd Schefflin, who was quick to give context to the breakout success.
“TikTok is a promotional tool unlike any other that has existed to date,” said Schefflin of the No. 1 most downloaded app in the world. “We’ve never seen anything come close—maybe radio—to the ability to break a new artist. On TikTok, when you share out to all your followers, every influencer on that page can then create their own unique contextual version of that. It’s this constant creativity, virality, meme concept that people want to get in on, but they don’t feel like followers because they have the opportunity to create their own unique version. It’s a competition for who can create the coolest, most interesting, engaging video.”
Although Schefflin cited the rise of Lil Nas X and other upcoming success of Sueco the Child, he was quick to qualify the viral sensations and his platform is promotional and part of meme culture, which means you have little control over what becomes viral.
“Don’t think your single or even a song from the album is what gets people interested in your new album,” advised Schefflin. “Be open to using even content that’s not yours and engaging to create something viral. Just simply that you’re engaging with others on the platform will drive people to discover who you are and listen to your music.”
TikTok aside, Blueprint Group’s Bryan Calhoun advised planning to simultaneously shoot in various dimensions on video sets to capture for as many platforms as possible—horizontally and vertically.
“We shot last week with Lil Wayne and Blink-182 and now we have really great content that works on Instagram stories, IGTV and YouTube, Twitter and Facebook,” admonished Calhoun. “If the director/editor hadn’t thought about that in advance, we might have ended up with content that worked on one platform but not another.” Schefflin testified his platform, TicTok, is exponentially more engaged with when video is shot vertically.
Content can come in handy. VEVO’s Parul Chokshi and YouTube’s Margaret Hart confirmed the need to continually upload video for algorithms and fan engagement.
“It’s really hard to oversaturate,” said Chokshi. “What I’ve seen is a constant thirst for more videos. For singles now, we’ll do a static image studio video, a lyric video, an official music video, maybe there’s a teaser to the official music video, then there’s the behind the scenes, remix. Constantly refreshing your channel is key to keeping people’s attention.”
“You can’t just throw a video up and hope it does well and not put anything else out for three months,” Hart agreed. “You’ve got to keep it coming consistently. Our algorithm really likes content, imagine that. Uploading really helps with our recommended features.”
Chokshi was quick to provide context, empathizing with constrained budgets.
“Not every artist is Ariana Grande and has a team of videographers following them around and giving you access to five different versions of their music video,” said Chokshi, who suggested simply grabbing extra content from video shoots to post later.
Chokshi then continued the conversation in an interesting direction: towards defining what album launches look like in 2019.
The VEVO employee suggested uploading each track with a static image to video platforms once the album has been released. “Vevo can then create playlists to help promote that album upon launch, then you can find your single and which song you’ll do a music video for,” said Chokshi.
Calhoun then theorized the long album release build-up might need to be reconsidered.
“The reasons for longer lead times for releases no longer exist,” concluded Calhoun. “You had to create demand months in advance to manufacture and ship product, and make sure there was enough demand in the marketplace to convince retail buyers to purchase things. It’s really expensive to keep people’s attention for four months. Fortunately today, you don’t have to do that, but I see labels doing it all the time.”
Spencer Foote Elevated To Agent At WME
/by Lorie HollabaughSpencer Foote has been promoted to agent at WME. Foote, who joins the Fair and Festival team as a booking agent, began his career at WME in 2013, working in the office of Jay Williams.
Foote, a Nashville native, is a graduate of Ensworth High School and Sewanee: The University of the South. Through the course of his career, he has assisted in the booking of clubs and colleges in the Southeast and arenas and amphitheaters in the Upper Midwest. Most recently, Foote assisted in securing national fair and festival opportunities for clients across the WME roster.
Foote can be reached at sfoote@wmeagency.com.
Morgan Evans Adds Australian Dates To Upcoming World Tour
/by Lorie HollabaughMorgan Evans will return home to his native Australia in October for a string of shows on his upcoming World Tour. With headline dates set for Australia and New Zealand, the performances mark Evans’ biggest shows to date in his home country. Tickets for the shows will go on sale Monday (May 13). Evans is launching the recently announced European leg of his World Tour this Fall beginning Sept. 3, with additional shows to be announced soon.
