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No record label took them seriously. And yet this band sold 20,000,000 copies of their debut album. Here’s the story. It was the early 90s. Tim Sommer was just hired at Atlantic Records on their A&R team. His Job: Find & Sign the Next Big Thing. It was the early 90s – the biggest trend in rock? Grunge music. Everyone was signing grunge bands left and right. Tim even says – “In 1993, you could have been in a craptastic hair-metal band called, oh, Hellavator, and if you cut your hair, threw on a flannel shirt, and stuck a Tad sticker to your guitar case, you could have gotten a record deal.” Thousands of bands mail in their demos hoping they would get signed. One band from South Carolina sent in their demo titled “Kootchypop” Tim listened – it wasn’t grunge. It was college rock that had roots and folk influence. He knew no one was going to sign them. Everyone was into grunge. But an insight stood out to him. When he checked out who was on the Billboard Top 10, yes it was a lot of grunge bands. BUT ALSO…Bob Seger’s Greatest Hits. Tim’s insight – If people are listening to Bob Seger…who is serving the younger generation that kind of music? Who is making fresh music in that genre? Tim also understood the mid-Atlantic and Southern college scene well. They buy records. He decides to fly out to see them play in South Carolina. After the show, Tim tells the band he’s going to sign them. He heads back to Atlantic Records to tell his colleagues. The only problem? No one else was on board. But Tim tells them to trust them. They offer to sign Hootie & the Blowfish…to a very cheap deal. Only $75k advance to make the album. But there was no competition. No other record label wanted to sign them. So Hootie took the deal. The good part? They weren’t a priority for the label. So Tim had a lot of freedom. He picked the record producer without any fuss from label. And also had an unorthodox promotion strategy. When albums were released in the 90s, labels would focus on the major markets – NYC and LA – and try to dominate those record stores. But Tim had a different approach. Instead – he focused on record stores in the Carolinas and the states they already had an audience. The Goal: If Hootie & The Blowfish sold 1,500 albums the first week, the band could get on the Billboard Heatseekers and use that as a proof point for Atlantic Records to take the band seriously. The result? Instead of 1,500 units, they sold 10,000 units. That was enough expand distribution nationwide. They went on to sell 20,000,000 copies of their debut album, "Cracked Rear View". At the time, it was Atlantic Records’ best selling album. Ever. When I hear people say “zig when the other zag”, this is the story that usually comes to mind for me.

New Post: Want a Daytime Emmy in a Music Category? The Academy Has Some Tasks for You - https://lnkd.in/gZy_vATV - The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced some rule changes on Thursday (Feb. 1), which include requiring potential nominees in music categories to supply more information. Related Kelly Clarkson Is a Double Winner Again at 2023 Daytime Emmys 02/01/2024 “For categories identified as music categories (these are music direction and composition and original song in the Daytime Emmys), nominees will be REQUIRED to provide complete publishing information and sign an additional NATAS-issued licensing agreement allowing NATAS to use the music featured in the ceremony clip(s),” the Academy said in a statement. “The information will be distributed to nominees only. Failure to provide adequate information AND proper contact information for a legally authorized signer will result in a different clip being selected or replacement of the music with rights-cleared music at NATAS’ discretion.” The emphasis on the words “required” and “and” was in the original directive from the Academy. At the 2023 Daytime Emmys Creative Arts Ceremony in December, Jennifer Nettles and Bill Sherman won outstanding original song for “Life Is Sweet” from American Anthems (PBS). A platoon of 10 composers won outstanding music direction and composition for Home (Apple TV+). Just being considered for a Daytime Emmy isn’t cheap. Entry fees for program categories are $425 with a late fee of $500. Entry fees for performer, host and craft categories are $350 with a late fee of $400. Here’s the timeline for the 51st annual Daytime Emmys: Feb. 1 – Open for submissions/judging sign-ups Feb. 22 – Entry deadline March 7 – Late entry deadline March 21-April 11 – Judging for all entries Week of April 15 – Nominations announced - ----------------------------------------------------- Download: Stupid Simple CMS - https://lnkd.in/g4y9XFgR

