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Nicole George-Middleton, ASCAP SVP of Membership, Adds New Role As Executive Director of the ASCAP Foundation

by The Music Channel Staff
written by The Music Channel Staff

ASCAP’s Senior Vice President of Membership, Nicole George-Middleton, has been newly appointed as the Executive Director of The ASCAP Foundation.  In her role leading The ASCAP Foundation, she will report directly to ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews and join the ASCAP Executive Leadership team.

Commenting on the appointment, Matthews said: “Nicole is an outstanding leader with exciting, fresh ideas for continuing the incredible work of The ASCAP Foundation in music education, in nurturing and developing aspiring songwriters and composers and in using music as therapy. I am thrilled that we can tap her talents and her passion to help grow the important work of The ASCAP Foundation.”

Paul Williams, who serves as Chairman of The ASCAP Foundation, added: “The ASCAP Foundation is about heart and the power of music to bring joy and to make the world a richer, better place.  Nicole has a big heart, deep connections with our ASCAP songwriters and composers and a clear sense of how to harness the goodwill and energy of our entire ASCAP community for the greater good.”

In addition to her ASCAP Foundation work, she will continue as SVP of Membership reporting to ASCAP Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer John Titta.

George-Middleton has been at ASCAP since 2008, and was promoted to Senior Vice President, Membership, in 2016.  She is responsible for the oversight and daily operational management of ASCAP’s Rhythm & Soul and Symphonic and Concert Membership Departments on a worldwide basis.  Before coming to ASCAP, she was Director of Business & Legal Affairs at Zomba Music Group, and prior to that she practiced entertainment law at The Middleton Law Group PC.  She received her B.A. from University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.  She is a member of the American Bar Association, Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association, the Executive Committee of She Is The Music, and was named to the Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Power Players List in 2019 and 2020.

George-Middleton replaces Colleen McDonough, who retired earlier this month after 21 years with The ASCAP Foundation.  She was promoted to its Executive Director in 2015.   McDonough guided the Foundation during a period of growth and achievement in fundraising and in increasing the impact of its programming on the lives of children and aspiring music creators.  Among the many new initiatives that she helped launch are Creativity in the Classroom, Children Will Listen, Songwriters: The Next Generation at the Kennedy Center, Young Jazz Composer Awards, Fresh Air Fund Summer Guitar Camp, and so many more.  McDonough also was instrumental in the creation and implementation of the important ASCAP Archives and the annual “We Write the Songs” event at the Library of Congress.  McDonough will continue as a consultant to The ASCAP Foundation.

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BusinessLatest News

Recording Academy Bolsters Membership With 2,710 Music Creators and Professionals Invited

by The Music Channel Staff
written by The Music Channel Staff

the Recording Academy extended membership invitations to 2,710 established music professionals from wide-ranging backgrounds, genres and disciplines. The invitations are a reflection of the Recording Academy’s commitment to excellence and further growing its robust membership body. The invitations also reaffirm the Recording Academy’s recognition of the important contributions of music people to influence progressive changes within the music industry. The 2021 class of invitees is 48 percent female, 32 percent Black or African American+, 13 percent Hispanic or Latino/a/x+, and four percent Asian or Pacific Islander+. The Academy’s existing membership represents 26 percent female and 27 percent from traditionally underrepresented groups. Since setting the goal of adding 2,500 women voting members by 2025, 831 women have joined the Academy’s voting membership, putting the organization 33 percent closer to reaching that milestone.

“Membership is the Academy’s change agent — our members drive everything we do,” said Ruby Marchand, Chief Industry Officer at the Recording Academy. “I’m inspired by the potential for each invited music creator and business professional to lend their creativity and passion to our organization. We are immensely proud of our accomplishments and the strides we’ve made toward equitable representation. We look forward to welcoming our new invitees as they help us shape the future of the Academy and the music industry.”