Before he heads overseas, Evans will join Rascal Flatts’ Summer Playlist Tour, which kicks off May 23. Fans will have a chance to witness his loop-pedal proficiency at stops including the Carolina Country Music Festival, Country LakeShake, Faster Horses and more.
Evans is currently climbing the U.S. Country charts with “Day Drunk,” the followup to his Gold-certified No. 1 hit “Kiss Somebody.” “Day Drunk” spent 25 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on country radio in Australia and 2 weeks at No. 1 on pop radio, topping the TMN Hot 100 airplay chart. Adding to the global impact, the track recently took home the title of Country Work of the Year at the 2019 APRA Music Awards (Australia’s version of PRO awards), after being awarded Single of the Year at Australia’s Golden Guitar Awards.
He recently released a new rendition of “Things That We Drink To,” the title track of his debut album. Accompanied only by piano and violin, the emotional, scaled-down performance highlights the song’s powerful lyrics, which were penned as a tribute to his late manager Rob Potts.
MORGAN EVANS TOUR DATES:
Sept. 3 – Dublin, Ireland – Green Room at The Academy*
Sept. 4 – Glasgow, Scotland – Oran Mor*
Sept. 5 – Liverpool, U.K. – Arts Club Loft*
Sept. 6 – London, U.K. – Borderline*
Sept. 7 – Lutterworth, U.K. – The Long Road Festival*
Sept. 9 – Berlin, Germany – Frannz Club*
Sept. 12 – Toronto, Canada – Budweiser Stage+
Sept. 13 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater+
Sept. 14 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center+
Sept. 21 – Burgettstown, PA – Keybank Pavilion+
Oct. 18 – Sydney, NSW, Australia – Enmore Theatre*
Oct. 20 – Perth, WA, Australia – Astor Theatre*
Oct. 21 – Adelaide, SA, Australia – The Gov*
Oct. 22 – Melbourne, VIC, Australia – Forum Theatre*
Oct. 26 – Brisbane, QLD, Australia – Eatons Hill*
Oct. 27 – Toowoomba, QLD, Australia – Empire Theatre*
Oct. 29 – Auckland, New Zealand – Tuning Fork*
* = MORGAN EVANS WORLD TOUR
+ = with Rascal Flatts
Morgan Evans Adds Australian Dates To Upcoming World Tour
/by Lorie HollabaughMorgan Evans will return home to his native Australia in October for a string of shows on his upcoming World Tour. With headline dates set for Australia and New Zealand, the performances mark Evans’ biggest shows to date in his home country. Tickets for the shows will go on sale Monday (May 13). Evans is launching the recently announced European leg of his World Tour this Fall beginning Sept. 3, with additional shows to be announced soon.
Before he heads overseas, Evans will join Rascal Flatts’ Summer Playlist Tour, which kicks off May 23. Fans will have a chance to witness his loop-pedal proficiency at stops including the Carolina Country Music Festival, Country LakeShake, Faster Horses and more.
Evans is currently climbing the U.S. Country charts with “Day Drunk,” the followup to his Gold-certified No. 1 hit “Kiss Somebody.” “Day Drunk” spent 25 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on country radio in Australia and 2 weeks at No. 1 on pop radio, topping the TMN Hot 100 airplay chart. Adding to the global impact, the track recently took home the title of Country Work of the Year at the 2019 APRA Music Awards (Australia’s version of PRO awards), after being awarded Single of the Year at Australia’s Golden Guitar Awards.
He recently released a new rendition of “Things That We Drink To,” the title track of his debut album. Accompanied only by piano and violin, the emotional, scaled-down performance highlights the song’s powerful lyrics, which were penned as a tribute to his late manager Rob Potts.
