1. Streaming Royalty Payments Leap for Indie Labels

    August 14, 2017 12:25 PM EDT Merlin, the global digital rights agency for the independent label sector, recently announced that royalty payments to its 700-plus members for audio streaming hit $353 million for the 12 months ending March 2017 -- a 52 percent jump over the prev ...

  2. A2IM Responds to Billboard's Indie Power Players

    August 14, 2017 12:06 PM EDT A2IM congratulates its members who were honored in the Independent Power Player edition of Billboard . We are grateful to Billboard for finally recognizing the independent sector in this way. Unfortunately, Billboard 's editors chose their ow ...

  3. Indie Power Players 2017: What Makes a Music Company an Indie?

    August 14, 2017 12:00 PM EDT Record labels and publishers in this year's Indie Power Players list are defined as independent by their ownership through entities other than the three major music groups: Sony, Warner and Universal. Distributors are defined as independent t ...

  4. Revealed: Billboard's 2017 Indie Power Players, Led by Big Machine's Scott Borchetta

    August 14, 2017 12:00 PM EDT The 51 masters of the independent music business, led by the California-born owner of race cars -- who has driven Taylor Swift and Florida George Line up the charts.   EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR SCOTT BORCHETTA,  55 President/CEO, Big Machine Label Gro ...

  5. Black Coffee Keeps the Talk Straight and Music Exclusive on New Beats 1 Radio Show

    July 26, 2017 12:21 PM EDT You know that sleepy 2 p.m. feeling? Right after lunch, you get a bit sluggish, and you reach for your energy drink of choice? No one needs to drink all those chemicals. Why don't you try a little Black Coffee? The celebrated South African DJ ...

  6. Third Man's Lillie Mae Is Carving Her Solo Path, With Jack White's Help

    June 21, 2017 11:00 AM EDT "The best stuff coming out of Nashville is all by women," said musician Steve Earle in a recent interview with The Guardian , echoing a thought that has been expressed often in recent months. While he didn’t specifically name any artists ...

  7. Steve Madden's 5Towns Label Announces First Signing

    June 16, 2017 12:26 PM EDT Steve Madden is adding “music” to the front of his perennial mogul status after signing New York singer EZI as the first artist for his recently launched 5Towns Records, a venture with music industry veteran and frequent collaborator Steve Feinber ...

  8. CIMA Awards: Canadian Indies Honor Arts & Crafts for Gord Downie Project, Iconic Promoter Donald Tarlton

    June 13, 2017 3:17 PM EDT Stories of partnerships, loyalty, community and mentorship were key themes in the video tributes and acceptances speeches from the handful of carefully selected recipients at this year's CIMA Awards, held last night at the Glass Factory in To ...

  9. New York City Celebrates 'American Association of Independent Music Day' With Mayoral Proclamation

    June 06, 2017 5:06 PM EDT NYC's Indie Week finally gets its recognized by the city. The global independent music community may never have received as much recognition a as it did this morning when the City of New York turned up at A2IM’s Indie Week conference to offic ...

  10. Sony Merges RED Into The Orchard: What the Music Giant's Latest Consolidation Means for Indie Labels

    June 05, 2017 10:33 AM EDT CEO Brad Navin will continue to helm the super-charged Orchard. Sony Music Entertainment, which owns The Orchard and RED, two of the three largest independent distributors in the U.S., will merge the two into one global company operating under th ...

  11. Kobalt Music Secures $75 Million in Fresh Funding, Led By Hearst

    May 08, 2017 12:58 PM EDT In raising $75 million in growth capital, Kobalt pulled two rabbits out of a single hat. It can continue its strategy of pursuing growth at the expense of profits; and it achieved a $700 million valuation for the company. Hearst Entertainment and ...

  12. Following Universal Deal, Spotify Locks Down Indies in Long-Term Licensing Pact With Merlin

    April 20, 2017 11:06 AM EDT Spotify and independent label organization Merlin have agreed to a multi-year licensing agreement that ensures an uninterrupted flow of music from non-majors to the music streaming leader, plus extends to Merlin members the same flexible release o ...

  13. Susan Butler, Michael Huppe, Portia Sabin To Speak At A2IM Indie Week

    April 18, 2017 5:33 PM EDT This year's slate of speakers join keynoter Tim Westergren, Pandora's CEO and co-founder. Music Confidential's Susan Butler , SoundExchange president and CEO Michael Huppe as well as Merlin's Charles Caldas , Kill Rock Stars� ...

