UK Music // Chief Executive (London/Hybrid)

Ambassador Theatre Group // Ticketing Ops Senior Assistant (London)

Domino // Promo Dept Coordinator (London/Hybrid)

The Ivors Academy // Chief Executive (London/Hybrid)

Broadwick Live // Senior Operations Manager (London)

Deviate Digital // Digital Marketing Assistant (London)

Today's music business news

TOP STORY

New call for witnesses to come forward one year on from Brixton Academy crowd crush

On the first anniversary of the fatal crowd crush that occurred during an Asake show at London's Brixton Academy, the families of the two people who died have called on any witnesses to the tragedy who are yet to speak to police to come forward.

They also want Asake to make a similar call, noting that while the musician has paid tribute to the victims, he has not yet issued any formal appeal for information about the incident.

Kelsey Hutchinson, sister of Gaby Hutchinson, a security guard who died while working at the show, told reporters: “The singer has such a big influence over his crowd and his followers, and I think the biggest way anyone could help the police is if the singer asked them to come forward with what they heard that night, what they recorded, anything will help, and the singer’s got the most power in this situation".

Detective Chief Inspector Nigel Kenny from London's Metropolitan Police also confirmed that, even though we are now a year on from the incident, more information from witnesses is required. "We're still going through thousands of documents to ascertain how this happened", he told the BBC, "but we still need help from [people who] were there. Even though it's twelve months, we still need people to come forward".

The crowd crush occurred during the final show of a three night run for Asake at the South London venue. The building was at capacity as the show began, but there were still crowds of people outside trying to get in. It's been alleged that a sizeable number of the people inside the venue did not have valid tickets, meaning many of those left outside were genuine ticket-holders.

Brixton Academy has been closed ever since the incident and the Metropolitan Police recommended to local authority Lambeth Council that the building's current operator, Live Nation's Academy Music Group, should have its licence revoked. However, in September, the council's licensing committee said that the venue could re-open under AMG's management providing 77 conditions were met to boost safety in the building.

The other person who died was concert-goer Rebecca Ikumelo. Her father Anthony Ikumelo also called for more witnesses to come forward, adding there are “still lots of questions to be answered". Police need as much information as possible, he noted, to ensure lessons are learned. "The most important thing", he said, "is we don’t want this to happen to another family".

In a new statement, AMG said that the company "continues to be devastated by the events of 15 Dec 2022 and our heartfelt condolences remain with the family and friends of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson". It added that it is determined to learn all the appropriate lessons to ensure the incident can never be repeated, citing its “comprehensive plan” for re-opening the venue safely.

As for when that re-opening will actually happen, AMG concluded: "There will be an announcement for the reopening timeline in due course".

ONE LINERS

One Liners: Killer Mike, The Veronicas, BEAT Music Fund + more

Listen to all the latest new music featured in CMU on our Brand New On CMU playlist on Spotify - updated every Friday.

DEALS

Armada Music’s dance music focussed BEAT Music Fund has acquired the catalogue of Sola Records, as well as a significant portion of VIVa MUSiC’s catalogue, and the recording rights in Ran-D’s ‘Zombie’ and Human Resource’s ‘Dominator’. "It is truly an honour that Sola Records, VIVa MUSiC, Ran-D and Human Resource are entrusting us to breathe new life into their incredible music", say Armada CEO Maykel Piron “As BEAT continues to grow, these partnerships provide us with a prime opportunity to collaborate with the best and the brightest in dance, bolster their legacies, and bring these tracks to the forefront”.

Warner Music’s label services division ADA Worldwide has taken over the global distribution of Omnivore Recordings’ catalogue. "We are so pleased to be back in the Warner family, where all of us at Omnivore have had deep ties throughout our careers”, says Omnivore’s Cheryl Pawelski. “ADA and Warner Music Group have historically prioritised music, artists, quality and creativity above all else, and continue to do so to this day. We look forward to working together in close partnership with ADA Worldwide to release more exciting musical discoveries from the archives”.

Warner Chappell has signed an exclusive global publishing agreement with Foreigner’s Mick Jones."I am THRILLED to announce that Foreigner, Warner Chappell Music and Warner Music Group have come full circle, returning to the very place where our story began”, he says. “It all kicked off with 'Feels Like The First Time' years ago”.

Downtown Music Publishing has signed a global music publishing agreement with songwriter and frontman of Marianas Trench, Josh Ramsay. “When it came time for us to decide who to work with, it was important that we found a group who had both the ability to protect and nurture Josh’s incredible catalogue, but also be able to help with new opportunities, not just for the catalogue, but also going forward for Josh as a writer and producer”, says his manager Jonathan Simkin of Simkin Artist Management. “Downtown’s interest in both the catalogue and in the artist really made the difference”.

BMG UK has partnered with Lagos, Nigeria-based publishing company Nooks Recordings. "We are THRILLED to bring our expertise to the global stage with BMG”, says Nooks co-founder Morrin Oluwatobi. “This partnership underscores the incredible talent that Africa has to offer”.

