Innholdsfortegnelse for September 17, 2022 i Billboard Magazine

THE TOP TWO albums on the Billboard 200 dated Sept. 17 extend their exceptional runs on the ranking. Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti returns for a 10th week atop the chart — breaking a tie for the most time spent at No. 1 in 2022 as it surpasses the nine weeks that the Encanto soundtrack logged earlier in the year. Un Verano Sin Ti, which opened atop the May 21 chart, holds the longest reign since Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album spent 10 consecutive weeks at the summit on the charts dated Jan. 23 through March 27, 2021. Un Verano Sin Ti earned 99,500 equivalent album units in the United States during the week ending Sept. 8, according to Luminate. Meanwhile, at No. 2 (48,000), Dangerous tallies…

LOUIS ARMSTRONG first recorded “What a Wonderful World” in 1967, and the song, like almost every other track ever recorded, is available on YouTube, where it earns royalties for the owner of the recording, as well as the publishing rights holders. For at least a month in 2017, however, about $468 of the song’s publishing royalties were claimed by Create Music Group, using YouTube’s online rights management portal — even though Create did not represent any of the companies or people who own or control the song. Create, which collects money on behalf of clients, later told a rights holder that its claim on the song was the result of an error, according to emails shared with Billboard, a mistake the company rectified with a payment to the proper…

IN 20 14, AFTER a six-year hiatus due in part to substance abuse battles, Nicky Jam earned his first entry and top 10 hit on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart with “Travesuras” (“Mischief”) — and he has charted every year since. In 2015, he topped the same chart for 30 weeks with his Enrique Iglesias-assisted “El Perdón” (“Forgiveness”) and the following year, “Hasta el Amanecer” (“Until Sunrise”) earned him his second No. 1 and first as a solo act, ruling for 18 weeks. “I felt that my mojo was insane,” he says. “Everything I touched was magic when it came to the studio.” Instead of letting the pandemic halt his momentum, the 41-year-old star found new opportunities. He kicked off 2021 with his own web series, The Rockstar Show…

ON A SCORCHING HOT mid-August day, six of the seven members of Grupo Firme file into a hidden hacienda in Spring Valley, Calif., a small town just east of San Diego. “Buenos días,” they greet the staff of this boutique hotel, making their way toward the shade of the pool area. Wearing basic T-shirts and jeans or gym shorts, they look like the literal boys next door. Still, the staffers struggle to keep their cool — this is the biggest Mexican group in the world, and they’re all fans. (Later today, they will get their photo taken with the band.) Eduin Caz, the group’s charismatic 28-year-old founder and frontman, is the last to arrive. He apologizes, explaining that he drove from his home in Tijuana, Mexico, and it took…

CEO, LOUD AND LIVE EDGAR MARTINEZ SENIOR VP OF ENTERTAINMENT, LOUD AND LIVE The Miami-based entertainment, sports and marketing company Loud and Live was quick to rebound after the pandemic shut down concerts. The firm returned to venues in early 2021 with more than 400 shows and tours for clients including Carlos Vives, Ruben Blades, Camilo and Prince Royce. Its studio division, launched last year, also enjoyed a major victory: Its Juan Luis Guerra musical special, Entre Mar y Palmeras, premiered on HBO and went on to win a Latin Grammy Award in November. On top of that, the company continues “to create unique consumer experiences,” says Albareda, by connecting prominent brands with top Latin artists, notably pairing Nicky Jam, Manuel Turizo and Lunay with Mc-Donald’s on a campaign…

THE ECONOMIC STORM clouds that have triggered layoffs and deep cuts to investment budgets at companies like Netflix, Snap and Apple are coming to the music business. In recent months, Spotify said it would cut hiring by 25%, SoundCloud laid off 20% of its staff and BMI said it was cutting just under 10% of its total workforce, through a combination of letting 30 people go and leaving certain jobs unfilled. In memos to staff, the companies cited uncertain economic times and challenging conditions in financial markets. Fears of a recession in the United States have been hovering over capital markets and investors since the Federal Reserve began aggressively raising interest rates earlier this year. The effort to rein in inflation, which hit a 40-year high in June, has…

OT LONG A GO, a major-label radio promotion executive had a song climbing into the top 10 in his format. Eager to maintain the track’s upward momentum, he tried to get a station in a small city in the Northeast to put the song into rotation. There was only one problem: That station worked with a middleman, known as an independent radio promoter, who controlled what tracks received airplay. And that middleman demanded $3,000 for an “add.” “It frustrates the hell out of me,” the executive says. “But if you don’t pay, you don’t move up,” he notes, referring to the radio airplay charts. Adding to the frustration: The cost was high enough to make even a deep-pocketed major label think twice. In the world of independent labels, though,…

FROM Buenos Aires, Argentina AGE 25 LABEL Hollywood Records/Sony Music Latin FOUNDATION As the lead actor in the Disney Channel Latin America telenovela Violetta (2012-2015) — which followed musically talented teenager Violetta Castillo — Tini learned firsthand that music had no barriers, having recorded songs for the series that was broadcast in non-Spanish-speaking countries such as Italy, Poland and Germany. “People in other countries were singing my songs — well, Violetta’s songs — in Spanish,” recalls Tini, who credits artists like Beyoncé, Justin Bieber and Shakira as her biggest inspirations. “It was crazy to me, but that’s when I understood that people will connect to a song no matter the language.” DISCOVERY “I’ve loved music ever since I was little,” says Tini, who is managed by her father, TV…

