Spotify, UMG Ink Multi-Year Global License Agreement
Streaming service Spotify and Universal Music Group have entered into a new, multi-year global license agreement, allowing UMG to “deepen its leading role as an early adopter of future products,” according to a statement, and to offer feedback to Spotify’s development team. The two companies’ previous contract ended in early 2019.
Daniel Ek, Chairman & CEO of Spotify, said, “From their early experimentation with Marquee, to testing new experiences like Canvas, Universal Music Group has been an important partner in helping to shape the development of our marketing tools. With today’s announcement, we will expand on this level of early stage innovation and further strengthen our partnership and shared vision for helping advance artists at all stages of their careers. We’ve said all along, the goal of our Marketplace strategy is to harness Spotify’s ability to connect artists with fans on a scale that has never before existed and bring new opportunities to the industry. Together, we look forward to reinvesting in and building new tools and offerings for artists around the world.”
Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, said, “With this agreement, UMG and Spotify are more aligned than ever in our commitment to ensuring the entire music ecosystem thrives and reaches new audiences around the globe. Given our commitment to innovation and early adoption of music technologies, and Spotify’s leadership in the development of forward-thinking tools, our new partnership will provide our artists with new and powerful opportunities to connect with fans on Spotify’s growing platform. Working together, our teams will expand and accelerate our collaborative efforts to deliver artist-focused initiatives, strategic marketing campaigns and new offerings to provide exciting new experiences for fans worldwide.”
In April, Spotify inked a new licensing agreement with Warner Music Group.
BMG Production Music Acquires Dynamic Music
BMG Production Music has acquired Los Angeles and London-based production music library, Dynamic Music, which has had a sub-publishing agreement with BMG since 2018.
Since 2018, Dynamic Music has seen its revenues double, and has secured more than 100 hours of music use across global television and radio stations, from more than 30,000 usages.
Dynamic Music was co-founded in 2014 by David Felton, Will Mills and Sharooz Raoofi, with Rachel Menzies joining as Director and overseeing day-to-day operations. Dynamic’s catalog includes albums penned by The Shapeshifters, Kid Massive, and Birdee, and spans genres including hip-hop, synthwave, neo-classical, indie and folk and more.
John Clifford, EVP & Global Managing Director at BMGPM, said, “As BMGPM continues to grow, build and innovate with the best providers of production music in the world, bringing Dynamic Music into the fold of the company is an organic transition and recognition of the team’s exceptional work.”
Menzies added, “It’s been an honor to grow and market the Dynamic catalogue over the years. I couldn’t imagine a better home for the business than with the brilliant team at BMGPM.”
Sharooz Raoofi also added, “Dynamic Music is dedicated to creating cutting-edge and forward-thinking music for media. The acquisition by BMGPM is a hugely exciting milestone in the journey of our business and for our team of writers. Its future is in great hands.”
Jaren Johnston Extends Deal With Sony/ATV
Jaren Johnston
Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville has extended its global co-publishing agreement with songwriter/producer Jaren Johnston.
Johnston, a Nashville native, has penned No. 1 singles including “You Gonna Fly” and “Raise ‘Em Up” for Keith Urban, “Beachin'” for Jake Owen, “Don’t It” for Billy Currington, “Meanwhile Back At Mama’s” and “Southern Girl” for Tim McGraw, Drake White’s “Livin’ The Dream,” and Frankie Ballard’s “Sunshine & Whiskey” and “It All Started with a Beer.”
Sony/ATV Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston stated, “If you look up the word ‘cool’ in the dictionary, you find a picture of Jaren Johnston. He may look like an American Rockstar, but his songs bleed with the heart of a Nashville craftsman poet. Our entire team is thrilled to continue championing his songs and future success.”
“This next year will be an interesting one. Despite the challenges our industry is facing with the ongoing pandemic, I am feeling creative, inspired and ready to get to work,” Johnston says. “With the help of Rusty, Dane [Schmidt], and the entire Sony/ATV team, I’m confident this next chapter of my writing career is going to be a big one.”