APPOINTMENTS

Eddy Temple-Morris is moving to the Virgin Radio Anthems drivetime show, from 2-6pm on weekdays. Taking over his mid-morning show on Virgin Radio itself will be Ryan Tubridy. Temple-Morris will also continue to present his Sunday Specials documentary series and cover for other presenters on the main station. “The Virgin Radio team are the loveliest bunch of people I’ve ever worked with”, he says. “I’m truly delighted to have the opportunity to stay, for the Sunday special programmes I love so much, to be available when daytime presenters are sick or sunbathing, and most importantly to help build something at Virgin Radio Anthems”.

RELEASES

Killer Mike has released a new remix of his track ‘Run’ featuring Damian Marley. “Hip hop and reggae are both people’s music”, says the rapper. “People's music speaks for the salt of the earth, the worker class that toils and constitutes the masses. I am proud that Bob's son and Denise's son united the music, the vibes, and the diaspora to make this song for the people. Run to glory together!”

The Veronicas have released new single ‘Detox’.

AJ Mitchell has released new single ‘Passionate’ and announced that he will release his second album ‘As Far As The Eye Can See’ next year. “‘Passionate’ is the perfect introduction to my new album and the next stage of my music, because it was one of the first songs on this project my producer and I wrote to jump start the entire thing”, he says. “I am truly proud of this song and excited to share it with my fans”.

Awitch has released new track ‘Pendulum’, taken from Japanese TV show ‘Love Catcher’.

TR/ST has released new track ‘Robrash’, the first track from a new EP due out next year.

Club 8 are back with new single ‘Sunny’.

DIGITAL

Spotify says new French streaming tax is "inequitable" and "disproportionate"

Spotify has dubbed a new tax on music streaming services in France as an "inequitable, unjust and disproportionate measure", arguing that the digital music companies had already proposed a better voluntary funding system to help support the country's Centre National De La Musique.

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed yesterday that the country will introduce a new tax on music streaming services next year. It will be charged on each service's turnover and is expected to be in the region of 1.5-1.75%.

The tax was first proposed earlier this year as a way to boost the funding of the Centre National De La Musique, which was set up in 2020 to support stakeholders across the French music community. It is currently funded via a 3.5% levy charged on tickets for large-scale live shows, with additional support from the music industry's collecting societies.

The music streaming companies were united in opposing the proposed tax, with Apple, Deezer, Meta, YouTube and TikTok joining with Spotify in supporting a voluntary funding initiative instead. They said in a statement that they'd agreed a scheme that would raise over €14 million in 2025.

However, France's Senate approved the streaming tax proposal last month ahead of Macron's statement yesterday.

Some have argued that European streaming companies Spotify and Deezer will be hit harder by the tax than their US-based competitors like Apple, Amazon and YouTube. In part, this is because they dominate in the French streaming market, but also because music streaming is their core business, whereas for the tech giants it is something of a sideline.

Deezer previously indicated that it might have to fund any tax payments by further increasing subscription fees. Though, supporters of the tax within the music community would probably be OK with that, given the prevalent view that music streaming subscription prices are still too low.

Following Macron's statement, a Spotify spokesperson told AFP: “We take note of the government's decision, which does not take into account the efforts made by many platforms including Spotify".

“This is a real blow to innovation and to the growth prospects of recorded music in France", they added. "We are evaluating the follow-up to be given to the implementation of this inequitable, unjust and disproportionate measure".

LIVE

Taylor Swift fan dismisses lawsuit filed of Eras Tour ticketing meltdown

One of the Taylor Swift fans who sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster over last year's ticketing debacle in relation to The Eras Tour has dropped the case.

Michelle Sterioff asked a federal judge to dismiss her lawsuit on Tuesday.

Earlier this year it was confirmed that settlement talks were underway between the ticket buyer and the live giant, though it's not known if the dismissal means a settlement was reached.

Ticketmaster's Verified Fan system collapsed when tickets for Swift's tour first went on pre-sale last year. That put Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary very much in spotlight, including in political circles. Plus two class action lawsuits were filed accusing Live Nation and Ticketmaster of anti-competitive conduct.

Sterioff went legal a year ago, stating in her lawsuit that Ticketmaster was basically a “monopoly that is only interested in taking every dollar it can from a captive public".

“Because Ticketmaster has exclusive agreements with virtually all venues capable of accommodating large concerts", she added, "Taylor Swift and other popular musicians have no choice but to sell their tickets through Ticketmaster, and their fans have no choice but to purchase tickets through Ticketmaster’s primary ticketing platform".

In addition to the settlement talks, both sides in the dispute seemed to recognise that the litigation would likely be impacted by ongoing legal wrangling in other cases that are testing whether or not Ticketmaster can force consumer disputes to private arbitration.

Ticketmaster usually argues in cases like this that when consumers buy tickets from its platform they accept terms that say disputes should go to arbitration rather than court. However, that position has been challenged in the past. And the most recent challenge has been more successful, mainly because Ticketmaster changed its chosen arbitrator.

Sterioff would likely have needed that challenge to reach its conclusion - in favour of the ticket buyers over the ticketing company - in order to stop her dispute also being forced to arbitration.

