Twickets partners with End of The Road Festival for ticket reissue service
Fan-to-fan ticket resale platform Twickets has partnered with End of The Road Festival to launch a new ticket reissue and waiting list service. The service provides buyers with a new, unique ticket while the seller’s original is cancelled - the first time a resale platform has done this in the entertainment space. The initiative guarantees entry to the new ticket holder and simplifies the exchange process, as Twickets emails the new ticket directly. Twickets has also introduced a queueing process as part of the service. Once someone has registered their interest, they will be added to a Waiting List, with the system automatically reserving an available ticket for the person at the front of the list. This buyer will be alerted and given first refusal for a period of time before it is assigned to the next in line.
Sean Paul signs to Island Records
Grammy Award-winner Sean Paul has signed a new recording contract with Island Records. His forthcoming albums will be released worldwide through the label, both in the UK and the US. Darcus Beese, president of Island Records, said: “I am absolutely delighted and excited that Sean Paul, one of the most consistently successful and best-loved artists across any genre of the last decade, has decided to join the Island family.” Next month, Beese will become the inaugural recipient of the European Executive of the Year Award at Music Week and A&R Worldwide’s MUSEXPO Europe conference. The award celebrates the work of an industry executive who has helped set new standards in artistic and commercial achievement across Europe over the past 12 months. For more information and to buy tickets, click here.
MTV VMAs TV audience plummets
The 2016 MTV VMAs drew a TV audience of 6.5 million viewers, marking a 34% downturn on last year’s total of 9.8 million. The figure does, however, continue a trend for decreasing TV audiences for live events, with the Olympics, the Oscars and last year’s Emmys all reporting significant drops in viewer numbers. MTV also pointed to notable gains online, stating that the VMAs drew 45.8 million streams on Facebook, a huge increase over the 4.4 million from last year. Likewise, it said that the VMAs had 62.8 million streams on Sunday, up 70% on last year. (New York Times)
Reading and Leeds report biggest line-up to date
The weekend’s Reading and Leeds Festivals boasted the biggest line-up in the events’ history, with hundred of performances from bands, artists, DJs and comedians taking place across the event. This year’s outing saw five headliners perform, with Foals, Disclosure, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Fall Out Boy and Biffy Clyro all topping the bill. Foals and Disclosure co-headlined, as did Fall Out Boy and Biffy Clyro, while Red Hot Chilli Peppers were the only outright headliners. 170,000 fans turned out across Richfield Avenue and Bramham Park over the weekend. Weekend and installment tickets for Reading and Leeds Festivals 2017 will be on sale Tuesday, August 30 at 9am for a limited time at 2016 prices.
British producer and music executive John Trickett dies
British songwriter, producer and music industry executive John Trickett passed away in his sleep at his London home on August 26. Trickett was President and CEO of Immergent, a digital retailer and record label. An accomplished songwriter, Trickett penned more than 60 tracks. As an executive producer, he collaborated on over 300 albums, working with such artists as Fleetwood Mac, Norah Jones, Queen, Gary Moore, Britney Spears, Usher and Sting, among many others. In 2010 Trickett joined the Board of Directors of what was then known as NARM (National Association of Record Merchandisers), now Music Business Association or MusicBiz, the US organisation regrouping physical and digital music vendors. That year, Immergent was launching its digital record store, which is currently undergoing redevelopment. In 2014, he became the Treasurer of the Music Biz Board of Directors.
APG, Atlantic Records and WMG open ‘A Studio’
APG, Atlantic Records and Warner Music Group have announced the opening of new state-of-the-art studio complex in Los Angeles named A Studio . The facility includes four studios, editing and writing rooms, plus executive offices and a shared communal space. The building is the global HQ of Artist Partner Group and Artist Publishing Group, which provide white label services for artists, songwriters, producers, and music entrepreneurs. A Studio will also serve ‘artistic endeavors’ from across WMG’s family of labels, including Atlantic, Warner Bros and their subsidiary labels.
Mayor of London speaks out on Fabric closure
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has issued a response to a recently launched petition urging him to stop the closure of nightclub Fabric, which has had its license suspended indefinitely pending an investigation into two drug-related deaths at the venue. “London’s iconic clubs are an essential part of our cultural landscape,” he said. “As Mayor, I'm determined to do more to protect them, as well as our theatres, live music venues, artists workspaces, historic buildings and pubs. It is so important that people are able to enjoy a fun and safe night out in the capital. As part of our wider plan to support the night time economy, I will appoint a Night Czar to lead this work by bringing together key stakeholders including club and venue owners, planning and licensing authorities, the Metropolitan Police and members of the public. No single organisation or public body can solve these problems alone – we all need to work together to ensure London thrives as a 24-hour city, in a way that is safe and enjoyable for everyone.”
MPG Awards 2017 now open
The Music Producers Guild Awards 2017 gets underway on September 1 2016 with the official opening of the online submissions process. As in previous years, this part of the Music Producers Guild Awards process is open to everyone. There are 13 categories and those who would like to be considered for an award are encouraged to nominate themselves and/or their clients. The 2017 Music Producers Guild Awards will take place on February 16, 2017, at Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London.
Mozart 225th anniversary box set
To mark the 225th anniversary of Mozart’s death, Decca and Deutsche Grammophon are releasing a 200 CD Complete Edition box set in partnership with the SalzburgMozarteum Foundation and Mozart expert Professor Cliff Eisen of King’s College London, which will be released on October 28. Entitled Mozart 225: The New Complete Edition, it presents every single work by Mozart, including a new song discovered only last year. It also comes with two illustrated hardback books, including a new full-length biography by Cliff Eisen, plus a work-by-work commentary from Mozart experts worldwide.
New Music Week out now
The latest issue of Music Week see leading executives from across the industry explain why they are tipping grime for major crossover success in 2016. Elsewhere, we take a look at what Universal’s new stance over streaming exclusives could mean for the industry, while Amazon’s Paul Firth takes on the Big Interview. We also delve into the world of hi-res audio and premium streaming. Subscribe here.
