It’s no surprise that Def Jam rapper Logiccaters directly to his fans. In the two weeks leading up to his second studio album The Incredible True Story, released in November 2015, the Gaithersburg, Md., native shelled out well over $100,000 of his own money to rent a tour bus, driver and documentary team to chronicle a trek…
L.A. Reid Out at Epic Records
L.A. Reid is out as chairman/CEO of Epic Records after nearly six years at the helm of the Sony-owned label, Billboardhas confirmed. The move comes just weeks after former Columbia Records chief Rob Stringer assumed his new role as CEO of Sony Music Entertainment in April. Reid has overseen a successful run in recent years at Epic, with back-to-back…
Jay Z Signs 10-Year $200 Million Deal With Live Nation
Jay Z might be keeping his fans on their toes when it comes to his musical releases, but while they’re awaiting a new album, the veteran rapper has signed another epic contract. The Magna Carta Holy Grail MC has teamed up with Live Nation to announce their new touring partnership, a 10-year deal reportedly worth a whopping…
WHY WARNER DID A DEAL WITH YOUTUBE (AND WHY IT SHOULD THINK TWICE NEXT TIME)
On Friday evening, MBW broke the news that Warner Music Group had signed a renewed global licensing deal with YouTube – via an oddly downtrodden internal memo from WMG boss Steve Cooper. “[Our] experiences during these negotiations were proof positive of the acute need to clarify ‘safe harbor’ provisions under US and EU copyright legislation,” it read….
DJ Khaled’s “I’m The One” proves music video advertising is alive and well
In the first seconds of DJ Khaled’s 2015 music video for “Gold Slugs,” you notice that the record producer is casually drinking a Four Loko (an almost unsettlingly saccharine, caffeinated alcoholic beverage notorious for its ability to cause blackouts) with lunch, the first of many signs that the video exists in a reality far from…
SOUNDCLOUD GO GOES SUPER-CHEAP IN $1 FOR THREE MONTHS PROMOTION
A subscription to the premium on-demand streaming service’s top tier offering typically weighs in at $9.99-per-month. But in a fresh promotion, new users to the service can sign up to three months of access for just $1. The discount mirrors similar promotions run by Spotify at various points in the last few years, which have helped…
Apple Music Goes Hollywood: Inside Jimmy Iovine’s Video Plans
Will.i.am was shopping a reality show to TV networks when he met Apple Music guru Jimmy Iovine on the office terrace where Iovine likes to do his biggest deals alfresco. The two go way back; Iovine signed the musician when he was running Interscope Records. The music legend loved will.i.am’s idea, a Shark Tank-style competition…
Spotify’s Blockchain Acquisition is a Big Deal
I’m almost sorry to write about the music industry again. But you should keep reading, even if it isn’t your favorite subject. Technology plays a central role in the attention economy’s transformation we are witnessing these days. Thus, Spotify’s acqui-hire of a blockchain developer team isn’t only interesting with regards to the streaming industry. It…
MUSEXPO 2017 Day 1: A&R, sync and poetry
The annual MUSEXPO conference kicked off on Sunday in Los Angeles, bringing its usual mix of high-profile speakers and industry insight. Topping the bill was legendary A&R man Jason Flom, in conversation with Music Week editor Mark Sutherland. Flom, now founder & CEO of Lava Records and Lava Music Publishing, has also run Atlantic,…
Musical.ly syncs up with Apple Music
The music app gets to expand its global reach; Apple gets a new marketing partner. Apple is linking up with Musical.ly, the popular music video app. Musical.ly lets its users create and share their own music videos, using snippets of songs. Starting on Friday, Apple Music will be one of the services that supplies the…
