Five Minute Music Industry News | Music Industry City

Your daily update on new releases, tours, and business news from MusicIndustryCity.com

Imagine Dragons Announce Highly Anticipated New Album, ‘Mercury: Act I’

The band have revealed their new album, Mercury: Act I, will be released on September 3rd. For a time, the band has been teasing new music, first stating that a new song, "Wrecked," would be released on Friday, July 2. The band also made a variety of special retail products available for pre-order, including hats, t-shirts, box sets, and Mercury vinyl versions. While they have been working on their new album, they have also released a plethora of new music and announced a number of festival dates.

Valerie Simpson, Roberta Flack Among First Women Songwriters Hall of Fame Inductees

They were among the first class of inductees into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Deniece Williams, Tawatha Agee, and Naomi Judd were among those recognized. The event took place on June 25 in Washington, D.C.'s National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Janice McLean DeLoatch, an entrepreneur and composer, founded the awards to address the gender disparity in the long-established Songwriters Hall of Fame.

According to Vanity Fair, only 31 of the 439 entrants over the past five decades have been women.

CROSS-PARTY GROUP OF 22 MPS CALL ON PM TO URGENTLY HELP LIVE MUSIC INDUSTRY

22 MPs from across the political spectrum have joined forces to urge the Prime Minister and Government to take steps, such as extending VAT relief on ticket revenue and giving live event insurance, to assist the UK's live music business in recovering from the pandemic.

The MPs have signed a Commons Early Day Motion emphasizing the critical support required by the music sector, which contributed £5.8 billion to the economy before the pandemic.

In addition to emphasizing that many freelancers and self-employed workers, who account for roughly three-quarters of the 200,000 in the music industry, have been out of work since March 2020, they stated that approximately 70% of musicians have lost more than three-quarters of their work due to Covid-19 restrictions.

We’ll talk more about this in the Music News Power Hour live on Clubhouse and on MusicIndustryCity.com at 12 p.m. Eastern.

SBA Has Delivered $1 Billion in Shuttered Venue Grants

The Small Business Administration has delivered $1 billion in Shuttered Venue Operator Grant funds to the accounts of independent promoters, venues, movie theaters and more. The SBA has seen a faster rollout of award notifications in the past two weeks after failing to deliver all Priority 1 businesses in the first 14 days.

In Musical Chairs…

CHRISTIAN JOHNSON PROMOTED TO SENIOR DIRECTOR OF A&R AT HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP

Based in Los Angeles, Johnson joined the Big Deal Music Group in 2018 as the assistant to Co-President Casey Robison which was acquired by Hipgnosis Songs Fund last year.

In his new role as Senior Director of A&R, Johnson will work across the company’s growing domestic and international roster of songwriters & producers which includes John Ryan (Maroon 5, One Direction, Niall Horan), Julian Bunetta (Thomas Rhett, Clean Bandit, Niall Horan, One Direction), Steph Jones (Selena Gomez, Kelsea Ballerini, P!nk, John K) and more.

And in music tech news…

Live streamer Mandolin adds $12M in funding

Music live streaming service Mandolin has closed a $12M Series A funding round, co-led by 645 Ventures and Foundry Group, with returning investments from High Alpha and TIME Ventures.

Given the rapid return of live music, the investment is as a major VC endorsement of music livestreaming and of Mandolin as the player to watch.

That concludes today's update. For article links, see the show notes, or go to MusicIndustryCity.com and listen to the Music News Power Hour live in Clubhouse or on the website at 12 p.m. Eastern.

Have a great day!

Your daily update on new releases, tours, and business news from MusicIndustryCity.com

Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner’s Big Red Machine Announce New Album 

Big Red Machine will drop their newest studio set on August 27th. The album features Taylor Swift, Fleet Foxes, Sharon Van Etten, and more. As a preview the band is offering the new song "Latter Days" with Anaïs Mitchell. This will be Big Red Machine's second album following their eponymous debut in 2018.

PITCHFORK MUSIC FESTIVAL TO MAKE LONDON DEBUT

Pitchfork Music Festival will take place in London for the first time from November 10-14. The multi-venue event will be held at the Roundhouse, Southbank Centre, Oslo, Village Underground and Moth Club. Mykki Blanco, Bobby Gillespie & Jenny Beth, Iceage and Cassandra Jenkins are among the acts due to perform.