“This is an incredibly exciting time to join the Academy and play a part in accelerating change, progress and evolution within the music industry,” said Kelley Purcell, Vice President of Membership and Industry Relations at the Recording Academy. “Our membership body is the driving force behind our actions, and we value the contributions of our members that help ensure the Academy’s practices authentically represent the current state of music. We’re excited to see what this new group brings to the table as we enter a new era at the Academy.”

Recording Academy membership reflects the rich, diverse and wide-ranging contributions of music creators and professionals. The areas of focus include service, advocacy and recognition of the art and craft of music with a community-driven approach and peer-reviews on an annual cycle. In order to participate in the process for the upcoming GRAMMY Awards®, new members have to accept their invitations by Sept. 15, 2021. The first voting ballot opens Oct. 22 and closes Nov. 5. The 64th GRAMMY Awards are set to take place Jan. 31, 2022, at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

To celebrate the new class of invitees, the Recording Academy is activating across its social channels, giving the music industry and music fans a look into what it means to be a member of the Recording Academy. New invitees will be featured across Instagram Reels, Voice Tweets and Instagram Lives hosted by Recording Academy staff and executives. Activations can be followed on the official Recording Academy Instagram at @RecordingAcademy and Twitter at @RecordingAcad.

 

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BusinessLatest News

S-Curve Records Relaunches In New World-Wide Partnership With Disney Music Group

by The Music Channel Staff
written by The Music Channel Staff

The S-Curve Records label has relaunched in a new world-wide venture with Disney Music Group, it was announced by S-Curve founder and CEO Steve Greenberg and Disney Music Group (DMG) President Ken Bunt. They also announced multi-platinum recording artist Andy Grammer, a long-time S-Curve hitmaker, as the label’s first signing, with more artists to come. S-Curve’s previous catalog remains with BMG, who purchased S-Curve’s music assets in 2015. S-Curve Records and Disney Music Group have been working together for several years, with DMG’s Promotion team working several S-Curve Records artists at pop radio, beginning with the multi-platinum “Honey, I’m Good,” from Andy Grammer.

Grammer  released his first single, “Lease On Life,” June 28. This anthemic song builds on Grammer’s track record of feel good pop music. Grammer recently performed “Lease On Life” on CNN’s graduation special which also featured Vice President Kamala Harris. “Lease On Life” is being used this summer for a global International Hotel Group commercial campaign. Holiday Inn Express, Intercontinental, and Kimpton are among some of the IHG brands. “Lease On Life” will be released under exclusive license from Grammer and long-time manager Ben Singer (Giant Soul Records) by S-Curve and Hollywood Records.

Said Steve Greenberg, “We’re absolutely thrilled to launch this new chapter of the S-Curve story in partnership with the Disney Music Group. We’ve had nine platinum hits working with their pop promotion staff over the past six years, and I think our new, deeper partnership with DMG is going to lead to very exciting things. Nothing could be more perfect than starting things off with new music from Andy Grammer, who has had more hits for S-Curve than any artist in the label’s 21-year history. Andy’s a truly inspiring artist and I’m certain the best is yet to come for him.”

Added Ken Bunt, “Steve’s musical acumen and attention to detail are truly remarkable, and we are thrilled to be partnering with him and his S-Curve label, as well as officially welcoming Andy Grammer to the DMG family. We have been working with Andy for many years now, supporting his incredible music at radio, and we are honored to be able to extend that relationship across the rest of the company.”

Grammer added, “To have partners like Disney and S-Curve team up with my Manager, Ben Singer, and I at our label, Giant Soul really excites me. As an artist it’s rare to have partners truly dedicated to fostering creativity and sharing it on a global level.” Manager Ben Singer added, “We’ve had so many wins through the years with Steve Greenberg and Ken Bunt that we knew this was the best home for the forthcoming body of work. Andy always seems to over-deliver in the categories of heart and pop magic and this next record is no different.”

