Music Industry Moves: Recording Academy Names Ryan Butler VP of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Def Jam Partners With Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free to Sign Tanna Leone

The news of the loss of one of the world’s great rock drum talents is still cresting on social media, as music greats lined up to pay tribute to Foo Fighter Taylor Hawkins, who died Friday night in Bogota, Colombia.

Spotify has revealed that it paid $7billion (£5.3billion) to artists last year.The news was published via its Loud And Clear website, which aims to “increase transparency” around payments.The streaming giant said that 56,200 musicians received more than $10,000 (£7,500) from Spotify last year and 130 of these were paid more than $5m (£3.8m).However, the figures shared don’t include the final figure the artist receives once labels and publishers have taken their share, which means the money they receive is often much lower. Songwriters and session musicians receive even less.The service has come under fire previously for its low artist payments, with the likes of David Byrne, producer Tony Visconti and David Crosby all criticising the platform recently.Visconti described the streaming service as “disgusting” over its low payments to artists.

CHVRCHES lead singer Lauren Mayberry has opened up on the subtle sexism she's faced in the music industry.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSpotify paid $7 billion in royalties to rights holders — primarily labels and publishers, but also distributors, performing rights organizations and others — in 2021, the company announced on Thursday in its annual “Loud and Clear” report.That total is more than any other service — with more than 180 million paying subscribers, Spotify is the top paid-subscription music service in the world by far — and sets the record for the highest annual payment from any single retailer in history, including during the height of the CD era, according to the announcement. (Because Spotify’s data is proprietary, it is not possible to cross-check all of these numbers with accuracy — see the full report here.) The report also states that in 2021, for the first time, more than 1,000 artists generated over $1 million on Spotify for rights-holders.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMulti-platinum-selling rapper Trippie Redd, one of the first signings to 10K Projects, has re-upped with the company in a “long-term deal that will keep him at the label for years to come,” according to the announcement.In just five years, Trippie has released four studio albums, six mixtapes, eight EPs and almost three dozen singles — not to mention countless guest appearances — adding up to 15 Platinum and 8 Gold certifications.“We launched 10K Projects as a label where artists have complete creative freedom and the support to realize their vision,” said the label’s founder and CEO, Elliot Grainge. “Trippie Redd has thrived under these conditions, releasing a lifetime’s worth of music in just five short years and becoming a singular voice in contemporary music.” Trippie Redd commented: “Elliot signed me when I was 16.

Ellise Shafer Muni Long has signed to Def Jam Recordings through her SuperGiant Records label, Def Jam chairman and CEO Tunji Balogun announced on Monday.The rapper, whose platinum-certified song “Hrs and Hrs” became a smash hit in 2021, was previously independent. She was signed by Capitol Records in 2009, but focused on writing music for other artists such as Rihanna, Ariana Grande and Fifth Harmony, until she revived her career as an artist in 2019. In November 2021, she released the album “Public Displays of Affection.”“It has been a lifelong goal of mine to be able to bring my gifts to the world.

In a recent Instagram Live, Nicki Minaj insisted young women in the music industry haven’t experienced as much hate as they think they have.

Nicki Minaj has claimed that young women receiving hate in the music industry are merely experiencing “growing pains” when compared to what she has been through.Minaj made the comments during an Instagram Live conversation with rapper Coi Leray, who collaborated with Minaj on their recent song ‘Blick Blick’, and is 15 years her junior. During the conversation, Leray mentioned that her success had come in the face of “hate” that she had received.

William Earl In celebration of Women’s History Month, “The Women of Def Jam ,” a 24-track compilation showcasing some of the top female artists in the history of the world’s premier hip-hop record label, has been released today. Available now as a triple-LP boxed set, the album’s tracklist ranges from Nikki D, Foxy Brown, Boss, and Ashanti to Amerie, Teyana Taylor, Alessia Cara, Rapsody and Jhené Aiko.“There are so many amazing stories to tell about Def Jam today and how women have been positioned across the company,” says Tunji Balogun, Chairman & CEO, Def Jam Recordings.According to the announcement, over half of the Def Jam staff are women, including seven women of color in senior executive positions.

