Blu DeTiger joined the roster at Capitol Records for future releases. She will celebrate the Capitol deal by releasing a music video for a new song titled “Blondes.”
Of the signing, DeTiger said, “Capitol is such an iconic label and it’s an honor to be a part of it. It was extremely important to me to have a team around me that I trust and love. I’m so excited for what we have coming up!”
Jeremy Vuernick, evp of Capitol Music Group, and Sergio Vega Matos, senior manager A&R at Capitol Music Group, said of the signing, “Blu is an undeniable talent with an unmistakable vision and infectious personality. A true musician, Blu has worked tirelessly to become the brilliant songwriter and performer she is today. We at Capitol couldn’t be more excited to part of her continued journey.”
TagMix, a London-based music tech app that captures live video and enhances them with audio directly from the mix sound, announced an ongoing licensing agreement with Warner Music Group, which grants them full access to WMG artists as part of the deal.
The deal with WMG will allow TagMix to insert itself at the heart of the touring scene, creating value for both artists and fans. The app’s technology enhances User Generated Content (UGC) by making it trackable, so that the whole music ecosystem — promoters, venues, creators and labels — can benefit from high quality, shareable UGC videos.
Andy Dean, TagMix ceo said of the agreement, “We are thrilled that Warner Music Group has come on board at what is a pivotal time for the business. Given that live events have been severely impacted by the recent pandemic, we are very much looking forward to being able to work hand-in-hand with WMG and its artists to both expand our offering in the gig scene and to offer greater value to both musicians and fans.”
AudioMob, a tech company that develops in-game audio ads, announced it has successfully raised $14m for its series A funding.
Started in 2020, founders Christian Facey, ceo, and Wilfrid Obeng, cto, have seen success with clients like Ed Sheeran and Nas alongside brands like Intel, Jeep and KitKat. The recent funding will go toward expanding the team in London and Abu Dhabi and develop more experimental audio technology. The company will continue to file patents in more countries, round out the team and pursue opportunities in other regions and markets.
Facey said, “We’re thrilled to see investors’ excitement for AudioMob’s vision for long-term success and our future. We’re on the precipice of innovating a whole industry with audio and now we’re able to build out our tech and team to ensure we’re disrupting the industry in the right way and ensure we eventually become a future tech industry unicorn.”
Obeng said, “For the past two years we have been focused on listening to our clients, gathering feedback, and improving our audio technology and products. We understand that consumers don’t want to be interrupted, advertisers want their ads to be heard and game developers want to ensure monetisation does not affect retention. And now we have built products which meet all three needs.”
Ingrooves Music Group announced signings of global deals with two biggest artists out of India. Ingrooves will release future output from producer and singer Himesh Reshammiya along with artists on his label, Himesh Reshammiya Melodies, in addition to Yo Yo Honey Singh, a popular Indian singer and entertainer, who will receive a global distribution deal.
Industry veteran Amit Sharma, who has been named as Ingrooves country manager, India, spearheaded the deals which aims to expand the company’s presence within the growing global music market.
Of the signings, Sharma said, “The independent music market in India is more vibrant and important than ever with an incredible amount of creativity and true artistry being developed here. Ingrooves has a reputation as a global leader in marketing and distribution technology, and that’s something that really resonates with artists and labels here in India. We have already signed many deals with artists that reflect our music culture. These signings are an indication that Ingrooves is already a new important player in this market.”
“We are celebrating our entrance into the Indian music market with the signing of two amazing artists – Himesh Reshammiya and Yo Yo Honey Singh – and we couldn’t be happier,” said ceo Bob Roback. “Amit is a highly respected music executive in India, with a deep understanding of the independent music industry and is already playing a key role in the market, as we look to work with the best independent labels and artists in India.”
Warner Music has formed a new specialty label with MARV, the film production company owned by Kingsman director Matthew Vaughn. The companies said that MARV Music will work with new and established artists to create original songs for movies as well as film-inspired album releases. Leading the label will be Colin Barlow, former head of Polydor Records, RCA Records UK, and Geffen UK.
The label’s first effort, “Measure of a Man” by FKA Twigs, feat. Central Cee, is an upcoming joint release with Parlophone and will be featured in the Vaughn-directed The King’s Man for 20th Century Studios. Another MARV film, Silent Night, will feature Michael Bublé’s newly recorded original tune, “The Christmas Sweater.”
“Together, music and film create powerful cultural moments, with songs playing a huge role in propelling a narrative and amplifying its emotional impact,” said Max Lousada, CEO, recorded music, WMG. “This partnership is a dynamic way for our artists to collaborate with other original storytellers, expand their creative universes, and reach massive new audiences.”
ONErpm signed veteran country/pop crossover duo Love and Theft to a worldwide marketing and distribution deal. The duo is set to release a new single, “Accidentally on Purpose,” on Nov. 12, in addition to an acoustic video premiere.
