Innholdsfortegnelse for November 23, 2013 i Billboard Magazine

NIELSEN ANALYTICS TO YOUTUBE Nielsen’s ad metrics are coming to Google and YouTube thanks to a new deal that has opened the Internet giant’s ads to thirdparty ratings for the first time. Ending a years-long insistence by Google on providing its own analytics to media buyers, Nielsen, as well as competitor comScore, will now be able to place tags on ads that measure how many people are viewing them and how often. The move is designed to help draw ad dollars from TV, where Nielsen enjoys brand loyalty with buyers. GLASS NOTES Google has revealed plans to integrate music into its much-talked about augmented-reality headset Glass. The product, which is still in limited testing, will be linked to the Google Play media library and allow users to play songs by…

Mobile-first, ad-supported services became real businesses in 2013. Twitter just had an initial public stock offering (IPO). Apple launched iTunes Radio. Facebook proved it can monetize mobile usage. Pandora’s shares are soaring. Market research reveals the engine of these businesses’ growth. According to eMarketer, global digital advertising will increase to $173 billion in 2017 from $104.1 billion last year. Mobile’s share of that will increase to 36.3% in 2017 from 8.5% last year, showing that small screens are generating big dollars. For the music business, a key question is: Can music subscription services tap this growth? These trends are fundamental to Facebook, Pandora and Twitte r’s business models. Digital advertising accounts for 88% of Facebook’s revenue, 84% of Pandora’s and 87% of Twitter’s . All three also benefit from the…

What did you wake up thinking about this morning? About the Latin Grammy telecast [Nov. 21], about the Person of the Year, about everything that we need to do to make sure that everything goes seamlessly. And how we can create more excuses for talent and labels and managers to be in Las Vegas that week so they not only celebrate music but also do fantastic networking and create opportunities for their talent. Describe a lesson you’ve learned from a failure. I don’t think “failure” is a word that exists in my dictionary. I think the word is “challenges.” When I joined this organization I was sure I was going to be here for a couple of years, put it together and let it run. But what I estimated to…

TOURING Creative Artists Agency promotes Allison mc-Gregor to agent in the talent firm’s music department. She previously oversaw tour marketing for the department. “My focus has expanded beyond the day-to-day aspect of a client’s touring schedule to now include bringing marketing support to all areas of their career,” says McGregor, who joined CAA in 1999. “I will be working with clients on the marketing and promotion strategies for all aspects of their careers—focusing mainly on selling tickets in an everchanging marketplace, and also being more involved in the overall career strategy and planning process.” She is currently working on projects for One Direction, Miley Cyrus, Kanye West, Kings of Leon, John Mayer, Britney Spears and the Eagles. McGregor is based in Los Angeles and reports to CAA head of contemporary…

BUSINESS MATTERS GLENN PEOPLES @BILLBOARDGLENN Album: Not Dead Yet Despite predictions, the album format continues to engage fans, both old and young—in fact, more teens are buying CDs Another year, another discussion about the viability of the album format. The chorus of album naysayers has grown larger as weekly album sales have recently fallen to historic lows. A simplistic analysis of annual numbers shows album sales are well below their peak. But the album persists in 2013 and is an indication of music fans’ willingness to engage. Here are the indisputable facts: Since 2000, annual album sales have fallen in every year but 2004, according to Nielsen SoundScan. During that time frame, annual unit sales have declined nearly 60% to 316 million from 785.1 million, and CD sales have fallen…

1 Feathers flew: Not even a $10 million jewelstudded bra and a flock of amazons could upstage the vocal might of Taylor Swift, who sang “I Knew You Were Trouble” and gave model Candice Swanepoel (left) something to strut her stuff to at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show at New York’s 69th Regiment Armory on Nov. 13. 2 Heaven on Earth: “It’s the ultimate fusion of music and fashion on one stage,” says Republic Records executive VP Charlie Walk (left), who enjoyed the show with DuJour Media Group founder Jason Binn. “Taylor Swift transformed the fashion show into a full-on rock concert.” 3 God save the band: Fall Out Boy’s Joe Trohman, Patrick Stump, Andy Hurley and Pete Wentz rocked the runway clad in plaid joined by a Union Jack-wearing…

“If you want to meet people in the music business, come to my class,” says Heather Peggs, an A&R consultant at Lava Records and an instructor at SoulCycle in Los Angeles. “I see way more music types here than when I used to go out every night.” Trading late-night highs for that early-morning endorphin rush, executives are congregating at SoulCycle, the trendy spin mecca that started in New York and has mushroomed in L.A. over the past two years with studios in West Hollywood, Brentwood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. It’s networking with health benefits. “Everyone’s watching their weight,” Peggs says. “So people would rather meet at a fun class than over a heavy meal.” Pegg’s personal trajectory from full-time A&R nightcrawler for Capitol and Atlantic to fitness fanatic reads…