  14. Warner Music Sells Digital Distributor Zebralution

    April 03, 2017 11:42 AM EDT The founders of European digital distributor Zebralution have helped purchase the company back from Warner Music Group, it was announced Monday. Kurt Thielen and Sascha Lazimbat , along with Christof Ellinghaus of City Slang and Konrad von Loehney ...

  15. Nick Lowe, Ani DiFranco, Talib Kweli to Perform at A2IM's Libera Awards: Exclusive

    March 28, 2017 9:01 AM EDT Nick Lowe , Ani DiFranco and Talib Kweli will perform at the 2017 American Association of Independent Music's (A2IM) Libera Awards to be held June 8 at New York City's PlayStation Theater. Ted Leo will host the sixth annual event which w ...

  16. Academy of Country Music Awards Announces 2017 Nominees: Surprises, Snubs & Early Favorites

    February 16, 2017 11:06 AM EST If one can take anything away from the nominations for the 52nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, which were announced this morning (Feb. 16), it would be that the format has had a banner year. While new acts such as Maren Morris have added ...

  17. St. Vincent Confirmed as Record Store Day Ambassador for 2017

    February 10, 2017 12:36 PM EST St. Vincent is this year's Record Store Day Ambassador, joining an esteemed list of former diplomats including Dave Grohl, Josh Homme and Iggy Pop as the celebrity face of the annual holiday feting independent record stores. In a short announ ...

  18. SXSW Announces 498 Acts: Dead Meadow, Nicole Atkins Confirmed for 2017

    January 10, 2017 11:01 AM EST SXSW today released its latest and largest batch of acts scheduled to perform at this year's music festival and conference which runs from March 13-19 in Austin, TX. Some of the more established artists announced among the 498 predominantly u ...

  19. 21 Savage & Metro Boomin's 'X' Feat. Future Is Certified Platinum

    November 22, 2016 8:10 PM EST Savage has been on a tear of late, with four songs that landed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in November: his singles alongside Metro Boomin , "X" feat. Future and "No Heart," as well as featured verses on Drake 's &qu; ...

  20. Billy Miller, Co-Founder of Norton Records, Dies at 62

    November 15, 2016 10:31 AM EST Norton Records co-founder Billy Miller has died following a battle with multiple myeloma, according to the label. He was 62. Miller, alongside his wife Miriam Linna, launched and ran the fan zine Kicks Magazine in 1978, and formed Norton Records n ...

  21. Rostrum Acquires MGMT, Bear Hands, Francis & the Lights Records with Cantora Catalog Purchase: Exclusive

    October 06, 2016 12:03 PM EDT Rostrum Records, the Los Angles-based, Pittsburgh-borne label best known for breaking Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa , has announced its acquisition of the Cantora Records catalog, which includes recordings by MGMT , Bear Hands and Francis and the Lig ...

  22. Sacred Bones and Dais Records Announce Psychic TV, Thee Temple Documentary: Exclusive

    October 04, 2016 10:27 AM EDT Indie record labels Sacred Bones and Dais Records have announced the production of a new documentary entitled Message From the Temple , which delves into the fascinating story of  "anti-cult" Thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth (TOPY). The pai ...

  23. Steve Madden Launches 5Towns Records, and It's Not Just a Marketing Ploy

    September 30, 2016 4:09 PM EDT Footwear designer Steve Madden is putting his time and money behind a new independent label, 5Towns Records. The founder and former CEO of Steven Madden, Ltd. has partnered with Steve Feinberg of brand marketing firm 8spoke to launch the imprint, ...

  24. Cinematic Music Group's Jonny Shipes on Developing Artists and the Beauty of Staying Independent

    September 28, 2016 1:00 PM EDT In 2007, the thought of being independent in the music business excited a then-27-year-old Jonny Shipes . So when the New York native launched a new record label, Cinematic Music Group, with Harlem rapper Smoke DZA serving as his flagship artist, ...

  25. Paul Pacifico Appointed CEO of U.K. Indie Body AIM

    September 05, 2016 6:40 PM EDT Paul Pacifico has been named the new CEO of AIM, the London-based Association of Independent Music, which represents more than 800 U.K. indie music companies and labels, including Domino, XL Recordings, Wichita, Mute, Rough Trade and Cooking Vinyl ...