“We are thrilled to announce our signing with ONErpm and are very excited for fans to hear our new single,” said Eric Gunderson, half of the duo alongside bandmate Stephen Barker Liles. “‘Accidentally on Purpose’ is probably our favorite song from this project — we wrote it with our dear friend Bree Doster back before the world shut down, and we can’t wait for people to react to it. Though bittersweet in the end, it makes you move and makes you feel something!”
“ONErpm is proud to partner with veteran duo Love and Theft,” said project manager Diana Garcia. “In their career, these guys have already garnered more than 3 billion radio impressions, over 300 million plays on Pandora and are nearing 3 million music video streams [the latter for the critically acclaimed “Whiskey on My Breath”].”
WME has signed Grammy winner and TV composer Keb’ Mo’ to a record deal. Born Kevin Roosevelt Moore, Mo’ has a tenured history composing for the big screen. Some of his credits include “Mike and Molly,” “Memphis Beat” and “Martha Stewart Living.” Mo’ has appeared as himself in works like Aaron Sorkin’s “The West Wing” and the children’s series “Sesame Street.”
His Grammys resume includes a recent win for best Americana blues album in 2020, three years after his 2017 best blues album win. His debut self-titled record in 1994 was followed by his first Grammy win for best contemporary blues album for Just Like You. He has collaborated with musicians like Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt and The Chicks.
Variety first reported the WME signing.
Social media platform BandLab announced the acquisition of independent music platform ReverbNation from its parent company, eMinor, Inc. The acquisition will help accelerate BandLab’s artist services, building on recently announced features like artist-to-fan subscriptions and BandLab Distribution. ReverbNation artists should not expect any interruption in services as ReverbNation’s features integrate into BandLab’s creator capabilities in the near future.
eMinor ceo Mike Doernberg said, “When BandLab approached us with their thesis for integrating ReverbNation and BandLab, it made complete sense, especially for our artists. BandLab is a natural fit. ReverbNation has long been the standard for artist promotion and growth tools. Since its evolution from a startup in 2006 to a mature, profitable business today, it has continually innovated.”
BandLab ceo Meng Kuok said, “We are very excited to welcome ReverbNation’s community to BandLab. We have a clear vision of the role BandLab plays in supporting creators worldwide, today, and into the future. Artist services are a key part of that plan, as evidenced by our recently announced subscriptions and distribution offerings. This acquisition allows us to accelerate BandLab’s product roadmap and further enable us to break down technical, geographic, and creative barriers facing musicians and fans. We’ve known ReverbNation for a long time and had great respect for its ability to build a terrific artist services business. There are more exciting announcements to come, but what ReverbNation brings to BandLab seamlessly fits with our vision – a future where there are no boundaries to making and sharing music.”
Round Hill Music Royalty Fund Limited announced that it has entered into a long-term agreement to administer 100% of the neighboring rights income generated from the master recordings of British rock group, Supertramp’s three long-standing members. The deal includes the band’s entire catalogue of its 39 original recordings.
Trevor Bowen chair of Round Hill Music Royalty Fund, said, “We are delighted to administer the neighbouring rights income from Supertramp’s biggest hits from the Catalogue of these three long-time band members. These are timeless and iconic songs that have huge income generating potential, creating strong returns for Shareholders and adding depth to the progressive pop/rock genre in the Company’s portfolio.”
Josh Gruss, chairman and ceo of Round Hill, said, “As a rock fan and guitarist myself I am really pleased to announce this latest deal. Supertramp is a globally known band with a vast catalogue of stable income generating songs that multiple generations will recognize and listen to. For example, previously both Amazon and Hershey’s have used ”Give A Little Bit” as the backing music to their television advertisements.”
Members of Supertramp said, “Three of us from Supertramp — Dougie Thomson, Bob Siebenberg and John Helliwell — of the classic 70s and 80s line up, are pleased to announce that we have come to an agreement with Round Hill for a long-term agreement to administer our future neighbouring rights income.”
Create Music Group, a privately-held United States music and media company, announced the acquisition of Nirvana Digital, a Mumbai-based company that is one of the largest YouTube Enterprise partners in India. Nirvana Digital serves over 20 billion minutes of video each month and has a subscriber base north of 200 million. The two companies now exceed more than 25 billion streams per month, making Create one of the world’s largest media companies by viewership.
“India is without a doubt one of the most exciting growth territories in the global music and media market,” said Jonathan Strauss, Create founder and ceo. “We’ve been looking for the right way to build our business in India for some time now, and after being introduced to the Nirvana Digital’s co-founders and seeing the parallels between our two companies, we felt the right move was to acquire them and supercharge our entry into India with one of its most forward-thinking new media companies.”
As part of the acquisition, Nirvana Digital co-founders Manu Kaushish and Pinakin Thakkar have been named president, Create Music Group India and chief operating officer, Create Music Group India, respectively.