Brexit minister Lord Frost: Visa-free touring for artists 'deprives us of control over immigration'

Lord Frost negotiated the UK's EU trade deal at the end of 2020 which did not provide any provision for visa-free touring. He told MPS: "Sadly, the EU wouldn't accept that. That's just the reality of the way these negotiations went" But he admitted there were concerns about a visa waiver proposal by the EU for 'ad hoc' performances.

We’ll talk more about this in the Music News Power Hour live on Clubhouse and on MusicIndustryCity.com at 12 p.m. Eastern.

In Musical Chairs…

NAS’S MASS APPEAL HIRES JESSICA RIVERA AS GENERAL MANAGER, MUSIC AND JENYA MEGGS AS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF CONTENT

Mass Appeal has announced two new positions at the company. Jessica Rivera and Jenya Meggs will serve as the General Manager, Music and Senior Vice President of Content respectively. In this role, Rivera will oversee creative and day-to-day operations of Mass Appeal's music division; label, publishing and contributing across the company's other two divisions in content and creative services. Working with the company's Chief Creative Officer Sacha Jenkins, Meggs will spearhead programming strategies and partnerships for Mass Appeal.

And in music tech news…

Beatport Launches Mainstage, a New Genre Inspired by the Festival Experience

Beatport has launched a new dedicated genre page that unites Big Room, Electro House, and Future House into one all-encompassing category: Mainstage. Beatport Hype will also be added to the new category. The new category will allow for the creation of a Beatport hype section. Beatport says, We feel that this move will benefit our customers, artists, and labels by making this music easier to locate.

That concludes today's update. For article links, see the show notes, or go to MusicIndustryCity.com and listen to the Music News Power Hour live in Clubhouse or on the website at 12 p.m. Eastern.

Have a great day!

Your daily update on new releases, tours, and business news from MusicIndustryCity.com

Halsey announces new album produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Halsey has announced her fourth album. 'If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power' is due out in 2020. It will be produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. There is currently no exact release date for the record.

Mogwai Announces April 2022 North American Tour

Mogwai just unveiled the routing for a tour that starts in April at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. The group is supporting its 10th studio album, As The Love Continues, which was released in February. The North American outing is filled with gigs at iconic clubs and theaters. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, June 30 at 9 a.m.

MelodyVR ended 2020 with 325k users… and a £26m operating loss

Music startup, MelodyVR, has acquired Napster's moniker since its merger.  However, it released financial data for its last full year prior to the transaction, which ended on December 28, 2020.  The firm nearly doubled its user base to 325,000 and sold 40,000 concert tickets for Liam Gallagher concert. However, its cost of sales increased from £1.8 million to £5.6 million, and administrative expenditures were more than 27 times the company's revenues.

We’ll talk more about this in the Music News Power Hour live on Clubhouse and on MusicIndustryCity.com at 12 p.m. Eastern.

In Musical Chairs…

DAN GOLDBERG, SVP OF WARNER MUSIC ARTIST SERVICES, TO EXIT WMG AFTER 12 YEARS

The SVP oversaw Warner’s e-commerce, tour merchandising, VIP Experiences, ticketing, and fan club businesses. In an email to employees, the executive says he'll be exploring an "exciting new opportunity." His final day will be Friday, July 2. He has worked with the firm since March 2014.

And in music tech news…

Deezer and Firestone join forces to promote new artists

Firestone has created an official playlist called Newcomer on Deezer. The playlist will consist of 57 songs from promising new and rising musicians. Firestone will support the campaign with audio and display advertising, as well as extensive promotional activities via their own channels. Every month between now and December 2021, a new official Firestone's playlist will be released on Deezer.

That concludes today's update. For article links, see the show notes, or go to MusicIndustryCity.com and listen to the Music News Power Hour live in Clubhouse or on the website at 12 p.m. Eastern.

Have a great day!

Your daily update on new releases, tours, and business news from MusicIndustryCity.com

Lion Babe share dazzling new single ‘Get Up’ featuring Trinidad James

Two months after announcing the release of their third album, the duo's new song is called 'Get Up' and features singer Jillian Hervey. It will be the follow-up to their 2019 album, 'Cosmic Wind', which spawned the singles 'Western World' featuring Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon.

Marilyn Manson will turn himself in to police following assault allegations

Manson has agreed to turn himself in to face accusations of an alleged assault he committed at one of his performances in 2019. Two Class A misdemeanor assault charges will cover a maximum of one year in prison and a possible fine of $2,000. A warrant was issued for Manson in May when it was reported that he assaulted a videographer while on tour.

