IDOL // UK Label Manager (London/Hybrid)

Nonclassical // Executive Director (London)

Free Trade Agency // Office Co-Ordinator (London)

AEG Presents // Senior Marketing Manager – Festivals (London)

Ninja Tune // Social Media Coordinator (London)

Ambassador Theatre Group // Ticketing Operations Specialist (London)

Lex Records // Worldwide Retail Operations Manager (London)

EmuBands // Artist Relations Assistant (Glasgow/Hybrid)

Today's music business news

TOP STORY

French court order operators of defunct file-sharing site to pay €489 million in damages

A French court has handed down jail terms to two people previously involved in running a popular file-sharing service and awarded copyright owners a staggering €489 million in damages.

The French authorities managed to shut down T411 - a torrent tracker with over five million registered users - back in 2017. Although it primarily catered towards a French-speaking audience, and had moderators within France, the service's founder was based in Canada and a key system operator was a Ukrainian living in Sweden.

Criminal proceedings then began and they recently reached their conclusion in the Criminal Court in Rennes. Both the founder - identified as Mr Jolicoeur in the French press - and the system operator Mr Voitenko were found guilty of crimes in relation to the running of the copyright infringing file-sharing operation.

Jolicoeur was sentenced to three years in jail and ordered to pay a €150,000 fine. However, he remains in Canada and wasn't present in court for the sentencing. The French authorities are now relying on their Canadian counterparts to respond to an international arrest warrant that has been issued.

Voitenko was handed over to the French authorities as they began their criminal investigation back in 2017 and, as a result, he was detained in France for a few months in that year. He was handed an eighteen month jail term, though most of it was a suspended sentence meaning that - given the time he has already spent in detention - he won't return to prison.

However, there remains the matter of the mega-damages also awarded by the French court. Given the scale of the T411 operation, judges decided to set damages at a massive €489 million.

That is more than ten times the damages awarded when the founders of The Pirate Bay were found guilty of copyright crimes in the Swedish courts, and is significantly more than the $105 million Limewire's founder agreed to pay in an out of court settlement.

Most of the money - if it's ever paid - will go to the movie and TV studios, as most of the content shared via T411 was video-based, although €18 million of the damages are due to French song rights collecting society SACEM.

Voitenko is liable for 30% of the damages, so in excess of €146 million. However, he has said he plans to appeal the ruling and, even if that fails, it seems unlikely he will ever be able to pay anywhere near that sum.

He told Torrentfreak: “I’m not going to pay it, but even if I am forced to do so, I will quit the job and live on social benefits for jobless people instead. Otherwise, I need to work 3500 years to pay [damages of that scale]".

ONE LINERS

Yungblud and Oli Sykes, Graham Nash, Danny Brown + more

DEALS

Graham Nash has sold a “range of assets” to Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group. “I am THRILLED to welcome Graham Nash to the Iconic family, which now represents the works of all three of Crosby, Stills and Nash”, says Azoff. “Graham is not only an incredible talent and true gentleman but a longtime friend as well. Back when I struck out on my own and started my first management company, Graham visited my office and came up with the name, Front Line Management”.

Reservoir has announced a new global publishing deal with Joe Walsh of The Eagles. “It is such a pleasure to be partnered with a team who are hands on and personal and who have shown their passion for and dedication to my work”, he says. “I look forward to a great partnership and future with Reservoir”.

Exit Festival has launched a new talent and management agency in partnership with CAA, called Echosystem. Its first client is DJ and producer Lanna. “I am THRILLED watching my craziest dreams coming true one by one”, she says. “I still can’t fathom all the incredible things I’ve reached this year alone. Being represented by Exit and CAA is a quantum leap for me, and I am so ready for everything that’s coming next”.

AI music generation app Riffusion has secured $4 million in seed funding in a round led by Greycroft Partners, South Park Commons and Sky9. “We started Riffusion as a hobby project last year and were blown away by the creativity it unleashed with casual users and professional musicians”, says co-founder Seth Forsgren. “We see Riffusion as a new instrument - one that anyone can play. We all love music, but most of us just listen passively. Riffusion enables everyone to be an active participant in it”.

APPOINTMENTS

Round Table Management has hired Steve Ford as Head Of Artist Development. “I am so excited to be joining the Round Table team, as it enables me to continue to serve artists passionately while ushering in unparalleled opportunities for my roster”, he says.

RELEASES

Yungblud has teamed up with Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes for new track ‘Happier’. “I got really emotional when writing this”, says Yungblud. “I was craving another Yungblud song that would burn in my stomach, make me feel like it’s all gonna be OK, encourage me to fight back against old habits and try my best to realign myself to be better”.