The 2013 Grammy Awards were the second-mostwatched Grammys of the past 20 years, per Nielsen Media Research, with tune-in from more than 28.4 million viewers. The telecast defi-nitely helped drive music sales: Overall album sales were up 17% week over week, while digital track sales increased by 8% during the same time period, the week ending Feb. 17, according to Nielsen SoundScan. But several artists’ profiles got an arguably even bigger bump. Take Miguel, who in the days immediately following his breakout performance of “Adorn” at the 2013 Grammy Awards got phone calls that led to him being one of the year’s most prominent guest vocalists in pop and R&B. Collaborations with Mariah Carey (“#Beautiful”), Big Sean (“Ashley”) and Janelle Monáe (“PrimeTime”) were soon solidified, and his freshly recorded duet…

While Walmart may still sell more music, in the eyes of record label executives Target’s marketing prowess has helped the Minneapolis -based merchant pull neck and neck with the Bentonville, Ark.-based discount store operation. The Target circular reaches 50 million homes and generates 100 million impressions, but the most important aspect of getting an album cover into the circular means that it’s a priority at the chain’s stores and will be placed on either an endcap or a fixture near the checkout lane. Album placement in the checkout lane of every Target store can be a huge advantage , one label executive says. Another points out, “Target still has a very aggressive music stance. When they focus on an artist, they win big for that artist. They are good at…

Festival appearances are important in any genre. But in EDM, they can entirely change the game for a fledgling artist. Performances at dedicated dance fests Tomorrowland and Ultra Music Festival ranked Nos. 5 and 7, respectively, on this year’s Maximum Exposure EDM poll, with multigenre festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza coming in at No. 6. “Festivals level the playing field by providing a builtin audience to the majority of performers,” Jake Udell of Th3rd Brain Management says. “It’s one thing to perform in front of 300 of your own fans, but nothing compares to performing in front of tens of thousands.” So it was for Udell’s act Krewella, a three-piece dance act led by the Yousaf sisters, Jahan and Yasmine, which just released its debut album, Get Wet, on Columbia.…

01. Performance on “Saturday Night Live” AUDIENCE: 6.5M 02. Regular coverage on Pitchfork MONTHLY VIEWERSHIP: 5M unique visitors 03. Performance on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” AUDIENCE: 1.8M 04. Album/single review on Pitchfork MONTHLY VIEWERSHIP: 5M unique visitors 05. Feature on NPR’s “All Songs Considered” MONTHLY VIEWERSHIP: 1M unique visitors 06. Pre-release album stream on NPR’s “All Songs Considered” AUDIENCE: 1M 07. Featured as Free Single of the Week on iTunes AUDIENCE: N/A 08. Video featured on YouTube Music home page MONTHLY VIEWERSHIP: 1.1B 10. Becoming a leading live draw at a top club in artist’s home market AUDIENCE: N/A 11. Subject of original video production on Pitchfork.tv YOUTUBE CHANNEL SUBSCRIBERS: 234K 12. Complete My Album feature on iTunes AUDIENCE: N/A 13. Song featured as Starbucks’ iTunes Pick of the…

Landing a theme on a soap opera has practically been a rite of passage for most major Latin acts. When a soap sticks, it sticks—across country borders, across languages, across time zones. And along with the soap comes its theme, played at the beginning and at the end of every single daily airing of that soap opera. It’s a powerful vehicle that has launched many careers. But while for years soap opera themes were mainly vehicles for leading ladies or gents who also had vocal aspirations (Lucia Mendez, Thalía, Jos Luis Rodriguez “El Puma”), today they’re considered a prime marketing tool with many ramifications. Indeed, it’s rare to find a major-label release nowadays whose marketing doesn’t include a soap opera theme. The power of soaps can be appreciated in “Hoy…

Sharon Jones is feeling great today. The singer has just taken a seat in the kitchen at a friend’s house in upstate New York, where she’s been charting her progress day by day since having surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in her bile duct this past June. “I got my green drink—I’m ready to go,” says the Dap-Kings frontwoman with the same vivacity in her 57-year-old voice that has made the retro-soul band a must-see for nearly a decade. “Sometimes I can get so weak—walking up the 16 steps to my bedroom feels like I ran a mile. But doctors say that’s just the chemo, and I’m more than halfway there. They don’t want to quote an exact date, but it’s looking like New Year’s Eve will be my…

DJ Ron Slomowicz, noncommercial WRFN Nashville. Ferry Corsten featuring Jenny Wahlström, “Many Ways” The Björk EDM single we’ve been waiting to hear. When Swedish singer Jenny Wahlström comes in, the resemblance is uncanny— they share an angelic quirkiness. Lazy Jay, “On the Rocks” Jay gained much notoriety for “Float My Boat,” which Azealia Banks used for her “212.” His new single “On the Rocks” is unpredictable madness. It has elements of trap, dubstep , ’90s techno with a slightly modern twist and a moombahton break that shouldn’t work, but does so perfectly. Martin Solveig & Laidback Luke, “Blow” This is an electro jam with big chants and big drums . The signature Solveig buildup leads to what could be described as a “Rattle”-era Bingo Players remix of Depeche Mode’s “Strangelove.”…