  26. CMJ Owner Says Announcement on Company's Plan Is Coming 'Soon'

    August 30, 2016 3:54 PM EDT CMJ Music Marathon, the long-running new music showcase and industry-wide conference, celebrated its 35th year in 2015, its second edition under new owner Adam Klein, who purchased the company outright in 2014. Whether it will celebrate its 36th i ...

  27. Go Your Own Way: How German Producer TheFatRat Finds Creative Freedom in Label Independence

    July 11, 2016 5:45 PM EDT Right now, all over the world, boys and girls are hunched excitedly over laptops, unzipping fresh cracked versions of Ableton or FL Studio or Reason, their fingers itching to crank out the next festival anthem. Their minds are whirring with the po ...

  28. Members of Merlin Report Digital Gains in Annual Survey

    June 16, 2016 4:00 PM EDT In a survey of more than 700 global members, Merlin, the UK-based the indie digital rights licensing agency and advocacy agent, found that its constituency commands about 12 percent of the global digital recorded music market. It also reported tha ...

  29. Radio, Vinyl and Streaming Take Center Stage at A2IM's Indie Week

    June 16, 2016 2:09 PM EDT On the penultimate day of the American Association of Independent Music's (A2IM) indie week convention -- held at the Marriot Hotel on the east side of middle Manhattan -- independent label executives discussed, with varying levels of optimis ...

  30. Chance the Rapper Switches Up His Release Strategy With 'Coloring Book'

    May 13, 2016 1:41 PM EDT "I don't release my music for free, I release it for freedom," Chance the Rapper says on "Blessings," off his third mixtape Coloring Book . True to his promise, the Chicago MC has yet to sell any of his music at retail, in ...

  31. Alabama Shakes, Kamasi Washington, ATO Lead Libera Awards Nominations

    April 11, 2016 12:21 PM EDT Alabama Shakes  and  Kamasi Washington are among the leading nominees for this year's 5th Annual Libera Awards, a celebration of the independent music scene that caps A2IM's Indie Week conference held this summer in New York City.  The  ...

  32. Indie Leaders Lean Hard on Major Labels, Call for Lobbying Investment During Grammy Weekend Lunch

    February 14, 2016 4:45 PM EST Two powerhouses in independent music took an opportunity to criticize the business practices of major labels at the Recording Academy's Entertainment Law Initiative luncheon, an annual gathering of the country's entertainment attorne ...

  33. 'It's an Ecosystem': New A2IM CEO Richard James Burgess on Goals for Indies and Beyond

    January 28, 2016 12:46 PM EST The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) will enter its next phase led by someone who has moved through a few himself. Richard James Burgess , named CEO of A2IM on Jan. 5 , joins most recently from a role as head of business for the no ...

  34. Richard James Burgess, Former Smithsonian Folkways Head, Named New CEO of A2IM

    January 05, 2016 11:00 AM EST Richard James Burgess , an indie executive with a diverse background who most recently ran the label operation of Smithsonian Folkways, has become the fourth executive to lead A2IM, the U.S. independent label trade group. Burgess replaces interim ...

  35. Nashville Notes: Capitol's I.R.S. Nashville Label Shuttered; Zac Brown Band on the Move

    December 16, 2015 1:32 PM EST Here is your weekly roundup of goings on -- artist signings, staffing moves, good news and more -- in the wide world of country music. 'ROUND THE ROW I.R.S. Nashville has shut down its Nashville operations, which president John Grady launched ...

  36. Merlin Sets Board for 2015-17, Martin Mills Reappointed Chairman

    November 17, 2015 9:12 AM EST Beggars Group founder Martin Mills has been reappointed chairman of indie digital rights group Merlin. The not-for-profit agency also announced results of its board elections, with executives from Epitaph, Because Music and elsewhere earning two-y ...

  37. Big Machine's Scott Borchetta on Taylor Swift, the Fight Against Free and Remaining 'Bold and Disruptive' on 10-Year Anniversary

    October 26, 2015 12:00 PM EDT The Big Machine Label Group recently started a new imprint called Nash Icon for the veteran artists on its roster. But those two words are an equally fitting ­description of founder Scott Borchetta 's status in his adopted hometown of Nashv ...

