Publishing Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Hulu thriller “The Other Black Girl” mixes suspense and satire for a sharp dig at the publishing industry. Premiering Wednesday, Sept. 13 and based on the best-selling novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris, “The Other Black Girl,” is executive produced by Rashida Jones.

Sean Combs, a.k.a. Diddy, has reassigned all the publishing rights to Bad Boy Records back catalog to the artists and writers, Variety and Rolling Stone reports.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music In a rare move apparently themed for Labor Day, Bad Boy Records founder Sean “Diddy” Combs has “decided to reassign his Bad Boy publishing rights back to all Bad Boy artists and writers who helped build Bad Boy into the powerhouse it is today,” a source close to the situation confirmed to Variety on Monday. The artists in question include the Notorious B.I.G.’s estate, Faith Evans, Ma$e, the Lox, 112 and “many more” unspecified creators.

Cooking Vinyl Publishing has signed a deal covering the songs catalogue of indie-rock duo Her’s, four years after they were killed in a car accident while on tour in the US.The deal has been agreed between Cooking Vinyl, the band’s record label and management company Heist Or Hit, and the families of the two band members, Audun Laading and Stephen Fitzpatrick. It is the first time that the songs in the catalogue have been published.“We are honoured to announce our new partnership with Cooking Vinyl Publishing in commemoration of the enduring musical legacy of Her’s, a fantastically unique duo that has left an everlasting mark on music fans across the world”, says Heist Or Hit’s Martin Colclough.“We’re incredibly proud to have witnessed the hugely positive impact that Stephen and Audun’s songs have made over the past four years”, he goes on, “and this new collaboration will enable us to preserve their musical heritage and continue to inspire future generations”.Cooking Vinyl Publishing Managing Director Ryan Farley adds: “We’re immensely proud to be entrusted with Stephen and Audun’s amazing songs at Cooking Vinyl.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and producer Jack Antonoff has announced an extensive new partnership with Dirty Hit Records founder Jamie Oborne, alongside a new exclusive agreement with leading global publisher Universal Music Publishing Group. The multifaceted deal will see Antonoff (pictured above, top) and his band Bleachers being managed by Oborne, with Antonoff and Oborne also launching a new joint venture; in addition, Antonoff’s band Bleachers have signed with Dirty Hit, Oborne’s independent label, which is also home to the 1975, Rina Sawayama, Wolf Alice, Beabadoobee and others.

Britney Spears is getting ready to release her much-anticipated memoir The Woman In Me.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Warner Bros. Discovery is negotiating to sell around half of the storied Warner studio’s film and TV music-publishing assets for approximately $500 million, three sources confirm to Variety. The news was first reported by Hits. While it is unclear exactly which assets are on the table, one source says that the rights to “slightly less than half” of the catalog, with a price of around $500 million, are likely to go to a major label, with Sony said to be in the lead. The catalog is believed to include music from such films as “Purple Rain,” “Evita,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Rent” several “Batman” films and many more titles, as well as songs included in iconic films such as “As Time Goes By” from “Casablanca” — iconic titles to be sure, but again, it is unclear exactly which rights are in play. Top attorney Allen Grubman is said to be overseeing the deal for Warner Discovery CEO David Zaslav.

Bucks Music in the UK and Mushroom Music in Australia have together signed Joshua Epithet to a publishing deal. The Manchester-based artist/producer is already working with Mushroom’s labels on his recordings, including his first single of 2023, ‘She Writes Fanfiction’.Confirming the new deal around Epithet’s songs, Bucks’ Director Of A&R Sarah Liversedge Platz says: “We are ecstatic to be working with Joshua Epithet.

Universal Music Publishing has only gone and signed itself Niall Horan to one of those big fuck off global publishing deals that all the cool kids keep talking about. Endlessly talking about them they are. TikTok is full of cool kids talking about global publishing deals.

