Verizon is firing back at a lawsuit filed by the major record labels over allegations of “staggering” piracy on its network, arguing that music companies cannot trot out the “same playbook” they used to win a billion-dollar judgment against another internet service provider.
The case, filed in July by Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, claims that Verizon “buried its head in the sand” in the face of repeated warnings about piracy on its network, effectively encouraging its users to illegally share music.
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Verizon Faces Music Piracy Lawsuit From Major Labels: ‘Buried Its Head In The Sand’
But in a motion to dismiss the case on Friday (Sept. 6), Verizon blasted the “legally deficient” premise of the lawsuit: That an ISP itself can be held liable over the sins of its users.
“When people do bad things online, their internet service providers are not typically the ones to blame. This lawsuit claims otherwise,” Verizon’s attorneys wrote. “The plaintiffs are massive record labels — together worth billions — alleging that some people illegally shared their artists’ songs over the internet. Yet they made a calculated choice not to sue those people.”
The new case is the latest in a long line of major lawsuits aimed at forcing internet service providers to take more proactive steps to eliminate piracy on their networks. Major labels have filed similar cases against Charter, RCN and other ISPs in courts around the country, often winning huge judgments. In one case, the labels initially won a $1 billion verdict against Cox Communications.
But in Friday’s response, Verizon said those “lucrative” cases had been incorrectly decided by other federal courts and must be rejected in the current battle, which is taking place in Manhattan’s influential federal court district.
“The Labels filed this lawsuit because the same playbook has worked against others,” Verizon’s lawyers wrote. “But the decisions blessing those lawsuits were wrong then and are even less persuasive now.”
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Major Labels’ $1B Piracy Verdict Against Cox Communications Overturned by Appeals Court
Proving that an ISP is liable for secondary copyright infringement requires evidence of “culpable action, not passive inaction,” Verizon wrote. Other federal judges may have been persuaded that failing to shut off internet service counted as such “active” conduct, Verizon says, but that doesn’t make it so.
“The Labels do not allege that Verizon encouraged music piracy or even wanted it to happen,” the company’s lawyers wrote. “All Verizon did was sell general internet access, which some people abused to share copyrighted music with others.”
In particular, the telecom giant pointed to a 2023 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in which the justices ruled that Facebook, Twitter and Google could not be sued for aiding and abetting ISIS simply because the terrorist group had posted content to social media. Verizon argued that the legal argument in the copyright cases against ISPs directly conflicts with the high court’s recent ruling.
“As the first district court to consider the issue after [the Supreme Court’s decision], this court now has the chance to reject the premise,” Verizon’s lawyers added. “It should do so. The complaint should be dismissed.”
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Waylon Wyatt recently had a pretty good excuse for missing school: the 17-year old was on the road with Dwight Yoakam. “Just last week, I couldn’t make it to school on Thursday and Friday, because I was opening for Dwight. You know how crazy that seems?” the high school senior asks.
But Wyatt (whose full name is Waylon Wyatt Potter) is getting used to crazy moments since he began writing songs two years ago, influenced by alt-country artists such as Tyler Childers and Zach Bryan. The Hackett, Arkansas native has broken through thanks to songs including “Everything Under the Sun” (a song he says was inspired by “watching sunsets over a lake in my hometown”) and “Arkansas Diamond,” which lie at the intersection of folk, country and rock. “Arkansas Diamond” has earned more than 24 million Spotify streams, while “Everything Under the Sun” has reached over 12 million streams on the platform.
Today (Sept. 6), he and fellow newcomer (and “Maxed Out” singer) Bayker Blankenship have teamed up for the churning, heartland rock of “Jailbreak.”
“I found him on social media after he covered a song of mine, ‘Arkansas Diamond,’ and we reached out to each other,” Wyatt tells Billboard over Zoom. “We became friends and now we have a song we created and recorded together. It’s pretty wild.”
In August 2023, Wyatt signed a deal with Music Soup and Darkroom Records. Darkroom’s roster includes nine-time Grammy winner Billie Eilish, “Feel It” performer D4vd and DJ/music producer John Summit, with Wyatt becoming the label’s first country/Americana artist. “I found that more unique about [signing with Darkroom Records] was they don’t have [a country/Americana artist], so maybe I could give it to them,” he says.
He is quick to credit Darkroom’s unconventional method of reaching out to him during several other labels also expressing interest. “I worked for my dad’s construction business and in one of my TikTok videos, I was wearing the company’s hat. Darkroom DM’d me, but also called my dad’s business, got ahold of his secretary, and then scheduled a Zoom meeting,” Wyatt recalls. “It all kind of kicked off from there.”