New Post: LISA’s ‘Rockstar’ Rises Above All International Hits on Global Excl. U.S. Chart So Far in 2024 - https://lnkd.in/ganJCPUQ - LISA debuts at No. 1 on the July 13-dated Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart with “Rockstar,” notably making BLACKPINK the first group with three members that have led the list as soloists. The song’s flashy debut also breaks a long streak of geographical monotony on the international ranking. The Global Excl. U.S. chart ranks the 200 biggest songs of each week, based on streaming and data from more than 200 international territories, with U.S. consumption removed, as compiled by data tracker Luminate. So, even more than the Billboard Global 200, and in further contrast to the U.S.-based Billboard Hot 100, the Global Excl. U.S. chart has spotlighted artists from Africa, Asia, South America and elsewhere in its upper reaches since its 2020 launch. Related 2024 Midyear Market Share: Taylor Swift Helps Republic Beat WMG; Interscope, Warner Records… 07/11/2024 But while 2024 has minted new smash hits and ascendant stars, those breakthroughs have generally been by American acts, and performed entirely in English. LISA stands out not only as the first Thai artist to top the list in 2024, but also as the first artist not from primarily English-speaking countries the U.S., Canada, or the U.K. to reach the summit all year. (“Still, “Rockstar” is sung almost entirely in English, with one line in Japanese repeated.) At 2024’s midyear point (reflecting charts dated Jan. 6-June 29), 47 songs reached the top 10 of Global Excl. U.S., up noticeably from 26 during the same period of 2023. But just 40% of 2024’s top 10s in that span were by artists from outside the mainland U.S., compared to 92% last year and 85% the year before. In terms of language, 34% of this year’s top 10s included non-English-language lyrics, down from 58% in 2023 and 64% in 2022. Each of the last two years had major narratives, particularly in Latin music, driving representation in their first six months. In 2022, Bad Bunny released his culture-dominating album Un Verano Sin Ti, which spawned seven top 10s on Global Excl. U.S. Last year, Peso Pluma led a streaming explosion of regional Mexican music, expanding the pan-Latin footprint on the global stage. Plus, a growing wave of Nigerian artists including CKay, Rema and Tems have diversified the top of the chart. More than that, those years featured Global Excl. U.S. top 10s from Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Sweden and beyond. Many of those territories have cracked the top 10 this year as well, but less frequently, and amid a much larger pool of hits.

Understanding recoupment is crucial for independent music creatives as it directly impacts their financial stability and artistic freedom. By grasping the terms of recoupment in any deal they sign, artists can gauge how swiftly they can begin earning royalties after receiving an advance, thus influencing their cash flow and ability to reinvest in their craft. It empowers them to make informed decisions about their careers, ensuring they maintain control over their music and finances in an industry often fraught with complex agreements and opaque practices. #IndependentMusic #RecoupmentTerms #RoyaltyEarnings #FinancialStability #ArtisticFreedom #MusicIndustryInsights #IndieArtistTips #ContractNegotiation #MusicBiz #CreativeControl

Interesting article about the reinvention of an “old” category making a resurgence today. Appreciation for high-quality sound, multi-generational appeal, and the satisfaction in a nostalgic collectible…all drivers in the shift. With two music lovers in my household, I can attest to all 3 🙂 https://lnkd.in/gXYve-yy

