Sony acquired Believe Digital for up to $444M


(News from Reuters)  
Sony Corp is in the final stages of talks to buy French music distribution and label services provider Believe Digital, the Nikkei business daily reported on Saturday.

Sony Music Entertainment will get a majority stake from the current shareholders for about 40 billion to 50 billion yen ($355.3 million-$444.1 million), the Japanese business daily reported.

The transaction is expected to close this year, according to the Nikkei report.

Both Sony and Believe Digital did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

CPD Creative Packaging Design for a Better Music


DeFox Records launching a new and innovative product series called Creative Packaging Design for a Better Music abbreviated as an acronym Aka CPD Format 

 The music world is in constant motion and change, digital music is the biggest market and the physical format is considered obsolete.
Today it is possible to produce items in limited edition only for enthusiastic amateurs, a collector's item. 
For this reason the product acquires value and prestige.

 The products of the DF will be launch in very limited editions, created with a unique and original design. The same products will be offered only to connoisseurs and collectors. Every year there will be a travelling exhibition with the works, there are exhibitions in art galleries in Venice, Vicenza, Milan and Verona.


www.defoxrecords.eu 

SynaptiK now on iTunes chart


DeFox Records and Heart Of Steel Records are happy to announce the great result for british band SynaptiK now on iTunes chart.

British heavy metal five-piece, Synaptik from Norwich, UK unleashed their anticipated sophomore album, “Justify & Reason” on March 10th 2017 worldwide digitally throughDefox records and physically in the US via Divebomb records but April 10th it lands in various UK stores.

PRS for Music launch educational panels across the country as part of Independent Venue Week


Indie venues in Brighton, Cardiff, Sheffield and Sunderland partner with PRS for Music to host free educational events, open to all

In celebration of the important role that independent venues play in the success of songwriters, composers and performers, PRS for Music will host a series of educational panels across the country to help encourage and inform the next generation of artists.

Taking place as part of Independent Venue Week (IVW), 23-27 January, and open to all, the free talks will offer those aspiring to work in the music industry the chance to hear from major industry influencers as well as local artists and experts from PRS for Music, PPL and BASCA.

Four proudly independent venues with a history of supporting new artists at grassroots level will host the panels: Komedia in Brighton; The Big Top in Cardiff; Sheffield’s The Harley; and the Independent in Sunderland.

Professionals with hands-on experience from across the music business will explain the importance of protecting your music rights, as well as imparting valuable knowledge about the various ways that creating and performing music can generate an income.

Paul Clements, Commercial Director, PRS for Music: “We’re delighted to be hosting these panels in the very venues that play such a vital role in the development and growth of so many artists. From a first live gig, to a secret performance from a music legend, these independent venues are the creative spaces that help the UK music industry to flourish.”

Aram Stuart, Event Manager at the Independent, Sunderland: “It’s great that PRS for Music, PPL and Independent Venue Week, have teamed up to champion music venues and we’re delighted to host this panel. Venues like us always try to support artists so it’s great that we can offer an educational opportunity as well as hosting gigs during the week.”

Tom Brain, Programming Coordinator at Komedia, Brighton, said: “We care deeply about fostering the creative energy of local artists and we’re delighted to see PRS for Music, BASCA and Independent Venue Week support this, and the grassroots live sector.”

Kate Hewett, Promotor at The Harley, Sheffield: “We’re really pleased to host this panel on the music industry. Sheffield has such a magnificent music scene, so it’s great to see Independent Venue Week, PRS for Music and PPL partner up to host an event here and really support the local talent.”

Lloyd Griffiths, Events and Venue Manager, at The Big Top, Cardiff: “We’d like to extend a warm welcome to Independent Venue Week and PRS for Music and thank them for continuing to support live music and venues. We look forward to hosting their panel with BASCA and hope our local artists get a lot out of it.”

Panellist and singer-songwriter Martin Longstaff (The Lake Poets) said: “Education for artists like me has become more and more important in such a rapidly changing industry, so I’m proud to be taking part in this panel with PRS for Music and PPL who already do so much for music creators. Small music venues play such a vital role in the success of many artists, so the Independent, which is loved by so many, is the perfect place to hold this talk during Independent Venue Week.

For more info click HERE

Warner-Chappell Production Music announces that the renowned CPM Music Library



Warner/Chappell Production Music, Warner Music Group's production music department, announces that the renowned CPM Music Library is available for licensing immediately in the US and Canada. 

