Member Updates
Music Biz broadcasts the latest announcements from around our community on our social feeds as our member companies continue to push the industry forward. If you are launching a new product, have been featured in an industry trade publication, or have a major announcement coming soon, we’d love to help spread the word — share it with Henryk Bik, Music Biz’s Communications & Content Manager, at henryk.bik@musicbiz.org.
NEW FOR 2024 Music Biz’s member news will be shared exclusively on our social channels, as the Member Updates section of our website is set to go offline later this year.
February 7, 2022 – NEW MEMBER PROFILE: SongVest
We’d like to welcome SongVest to the Music Biz member community! SongVest provides music financing and investment opportunities for artists, songwriters, producers, investors and fans. Founded by Sean Peace in 2007, the company originally sold royalties as memorabilia to fans. This led to the creation of Royalty Exchange, the first online market to buy and sell music royalties at auction in 2011, which Peace then sold in 2015. SongVest relaunched in 2020, selling songwriter or artist catalogs and advances to investors.... Read More
February 3, 2022 – Music Biz Member Symphonic Distribution To Offer TikTok Royalty Analytics
Independent music distributor, Symphonic Distribution has announced that they will begin offering royalty analytics for TikTok within the company’s existing analytics toolset, becoming the first music distribution company to do so. The tool offers users comprehensive and easy-to-read metrics on how many videos have been created using the artist’s music, a crucial data point when calculating TikTok royalties, as well as how many views, likes, comments and shares the video generated. “How people are consuming and interacting with music is evolving at such a rapid pace,”... Read More
February 3, 2022 – Music Biz Members Universal Music Group, Twitch, and Amazon Music Expand Content Partnership
Twitch and Amazon Music have expanded their agreements with Universal Music Group to provide customers access to various music content across their platforms. Amazon Music subscribers will gain enhanced access to livestreams, high quality and spatial audio, artist merchandise, and exclusive experiences with UMG artists. Twitch will provide commercial opportunities for UMG and its artists that will facilitate direct engagement with fans through artist & label channels, alongside a series of exclusive artist features & experiences specifically produced for the service.... Read More
February 3, 2022 – Music Biz Member Utopia Music Acquires Proper Music Group, Launches Distribution Services
Music-minded financial tech company, Utopia Music has acquired Proper Music Group, the UK-based distributor which services more than 1,000 independent labels and companies. The acquisition will expand Utopia’s capabilities to include physical distribution and sales, manufacturing and digital distribution services. Utopia’s newly launched Distribution Services unit will offer marketing for creatives, digital retail marketing, reporting and budgeting, real-time analytics, and music synchronization. “We are delighted to announce our acquisition of Proper, which will serve the whole industry and digitize operations and processes when it comes to distribution,” said Utopia Music COO,... Read More
February 1, 2022 – Music Biz Member Soundtrack Your Brand Appoints Lisa Farris As Chief Marketing Officer
B2B music streaming service, Soundtrack Your Brand has announced the appointment of Lisa Farris as the company’s Chief Marketing Officer. In her new role, Farris will oversee global marketing for the company as it looks to make footholds in international markets, and will report directly to founder and CEO, Ola Sars. “I’m thrilled to join Soundtrack Your Brand, working closely with Ola and the executive team, to unlock greater value for music creators and businesses so that they can leverage the power of music to enhance customer experiences and increase sales,”... Read More
February 1, 2022 – Music Biz Member Single Music To Host NFT Product Demo & Q&A
D2C music platform, Single Music has announced that it will host a live demo of its new NFT release tool on Thursday, February 3 at 2pm ET. The demo will accompanied by a Q&A session with company Founder & CEO, Tommy Stalknecht. Single created the NFT release tool to be built right into each artist’s storefront, allowing the digital goods to be sold alongside physical media & merch offerings, digital music downloads, livestream tickets, and more.... Read More
January 31, 2022 – Music Biz Member Recording Academy Announces Partnership With GLAAD
The Recording Academy has announced a new partnership with GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQIA+ media advocacy group, to support its work promoting diversity in the music industry. The partnership will see the Recording Academy implement DEI training sessions hosted by GLAAD for Recording Academy staff & elected leaders, prepare editorial content for both organizations’ websites & social channels that highlight LGBTQIA+ artists, support the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards, and make a $150,000 donation to GLAAD.... Read More
January 27, 2022 – Music Biz Member Interscope Records Kicks Off 30th Anniversary Celebration
Interscope Records will celebrate their 30th anniversary with an art exhibition at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The exhibition, Artists Inspired by Music: Interscope Reimagined, will feature over 50 works inspired by albums and songs from the label’s roster including 2Pac, Billie Eilish, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Mary J. Blige, Olivia Rodrigo, and more. Interscope Records Co-founder Jimmy Iovine, current Chairman, John Janick, music executive Josh Abraham, and Interscope Vice Chairman Steve Berman led efforts to organize the project and worked closely with all of the music and visual artists.... Read More
January 27, 2022 – Music Biz Member OpenPlay Names Jonathan Bender Chief Operating & Growth Officer
Creative asset and catalog management platform, OpenPlay has named Jonathan Bender as its Chief Operating and Growth officer. In this role, he will oversee client operations, as well as OpenPlay’s expansion into new markets both in the U.S. and worldwide. “OpenPlay is by far the most advanced platform supporting both major labels and independents, and I look forward to continuing my commitment to the future of music industry infrastructure,” said Bender. “The evolution of the industry demands a level of sophistication to manage data,... Read More
January 26, 2022 – Music Biz Member Utopia Music Names Rosa Asciolla VP, Global Artist & Creator Community
Music-minded financial tech company, Utopia Music has announced the appointment of Rosa Asciolla as the company’s VP, Global Artist and Creator Community. Based in Los Angeles, her appointment expands the company’s footprint on the U.S. west coast. Asciolla joins Utopia after serving nearly 10 years with Spotify, most recently as Head of North America, Artist & Label Partnerships. In this role, she led a team that worked directly with senior label & distribution executives, artists and managers to support their use of,... Read More