In addition to artists such as Bryan and Childers, Wyatt counts some of his biggest influences as pioneering country artists popular way before he was born, including Waylon Jennings, Don Williams and Hank Williams, Sr. “I actually prefer [the music of] Hank Williams, Sr. over Hank Williams Jr. — I might get hate off that, I don’t know,” he says.
Though he sounds surefooted in his blend of rugged acoustic country/rock, Wyatt says he’s dabbled in different sounds.
“I’ve wanted to do all kinds of singing since I was 12 or so. I had my little rap phase where I was big on Eminem — the first song I probably ever learned by him was ‘Lose Yourself,’” he explains. “I actually wrote some raps, too; I wouldn’t say they were the best, but it was trial and error. But just all these years of finding myself musically, it’s been great.”
He followed his breakthrough songs in July with the seven-song, acoustic-driven EP Til The Sun Goes Down, a project he wrote and recorded on his own (the project was released via Music Soup/Darkroom). The lo-fi effort features his gritty voice backed by only an acoustic guitar, with songs including “Back to Then,” “Arkansas Diamond,” “Phoning Heaven” and “Riches to Rags.”
“There was no overproduction or anything on these songs,” Wyatt says. “I didn’t imagine it being a bigger body of work, but as I progressed through ’em, I was like, ‘All these songs that I wrote so far, they could run together.’ They’re all based out of the same stuff. All of them are very relatable pieces of work.”
Wyatt’s hometown of Hackett has just 800 people, making for a close-knit community, including his schoolmates, who are proud of his career breakthrough. “A lot of them don’t know how to process it because I’ve grown up with them and it’s a small school. My hometown is small, so I know pretty much every face around here. But they’ve been so supportive,” he says.
Wyatt, who is booked by Wasserman, is set to perform during AmericanaFest this year, before making his Stagecoach Festival debut in 2025. But he’s also balancing music with completing his senior year of high school. “My parents never did go to college or anything,” he says, “but they are big on [my] finishing the school year out.”
Ahead, he says he would love to release another project, one that “would probably include a little more production than just guitar. And more fiddle, because I love hearing fiddle.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-09-06 18:41:252024-09-06 18:41:25Waylon Wyatt on New Song ‘Jailbreak’ With Bayker Blankenship & Breakthrough Success: ‘It’s Pretty Wild’
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Football season has kicked off, with the NFL in addition to NCAA teams and Big Ten Football taking to the field to get one game closer to the championships. You may not be able to get tickets to every game to see your favorite team, but instead of watching NFL games at home, you can gather your friends and fellow sports fans together to tailgate at the stadium.
Hosting a tailgate is just one of the many easy ways to show your team pride while giving you an excuse to gather your friends. Since it’s essentially an outdoor party, there are some must-have items you’ll need to stock up on to make sure you and your friends are ready for a full day of cheering.
To help kick off tailgating season, ShopBillboard has put together a guide of the best tailgating supplies, from outdoor seating to games for hosting.
Keep reading to learn more.
What Are the Best Tailgating Supplies?
Below, we put together a list of popular and bestselling tailgating items for you to buy online below.
Kick your feet up in this lightweight chair that’s built with mesh backing for added support and built in cupholders to keep your drinks close. When you’re done with the chair, the metal legs fold up for a more compact design that can easily be stored away.
Keep your snacks and burgers in one spot with the help of this foldable camping table. Its built with metal legs for added sturdiness and comes with a mesh pocket on the bottom for extra storage space.
Igloo’s cooler is ready to transport all of your beverages and snacks with ease. The exterior is made from a waterproof material and has a built-in handle and wheels for easy carrying. On the inside, you’ll be able to fill up to 38 quarts worth of food and drinks while the insulating material helps keep your belongings at optimal temperatures.
You don’t need to spend money on takeout with this compact grill on hand. Featuring a 14.5-inch size, the portable grill is able to store in your car without taking up too much space. Inside, you’ll be able to fit up to eight burgers at once and use the side to adjust the dampers for more heat control.
ShopBillboard has tested out this portable speaker from Marshall, and found its compact size to be convenient for transporting from place to place. It also presents a stylish design that you can proudly put on display, while its Bluetooth capabilities make it easy to set up and play music instantly.
Rain or shine, this pop-up canopy will provide shelter and a space for you to tailgate. Everything you could possibly need to construct the tent is included, such as a travel bag, frame and even a one-sheet wall for added privacy.
GAME PICK
EastPoint Sports Cornhole Bean Bag Toss Outdoor Game
Have fun with a classic game of cornhole. This outdoor design is waterproof, with each board made from weather-resistant materials. You’ll also receive two different colored sets of bean bags, and when you’re done, you can put the bean bags in built-in spots and click the boards into place for easy transportation.