Warner/Chappell Production Music first took ownership of the catalog in 2010, and has since represented the collection outside of the US and Canada. With the addition of the US and Canada, Warner/Chappell Production Music now represents CPM worldwide through its global offices and sub publishing relationships.

One of the largest and most respected production music catalogs in the world, CPM, formerly Carlin Production Music, is comprised of over 40,000 tracks spanning three series: main series, archive series and classical series.

Produced by Warner/Chappell Production Music's own London production team, CPM got its start in 1988 and has grown its reputation since, gaining a following based on its wide range of musical genres and high production standards.

"CPM has a long history and contains a wealth of versatile music across every genre imaginable," said Warner/Chappell Production Music President & CEO Randy Wachtler. "We are extremely proud to represent such a well-regarded production music catalog across the US and Canada, and look forward to building on its already fantastic reputation."

The CPM catalog has been licensed around the globe for many clients including Major League Baseball, Spongebob Squarepants, Dell, Geico, Armani, and more. The Armani spot can be viewed here.

Preview tracks from the CPM catalog click HERE

DISCTOPIA LAUNCHES New Platform Dedicated Exclusively to Independent Music Artists


DISCTOPIA LAUNCHES New Platform Dedicated Exclusively to Independent Music Artists and Streaming

Charlotte, NC (January 25, 2017)- Disctopia, a new app designed to serve the independent (unsigned) music artist and his/her fandom, launched today to provide the first innovative platform solution dedicated to indie streaming. The tech start-up, founded by Patrick Hill, amplifies the indie artist’s reach while allowing each artist to set a price, create artist splits and sell his/her music to directly to users. Disctopia, which is free to download, charges the artist a flat rate of $9.99 a month or $89.99 a year to be included. The app is committed to never placing ads on Artist Pages. All artists get paid weekly and retain 100% commissions and streaming (0.01 per true play collected by Disctopia).

Disctopia founder Patrick Hill saw an immediate need for this platform. “Currently only 2% of the global market is listening to music via streaming. Streaming is a brand new frontier in music taking shape. We want to kick open that door for indie artists to sell their music directly to their fans without a label in the middle of it all,” he shares. “For every artist that is signed, there are dozens making good music that are not. They have significant fan bases. Disctopia represents the next generation of artists,” Hill adds.

With the mission of “to be a company that inspires everyone to become an artist”, they already have several featured artists and boast a user base of over 5,000. Disctopia is different than Soundcloud. The founder believes there is room in the market for both. Soundcloud is mainly a discovery platform and Disctopia is a streaming platform to help monetize artists’ music and be heard.

The app also acts as a music player, syncing your music on your phone, replicating playlists and allowing the user to create new playlists. Disctopia, now available to artists and users worldwide, hopes to inspire artists, innovation, and better define the true financial and fandom success of an unsigned artist.

To download, go to iTunes App Store https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/disctopia/id1162011563?ls=1&mt=8
For more information on Disctopia, visit www.disctopia.com or email Social@disctopia.com

About the Founder
Entrepreneur and visionary Patrick Hill has founded and led several businesses to address complex technological challenges. Patrick currently serves as the Founder and CEO of Disctopia LLC, a burgeoning music platform for artists. He also serves as the Founder and Executive Director of A Cultivated Mindset (ACM), a web and mobile solution delivery firm focused on solving business complexities with technology applications. Prior to launching his businesses, Patrick held several technology positions with Bank of America and was tapped to be a part of the company’s leadership development program. During this program, he was mentored by technology management executives, which helped him refine his business expertise.

A native of Jacksonville, NC, Patrick earned his bachelor’s degree from Livingstone College and MBA from UNC Charlotte. He spends his free time cheering on the Panthers and Hornets with his wife and son in Charlotte.

Di Moda Public Relations
http://www.dimodapr.com

Expedition Delta & Chianti Rock new endorsement deal




Expedition Delta & Chianti Rock: new endorsement deal & new video released

Srdjan Brankovic’s Expedition Delta just released a new music video for the track "Thank You For The Good Times” taken from the album “Expedition Delta II” out now via Perris Records.