took herself out of the running to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year — “I don’t feel that I have earned that right,” she said in an Instagram post— she revealed that she hopes to one day be “worthy” of another nomination.“This has … inspired me to put out a hopefully great rock ’n’ roll album at some point in the future, which I have always wanted to do!” she said.And if Johnny Cash could work with Rick Rubin and Loretta Lynn could collaborate with Jack White, then certainly Parton could get some rock love.Rundgren — who in addition to being inducted into the RRHOF last year as an artist, has produced everyone from Badfinger and the New York Dolls to Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of Hell” — would love to collaborate with Parton behind the boards. “Who wouldn’t?” Rundgren, 73, said.“She’s made so many records, has so much experience, you know there’s not going to be any sort of funny business about doing it.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSony Music Entertainment Latin-Iberia has struck a new partnership with WK Records, the record label founded by WK Entertainment CEO-founder Walter Kolm.WKR artists include reggaeton star Alex Rose, Grammy-nominated/ Latin Grammy-winning producer-artist Foreign Teck, singer-songwriter Emilia, Argentine trap artist Seven Kayne, and Colombian artist Cheo Gallego, with more signings to be announced in the coming weeks.WKR is led by CEO and WKE head of music Horacio Rodriguez (who joined last year after 15 years at Universal Music Latin), with a pop and urban division led by WKR GM/co-founder Oscar Guitián, and a regional Mexican division led by producer-composer-executive Alberto De León, who previously held roles at Universal, Capitol Latin, Machete Music and  Fonovisa/Disa. “We have an incredible relationship with the entire WK family,” said Sony Latin-Iberia chairman-CEO Afo Verde.

ABC News has tapped Reena Mehta to serve as senior vice president of streaming and digital content, while the network announced other staff changes as it boosts its online presence.

Rebecca Ferguson and Lily Allen have spoken out about the harassment they have experienced and what needs to be done to support musicians experiencing such difficulties.At present, there is no similar initiative in place in the UK but Help Musicians hope to bridge this gap with the helpline by ensuring that those working in the music industry have a place to turn for advice and practical help.James Ainscough, Chief Executive of Help Musicians, said, “Bullying and harassment requires a collaborative response across the music industry. The creation of the helpline is a vital next step and Help Musicians is well placed to provide this service, as an independent charity.”Today we announce a new Bullying & Harassment helpline, open to anyone working in the music industry.If you work in music and are concerned about a bullying or harassment situation, you can call us confidentially for free on 0800 088 2045.

The ultimate woman crush! Dolly Parton’s career has spanned music, movies, multiple business ventures and more — and she’s shown no sign of slowing down.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe U.S. recorded-music business continues its upward swing, posting a near-record $15 billion in revenue for 2021, driven by a surge in streaming, solid vinyl and even CD sales, and the inclusion of TikTok music revenue for the first time.In fact, all major formats of music posted growth over the prior year, except digital downloads.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorTreatment toward women in the music industry has shown some improvement but has a long way to go, according to the inaugural “Women in the Mix” study from the Recording Academy, Arizona State University and Berklee College of Music Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship.According to the announcement, the report is designed to examine and better understand the experiences and socio-economic landscape of women and gender-expansive people working in the American music industry. Developed to influence advocates, allies and leaders in music to work towards a more inclusive and equitable industry, the study explores demographic characteristics, employment experiences, career challenges, job satisfaction, family decisions, and pathways into the music industry within this community.

before his death from cancer, aged 58, in August last year.Speaking on the show, the comedian said: “There was one moment when I went to see him where he just said to me – and he didn’t say this in a ‘I want to make you feel better’ or ‘I’m trying to convince myself’ way; I just knew it was 100 per cent true – he just said to me: ‘I’ve had a really good life, you know.’“It was really… it was so profound the way he said it, because I thought, ‘He really has,’ because he’s got this fantastic wife, three beautiful kids and he’s spent his life making millions of people laugh. It’s hard to argue with.”Gone at this about Sean Lock pic.twitter.com/d3dFOUaLNI— Nooruddean (@BeardedGenius) March 5, 2022After his death was announced last year, Mack released a statement which read: “I’ve known this day was coming for some time, but it’s no less heart-breaking.

The Recording Academy is celebrating its upcoming Grrammy Awards with the launch of an exclusive NFT collection. Fans can get a free NFT as part of the deal, one of which has a “Golden Ticket” prize that grants the bearer an all-inclusive trip to the 64th awards April 3 in Las Vegas.

Preview in new tabDolly Parton’s upcoming novel will take a “dark,” autobiographical turn. The country singer/actress/businesswoman — who joined forces with best-selling “Alex Cross” writer James Patterson, 74, for their thriller, “Run, Rose, Run” — recently teased that it’s a cautionary look into the shadows of the music industry.“It shows a lot of the dark side of that – people that have been in it, like me, you know that, because you’ve lived it,” Parton, 76, told “CBS Sunday Morning” reporter Lee Cowan for a story airing this weekend.The novel tells the tale of a Rose, a young country singer/songwriter from Nashville who realizes that fame and fortune are both not all that they’re cracked up to be.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAmazon Music has announced that Phylicia Fant has joined the company as head of music industry partnerships, a newly created role. According to the announcement, she will identify and oversee strategic music partnerships and identify cross-entertainment campaigns for Amazon Music, She will be based in the company’s Culver City, Calif.