Close to locking down deals with Sony and Universal, Spotify’s negotiations with Warner for licenses in India have hit a major road bump. Ramping up its plans to launch in India, Spotify opened an office in Mumbai, hiring 300 people last March. The str…
Author archives: Daniel Sanchez
The Michael Jackson Estate Sues HBO for More Than $100 Million over ‘Leaving Neverland’
The Michael Jackson estate has made good on its promise, taking HBO to court in Los Angeles. In the documentary Leaving Neverland, director/producer Dan Reed investigates how the late pop singer reportedly started a relationship with two young boys – a…
Live Nation Swiftly Fires Abusive “Emotional Terrorist” Heather Parry
Following a two-month investigation into her alleged hostile abuse of co-workers, Live Nation has promptly fired Heather Parry. The move comes several months after Variety obtained an important recording about the former executive. She had served as a…
SOCAN’s Non-Canadian Royalties Have Increased 70% Since 2013 — But CEO Says Songwriters Aren’t Getting a Fair Deal
The Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) has published its preliminary year-end results for 2018. According to the preliminary financial results, total royalties collected for its members totaled $347 million ($283 mill…
TIDAL Unveils a $1 Million Artist Grant Program — Starting In Detroit
TIDAL Unplugged will grant local artists a chance to pursue their passion for music. TIDAL has been rather busy lately. Two months ago, Serato integrated both SoundCloud and TIDAL’s massive catalogs for real-time online mixing. Then, last month, Jay-Z’…
Tracklib Expands its Advisory Board With Two Former Spotify Execs
Tracklib has managed to score two former Spotify executives to help lead the startup. Tracklib has expanded its Advisory Board. The Stockholm-based sample licensing startup has added Petra Hansson and Niklas Ivarsson, two former top Spotify executives….
Arista Records Teams with Josh Marshall to Launch Mogul Vision Music
Sony Music continues to partner with notable artist managers to launch new joint venture labels. Last summer, Sony Music Entertainment (SME) relaunched Arista Records. Former Island President and CEO David Massey would lead the company’s second coming….
Local Radio Freedom Act Now Has Bipartisan Support in Congress, But Can It Survive Fierce Opposition?
Will musicFIRST once again manage to shut down a new broadcast radio bill? Lawmakers from both sides have backed a new bill aiming to limit the royalties radio stations have to pay. This comes after years of legislative failure to ensure the bill’s ap…
Live Nation Acquires Norway’s Tons of Rock Music Festival
Live Nation continues to acquire even more companies. Last week, Live Nation confirmed a major acquisition. The Finnish division of the entertainment promoter completely acquired Blockfest, Finland’s leading hip-hop festival. The move came just two day…
Radio Stations Dropping Ryan Adams Following Abuse Allegations
Have radio stations across the US deemed Ryan Adams guilty until proven innocent? Things haven’t gone relatively well for Ryan Adams as of late. Following a devastating New York Times report, including allegations of underage sex with a 14-year-old gir…