British synth-pop duo Hurts has flown largely under the radar in the United States, despite releasing two lovely Depeche Mode-indebted albums in its native United Kingdom. This slinky collaboration with EDM mega-producer Calvin Harris and frequent Swedish House Mafia cohort Alesso should help change that, even if the synths and beat drops distract from the fact that the song is lacking a walloping vocal hook like previous Harris bangers “We Found Love” or “Sweet Nothing.” That means less crossover potential at top 40, but more than enough of the needed elements to make this a mainstay of Harris’ future sets at festivals and Las Vegas nightclubs. Ultimately, the best outcome for “Under Control” might be to create demand for a U.S. release of Hurts’ excellent sophomore album, Exile, which Sony…

Beneath the high-art lyrical references and driving electronic production of most Lady Gaga songs are straightforward pop hooks, many of which are quite efective. The same holds true for Gaga’s ARTPOP app, released simultaneously with her album of the same name, which relies upon a complex premise to introduce a streamlined environment for Gaga diehards to hear the album and create some cool images while chatting with each other. Developed by Relative Wave and free to download on iPad, iPhone or Android, the app prompts users for a surprising amount of personal information upon downloading. “Before you can exist in the universe of ARTPOP, I must first generate your aura,” says Petga, the app’s interface, which then asks users to enter their name, a location, and to select their personality…

The 47th Annual CMA Awards The 2013 CMA Awards send shockwaves through the Billboard charts this week. On the Top Country Albums chart, the entire top five sees gains courtesy of an appearance on the Nov. 6 show. Meanwhile, newly crowned entertainer of the year George Strait earned a 108% rise in song sales, and his current album, Love Is Everything, jumps 29-21 on Country Albums with a 137% increase. 23% Ratings were up for the show, as Nielsen reports that 16.8 million viewers tuned in for the awards—up 23% from last year’s haul of 13.7 million. The broadcast also drew 4.7 million viewers in the key demographic of adults 18-49, a growth of 24%. 567% The album that saw the largest percentage gain from the show is Kacey Musgraves’Same…

Eminem makes a splash at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, as his new album The Marshall Mathers LP 2 debuts atop the list with a bigger-than-expected 792,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Last week, industry sources had forecast the Web/Shady/Aftermath/Interscope album to sell around 750,000. It marks the second-largest sales week of the year, behind only Justin Timberlake’The 20/20 Experience, which started with 968,000 in March. The year’s second-largest week had been the debut of Drake’Nothing Was the Same (658,000). The Marshall Mathers LP 2 also logs the sixth-biggest sales week of the past five years. Since November 2008, larger weeks were only earned by Taylor Swift’Red (2012, 1.2 million debut), Lady Gaga’Born This Way (2011, 1.1 million debut), Swift’s Speak Now (2010, 1 million debut), Timberlake, and Lil Wayne’Tha…

“We’re no longer in the music business—it doesn’t exist anymore. We’re in the multimedia business. If 10 years from now we continue to say the music business is dying, then we deserve for people to say that.”¶ Scooter Braun said this to Billboard in an interview from his home in the Hollywood Hills at the top of the year, and it’s a mission statement that has driven a strategy shared by his friends and frequent business partners Troy Carter and Guy Oseary throughout the remainder of the year. The three music managers made headlines in the past week for selling 50% or more of their management businesses to outside investors. When Billboard first profiled the trio in an April cover story detailing their investments in the tech and startup communities,…

Sally Williams has a hand in some of Nashville’s most cherished institutions. She has been GM of the awardwinning Ryman Auditorium since 2008, and earlier this year she took on the role of VP in charge of business and partnership development for the Opry Entertainment Group. 5.30 AM Check e-mail while brushing my teeth. Send a note of congratulations to manager Norm Parenteau regarding two upcoming, sold-out Old Crow Medicine Show concerts on Dec. 30-31. Head to the gym in time for a 6 a.m. class. 9.00 AM Phone call with Brenda Colladay, Grand Ole Opry and Ryman curator, to discuss “From the Stage to the Screen,” a new exhibit for next year that will showcase television shows, movies and videos that have been shot at the Ryman. 10.30 AM…

Spotify’s Funding Carousel WHAT: Digital music service Spotify is in talks with Silicon Valley-based venture capital f rm Technology Crossover Ventures to raise up to $200 million in a late-stage round, according to people familiar with the matter. The early funding discussions could see the London-based company valued at more than $5 billion, one source says. The 5-year-old company says it has more than 6 million paying subscribers worldwide. WHY: Spotify has focused on winning subscribers over by offering the best consumer experience it can from a technological perspective with a “freemium” model that includes free access to music with the hope that consumers will sign up to pay for an even better experience. The strategy has been reasonably successful if you look at Spotify’s announced user numbers. It has…