Alongside Srdjan Brankovic (founder, songwriter, guitarist and producer of the band) also many other, celebrated musicians have been involved in the project: Bobby Koelble (Death/DTA) Nikola Mijic, (AlogiA, Eden’s Curse) Nicola Di Già (Banco del Mutuo Soccorso), Santiago Dobles (Aghora), Dario Esposito (Il Balletto di Bronzo).

Also: exciting news concerning an exclusive deal may be now announced: Chianti Rock is the new extraordinary endorser of the international supergroup!

The renowned brand of Made in Italy is going to produce a superb quality of unique red wine dedicated exclusively to Expedition Delta and their new hit “Thank You For The Good Time”

“The idea –says Domenico Tancredi CEO at Chianti Rock- is to connect one of the world famous brand of Made in Italy to amazing music, which is synonym of freedom and energy.
This is the basic idea of Chianti Rock. This wants to be a product where music and Rock & Roll lovers gather and share events, passions and pure emotions.
This wine comes from pure passion and love for the earth. I combined in it my long time passions: Chianti and Rock & Roll. 

Strong and intense, this wine is extracted from Sangiovese grapes only, grown and produced according to the production regulations of Chianti Consortium.

And Chianti Rock would uniquely customize your events. It is born to gather the numerous and multiple customers who love to listen to great live music.
It can also be an original and exclusive gift for friends, customers or colleagues”

To connect the excellence both in music and wine, the deal has been enshrined

To celebrate the joy in life, the thankfulness towards Life’s gifts, an original package, a new Case of Rock is born from the combination of amazing music, a delicious wine, a unique brand worldwide renowned, an authentic love and strong passion.
You can view the new video here

You can buy your Chianti Case of Rock here

You can buy the album here

http://www.srdjanbrankovic.com/expeditiondelta/

Digital Radio Tracker offer valuable chart information for artists, labels and managements


DigitalRadioTracker offer valuable chart information for internet radio spins, a growth area that has always been impossible to know how many listeners are reached or how many times a song is played. 

 DigitalRadioTracker tracks 5,000+ radio stations worldwide, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Although most are internet radio stations, they've also included some terrestrial, college, commercial and non-commercial stations. This gives access to a good balance of radio beyond the traditional terrestrial FM stations that BDS or Mediabase offer. I can affordably purchase reports for projects (mine or the competition’s) to see the number of spins they are getting or have gotten historically, in what areas, on what stations, and how much total audience was reached.

 DigitalRadioTracker has proven extremely effective for use in planning tours, promotional campaigns, soliciting performances, and directly targeting a specific marketplace. Breaking new artists or gaining awareness for new projects for any artist is extremely challenging and without feedback and data, it becomes nearly impossible. 

 Since internet radio is less encumbered by “pay for play” than traditional radio, it signals that these markets contain an organic and authentic following of fans who have discovered the music on their own. For more established artists, it confirms where and when the spins are occurring. This information can be used to plan both domestic and international tours or to book shows in the area where there is increased activity. DRT Reports from similar sounding artists shows which areas can be easily penetrated to expand the artist’s fan-base because there are obviously potential fans there.

 The DRT Reports, which are sold individually or in bundles at a discounted price, break out the station, its location, the day the song was played, the time of day it was played, which version of the song was played and the total audience that the song reached that week. There is also a choice of reports from the past going back 8 weeks for my artist or any artist or song I choose to analyze. 

 After doing some research on this radio tracking company headquartered in Houston, TX, I realized DigitalRadioTracker has the ability to track all songs, even alternate versions of songs such as remixes, live versions and versions with or without featured artists. This is unique to radio tracking. Each report breaks down each version of the song and where it was played. Upon signing up for free at DigitalRadioTracker.com, I was able to purchase three different types of reports for each song I wanted:
• Weekly Overview DRT Reports show the day and amount of spins per day at each station
• Comprehensive DRT Reports detail the day and time of each spin at each station as well as which version was played
• Historical DRT Reports illustrate the 8 week overview of spins per day at each station 

 Today, there are approximately 41,000 internet radio stations around the world according to Internet-Radio.com (https://www.internet-radio.com). In June 2016, the US government reduced the licensing fee by half for internet-only broadcasts to $.0007 per stream. Performance fees were dropped from 9% to 8.8% and charges for webcasting at non-commercial radio stations stayed at $.0002 per stream.