Thania Garcia Niall Horan has signed an exclusive, worldwide publishing agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG). This follows the release of Horan’s third album “The Show,” which earned the former One Direction member his second UK No. 1 single as a solo artist. “It’s my absolute pleasure to sign with UMPG,” shared Horan in a statement. “I have known Mike [McCormack, UMPG UK managing director] personally for many years and I’m so happy that I get to work with a man who firstly genuinely cares about artistry and the art of writing a song, and secondly knows the world of publishing like no other. To have met the great Jody Gerson who I’ve known of throughout my career as being a badass publisher and when I felt the love from her and Mike, I wasn’t going anywhere else, to be honest.”

It is part of the unspoken agreement between Hollywood and audiences that there always be one high-quality period show that explores the boundaries between the entertainment industry and exploitation. For many years, Netflix held up its end of the bargain with “GLOW,” but the decision to cancel that show left a void that needed to be filled.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Vivendi, the parent company of Canal+ Group, has received the green light from the European Commission to proceed with the acquisition of Lagardère, the French media, publishing and travel retail conglomerate. This European Commission has given its approval under Vivendi’s two proposed commitments, starting with the sale of 100% of the share capital of its publishing group Editis, as well as the full sale of Gala magazine. Vivendi said it expects to close both deals by the end of October. It entered into exclusive negotiations to sell Editis to a subsidiary of Czech Media Invest (CMI) founded by Daniel Kretinsky, in March. With the acquisition of Lagardère group, Vivendi’s payroll will rise to 66,000 employees compared to 38,000 at the end of December 2022, with a stronger presence in key markets such as France, the U.K., Spain and the US.

Federal prosecutors in New York yesterday asked a judge to issue an order allowing them to claim royalties due to R Kelly from Sony Music and Universal Music Publishing to pay off fines and restitution linked to his conviction in the US state.Kelly, of course, was found guilty in a New York court of establishing and running a criminal enterprise in order to sexually and physically abuse women and teenagers.It was the first of two convictions that stemmed from the criminal investigations launched after the ‘Surviving R Kelly’ documentary aired, it putting the abuse allegations that had surrounded the music star for decades back into the spotlight. The second conviction was in his home town of Chicago.In the New York case, Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in jail and ordered to pay $480,000 in fines and restitution.

Thania Garcia Today, the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) unveiled the second edition of its Music Industry Action Report Card (MIARC) which observes dozens of organizations in multiple categories — labels, publishers, streaming services, live entertainment and touring, the Recording Academy and more — and how market leaders (and/or those most closely affiliated with Black/urban music, creators and audiences) have taken action to elevate black employees and donate to racial justice initiatives. “Racism, a 400+-year-old disease, will not be cured in 24 months. However, through music’s reach, power, and influence, our industry can set a new standard of inclusion, diversity, and equity,” writes Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, co-founder/co-chair of the BMAC, in the report card’s introduction. “Our goal is for the MIARC to inform critical changes in the music industry that increase equity and inclusion across areas.”

A wild theory has been making its way around the internet claiming that Taylor Swift is about to publish a memoir.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor New Warner Music CEO Robert Kyncl faced a light release schedule during his first two quarters in office and has promised not to candy-coat the results. Although the company’s revenue was up 4% and its publishing division posted a strong quarter, the company is just beginning to emerge from that thin stretch of releases with strong performances from three recent albums from its Atlantic Records division, from Ed Sheeran, Jack Harlow and Tiesto. As he did in his first earnings call, Kyncl nodded to that situation and then looked ahead to a robust release schedule for the remainder of 2023, with upcoming releases from Dua Lipa, David Guetta, Lil Uzi Vert, Burna Boy, Kelly Clarkson, Tiago PZK, Bailey Zimmerman, and others. “I’m very confident in the path forward, as we combine creative and marketing excellence with tech innovation to propel our growth,” he said.