In addition to stocking up on tailgating essentials, fashion brands have dropped trendy and vintage-inspired merch and apparel that’ll let you show off your favorite team in style. Brands including Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister and Foco have released new and stylish T-shirts and hats that’ll get you game-day ready for hosting a watch party or the first tailgate of the season.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-09-06 18:41:242024-09-06 18:41:247 Essential Tailgating Items to Get You Ready for Game Day
Shaboozey dominates Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated Sept. 14) for a milestone seventh week with “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” The song drew 28.2 million audience impressions at the format (down 2%) Aug. 30-Sept. 5, according to Luminate.
The track by the Virginian (born Collins Obinna Chibueze) surpasses Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel” (six weeks at No. 1, 2006) as the longest-leading hit to establish a country career (counting acts’ first Country Airplay entries as a lead artist or their initial songs promoted to country radio).
Plus, since Country Airplay began in January 1990, “A Bar Song” claims only the 11th command of seven weeks or longer. Two recent hits are tied for the longest, with 10 weeks each: Nate Smith’s “World on Fire” (starting last December) and Morgan Wallen’s “You Proof” (2022-23).
“A Bar Song” has topped the multimetric Hot Country Songs chart for 12 weeks, and the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 for eight frames as of the lists dated Sept. 7 – respective bests so far among all titles in 2024.
Here’s the ‘Dirt’
Meanwhile, Justin Moore banks his 15th Country Airplay top 10 as “This Is My Dirt” rises 11-10 (18.1 million, up 5%). The Poyen, Ark., native co-authored the song with Paul DiGiovanni, Randy Montana and Jeremy Stover, the lattermost of whom also produced it. It’s the lead single and title track from Moore’s 12-song album due Oct. 8.
Moore rolls up his sixth Country Airplay top 10 in succession and first since “You, Me, & Whiskey,” with Priscilla Block, hit No. 3 last August. Before that, he linked four straight No. 1s: “With a Woman You Love,” his 10th leader, in September 2022; “We Didn’t Have Much” (August 2021); “Why We Drink” (August 2020); and “The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home” (September 2019). He first led with his initial top 10, “Small Town USA,” in October 2009.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-09-06 18:20:342024-09-06 18:20:34Shaboozey’s ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ Tops Country Airplay for 7th Week, Surpassing Carrie Underwood’s Record
Billboard‘s R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event returned to NYC on Thursday night (Sept. 5). Hundreds of high-profile artists, executives and more from the music world came together for a party to honor the hard-working individuals leaving their marks on the industry.
The Times Square EDITION hotel played host for the night, which was highlighted by Power Player cover stars and Artist of the Year winners Megan Thee Stallion and Playboi Carti, who were on hand and received their awards from Billboard staffers.
This marked a rare public outing for Carti. “I wanna thank my mama, I wanna thank God. Thank you Billboard — this my first award. I’m very happy to be here,” the Atlanta rapper said before paying tribute to Rich Homie Quan, who died earlier in the day. “RIP Rich Homie Quan. ATL in the building.”
Other award winners from the night include Teezo Touchdown as Rookie of the Year for 2024, who was presented his honor by Senior R&B/Hip-Hop & Afrobeats writer Heran Mamo. “I want to say thank you to my team for tirelessly helping me scratch every single goal I have off my list and pushing me to write down more wilder than the last,” Teezo told the crowd.
Victoria Monét delivered a heartfelt speech when welcoming her manager Rachelle Jean-Louis to the stage as she took home the honors for 2024 Executive of the Year. The Tell Your Friends CEO became emotional while detailing her enduring journey to the top of the music industry and made sure to shout-out her mother who was in the building and played an integral role in her upbringing.
There were plenty of other music dignitaries and Power Players present to celebrate the year in music, including Offset, Kevin Liles, David Banner, Saint Jhn, NLE Choppa, Sierra Lever and more. The event served as a reminder of the power of music and how it can bring people from all walks of life together peacefully under one roof.
Check out Billboard’s 2024 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event in the photos below:
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-09-06 18:10:322024-09-06 18:10:322024 Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players Party: Megan Thee Stallion, Offset & More
Few people are having a better week than Sabrina Carpenter. The singer capped one of the most complete ascents to pop stardom in recent memory with the release of her latest album, Short N Sweet — the culmination of an extended campaign in which she was able to build her career brick by brick, single by single, into the upper echelons of pop music and culture — which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 362,000 equivalent album units, the best week of her career and the third-highest debut week of the year so far.
