The Country Music Association released key findings from its fourth quarter 2009 follow up to its original 2008 Country Music Consumer Segmentation Study during CRS-41 at the Nashville Convention Center today (2/25). The extensive research project is the foundation of CMA’s mission to be an educational resource for the music industry.
Over the past two years, CMA, in partnership with The Right Brain Consulting LLC and Chicago-based Leo Burnett Company, has interviewed nearly 10,000 adults in an effort to provide the industry with sweeping fan understanding to help drive industry vitality in challenging economic times.
“As company budgets for research are reduced, or eliminated, it is more important than ever that CMA assumes a leadership role by providing this timely and in-depth look at our consumer as a benefit to our stakeholders,” said Steve Moore, Chairman of the CMA Board of Directors. “As an industry, we can’t ignore the facts in front of us. Information is critical to the decision making process for any business.”
Jana O’Brien, Principal for The Right Brain Consumer Consulting, LLC, presented the findings. Overall, the impact of the U.S. economic downturn is impossible to ignore. The country music industry is facing revenue pressure from a range of consumer-based fronts including the economy, a decline in the country fan base, reduced consumer country music spending, and a continued move away from buying full albums to single songs or acquiring “free” music.
Fans dipped slightly in 2009 from 2008: 37 percent vs. 39 percent of Adults 18-54, including a drop in the size of the lucrative CountryPhiles and MusicPhiles segments. These two segments account for the bulk of country music category spending. Their share has dropped from 70 percent in 2008 to 55 percent in 2009. As a result, total country fan spending on CDs, legal music downloads, and concerts declined an estimated 28 percent since 2008.
At the same time, there is positive momentum in fans’ attitudes toward the country genre with increased engagement in free pipelines including radio and the Web. Consumers’ overall attraction to country music is due to the music’s personal relevance and uplifting nature in good times, and bad.
Two in five fans feel better about country music than they did in 2008. Country’s unique characteristics and connection to “real life” make it appealing in challenging times. And they are more optimistic about their own economic future. Twenty-eight percent of fans now rate their personal finances as “Excellent/Very Good” vs. just 7 percent in 2008.
The country fan is still an attractive consumer segment for potential sponsors. Income levels are in line with average American adults, with strong gains in those who are college-educated (64 percent vs. 34 percent in 2008).
The role of country radio has been strengthened by the challenged economy. Usage and average hours spent listening are up significantly. Not surprisingly, the study identified radio, along with word-of-mouth from friends and family, as the No. 1 influencer in fans’ music taste and behavior.
Monthly country music radio listening is up from 79 percent of fans in 2008 to 93 percent today. Weekly country radio listening hours are up to an estimated 9.9 hours per fan from 6.4 in 2008. With Americans economically stressed and working harder to make ends meet, radio is potentially a strong performer due to its portable, free, and “workplace-acceptable” nature, which allows fans to take it wherever they go.
Fan responses did indicate a strong desire for radio improvements that testing shows would strengthen the fiscal health of the country music industry. There is consistent feedback from year-to-year with one third of the fans tested saying that they would listen to country music radio more if there was less repetition and a wider variety of songs. New product concept testing among the prime country fan segments showed strong industry-building potential of “deep cuts” radio programming. Thirty-seven percent of these fans rated such a “go deep” idea “Extremely Relevant/Relevant.” The consensus was that playing a wider, deeper variety of cuts by an artist would influence genre investment, with 44 percent of fans saying it would increase the likelihood that they would by more CDs.
Country fans are adopting new media and technology at a brisk pace. An estimated 18 percent of country music radio listening is via online streaming, podcasts, or cable TV “radio.” Nearly one in four visit country radio station websites on a monthly basis. Fully 78 percent of country fans now have home Internet access and 61 percent of fans go online monthly to explore country content. Access for CountryPhiles is up from 48 percent in 2008 to 60 percent in 2009. And four out of five of those CountryPhiles without home access go online at another location, including at work or through friends and family.