'No Substantial Outbreaks': UK Government Publishes Events Research Programme Findings

The UK government's Events Research Programme (ERP) found 28 instances of Covid-19 at various public events. Of these cases, 11 were determined to be infectious and 17 were discovered in the vicinity of an event or near where people gathered like a sports tournament for instance. One such case was with Circus nightclub which hosted roughly 7,000 guests over two nights while another example is The World Snooker Championship  which had 6 reported infections out of 10 thousand attendees during its 17 day span.

We’ll talk more about this in the Music News Power Hour live on Clubhouse and on MusicIndustryCity.com at 12 p.m. Eastern.

Courtney Love Accuses Olivia Rodrigo of Copying Hole Album Cover Concept for 'Sour Prom' Photos

Courtney Love has called out Olivia Rodrigo for "stealing an original idea" from her. The former Hole singer brought to light the similarities between the cover art of the band's 1994 album, Live Through This, and Rodrigo's new promotional images for her upcoming Sour Prom Concert Film. Both images show what appears to be an emotional prom queen who's wearing a tiara.

In Musical Chairs…

SIMON JOHNSON NAMED MANAGING DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY, GROWTH AND ECOMMERCE AT UNIVERSAL MUSIC UK

Universal hired Johnson to oversee their whole eCommerce strategy. After six years in a variety of leadership roles in Europe, he joins Universal Music UK from Amazon. Recently, he handled the books/Kindle business throughout the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain alongside Amazon subsidiary Book Depository.

That concludes today's update. For article links, see the show notes, or go to MusicIndustryCity.com and listen to the Music News Power Hour live in Clubhouse or on the website at 12 p.m. Eastern.

Have a great day!

Your daily update on new releases, tours, and business news from MusicIndustryCity.com

Journey Return with New Single “The Way We Used To Be”

Journey has released their first new music since 2011 with "The Way We Used To Be." The song is the band's debut release with their new lineup, which includes American Idol bassist Randy Jackson. It envisions a world in which the COVID-19 epidemic has been eradicated. Neal Schon, the band's founding member and lead guitarist, said in a statement that the song represents a "complete new beginning chapter."

LIL BABY IS YOUR 2021 ASCAP SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) named Lil Baby Songwriter of the Year for 2021. The Voice Of The Heroes, his collaboration with Lil Durk, was another No. 1 record for the Quality Control leader. Cardi B and Quavo have already won the prize.

Final £300million of Culture Recovery Fund to help save venues and festivals announced by government

 This is in an effort to assist artistic spaces and institutions that have been closed or restricted due to ongoing coronavirus closures and limitations. This resulted in the cancellation of almost 4,000 events in England's grassroots music venues over the next few weeks, with a total loss of £36 million. Meanwhile, nightclub executives are threatening mass evictions in the absence of immediate funding and clarification.

We’ll talk more about this in the Music News Power Hour live on Clubhouse and on MusicIndustryCity.com at 12 p.m. Eastern.

UNIVERSAL INKS GLOBAL DEAL WITH SNAP INC. SPANNING RECORDED MUSIC AND AUGMENTED REALITY EXPERIENCES

UMG has agreed to a multi-year deal with Snapchat to allow users to include music in their Snaps. According to the terms of the arrangement, UMG's full recorded music collection will be available globally in Snapchat's Sounds service. In addition, the business is creating augmented reality music Lens content with the company's artists.

In Musical Chairs…

MANUEL MARTOS APPOINTED GENERAL MANAGER OF VIRGIN MUSIC LABEL & ARTIST SERVICES IN SPAIN

He will be based in Madrid and will report to Victor González, President of Virgin Music Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. He has been the Artistic Director of Universal Music Spain since 2017 and has previously worked as an artist, composer, artistic producer, and advisor.

And in music tech news…

The Sims is getting an in-game music festival with Simlish songs

It's the latest game to incorporate a virtual concert, but there's a twist. Some of the songs will be performed in Simlish, a fictitious language. It will be fronted by Bebe Rexha, who will perform her single "Sabotage" in Simlish. Players will be able to explore the festival space, design new outfits, and purchase products in addition to listening to music.

That concludes today's update. For article links, see the show notes, or go to MusicIndustryCity.com and listen to the Music News Power Hour live in Clubhouse or on the website at 12 p.m. Eastern.

Have a great weekend!

Your daily update on new releases, tours, and business news from MusicIndustryCity.com

Bastille has a New Single and Video

Bastille's new single "Distorted Light Beam" is out now. The song is the first taster from the band's upcoming fourth album, which has yet to be named. Ryan Tedder and the band's long-time collaborator Mark Crew co-wrote and co-produced the song. The multi-award-winning British band reflects how we are all changing and how we may change our realities.