Andy Grammer has consistently delivered stratosphere-sized smash hits buoyed by his impressive range, deft musicality and endless charisma. Since Grammer’s self-titled debut, the award-winning, multi-platinum artist and singer has been inspiring listeners around the world. Andy has scored eight chart-topping hits which together have been streamed billions of times worldwide – starting with his first breakout song, “Keep Your Head Up” and its follow up, “Fine By Me.” His 2014 sophomore album, Magazines or Novels, went gold and yielded the single “Honey, I’m Good” which reached quadruple-platinum status in the U.S., and which emerged as of the best-selling songs of 2015. The album also contained the platinum single “Good To Be Alive (Hallelujah).” He maintained his hit streak on 2017’s The Good Parts, whose first single, “Fresh Eyes,” achieved platinum status, and generated over 350 million streams. Andy’s 2019 album, Naïve, amplified both his message and musicianship. The album’s first single, the platinum-certified “Don’t Give Up On Me,” was highlighted in the critically acclaimed film Five Feet Apart. The song was also used in a campaign for ESPN’s 13th Annual V Week for Cancer Research, entitled “One,” which landed Grammer a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Music Direction and a Clio Award. Naïve, also has another certified hit, I Found You (RIAA Gold Certified), bringing this total number of certified hits to 8.

In addition to reaching fans through his music, Andy also makes a strong connection through his live shows. Grammer has performed on countless television shows, including three celebratory outdoor concerts as part of The Today Show’s Summer Concert Series, plus Jimmy Kimmel Live, Good Morning America, American Idol, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and many more. In addition, Grammer was a celebrity contestant on Season 21 of Dancing With The Stars. Throughout last year, Grammer spent a majority of his time in the studio working on new music that will be released this year. His most recent song, “Close To You,” with R3HAB is the first of many exciting things Grammer has in store for 2021.

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BusinessLatest News

Songtradr Acquires Global Creative Music Agency MassiveMusic

by The Music Channel Staff
written by The Music Channel Staff

Songtradr, the world’s largest B2B music licensing marketplace, is acquiring MassiveMusic, the leading global creative music agency that helps the world’s most renowned brands become more strategic and effective with the emotional power of music and sound.

The acquisition of MassiveMusic comes at a pivotal time in the industry where a rise in technologies and channels of content means the number of places where a brand’s sound is experienced is dramatically increasing. With the explosion of content creation across multiple media formats, the size of the music industry is expected to reach $131bn by 2030. Marketers more than ever have to cut through and create maximum impact, driving an urgency to optimize the power of music. Combining MassiveMusic’s unrivalled music for brands footprint with Songtradr’s technologies and data-informed B2B music products creates the only complete tech enabled music solution for brands in the digital age.

“MassiveMusic has built a standout reputation for bold, brilliant, creative music solutions for brands over the last 20+ years,” said Paul Wiltshire, CEO of Songtradr. “The complexities of the B2B music industry have made it challenging to fully adopt and leverage technology, limiting it from experiencing the same growth as the consumer music industry. Bringing our companies and competencies together creates the scale and trust to enable a true transformation of the B2B music industry and unlock significant growth potential.”

The leading creative music agency in the world, MassiveMusic has approximately 85 employees with offices in Amsterdam, Berlin, London, New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo. The company creates and curates world class music, strategic sonic branding solutions and music management for global brands such as Nike, Heineken, Apple and UEFA. This year, MassiveMusic launched the world’s first data-driven sonic branding tool: MassiveBASS, a revolutionary platform that combines art and science and predicts success in recall, distinctiveness and connection to brand personality. MassiveMusic has also won every possible industry award, such as Cannes Gold Lion, D&AD, CLIO, Transform and more. MassiveMusic has seen impressive growth over the past year, despite the backdrop of COVID-19, delivering double digit revenue growth in 2020 in comparison to 2019.