Grammy and Academy Award winner Melissa Etheridge has inked a deal with Primary Wave Music’ talent management division. Etheridge looks to leverage Primary Wave’s resources, including its in-house team of marketing, press and film/TV and ad licensing. Alongside a roster of CeeLo Green, Natalie Imbruglia, Flyleaf and Trevor Jackson, Etheridge is gearing up for a new boxed set of unreleased material, tentatively titled Unheard Of, plus a forthcoming new album in 2014. She also looks to begin filming a documentary while continuing work on her syndicated “Melissa Etheridge Radio Show” (Benztown Radio Networks), which gives her a platform to discuss topics ranging from breast cancer awareness to LGBT rights to environmentalism . . . Third Point, the hedge fund run by Daniel Loeb, now holds up to 1.6% of Sony…

LATIN NOTAS LEILA COBO @LEILACOBO Colombian band Bomba Estereo plays a blend of electronica, traditional Colombian rhythms and hip-hop. It releases its albums on Polen Records, a small Colombian indie. All told, here in the United States it has sold 16,000 copies of its three albums, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In other words, Bomba is anything but mainstream. And yet, the group, which is celebrating its first Latin Grammy nomination (for best alternative album, for 2012’s Elegancia Tropical), has managed to build a touring calendar that many other major Latin acts would envy, playing 300-plus shows in the past three years. How the band has done it underscores the value of old-fashioned promotion and risk taking that goes beyond what a label can do. “Our promotion has been playing live,”…

Dionne Warwick and Janelle Monáe got funky at the Soul Train Awards in Vegas; Lorde, HAIM and Emeli Sandé ruled VH1’s You Oughta Know in New York; Translation’s Steve Stout and Pharrell raised the roof at Alicia Keys’ Black Ball. 1 HAIM time: Danielle and Alana Haim, VH1 president Tom Calderone and Este Haim (from left) showed some love for each other at the taping of VH1’s “You Oughta Know in Concert” at New York’s Roseland Ballroom on Nov. 11. VH1’s broadcast of the show, which includes HAIM, Lorde, Emeli Sandé, the Lumineers, Ed Sheeran and Matt Nathanson, airs on Nov. 21. 2 Soul power: R&B’s biggest names turned out for the Soul Train Awards on Nov. 8 in Las Vegas, including Centric president/GM Paxton Baker (left) and BET chairman/CEO…

The Doctor Is In Colombian producer Julio Reyes Copello, who has worked with everyone from the London Symphony Orchestra to Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez, is known for blending classical with contemporary and turning it into melodic gold. But the secret to his success doesn’t lie in technical details. “I have the capacity to not intimidate the artist and create an atmosphere conducive to magic,” Reyes Copello says. “I can have the best engineer and console in the world, but if the atmosphere isn’t right, nothing happens. That’s what this place is about.” “This place” is his 6-month-old recording studio, housed in what was once a dilapidated home on a residential block of Southwest Miami. Most would have walked right past the compound, tucked behind large, leafy trees, but the…

Apple’s place atop the music retail food chain gives it an incredible amount of influence. So it’s no surprise that iTunes has 13 entries in this year’s Maximum Exposure survey. The store had a 41% share of the U.S. record business in 2012, according to Billboard’s calculations, and it has a 63% share of digital sales, according to NPD Group. The relatively limited number of ways to reach fans through iTunes makes them highly coveted in the industry. The most valued position at iTunes is home-page placement. And why wouldn’t it be? iTunes’ home page is the digital equivalent of a CD display near the entrance of a Tower Records. Prime placement all but guarantees people will see your product. But the impact will vary for a number of reasons.…

Clear Channel’s star-studded concert reaches millions worldwide Artists who perform at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas “can’t help but see some kind of lift, because the exposure is in the hundreds of millions,” says Clear Channel Entertainment Enterprises president John Sykes, who co-executive produces the event with Tom Poleman, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment president of national programming platforms. The third annual iHeartRadio Music Festival, held Sept. 20-21, drew about 12,000 per night to the MGM Grand Garden Arena with performances from Katy Perry, Paul McCartney, Drake and many other A-listers. But Sykes estimates it was seen and heard by about 20 million people globally. The festival was broadcast live on 150 Clear Channel radio stations, live-streamed and televised as a two-night prime-time special on the CW Network.…