 For a station with 2,000 listeners playing 15 songs per hour, the math looks like this:
• 15 x $.0007 = $.0105 per listener/hour
• $.0105 x 2000 = $21 for 2000 listeners in an hour
• $21 x 24 = $504 per day
• $504 x 365 = $184,960 per year

 The fee exceeds the gross revenues of every internet radio station. “It even exceeds the additional revenues made by traditional (terrestrial) stations that also broadcast on the Net. Even the lower rates ($.0002/stream) charged to non-commercial broadcasters are far higher than nearly all of them can afford,” according to Linux Journal (http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/6218).

 While SoundExchange tracks these stations and collects the mandated fees from the stations to then pay the artists from those fees, I can’t imagine they can easily chase all of the internet radio stations in the US. I can see where a DigitalRadioTracker Report would come in handy to collect artists’ fees from SoundExchange since it accurately tracks the spins of music by artist and by song. Since it’s their mandate to collect the fees, the artist is due the money.

 DigitalRadioTracker has been a wonderful addition to the music industry for artists, managers, record labels, singers, producers, songwriters, publishers and anyone who wants to track songs played at Internet radio, college radio and some terrestrial stations. The DigitalRadioTracker system logs every song played 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without fingerprinting or any special encoding. Unlike other tracking companies, DRT offers a risk-free guarantee! If a song has not received any spins, you get a credit to use towards another song. DigitalRadioTracker specializes in monitoring radio airplay by broadcasters of the following genres such as: 
• CHR/Pop/Top 40
• Urban-Hip-Hop/R&B
• Country/Americana
• Rock/Alternative
• Gospel/Christian/Inspirational
• Adult Contemporary
• Jazz/Blues/Fusion

 DigitalRadioTracker tracks songs internationally and offers weekly charts in each musical genre. The charts can be found at DigitalRadioTracker.com or you can sign up to receive them weekly via email. They are also posted on Instagram at @DigitalRadioTracker, on facebook.com/DigitalRadioTracker, on Twitter @DRTradiotracker and at http://NationalAirplayCharts.blogspot.com/.

 Wendy Day is a 24-year veteran of the urban music industry. She built her career starting Rap Coalition, a not-for-profit artist advocacy organization for rappers, producers, and DJs. Educating artists is her passion, and she is well known in the rap community for having negotiated some of the best deals in urban music and helping to build the careers of many new and unknown artists who've gone on to super stardom. Wendy helps artists make money with music by building their own independent record labels and has worked with a veritable who's who of rap: Cash Money Records (Juvenile, BG, Hot Boyz, Lil Wayne, Big Tymers), David Banner, No Limit Records (Master P, Mia X, Fiend, C-Murder, Beats By The Pound),Young Buck, Hurricane Chris, Slick Rick, Young Jeezy, BloodRaw, USDA, Do Or Die, Twista, Lil Boosie, Webbie,Trae Tha Truth, TMI Boyz, Trouble, UGK, and many others. If you text WENDYDAY to 44222, you can join her free email newsletter list. Follow her on social media @RapCoalition.

 More info HERE 



Audials against illegal downloading


A New Alternative !!!
Audials Music Rocket is now giving users the chance to enjoy free and legal music while taking a stance against illegal downloading. Audials Music Rocket also provides an alternative to traditional practices of buying and streaming music.

Enjoy Music – No Registration Required
With Audials Music Rocket, users can create and listen to their own custom playlists. Songs can be found by either using the search function or by browsing a database of 12 million hits. Audials Music Rocket also boasts a selection of 100,000 internet radio stations ranging across 120 genres.

A Legal Source of Music
Whether you’re at home on your PC or out and about with your tablet or smartphone, Audials Music Rocket gives users the chance to enjoy their very own private copies of the latest hits and songs as well as the complete discographies of over a million artists. Audials Music Rocket is the only software worldwide to extract audio tracks from music videos and simultaneously provide recordings from up to 50,000 monitored internet radio stations. This means that, in no time at all, users can enjoy recordings in music shop quality (up to 320kBit/s) with album artwork, lyrics and ID3 tags. Users can then choose their preferred format and save their songs either to their computer, cloud or mobile devices.

Enjoy Even More Free Entertainment with Podcasts and Music Channels
When music just isn’t enough, Audials Music Rocket provides even more entertainment with over 100,000 podcasts and a large number of popular online music channels.

