On Friday, a Miami empanada maker enjoyed some face time with President-elect Joe Biden, telling her story and making a pitch for more relief in a video promoting the new … Click to Continue »
A California man was arrested in connection with a bomb scare that shut down the Venetian Causeway for hours on Wednesday and caused a flight delay at Miami International Airport. … Click to Continue »
An enormous Burmese python was found in the bushes surrounding a home in Coral Gables, where a growing number of the invasive species have been spotted in and around the … Click to Continue »
More Californians than ever are dying from the coronavirus — a knee-bucking 525 every day — and with the number expected to keep climbing state officials said Friday they are … Click to Continue »
When the first shots of the COVID-19 vaccine went into arms of Florida’s long-term care residents and staff, Gov. Ron DeSantis promised that the state’s most vulnerable — the 4.5 … Click to Continue »
Last year, while Mexican rock icons Maná were in the middle of a global tour, the Los Angeles home of guitarist Sergio Vallín was broken into. The thieves ransacked the house, stealing his two cars and, among other things, his collection of guitars, including his prized vintage Fender Stratocaster 1965.
“I have to say, that hurt,” Vallín tells Billboard. “Everything else I could live with, but my guitars? That hurt.”
Now, Vallín is getting his payback, metaphorically speaking, with Microsinfonías, his first all-instrumental album. The seven-track set, released independently by Vallín and distributed via Altafonte — the Madrid-based label and distributor — features seven “micro symphonies” accompanied by the Prague Symphony Orchestra, and where Vallín shares solo honors with a roster of guitarists that includes Carlos Santana and Steve Vai, playing his own compositions.
In a twist, the album also includes orchestral versions of hits by Alejandro Sanz, Juan Luis Guerra, Marco Antonio Solís and Maná’s lead singer Fher Olvera, but instead of featuring them on vocals, they play instruments: Sanz the flamenco guitar, Guerra the acoustic guitar, Olvera his harmonica and Solís the percussion.
As for Vallín, he used 16 guitars for his opus, including that 1965 Fender Stratocaster pre-robbery, along with electric Gibson and Les Paul guitars, acoustic guitars by Conde and Ramirez and even a medieval lute.
“Whatever worked best for the moment,” says Vallín, who has long had a partnership with Gibson and this year will release his own Sergio Vallín Les Paul. “More than an homage to the guitar, it’s an homage to musicians and music itself,” says Vallín, who also invited violinist Ara Malikian, guitarist Berta Rojas, trumpeter Arturo Sandoval and his own musician children to perform in the album.
“Playing an instrument has made us what we are. Sanz played guitar before he sang. Everyone who is in music has to have contact with an instrument. I define the micro symphonies as a universe of possibilities encapsulated in a work of art.”
Microsinfonías has been in the works since 2008, but Vallín only began to record in 2016 with the Prague Symphony. Rounding up the guest artists, in between his tours and theirs, was more complex. Some, like Santana, Sanz, Solís and, of course, Olvera, where old friends. Vallín approached each of them with an out-of-the-box concept. Guerra, for example, is known as a bachata singer but his instrument is the guitar; he’s hugely influenced by Pat Metheny and “is a great jazz guitarist,” says Vallín. Sanz began as a flamenco guitarist. Solís used to to play percussion with Los Bukis. Instead of asking them to sing, Vallín asked them to play. The end results are textured, layered compositions — four- to seven-minute micro symphonies with short “movements” — where all the guests solo as instrumentalists.
“Marco Antonio told me he never imagined it could sound like that,” laughs Vallín of their version of “Donde Estará mi Primavera,” a Solís hit that begins with a slow piano introduction then segues into a symphonic arrangement that accompanies electric guitar, then breaks into a cumbia beat with Solis’ percussion solos. The first track to be laid down was Sanz’s “Cuando Nadie Me Ve,” recorded in his home in Miami.
The last was “Microsinfonías,” a Vallín composition he wrote years ago, and titled “Microsinfonías” because of its changing structure.