CBS Radio’s legendary Los Angeles alternative station KROQ continues to be the format’s key tastemaker. “KROQ’s influence travels well beyond the counties of Southern California. Its impact is global,” Capitol Music Group senior VP of promotion Bill Carroll says. Last month, Capitol scored its latest No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative chart with Bastille’s “Pompeii.” More than two dozen stations played the song before KROQ gave it its first spin on June 24, according to Nielsen BDS, but the track debuted on the survey reflecting the week that KROQ came onboard. The add “caused an immediate reaction in sales and chatter about Bastille locally and nationally,” Carroll says. “KROQ has a great reputation of stepping out early on records that it’s passionate about,” Alternative Distribution Alliance VP of promotion and label…

Alate-night institution that’s played host to envelope-pushing superstars from Radiohead and U2 to Kanye West and Miley Cyrus, it’s no surprise that emerging artists and their advocates dream of leaving their mark on the famed Studio 8H where “Saturday Night Live” films. But with only 20 episodes in a typical “SNL” season, bands in the early phases of their careers must be prepared to compete in the same pool as recent musical guests like Paul McCartney and Eminem. Alabama Shakes, the soul rock band on ATO Records, had a breakout moment on the show this February, when a well-received performance helped lift the band’s 2012 debut album, Boys and Girls, 20-6 on the Billboard 200—the album’s peak. The booking was scheduled for the week after the 2013 Grammy Awards, where…

The Maximum Exposure survey of music platforms in Japan shows, once again, that TV reigns as the primary medium to reach mass audiences and support sales. Sebastian Mair, CEO of Tokyobased music promotion consultancy Music Solutions, explains, “Japan still has one of the highest per-capita rates of TV watching [30-plus hours per week]. While Japan has definitely jumped in broadband subscriptions, Japanese have over one mobile subscription per person. It has continued to be the personal Internet medium of choice, which does not lend itself to pop music promotion.” Nobuyuki Hayashi, one of the most important journalists writing about digital and new media in Japan, concurs. He says, “TV remains the No. 1 way to promote pop music in Japan. Why has [broadcast] TV remained so dominant in Japan when…

Even as a university dropout delivering Domino’s pizza and living with his Pakistani immigrant parents in Watford, England, Shahid Khan—aka Naughty Boy— knew he wanted to make music. “I was thinking, ‘I’m never going to convince my mum and dad that I can do music if I’m just having a job part-time,’” says the songwriter/producer, who will make his of cial stateside artist debut via Capitol Records on Dec. 3 with the single “La La La,” featuring Sam Smith. “I had to do something crazy.” So, in 2006, Naughty Boy entered the British TV game show “Deal or No Deal”—and walked away with 44,000 pounds ($70,300). He used that money, along with a 5,000-pound ($8,000) grant from Prince’s Trust, a youth charity with a program that funds startup businesses, to…

In mid-October, Donald Glover worried fans and observers with a series of Instagram photos of handwritten notes that outlined his various fears. “I’m afraid of the future,” the first read. But for the actor/comedy writer/rapper, who releases music under the name Childish Gambino, it wasn’t a cry for help—it was one for honesty. “People think I’m depressed, but I’m just being real with myself and with everybody,” Gambino says. “A good percentage of my day was spent making people feel comfortable, and the music that goes with this story isn’t necessarily comfortable. I feel like I don’t have the time to make people comfortable.” The music in question is of Gambino’s new album, because the internet, out Dec. 10 through Glassnote. The LP, a bizarrely compelling collection of songs that…

EVENT: VH1’s You Oughta Know in concert VENUE: Roseland Ballroom, New York DATE: Nov. 11 VH1 assembled a painfully cool lineup for its first You Oughta Know concert, showcasing seven rising acts who’ve bene ftted from the network’s exposure during the last year— Lorde, HAIM, the Lumineers, Emeli Sandé and a pre-taped Ed Sheeran were among the big names. Even the more expected acts for a VH1 showcase delivered riveting surprises, including a team-up between folk-pop duo Johnnyswim and Mat Kearney on the former’s single “Heart Beats.” The unabashed highlight, however, was HAIM’s earnest take on Sheryl Crow’s 1994 hit “Strong Enough,” complete with a guest verse from Lorde. It was a meta moment, to be sure, having two young acts play a song that was all over VH1’s airwaves…

Dev Hynes isn’t a super-producer—he’s never had a hit on the Billboard Hot 100 or mainstream radio—but a growing swath of indie-leaning pop and soul music bears his mark. Since he first began recording as Blood Orange in 2009, Hynes’ stylish midtempo balladry and ’80s-indebted R&B have bled into celebrated collaborations with Solange, Sky Ferreira, Florence + the Machine and more. On second solo album Cupid Deluxe, he brings new collaborators into the fold while demonstrating an increased focus on songcraft. Lead single “Chamakay,” featuring a show-stopping cameo by Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek, is airy, evocative and dripping with feeling. Meanwhile, the epic “Chosen” melds a choir, a saxophone and a drummachine loop borrowed from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The mode here is mostly lush, slick and somber, but there’s…