“At MassiveMusic we are very excited to be joining forces with Songtradr. Our services are fully complementary to each other, allowing us to further enrich the services that we provide to our clients. The global brands and talented creative agencies we work with can all profit from the unique proposition that is created by combining the world’s biggest B2B music licensing technology company with the leading global creative music agency,” said Hans Brouwer, Founder and CEO of MassiveMusic. “The thing that excites me the most is how our visions, ambitions and cultures are aligned. From the first meeting onwards our partnership felt like we’d been in a band for a long time already. We are looking forward to helping our global clients grow: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger; if you allow me to quote the revolutionary Daft Punk.”

With over 300,000 tracks licensed through their ecosystem and more than 1.5 million tracks on their platform, Songtradr has become the largest music licensing platform in less than five years. In 2019 it acquired Big Sync Music, and since gone on to acquire Cuesongs, Song Zu, Pretzel, Tunefind and made an investment into ASX listed music data company Jaxsta.

MassiveMusic will lead the B2B Music Services Division of Songtradr Group enabling brands and agencies to dramatically increase their marketing impact and solve all their music needs in one place. From artists, music licensing, bespoke music composition and sonic branding to tech, data and real-time insights, marketers can be more efficient and impactful.

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BusinessLatest News

Curaleaf’s Select Brand And Rolling Stone Announce Strategic Partnership

by The Music Channel Staff
written by The Music Channel Staff

Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. , a leading international provider of consumer products in cannabis, is proud to announce a first-of-its-kind strategic partnership between its Select brand and legendary music and culture authority Rolling Stone. Together, the leading lifestyle brand in cannabis joins the most prominent voice in music and pop culture to celebrate the symbiotic relationship between music and cannabis. The long term partnership leverages Select’s resources and experience creating progressive, industry-leading cannabis products alongside Rolling Stone, whose DNA lives at the intersection of music’s past, present and future.

The new line of co-branded Rolling Stone by Select products will include two product formats to start, including Select’s first-ever pre-roll, as well as “The Cliq,” Select’s newest proprietary pod system. Both formats will feature three strains and flavor profiles hand-selected by Rolling Stone to celebrate some of the most well-known and genre-defining artists and sounds in music history. The line includes a berry-forward “Overdrive” Sativa, complex and full-bodied “Reverb” Indica, and a fruity and calming “Phaser” Hybrid.

“Part of my job at Curaleaf is building brands people love. Select is a brand built around the relentless pursuit of progress, and going to great lengths to create the best possible experience for our consumer. This is a synergy we are honored to share with Rolling Stone. They are known for having one of the most authentic and discerning voices in modern journalism, and, as part of that, they’ve included cannabis in their coverage for the past 50 years – something many other publications are only just starting to do today. We’re honored and thrilled that the Rolling Stone team believes in our vision, our products and our people to create and deliver the highest-quality cannabis products and experiences in the industry,” said Joe Bayern, CEO of Curaleaf.

“Music and Cannabis go hand in hand,” said Rolling Stone President and Chief Operating Officer Gus Wenner. Rolling Stone has a legacy of celebrating this connection and a long history of reporting on the fight to legalize cannabis. “We are thrilled to have found a perfect partner in Curaleaf who gives us the opportunity to design a product that elevates the music listening experience and celebrates the deep connection between the two.”

Select’s commitment to enriching communities and creating inclusive, meaningful experiences and Rolling Stone’s world class storytelling and culture-defining content inspired the inception of a first-of-its-kind retail space opening in Las Vegas in 2022. Additional details on the space will be released in the near future.

In Nevada, Rolling Stone by Select products will be distributed through Select’s wholesale partners and at Curaleaf’s owned dispensaries, including Acres by Curaleaf and Curaleaf Las Vegas Boulevard.