In addition to his work as the primary writer and lead vocalist for his band The Cadillac Three, which has resulted in songs such as “Crackin’ Cold Ones with the Boys” and “The South,” featuring Florida Georgia Line, Dierks Bentley and Mike Eli, Johnston has been working on new writing projects with Urban, Florida Georgia Line, McGraw, Lee Brice, and Owen. As a producer, he has recently worked on projects for Steven Tyler, Dierks Bentley, Hannah Dasher, Kelleigh Bannen, and more.
UMPG Signs Brandi Carlile, Tim And Phil Hanseroth To Global Admin Deal
Brandi Carlile. Photo: Jai Lennard
Universal Music Publishing Group has signed Brandi Carlile, and Tim and Phil Hanseroth to an exclusive, global admin agreement.
Following the release of her 2018 album By The Way, I Forgive You, Carlile earned five Grammy Awards. The 10-song album was penned by Carlile and her long-time collaborators/bandmates Tim and Phil Hanseroth. The song “The Joke” earned Best American Roots Song and Best American Roots Performance, and earned nominations for Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
Carlile also won Best Country Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards for her work coproducing Tanya Tucker’s acclaimed 2019 album While I’m Livin’. Carlile and the Hanseroth twins co-wrote seven of the album’s ten tracks including “Bring My Flowers Now,” which won Best Country Song. The song was also nominated for Song of the Year, making for the trio’s second consecutive nomination in the all-genre category.
Last year, Carlile founded The Highwomen with Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires. Carlile also produced albums for The Secret Sisters and has collaborated with numerous artists including Dolly Parton, Sam Smith, Elton John, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Gary Clark Jr., Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, John Prine, Yola, Dave Matthews and more.
At the 61st Grammy Awards, Carlile was the most-nominated woman, earning six nominations including nods for Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
Carlile and the Hanseroth twins are also humanitarians and activists, co-founding the Looking Out Foundation, an organization which amplifies the impact of music by empowering those without a voice. Looking Out has varied initiatives including campaigns focused on Children in Conflict/War Child, The If Project, Fund Racial Justice, Fight The Fear, Looking Out For The Hungry and more. To date, the organization has raised over $1 million benefiting children whose families, communities and schools have been torn apart by war through their 2017 Cover Stories project and, overall, over $2 million to grassroots causes.
Laura Veltz Extends Publishing Deal With Big Machine Music
Laura Veltz. Photo: Darling Juliet
Laura Veltz has signed a long-term extension of her publishing deal with Big Machine Music.
Veltz has achieved numerous milestones during her nearly eight-year tenure with the company, crafting six No. 1 hits: “What If I Never Get Over You” (Lady A), “The Bones“ and “I Could Use A Love Song” (Maren Morris), “Lonely Eyes” (Chris Young), “Drunk Last Night” (Eli Young Band) and “Speechless” (Dan + Shay), which earned her first Grammy Awards nomination for Best Country Song. “The Bones” continues to shatter the record for most consecutive weeks held by a solo female artist at 19 weeks-and-counting atop the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, long after its multi-week reign on both Country and Hot AC radio.
Veltz’s current singles include Kelly Clarkson’s Hot AC hit “I Dare You,” which was translated into five different languages and features artists from across the globe, Morris’ “To Hell and Back,” The Voice winner Danielle Bradbery’s “Never Have I Ever” and an upcoming single from Lava/Republic Recording artist somegirlnamedanna. Her songs have also been recorded by Miranda Lambert, The Highwomen, Reba McEntire, Little Big Town, Dierks Bentley, Ryan Hurd, Brothers Osborne, Carly Pearce, Kane Brown and more.
“Laura is a rarity among rarities in terms of craft, commerciality and caring for her fellow humans,” said BMM General Manager Mike Molinar. “As we have seen multiple times now, her talents are boundless and translate across audiences. We feel privileged that we get to continue supporting her and her music for many years to come.”
She is currently nominated for three 2020 AIMP Nashville Awards including Songwriter of the Year, Song of the Year (“The Bones”) and Publisher’s Pick (“To Hell and Back”).
“Big Machine Music and Mike Molinar were both there for my first hit and I am so lucky to have had them in my corner ever since. I’m grateful and excited to partner up again for the next chapter of my life,” said Veltz.