Titus Andronicus Announce North American Tour to Celebrate 10th Anniversary of The Monitor

On the 15-city tour, which begins in November, the indie rockers will perform their 2010 breakthrough album in its entirety. Later this year, the band will reissue The Monitor on vinyl for the 10th anniversary. There will also be a limited quantity of pressings with the out-of-print embossed cover.

Tomorrowland Declares 2021 Festival Officially Canceled

Organizers of a big dance festival in Boom, Belgium, said they don't want to "engage in a legal battle" over a permit denial by local politicians. Last Monday, local officials denied the festival a licence to hold the two-weekend event, which attracts up to 75,000 visitors every day. "We have no choice but to postpone Tomorrowland's 16th edition until next year," organizers declared.

We’ll talk more about this in the Music News Power Hour live on Clubhouse and on MusicIndustryCity.com at 12 p.m. Eastern.

Britney Spears Asks Judge To Free Her From Conservatorship

"I want to end this conservatorship without being evaluated," Spears stated. The request comes with her first statements in open court during its 13-year existence. "I deserve to have a life," she says of her father and the others who have influence over it. She claims she wants to marry her boyfriend, Sam Asghari, and have a child, but the conservator will not let it.

In Musical Chairs…

ERICKA COULTER JOINS WARNER RECORDS AS SVP OF A&R

She will report to Warner Music Group Co-Chairman & CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck. Coulter was most recently Epic Records' VP of A&R. She is also the founder/creator of TheBasement Series, a live performance platform for rising signed and unsigned talent. 

And in music tech news…

New Music Experience NFT Platform Atlanticus launches & drops Exclusive Paul Oakenfold ‘Magna Carta’ NFT

By utilizing the blockchain and NFT technology, Atlanticus offers the freedom for any artists in the world to share instantly their tracks, albums, DJ sets, videos, music experiences and any music related creation they may think of with their fans and other music lovers. It creates a way for artists to address their communities directly, and for music lovers to own rare, unique and exclusive creations, numbered and digitally signed on the blockchain.

That concludes today's update. For article links, see the show notes, or go to MusicIndustryCity.com and listen to the Music News Power Hour live in Clubhouse or on the website at 12 p.m. Eastern.

Have a great day!

Your daily update on new releases, tours, and business news from MusicIndustryCity.com

Low Announce New Album Hey What and 2022 Tour

Low have announced their next studio album, Hey What, which will be released on September 10th on Sub Pop. Check out the video for the first track, "Days Like These," directed by Karlos Rene Ayala. A tour has also been announced by the band.

Tame Impala Announce Rescheduled 2021 North American Tour Dates

It will begin this September at Bonnaroo. Tickets for the rescheduling dates will be honored, and refunds will be exchanged for canceled dates. The group's last album, The Slow Rush, was released in February 2020.

SONY MUSIC BUYS MAJORITY STAKE IN TODD MOSCOWITZ’S ALAMO RECORDS FOR NINE-FIGURE SUM

Sony Music Entertainment has announced yet another significant acquisition, this time in the area of hip-hop and pop music in the US. Todd Moscowitz's Alamo Records has been acquired by the corporation for a majority interest. According to sources, the sale was for a nine-figure sum, with Sony paying comfortably north of $125 million.

DAMON DASH INSISTS HE’S ENTITLED TO SELL SHARE OF JAY Z’S REASONABLE DOUBT AS NFT – DESPITE BEING SUED BY ROC-A-FELLA RECORDS

Damon Dash, a co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records, is being sued for allegedly trying to sell a part of Jay-Z's debut album Reasonable Doubt as an NFT. According to the lawsuit, which was filed in New York on June 18, Dash intended to collaborate with NFT platform SuperFarm to hold an online auction for the album's copyright on June 23.

We’ll talk more about this in the Music News Power Hour live on Clubhouse and on MusicIndustryCity.com at 12 p.m. Eastern.

In Musical Chairs…

Recording Academy Restructures Leadership With New Co-Presidents

The Recording Academy will have its own CEO and president – or presidents. Valeisha Butterfield Jones, who was appointed as the academy's first chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer in May 2020, will continue in her current role. Panos A. Panay, who developed and led Sonicbids before joining the academy from Berklee, will also serve as chief revenue officer.