Peermusic and the UK company that controls music created by the late Malcolm McLaren have sued Sony Music Publishing in a dispute over an interpolation in Lizzo track ‘About Damn Time’.In its chorus, Lizzo’s 2022 hit interpolates an element of ‘Hey! DJ’, a 1984 release by The World’s Famous Supreme Team, which was co-written by McLaren. The copyright in that song was split between McLaren, producer Stephen Hague, and the two members of The World’s Famous Supreme Team, Larry Price and Ronald Larkins.According to a new lawsuit filed with the New York courts, reps for Lizzo approached Peermusic – which administrates McLaren’s catalogue – to clear his share of the copyright in relation to the interpolation.

The editor of a German magazine that ran an “interview” with former Formula One champion Michael Schumacher – including quotes generated by artificial intelligence – has been sacked.

Millie Bobby Brown’s debut novel is underway.

Sly Stone, the famously elusive former frontman of the legendary funk band Sly and the Family Stone, has announced his first memoir, Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin). Co-written with Ben Greenman, who’s worked with George Clinton and Brian Wilson (among others) on their own autobiographies, it’s scheduled to arrive October 17 in the U.S.

Pulse Music Group has signed punk band Turnstile to a worldwide publishing deal via a creative joint venture with Rick Rubin’s American Songs. The agreement covers Turnstile’s entire song catalog, including their 2021 record “Glow On,” which boasts Grammy-nominated singles “Blackout” and “Holiday.” “We have been waiting a very long time for the next great rock band to emerge and feel very fortunate that we will get to work with Brendan and the band,” commented Scott Cutler, co-CEO of Pulse Music Group. “Welcoming Turnstile to our Pulse Music Group roster is a great example of what we set out to do creatively when we formed our joint venture with Rick Rubin. We’re proud to welcome Turnstile to our roster and to partner with American Songs to publish culturally impactful talent.”

‘My King Charles’ Doc Picked Up Around The World

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Vivendi has entered into exclusive negotiations to sell 100% of its publishing house Editis to a subsidiary of Czech Media Invest (CMI) founded by Daniel Kretinsky. Following its latest board meeting on March 8, Vivendi said it has received several bids for the sale of Editis and has chosen the offer brought by International Media Invest, a subsidiary of Kretinsky’s CMI. The deal would have to be approved by the European Commission. Vivendi said the “plan is to distribute the Editis shares to the Vivendi shareholders, and their listing on the Euronext Growth market, is put on hold.” Editis’ evenues dropped by 8% to €789 million in 2022, according to Vivendi. The Paris-based banner is home to Robert Laffont, Plon and Julliard, among others.

Thania Garcia Producer Metro Boomin has sold a portion of his publishing catalog to Shamrock Capital for close to $70 million, Variety can confirm. News of the hip-hop acquisition was first published by Billboard on Tuesday morning and arrives as Shamrock continues to forge major investments in catalog sales, expanding a portfolio that includes the master recordings for Taylor Swift’s first six albums, which it acquired in 2020 from Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings. Metro Boomin is riding high on the streaming and sales success of his second full-length album, “Heroes & Villains.” The R&B and hip-hop set was released last December and was the St. Louis artist’s biggest album in terms of first-week sales. It was also his second record to debut at No. 1 on the all-genre inclusive albums chart.

DEALSSentric Music has agreed a deal to administer Rough Trade Publishing’s catalogue worldwide. “We are immensely proud of the roster of artists and writers that we’ve built at RTP”, says the company’s Head Of A&R AJ Tobey. “Bringing Sentric’s expertise in administration into the fold only makes us even more confident that we are offering our roster incredible service, across all aspects of publishing”.Ultra International Music Publishing and producer Diamond Pistols have announced a new joint venture that will see them launch new publishing company Hidden Gem.

Naman Ramachandran IMG will be the exclusive publishing agent for the hit mobile game franchise Angry Birds, expanding its existing global licensing representation agreement with the brand’s parent company Rovio Entertainment. This is the first time the Angry Birds brand’s consumer products and location-based entertainment licensing and publishing rights will be consolidated under one global agency. IMG will seek to expand the franchise’s current publishing program, which includes regional deals with Penguin Children’s Puffin and Nordic publishing house Storytel, with new global and regional deals for books, comic books, audiobooks and activity books featuring the brand’s characters.