That type of success doesn’t happenby accident: Carpenter’s team worked all sides for this project, which included radio (two songs, “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” are in the top 10 of Billboard‘s Radio Songs Chart), streaming (Short N Sweet also debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Streaming Songs chart, with 233 million official on-demand streams) and sales (with nine vinyl variants, she sold 105,000 vinyl records, the second-largest week of the year and good for No. 1 on Billboard‘s Vinyl Albums chart). Four digital album variants, available for a limited time, moved 45,000 units, while five different CD editions added another 33,000 to the total. And all that activity and wide-ranging success helps Island Records’ senior vp/head of commercial strategy Marshall Nolan earn the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
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Here, Nolan walks through the strategy that led to Carpenter’s career-best debut. “The plan from the start was that every detail mattered,” Nolan says. “We knew to double down on her strengths, in areas like e-commerce, and once we built a rhythm there, it afforded us the time to nurture elements that still had room for growth.”
This week, Sabrina Carpenter landed her first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with Short N Sweet. What key decision(s) did you make to make that happen?
Sabrina’s ability to world-build alongside her incredible team of creatives is unparalleled. We challenged ourselves to take that world and embed it into every e-commerce experience, building a range of carefully-curated collectibles for her superfans.
In many ways, the rollout of this album was very traditional: single built on top of single, radio play and streaming build-up, all leading into the climactic album release. Was that the plan from the start, or did things evolve along the way?
The plan from the start was that every detail mattered. We knew to double down on her strengths, in areas like e-commerce, and once we built a rhythm there, it afforded us the time to nurture elements that still had room for growth.
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How did her singles’ success at radio help the digital campaign for the album?
Constant communication with our promo team, who are the best in the business, allowed us to narrate each movement and growth spurt in real-time. We as a team never focused on the successes of an individual single; the intention was always to build Sabrina as an artist and brand first. We welcomed any success that came along with that.
The album had nine vinyl variants, five CD editions and two cassettes available — what was the physical strategy for the album rollout, and what was behind the success of the vinyl in particular?
The variants are first and foremost a reflection of the incredible creative team surrounding Sabrina, who built products that fans immediately embraced as must-have collectible items. From the packaging finishes to the stylized content with which it was promoted, her passion for each variant came through in every detail. Each product paid special tribute to the many layers of Sabrina’s sharply sweet world.
How much does fan demand play into your commerce plan for any album?
This was another important factor in deciding to offer a wide range of album variants. Sabrina crafted a world we’re lucky to be a part of; we ensured that each album offering felt like an extension of it.
What did you learn from rolling out this release that you can take into other projects in the future?
Everything starts with trust — learning to build it, continuing to maintain it and working to strengthen it every step of the way. We never take for granted the role we are fortunate enough to play in maximizing and achieving an artist’s wildest dreams. Sabrina taught us all to allow time for a slow rise, there is so much to learn and look forward to along the way.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-09-06 18:05:362024-09-06 18:05:36How Sabrina Carpenter Capped Off Her Rise to Stardom With ’Short N Sweet’
A$AP Rocky is looking to gain some momentum heading into the arrival of his new album Don’t Be Dumb this fall, and he put the rap world on high-alert when teaming up with J. Cole on Friday (Sept. 6) for “Ruby Rosary,” which some fans believe may be dissing Drake.
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The Alchemist gets on the keys and provides the intoxicating production. Rocky kicks things off helming a pair of smooth verses bragging about his drip and place in the game. “Funny how I birthed so many sons with no ovaries,” he raps.
Fans speculated that the Harlem native revived his feud with Drake and sent more subliminal shots at the 6 God throughout “Ruby Rosary.” “N—a want smoke with me, tell him, ‘Push up, Hercules’/ Hercules, tell him push up, tell him pull up, 33,” he raps in what some perceived as a play on words with Drake’s “Push Ups” diss track.
Rocky continues to snipe: “Who in your top five? Haha (F–k your top five)/ I don’t get fresh to death, b–h, I’m buried alive/ I heard dawg talkin’ funny, like it’s Family Guy/ Carin’ for n—s like I’m Mary or Bob, made a promise to God/ You gotta strive when you marry the mob.”
J. Cole comes in from the bullpen and picks up the pace with a fiery assist while using a common flow from his repertoire. “What happens when rappin’ no longer matters? Can I still make a stack on my brilliance/ I don’t wanna go back to civilian status/ I’m an addict for comfort and doin’ whatever I want to,” he admits.
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“J.Cole ain’t diss Drake but ASAP Rocky definitely did,” one listener tweeted. “That buried alive line was clever.”
Added another, “That family guy bar by asap rocky is genuinely the worst diss bar against drake from this entire rap beef.”