“Create works with the most recognizable artists and record labels in the world,” Kaushish said. “Create’s relationships, technology and capital will help us fuel growth for Indian artists and record labels who will gain access to a global distribution and monetization on major platforms including iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music as well as Indian platforms like JioSaavn and Gaana.”
Of the acquisition, Thakkar said, “Similarly this deal opens the doors for Create’s U.S. clients to access India’s market of nearly 700 million young people and bring Create’s globally recognized brands including Flighthouse, which is the most followed creator channel on TikTok, to India.”
Fee Banks’ label Good Money Global has announced a partnership with Jonnyshipes’ Cinematic Music Group, a venture under Geffen Records. The label’s launch is headlined by the signing of South Carolina rapper Lul Bob, who will be releasing a mixtape titled Soul Bleed next week to commemorate the occasion. Bob is currently on tour with OhGeesy of Shoreline Mafia.
Banks established GMG in 2012 as an artist management company, and he has a tenured track record for helping build the careers of artists like Lil Wayne, Kevin Gates and NBA YoungBoy. He was named Billboard’s Executive of the Week in September 2020.
Of signing Bob, Banks said, “Lul Bob’s Soul Bleed mixtape is the best body of work I heard from new artist this year – he has the melodies of a Young Thug, his hooks hit hard as Rod Wave, his appearance and image sticks like NBA YoungBoy. He’s on track to be the next super star.”
Jonnyshipes, Cinematic founder & ceo said, “Lul Bob is hands down one of the most dopest artists I’ve come across in a long time. His songwriting ability and unique ear for new, fresh melodies is reminiscent of so many of the greats I’ve had the honor of working with in my two plus decades in this industry. I’m excited, along with Fee, GMG, and the Geffen family, to introduce the world’s next superstar.”
FUGA, a full-service B2B music distributor owned by Downtown Music Holdings, announced a global delivery platform services deal with Beggars Group, the independent label group home to 4AD, Matador, Rough Trade Records, XL Recordings and Young. The partnership revolves around the technical integration between Beggars’ newly developed technology platform and FUGA’s proprietary digital supply chain technology, to service all of Beggars’ global DSP partners with the group’s entire catalogue and new releases across all five labels.
Simon Wheeler, director of global commercial strategy, Beggars Group, said: “FUGA’s industry-leading software and an impressive breadth of experience working with the independent music sector makes them an ideal delivery partner for us. Their best-in-class supply chain will allow us to maintain full control over our rights and catalogue while servicing our digital partners around the world and keeping up with the many and varied developments in the modern digital marketplace.”
Pieter van Rijn, FUGA ceo, said, “As one of the most influential label groups in both the UK and global independent music, Beggars Group is an incredibly exciting addition to our international clients, with FUGA now a route to market for a significant portion of the world’s new releases. I’d also like to acknowledge Client Relations Manager EMEA Sarah Johnston, the lead for the operational onboarding process, and Joost Calis, our Head of Supply-Chain Engineering, as well as the whole engineering team for their exceptional work, which was tremendously instrumental in the process.”
JAM Records has entered into a worldwide strategic distribution partnership with INGROOVES and Universal Music Group. JAM has built a catalog that has amassed over 100 million streams since its founding in 2018 and has a full release schedule through 2021. The first official label releases under the new deal will be from artist and producer Rad Cat & artist Ely Waves.
Ingrooves has its own AI music marketing technology, launched a new global royalty account tool for independent artists and labels & was fully acquired by UMG in February 2019. Combined JAM Records, the partnership will help skyrocket the development of artists under the label. The new agreement is designed to expand the global reach and resources available to JAM Records. It will also enable them to draw on Ingrooves Marketing & Sync services for commercial support, radio promotion, and their label teams worldwide.
Dre London has announced the launch of his new record label, London Music Group, in partnership with music technology platform Vydia. The tech company will provide London and his team the infrastructure and tools to power the label.
Of the partnership, Vydia ceo & co-founder, Roy LaManna said, “London has an innate ability to discover talent and create superstars on a global level. We’re excited to work with him and provide him the tools he needs across the board to run this new label.”
“I’m thrilled to partner with Vydia for the creation of London Music Group,” said London of the partnership. “Vydia’s work to empower independent music labels opens doors for incredible new artists to emerge, a mission we both share. This new venture will allow established artists to evolve exponentially into the future, as well as introduce top of the line new talent to the world.”
LaManna and London worked together previously with Vydia on the release of Post Malone’s platinum “White Iverson” single in 2015.
Nick Cannon’s new artist, TraeTwoThree, has signed with Atlantic Records under Cannon’s N’Credible imprint and has released a music video for his song “Worth It” which features rapper and YouTuber DDG.
Cannon established N’Credible in 2009 as a production company and record label. TraeTwoThree is the label’s latest signee under Cannon.