YouTube has become the dominant web destination for country content, with 40 percent of online fans visiting monthly. This is likely the primary destination for viewing music videos. While the web is increasingly important, the frequency of fan web engagement with country content should not be overestimated. Only four online destinations attract one in four country fans in an average month – YouTube, iTunes, country artist/band websites (as an aggregate), country radio station sites (as an aggregate). Only YouTube and Pandora achieve weekly visitation by more than one in 10 fans (all other measured destinations are 10 percent or less). Social networking sites are growing as country content destinations, but still visited monthly by only a minority of fans: Facebook (20 percent), MySpace (18 percent), and Twitter (10 percent).
By comparison, 93 percent listen to country radio, 55 percent watch CMT, and 25 percent watch GAC monthly.
Key retailers and e-tailers – such as Walmart, iTunes, Target, etc. – are becoming more important. With fewer brick and mortar retailers carrying CDs and physical product, Walmart’s domination and Target’s No. 2 status is solidifying. Walmart was the source for 48 percent of fans’ last CD purchases (up from 44 percent in 2008) and Target was up to 16 percent from 12 percent in 2008.
iTunes accounted for 72 percent of last country music downloads, up from 56 percent in 2008. Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and all other sources showed relative declines of 28 to 46 percent as last purchase source. Nearly half of last “free” downloads were acquired through legal methods including free from iTunes, company promotions, or artist Websites. Building industry partnerships with these key purchase pipelines appears to be vital to ensure the future health of consumer spending.
The country music fan landscape is a combination of change, challenge, and a glimmer of cheer: The change is the continued shift from paid to free engagement and consolidation in retail pipelines. The challenge is the economy, the downsizing of the Country fan base, with fewer lucrative Core fans, fewer units purchased, and a desire for more variety at radio. The glimmer of cheer? An attractive fan demographic, positive genre attitudes, higher fan purchase penetration, growing fan Web access, and Country radio as the No. 1 source and influencer.
The full two-year research initiative is the largest and most comprehensive study in the 50-plus-year history of the Country Music Association. The study was created to define the country music consumer: to identify their behaviors and tastes, to closely examine what motivates them to invest in the artists and music. The study began in the summer of 2008, with the CMA Country Music Fan Discovery and BrandProspect Segmentation. The results were culled from a phase one sample of nearly 7,500 individuals; a second callback sample of 1,850; and 10 focus groups from three regions of the country including Charlotte, Chicago, and Phoenix. In November 2008 a follow up study focused on the economy and Internet connectivity was conducted to determine the impact of the growing economic crisis on the fan base. A quantitative online and telephone survey was conducted among 542 Country Music fans ages 18-54.
In 2009, CMA Prime Prospect Study was fielded in May with a quantitative online and telephone survey among 712 Country fans ages 18-54 in the four most lucrative fan segments identified as CountryPhiles, MusicPhiles, Today’s Traditional, and Pop Country consumers. In November 2009, the current CMA Country Music Fan Tracking Study took place with quantitative online and telephone survey among 1,087 country music fans age 18-54.
“The project is the most far-reaching and comprehensive study of the country music consumer ever undertaken by the industry,” Moore said. “The large sample of nearly 10,000 consumers gives the study statistical reliability and provides a foundation for industry dialogue as we prepare for the future.”
The industry’s “bread and butter” is the “Core.” They are music lovers who drive extensive revenue and they can be divided into two groups: CountryPhiles and MusicPhiles. CountryPhiles are passionate fans of Country Music. They appreciate the core values of the format and the artists. And, their commitment translates to both significant engagement time and industry revenue. MusicPhiles are extremely hip, high tech, engaged music lovers who happen to include country music in the mix. The MusicPhiles are “music ambassadors” who spend as much or more on buying country music CDs for others as for themselves. Today’s Traditional and Pop Country consumers are the CountryPhiles and MusicPhiles in training. They have a fair amount of engagement with the format, but aren’t spending money. With that in mind, it is important to maximize and grow the potential spending of these two groups. From the beginning of the study, CMA sought to establish a Consumer Definition as a baseline for current and future study.
“With this information, we have a platform for continued growth and an opportunity to layer in additional studies as questions arise and our fans continue to evolve,” Moore said. “It is our responsibility as the trade association for the format to respond to changes in the marketplace by providing fact-based information to support industry growth.”
CMA will provide information from today’s presentation on the CMA member website, where CMA members can access the presentation and audio files with their member password.
