QUICK HITS: Henner Exits Live Nation • Bonnaroo Adds Hip Hop Stage • Alibaba Buys Ticketer Damai • More

Music Business News For The Time Deprived Randy Henner, EVP and Talent Buyer at Live Nation NYC, is no longer with the global entertainment company. Henner told CelebrityAccess that she is excited to pursue her own projects and plans to promote shows. "I look forward to continuing associations with my…

Live Nation, Vice Media Shutter Ad Video Unit, 12 Laid Off

Live Nation has pulled the plug on a company unit that produced video content for advertising. According to the New York Post, sources said the division, a joint venture with Vice Media, had 12 employees, who have all lost their jobs. The source told The Post that the two year…

Future Of Music Coalition, A2IM, Recording Academy, APAP Join New Trump Visa Battle

Twenty three music industry and musician trade group have joined together to battle President Trump’s March 6th Executive Order to implement new screening, visa issuance, and admissions procedures for the citizens of 6 Middle Eastern countries. ___________________________________ A consortium of music trade groups have penned a letter in opposition of…

Mutualism UK: Building Scenes In Surprising Places [INTERVIEW]

In this piece we hear from the founders of Mutualism UK, a growing scene based 50 miles outside of Manchester, as they discuss the origins of the organization, the challenges of growing in a small town, and what their goals for the future are. ______________________________ Guest post by Leticia Trandafir…

Coachella Sues Urban Outfitters, Free People

Clothing retailer Urban Outfitters and their affiliate Free People are facing legal action from Coachella organizers Goldenvoice, for allegedly trying to capitalize on the festival’s brand. According to the Los Angeles Times, the lawsuit centers on several items in Free People’s catalog: the “Coachella Boot,” “Coachella Mini Dress,” “Coachella Pocket…

More Immigration Confusion As Italian Band Denied Entry To US

Italian banned Soviet Soviet was recently barred from entering the US and forced to fly back home an event which, following as it does on the heels of SXSW’s performance agreement controversy, has sparked a fresh wave of outrage and confusion. Here we answer those questions regarding the situation. _______________________…

Zappa vs Zappa: Family Legal Struggles Threaten Father’s Musical Legacy

The children of the late, great Frank Zappa have come to legal blows over their father’s legacy. Diva and Ahmet Zappa, who run the Zappa estate, have filed a lawsuit against their brother Dweezil, alleging that he’s spreading lies that cast their father in a negative light. _______________________________ In legal…

Ticketmaster Expands ‘Verified Fan’ Program To Combat Bots, Ticket Scalping

Live Nation’s ticketing division Ticketmaster has rolled out an expanded version of their “Verified Fan” program in an effort to combat ticket scalping. Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan uses a combination of expert systems and customer data such as purchasing history in an effort to identify fans purchasing tickets and cut down…

Now Amazon Wants To Commoditize Music Festivals

After successfully altering many aspects of consumer spending, Amazon is now looking extend its reach to the commoditization of music festivals. We’re not quite sure what that means yet, but they do claim they will never, ever get into secondary ticketing. _____________________________ Guest post by Chris Castle of Music Technology…

Songkick Announces Shazam Integration, New Stats

Songkick is now integrated within the hugely popular Shazam app. Songkick’s database of million concerts and events is being rolled out today to Shazam users worldwide. ____________________________ Teased late last year, the new Songkick integration allows Shazam users to access concert dates as part of the app’s recently launched “Discover”…