MORGAN EVANS TOUR DATES:
Sept. 3 – Dublin, Ireland – Green Room at The Academy*
Sept. 4 – Glasgow, Scotland – Oran Mor*
Sept. 5 – Liverpool, U.K. – Arts Club Loft*
Sept. 6 – London, U.K. – Borderline*
Sept. 7 – Lutterworth, U.K. – The Long Road Festival*
Sept. 9 – Berlin, Germany – Frannz Club*
Sept. 12 – Toronto, Canada – Budweiser Stage+
Sept. 13 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater+
Sept. 14 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center+
Sept. 21 – Burgettstown, PA – Keybank Pavilion+
Oct. 18 – Sydney, NSW, Australia – Enmore Theatre*
Oct. 20 – Perth, WA, Australia – Astor Theatre*
Oct. 21 – Adelaide, SA, Australia – The Gov*
Oct. 22 – Melbourne, VIC, Australia – Forum Theatre*
Oct. 26 – Brisbane, QLD, Australia – Eatons Hill*
Oct. 27 – Toowoomba, QLD, Australia – Empire Theatre*
Oct. 29 – Auckland, New Zealand – Tuning Fork*
* = MORGAN EVANS WORLD TOUR
+ = with Rascal Flatts
Music Biz: Executives From TikTok, YouTube, VEVO On Leveraging Video In 2019
/by Eric T. ParkerPictured (L-R): moderator Gray Gannaway, panelists Margaret Hart (YouTube/Google), Parul Chokshi (Vevo), Bryan Calhoun (The Blueprint Group/Maverick), Todd Schefflin (TikTok/ByteDance). Photo: MusicBiz
TikTok, YouTube and VEVO reps were on-hand at the 2019 Music Biz conference in Nashville on Tuesday, May 7 to discuss leveraging video in today’s culture.
Of course with the recent popularity of Lil Nas X launching from TikTok, attention was paid to the platform. The parent company ByteDance equipped the panel with rep Todd Schefflin, who was quick to give context to the breakout success.
“TikTok is a promotional tool unlike any other that has existed to date,” said Schefflin of the No. 1 most downloaded app in the world. “We’ve never seen anything come close—maybe radio—to the ability to break a new artist. On TikTok, when you share out to all your followers, every influencer on that page can then create their own unique contextual version of that. It’s this constant creativity, virality, meme concept that people want to get in on, but they don’t feel like followers because they have the opportunity to create their own unique version. It’s a competition for who can create the coolest, most interesting, engaging video.”
Although Schefflin cited the rise of Lil Nas X and other upcoming success of Sueco the Child, he was quick to qualify the viral sensations and his platform is promotional and part of meme culture, which means you have little control over what becomes viral.
“Don’t think your single or even a song from the album is what gets people interested in your new album,” advised Schefflin. “Be open to using even content that’s not yours and engaging to create something viral. Just simply that you’re engaging with others on the platform will drive people to discover who you are and listen to your music.”
TikTok aside, Blueprint Group’s Bryan Calhoun advised planning to simultaneously shoot in various dimensions on video sets to capture for as many platforms as possible—horizontally and vertically.
“We shot last week with Lil Wayne and Blink-182 and now we have really great content that works on Instagram stories, IGTV and YouTube, Twitter and Facebook,” admonished Calhoun. “If the director/editor hadn’t thought about that in advance, we might have ended up with content that worked on one platform but not another.” Schefflin testified his platform, TicTok, is exponentially more engaged with when video is shot vertically.
Content can come in handy. VEVO’s Parul Chokshi and YouTube’s Margaret Hart confirmed the need to continually upload video for algorithms and fan engagement.
“It’s really hard to oversaturate,” said Chokshi. “What I’ve seen is a constant thirst for more videos. For singles now, we’ll do a static image studio video, a lyric video, an official music video, maybe there’s a teaser to the official music video, then there’s the behind the scenes, remix. Constantly refreshing your channel is key to keeping people’s attention.”
“You can’t just throw a video up and hope it does well and not put anything else out for three months,” Hart agreed. “You’ve got to keep it coming consistently. Our algorithm really likes content, imagine that. Uploading really helps with our recommended features.”
Chokshi was quick to provide context, empathizing with constrained budgets.