And in music tech news…

Audio Streaming Platform Beatstream Fully Launches with New Partnerships & Features

The unique audio technology enables venues, DJs, and performers to maximize ticket revenue long after the doors reopen. During Beatstream's first debut, they ran successful trials streaming with The Happy Mondays, Shed Seven, The Blossoms, and others. The app presently has over 50,000 users in 24 countries.

That concludes today's update. For article links, see the show notes, or go to MusicIndustryCity.com and listen to the Music News Power Hour live in Clubhouse or on the website at 12 p.m. Eastern.

Have a great day!

Your daily update on new releases, tours, and business news from MusicIndustryCity.com

Bullet for My Valentine Announce Self-Titled New Album

Bullet for My Valentine's new album will arrive October 22nd. The band has released the video for lead single "Knives". It is their seventh LP and represents the peak of their definitive sound. Vocalist and guitarist Matt Tuck calls it an evolution for the band. He says the music is "more visceral and passionate than it's ever been"

FROM THE FIELDS LAUNCHES DIVERSITY INITIATIVE TARGETING TRAINEE PROMOTERS

SHOUT, a training project, has been created by the Manchester-based production agency behind the Kendall Calling and bluedot events. It is open to two young aspiring promoters from black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds. From the Fields also hosts Arts by the Sea and Youth Music's new £2 million incubator fund, which is funded by the People's Postcode Lottery.

Roc-A-Fella sues Damon Dash over attempted sale of JAY-Z’s ‘Reasonable Doubt’ as an NFT

Dash claims the lawsuit is riddled of errors and that he is seeking to sell his shares in Roc A Fella, not the record. The label claims that Dash cannot legally release Jay's debut album from 1996 since the label owns the rights to it.

In Musical Chairs…

Sean 'Diddy' Combs Signs With WME, Starts Development Program for Underrepresented Students

Diddy and Endeavor have formed a partnership to diversify the music industry. The Excellence Program aspires to be one of the most comprehensive virtual development programs for aspiring entertainment executives. The program, which begins on July 12, will be free and open to any eligible students interested in a career in entertainment, marketing, music, or fashion. The six-week curriculum will feature seminars on touring and performing, professional growth, the entertainment industry, and storytelling.

DONE DEAL: PERSHING SQUARE SPAC IS BUYING 10% OF UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP FOR $4BN

Pershing Square Tontine Holdings has confirmed that it has entered into a binding deal with Vivendi to acquire 10% of the outstanding ordinary shares in UMG for roughly $4 billion. Shares will be allocated to PSTH shareholders later this year, once Vivendi completes the previously announced offering of UMG on Euronext Amsterdam.

We’ll talk more about this in the Music News Power Hour live on Clubhouse and on MusicIndustryCity.com at 12 p.m. Eastern.

And in music tech news…

Apple-owned music identification and discovery app Shazam announced this week it had surpassed 1 billion Shazams per month.

Shazam has surpassed 1 billion monthly recognitions and successfully matched over 50 billion tags with over 51 million songs. Apple highlighted its plans for Shazam's future at WWDC this week, with the release of ShazamKit, which brings Shazam's audio identification capabilities to third-party apps.

That concludes today's update. For article links, see the show notes, or go to MusicIndustryCity.com and listen to the Music News Power Hour live in Clubhouse or on the website at 12 p.m. Eastern.

Have a great day!

Your daily update on new releases, tours, and business news from MusicIndustryCity.com

Natalie Imbruglia announces return with first new album in six years

The Australian singer has made a spectacular comeback with her return to music. She has announced the release of 'Firebird,' her first album in six years. The new project includes a slew of collaborations, including Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes.

Metallica, Nine Inch Nails and Guns N’ Roses to headline Hellfest 2022

Hellfest 2022 has announced its full line-up for next year. Headliners include Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Guns N' Roses and Scorpions. The seven-day, two-weekend French festival will feature 350 bands across six stages. Deftones, Faith No More, Megadeth, Korn, Judas Priest, Deep Purple and many others are also on the bill.

In Memory...

R.I.P. Frank Bonner, WKRP in Cincinnati Actor Dead at 79

Frank Bonner, best remembered for his work on WKRP Cincinnati, died at the age of 79. Bonner had been suffering from Lewy body dementia and died on Wednesday (June 16th) as a result of complications from the disease. In all four seasons of the sitcom, he played Herb Tarlek, the plaid-suited radio station sales manager.