Following this week's dismissal of her lawsuit, it doesn't matter anymore. Though the other class action lawsuit filed in the wake of the Taylor Swift ticketing meltdown - which basically made the same arguments of anti-competitive conduct - continues to go through the motions.

DIGITAL

TikTok rolls out Add To Music Apps tool into nineteen more countries

TikTok has rolled its Add To Music App tool out into nineteen more countries having launched the service in the US and UK last month.

The tool allows users to save a track they discover on TikTok to their personal libraries on streaming services like Spotify and Amazon Music. It has been designed, says the social media firm, to "help music fans capture songs that they love on TikTok in the moment of discovery and to easily save the song to their preferred music streaming service to enjoy whenever they like".

The tool will now be available in Argentina, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, The Netherlands, The Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, UAE and Vietnam.

Says TikTok music boss Ole Obermann: "We have already had an incredible response to the launch of Add To Music App in the US and UK. Music fans are embracing the opportunity to save music from TikTok directly to their favourite music streaming services, driving music discovery and helping more tracks to break through and become hits".

"We are really excited to be bringing the feature to millions more music fans around the world", he goes on, "providing even more opportunities for artists to reach new audiences and grow their careers".

LEGAL

Marilyn Manson sexual assault lawsuit revived on appeal

A sexual assault lawsuit against Marilyn Manson has been revived on appeal. Originally filed by the musician’s former assistant Ashley Walters in 2021, it was dismissed last year after a court ruled that she had waited too long to launch legal action.

Walters claims that she was subjected to “sexual exploitation, manipulation and psychological abuse” by Manson while working for him in 2010 and 2011. A lower court threw out the case, saying that the statute of limitations meant that it should have been filed within two years of the alleged abuse.

However, she successfully argued this week that she had repressed her memories of what happened until 2020 and that her legal action should be allowed under a ‘delayed discovery rule’.

“Until she received diagnosis and treatment, Walters [says she] was unable to remember the repressed events, and once she did recall them, she was unable to immediately identify these events as abuse”, the appeals court wrote in its ruling. “These allegations of suppressed memories and psychological blocking are sufficient to withstand [dismissal]”.

The ruling means that the case can now proceed to trial. Walters’ legal action is one of several sexual abuse lawsuits filed against Manson, two of which he has since settled and one of which was withdrawn by the accuser.

He denies all the claims that have been made against him, arguing that all of the allegations have been orchestrated by his former partner Evan Rachel Wood. He is suing her for defamation.

DEALS

Universal Music integrates with Beat Galaxy music hub on Roblox

Universal Music has teamed up with Supersocial - a "pioneer in virtual world development" no less - to launch Beat Galaxy, a new music hub on Roblox.

What does that involve? Well, "Beat Galaxy is a next-generation social experience centred around music discovery", we are told, "featuring a fully interactive social space where fans and newcomers can meet, discover and share their favourite artists and music".

And if you think that sounds exciting, wait until you hear about how "the Beat Galaxy experience on Roblox is architected to become the virtual epicentre for a wide range of UMG labels and artist integrations". And who doesn't love an artist integration? Everyone loves an artist integration. The first Universal-signed artist to get one will be Yungblud.

"We're excited to partner with Roblox and Supersocial on Beat Galaxy, which aspires to take the experience of music in the metaverse to the next level in terms of scope, creativity and commercial opportunity", says Universal Music's Chief Digital Officer Michael Nash.

"UMG is committed", he goes on, "to driving innovation to expand our portfolio of influential platforms such as Roblox, which our artists can use to connect with and engage audiences as technological change continues to transform the consumer landscape".

Adds Supersocial CEO Yonatan Raz-Fridman: "Beat Galaxy creates a next-generation music discovery experience on Roblox that not only provides an opportunity for a fun social gameplay, but creates true utility for music discovery beyond the algorithm in a community-driven way that's never been done before".

AND FINALLY

Luke Combs steps in to financially support fan he accidentally sued for $250,000

Country singer Luke Combs has stepped in to financially support a fan who was sued for $250,000 by - let me just check - ah yes, country singer Luke Combs.

Nicol Harness was hit with a trademark lawsuit by a company representing Combs for selling homemade tumblers featuring the musician’s face. She made local news, after going public to say that the lawsuit meant that she was unable to pay outstanding medical bills.

Her Amazon storefront account, via which she sold the tumblers, was shut down and funds associated with it frozen as a result of the legal action, she explained.

Combs said that he had been unaware of the case until he had seen the news report and had initially not even been sure who had filed it. Learning about Harness’s plight, he said, had made him “sick to my stomach”.

“We have a company that goes after folks”, he explained in a video on social media. “Only, supposedly, large corporations operating internationally that make millions and millions of dollars making counterfeit T-shirts, things of that nature, running illegal businesses”.

“And apparently this woman Nicol has got somehow wrapped into that”, he went on, “and that makes me absolutely sick to my stomach”.

In an effort to make amends, he confirmed that he was sending Harness $11,000 - double that which was frozen in her Amazon account - in order to pay her medical bills. He added that he would also be selling his own tumblers on his website with all proceeds going to Harness.