Ghost Ship Games, the developer behind Deep Rock Galactic, has announced that it will be launching a publishing arm to help “lift up” smaller developers.Titled Ghost Ship Publishing, the new arm of Ghost Ship will serve as a “launchpad for independent video games in the rapidly growing Danish games industry and beyond.”Ghost Ship Publishing will announce some of its upcoming titles on March 2, as part of Deep Rock Galactic‘s fifth anniversary livestream.Ghost Ship explains that the “careful approach to open development and a flexible design philosophy” from the game will be foundational for future games published by the studio.“Becoming a publisher is a way for us to give a bit back to the industry, and to help lift up both the Danish gaming scene and other small developers like ourselves across the globe,” commented Søren Lundgaard, CEO of Ghost Ship Games. “Our goal is to assist fellow developers with funding and marketing expertise, while also helping them establish a solid business.

RTL is centralizing its German publishing arm, as the European networks and media group continues to reshape its assets. More than 500 roles will be cut as the company aims to focus on “core brands” and bringing its publishing, TV and streaming businesses closer together.

UTA has acquired Fletcher & Company, a 20-year-old literary agency with a roster of notable fiction and non-fiction authors.

A major publishing deal is officially dead in the water as Paramount Global scrapped its sale of Simon & Schuster to Bertelsmann’s Penguin Random House, declining to pursue an appeal after the Department of Justice sued to block the merger and a federal judge upheld the government’s position.

will be posthumously published by Ballast Books, a move finds to be, in a word, “disgusting.” According to , the book gets into Duff and Carter's relationship from back when they were barely teenagers—and claims that they lost their virginities to one another in a hotel room. “It’s really sad that within a , there’s a publisher that seems to be recklessly pushing a book out to capitalize on this tragedy without taking appropriate time or care to fact check the validity of his work,” Duff told . “To water down Aaron’s life story to what seems to be unverified click-bait for profit is disgusting.

Halsey has signed a new global publishing administration deal with BMG. The musician was previously signed to Universal Music Publishing on the songs side.“I’m THRILLED to announce this partnership with BMG”, says Halsey.

Ramones singer Joey Ramone have sold a stake of his publishing rights for $10million (£8.9m).The sale comes as part of a new partnership between the Primary Wave Music publishing group and investment company Brookfield Asset Management.As the Wall Street Journal reports, the deal also includes non-exclusive rights to Ramone’s likeness and name. Included in the publishing deal are songwriting credits on many Ramones hits including ‘Judy Is A Punk’ and ‘I Wanna Be Sedated’.In a statement, the singer’s brother, Mitchel Hyman, said: “I’m thoroughly convinced of their eagerness to perpetuate his legacy, and their sincerity about doing it in a way that will never compromise his credibility.

The Duke of Sussex’s upcoming memoir is causing a stir at Buckingham Palace.

$500 million Bruce Springsteen banked from selling his catalog to Sony last year and the $300 million Universal Music paid for Bob Dylan’s catalog in 2020, but may be the first such deal for a punk rocker. Estates and musicians from The Beach Boys to Michael Jackson have sold catalogs in recent years.The deal was reportedly struck by Primary Wave in a new partnership with Canadian mega-investment firm Brookfield Asset Management, an outgrowth of the fortune built by the Seagram Company that is best known for its massive real estate holdings, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Primary Wave Music has acquired a major stake in Joey Ramone’s music-publishing assets for around $10 million, according to people close to the transaction. Terms of the deal include non-exclusive rights to license Joey Ramone’s name and likeness, as well as income for songs across the band’s repertoire of music; the news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. While the music-catalog market has been booming for the past several years, with blockbuster deals for catalogs by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen (both for around $600 million), Neil Young, Stevie Nicks, James Brown (all around the low nine figures) and more, this is possibly the first such deal for a punk-era artist, and could open up a new field of opportunity in a rapidly narrowing market.