  38. United Record Pressing's Jay Millar Looks Back on Nine Years at the Center of the Vinyl Explosion

    July 01, 2015 9:52 AM EDT Jay Millar is a 20-year veteran of the music industry, spending past 8 years as the Marketing Director for Nashville, Tennessee's United Record Pressing. The previous 12 years were split between PolyGram, BMG, SonyBMG, and Universal. July m ...

  39. VP Records' Patricia Chin, Run the Jewels, Sturgill Simpson, Ghostly Among 2015 Libera Awards Winners

    June 26, 2015 10:49 AM EDT There may be no sweeter spot in all the music business than the American Association of Independent Music’s (A2IM’s) Libera awards, the fourth of which took place last night in New York, celebrating the independent music sector’s vast accomplishme ...

  40. Beggars Slams Apple Music's Free Trial as 'Taking the Mium Out of Freemium'

    June 17, 2015 1:30 PM EDT The mounting concern over the free three-month trial period that Apple Music will offer to subscribers for its interactive streaming service may soon be evolving into an outcry from independent labels and publishers. Today, the Beggars Group ques ...

  41. Indiependence: Is Anyone Really Free in This New Digital World? Should They Be?

    June 17, 2015 11:06 AM EDT The traditional record label or music publisher might be dying, but many rights holders, artists and songwriters are far from independent. They are members of coalitions and societies that negotiate on their behalf. They are also subject to rules ...

  42. SoundCloud Signs Deal with Indie Giant Merlin

    June 04, 2015 10:24 AM EDT Independent label organization Merlin, which represents over 20,000 independent labels, has signed a contract with SoundCloud to join the company's On SoundCloud program, the London-based organization announced today. The deal will allow Me ...

  43. Merlin Partners With Asian Streaming Service KKBOX

    May 27, 2015 1:34 PM EDT Global independent rights group Merlin has signed a licensing deal with Asia's leading music streaming service, KKBOX. The partnership represents Merlin's first ever pan-Asian specific deal and covers the territories of Taiwan, Hong Kong ...

  44. New Sun Ra Recordings To Be Released This Fall: Exclusive

    May 22, 2015 2:33 PM EDT A new series of remastered, reissued and unreleased recordings by Sun Ra (1914-1993), the late-great jazz musician, bandleader and cosmic philosopher, are coming out this fall, according to the Manimal Group, which will press and distribute the n ...

  45. A2IM Elects Martin Mills, Amy Dietz and Darius Van Arman to Board of Directors

    May 19, 2015 12:52 PM EDT The American Association of Independent Music ( A2IM ) has announced the election of three new members to its board of directors. The board, which was chosen by A2IM members, includes Beggars Group chairman Martin Mills , INgrooves evp Amy Dietz a ...

  46. FKA Twigs, Run the Jewels, Beggars Group Lead Libera Awards Nominations

    May 05, 2015 8:00 AM EDT FKA Twigs , Run the Jewels and Aphex Twin are among the leading nominees for this year's 4th Annual Libera Awards, nicknamed the LIBBYs, a celebration of the independent music scene that caps A2IM's Indie Week conference held next month ...

  47. Record Store Day Sets Twelve-Year Sales High for Indies, 'Certainly One for the Books'

    April 23, 2015 9:53 AM EDT Record Store Day 2015 was once again a triumph, according to merchants who participated in the event and data supplied by Nielsen Music. For the week ended April 19 -- Record Store Day was held on April 18 -- the independent sector counted for 532 ...

  48. Alcopop! Releases Blank Song Filled With 'Wit and Wisdom' of UK Politician Nigel Farage

    April 09, 2015 10:47 AM EDT Indie label Alcopop! Records is taking a cue from Stiff Records' 1980 ode to Ronald Reagan and releasing a completely blank 7" single ahead of the May 7 general election in the UK. Titled The Wit and Wisdom of Nigel Farage , the single t ...

  49. Indiana Indie Labels Call Boycott 'Well-Intended' But 'Misguided'

    March 31, 2015 6:38 PM EDT After Gov. Mike Pence signed the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law, countless people decried it as a thinly veiled means to legalize discrimination based on sexual identity in the state. Many argued that Indiana should be boycotte ...

  50. AIM Independent Music Awards Announce Return

    March 26, 2015 8:00 AM EDT The AIM Independent Music Awards, an annual celebration of indie artists and industry figures, will take place Sept. 8 at The Brewery in London. Returning as hosts will be XFM's John Kennedy and Radio 1's Alice Levine . "Independent ...

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