“Not every artist is Ariana Grande and has a team of videographers following them around and giving you access to five different versions of their music video,” said Chokshi, who suggested simply grabbing extra content from video shoots to post later.
Chokshi then continued the conversation in an interesting direction: towards defining what album launches look like in 2019.
The VEVO employee suggested uploading each track with a static image to video platforms once the album has been released. “Vevo can then create playlists to help promote that album upon launch, then you can find your single and which song you’ll do a music video for,” said Chokshi.
Calhoun then theorized the long album release build-up might need to be reconsidered.
“The reasons for longer lead times for releases no longer exist,” concluded Calhoun. “You had to create demand months in advance to manufacture and ship product, and make sure there was enough demand in the marketplace to convince retail buyers to purchase things. It’s really expensive to keep people’s attention for four months. Fortunately today, you don’t have to do that, but I see labels doing it all the time.”
Music Biz: Executives From TikTok, YouTube, VEVO On Leveraging Video In 2019
/by Eric T. ParkerPictured (L-R): moderator Gray Gannaway, panelists Margaret Hart (YouTube/Google), Parul Chokshi (Vevo), Bryan Calhoun (The Blueprint Group/Maverick), Todd Schefflin (TikTok/ByteDance). Photo: MusicBiz
TikTok, YouTube and VEVO reps were on-hand at the 2019 Music Biz conference in Nashville on Tuesday, May 7 to discuss leveraging video in today’s culture.
Of course with the recent popularity of Lil Nas X launching from TikTok, attention was paid to the platform. The parent company ByteDance equipped the panel with rep Todd Schefflin, who was quick to give context to the breakout success.
“TikTok is a promotional tool unlike any other that has existed to date,” said Schefflin of the No. 1 most downloaded app in the world. “We’ve never seen anything come close—maybe radio—to the ability to break a new artist. On TikTok, when you share out to all your followers, every influencer on that page can then create their own unique contextual version of that. It’s this constant creativity, virality, meme concept that people want to get in on, but they don’t feel like followers because they have the opportunity to create their own unique version. It’s a competition for who can create the coolest, most interesting, engaging video.”
Although Schefflin cited the rise of Lil Nas X and other upcoming success of Sueco the Child, he was quick to qualify the viral sensations and his platform is promotional and part of meme culture, which means you have little control over what becomes viral.
“Don’t think your single or even a song from the album is what gets people interested in your new album,” advised Schefflin. “Be open to using even content that’s not yours and engaging to create something viral. Just simply that you’re engaging with others on the platform will drive people to discover who you are and listen to your music.”
TikTok aside, Blueprint Group’s Bryan Calhoun advised planning to simultaneously shoot in various dimensions on video sets to capture for as many platforms as possible—horizontally and vertically.
“We shot last week with Lil Wayne and Blink-182 and now we have really great content that works on Instagram stories, IGTV and YouTube, Twitter and Facebook,” admonished Calhoun. “If the director/editor hadn’t thought about that in advance, we might have ended up with content that worked on one platform but not another.” Schefflin testified his platform, TicTok, is exponentially more engaged with when video is shot vertically.
Content can come in handy. VEVO’s Parul Chokshi and YouTube’s Margaret Hart confirmed the need to continually upload video for algorithms and fan engagement.
“It’s really hard to oversaturate,” said Chokshi. “What I’ve seen is a constant thirst for more videos. For singles now, we’ll do a static image studio video, a lyric video, an official music video, maybe there’s a teaser to the official music video, then there’s the behind the scenes, remix. Constantly refreshing your channel is key to keeping people’s attention.”
“You can’t just throw a video up and hope it does well and not put anything else out for three months,” Hart agreed. “You’ve got to keep it coming consistently. Our algorithm really likes content, imagine that. Uploading really helps with our recommended features.”
Chokshi was quick to provide context, empathizing with constrained budgets.
“Not every artist is Ariana Grande and has a team of videographers following them around and giving you access to five different versions of their music video,” said Chokshi, who suggested simply grabbing extra content from video shoots to post later.
Chokshi then continued the conversation in an interesting direction: towards defining what album launches look like in 2019.