Bebe Rexha is having a “monster” of a moment. The 23-year-old Staten Island, N.Y., native co-wrote and sings backup on Eminem’s “The Monster,” featuring Rihanna, which rises to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 after bowing at No. 3 last week. And Rexha has another hit in Cash Cash’s pulsing EDM song “Take Me Home,” which is led by her soaring vocals: In its 12th week on Dance/Mix Show Airplay, the track falls 2-4. It peaked at No. 25 on Dance/Electronic Songs in August and has sold 67,000 copies to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan. “I’m making the music that I love,” Rexha says of the songs. “I love alternative, I love EDM, I love pop—it’s all my favorite things put into one and I’m happy with it.” “I’m…

LEGEND Bullets indicate titles with greatest weekly gains. Album Charts Recording Industry Assn. of America (RIAA) certification for physical shipments & digital downloads of 500,000 albums (Gold). RIAA certification for physical shipments & digital downloads of 1 million units (Platinum). Numeral noted with Platinum symbol indicates album’s multiplatinum level. RIAA certification for physical shipments & digital downloads of 10 million units (Diamond). Numeral noted with Diamond symbol indicates album’s multiplatinum level. Latin albums certification for physical shipments & digital downloads of 50,000 units (Oro). Latin albums certification for physical shipments & digital downloads of 100,000 units (Platino). Numeral noted with Platinum symbol indicates album’s multi-platinum level. Digital Songs Charts RIAA certification for 500,000 paid downloads (Gold). RIAA certification for 1 million paid downloads (Platinum). Numeral noted with platinum symbol indicates…

Irving Azoff. The veteran artist manager wrote many of the rules of modern artist management, so he’s probably the right person to break them. His new MSG joint venture will be a leader in redefining artist-manager relationships for the 21stcentury music business. Digital services. One reason managers are joining forces is to be able to negotiate better rates or advances for their artists from digital services like Spotify and Rhapsody, which typically pay based on number of plays. A powerful artist group cartel could also demand equity stakes in these businesses. Brands. Big consumer-facing brands like Pepsi and American Express have become a more prominent part of the major music funding ecosystem in the last decade. Having a powerful management group becomes more important in dealing with dominant corporates used…

Rap Genius, the lyrics site with financial backing from Silicon Valley heavyweights, has signed its first licensing deal. Now the question is if more of such agreements are on the way. Billboard has learned the Brooklyn-based startup has a licensing agreement with Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the largest song publisher with 33% market share in the third quarter, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The site, which has branched out into news and poetry, is among the most popular of unlicensed lyrics sites, according to a list released by the National Music Publishers’ Assn. (NMPA). In a statement to Billboard, Sony/ATV Music Publishing chairman/CEO Martin Bandier acknowledged Rap Genius’ ability to reinvent how fans interact with song lyrics. “Rap Genius allows our songwriters and artists to connect directly with their fans in a…

Beats Music. Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre’ music service is widely expected to be available with AT&T phones after it launches in the first quarter. But the Beats team might reconsider “freemium” if Spotify continues winning more fans. Deezer. Axel Dauchez’ company has focused on its home market of France and other European markets but avoided the United States so far. News that it now has 5 million subscribers could set the stage for a North American approach and a new challenge for Spotify. Rhapsody. After reaching a strategic investment agreement with wireless giant Telefonica last month, the digital music company will step up its international ambitions and then turn its focus back to the United States.…

It began as a meeting about new ways to make college education more affordable. A year later, Promise for Education has raised more than $1.3 million for scholarships within the University of California (UC) system. Those initial brainstormers were Noah Kerner, CEO of marketing and product development at marketing agency noise; UC Board of Regents chair and former Paramount CEO Sherry Lansing; and Facebook head of market development Matt Jacobson. Their chat sparked the idea of launching a crowd-funding initiative that would engage students, faculty, alumni, parents and celebrities. “We didn’t start out with a clear financial goal in mind,” Kerner says. “What we wanted to do was tap into digital and social media for novel ways to broaden the contributor base. This was a good start.” Joining Facebook as…

RHYTHM & BLUES GAIL MITCHELL @GAILBBMITCHELL Landing a reality TV show seems to be the holy grail these days. But does the end justify the means? Given the negative images frequently portrayed on R&B/hip-hop reality shows, that question begs addressing. Don’t get me wrong. With shows out there like “R&B Divas,” “Love & Hip Hop,” “The Braxtons” and “Mary Mary,” it’s great to have an increased representation of urban culture on TV, and to see more faces like mine on a medium whose mainstream outlets can still remain a barrier. (By the way, “Saturday Night Live,” how’s that search for a black female cast member coming along?) But more often than not, these urban reality shows seem to be at the expense of the music, artistry and culture they were…