“I used to play it for guitar solo for years. I hadn’t considered including it in the album nor had I conceptualized it with percussion and drums or Steve Vai. But eventually, I could see his influence in my playing there.”
Vai was the one guest Vallín had never met. Through a friend, he sent him the music, and Vai, who is notoriously picky, agreed to get on the project.
“He just said, give me some time, because I have other things on my plate. It took him six months! But it’s amazing.”
From the onset, Vallín treated his album not as a commercial project, but a musical project. The mix, for example, was done using Dolby Atmos technology, and the company released its own Dolby Atmos version which was available exclusively on Tidal. But the most important thing, he stresses, is that the album celebrates the collaborative en egalitarian nature of music at its purest.
The opener, “Desnudo,” for example, features Santana, but also jazz bassist Janek Gwizdala. “Bachata Rosa” features Guerra, but also trumpeter Arturo Sandoval and percussionist Luis Conde.
“We are all in exactly the same level. We’re all musicians, we’re all the same. We even opened a space for my son, who’s been playing guitar for five years. I thought that was beautiful and important.”
ASCAP and BMI have fired off a formal response following the Dept. of Justice’s revelation that it has ended its ASCAP/BMI consent decree review without taking action, meaning the agreements governing how ASCAP and BMI operate will continue to exist exactly as they are now.
In an open letter released Friday (Jan. 15), ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews and BMI president and CEO Mike O’Neill expressed their disappointment with the DOJ’s inaction but also their optimism in seeing “how the DOJ’s approach to these issues has evolved,” referencing remarks made by the DOJ’s outgoing assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Divison Makan Delrahim that “recognized several important truths that we have long understood,” including the efficiency of blanket licensing and the necessity of paying songwriters fairly, among other things.
Matthews and O’Neill also acknowledge that because some were using the DOJ’s review to advocate for further restrictions in consent decrees, it is better that “they remain as they are, than see an outcome that could adversely affect music creators for generations to come.”
Read the full letter below.
January 15, 2021
An Open Letter from ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews and BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neill in Response to the DOJ Closing Statement on the ASCAP and BMI Consent Decrees
Two years ago, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it would conduct a review of the ASCAP and BMI consent decrees to determine if they still served their intended purpose. Today, the DOJ has formally closed its review and will take no action to modify or terminate the decrees but left open the possibility of changes in the future.
While we were disappointed that no action was taken, we are encouraged to see how the DOJ’s approach to these issues has evolved. In his closing remarks, AAG Makan Delrahim recognized several important truths that we have long understood: Songwriters are the backbone of the music marketplace and must be paid fairly; blanket licensing is incredibly efficient; ASCAP and BMI are innovating to serve the needs of the industry; greater competition and not compulsory licensing is the answer; and the value of music is best decided in a free market.
While BMI and ASCAP have long advocated for updating and modernizing our consent decrees, it has become clear over the course of two different reviews by two different DOJ administrations in the past eight years that modifying or terminating our decrees would be extremely challenging.
This latest review was part of a broader effort by the DOJ to examine many of the nation’s oldest consent decrees and to terminate those that no longer served their intended purposes. When faced with that possibility, ASCAP and BMI joined together and put forth a proposal to the DOJ and the industry that would help facilitate a thoughtful transition to a free market while avoiding potential chaos in the marketplace.
We knew that reaching consensus would not be easy. It soon became clear that key industry participants could not agree on how best to move forward. Unfortunately, we also found that some were using this review to advocate for even greater restrictions in our decrees, either for their own benefit or in an effort to regulate the marketplace as a whole through BMI and ASCAP.
We were concerned that the lack of consensus in the market could lead to a legislative push resulting in unwarranted government regulation of our industry in the form of compulsory licensing. In addition, our victory in confirming the industry-wide practice of fractional licensing would have been revisited. These factors would absolutely not be in the best interest of our songwriters, composers and publishers, and indeed, would represent a major step backward. Although it would have been wonderful to see our decrees modernized, we would rather they remain as they are, than see an outcome that could adversely affect music creators for generations to come.
