Music Industry Moves: SoundCloud Enables Artists to Connect With Their Biggest Fans; Stargate Inks JV With Pulse

It turns out that sharing cleaning hacks isn’t the only thing that influencer Mrs Hinch is talented at – she also has a fantastic singing voice. In a video she shared on her Instagram on Saturday, Mrs Hinch – whose real name is Sophie Hinchcliffe – shared a series of snaps from her trip to Portugal for a friend’s hen do.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Let’s travel back to the summer of 1989. I’m 15 years old and have just put two large movie posters on my wall: One for Tim Burton’s game-changing take on “Batman,” starring Michael Keaton, and the other for “UHF,” the theatrical comedy debut for the one and only “Weird Al” Yankovic. It’s now 2023. Keaton is back as Batman in next month’s “The Flash.” And Weird Al (always Weird Al, not just Al Yankovic!) is the front-runner for this year’s TV movie Emmy, thanks to the Roku Channel parody biopic “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.” “1989 is back again! It’s all cyclical,” Yankovic says in his signature cheery, upbeat tone. Tell my 15-year-old self that one day he’ll be recording a podcast with Weird Al, and first he’d say, “what’s a podcast?” But after explaining that it’s essentially a radio show, my 15-year-old self would lose his mind. And ask about 2023’s flying cars. Sorry kid.

Thania Garcia Brandi Carlile will be honored with the Songwriter Icon award by the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) as part of the organization’s annual meeting at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall on June 14. “Brandi Carlile is in a class of her own,” said NMPA President and CEO David Israelite in a statement. “A critical success who has become a cultural and commercial force, she consistently has delivered stunning lyrics and vocals that cut to the heart of the human experience. We are thrilled to celebrate what she has given and continues to give to the craft of songwriting.” The first-ever NMPA Non-Performing Songwriter Icon award will be presented to country hitmaker Ashley Gorley and RIAA Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier will be presented with the NMPA Industry Legacy award. Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl will deliver a keynote conversation on the “value of music and the ever-evolving opportunities for songwriters, artists, and creators” in the context of streaming and artificial intelligence.

Naman Ramachandran Zinc Media label Supercollider has partnered with Idris Elba’s Green Door Pictures and Sabrina Elba’s Pink Towel on documentary series “Paid in Full: The Battle for Payback” (working title) for public broadcasters CBC and BBC. The series (3 x 60′), produced in association with Catalyst, examines the exploitation of Black artists by the music industry and explores what it would look like for Black artists to receive reparations. It documents the extent of the historic injustice suffered by the music industry’s Black artists, including the disparity of profits received by them, despite having created the records that have driven the fabric and culture of popular music. The series will also look at racial inequality in the music industry both today and in the past.

, a new four-part Hulu documentary series from FX and explores the rise and fall of a megachurch — and the charismatic pastor at the center of it all.Most of the public first heard of Carl Lentz over a decade ago. He made headlines as the «spiritual advisor» spotted hanging out with Justin Bieber, who was in the midst of a notorious spree of minor arrests and public altercations (remember the mop bucket?). Lentz co-founded and served as the head pastor at Hillsong NYC — an offshoot of the original Australian megachurch — eventually becoming something of a star in his own right as A-listers flocked to the casual and contemporary services.«People say we cater to celebrities,» Lentz told  back in 2015.

Thania Garcia The T.J. Martell Foundation will be honoring three music industry veterans for its 45th annual New York Honors Gala, which returns to the City for the first time since 2019 on June 13. This year’s honorees include Warner Records Co-Chairman and COO Tom Corson, who will receive the Lifetime Music Industry Award; Chief Creative Officer and executive VP at Def Jam Recordings Archie Davis, recipient of the Rising Music Superstar Award; and Grammy Award-winning songwriter/producer Shane McAnally, who will receive the Spirit of Music Award. Gala Co-Chairs and Board Chairman John Esposito, Tunji Balogun, Aaron Bay-Schuck, Robert Carlton, Steve Gawley, Laura Swanson and Julie Swidler, will be hosts for the evening. Filmmaker Ryan Coogler, R&B star Coco Jones, and singer-songwriter Brandy Clark will provide entertainment.

Thania Garcia The ASCAP Experience will be hitting the Avalon in Los Angeles on June 21 for its first in-person iteration since 2019 to celebrate, educate and connect aspiring songwriters and composers. The informational event will host an impressive lineup of chart-topping creators such as Sarah Hudson (Dua Lipa, Camila Cabello) and Leon Thomas III (Ariana Grande, Rick Ross), rapper and producer Hitmaka (Big Sean, Nicki Minaj), singer-songwriter and producer Steph Jones (Selena Gomez, Kelsea Ballerini), songwriter and producer Darrell Brown (Keith Urban, LeAnn Rimes), producer Neff-U (Justin Bieber, Sia) and more to be announced. Formerly known as the ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO, the 2023 ASCAP Experience boasts a stacked schedule of curated motivational and informative panels about songwriting and music-making. This year’s panels are “The Hitmakers,” “Social Listening: Building a Music Career in the Social Media Age,” “Get Heard: Live Song Feedback,” “Writers Jam,” and “Celebration of 50 Years of Hip-Hop,” a special conversation with some of the genre’s most influential contributors.

Keke Palmer is speaking out about her experience in the music industry.