David Holmes has released new single ‘Stop Apologising’. It is, he says, “an ode to the over-thinkers who waste so much time worrying about nothing rather than living their lives on their terms”. His new album ‘Blind On A Galloping Horse’ is out on 10 Nov.

Danny Brown has released new single ‘Tantor’. The rapper is set to play Village Underground in London on 4 Dec.

Floating Points has shared new single ‘Birth4000’.

BadBadNotGood and Charlotte Day Wilson have collaborated on new track ‘Sleeper’. “We were in the studio just messing around and the guys came up with the colourful instrumental while I freestyled the lyrics”, says Wilson. “The song portrays someone who chooses the path of least resistance and finds themselves in a lifeless, loveless relationship”.

Kojaque has released new single ‘Johnny McEnroe’, featuring Wiki. “I was in New York in May 2022 on my first US tour and had been trying to collaborate with Wiki for a while”, explains the rapper. “I was booked in to work with Tony Seltzer the day after my headline show, and right beforehand got a text to say Wiki was going to come through. It was a surreal experience cutting the track with two guys I’ve been a fan of for eight years. I’ll never forget it”.

Kassa Overall has released new single ‘2 Sentimental’. You’ll be able to catch him live in the UK next month, including a show at the London Jazz Festival on 17 Nov.

GIGS & TOURS

Orbital have announced UK and Ireland tour dates next year, at which they will perform their 1991 debut ‘The Green Album’ in full. “The way we perform is always free and full of improvisation in production and arrangements”, says the duo’s Paul Hartnoll. “This approach will give us a chance to take these fabulous old tracks, written by young versions of ourselves, and perform them with a modern sensibility”. Tickets go on general sale on Thursday.

Mitski has announced UK and Ireland tour dates next year, including three nights at the Hammersmith Apollo in London from 8-10 May. Tickets go on general sale on Friday.

LABELS & PUBLISHERS

Spinnin' Records announces alliance with AI company Endel

Spinnin' Records has announced a partnership with music AI company Endel which will see the Warner Music-owned dance label's catalogue transformed into "soundscapes for focus, relaxation, movement and sleep".

Endel uses AI-powered tech to create “personalised soundscapes to help you focus, relax and sleep - backed by neuroscience”. It has collaborated with a number of artists on creating such soundscapes and announced an alliance with Universal Music back in May. The Spinnin' Records tie-up is part of a wider collaboration with Warner Music.

Bigging up that tie-up, Spinnin' and Endel say: "Dance music is synonymous with late nights and euphoric revelry. But it has also been shown to have a positive effect on the brain and to reduce stress. That's why Endel has teamed up with one of the world's biggest electronic music labels to transform its hugely popular catalogue into soundscapes for focus, relaxation, movement and sleep".

Adds Endel co-founder and CEO Oleg Stavitsky: "We've successfully worked with individual artists to transform their unique sound into functional music for focus, relaxation and sleep. With this collaboration with Spinnin', we've transformed hundreds of tracks from their incredible catalogue into life-enhancing albums and playlists at a huge scale while retaining the iconic sound of Spinnin' Records and its artists".

Spinnin' Records execs Steven de Graaf and Susanne Hazendonk say in a joint statement: "We've always believed in the transformative power of electronic music - from creating unforgettable experiences in clubs and festivals, to soundtracking the activities of listeners in their daily lives. Now this collaboration with Endel has allowed us to tap into its most life-enhancing qualities by using their technology and scientific knowhow. It's the sound of Spinnin', but in a whole new way – for relaxation, sleep and more".

LIVE

NTIA campaign encourages hearing health testing and tinnitus prevention

The UK’s Night Time Industries Association will launch a new campaign later today that will put the spotlight on hearing health testing and tinnitus prevention.

It will highlight the role of the live music and night-time sectors in safeguarding the hearing of people working in those industries who are routinely exposed to loud music, and in educating the world at large about the risks of hearing loss and how they can be mitigated.

Set to launch in the House Of Commons, the Listen For Life Campaign is backed by Specsavers and will work in conjunction with the World Health Organisation’s Make Listening Safe UK Campaign.

"Hearing loss and tinnitus are unfortunately prevalent among those working in the industry", NTIA says in a statement. "[We are] fully aware of the pivotal role that the industry plays in safeguarding the hearing of individuals in various roles, from bar staff to performers, security personnel, and crew members".

