Mint Talent Group Launched by Former WME, Paradigm, CAA Music Agents

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorOn World Mental Health Day, Saturday, October 10, MusiCares is launching a new Wellness in Music survey. According to the announcement, this new annual survey will help the organization to assess the music community’s mental health and wellness to better inform MusiCares of the needs facing their clients.“As we settle into month seven of the global pandemic, MusiCares is asking music professionals with 5+ years of experience to share their honest realities,

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBritish soul singer Celeste has dropped the video for her new single “Hear My Voice,” via Interscope Records.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorJay-Z and Meek Mill’s Reform Alliance announced today that it has bolstered its executive leadership team with the hiring of Janet Choi as Chief Content and Communications Officer.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorGoldenvoice, founder and producer of the Coachella Festival, has announced several social-justice initiatives including Black Lives Matter-inspired clothing by four Black designers based in California.The initiatives, launched by GV Black, an internal organization launched in 2017 to “guide the venues, festivals, and company forward in the mission to expand on racial justice work,” include:We commit to continuously evolve as a festival that not only speaks on

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBack in February, Billie Eilish dropped “No Time to Die,” the theme song from the James Bond film of the same name.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTwitch, the livestreaming and gaming platform owned by Amazon, now offers users a way to avoid avoid copyright takedowns when using music, although it has not yet licensed by major labels.The platform on Wednesday announced the beta launch of Soundtrack by Twitch, a music-streaming service within the platform that includes more than a million songs by independent artists that users can employ in their livestreams, legally and free of charge, with all rights cleared.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe pandemic has wreaked havoc on nearly every corner of the music industry, but along with musicians, independent venues are certainly among the hardest hit — a recent survey by the National Independent Venues Association says that 90% of such venues are in danger of closing permanently if they do not receive federal aid.While there’s a $10 billion “Save Our Stages” aid package slowly working its way through an apparently frozen Congress, one of the many things

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorPrimary Wave Music Publishing and Lava Media have announced a new business relationship that sees Primary Wave making an investment in the Lava Media businesses, including the “Lava Music” and “Lava for Good” podcasts, and providing marketing and branding support for the podcasts as well as access to Primary Wave’s roster of artists and writers.In addition, Lava will work closely with Primary Wave on new publishing signings and catalog acquisitions and will

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorVenues are coming up with all kinds of ways to keep their sense of purpose alive during lockdown, but the Theatre at the Ace Hotel has come up with what may be a unique one: “5-7-5,” an “open air text-based art project” with poetry on its marquee.Twelve poets, songwriters, and text-based artists will contribute a short text, loosely based upon the rules of the poetic form of Haiku, “that expresses their thoughts and ideas on our tumultuous times,” according to the

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorLast week, Universal Music Group and its Task Force for Meaningful Change (in partnership with UMG’s °1824 and Diversity & Inclusion teams, Def Jam Forward, Interscope/Geffen/A&M and Republic Record’s Action Committee), launched a series of special programs and discussions in celebration of this year’s Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference.The events are free and open to the public.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWhen you love something — a person, a dessert, a hat, or in this case, an album — you tend to want more of it. Usually, in the case of albums, there are some leftover songs that are not-quite-as-good as the ones that made the cut, and occasionally there are great ones.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorUTA announced that Samantha Kirby Yoh has been named co-head of UTA Music, joining David Zedeck in overseeing the company’s worldwide music operations.“Sam and David see eye-to-eye on how to build a great music business and will be strong partners in leading UTA Music,” said UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer. “We have long admired Sam’s success working with unique and powerful artists, and we’re thrilled she has chosen to join us.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTomorrow — Tuesday, Sept. 22 — is National Voter Registration Day and the HeadCount non-profit organization is leading a coordinated music industry effort involving hundreds of artists, concert venues, and digital platforms.For starters, more than 300 notable musicians will post messages and photos on their social media wearing “VOTE” masks and a call for followers to register to vote or check their voter registration status.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBTS and NPR announced on Sunday that the K-pop titans will be performing on NPR’s “Tiny Desk” concert series on Monday, Sept. 20 at 9 a.m.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMusic publishing giant Kobalt, whose roster includes Paul McCartney, The Weeknd, Dave Grohl, Childish Gambino and Lorde, responded to sale rumors that broke into the open on Wednesday evening with a wordy “maybe.”“We’ve always had great interest in the company,” a rep for Kobalt said in statement.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorNew York City venue (Le) Poisson Rouge is launching LPR.tv, a subscription-based service through which they will livestream concerts held in their downtown venue (without an audience) in high-definition video with full production and soundboard audio.The venue has booked an impressive array of indie-leaning artists for LPR.tv’s inaugural lineup, including Cults, Kimbra, Sunflower Bean, !!! (Chk Chk Chk), San Fermin,  Kevin Devine, Son Little, Laraaji, Too Many

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSiriusXM today announced that Chief Executive Officer Jim Meyer intends to retire on December 31, 2020.Upon his retirement, Jennifer C. Witz, President of Sales, Marketing and Operations, will become the Company’s new CEO.Gregory B.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorToots Hibbert, who passed away Friday night at the age of 77, was one of the last surviving founders of reggae music. The influence of his six-decade career is evidenced by the wide variety of artists paying tribute to him in the hours after his death.Ziggy Marley, recording artist and son of reggae titan Bob — who was a friend and contemporary of Hibbert’s — wrote, “The Legendary Toots Hibbert has passed.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAt a time when nearly everyone could use a mental-health break, 15 meditation experts have united to launch “Love4Live,” a free-of-charge “portal of refuge, community, and support for the concert industry” that includes conversations, meditation classes, and a virtual retreat to the tens of thousands of concert industry workers impacted by the global shutdown. The series begins on Monday, Sept.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorDespite the COVID-19 pandemic, revenues for recorded music actually increased in the U.S. in the first half of 2020, according to the Recording Industry Association of America’s mid-year report.