A$AP addressed his situation with Drake in his August cover story with Billboard, and he’s not paying Drizzy any mind.
“You got to realize, certain n—as was throwing shots for years. I ain’t in the middle of that s–t,” Rocky said. “That’s not how I retaliate right now. I got bigger fish to fry than some p—y boys. It is real beef outside. It is real. N—as getting really clipped and blitzed every day. N—as sniping n—as every day. That little kitty s–t ain’t about nothing.”
“Ruby Rosary” marks the first time Rocky and J. Cole have collided on a track. It’s also Rocky’s third single following the arrival of “Tailor Swif” and “Highjack,” which debuted at No. 89 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August.
If you were one of the many members of the Beyhive who buzzed in earlier this week to wish Beyoncé a happy 43rd birthday, she wants you to know she appreciated it. In an Instagram post on Thursday (Sept. 5), the R&B superstar thanked her fans for their kind words while serving up some typically high-fashion looks.
“I’m so grateful for another year. Thank you for the loving birthday wishes,” Bey wrote along with prayer hands and bee emoji. In the series of pictures, the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer who turned 43 on Wednesday (Sept. 4) rocks a patterned black, brown and green minidress and sheer green gloves, as well as matching headscarf and cat-eye silver shades while holding a clutch of balloons in one hand a tumbler of liquor in the other.
The series of snaps appear to be from a vacation trip and they include another slide with same look, but on a sandy beach, as well as a close-up of Bey’s gloved left hand accented by her gigantic diamond wedding ring. Another picture finds Bey holding a leather suitcase (and a glass of brown, of course) and focusing in on her lime green strappy stilettos and matching purse, as well as chilling on a daybed with husband Jay-Z.
In a second photo dump, Bey Jay can be seen soaking up the sun from what appears to be the couple’s killer bday vacation getaway. Naturally, Bey is pictured floating in the crystal blue ocean while smoking a cigar and once again enjoying a tumbler of her just launched SirDavis whiskey line. In addition to snaps of the singer pouring out a glass and then holding up said glass to the sky to capture the end of a perfect rainbow, there’s also a short video of Jay doing some ocean stogie smoking.
The SirDavis line launched last month is a tribute to Bey’s great-grandfather and is described as a “harmony of spice with sublime hints of fruit.”
Check out the birthday and vacation pics from Beyoncé below.
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-09-06 17:47:592024-09-06 17:47:59Beyoncé Thanks Beyhive For Their Sweet Birthday Wishes: ‘So Grateful For Another Year’
The gaming platform Roblox announced on Friday (Sept. 6) that it will roll out music charts early in 2025, bringing songs a new level of potential visibility for its nearly 80 million daily active users.
At the Roblox Developer Conference, the company also said it was entering a new partnership with DistroKid, allowing the distributor’s acts to make their music available in the Roblox ecosystem, which consists of millions of games. This marks the platform’s first partnership with a major rightsholder in the music business. However, the independent artists who avail themselves of this opportunity won’t make any money from Roblox when their songs are used, underscoring the thorny relationship between the music and gaming industries.
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Artists and labels are dying for better ways to reach gamers — a hefty chunk of the world’s population, many of them young, who often get just as enthusiastic about music as they do about the games they love. But artists and labels also want to be paid for their work.
Across the aisle, games would love to benefit from artists’ credibility and add pizzazz to their soundtracks. But they often have little patience for the music industry’s licensing system, which they view as old-fashioned and overly complicated, and its interest in steep up-front fees. And games’ success usually does not depend on music industry involvement.
The chasm between these views has limited the opportunities for artists in gaming — especially those who aren’t already stars — outside of a few titles.
But the music industry would still like to bridge the gap, and Roblox’s virtual universe is a particularly tempting target. That’s because it has a tantalizing number of users whose avatars are wandering around, hanging out with friends, or flocking to games like Adopt Me!, where they raise virtual pets. Labels would love to reach these crowds.
Roblox chief product officer Manuel Bronstein says the platform wants to help. To drive more music discovery, it will add a sort of audio player that can show users what track is playing in the Roblox experience they are enjoying.
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As a result, “users are going to be able to see the name of the song, the artist [behind it], and even like the song,” Bronstein says. That information will then flow into the platform’s music charts, which will rank tracks according to engagement. In an ideal world, charts function like a two-way mirror — they reflect listening habits but also facilitate discovery for curious listeners. (Roblox will also set up a separate ranking that tallies the popularity of music experiences on the platform to help players seeking out what are known as “rhythm games,” where activity is usually linked with playing an instrument or dancing.)