The VEVO employee suggested uploading each track with a static image to video platforms once the album has been released. “Vevo can then create playlists to help promote that album upon launch, then you can find your single and which song you’ll do a music video for,” said Chokshi.
Calhoun then theorized the long album release build-up might need to be reconsidered.
“The reasons for longer lead times for releases no longer exist,” concluded Calhoun. “You had to create demand months in advance to manufacture and ship product, and make sure there was enough demand in the marketplace to convince retail buyers to purchase things. It’s really expensive to keep people’s attention for four months. Fortunately today, you don’t have to do that, but I see labels doing it all the time.”
Industry Ink: Jules Wortman, ACM, King Calaway, Three Hounds Music
/by Jessica NicholsonETSU National Alumni Association Honors Jules Wortman
Jules Wortman
Julie (Jules) Wortman, president and CEO of Wortman Works Media & Marketing in Nashville, was named an Award of Honor recipient by the East Tennessee State University National Alumni Association on Friday, May 3, as part of the association’s 2019 Awards banquet. Wortman is a 1989 graduate of ETSU.
Wortman began her career at Nashville’s Network Ink Public Relations. She went on to hold senior executive posts at such major record labels as Warner Bros., MCA/Universal and Atlantic and at a top professional wrestling organization before founding her own firm. Her clients through the years have included many national brands and music legends, including Salt Life, Chevrolet (GM), Country Music Television, Sony Music, the GMA Dove Awards, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Blake Shelton, Kid Rock, The Charlie Daniels Band and more. She currently manages The SteelDrivers, and is also an adjunct instructor at Belmont University.
ACM Adds Jessica Curtis As Manager, Marketing
Jessica Curtis
The Academy of Country Music has hired Jessica Curtis as Manager, Marketing. Curtis will oversee several key marketing elements, including ticket promotions and digital marketing. The position is based out the Academy’s headquarters in Encino, California.
Born and raised in Ventura County, Curtis joins the Academy after a three-year stint with Live Nation, located in Hollywood, California. Working as an executive editor for MegaCountry.com and editorial contributor to Setlist.fm, Curtis worked closely with both the editorial and post-production teams, as well as the production staff to create and expedite creative content, promote festival and ticket sales and introduce new social media marketing strategies. She also conducted artist interviews and managed outside vendors and contributors to the MegaCountry website.
In her role as Marketing Manager, Curtis will take lead on developing strategies for both ticket promotions and social media for Academy initiatives. She will also manage all digital marketing and advertising, and support developing partnerships with outside brands to increase tickets sales, maximize brand awareness and promote Awards tune in. Curtis reports to Brooke Primero, Senior Vice President, Marketing. Curtis can be reached at jessica@acmcountry.com.
King Calaway Makes Stadium Debut As Openers For Garth Brooks
King Calaway with Garth Brooks
BBR Music Group band King Calaway recently made their stadium debut on Friday (May 3), performing as an opening act for Garth Brooks’ U.S. Bank Stadium show in Minneapolis. Brooks himself introduced the band, marking the first time Brooks has made an introduction for an opening act in his career.
Three Hounds Music Sponsors Hill Country Film Festival
Pictured (L-R): HCFF’s Programming Director Gary Weeks Three Hounds Music Founder Tom Harrison, Three Hounds Music songwriter/artist David Tolliver, BMI Senior Director Creative, Austin, Mitch Ballard, HCFF Executive Director Chad Mathews
Three Hounds Music was recently a sponsor for the annual Hill Country Film Festival in Fredericksburg, Texas. Three Hounds Music writer/artist David Tolliver performed during the event’s VIP Opening Reception.
Industry Ink: Jules Wortman, ACM, King Calaway, Three Hounds Music
/by Jessica NicholsonETSU National Alumni Association Honors Jules Wortman
Jules Wortman
Julie (Jules) Wortman, president and CEO of Wortman Works Media & Marketing in Nashville, was named an Award of Honor recipient by the East Tennessee State University National Alumni Association on Friday, May 3, as part of the association’s 2019 Awards banquet. Wortman is a 1989 graduate of ETSU.