"In addition to adopting the guidance provided by the WHO", it adds, "the NTIA will introduce a campaign to collaborate with the industry. This initiative will promote the importance of testing, developing training and raising awareness about the impacts of hearing loss and effective methods for protecting one's most valuable asset when enjoying music".

The campaign, and its launch, are also supported by the All Party Parliamentary Group For The Night Time Economy, and its Co-Chair Jeff Smith MP says: “As Co-Chair of the Night Time Economy APPG, I am really pleased to see the NTIA shining a light on this issue with the Listen For Life Campaign. Hearing loss can affect anyone and it’s sadly prevalent in the music industry".

"Performers, staff and gig-goers at clubs and music venues need to be aware of the potential impact on their hearing of loud volumes and be supported to manage the risks safely", he goes on. "This campaign is an important step toward achieving that goal”.

There is more information about the campaign here.

DIGITAL

Patreon buys livestreaming platform Moment

Patreon has acquired livestreaming set-up Moment with the aim of making it easier for creators who use the memberships platform to run ticketed livestreamed events.

Moment - formerly known as Moment House - was founded in 2019, the year before interest in livestreaming spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has since worked with artists, podcasters and comedians on livestreamed events - or “moments” - and received financial backing from music industry veterans Scooter Braun and Troy Carter.

Patreon says it plans to integrate “foundational elements” of Moment into its platform. While creators can use Patreon to manage fan membership schemes, offering superfans access to premium content and experiences, it's currently quite common for that content and those experiences to actually be delivered via other platforms.

Patreon CEO Jack Conte says of the acquisition: “Patreon’s mission has always been to help creators take control over their work, deepen connections with their most passionate fans, and build successful, sustainable businesses. On the heels of releasing our new brand identity, mobile app, and a suite of creator tools, joining forces with Moment will further strengthen Patreon’s offerings for creators".

Moment co-founder Arjun Mehta adds: “We built Moment to help artists and creators gather their global communities for premium live experiences while providing them complete control over creative and monetisation. We are excited to join the Patreon team and deliver an even better, integrated experience to many more creators and their communities".

ARTIST NEWS

Britney Spears says conservatorship “stole” enjoyment of her career from her

Britney Spears is set to publish her autobiography ‘The Woman In Me’ next week, and in an excerpt published by People she describes the thirteen years she spent under conservatorship.

The set up, which saw her father take full control of her personal and professional life, she writes, “stripped me of my womanhood, made me into a child. I became more of an entity than a person onstage. I had always felt music in my bones and my blood; they stole that from me”.

While she had been experiencing well-documented problems in her personal life prior to the conservatorship being put in place, she adds, “if they’d let me live my life, I know I would’ve followed my heart and come out of this the right way and worked it out”.

“Thirteen years went by with me feeling like a shadow of myself”, she goes on. “I think back now on my father and his associates having control over my body and my money for that long and it makes me feel sick … I didn’t deserve what my family did to me”.

Spears was finally released from the conservatorship in 2021 and was highly critical of her family as she came out of it. She signed a $15 million deal for a tell-all book the following year.

In July this year it was reported that publication of that book had been delayed due to legal challenges from Justin Timberlake and Colin Farrell.

One of the revelations to emerge ahead of the publication of the book is that Spears had an abortion after becoming pregnant with Timberlake while the couple were in their late teens.

AND FINALLY

Grimes calls on Taylor Swift to “unite” the US with presidential run

The next US presidential election is fast approaching. And by “fast approaching”, I of course mean “absolutely ages away”, but somehow we’re already deep into campaigning. One person still not in on the act though is Taylor Swift. But Grimes nevertheless reckons that she’s the one person who could unite the US population.

“In many ways Taylor Swift is the only presidential candidate who can unite the country”, Grimes tweeted yesterday. “Trump v Swift is totally occurring in a parallel universe right now”.

The musician was responding to a comment made by an AI version of herself, who claimed that “Taylor Swift as President would course correct society and fix carbon emissions in ten years”. So who knows how serious any of this was. She (the real Grimes) also mused that Swift would “be preferable as a Republican … actually unbeatable at that point”.

Either way, it’s obviously unlikely that Swift will be the next US President, even with both the real and AI Grimes lending their support. Aside from the fact that she’s expressed no interest in running, Swift will be out of the US on a world tour for much of next year.

Also, she’s not yet 35, which is the minimum age to run for US President. Although, actually, she will be that age by the time the next President takes office. And I’m not sure exactly how that rule works. But the point is, Taylor Swift is not running to be the next President of the USA.

When it comes to people actually in the running being endorsed by musicians, Donald Trump now has the support of Waka Flocka Flame - so says both the rapper himself and the official Trump campaign.