The music industry’s approach to Roblox has evolved gradually in the last few years. Initially, stars like Lil Nas X made headlines with one-off concerts. However, these are expensive and time-consuming to put together, and the payoff is short-lived. They have largely gone out of vogue.
Artists and labels have also built their own Roblox experiences. But it’s tough to stand out in the land of a million-plus games, and a big name does not ensure a big audience.
On Aug. 29, for example, the electronic producer Zedd announced that he was taking over Universal Music Group’s Roblox experience, Beat Galaxy. Visits jumped up from around 4,000 on the 28th to around 10,000 a day later, according to the site RoMonitor, which tracks Roblox activity. Not bad, except that that amounts to a drop in the platform’s ocean-sized audience. Piggy, where players try to escape a homicidal swine wielding a baseball bat, attracted more than 2.7 million visits the same day. And RoMonitor’s data indicates that there are over 30 Roblox experiences earning more daily visitors than Piggy.
“There are so many games on the platform,” says Mat Ombler, who works as a music and gaming consultant while also editing MusicEXP, a newsletter about the intersection of the two worlds. “There is absolutely no guarantee that launching an activation will get artists in front of those 80 million players.”
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Some artists have had success “activating in already thriving experiences,” according to Jessie Wylde, senior director of artist and business development at Artist Partner Group (APG). “And short-form Roblox UGC edits across socials” — clips of Roblox activity posted on TikTok and elsewhere — “continue to be a key driver for consumption across APGs roster.” (In the future, Wylde would love to see “more native means for players to save songs and/or follow artists on streaming services while remaining in Roblox.”)
Ombler sees Charli XCX’s recent collaboration with the wildly popular game Dress to Impress as a new high-water mark for artists in Roblox. In his newsletter, he noted that “daily visits for Dress to Impress jumped from 22.49 million on Aug. 16 to 34.09 million on [the collaboration’s Aug. 17] launch, an increase of 41%.” Concurrent users also jumped from a peak of 290,000 to a peak of 641,000.
But Charli XCX, a well-known artist with major hits, doesn’t need Roblox to break through. The Holy Knives are interested in the platform’s partnership with DistroKid because it could afford smaller acts like them a chance to find new listeners. “Majors probably don’t need more exposure,” says Kody Valentine, a member of the duo along with his brother Kyle. “As independent artists, that’s the number one thing we need. If that can come through Roblox, that is amazing.”
The band opted to make their music available on Roblox so that game developers can put it into experiences. (DistroKid artists must opt in to be part of the program.) The hope is that they will gain enough fans to offset the fact that they won’t be directly compensated for any use of their music.
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Bronstein points out that if artists like The Holy Knives are discovered on Roblox, “they also have means to monetize outside of the platform” — if players go stream the band elsewhere, for example. (It’s also easy for artists to start selling virtual merch on Roblox, which has been lucrative for some stars; Ombler believes more artists should try this.) But Roblox is “starting as a promotional vehicle to begin with,” Bronstein notes.
Artists only have one career, so they will often trade royalty income for exposure. DistroKid earns money when artists sign up to distribute their music and doesn’t share in the royalties they make, so it doesn’t have a dog in the fight. For the major labels, on the other hand, giving away music for free is a tough pill to swallow, especially recently.
UMG CEO Lucian Grainge made this clear during a speech in 2022. Initially, “[we] were given a lot of reasons why our artists shouldn’t get paid” by MTV and YouTube, Grainge recalled. “People said, ‘It’s great promotion,’ or ‘you can use it as a platform for discovering new artists.’ Technology platforms were built on the backs of the artists’ hard work.”
When asked about the potential for future monetization opportunities, Bronstein says, “We want to get there. Once you get the momentum, you have the opportunity to think about creative ways in which artists can monetize.” (Karibi Dagogo-Jack, who previously served as Roblox’s head of music partnerships, is no longer with the company.) But the music industry’s fear is that the opposite thing happens: Platforms get momentum and then use that leverage to argue they should pay even less for music.
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Alex Tarrand, COO/co-founder of STYNGR, has tried to come up with a way for rightsholders to get their music played on Roblox but also get paid for it. STYNGR has licenses with all the major labels and publishers; game developers can then use that music without paying up-front.
In the Roblox universe, this music comes out of a boombox — old-school radio in a newfangled virtual world. Users either shell out for listening time, or developers can put an ad-funded version of the product into their experiences. The revenue from user payments and advertisements is then shared between major labels, publishers, game developers and STYNGR. “Session lengths go up for the people who are actively engaging with the music player,” according to Tarrand. “And we see session frequency go up.”