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Latest NewsPopsliderVideo

Demi Lovato – ‘Sorry Not Sorry’ Video: Watch

by Malachi Weaver
written by Malachi Weaver

Demi Lovato parties with Jamie Foxx, Paris Hilton, and Wiz Khalifa in her new “Sorry Not Sorry” music video.

The footage for “Sorry Not Sorry” apparently comes from a house party thrown by Lovato on June 29. “On June 29th, Demi threw a house party and we made a music video,” begins the video. “This is what happened.”

Demi’s neon dance party was clearly eventful. The video shows partygoers around a swimming pool and in a foam filled room, as well as plenty of makeouts. Plus, the party is DJ’ed by Paris Hilton, and Jamie Foxx can be seen dabbing and Milly Rocking. Wiz Khalife also makes an appearance.

Check out “Sorry Not Sorry” below.

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Latest NewsPopslider

Lana Del Rey Calls Fans Who Leaked Album ‘Little F–kers’

by Malachi Weaver
written by Malachi Weaver

Lana Del Rey’s Lust For Life comes out this Friday (June 21), but a few eager fans got their hands on it a little too early…

Del Rey’s album was leaked last night, although it has apparently since been deleted. Lana seems to have found out about the leak last night via a Tweet, as one user wrote: “Omg l4l leaked cya in a hour.”

Needless to say, the singer was unpleased about this leak, writing “U little fuckers” in response.

Another fan then asked Lana if she wanted the link to the leak so that she could report it, to which Lana responded: “K what is it.”

A third fan tweeted back that the link had already been deleted and the singer responded with this:

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EDMLatest Newsslider

A-Trak Previews New Track With Quavo And Lil Yachty

by Malachi Weaver
written by Malachi Weaver

Quavo and Lil Yachty are teaming up again, this time with A-Trak.

A-Trak has been previewing a new track for the past couple of days, rumored to be titled “Believe.” The DJ first previewed the track on Monday, writing on Instagram “Just hanging with my buds in Barcelona! Song is sounding great, but Yachty’s got some language.”

Just hanging with my buds in Barcelona! Song is sounding great, but Yachty's got some language 😱

A post shared by A-Trak (@atrak) on

Another teaser came yesterday, in a similar Instagram post: “Now we’re in Ibiza! Just me & my budz listening to our song.”

Now we're in Ibiza! Just me & my budz listening to our song. 🎶

A post shared by A-Trak (@atrak) on

Quavo and Lil Yachty have appeared on multiple songs together recently, including Lil Durk’s “Homie B*tch” and Nexxthursday’s “Sway.”

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Latest NewsRockslider

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Biopic Confirmed To Be In The Works

by Malachi Weaver
written by Malachi Weaver

Queen unveiled on their official website that “Bohemian Rhapsody” is now in the works. The band’s biopic will star Mr. Robot’s Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury and will be directed by Bryan Singer.

The band wrote on their website, “After months of speculation, QOL can also confirm that the film is now ‘as-close-as-that’ to start of shooting. Pre-production begins next week in the UK to prepare for start of principal photography in around London as soon as mid-September.”

Whoever will play the other members of the band has yet to be announced, but the website says it will confirm it as soon as it can. See the full announcement here.

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Latest NewsPopslider

Justin Bieber Stops By Children’s Hospital To Surprise Fans

by Malachi Weaver
written by Malachi Weaver

Justin Bieber might be one of the biggest names in the industry, but that does not mean he doesn’t have time for the fans.

Bieber stopped by Children’s Hospital of Orange County yesterday (July 17) to meet up with fans, say prayers, and take pictures. One parent of a CHOC patient wrote about the experience on Instagram, saying “So … our nurse comes in and asks Victoria if she’s been asked about having a visitor? We say no. … Anyone wanna guess who her visitor was?!! #justinbeiber.”

In a second post, the same parent wrote “We still can’t believe Justin Bieber came in to meet my chicklette. What a blessing this day was to her (& I). I never knew he had this big of a heart.”

See more photos of Bieber’s visit below.

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