The formal close of this review means we can put this matter behind us for the near future and continue to champion the rights of our songwriters, composers and publishers, protect the value of their creative work, and partner with our licensees to help ensure music is delivered to the public.
It’s important to remember that BMI and ASCAP have operated with consent decrees for over 80 years, and that has not prevented us from innovating along with our changing marketplace. We recently joined together to launch the Songview data platform in order to respond to a growing industry need to provide greater transparency around copyright ownership shares. We appreciate the DOJ’s support of this initiative. In addition, we have each independently experimented with new forms of licenses, and we successfully advocated for provisions in the Music Modernization Act that will drive fairer negotiations and allow the introduction of more marketplace-pricing evidence in rate court proceedings. Whether we operate under consent decrees or not, that spirit of innovation and focus on continual improvement will never change.
Again, although we were disappointed no changes were made, we would like to thank Makan Delrahim, Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division, for his attention and efforts throughout this review as he evaluated the best way to move our industry towards a free market. We would also like to thank the many ASCAP and BMI songwriters and composers who shared their views with the DOJ.
While we are both looking forward to the day when ASCAP and BMI are no longer under consent decrees, we were buoyed by the DOJ’s comments that it will pay to revisit these decrees as a result of new market developments. When the appropriate time comes, BMI or ASCAP may wish to seek a future review.
For now, we’ll turn our attention to the opportunities that lie ahead in 2021 and, of course, all of the incredible new music the year will bring.
Spotify shares sank 7.4% to $317.10 on Friday (Jan. 15) after a Citi analyst downgraded the stock after concluding that the streaming service’s podcasts have not had a positive impact on subscriber growth. The price recovered slightly over the day and closed at $317.81.
Citi analyst Jason Bazinet believes Spotify is the only one of four subscription stocks — Netflix, SiriusXM and Roku are the others — with a price that’s out of sync with its valuation. “We suspect this disconnect stems from recent enthusiasm around Spotify’s recent podcast pivot,” he wrote. Bazinet dropped his rating from neutral to sell while raising the price target from $270 to $310, 2.2% below Friday’s closing price.
Spotify’s share price was already in retreat, dropping 12.5% from an all-time high of $370.95 reached on Wednesday (Jan. 13), however. Some experts would argue it’s still too high. The 25 analysts covering Spotify have a median price target of $298.53 with a high of $425.90 and a low of $141.30, according to Refinitiv.
Key Takeaways:
1) The three leading audio streaming companies — Spotify, Apple and Amazon — are pushing hard into podcasts. If turning a music service into an all-around audio service attracts subscribers and reduces churn, record labels and publishers will benefit.
2) Regardless of how its podcasts perform in the next year or two, Spotify has the resources to see its strategy through. It had €1.18 billion ($1.43 billion) on its balance sheet on Sept. 30, 2020, enough for more acquisitions and production expenses for original content.
3) Spotify lacks a bundle. Apple can fold a podcast subscription into Apple One or offer a standalone music-podcast bundle. Amazon has the opportunity to bundle podcast and music subscriptions.
Also on Friday, news broke that Apple is planning a podcast subscription service that would compete with a similar offering Spotify is reportedly mulling over. The Information’s report, corroborated by Bloomberg, reveals Apple is intent on following Spotify’s lead in switching its focus from a music-focused platform to one with both music and spoken word. Apple already has a popular podcast app but does not own the content it distributes. Amazon, often overlooked in discussions about audio streaming, already has a podcast subscription business — $4.99 per month or $34.99 annually — through its acquisition of podcast producer Wondery in December 2020.
Becoming an audio platform is a sensible and unavoidable move. Podcasting has the opportunity to expand Spotify’s listening hours, make the product stickier (less churn makes the average user more valuable) and improve gross margin (not because labels will lose negotiating power but because owned podcasts offer advertising opportunities). Since labels no longer give streaming services exclusives, podcasting is the favored format for luring listeners with titles that are unavailable elsewhere. And while streaming services are uninterested — thus far — in becoming record labels, they have quickly built in-house podcast production.