Despite some of the ongoing friction between the music industry and Roblox, the search for common ground continues. This week, Tarrand flew to the Roblox Developer Conference to meet with more developers. “Music is a big topic of conversation at this RDC,” he says. “That’s promising.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-09-06 17:47:592024-09-06 17:47:59Roblox Will Launch Music Charts. The Music Industry Remains Wary
On a warm Friday August afternoon, in an Italianate mansion in the hilliest (read: gatedest) part of Beverly Hills, Paris Hilton breezes into the room. The assembled label reps and journalists were politely asked to take our shoes off in the marble-floored foyer of the estate that serves as the office of Hilton’s 11:11 Media, a content company for brands and creators. Upstairs in this white carpeted room, the lady of the house wears stilettos.
The occasion for this gathering is Hilton’s new album, Infinite Icon, out today (Sept. 6), 18 years after the release of her self-titled debut. The album is a dance-pop hybrid that finds Hilton in full pop mode, with a group of collaborators that includes Meghan Thee Stallion, Rina Sawayama, Sia and Meghan Trainor. Paris set a precedent for success with its “Stars Are Blind,” which spent 12 weeks on the Hot 100 in 2006, peaked at No. 18 — and, to this day, bangs.
The house/office is decorated to remind onlookers of what Hilton has accomplished. There are posters on the wall for her show The Simple Life, a Y2K-era ratings juggernaut that helped make Hilton and co-star Nicole Richie household names. Her 2021 reality program Paris in Love tracked her wedding to now-husband Carter Reum, who welcomes us into the house and offers Diet Coke and a tour of the “Sliving Spa,” a collection of amenities that includes hyperbaric and cryotherapy chambers set up in what used to be the garage. There’s a display of pink purses and a neon wall sign proclaiming “That’s Hot,” the catchphrase Hilton trademarked in 2004, long before “very demure” became the patent-pending slogan of the summer.
As an assistant leads up upstairs, we pass racks (and racks) of clothing (bright, bedazzled, feathery) pulled for, among other things, an upcoming music video shoot for Infinite Icon‘s “Bad Bitch Academy.” A mood board for the video, among other very fierce, very empowering imagery, has a picture of the famous 2006 photo of Hilton, Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan that the New York Post published with the headline “Bimbo Summit,” which on the moodboard has been swapped for “Bad Bitch Summit.”
But much of the clothing will not ultimately appear in the video; it will instead be incinerated in an RV fire that will happen outside the L.A. video set a week from now. An accident triggered by what Hilton assumes was an electrical issue, the fire started just after they shot the first scene and destroyed nearly everything inside the RV, among it Hilton’s clothes, shoes, hair extensions, 300 pairs of sunglasses, and other more irreplaceable ephemera.
“With my ADHD, I have notepads where I have like, thousands of notes, and all of that burned along with all my journals,” Hilton tells Billboard in the wake of the fire. “It’s just been heartbreaking, really.”
But even with the tamed blaze still smoldering, Hilton and the team carried on with the shoot. “A lot of people thought it was going to be over,” she says. ” I’m like, ‘No, no, we’re powering through.’” You can genuinely say that actual fire can’t stop Paris Hilton from her pop star dreams.
Certainly a second album laden with hooks and household names guests might help her get there. But in a way, with the fame, the wealth , the outfits and the pre-existing Hot 100 hit, Hilton has always been a kind of pop queen — now she just has more music to go with it. “I’ve always had that attitude and vibe and feel,” she agrees. “Even when I go to my perfume line [release] signings and all of these things around the world, my products, my books, I feel like a pop star all the time. So this is just the next level, with this album.”
The project finds her in what’s always seemed to be her comfort zone: surrounded by a gaggle of gal pals. Infinite Icon was executive produced by Sia, a turn of events that happened after Hilton appeared with the singer and Miley Cyrus to perform “Stars Are Blind” on Cyrus’ on NBC’s 2022 Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party special. The day after, Hilton flew home with Sia on the latter’s private jet and divulged her dream of making more pop music, which Sia encouraged into existence with sessions at her house.
“The first time I sang in front of her, I was, like, freaking out,” says Hilton. “I’m like this is the greatest songwriter, singer of our time, and I’m singing in front of her — and I’m so shy, but she literally brought out something in me that I didn’t even know I had. Before I was more in the baby voice and being very breathy and kind of like, Marilyn [Monroe] vibes. And then with this album, I just felt like a woman.”
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Infinite Icon was recorded at Sia’s place, L.A.’s Sunset Studios and the studios Hilton had built in this house and her other house not far from here.