CMT Gets Interactive With New Look
/by contributorRingtone messaging is featured in each video for additional interactive opportunities utilizing CMT Mobile. The new graphic look, which was created by CMT’s in-house team, is a music television first and allows the network to place even more emphasis on music discovery.
“We constantly hear about the country audience struggling to identify who sings what, and want to aid our artist and label partners in solving that,” says Jay Frank, CMT’s Senior Vice President of Music Strategy. “Having an artist and title visible throughout each video allows us to position country artists better than any other outlet. With this change, CMT once again leads in cross-platform innovation and further emphasizes why we are consistently the top TV destination for country music discovery.”
The new video treatment launched today during music video hours, and will be featured during CMT Top 20 Countdown, which premiered at 10:00 a.m. CT today (2/26).
Dierks Does Dallas For Kids
/by contributorThe hour-long ride will depart Harley-Davidson of North Texas in Carrollton and travel to Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth. The trek will culminate with a special concert featuring Bentley and a handful of surprise Texas music heavyweights.
“I’m going to try and keep all my special guests a secret for as long as I can,” Bentley says. “I’ll just say that they are five of my favorite Texas country artists, and you better get there early because if you don’t, they will drink all the beer.”
Tickets for the family-friendly event go on sale March 1 through Ticketmaster. Prices start at $20, with special VIP packages also available.
Last year, Bentley joined forces with Nationwide Insurance, CMT One Country and the Children’s Miracle Network to expand the successful Miles & Music for Kids event to six cities across the country in 2009 and 2010, with all proceeds benefiting Children’s Miracle Network hospitals in those areas. Since it began in 2006, Miles & Music for Kids has raised over $1 million.
BamaJam Lineup Keeps Growing
/by contributorMore than 40 entertainers are set to appear on Verizon BamaJam’s four stages during the 3-day Festival. To date, organizers have announced Jake Owen, Miranda Lambert, LoCash Cowboys, Dierks Bentley, Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, Colt Ford and Blackberry Smoke, along with country newcomers Matt Kennon and Houston County. Kenny Chesney will headline the 3rd annual event, offering a rare opportunity to catch the country superstar in one of just 10 appearances he’ll make in 2010.
3-day festival tickets are available now until March 13 for $99. One day flex tickets are available only until March 13 for $49. For more information, call 877-422-6252 or click here.
CMA Unveils Research Follow Up
/by contributorOver the past two years, CMA, in partnership with The Right Brain Consulting LLC and Chicago-based Leo Burnett Company, has interviewed nearly 10,000 adults in an effort to provide the industry with sweeping fan understanding to help drive industry vitality in challenging economic times.
“As company budgets for research are reduced, or eliminated, it is more important than ever that CMA assumes a leadership role by providing this timely and in-depth look at our consumer as a benefit to our stakeholders,” said Steve Moore, Chairman of the CMA Board of Directors. “As an industry, we can’t ignore the facts in front of us. Information is critical to the decision making process for any business.”
Jana O’Brien, Principal for The Right Brain Consumer Consulting, LLC, presented the findings. Overall, the impact of the U.S. economic downturn is impossible to ignore. The country music industry is facing revenue pressure from a range of consumer-based fronts including the economy, a decline in the country fan base, reduced consumer country music spending, and a continued move away from buying full albums to single songs or acquiring “free” music.
Fans dipped slightly in 2009 from 2008: 37 percent vs. 39 percent of Adults 18-54, including a drop in the size of the lucrative CountryPhiles and MusicPhiles segments. These two segments account for the bulk of country music category spending. Their share has dropped from 70 percent in 2008 to 55 percent in 2009. As a result, total country fan spending on CDs, legal music downloads, and concerts declined an estimated 28 percent since 2008.
At the same time, there is positive momentum in fans’ attitudes toward the country genre with increased engagement in free pipelines including radio and the Web. Consumers’ overall attraction to country music is due to the music’s personal relevance and uplifting nature in good times, and bad.
Two in five fans feel better about country music than they did in 2008. Country’s unique characteristics and connection to “real life” make it appealing in challenging times. And they are more optimistic about their own economic future. Twenty-eight percent of fans now rate their personal finances as “Excellent/Very Good” vs. just 7 percent in 2008.