“The Children Of Jenni Rivera” December marks the 10-year anniversary of Jenni Rivera’s untimely death in a plane crash, but her legacy still looms large. For the first time since the accident, her children — Chiquis, Jacqie, Michael, Jenicka and Johnny, who this year took over the management of her estate — will sit down to discuss her legacy and upcoming plans around it, including new, previously unreleased tracks by Jenni, with a possible premiere during Latin Music Week. “Latin Touring Goes International” All over the world, the touring success of Latin artists has grown enormously. Last year, Colombian pop star Camilo was the top international act in Spain, with over 200,000 tickets sold for his return this year; in the United States, Bad Bunny leads ticket sales for…

IF THERE’S ONE LESSON to glean from Billboard’s 2022 New and Renovated Venues list, it’s that thanks to their size and adaptability, arenas remain the concert industry’s top money makers. According to Billboard’s midyear 2022 Boxscore report, arenas accounted for 11 of the 15 highest-grossing venues so far this year, bringing in over $536 million in revenue. And when it comes to 2022 arena development, no individual matches the reach and impact of Oak View Group chairman/CEO Tim Leiweke, the seasoned live-entertainment executive who, as AEG president/CEO from 1996 to 2013, played a key role in the company’s construction of Los Angeles’ Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena). Nine venues affiliated with Oak View Group, which has become a key player in the venues business since forming in 2015, appear…

AN AUG. 31 settlement covering U.S. mechanical streaming rates — which must now be approved by the Copyright Royalty Board — will allow publishers and songwriters to enjoy a slightly larger share of streaming revenue over the next five years. For Phonorecords IV, the National Music Publishers’ Association and Nashville Songwriters Association International negotiated a percent-of-revenue royalty rate increase with streaming services that grows from 15.1% in 2023 to 15.35% in 2027, adding up to 1.7% cumulatively. But the real gains will depend on how much streaming growth occurs over this time. A handful of variables, including subscriber acquisitions, increased ad revenue and possible rising subscription costs, will create a multiplier effect that far surpasses the small increases in Phonorecords IV royalty rates. To show how publishers’ streaming royalties…

HONG KONG — As Tencent Music Entertainment built itself into China’s dominant music-streaming company, with $4.9 billion in revenue in 2021, it was aided by its thriving online karaoke app WeSing. But in March, facing a sudden decline in its karaoke business due to increasing competition from local rivals like Alibaba and NetEase Cloud Music, TME took an unusual step: It set foot in Japan, the country that gave birth to the global singalong sensation in the 1970s, by acquiring a controlling stake in a company that operates Pokekara, Japan’s leading karaoke app. While karaoke is often associated with hospitality spaces like bars and restaurants, companies in Asia have created a booming online business. One of every two mobile phone users in China (51%) uses a karaoke app, up…

Capping off a career that spans over 20 years, Puerto Rico’s reggaetón heroes Wisin y Yandel have embarked on their final tour as a duo: La Última Misión (The Ultimate Mission). Presented by Live Nation, the trek will visit over 20 U.S. cities, culminating in a historic 14-day residency at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot. Come 2023, the goal is to expand to other regions as well. “Since this will be our last run together, we want to visit fans in every corner of the world,” says Wisin. Though the members announced their retirement in early 2022, the legendary pair plan to release a final album this fall and a documentary detailing their life stories. “It’s the last mission,” adds Yandel, “but we haven’t said when…

MAJOR MUSIC GROUPS Alejandro Duque President, Warner Music Latin America Roberto Andrade Dirak Managing director, Warner Music Latina Ruben Abraham Senior vp of marketing and strategy, Warner Music Latina Hector Rivera Senior vp/head of A&R, Latin music, Warner Music Latina Delia Orjuela GM, Music Mexicana/Warner Music Latina Marcela Vaccari Vp of business development, Warner Music Latina It has been a year of change for Warner, with Duque taking over as president and bringing new members to his executive team — including Orjuela, Vaccari and Andrade Dirak — and promoting Rivera and Abraham. The musical results include Anitta becoming the first Brazilian artist to top Billboard’s Global Excl. U.S. chart with “Envolver,” and the signing of upand-coming talent Tiago PZK, Ovy on the Drums and Elena Rose, as well as…

HORACIO RODRIGUEZ CEO, WK RECORDS Kolm, one of Latin music’s most prominent managers — with a client list that includes Maluma, Carlos Vives, Wisin, CNCO, Prince Royce and Emilia — has ambitiously expanded beyond his entertainment and management company. WK Records, launched in July 2020, with Rodriguez at the helm, is a “content company where we develop new careers,” says Kolm, delineating the difference between it and the established WK Entertainment roster. The label has signed nearly 30 up-and-coming acts and has already placed two No. 1s on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart: “Mi Niña” by Wisin and Myke Towers and “Fiel” by Wisin and Jhay Cortez. WK Records, which includes the regional Mexican music imprint WKMX, also provides services to Wisin’s label, La Base Records, and to Royalty Records,…