Luther Vandross Estate Strikes $40 Million Deal With Primary Wave Music (EXCLUSIVE)

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFor the uninitiated, Idles are a monumentally powerful British hard rock band whose music is loaded with punk and hardcore influences, although it’s not accurate to label them as either.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWhile recognized as a great artist in his time, much of John Coltrane’s later work was so far ahead that it took the world years, if not decades, to catch up with it.Today, in a beautiful postscript to a brilliant and all-too-short life and career, Coltrane’s masterpiece, 1965’s “A Love Supreme,” has been certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of 1 million albums in the U.S.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorJustin Bieber has announced that he is partnering with virtual entertainment company Wave for “Justin Bieber – An Interactive Virtual Experience.” According to the announcement, the collaboration will give fans a “futuristic look into the metaverse, merging gaming, real time motion-capture, and live musical performance into an immersive interactive experience.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorDru Bass has joined William Morris Endeavor as a music crossover agent in hip hop and R&B, it was announced today by Kirk Sommer and Lucy Dickins, co-heads, worldwide music, WME. Bass joins the agency from UTA, where he represented such artists as Young Thug, Tierra Whack, Issa Rae’s music company RAEDIO, Emmy-nominated composer Amanda Jones, Harvey Mason Jr., Princess Nokia, Burna Boy, Lil Wayne, Michelle Williams, and Lauryn Hill.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorA murderer’s row of top hip-hop producers including DJ Premier, Swizz Beatz, Mustard, The-Dream, Mike Will Made It, No I.D, Hit-Boy, Take A Daytrip and Tainy will release EPs via Mass Appeal’s “Hip Hop 50 the Soundtrack,” as part of the company’s #HipHop50 campaign in celebration of the genre’s 50th year.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorGrammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Lionel Richie has signed an exclusive, global publishing agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group, the company has announced. The deal includes songs written throughout Richie’s solo career, including smashes like “Hello,” “Lady,” “Dancing on the Ceiling,” “All Night Long,” “Say You, Say Me” and many others; he also co-wrote the charity single “We Are the World” with Michael Jackson in 1985.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThere’s little question that the past 20 months of the pandemic have been devastating. But for all that has been lost, musicians and the industry around them have found countless innovative and inspiring ways to survive, cope, adapt and even thrive.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBruce Springsteen is in talks to sell the rights to his recorded music to Sony Music as well as his publishing catalog, three sources confirm to Variety. While the album catalog deal is nearly done, some sources say, the publishing catalog remains in play.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Shakur Estate has announced the premiere of “Tupac Shakur. Wake Me When I’m Free,” an immersive museum experience that explores the life and legacy of the rapper and activist, who was murdered in 1996.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorCardi B will host the American Music Awards, which will air live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 21, at 8 p.m.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFour-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Sam Smith has signed an exclusive worldwide publishing agreement with Tim & Danny Music and Warner Chappell Music through a new joint venture, covering all future works.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorOlivia Rodrigo and the Weeknd lead the nominees for the American Music Awards with seven and six nods respectively, show producers MRC Live & Alternative and ABC today this morning. Bad Bunny, Doja Cat and Giveon are close behind with five.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn its first post-IPO earnings report, Universal Music Group posted 17.4% year-over-year revenue growth in the third quarter of 2021, with recorded music subscription and streaming revenue up 15.2% and adjusted EBITDA up 20.7%.Lucian Grainge, UMG’s Chairman and CEO, said, “Our operational and financial performance this quarter – our first as an independent, publicly traded company – demonstrates both why UMG is the world’s most successful music company, as well as

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn an understated, very Swedish way, ABBA co-founder and CISAC president Bjorn Ulvaeus is apoplectic.We’re talking about the soaring value of song catalogs — a boom that has seen Bob Dylan sell his catalog for nearly $400 million, and Hipgnosis Songs spending more than $2 billion on acquisitions in just over three years, with another billion-plus on tap.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorGlobal royalties collections for music creators dropped 10.7% during 2020 due to the pandemic, declining by nearly €1 billion (approximately $1.16 billion) to a pre-2017 level of €8.12 billion (approximately $9.3 billion), according to the 2020 Global Collections Report published Wednesday by CISAC, the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers.The collections were a setback after years of consecutive growth — including an 8% boost in 2019 to

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorVeteran artist manager Laura Haber has announced the launch of Little Lion Management, which sees her continuing to work with longtime clients First Aid Kit, Tove Lo, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The firm is “focused on a holistic, bespoke, and personally supportive approach to each client’s individual career and personal goals,” according to the announcement.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers has announced that a special “Homecoming” Edition” of its annual ASCAP Women Behind the Music event will take place virtually on Wednesday, October 27 at 3 p.m. ET/ 12 p.m.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWarner Records has named Karen Kwak executive vice president and head of A&R, joining the company on Nov. 1 and reporting to co-chairman & CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIann Dior, 070 Shake, Alessia Cara, G-Eazy, Tori Kelly, Alesso & Danna Paola, A7S, Kiana Lede, X Ambassadors and more are featured on the soundtrack to ‘Blade Runner: Black Lotus,’ which drops Nov. 5 on ASG/10:22PM/Def Jam Recordings.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRapper-entrepreneur A$AP Ferg has joined the management roster at Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. The Harlem-born member of the hip-hop collective A$AP Mob — who will go by just Ferg for his non-A$AP efforts — has been in the studio over the past couple of months, and fans can expect a new song from him produced by the Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo) on October 29th.