From the Capitol Tower in Hollywood to the Universal offices in Santa Monica to Warner Bros. in Burbank and beyond, here are the best places for dining and dealmaking Back in the day, the Palm, Dan Tana’s and the Polo Lounge were de rigueur industry hangs in the Los Angeles area. But old-school standbys including Mastro’s in Beverly Hills and Asia de Cuba in West Hollywood have had to renovate and expand to keep up with newcomers like ICM’s Hinoki & the Bird in Century City and Ammo in Hollywood. Still heavily in the mix per our palate polling: the Four Seasons, Barney Greengrass, Katsuya, Boa, Soho House and the Tower Bar. Plus, as Brian Bumbery of BB Gun Press notes, “There’s always, always, always Mr. Chow.”—Gail Mitchell HOT SPOTS…

Ever since U2 sold 200,000 copies of a 2-year-old album with its triumphant post-9/11 performance at the 2002 Super Bowl, artists, managers and labels alike have been finding ways to leverage the exposure of the most-watched TV event of the year. In 2009, Bruce Springsteen released his album Working on a Dream the Tuesday prior to his halftime slot and debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 1 with first-week sales of 224,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In 2012, Madonna premiered her single “Give Me All Your Luvin’” two days prior to her gig and announced her MDNA tour days after the telecast. This year Beyoncé leveraged the booking to kick of pre-sales for her Mrs. Carter Show world tour in partnership with halftime sponsor Pepsi, as well as…

Marty Diamond, head of music at Paradigm Agency’s New York office and agent for Ed Sheeran, can describe the impact of the artist’s three Madison Square Garden shows this fall in one word: “Huge.” Sheeran’s concerts at the Garden were the first at the newly renovated arena, and the first headlining arena shows in the United States for the British artist. The run closed out an 18-month touring marathon in which Sheeran began as support for Snow Patrol in large clubs and theaters, headlined small clubs, then larger clubs, and then supported Taylor Swift’s Red tour in arenas and stadiums for sixth months. The Swift shows provided a massive boost for Sheeran. “For a client from the U.K., [supporting Swift] not only meant he was playing to a lot of…

On Nov. 22, Imagine Dragons will interrupt their European tour to make a 10-plus-hour flight from the United Kingdom to Los Angeles, where they’ll stay for all of 24 hours before jetting back for a London gig. Why? To perform on the American Music Awards. Since the AMAs moved its telecast from January to the crucial mid-November pre-holiday period 10 years ago, the show’s importance has steadily increased. It’s situated as the last premiere primetime event for labels and top-tier acts looking to make a splash before Black Friday (and offers crucial exposure just before Grammy balloting opens). This year, those acts include Justin Timberlake, One Direction, Florida Georgia Line, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Luke Bryan, Pitbull, Ke$ha, Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Lopez, Kendrick Lamar and TLC,…

When British band Bastille decided to storm the United States, Vevo proved to be a reliable ally. Placement on the music video platform’s home page helped the baby band’s debut single, “Pompeii,” blow up, ultimately garnering 46 million views and fueling sales of more than 386,000 copies since the track was released in March, according to Nielsen SoundScan. “We feel it significantly contributed to the awareness of the band and the familiarity of the song,” Virgin Records GM Ashley Burns says. The label, which signed Bastille, is responsible for marketing the neo-synth poppers, who got their start posting their own tracks online. As Vevo continues to grow its audience, its ability to move the needle for bands on the verge of success also grows. The platform, a joint venture between…

Fox’s much-hyped U.S. version of “The X Factor”—currently in its third season— may have failed to become the huge ratings success that its producer/chief host Simon Cowell once confidently predicted, but across the pond, it’s an entirely different story. Now in its 10th year, the U.K. (and original) version of “The X Factor,” which features Nicole Scherzinger, Sharon Osbourne, Take That’s Gary Barlow and Louis Walsh on its judging panel, continues to draw huge audiences, with this year’s Aug. 31 opening episode watched by 9.2 million viewers, according to figures from ratings body Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board. Broadcast in the prime-time 8 p.m.-9 p.m./9:30 p.m. slot every Saturday and Sunday on commercial network ITV, viewers have since dropped to nearly 8 million. But when it comes to mass audience reach…

Marcie Allen President, MAC Presents Chris Atlas Senior VP of marketing, Island Def Jam Angela Barkan VP of media and artist development, Sony Masterworks Dawn Bridges CEO, Dawn Bridges Communications Nick Cannon CEO, NCredible Entertainment Tim Crowhurst President, SFX Entertainment Curt Eddy Senior VP of sales, Disney Music Group John Esposito President/CEO, Warner Music Nashville Jason Feinberg VP of digital strategy, Epitaph/Anti- Brian Frank Senior VP of marketing and strategy, Warner Bros. Jay Frank CEO, DigSin Simon Halliday Managing director, 4AD Liana Huth Senior VP of partnership marketing, Fuse Rell Lafargue COO, Reservoir Media Management Brad Navin CEO, the Orchard Tree Paine Senior VP of publicity, Warner Music Nashvi Kirdis Postelle Senior VP of marketing, Capitol Music Group Zach Quillen Manager, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Salaam Remi Executive VP of…

