#149

Fake Drake

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NITO enters the ticket reform chat with its nine-point plan - kinda similar to Live Nation’s - but not quite. Snapchat’s AR maps will be guiding you around more festivals this season. And more on the Frank Ocean/Coachella debacle.

 

Credit: SnapchatNITO’s 9-Point PlanNITO, The National Independent Talent Organization, has released a nine-point ticketing reform platform. At first glance, NITO’s nine points seem to just expand on the five points on Live Nation’s FAIR Ticketing Act: all-in ticketing, artist control over resale, a ban on speculative ticketing, ending bots, and a “crack down on resale sites.” However, NITO takes the last point further by calling for a ban on primary ticketing platforms participating in and profiting from secondary sales. They also call for free fan-to-fan transfers at face value, fee transparency, and a cap on ticket fees. 44 independent booking agencies and management companies have endorsed NITO’s platform. 

Snapchat Expands Festival Partnership

After a successful pilot of its AR features at 5 music festivals last year, Snapchat is expanding its partnership with Live Nation to include 16 more festivals this season. The custom AR lenses, 3D maps, and unique experiences were first used at EDC Las Vegas in May 2022. Guests at Governors Ball (NY), Lollapalooza (Paris, Chicago), Reading and Leeds Festivals (UK), Austin City Limits (TX), Bonnaroo (TN), and Day Trip (CA), and others will have the opportunity to check it out.

SeatGeek Files IPO Paperwork

SeatGeek has filed confidential IPO paperwork en route to going public. This comes less than a year after it terminated a deal to go public last June via a SPAC with RedBall Acquisition Corp. That deal reportedly valued SeatGeek at $1.35 billion. In August, the company raised $238 million in Series E based on a $1 billion pre-money valuation.

Fake Drake & the WeekndThe AI-generated song, “Heart on My Sleeve,” posted on several streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok, and Tidal, was pulled down last Monday due to copyright claims by UMG and is causing lots of discussion around its legality. The song quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of streams using AI-generated fake vocals from Drake and the Weeknd. While the lyrics were original and “Ghostwriter” was upfront that he created the song using AI, lawyers still believe that it violates copyright laws due to the distinctiveness of the musicians’ voices. It hasn’t been tested in court yet, but it feels like it’s only a matter of time before it is.

New Live Nation VibeesLive Nation has created Vibee, a new spin-off company focused on fully immersive, destination, vacation-style events and activations on land and sea. “We are poised to deliver a range of once-in-a-lifetime destination experiences for every type of fan in vibrant locations all over the world,“ said Harvey Cohen, President of Vibee. Vibee is partnering with LN companies Insomniac, C3 Presents, Country Nation and will have activations at several festivals this summer. They plan to announce, “a boutique Fall trip to the Bahamas with a legendary, but yet-to-be-named artist, a four-day Cabo adventure with one of the world’s top DJs, and a bespoke Country music weekend in Nashville” soon.

Walmart Jumps In The WaterWalmart has signed on to be the presenting sponsor of Pharrell Williams’ Something in the Water festival in Virginia Beach, VA in an effort to “spotlight and support Black makers, like business owners, creators, artists or entrepreneurs.” In addition to their festival activations, Walmart is partnering with Williams’ Black Ambition non-profit, working with local artist Hampton Boyer to design festival merch, and along with Urban League of Hampton Roads, is offering League volunteers the ability to attend the festival for free.

Nashville Musicians Call for ActionNashville musicians including Sheryl Crow, Amy Grant, Kacey Musgraves, Jason Isbell, Maren Morris, Margo Price, Kelsea Ballerini, Emmylou Harris, and others are fighting for common sense gun legislation in Tennessee by signing a petition and meeting with state lawmakers, following the Covenant School shooting in March. The petition calls for extreme risk laws, stronger gun storage laws, and closing background check loopholes. 

CTS Eventim Goes to the EdgeCTS Eventim has added a paid media agency, the newly founded Edge, to its ticketing and live entertainment portfolio. The company will help promoters, artists, and managers to place targeted content on social platforms that is focused on selling tickets to events listed on the Eventim platform.

Sustainable Eating on TourSupport+Feed, a non-profit dedicated to creating an equitable, plant-based food system, was created during COVID by Billie Eilish and FINNEAS’s mother, Maggie Baird. The original plan was for Support+Feed to “execute a highly sustainable tour incorporating plant-based meals for their whole team through each venue they passed through.” However, when the pandemic shut things down, they realized they could help those dealing with food insecurity to get plant-based meals. Now, with touring back, they work to deliver plant-based meals to those in need along Billie’s tour routes and ask fans and artists to commit to eating one plant-based meal a day. 

Relix Music ConferenceLast week, The Relix Music Conference took place at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl with two days of conversations surrounding the music industry. Topics ranged from management to mental health, branding to fan experience and a 2-part State of the Business led by Relix Magazine’s Dean Budnick to open each day. Check out highlights from Pollstar and Celebrity Access.

 Cisco Brewers is looking for a Summer Activation Manager to execute field marketing programs throughout Boston this summer. Wednesday - Sunday shifts of at least 35 hours per week; $30-$45/hour.  Sundance Institute is hiring a Chief Operating Officer who will play a key role in the organization responsible for all aspects of Festival and Institute Operations. The hybrid role will work out of the LA, Park City, or NY office and has an annual salary of $200-250,000.

 Jason Siegel Photography is looking for an intern/assistant to join the Denver-based team.

Is AI-generated music a violation of copyright law?

Last Week's Results:

stick to catering at festivals.

Credit: Nick ChildersHeadliners, Lineups, and Festival Announcements 

  • Live Nation Urban and Mass Appeal are hosting Park Jams in Central Park, NYC in honor of Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary and in celebration of Juneteeth with DJ Premier, Grandmaster Flash and Kid Capri on June 19th.

  • Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic is celebrating 50 years with Tyler Childers, Dwight Yoakam, Shakey Graves, and more at the Q2 Stadium in Austin, TX on July 4th. 

  • The inaugural Evolution Festival will make its St. Louis debut at Forest Park August 26 - 27 with Brandi Carlile, The Black Keys, The Black Crowes, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals as well as local barbecue and bourbon.

  • The Black Crowes, My Morning Jacket & Turnpike Troubadours will headline the Mempho Music Festival, September 29 - October 1 at Memphis Botanic Garden in Memphis, TN.

  • Lana Del Ray will join Guns N’ Roses, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, P!nk, Billy Joel, BLACKPINK as the final headliner of London’s BST Hyde Park from June 24 - July 8 at Hyde Park.

  • U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere will open the MSG Sphere in Las Vegas on September 29th. Four additional shows have been announced for the much-anticipated debut concert, September 30, and October 5, 7, and 8.

Weekend Recap

But first, some Coachella Weekend 1 follow up

  •  Frank Ocean’s ice rink reportedly cost over $4 million (including production costs) and since it can’t be used as a public rink, Goldenvoice is out the money and searching for a way to use it.

  • The festival was fined $117,000 for breaking curfew Friday (by 25 minutes), Saturday (22 minutes), and Sunday (25 minutes). A $20,000 fine is assessed for going 5 minutes past the 1 AM curfew, with $1,000 added for each subsequent minute.

Coachella Weekend 2

 USA Today put a positive spin on climate for Earth Day - what 2050 looks like if we take action now.

 

 An interesting inquiry into how much money Coachella guests make and if they think tickets to the festival were worth it.

 

With so many questions around AI and the music industry, here’s a look at the difference between Assistive AI and Generative AI.

Questions or comments?

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