With Apple and Amazon on its heels, Spotify might struggle to maintain its top position in the market. Not only must it compete on music features, podcasting could drag it into a margin-killing pricing fight. Amazon continues to make a push in music streaming with Amazon Music HD, a high-definition tier for only $12.99 per month in the U.S. for Prime members, and leverages its popular Echo smart speaker with less expensive streaming options. Apple includes Apple Music in Apple One, a bundle with Apple TV+, its Apple Arcade game package and iCloud. It could fold a podcast subscription into Apple One or offer a standalone music-podcast bundle. Spotify is a standalone company facing two of the world’s largest tech companies. At best it can continue to partner with other companies that have no streaming counterpart like Hulu, with which it once had a $9.99 available in the U.S.
The three streaming leaders have taken varied approaches — buy or build — to enter the music and audio markets. Apple is creating its own podcasts but bought Beats Music and re-built it into Apple Music. Although Spotify and Amazon Music were built from scratch, both companies have used established brands to kickstart their podcasting businesses. Spotify acquired The Ringer and Gimlet and licensed The Joe Rogan Experience; Amazon acquired Wondery, producer of shows such as Death of a Starlet, and has an exclusive with the popular music-based show Disgraceland. Back in 2008, Amazon broke into the audiobook market with its $300 million acquisition of Audible.com.
Other companies have a good foothold in podcasting. iHeartMedia’s original shows include The Ron Burgundy Podcast, in which actor Will Ferrell reprises his character in the movie Anchorman; comedian Chelsea Handler’s Life Will Be The Death of Me and Stuff You Should Know. NPR has a formidable lineup of interview and news shows. Pandora has an exclusive podcast, 17 Weeks, from parent company SiriusXM and UNINTERRUPTED, a brand founded by NBA player Lebron James, and another about rap icons Wu-Tang Clan. And The New York Times has the popular show The Daily and recently acquired Serial Productions, the company behind the hit podcast Serial.
Investors’ enthusiasm about podcasts helped launch Spotify’s share price 109.3% over the last 12 months, from $151.84 to Friday’s close of $317.81 — for a market value of $60.3 billion. Since its pandemic low of $109.18 on March 16, Spotify’s share price is up an astounding 239.8%. Both gains far exceed the broader market: over the last 12 months, the New York Stock Exchange and the tech-heavy Nasdaq have climbed 5.3% and 38.9%, respectively. Spotify has even bested the top on-demand video streaming company during a year of pandemic-fueled growth: Netflix, a main benefactor of shelter-in-place orders, is up 47.1% over the last year.
Spotify versus Apple and Amazon isn’t necessarily a story of David versus two Goliaths; Spotify is a goliath in its small section of the e-commerce market. For a decade it focused on building the best music service — no in-house ticketing, livestreaming or record label. The focus has changed to being the best audio streaming service, and the ultimate goal of gaining subscribers remains.
Mark your calendars! Netflix announced part two of Selena: The Series will be released on May 14.
Along with the date for part 2, the streaming platform tweeted that in its first four weeks, “25 million households sang ‘Como La Flor’ along with Selena: The series – and half of those fans came from the U.S.”
Part 1 of the series, which “explores Selena Quintanilla’s journey from singing small gigs to becoming the most successful female Latin artist of all time,” made its Netflix debut on Dec. 4 starring Christian Serratos as the late Mexican-American singer.
“[Selena] created a path for herself when it was arguably difficult for Latinas,” Serratos previously told Billboard. “Being a woman in the industry is super tricky, but she managed to be incredibly powerful, strong, and resilient and [to] be a pioneer while being incredibly gracious, and I always thought that was so beautiful.”
Other cast members include Ricardo Chavira, who co-stars as Selena’s father Abraham; Gabriel Chavarria as her brother A.B.; Noemi Gonzalez as her sister Suzette; Seidy Lopez as her mother Marcella; and Madison Taylor Baez as young Selena.