The country fan is still an attractive consumer segment for potential sponsors. Income levels are in line with average American adults, with strong gains in those who are college-educated (64 percent vs. 34 percent in 2008).
The role of country radio has been strengthened by the challenged economy. Usage and average hours spent listening are up significantly. Not surprisingly, the study identified radio, along with word-of-mouth from friends and family, as the No. 1 influencer in fans’ music taste and behavior.
Monthly country music radio listening is up from 79 percent of fans in 2008 to 93 percent today. Weekly country radio listening hours are up to an estimated 9.9 hours per fan from 6.4 in 2008. With Americans economically stressed and working harder to make ends meet, radio is potentially a strong performer due to its portable, free, and “workplace-acceptable” nature, which allows fans to take it wherever they go.
Fan responses did indicate a strong desire for radio improvements that testing shows would strengthen the fiscal health of the country music industry. There is consistent feedback from year-to-year with one third of the fans tested saying that they would listen to country music radio more if there was less repetition and a wider variety of songs. New product concept testing among the prime country fan segments showed strong industry-building potential of “deep cuts” radio programming. Thirty-seven percent of these fans rated such a “go deep” idea “Extremely Relevant/Relevant.” The consensus was that playing a wider, deeper variety of cuts by an artist would influence genre investment, with 44 percent of fans saying it would increase the likelihood that they would by more CDs.
Country fans are adopting new media and technology at a brisk pace. An estimated 18 percent of country music radio listening is via online streaming, podcasts, or cable TV “radio.” Nearly one in four visit country radio station websites on a monthly basis. Fully 78 percent of country fans now have home Internet access and 61 percent of fans go online monthly to explore country content. Access for CountryPhiles is up from 48 percent in 2008 to 60 percent in 2009. And four out of five of those CountryPhiles without home access go online at another location, including at work or through friends and family.
YouTube has become the dominant web destination for country content, with 40 percent of online fans visiting monthly. This is likely the primary destination for viewing music videos. While the web is increasingly important, the frequency of fan web engagement with country content should not be overestimated. Only four online destinations attract one in four country fans in an average month – YouTube, iTunes, country artist/band websites (as an aggregate), country radio station sites (as an aggregate). Only YouTube and Pandora achieve weekly visitation by more than one in 10 fans (all other measured destinations are 10 percent or less). Social networking sites are growing as country content destinations, but still visited monthly by only a minority of fans: Facebook (20 percent), MySpace (18 percent), and Twitter (10 percent).
By comparison, 93 percent listen to country radio, 55 percent watch CMT, and 25 percent watch GAC monthly.
Key retailers and e-tailers – such as Walmart, iTunes, Target, etc. – are becoming more important. With fewer brick and mortar retailers carrying CDs and physical product, Walmart’s domination and Target’s No. 2 status is solidifying. Walmart was the source for 48 percent of fans’ last CD purchases (up from 44 percent in 2008) and Target was up to 16 percent from 12 percent in 2008.
iTunes accounted for 72 percent of last country music downloads, up from 56 percent in 2008. Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and all other sources showed relative declines of 28 to 46 percent as last purchase source. Nearly half of last “free” downloads were acquired through legal methods including free from iTunes, company promotions, or artist Websites. Building industry partnerships with these key purchase pipelines appears to be vital to ensure the future health of consumer spending.
The country music fan landscape is a combination of change, challenge, and a glimmer of cheer: The change is the continued shift from paid to free engagement and consolidation in retail pipelines. The challenge is the economy, the downsizing of the Country fan base, with fewer lucrative Core fans, fewer units purchased, and a desire for more variety at radio. The glimmer of cheer? An attractive fan demographic, positive genre attitudes, higher fan purchase penetration, growing fan Web access, and Country radio as the No. 1 source and influencer.
The full two-year research initiative is the largest and most comprehensive study in the 50-plus-year history of the Country Music Association. The study was created to define the country music consumer: to identify their behaviors and tastes, to closely examine what motivates them to invest in the artists and music. The study began in the summer of 2008, with the CMA Country Music Fan Discovery and BrandProspect Segmentation. The results were culled from a phase one sample of nearly 7,500 individuals; a second callback sample of 1,850; and 10 focus groups from three regions of the country including Charlotte, Chicago, and Phoenix. In November 2008 a follow up study focused on the economy and Internet connectivity was conducted to determine the impact of the growing economic crisis on the fan base. A quantitative online and telephone survey was conducted among 542 Country Music fans ages 18-54.
