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FYI

Music Biz Headlines, Oct. 3, 2018

Soft Cell (pictured) wave goodbye, Kanye West shocks on SNL, and I'm With Her makes feminist folk. Also in the headlines are an October playlist, Believe, Invisible City, Journey, the Ryman Auditorium, Kenny Wheeler, ESO, Kyp Harness, Cardi B, Sigur Ros, and Yo-Yo Ma.

Music Biz Headlines, Oct. 3, 2018

By Kerry Doole

Why Believe just bought 49% in one of France's leading indie labels (and why it's not worried about Spotify's user upload)

It looks like the music industry is going to have to get used to no longer referring to Believe as a 'distributor'. According to the Paris-born firm's CEO, Denis Ladegaillerie, just 30% of Believe's revenues this year will be derived from pure distribution deals struck with artists and labels. The other 70% will come from "artist services and artist development" agreements. – Music Biz Worldwide


First Ticketmaster lawsuit filed over scalping charges

Filed in the US District Court of North California, consumer Allen Lee has alleged Ticketmaster and Live Nation have failed to treat consumers fairly. The class-action lawsuit claims Ticketmaster has “facilitated the sale of tickets to the secondary market.” – Digital Music News

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China's music streaming leader Tencent to go public in US

Tencent Music Entertainment plans to sell its stock in the U.S. as part of an initial public offering. The IPO documents filed Tuesday propose raising $1 billion, but that preliminary figure often ends up being substantially higher. – AP

Kanye West booed after pro-Trump rant after SNL performance

The rapper shocked the crowd after his guest shot on Saturday Night Live by proclaiming his love for President Donald Trump. As the NBC late night show ended, West went into one of his stream-of-consciousness rants. – American Media

50 great tracks for October from Noname, Julia Holter, Objekt and more

From Behemoth’s satanic metal to a triumphant return from Lana Del Rey, here are the tracks you need this month – read about our 10 favourites, and subscribe to all 50 in our playlists. –  Ben Beaumont-Thomas, The Guardian

Feminist folk supergroup I'm With Her finds harmony on and off stage

 Sara Watkins—the former Nickel Creek fiddler who’s one-third of the band, along with Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan—might suggest that it’s more of a songwriting workshop on wheels than a feminist folk supergroup. – Alex Varty, Georgia Straight

Soft Cell review – a swansong full of sex, noise and darkness

Performing their final concert at the O2 Arena, Marc Almond and Dave Ball get thousands of people screaming lyrics about sexual degradation. And, yes, they played Tainted Love.  – Alexis Petridis, The Guardian

Inside Invisible City’s new digs on Dundas West

The Toronto record shop and label have left Geary for the spot above Bambi’s nightclub, taking over the former home of Mr. Flamingo. – Michelle Da Silva, NOW

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Power-ballad kings Journey plays the hits fans love to hear

Don’t Stop Believin’ in Journey — the group continues to perform 43 years after releasing its first album.  – Shawn Conner, Vancouver Sun

Feel the spirit of country music inside Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. You can even walk on stage

This was the heart of Saturday night, and honky-tonk singer-songwriter Whitey Morgan had Ryman Auditorium in an uproar. “We’re settin’ here in the Mother Church,” Morgan said, gazing at the colourful Gothic windows at the back. “Come closer and sing with me.”  – Christopher Reynolds, LA Times

Five things to know about Kenny Wheeler Suite: Suite for Hard Rubber Orchestra featuring Norma Winstone

Vancouver's Hard Rubber Orchestra performs the last major work from the late Canadian jazz titan Kenny Wheeler. – Stuart Derdeyn, Calgary Herald

Review: ESO magnificent with Bruckner's Symphony No. 9

The two great virtues of this interpretation were its sense of overall architecture, and the clarity and detail Prior got from the orchestra. –  Mark Morris, Edmonton Journal

Veteran singer-songwriter Kyp Harness remains spontaneous

This under-rated singer/songwriter is a self-described vintage movie geek whose childhood heroes were Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy. Hence the writing of two noted non-fiction books about both to prove his film-loving point. Daniel Lanois, Bob Wiseman and Mary Margaret O'Hara have all covered his songs. – Coral Andrews, The Record

Cardi B to surrender to police in Strip Club fight

The 25-year-old Bronx rapper turned herself in at the 109th Police Precinct in Queens on Monday. She faces charges in an August attack that police said she ordered on two bartenders at the Angels Strip Club in College Point. – Ali Winston, NY Times

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Sigur Rós drummer quits band following rape allegations

Orri Páll Dýrason is accused of sexually assaulting a fan while she was asleep.  – Ben Beaumont-Thomas, The Guardian

Yo-Yo Ma wants Bach to save the world

Mr. Ma blended disarming generosity — he gave two budding cellists his instrument to try out in front of the group — with a kind of subtle social work. – Zachary Woolfe, NY Times

 

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Vivien Lewit
Courtesy Photo

Vivien Lewit

Tech

How YouTube Aims to Support Canadian Artists In the Age of AI

Vivien Lewit, Global Head of Artists at YouTube, took some time to talk about the Google-owned video streaming giant's partnership work with Canada's music industry and how they're moving into the future.

Like many major labels and streaming companies, YouTube has a major presence in Canada. For artists and content creators, it provides access to an audience that stretches beyond our borders.

"When you think about YouTube, the beauty for all artists and Canadian artists is the global reach," says Vivien Lewit, Global Head of Artists at YouTube, in an interview with Billboard Canada, after a recent trip to Halifax for the Juno Awards. "There are over two billion really logged in viewers that watch music videos each month on YouTube. The exposure is enormous."

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