Player, Music Management and Apps
Audials Music Rocket is equipped with an easy-to-use player and can organize large amounts of music on both Windows PCs and cloud storage. Using the free Audials Radio app, songs can be directly transferred to Android phones and tablets as well as Apple iPhones and iPads – without the need for a cable.

More information about Audials Music Rocket 2017 on: http://audials.com/en/audials/windows_software/audials_music_rocket/audials_music_rocket_windows_software_app.html

About Audials
Users of Audials Music Rocket benefit from Audials AG’s experience of over ten years in the field of providing music. Audials technology has been praised by the international press and voted “Software of the Year” by the public on numerous occasions. Audials AG is a leading company for entertainment software. The acclaimed software Audials One, Audials Tunebite, Audials Moviebox and Audials Radiotracker are available online at Audials.com or from specialist retailers. Audials One is also offered as an Audials Gold subscription exclusively on the Audials website. Audials software has been optimized for Windows 10, 8 and 7 operating systems and is also available as a Windows Store app and as apps for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets.

More info HERE

Leading figures from across the live music industry today called for a change in gig venue licensing

Uk Music announce that leading figures from across the live music industry today (Tuesday) called for a change in gig venue licensing to make it easier to stage events and help the industry thrive.

They want an amendment to the law which would ensure cultural benefits to the community are considered by local authorities when they make decisions about the award of music licences.

The House Of Lords is undertaking a year-long investigation into the effectiveness of the Licensing Act 2003, which provides the framework for music venues to operate. It called Paul Latham, chair of the UK Live Music Group, Alex Mann, live music official of the Musicians’ Union, and Mark Davyd, chief executive of the Music Venue Trust, to give evidence to a select committee this morning.

Read more HERE

About UK Music:
UK Music is the umbrella organisation which represents the collective interests of the UK’s commercial music industry - from artists, musicians, songwriters and composers, to record labels, music managers, music publishers, studio producers, music licensing organisations and the live music industry. The members of UK Music are: AIM, BASCA, BPI, FAC, MMF, MPA, MPG, MU, PPL, PRS for Music and the Live Music Group.

Stingray launched online music player

Stingray launched online music player

LISTEN TO free MUSIC ONLINE NOW! Unlimited, ad-free online streaming of music channels in all popular genres. 

Stingray launched the Stingray Music online music player; available free to everyone with a subscription to a provider that carries Stingray Music.

A complement to the popular Stingray Music mobile app, the music player offers unlimited ad-free streaming of the same channel lineup offered on televion. In addition, Stingray Music online also streams a selection of 2,000 Vibes channels in over 100 genres.

Vibes channels are exclusive to Stingray Music. Users combine up to three filters for a listening experience that's uniquely theirs; whether they need energetic pop songs to motivate a workout, elegant jazz tracks to entertain friends or a chill indie mix to relax on a weekend morning.

"We are excited to introduce the Stingray Music online music player to our global audience," said Mathieu Péloquin, Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Communications of Stingray. "We are always working to improve the user experience through new and innovative cross-platform applications. Our objective is to be the one-stop-shop, not only for providers looking for a comprehensive music offering, but also for listeners worldwide who crave a professionally curated music experience tailored to their tastes and needs."

With Stingray Music now available seamlessly across all platforms, there is no need to look anywhere else to hear the best music channels; from the most mainstream to the most specialized

To access the web player: webplayer.stingray.com

Music Marketing Manifesto offer insight into the world of music business


This is a talk radio show featuring top music industry executives, artists, managers, booking agents and producers who talk about the music business and review music from upcoming and independent artists.

In episode number 18 of the Music Marketing Manifesto Podcast Ali Handal, co-founder of Triple Scoop Music, offer insight into the world of music licensing.

Triple Scoop Music is a boutique music licensing company that focuses on serving photographers, filmmakers, and leading brands worldwide.

Ali gives us an insider’s perspective on how music licensing works and what you can do to increase your chances of of getting your music licensed. Spolier alert: It’s not all just about television and film!

To listen to the interview just go to iTunes (Search “Music Marketing Manifesto) and subscribe. 
The episode should start to download immediately. You can also click here to find the MMM podcast on iTunes.

read more HERE

Music Business Radio Podcast


Music Business Radio Podcast

This is a talk radio show featuring top music industry executives, artists, managers, booking agents and producers who talk about the music business and review music from upcoming and independent artists.

More OPPORTUNITY here
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