In 2009, CMA Prime Prospect Study was fielded in May with a quantitative online and telephone survey among 712 Country fans ages 18-54 in the four most lucrative fan segments identified as CountryPhiles, MusicPhiles, Today’s Traditional, and Pop Country consumers. In November 2009, the current CMA Country Music Fan Tracking Study took place with quantitative online and telephone survey among 1,087 country music fans age 18-54.
“The project is the most far-reaching and comprehensive study of the country music consumer ever undertaken by the industry,” Moore said. “The large sample of nearly 10,000 consumers gives the study statistical reliability and provides a foundation for industry dialogue as we prepare for the future.”
The industry’s “bread and butter” is the “Core.” They are music lovers who drive extensive revenue and they can be divided into two groups: CountryPhiles and MusicPhiles. CountryPhiles are passionate fans of Country Music. They appreciate the core values of the format and the artists. And, their commitment translates to both significant engagement time and industry revenue. MusicPhiles are extremely hip, high tech, engaged music lovers who happen to include country music in the mix. The MusicPhiles are “music ambassadors” who spend as much or more on buying country music CDs for others as for themselves. Today’s Traditional and Pop Country consumers are the CountryPhiles and MusicPhiles in training. They have a fair amount of engagement with the format, but aren’t spending money. With that in mind, it is important to maximize and grow the potential spending of these two groups. From the beginning of the study, CMA sought to establish a Consumer Definition as a baseline for current and future study.
“With this information, we have a platform for continued growth and an opportunity to layer in additional studies as questions arise and our fans continue to evolve,” Moore said. “It is our responsibility as the trade association for the format to respond to changes in the marketplace by providing fact-based information to support industry growth.”
CMA will provide information from today’s presentation on the CMA member website, where CMA members can access the presentation and audio files with their member password.
TJ Martell Sets Honors Gala
/by contributorIn Nashville, the Foundation annually supports cancer research through the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, in honor of Frances Preston, national President of the T.J. Martell Foundation and former President and CEO of BMI. Last year’s event raised over $400,000 to benefit cancer, leukemia and AIDS research.
Along with supporting this very worthwhile cause, the Gala will recognize Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, the Honorable William H. Frist, M.D., country music’s Brooks and Dunn, Michael Bolton and Susan Simons for their humanitarian efforts.
Entertainment for the invitation-only, black-tie event will include the Fisk University Jubilee Singers, Dave Mason and others yet to be announced. The Honors Gala is also known for its marquee presenters, which this year features Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, Ross Perot, Jr., Pete Coors and Frances Williams Preston.
“Even though this is our second year putting on the Honors Gala for the Martell Foundation, it is arguably one of the biggest nights in Nashville,” says Laura Heatherly, Executive Director of the Nashville branch of the T.J. Martell Foundation. “We are extremely grateful host such a wonderful event and honor five outstanding individuals, all in the name of benefiting the research at the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.”
Governor Bredesen will receive this year’s Lifetime Humanitarian Award. Bredesen has been gracious with his support of numerous causes, including Nashville’s Table, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Cover Tennessee, the Heritage Conservation Trust Fund, the Land Trust for Tennessee and the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation.
The Lifetime Medical Achievement Award will go to Senator Frist. Along with establishing the Vanderbilt Multi-Organ Transplant Center, Senator Frist is known for his dedication to medical missions in developing nations through his work with Hope Through Healing Hands, the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the ONE campaign, which promotes global health as a currency for peace around the world.
Country superstars Brooks and Dunn will receive the Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award. After spending 20 years together, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn announced they will be going separate ways following their 2010 The Last Rodeo tour.
The inaugural Frances Williams Preston Lifetime Music Industry Award, whichrecognizes lifetime commitment of outstanding endeavors as a musician, will go to Bolton. Besides playing to sold out arenas worldwide, Bolton has sold
over 53 millions albums and won two Grammys for Best Male Vocalist and six American Music Awards.
