Music Business News: United Kingdom

TuneCore and Amazon Music UK partner to offer free studio time to independent artists

Twelve self-releasing artists at TuneCore will be granted access to Metropolis Studios' Studio X

UK parliamentary committee reports ‘endemic misogyny and discrimination’ in music business

Discrimination persists despite women making significant headway in the music industry, the report asserts

Universal Music unveils ‘UMusicLift’ hub for music startups

UMusicLift will support “the next generation of diverse, music-related startups and entrepreneurs who aim to accelerate the next wave of digital transformation”

Analysis

Hipgnosis Songs Fund’s Chairman is determined to abolish Merck Mercuriadis’ ‘call option’. He was less bothered when Round Hill Music Royalty Fund’s investment manager had a near-identical clause.

A tale of two call options...

News

PPL partners with India’s ISAMRA on royalty collections

The deal means PPL can now collect royalties on behalf of mandated performers in India

Analysis News

Merck Mercuriadis seems willing – currently – to trade in his ‘call option’ at Hipgnosis Songs Fund. So why is the company’s board offering to ‘bribe’ potential bidders with a £20 million bung in an attempt to offset it?

Yesterday, this saga took a turn for the bizarre

News

Brooke Salisbury joins Sony Music UK as Senior Vice President, International Marketing & Digital Partnerships

The exec most recently served as General Manager at ADA UK, Warner Music’s Distribution and Label Services division

Analysis

The music industry is learning Hollywood’s lessons about the power of franchises

Would the music industry do well to throw marketing budget behind slightly-forgotten artists from the 'naughts', wonders Tim Ingham