Wortman began her career at Nashville’s Network Ink Public Relations. She went on to hold senior executive posts at such major record labels as Warner Bros., MCA/Universal and Atlantic and at a top professional wrestling organization before founding her own firm. Her clients through the years have included many national brands and music legends, including Salt Life, Chevrolet (GM), Country Music Television, Sony Music, the GMA Dove Awards, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Blake Shelton, Kid Rock, The Charlie Daniels Band and more. She currently manages The SteelDrivers, and is also an adjunct instructor at Belmont University.
ACM Adds Jessica Curtis As Manager, Marketing
Jessica Curtis
The Academy of Country Music has hired Jessica Curtis as Manager, Marketing. Curtis will oversee several key marketing elements, including ticket promotions and digital marketing. The position is based out the Academy’s headquarters in Encino, California.
Born and raised in Ventura County, Curtis joins the Academy after a three-year stint with Live Nation, located in Hollywood, California. Working as an executive editor for MegaCountry.com and editorial contributor to Setlist.fm, Curtis worked closely with both the editorial and post-production teams, as well as the production staff to create and expedite creative content, promote festival and ticket sales and introduce new social media marketing strategies. She also conducted artist interviews and managed outside vendors and contributors to the MegaCountry website.
In her role as Marketing Manager, Curtis will take lead on developing strategies for both ticket promotions and social media for Academy initiatives. She will also manage all digital marketing and advertising, and support developing partnerships with outside brands to increase tickets sales, maximize brand awareness and promote Awards tune in. Curtis reports to Brooke Primero, Senior Vice President, Marketing. Curtis can be reached at jessica@acmcountry.com.
King Calaway Makes Stadium Debut As Openers For Garth Brooks
King Calaway with Garth Brooks
BBR Music Group band King Calaway recently made their stadium debut on Friday (May 3), performing as an opening act for Garth Brooks’ U.S. Bank Stadium show in Minneapolis. Brooks himself introduced the band, marking the first time Brooks has made an introduction for an opening act in his career.
Three Hounds Music Sponsors Hill Country Film Festival
Pictured (L-R): HCFF’s Programming Director Gary Weeks Three Hounds Music Founder Tom Harrison, Three Hounds Music songwriter/artist David Tolliver, BMI Senior Director Creative, Austin, Mitch Ballard, HCFF Executive Director Chad Mathews
Three Hounds Music was recently a sponsor for the annual Hill Country Film Festival in Fredericksburg, Texas. Three Hounds Music writer/artist David Tolliver performed during the event’s VIP Opening Reception.
MusicRow Awards Voting Begins Tuesday, May 14
/by Jessica NicholsonVoting for the 31st annual MusicRow Awards begins Tuesday, May 14 and ends on Tuesday, May 21 at 5:00 p.m.
The invitation-only MusicRow Awards will be held Wednesday, June 26 at the War Memorial Auditorium.
Readers must have a valid and current subscription to vote. Click here to purchase or renew subscription.
This year will also feature new categories including Artist of the Year, Label of the Year, Discovery Artist of the year, Male Songwriter of the Year, Female Songwriter of the Year, and Agency of the Year.
Totaling 11 categories in all, other awards include Producer of the Year, Song of the Year, Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Breakthrough Songwriter and Breakthrough Artist-Writer.
MusicRow will also honor the Top 10 Album All-Star Musicians Awards at the event, recognizing the studio players who played on the most albums reaching the Top 10 of Billboard’s Country Album Chart during the eligibility period. Honors will be presented for guitar, bass, drums, fiddle, keyboards, steel, vocals and engineer categories.
Supporting Sponsors of the event are Vaden Group | Elliott Davis, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and Keller Turner Andrews & Ghanem, PLLC. Partner level sponsors are Ram Trucks and City National Bank.
The historic War Memorial Auditorium, one of the early homes of the Grand Ole Opry and where U.S. Presidents such as John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon have delivered speeches, was built in 1925 and remains one of Nashville’s most elegant and revered buildings.
MusicRow Subscribed Members will receive invites for complimentary balcony seating. Purchased tables include premium floor seating. For tickets and seating, click here.
