Music Business News: North America

Spotify in talks to acquire sports media outlet the Ringer (report)

WSJ reports that 'discussions are early'

Hip-hop is still growing – with over 50% of the USA’s Top 100 streaming tracks of 2019

Genre's dominance of Stateside charts showing no sign of slowing down

Grateful Dead’s company Ice Nine signs global publishing deal with Warner Chappell

Administration deal covers iconic band’s entire body of work

SoundCloud, with more than 200m tracks on its platform, saw 12-monthly revenue run-rate top $200m last year

Company gives update on 2019 as 2018 results are laid bare

Primary Wave to buy majority stake in music publishing catalog & artist royalties of Donny Hathaway

Acquisition includes hits such as Where Is the Love, The Ghetto and Someday We'll All Be Free

fun. manager Dalton Sim exits Nettwerk after 15 years to launch management company, Good Harbor

Sim and Ben Levin launch independent firm and retain existing artists

APG bolsters leadership team with slew of promotions, including Miles Beard to SVP, A&R

Label also promotes Eli Piccarreta and Jessica Kelm; hires Nikisha Bailey

Ethan Baer named SVP of Business Development, Head of Electronic at Create Music Group

Baer is founder and former CEO of EDM.com