New Post: Sony Music Revenues Jump 16% Thanks to SZA & Streaming - https://lnkd.in/gaSh6i_M - With SZA’s album SOS leading the way and the market enjoying more growth in streaming royalties, Sony Music’s revenue grew 16.0% to 422.1 billion yen ($2.85 billion at the period’s average exchange rate) in its fiscal third quarter ended Dec. 31, the company announced Wednesday (Feb. 14).  Other top releases for the quarter were Travis Scott’s Utopia, Rod Wave’s Nostalgia, Doja Cat’s Scarlet, Blink-182’s One More Time…, Tate McRae’s Think Later, Harry Styles’ Harry’s House and Fuerza Regida’s Pa Las Baby’s Y Belikeada. A couple holiday classics were amongst Sony’s top albums in the Christmas quarter: Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas and Phil Spector’s A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector.  Streaming fueled growth in both the recorded music and music publishing segments of the business. Paid subscriptions were a major factor in the first full quarter after Spotify raised prices in roughly 50 markets, including the U.S., in July. Favorable foreign exchange rates accounted for about 24% of the quarter’s 58.4 billion yen ($394.9 million) revenue increase.  Its double-digit revenue growth was comparable on a percentage basis to other music companies that have released earnings. In the same quarter, Warner Music Group’s revenue grew 17.5% to $1.75 billion and Reservoir Media revenue improved 19% to $35.5 million. Spotify, the largest single source for music royalties globally, grew revenue by 16% to 3.67 billion euros ($4.05 billion).  Sony Music’s margins improved across the board, too. Operating income improved 20.8% to 76.1 billion yen ($514.4 million) and adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization jumped 25.3% to 98.5 billion yen ($666.2 million). Adjusted OIBDA margin improved nearly two percentage points to 23.3% from 21.6% in the prior-year quarter.  The strong quarter led Sony Music to raise its full-year forecasts for the third consecutive quarter. On Wednesday, the company raised the forecasts for both revenue and adjusted OIBDA by 10 billion yen ($68 million) — revenue from 1.56 trillion yen ($10.37 billion at the current exchange rate) to 1.57 trillion yen ($10.43 billion) and adjusted OIBDA from 350 billion yen ($2.33 billion) to 360 million yen ($2.39 billion). When the company released its fiscal second quarter earnings in November, it increased its revenue guidance by 5% to 70 billion yen ($485 million) and adjusted OIBDA by 4%, or 15 billion yen ($104 million). In August, it raised its revenue forecast by 6%.  Both music divisions each posted solid year-over-year gains in the quarter. Recorded music revenues jumped 19.9% to 286.5 billion yen ($1.94 billion). Streaming revenue rose 17.2% to 186.5 billion yen ($1.26 billion) and accounted for about 58% of the segment’s improvem

New Post: With Major Label Deals Expiring, Will Beloved Alt Bands Go Indie Again? - https://lnkd.in/giuYNNgP - In the mid-2000s, indie rock was booming, and major labels swooped in to sign many of the genre’s biggest acts. Two decades later, MGMT, The Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie and Modest Mouse, among others, have emerged from those deals into a wildly different music industry. For artists who are coming out of long contracts, “it’s a whole new era,” says Kirk Harding, a longtime manager and co-owner of label and management company Bad Habit.  Recording contracts changed drastically between 2004 and 2024. There is also a new set of players for artists to choose from — not just the major labels and prominent indies, but a number of distribution companies that offer some level of services. “You can cherry pick what you want to be in your contract to some degree,” says Scott Brooks, the longtime manager of The Flaming Lips, which is currently without a label contract after fulfilling their deal with Warner Records. (Paramore is also a free agent.) “If we end up signing,” Brooks adds, “it’ll be a different kind of record deal than what we would have signed even a decade ago.”  Related Paramore’s Atlantic Records Contract Is Up, Making the Band a Free Agent 03/22/2024 Throughout the 2000s and into the 2010s, the majority of major label acts signed low-royalty deals and typically gave up ownership of three to five albums for a long period (often forever). On top of that, many agreed to what are known as “360 deals,” in which the label also participates in income from merchandise, sponsorships, ticket sales and more.  In those days, labels could get these kinds of terms because it was difficult, if not impossible, for artists to get national exposure without a record company’s help. Now, artists can build a global presence before partnering with any label. That means they have the negotiating power to ask for, and sometimes receive, terms that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. As a result, industry expectations around deal-making have shifted.   “I don’t think I’ve done a deal with anybody in the last few years where the artist hasn’t had at least 50% of the profit,” Harding says. “The new wars to wage are making sure that the deals and the reversions are short term, so that the artist can get through the deal and get back these new recordings quickly.” (If a band licenses its album to a label for 10 years, for example, after that time, the album reverts back to the band, usually conditional on recoupment of the deal.) Related

Powerful Platform Uncovers Hidden Royalties For Musicians https://lnkd.in/epPkgbP3 #mogul #incomeprotection #transparencyinbusiness #musicbusiness #unidentified #royalties #jeffponchick

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