The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has elevated Erin D. D. Burr to Senior Vice President, Media Relations | Gold & Platinum Program and Matthew Bass to Vice President, Research and Gold & Platinum Operations, effective immediately.

“Erin and Matt are stars who have already shined so brightly at RIAA and, in their new roles, will be even more visible and effective,” says Mitch Glazier, RIAA Chairman & CEO. “As the music community works together to address unprecedented new opportunities and challenges from the meteoric rise of streaming to the current effort to chart a path towards responsible and pro-artist AI, we are all lucky to have Erin and Matt embracing greater responsibilities.”

Burr will continue to lead RIAA’s press outreach while serving as a communications strategist for RIAA initiatives such as celebrating Gold and Platinum certifications, advancing C-suite profiles and supporting the Human Artistry CampAIgn—a growing global coalition whose mission is to keep irreplaceable human expression at the core of technological innovation. To help others understand the challenges and opportunities within the music industry, Burr aims to make policy that effects creators more digestible—recently with the Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security (ELVIS) Act press conference to modernize the Tennessee right of publicity law. She also currently sits on the Musicians On Call (MOC) Music Industry Advisory Board. Prior to joining RIAA, Burr spent over a decade at Big Machine Label Group executing high-profile releases for Reba McEntire, Carly Pearce and The Mavericks, among others.

“Connection through people, stories and music has always been instinctual to me–and has also served as the basis for my entire career. I’m grateful for this amplified role, RIAA’s culture of community and passion advocating for the creative talents across the entire industry,” shares Burr. “As we navigate ever-evolving opportunities where artistry intersects with policy and technology, I’m excited to explore more ways to support human creators and our member labels while nurturing a vital relationship with media.”

Bass’ passion for music led him to RIAA, where he has spent more than a decade developing annual reports that seek to set the table for policy discussions and support efforts to protect copyright in the United States. Bass explores findings in these research efforts with industry panels, universities, reporters, legislators and other stakeholders. He also manages the association’s authoritative data holdings, and has played a key part in modernization efforts across its Gold & Platinum Program. Bass began his career working with federal agencies in the renewable energy field, managing federal funds for the research and development of projects within the Department of Energy’s Geothermal and Solar Energy offices. He also worked on technology projects for the General Services Administration (GSA) in addition to serving as an analyst under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

“I feel privileged to have spent the last 11 years at RIAA, where I’m able to combine two of my passions—music and data—and call it work,” says Bass. “I’m proud to produce our annual revenue reports, work with esteemed researchers and economists as well as uncover trends in the industry or new milestones in our Gold & Platinum Program that celebrate artist and label successes.”

Burr can be reached at eburr@riaa.com, and Bass is available at mbass@riaa.com.

The Music Business Association kicked off its annual Music Biz conference yesterday (May 13) at the JW Marriott Nashville.

Conference attendees were immersed into a full day of programing with the Music Biz Roadshow, a collection of panels with artists and industry executives, as well as different track programs.

In the “Arrested Development? Demystifying the Pathway to Artist Success” panel, attendees heard from artist Hitkidd, Kadeem Phillips of Power Entertainment and Drew De Leon of The Digilogue through a conversation led by Delante Murphy of Beatroot. The group broke down the myth of an “overnight success” and talked about the modern artist development process.

Elizabeth Brooks of Better Angels Ventures led a discussion with Jeremy Gruber of Friends at Work, Jeff Rosenfeld of MAX, Maddy Sunquist of Madkat Management and artist Stephen Day on how artists can embrace the power of AI to look into fan engagement data and create sustainable success in the “How AI & Tech Are Shaping the Business of Music” panel.

Attendees also got to hear about the importance of an advisor’s advice when creating relationships between startups and rightsholders, and the roadblocks to avoid when bringing your startup to market in the “Building a Healthy Relationship Between Startups & Rightholders” panel. Aileen Crowley of Lark42 led the conversation with Cliff Fluent of Lewis Silken, Elizabeth Moody of Granderson Des Rochers, LLP and Michael Pelczynski of Forms + Shapes.

In the “Sustainability – Longevity or Environmentally Friendly? BOTH? ” panel, attendees heard from Patrick Amory from Matador Records, Brandon Seavers from Memphis Record Pressing and Dustin Blocker from the Vinyl Records Manufacturing Association through a conversation led by Sarah Robertson of A to Z Media. The group discussed how long the industry can sustain the comeback of the vinyl format while offsetting the carbon footprint of vinyl production.

Tracks for day one included “#NEXTGEN_NOW,” “Let’s Talk Physical” and “Startup Lab: A Bootcamp for New Music Ventures.”

Day two of Music Biz 2024 continued today (May 14) with keynote event “The Enduring Value of Songs — Leveraging Technology to Drive Growth for Songwriters and Publishers” featuring Lauren Hubert of Kobalt. Other industry executives from Peermusic, The MLC, Downtown, Paramount, Venice Music and more are also participating in the day’s panels. Tracks for day two include “Sync Symposiu,” “Music and Money: Managing Today’s Financial Climate for Tomorrow’s Artist,” “Howdy Neighbor: Understanding Neighboring Rights Opportunities” and the “Indie Label Summit.” Music Business Association President Portia Sabin will also bring her annual President’s Address.

Muserk, the modern music copyright and rights management company, has opened its new Muserk House headquarters on Music Row.

Since its inception in 2017, the company has sought to represent the convergence of music and technology and revolutionize rights management. By managing copyrights for international rights owners and conducting business on a global scale, Muserk hopes to serve as a bridge between Nashville’s storied past and the music industry’s projected future.

“It’s been a longtime dream to move our headquarters to Music Row. When I started building Muserk here in Nashville, I was a tried and true NYC’er who commuted back and forth each month. Now Nashville is home for my family, and I want Muserk to be a proud Nashville company,” shares Paul Goldman, Muserk Founder & CEO. “As a global rights administrator with global customers and local connections, Muserk has the opportunity to help connect Nashville people with new opportunities abroad.”

The company chose to settle in a bungalow on Music Row to honor the tradition of the local music industry that is supported by songwriting and copyrights. While aiming to show Muserk’s commitment to preserving the soul of Nashville’s music scene amidst a changing landscape, the opening of the new headquarters also serves as a strategic move in anticipation of the city’s rise as a global music and business hub.

“Nashville’s music scene indeed thrives on the talent of its songwriters, who are central to its identity and success. Muserk, which deals with global rights management, plays a crucial role in ensuring that songwriters and artists are fairly compensated for the use of their work worldwide,” says industry veteran Joe Galante.