MusicRow Awards Voting Begins Tuesday, May 14
/by Jessica NicholsonVoting for the 31st annual MusicRow Awards begins Tuesday, May 14 and ends on Tuesday, May 21 at 5:00 p.m.
The invitation-only MusicRow Awards will be held Wednesday, June 26 at the War Memorial Auditorium.
Readers must have a valid and current subscription to vote. Click here to purchase or renew subscription.
This year will also feature new categories including Artist of the Year, Label of the Year, Discovery Artist of the year, Male Songwriter of the Year, Female Songwriter of the Year, and Agency of the Year.
Totaling 11 categories in all, other awards include Producer of the Year, Song of the Year, Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Breakthrough Songwriter and Breakthrough Artist-Writer.
MusicRow will also honor the Top 10 Album All-Star Musicians Awards at the event, recognizing the studio players who played on the most albums reaching the Top 10 of Billboard’s Country Album Chart during the eligibility period. Honors will be presented for guitar, bass, drums, fiddle, keyboards, steel, vocals and engineer categories.
Supporting Sponsors of the event are Vaden Group | Elliott Davis, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and Keller Turner Andrews & Ghanem, PLLC. Partner level sponsors are Ram Trucks and City National Bank.
The historic War Memorial Auditorium, one of the early homes of the Grand Ole Opry and where U.S. Presidents such as John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon have delivered speeches, was built in 1925 and remains one of Nashville’s most elegant and revered buildings.
MusicRow Subscribed Members will receive invites for complimentary balcony seating. Purchased tables include premium floor seating. For tickets and seating, click here.
Slick Rick Talks Turning “La-Di-Da-Di” To “La-Di-Dollars” At 2019 Music Biz Conference
/by LB CantrellRap Coalition’s Wendy Day interviews Slick Rick at Music Biz 2019 Conference. Photo: Instagram/@musicbizassoc
Rapper and entertainer Slick Rick celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of his debut album The Great Adventures of Slick Rick in November. The rap icon was the the third artist signed to the legendary rap label, Def Jam Recordings, and he is one of the most sampled artists of all time with what the “La Di Da Di” rapper estimates to be about 650 to 700 times.
Slick Rick made an appearance at the Music Biz conference in Nashville on Tuesday (May 7) to have a conversation with Wendy Day, founder of the Rap Coalition—a non-profit artists’ advocacy organization to educate, inform, and unify rap artists, producers, and DJs. Empty seats were few and far between.
“When did you start to really learn the business?” asked Day. “When I started gettin’ robbed,” quipped Rick. “You get your first royalty check and it says ‘Negative.’ I’m like ‘what?!'”
Rick quickly learned about recoupment and how to manage his financials as an artist. “Most of the money that I earned came from shows and touring. Shows, merchandising, things like that,” he said.
“You gotta be careful because the next thing you know you have people saying ‘What did you do with your money?’ and ‘You don’t know how to manage money.’ There’s a lot of criticism when things don’t work out that are designed not to. You’ve got to be careful. Take your show money, buy your little properties, set yourself up for retirement,” Rick said.
Rick talked about creating and knowing your lane as an artist, and making sure that your partners in business allow you to stay authentic to that lane. He also highlighted the importance of promoting yourself, specifically in the world of rap and hip-hop.
“You create your own lane, and you promote yourself,” Rick said. “You invest back into yourself. That’s why we have the jewelry and the cars. You’re investing back into yourself because you have an image to promote. Even though you’re not making much on royalties, you still need to give your community a celebrity—something that looks like a celebrity.
“When we first came out you would see the big rope chains and nice fancy cars and stuff like that,” he continued. “It was like, you’re promoting yourself. You’re promoting success in an urban community.”
Day bragged on Rick for his philanthropic efforts, including supporting fellow U.K.-born rapper 21 Savage in his recent entanglement with U.S. immigration, as well as giving back to his community in the Bronx of New York and entertaining at benefit concerts.
“Our lane is just to entertain and inspire and let the politicians do what they’re good at,” Rick said.