DEALS
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Record Store Day, The Music Business Association and entertainment industry data provider Luminate have announced a new partnership on physical music sales reporting in US independent stores. “Luminate is always working towards the goal of providing quality and accurate data to the industry”, says Director Of Partnerships Chris Muratore. “We always strive to be a good partner to those across the many sectors of the music and entertainment industries, and we are happy to announce this new partnership in alignment with that mission and our values”.
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Absolute Label Services has partnered with Universal Music’s Capitol Records Italy to manage distribution and marketing of Jack Savoretti’s first Italian language album, ‘Miss Italia’. “The team here at Absolute are THRILLED to be working with Jack again”, says Absolute MD Henry Semmence. “Having been part of the original team that broke him in the UK, we are excited that UMO/Capitol Italy had the faith and confidence in our label service’s record with Jack and countless other artists to partner with us for the release of this wonderful new album”. The album is set for release on 17 May.
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Pulse Music Group and songwriter Jon Bellion’s publishing company Beautiful Mind have launched a new joint venture. Their first signing is Bellion’s frequent collaborator Elijah Noll. “I’m excited to continue working with Jon and the Beautiful Mind crew, and for what’s to come from this new partnership with the Pulse Music Group team”, says Noll. “Grateful to be surrounded by so many talented, creative and like-minded people”.
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Verve Records has signed Liana Flores to a new record deal in the US, partnering with Fiction Records for UK releases. “Liana Flores has an incredibly unique sound, voice, and vision that fills a unique place in music right now”, says Fiction MD Jim Chancellor. “We at Fiction are THRILLED to partner with Verve to share Liana’s exceptional music with audiences in the UK”. The first release under the deal is new single ‘I Wish For The Rain’.
APPOINTMENTS
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Musician, broadcast and Chair of the BPI – among other music industry roles – YolanDa Brown has been appointed as Chancellor of the University Of Kent. “The University Of Kent has always been at the forefront of fostering a diverse, inclusive, and vibrant community”, she says. “I am excited to work alongside the talented staff, and students to build on this foundation as the university strives towards new heights of achievement”.
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Elena Beltrami has been appointed as the new Director of Como No and La Linea Festival. She replaces founder Andy Wood, who is stepping down after nearly 40 years running the company. “I am honoured to take on the role of Director at La Linea and Como No and incredibly excited about the opportunities that lie ahead”, she says. “My goal is to build on the organisation’s rich legacy while also exploring new avenues for growth and creativity. By providing a platform for emerging talent, we can showcase the vibrant diversity of voices within the Latin music scene and foster greater connections between cultures”.
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Symphonic Distribution has appointed Stephen Nightingale as VP A&R And Business Development, Canada. “With Symphonic’s already impressive presence across the globe, I couldn’t be more excited to head up the Canada team”, he says. “[Their] passion and track record for finding top independent talent and setting them up for success made this opportunity a no-brainer for me. I can’t wait to dive in and help Symphonic continue to grow in Canada”.
LEGAL
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US President Joe Biden yesterday signed into law the new legislation forcing Chinese tech firm ByteDance to sell TikTok in the US or face a nationwide ban. Effectively this means the clock is now ticking to find a buyer, although TikTok has said it will fight the new law in the courts on the basis it is unconstitutional on free speech grounds. In a post on TikTok yesterday, CEO Shouzi Chew told the app’s users, “Rest assured, we aren’t going anywhere. We are confident and we will keep fighting for your rights in the courts. The facts and the constitution are on our side”.
DISTRIBUTION
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TuneCore has expanded its publishing administration offering to independent songwriters, including allowing the submission of unlimited songs and the collection of royalties on multiple artist collaborations under the same account. “By expanding our services and enhancing our interface, we are proud to offer self-releasing artists the most comprehensive suite of music publishing services that will put more money in their pockets – more quickly – wherever in the world it is earned”, says CEO Andreea Gleeson.
GIGS & FESTIVALS
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The BBC has announced that this year’s Radio 2 In The Park festival will take place at Moor Park in Preston on 7-8 Sep. “Following last year’s epic extravaganza in Leicester, we can’t wait to head north with our fantastic family of Radio 2 presenters, as well as some of the most loved music artists on the planet, to party with the good people of Lancashire”, says Head Of Radio 2 Helen Thomas. Find out more here.
RELEASES
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Mabel is back with new single ‘Vitamins’. “This song is my family and friends’ favourite song out of all the music I’ve made over the past couple years”, she says. “It’s a reminder to the man I love to take care of himself but also that in difficult times I’ll always be there in his corner”.
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Overmono have released their version of The Streets’ ‘Turn The Page’.
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Bat For Lashes has released new single ‘Home’. The track is taken from her sixth album ‘The Dream Of Delphi’, which is out on 31 May.
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Porter Robinson has released new single ‘Knock Yourself Out XD’. His new album ‘Smile! :D’ is set for release on 26 Jul.
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Los Bitchos have released new single ‘La Bomba’. They’re also announced UK and Ireland tour dates in October and November, finishing with a performance at the Forum in London on 7 Nov.
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Orbury Common have released new single ‘Jaundice & The Pipermen’. The track is taken from their debut album ‘Sylvan Chute’, which is out on 7 Jun.