Music Industry Moves: Laura Haber Launches Little Lion Management; Lara Fox Joins AEG Global

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWas the deadly tragedy at Travis Scott’s ill-fated Astroworld Festival at Houston’s NRG Park on Nov.

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 EditorHouston mayor Sylvester Turner has promised a “thorough review and investigation” of the tragedy at the Travis Scott-headlined festival in the city, where eight people died and more than 300 were injured as crowds surged and stampeded during Scott’s set.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAhead of his “Astroworld” festival taking place in his Houston hometown this weekend, Travis Scott has dropped two new songs, “Escape Plan.”The songs are likely from his forthcoming album “Utopia,” which he and producer Mike Dean have teased on social media over the past few weeks.Although “Escape Plan” drew most of the initial attention upon the midnight drop — within the first 13 minutes, the audio of “Escape Plan” had 18,000 listens on YouTube and “Mafia” had

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 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 EditorAdele, master of the slow reveal, has unveiled what appear to be the first two dates of the tour in support of her forthcoming album “30” — and they’re a blockbuster: two nights in London’s Hyde Park next summer, the sprawling green in the middle of her hometown that has hosted concerts by everyone from the Rolling Stones and Queen to Elton John and Blur.Adele announced the dates, which are scheduled for July 1 and 2, 2022, on social media early Tuesday.Oiii

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe estate of legendary R&B singer Luther Vandross has struck a wide-ranging partnership with Primary Wave Music that sees the company acquiring a stake in the late artist’s publishing, master recording income stream, and name and likeness rights.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBeyonce musical director/bassist Divinity Roxx (pictured above with Yani Marin), blind artist Lachi, deaf activist Mervin and more were winners at the first Wavy Awards, presented on Saturday by Blonde Music News and intended to celebrate “women, LGBTQ+, non-binary, artists of color, talent who identifies as having a disability and allies.”Sophia Chang gave a memorable speech at the event, which was supported by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and

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.

TMZ, the couple is hoping to go south of the border from Nov. 5 to Nov.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBMG has promoted U.S. frontline recorded-music execs Angela Barkan and Cyndi Lynott to senior vice presidents, the company announced on Monday.On the East Coast, Barkan, who is currently overseeing new releases from Duran Duran, Bryan Adams and Kelis, has been promoted to SVP of marketing and will report to EVP Jason Hradil.