Ed Sheeran could one day make the jump to country music, according to a new interview and a new collaboration with Luke Combs.While in Texas for the Academy of Country Music awards, Sheeran revealed in a new interview with Billboard that he would “love to transition into country,” adding that he speaks to his wife about the idea “all the time”.“I love the culture of it, I just love the songwriting. It’s just like brilliant songs,” Sheeran explained.Having lived in Nashville, Texas across two periods in 2013 and 2018, Sheeran told Billboard that he is inspired by local songwriters: “It’s like a community.

His side of the story. Prince Harry‘s ghostwriter, J.R. Moehringer, offered a rare glimpse into the ups and downs of collaborating on the Spare memoir.

Here’s a musical surprise for all “Bridgerton” fans!

Viewers of "American Idol" were treated to a regal surprise Sunday evening in the form of two newly crowned royals while watching the latest live episode of the long-running competition show. Phoning in from across the pond and broadcasted on a big screen were judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, taking a night off from critiquing performances to give ones of their own. Both Perry and Richie were tapped to perform at King Charles' coronation concert.

Lionel Richie had the crowd singing «All Night Long» during King Charles III's coronation concert!On Sunday, the judge took the stage for a performance in honor of the new king at Windsor Castle. For his set, Richie kicked things off with «Easy (Like Sunday Morning).»Sitting at the piano, Richie got the audience singing along as they waved their hands and lit up phones from side to side.He then got them on their feet with his upbeat hit, «All Night Long.» It was obvious that the royal family was happy to have the «Hello» singer there as they sang along to his songs, with Prince William and Kate Middleton's children, George and Charlotte, waving little union jack flags in excitement and Charles himself showing off some of his dance moves.Speaking to ET at the 9th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, Richie recalled the feeling of getting such an invitation to perform at the king's coronation.«It's an honor,» Richie told ET.

David Guetta channeled Eminem on a song through artificial intelligence. The volume hit 11 in April, when “Heart on My Sleeve,” a song with AI-generated vocals by a fake Drake and a fake Weeknd, racked up millions of streams before being removed by streaming services, and louder still when electronic artist Grimes not only promised a 50-50 split with anyone who wants to use her AI voice on a song, she launched software called Elf.Tech to help them do it. Artificial intelligence by way of machine learning is the latest existential threat to the music business, and unlike the frequently cited precedent of Napster-era piracy, which opened the door to illegal downloads, the industry has mobilized quickly to respond, with takedown orders, petitions, op-eds and the Human Artistry Campaign, an initiative established to set fair practices in AI, not just in music but in other arts and even sports; Human Artistry’s dozens of members range from the Recording Academy to the Graphic Artists Guild.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Thanks to a towering debut by “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions,” Taylor Swift now has three albums in the top 10 of the Billboard 200, as the vinyl-only Record Store Day exclusive sold through all 75,000 of the available copies to land at No. 3 for the week. The double-LP release joins two other albums Swift already had in the top 10 as of last week: “Midnights,” at No. 4, and “Folklore,” at No. 10. Swift becomes the first artist to pull off that feat since 2016, when three of Prince’s landed in the top 10 following his death, according to Billboard. It’s also a rare feat for a female artist; Whitney Houston became the first woman to score three albums in the top 10 in 2012.

Thania Garcia UMe, the catalog division of Universal Music Group, has promoted Tim Plumley to vice president of media and artist relations. He is based in the company’s Santa Monica headquarters and reports to the executive VP of media and artist relations, Sujata Murthy. “Tim is a key member of my communications team, where he continues to develop innovative new ways to promote our artists and their projects across a wide range of media outlets,” Murthy said. “Tim not only has the trust and respect of our executives and members of the press, but crucially he is viewed as a true partner by our artists and their management teams.” His roster at Ume includes the Band/Robbie Robertson, the Beach Boys, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Zappa, George Harrison, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, John Coltrane, John Lennon, Louis Armstrong, Tom Petty, the Rolling Stones and others.

Not here for it. Francia Raisa raised eyebrows when she refused to answer any questions about her friendship with Selena Gomez amid feud rumors.

Rachel Narozniak Following the financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and its pause on in-person programming, the dance music industry is back and better than ever. Data from the 2023 IMS Business Report demonstrates the resiliency of the global dance music industry, which grew by 34% in 2022 to reach a valuation of $11.3 billion — a 16% increase from the pre-pandemic period. In 2019, the global dance industry was valued at $8.7 billion. “This is not just about bouncing back; this is bouncing back and almost bouncing off the trampoline,” said Mark Mulligan, managing director and analyst at MIDiA Research. In addition to authoring the report, Mulligan presented its key findings at IMS Ibiza on April 26.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor + Reach Music Publishing has acquired both the master and publishing rights of heavy metal legends and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members Judas Priest’s first two albums, “Rocka Rolla” and “Sad Wings of Destiny,” from Gull Entertainments. According to the announcement, Reach will be working in partnership with Judas Priest on these two albums and is planning a variety of projects to be announced later this year, including special releases for the 50th anniversary of “Rocka Rolla” in 2024. The majority of the group’s catalog was initially released on Sony Music’s Columbia or Epic labels but the first two albums, released in 1974 and 1976 respectively, had been owned by Gull for nearly 50 years.  

EXCLUSIVE: Just ahead of the premiere of Shea Serrano’s upcoming comedy Primo on Amazon Freevee, Serrano is expanding his relationship with Amazon Studios, the studio behind the series. The bestselling author, screenwriter and podcaster has signed an overall television deal with Amazon Studios, and a first-look podcast pact with Amazon’s Wondery.