Taylor Swift has signed an international publishing agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), rejoining Troy Tomlinson, the exec who helped ignite her career when she was just 14 years old. The deal was announced via press release and vi…
Author archives: Marsha Silva
J.Lo+Shakira vs. Maroon 5+Travis Scott: Who Had Better Super Bowl Halftime Ratings?
Despite possible lip syncing, Shakira and J.Lo’s Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show was generally praised by fans and critics, while Maroon 5 and Travis Scott’s offering was widely panned. But in the Super Bowl Halftime ratings department, this w…
Sony/ATV’s Reorg Continues — Co-President Danny Strick Is Out
According to a recent report from Variety, Danny Strick is no longer Sony/ATV Music Publishing’s co-president. In a note to Sony/ATV employees, Chairman and CEO Jon Platt commended Strick for his fifteen years of service. He further complimented his p…
Exactuals Acquires Backlash Solutions, Opens NYC Office
SaaS-based payments processing firm Exactuals has acquired Backlash Solutions, a digital music company that specializes in helping industry professionals organize data and more efficiently calculate royalties. As part of the deal, Backlash President an…
BTS Is Basically a Cash Machine — Big Hit Annual Revenues Hitting $500 Million
BTS label/management group Big Hit Entertainment just doubled its earnings and substantially increased its 2019 profits. Big Hit Entertainment, the company behind BTS, earned nearly $500 million in 2019, according to a recently delivered corporate brie…
Spotify Reaches 124 Million Premium Subscribers — But Quarterly Losses Top $85 Million
Spotify closed 2019 with 124 million premium subscribers—a 29 percent increase from 2018’s year-end figure—but this user influx wasn’t enough to prevent the company from sustaining heavy overall losses. Spotify’s earnings report also indicated that th…
Jennifer Lopez, Shakira Weren’t Paid for Their Super Bowl LIV Halftime Performance
The NFL has a longstanding tradition of not paying its Superbowl Halftime performers — J.Lo and Shakira were no exception. It’s the biggest stage on the planet, and it doesn’t pay sh—t. According to multiple reports and sources this week, t…
Vinyl Alliance, a Vinyl Records Trade Group, Officially Sets Sail
Vinyl Alliance, a staunch advocate of vinyl records and their continued growth, elected its first executive board. Vinyl Alliance, a newly formed group “dedicated to promoting awareness of vinyl records,” has elected its first executive boa…
Lil Nas X Drives a Financial Boom at Sony Music — Quarterly Revenues Approach $2 Billion
Sony Music Entertainment sees a Q3 increase in revenue, across both recorded music and publishing. Lil Nas X — inked to Columbia/Sony back in March of 2019 — helped to drive the results. After an intense bidding war last year, Sony Music label Columbi…
After a Disastrous GQ Interview, Pharrell Williams Defends Himself Against Perjury Allegations
Pharrell Williams responds to the Marvin Gaye Estate’s perjury allegations and demands for millions. Following a disastrous interview with GQ, Pharrell Williams has returned to court, this time to defend himself against claims that he committed perjury…