GIFFORDS LANE Gifords Lane is out to prove that age is just a number. The band’s members are all between 11 and 13 years old: Two have nearly a decade of training under their belts, and all four display a beyond-their-years understanding of rock‘n’roll. “We grew up with classic rock,” drummer Nicky “Stixx” Taormina says. “My dad is a drummer too, and he played it, so I listened to it.” Gif ords Lane’s setlist features covers like “Helter Skelter” and “Crazy Train” alongside its own trad-rock originals and unexpected Led Zeppelin mashups—a video of the band melding “Ramble On” with Rihanna’s “Stay” has racked up nearly 1 million YouTube views. The group was created by manager Mike Grande, father of guitarist Salvatore and owner of the Staten Island School of…

Pop-rap up-and-comer Jake Miller is touring in support of his new LP Us Against Them (eOne). Paradigm booking agent Ira Goldenring aided in the swing, which will roll across North America before ending Dec. 23 at Houston’s House of Blues. Routing: Miller will play venues ranging from 700 to 2,400 capacity in major markets, growing from a first-quarter tour that tested his appeal. “We found out what the appropriate price points were, whether a VIP ticket made sense, how many die-hard fans there were. We knew we would be stronger on the East Coast,” Goldenring says, citing a near sellout at Boston’s House of Blues on Nov. 10. Miller says he is impressed by this tour’s better digs: “My first tour they’d basically put me in a janitor’s closet for…

ALTERNATIVE BROKEN BELLS “Holding On for Life” (3:59) PRODUCER: Brian Burton WRITERS: James Mercer, Brian Burton PUBLISHERS: Lettuce Flavored Music (BMI)/sweet science (ASCAP) LABEL Columbia records “You’re trying not to look so young and miserable,” James Mercer sings on Broken Bells’ seductive new single, his chipmunk-funk falsetto drifting over melted synth pads. “You gotta get your kicks while you can.” Working with sonic soul mate Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse), Mercer continues to get his kicks away from the Shins, mingling indie-rock melancholy with escapist psychsoul. —RR ALTERNATIVE METRONOMY “I’m Aquarius” (4:02) PRODUCER: Joseph Mount WRITER: Joseph Mount PUBLISHER: Because Music 2013 LABELS: Because/Elektra British quartet Metronomy’s latest single features no huge payof or melodic crescendo, but that’s part of the track’s sleazy, seductive appeal. Over a sparse backdrop of…

Selena Gomez’s latest hit, “Slow Down,” is yet another in mainstream top 40’s ever-replenishing arsenal of uptempo pop/dance hits, but its chorus, in which Gomez implores, “Baby, slow down the song,” refects the format’s current—and atypical—reliance on ballads. On this week’s Nielsen BDS-based Mainstream Top 40 radio airplay chart, Miley Cyrus’ former Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Wrecking Ball” bullets at No. 3, Katy Perry’s “Unconditionally” bounds 14-11, the Neighbourhood’s “Sweater Weather” lifts 18-17, and Passenger’s “Let Her Go” rides 30-25. Meanwhile, Britney Spears’ “Perfume” looks likely to debut on the chart next week. A common trait among the songs? Their slow tempos, an anomaly at a format known for its trademark snappy beats. And while most songs on current top 40 playlists still boast high BPMs—Avicii’s EDM hit “Wake…

Pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne returns with her self-titled fifth effort on Epic Records, debuting at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 with 44,000 copies. 6 MONTHS AGO For her new LP, Lavigne worked closely with Epic chairman/CEO Antonio “L.A.” Reid for the first time since he signed her to Arista Records in 2000. “L.A. discovered me when I was 15,” Lavigne says, “so it was great to work with him again.” The label debuted first single “Here’s to Never Growing Up” with a fan-generated lyric video on April 29. “It was one of the first-ever fan-generated lyric videos,” Epic product manager Scott Carter says. The single impacted at Pop and Adult Top 40 radio the same day, and an official video debuted on Vevo on May 9. Lavigne performed the…

1 Katy Perry PRISM Pop divas Perry and Miley Cyrus may share some fans, but those fans buy their music in very different ways. For Perry, a partnership with Walmart enhanced her mass merchant sales, which accounted for 40% of her first week. For Cyrus, mass merchants represented just 25% of her debut. 2 Drake Nothing Was the Same Four of the top 10 biggest digital sales weeks for an album have happened in 2013, and one of those was the bow of Drake’s Nothing Was the Same. His album sold 387,000 downloads in its first week—the sixth-largest sales week for a digital set in history. The year’s biggest digital frame belongs to Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP 2, which bowed this week with 457,000 downloads. 3 Luke Bryan Crash…