In Musical Chairs…

IMRAN MAJID AND JUSTIN ESHAK APPOINTED CO-CEOS OF ISLAND RECORDS

Universal Music Group describes Eshak and Majid as “one of music's most dynamic and successful artist-development teams,” and they will join Island from Sony Music's Columbia Records, where they have served as Co-Heads of A&R since 2018. Majid and Eshak's employment at Island, beginning January 1, 2022, signals a return to UMG for the two, who met in 2004 while working as A&R executives at UMG's Republic Records.

300 ENTERTAINMENT LAUNCHES INVITE-ONLY DIY DISTRIBUTION PLATFORM, SPARTA

Last year, self-releasing DIY bands made $1.2 billion globally, and 300 Entertainment, one of the most successful independent labels of the modern age, is getting in on the action. Sparta, unlike other DIY sites such as TuneCore, UnitedMasters, and Distrokid, does not allow anyone to upload music to its platform. Instead, the company uses an A&R filtration technology similar to that used by AWAL.

We’ll talk more about this in the Music News Power Hour live on Clubhouse and on MusicIndustryCity.com at 12 p.m. Eastern.

And in music tech news…

TikTok says it helps 80% of its users discover new music

TikTok has released the findings of a study it did in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain on how its users engage with music. TikTok reports that 80% of them claim "they discover new music on the platform and that it is the number #1 for music discovery." It went on to say that 56 percent of that discovery occurs in its famous For You feed.

That concludes today's update. For article links, see the show notes, or go to MusicIndustryCity.com and listen to the Music News Power Hour live in Clubhouse or on the website at 12 p.m. Eastern.

Have a great weekend!

Your daily update on new releases, tours, and business news from MusicIndustryCity.com

BANKS returns with new single ‘The Devil’ from upcoming project

BANKS has released a new video titled 'The Devil.' The track's visual is reported to be inspired by Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula and the grim comedy Death Becomes Her. The song was co-written and co-produced by BANKS. BANKS said in a statement: “This video represents the twisted, surreal, and playful world that I exist in as the devil. No demon can touch me as I am not tempted by their charm. Give me a rose and I’ll eat it. You’ll just have to watch the video.

Portugal. The Man Unveil 2021 Tour Dates and Share Live EP

Portugal. The Man will kick things off in July at WonderStruck Festival. The band has also unveiled the live EP Ulu Selects Vol #1 (Live) The 12-date trek will include stops at the Alaska State Fair, as well as Governors Ball, Firefly Festival, Shaky Knees Festival, and a performance at Red Rocks. Pre-sale begins June 17th through the band’s website, with general admission kicking off June 18th.

Event Wallet is revealed

DAM Health, a leading COVID testing firm, and Health Passport Worldwide, a technology group, are now offering a solution to the UK and international markets. The service is for events where guests are required to be tested before and after the festival as a condition of admission. Data is securely saved in each individual's Health Passport Worldwide app, a system that is now being used by healthcare practitioners in Europe, Africa, and Latin America. This means that the general public will have a single app to use during testing to board the airline, visit the country, attend the event or match, and then return home using the same system.

We’ll talk more about this in the Music News Power Hour live on Clubhouse and on MusicIndustryCity.com at 12 p.m. Eastern.

In Musical Chairs…

SHERRY TAN JOINS WARNER MUSIC GROUP AS ITS HEAD OF RECORDED MUSIC BUSINESS IN MAINLAND CHINA

She joins Warner Music from Mengxing Media, a start-up company she co-founded and which serviced entertainment figures, She will be based in Beijing and report to Warner Music Greater China CEO, Jonathan Serbin. Serbin took over as CEO in November after Warner Music's former CEO, Andy Ma, stepped down barely seven months.

SONY MUSIC BUYS THE UK’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT PODCAST MAKER, SOMETHIN’ ELSE

In September of last year, the company announced plans to debut over 40 new audio series in 2020. Sony was also said to be interested in acquiring Wondery, a US-based podcast creator that was finally sold to Amazon in a $300 million-plus transaction late last year. Instead, the company has completed the acquisition of Somethin' Else, a UK-based maker of radio, TV, and social media content, expanding on an existing Sony partnership.

And in music tech news…

Music Collaboration Platform Groovesetter Debuts

Groovesetter is a real-time, multichannel audio collaboration platform that allows for streaming, performance, and recording via high-speed internet. The service, which claims to have "ultra-low latency," allows clients to connect and engage from up to eight remote locations, allowing musicians to play, stream, and record from anywhere.

That concludes today's update. For article links, see the show notes, or go to MusicIndustryCity.com and listen to the Music News Power Hour live in Clubhouse or on the website at 12 p.m. Eastern.

Have a great day!