Born and raised in Nashville, Simons will be honored with the Spirit of Nashville Award for her years of charitable service to Middle Tennessee. Simons has associated herself with Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Alive Hospice, the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts, the Metropolitan Convention Center Commission, the Community Foundation, the Tennessee State Museum Foundation, United Way, and the International Women’s Forum, to name a few. Click here for more information.
Rascal Flatts Fetes Country Radio
/by contributorThe band members took the stage and gave a special acoustic performance for the more than 300 assembled radio guests. Highlights included a rendition of Shenandoah’s “Church On Cumberland Road” with Marty Raybon along with their own version of “Jessie’s Girl” called “Bubba’s Girl,” which they created during their thirteen-week radio promo tour in 2000.
After looking back at photos from the band’s first ten years recalling memories from early gigs, LeVox declared, “The reason we’re here is because you gave us the chance to do all that. Thank you country radio for an amazing first ten years in the business.”
As the evening wrapped, Rascal Flatts honored several country radio stations and programmers who supported Rascal Flatts’ music over the last ten years. Celebrated for most radio airplay were WQIK/Jacksonville, WTQR/Greensboro, and KUBL/Salt Lake City. WCOL/Columbus, KNIX/Phoenix and WKHX/Atlanta were honored for the most spins for the band’s first single, “Prayin’ For Daylight” while KBEQ/Kansas City received the designation of being the first radio station in the country to play their debut single. All honorees received a custom Rascal Flatts 10-year commemorative Les Paul guitar.
Brooks & Dunn Final Show To Benefit Hall of Fame
/by MichelleIn sharing the news, Brooks & Dunn offered this statement: “For several years, we have tossed around ideas for the best way to make a contribution to the Museum. We have a tremendous appreciation for the road that was traveled by the great stars that came before us. Their long nights in station wagons with instruments strapped on the roofs built an industry that allowed us to cruise around in big tour buses. Our last show together will certainly be a historic point in our lives and careers, and we feel it’s only right that the proceeds from this concert go to a place where all history in our business is so reverently preserved.”
“The enormity of this gesture, including the endorsement it implies and the example it sets, is something the Museum’s board and staff will contemplate with gratitude for a very long time,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “We are grateful to Kix and Ronnie for supporting our educational mission and for putting the Museum on the radar screen of their nation of fans. The only word for them is magnificent!”
The Nashville show will join the majority of The Last Rodeo Tour dates going on sale March 6, on LiveNation.com and Ticketmaster.com.
Digital Expert Sees Downturn for Downloads
/by contributorPresenting data on U.S. music purchases from 2007 to 2009, Crupnick said users at these sites make 13 percent fewer digital download purchases. He went on to explain that users of online radio services like Pandora, which does not allow users to choose songs, but presents music randomly, see a 41 percent increase in download sales. As a result, he explained, the “free music” business model is quickly losing traction at record companies.
“We’re eating our young,” Crupnick said. “For some people more listening just means more listening and tends to lead to less purchasing.”
Overall, the NPD Group’s research shows that 24 million fewer people bought music in 2009 compared to 2007 and that newer digital consumers were quickly losing interest, with the number of people who purchased downloads dropping to 34.6 million in 2009 from 35.2 million in 2008.
Last year, free on-demand sites SpiralFrog and Ruckus closed their doors. Only Pandora has shown a profit. Spotify, the on-demand service that has taken hold in Europe, is planning a U.S. launch this spring, but may have a difficult time getting the labels to go for an on-demand, ad-supported business model.
Edgar Bronfman, Warner Music Group chairman, recently voiced his skepticism about the ad-supported model, saying, “Free streaming services are clearly not net positive for the industry.”
Speaking at the Digital Music Forum, Thomas Hesse, President of Sony Music Entertainment’s Global Digital Business, was more optimistic about Spotify’s chances for success in the U.S., saying he was pleased with the company’s efforts to convert customers from the company’s free service to a subscription model. Hesse predicted a “bright future” for the digital marketplace and recommended a more niche-oriented approach.
“There are markets that are underserved in today’s digital environment,” he said.
Krauss Parts Ways With DS Mgt.