The two-part series was released 23 years after the Gregory Nava-directed and Oscar-nominated film Selena starring Jennifer Lopez made its debut on the big screen.
See Netflix’s announcement below:
And we’re back! After a weird start to the new year, the fact remains that dance music has the power to not just distract, but uplift.
So far, 2021 has seen releases from the legend Paul Kalkbrenner, who delivered a deep house slow burn inspired by watching Sesame Street as a boy in East Germany, a squelchy electro banger from heavyweight duo deadmau5 and Wolfgang Gartner, a tech house body-mover from Green Velvet and CamelPhat and all the new music below.
Ready? Let’s dig in.
Black Coffee & Diplo feat. Elderbrook, “Never Gonna Forget”
Frankly, there aren’t enough dance tracks that evoke the steamy feeling of the 1989 Chris Isaak classic “Wicked Game.” South African star Black Coffee and a pair of heavyweight pals are here to amend that with “Never Gonna Forget You,” a spacious house track built on a moody guitar lick Isaak would likely approve of, which sits beneath pretty, delicate layers of percussion and synth. Featuring Grammy-nominated vocalist/producer Elderbrook and Diplo — showing up here in his underground-oriented Higher Ground persona — “Never Gonna Forget” is the final single to drop because the Feb. 5 release of Black Coffee’s forthcoming LP, Subconsciously.
LP Giobbi feat. Hermixalot, “Move Your Body”
Oregon-born, Austin, Texas-based producer LP Giobbi returns with her frequent collaborator Hermixalot, and together the duo deliver some serious (like, dead serious) heat. “Move Your Body” is a gospel house epic laden with strings, breakbeat, swirling synth and piano stabs played by the producer/classically trained jazz pianist herself. LP Giobbi’s debut release on Insomniac Records, Hermixalot’s potent vocals instruct you to “Dance until your physical becomes the instrument that renews the spiritual!” It makes sense when you do it!
Anturage & Alexey Union, “Bad Romance”
Disco Halal, Tthe label from Israel-born, Berlin-based producer Moscoman, has been delivering a consistently excellent streak of projects that continues today with the single “Bad Romance.” A collaboration between Bulgarian producer Anturage and Russia-based artist Alexey Union, the track fuses elements of Darkside and Depeche Mode, making something urgent and alluring. The release also features a host of remixes, along with an extended edit from the frequent collaborators.
CamelPhat feat. Lowes, “Easier” (Sub Focus Remix)
CamelPhat’s massive 2020 anthem “Easier” get an equally massive remix from scene hero Sub Focus. The English producer’s edit speeds up the original and reconfigures it with the high-energy D&B element that’s made him famous, adding a bit of brightness and a lot more urgency. The remix package also includes an edit by house legend MK, along with an acoustic version of the track.
Illenium, “Hearts On Fire” (Timmy Trumpet Remix)
After dropping his Lights collaboration “Hearts On Fire” on Christmas Day, Illenium does a quick follow up with a remix by mainstage stalwart Timmy Trumpet. In Trumpet’s hands, the singalong future bass anthem get the syncopated EDM bounce that’s made him a worldwide favorite. This remix comes ahead of additional “Hearts On Fire” edits coming from Lucas & Steve and Bassjackers later this month and in early February.
Rochelle Jordan, “Got Em”
British-born, Los Angeles based producer/singer Rochelle Jordan makes her debut on Tokimonsta’s Young Art label with the scintillating “Got Em.” Co-produced by KLSH and Machindrum, the track’s UK garage bassline lightly evokes Daniel Bedingfield’s 2001 classic “Gotta Get Through This” and serves to showcase Jordan’s simultaneously robust and feathery voice.
“I wrote it in 2017, a time where I had an intense epiphany about life,” Jordan says in a statement. “I started to become much more spiritually aware than I have ever been before. All the repetition in this song is my way of being able to meditate on these words of encouragement and confidence, affirm and push through. Talking my shit in the first verse, to speaking and encouraging whoever is listening in the second, I just wanted this song to seep into the veins of whoever needs to be lifted.”