/by contributor“We have had a wonderful 23 years together and are proud of what we’ve accomplished,” Krauss and Stiff said in a joint statement. “This is a difficult decision, but we have decided to end our professional relationship. We have the utmost respect and love for one another.”
Krauss continues to record for independent label Rounder Records, where she signed at age 14. Her most recent release, Raising Sand, was a collaboration with legendary rocker Robert Plant. The album won numerous awards across multiple genres, garnering top awards at the 2009 Grammy Awards including Record of the Year and Album of the Year. With 27 Grammy Awards, Krauss is the most awarded female in Grammy history. She and her acclaimed band Union Station are currently working on a new album.
DS Management, a part of the Front Line management group, represents 13-time Grammy winner Dan Tyminski, and has signed new artist Alyssa Bonagura. Stiff was Executive Producer of Music for the award-winning film, O Brother, Where Art Thou?. She also produced the multi-act Down From the Mountain tour, and was the Associate Producer of the Down From the Mountain album. She subsequently produced the Great High Mountain tour, which highlighted music from the films Cold Mountain and O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Artist Showcases Light Up CRS
/by contributorUMG Parties at the Ryman
Universal Music Group Nashville showcased 18 acts during their CRS luncheon yesterday (2/24) at the Ryman auditorium. Artists included Easton Corbin, Laura Bell Bundy, Josh Kelley, Coldwater Jane, Randy Montana, Mallary Hope, Ashton Shepherd, Randy Rogers Band, Ryan Bingham, David Nail, Julianne Hough, Billy Currington, Jamey Johnson, Gary Allan, Josh Turner, Lee Ann Womack, Vince Gill and Sugarland.
Front Row (l-r): Brandon Jane (Coldwater Jane), Leah Crutchfield (Coldwater Jane), Corbin, Shepherd, Bundy, Kelley, Hope, Montana, 2nd Row (l-r): Brady Black (Randy Rogers Band), Geoffrey Hill (RRB), Randy Rogers (RRB), Nail, Hough, Currington 3rd Row (l-r): Johnson, Jon Richardson (RRB), Turner, Allan, Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland) 4th Row (l-r): Womack, Gill, Kristian Bush (Sugarland) Ryan Bingham (not pictured) Photo credit: Peyton Hoge
• • •
Big Machine Meets CMT at CRS
CMT and Big Machine Label Group joined forces on Tuesday night (2/23) for a CRS after-hours event at the CMT offices that included new music from acts on Big Machine Records, The Valory Music Co., and Republic Nashville. The evening included performances from Jewel, Steel Magnolia, The Band Perry and Eden’s Edge along with special guest Melissa Peterman. Others in attendance included Jack Ingram and Justin Moore as well as CMT’s new Top 20 Countdown host, Evan Farmer. CMT Radio Live’s Cody Alan was broadcasting live during the event and featured interviews with all performers.
(l-r): Evan Farmer, Host, CMT Top 20 Countdown; Justin Moore; Cody Alan, Host/EP CMT Radio Live; Melissa Peterman; Brian Philips, President, CMT; Jewel; Big Machine’s Scott Borchetta; Hannah Blaylock, Dean Berner and Cherrill Green of Eden’s Edge; Jay Frank, SVP Music Strategy, CMT; Jack Ingram. Photo credit: WireImage.com/Rick Diamond
(l-r) Republic Nashville’s Jimmy Harnen; Neil Perry, Kimberly Perry and Reid Perry of The Band Perry; Jay Frank, SVP Music Strategy, CMT; Big Machine’s Scott Borchetta; Joshua Scott Jones and Meghan Linsey of Steel Magnolia; Brian Philips, President, CMT; Melissa Peterman; John Hamlin, SVP Production, Development and Talent, CMT Photo credit: WireImage.com/Rick Diamond
• • •
JaneDear Girls Rock the House
Warner Music Nashville staffers and guests gathered at the home of John Rich (aka Mt. Richmore) for a CRS showcase performance from new act the JaneDear Girls.
(l-r) Warner Music Nashville President John Esposito, the JaneDear Girl's Susie Brown, Managers from Turner Nichols Management Doug Nichols and Trey Turner, the JaneDear Girl's Danelle Leverett, and Warner Music Nashville VP of Promotions Bob Reeves.