The general vibe is that everyone who worked on it is a bff. Sia is “my guardian angel, my fairy godmother. I love her so much.” Meghan Trainor — “such a sweetheart. I love her. She is my sis for life” — wrote two Infinite Icon songs, which she also sings on. Co-producer Jesse Shatkin, who produced Sia’s “Chandelier” among many other things is “amazing,” while music video director Hannah Lux Davis is “such a badass.” The album takes inspiration from pop stars that made the mold — “I’ve always looked up to Madonna” — including those Hilton has been actual friends with: “I always loved Britney.”
The project is also influenced by Hilton’s longtime love of dance music, a relationship cultivated by attending many of the world’s greatest parties over the years. (“All my friends are like, begging me to go [to Burning Man], and I’m like, ‘Guys, I have an album coming out next week. I cannot be there,” she says when we speak during Burning Man week.) She is also, of course, a longtime DJ herself.
“My DJ career has definitely had a massive influence on me and my life and making this album,” she says. “Performing all around the world at music festivals, for thousands of people and being on stage and just really paying attention to what makes people move and how to create those unforgettable dancefloor moments — I wanted to bring that same energy into the album.” To that end, Infinite Icon‘s “Infinity” is pure fist-pumping Tomorrowland fare.
Other songs traverse more nuanced topics like her ADHD diagnosis, bad relationships, the love she says she’s now found with Reum and their two young children (son Phoenix is 19 months, daughter London will be one in November) the emptiness of fame and even death. These themes further the expansion of Hilton’s public image that started in 2020 with the release of her documentary, This Is Paris.
In it, she disclosed her experiences at Provo Canyon School, an involuntary residential center for young people where she was taken against her will in 1997, when she was 16. The mental and physical abuse she experienced there was revealed in the doc, which has been viewed 80 million times on YouTube alone. The film fell squarely into the broader public reassessment of the misogynistic and often abusive treatment many female celebrities (Britney Spears, Pamela Anderson, Janet Jackson, etc.) received from the media and culture at large in the Perez Hlton era.
Hilton went deeper into her story in her 2023 memoir, which an assistant hands out copies of after the mansion office album listening session. The book details adventures like the time she and photographer David LaChapelle snuck into her grandparents’ house for an impromptu photo shoot (the grandparents were asleep upstairs) — and thornier subjects, like how the release of a private sex tape against her will by an ex-partner derailed her rising career when she was 19 years old. (One might, for example, read the first half in one sitting on a Friday night in August.)
“That was just such a therapeutic experience,” Hilton says of the documentary, “delving into my life and really taking that time just to reflect on my life and everything I’d been through, and just seeing how strong I am, and resilient, and just what I’ve had to endure. Then with the book, it took it to the next level, where I even started going even deeper, and then through the music. So, yeah, I don’t think the album would have been as deep as it is if it wasn’t for doing the documentary and then that book.”
She’s got a few live shows behind the album lined up and says while her main focus is her family and her business empire she’d love to play Coachella (“that would be iconic”) and make music with Charli XCX. “I’m the original brat,” she says matter of factly.
“Every time I’ve spoken with [Charli],” she continues, “she’s like, ‘You’ve always been such an inspiration to my music.’ So I just think it just makes so much sense for us to do a song together.” Luckily, the few things that didn’t burn up in the fire included a notebook with ideas for her third album.
All in all, the impression one gets is that Paris Hilton is indeed — in a phrase she trademarked in 2022 — “sliving.” Given the intoxicating but also often toxic realm of celebrity that she emerged from, it’s easy to see how things could have gone differently for her. Instead, she’s got her family, a global business, and now, the album she’s spent nearly 20 years dreaming about. She’s sweet, and she seems happy.
“Being the blueprint for modern celebrity, and really redefining what it means and pioneering a new kind of celebrity, and being someone that blends fashion and media and business and pop culture into a powerful personal brand — I feel proud of that,” she says. “I love seeing so many people now who can follow in my footsteps and take that blueprint and be able to create their own brands and their own businesses and create a beautiful life to support themselves.”
It’s perhaps not the future even she’d dreamed for herself back when “Stars are Blind” was on the charts.
“It just makes me happy anytime I meet someone who says like, ‘Thank you so much. You’re the reason that I do what I do,’” she says. “Or, ‘If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing.’ Or, ‘Thank you so much for always being my role model.’ Growing up as a teenager and everything I went through, I never thought I would ever hear that. So it’s just been very validating to me.”
https://i0.wp.com/neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/station.nez_png.png?fit=943%2C511&ssl=1511943Yvetohttps://neztelinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/nez_png.pngYveto2024-09-06 17:16:332024-09-06 17:16:3318 Years After Her Debut Album, Paris Hilton Releases Its Followup: ‘I’m the Original Brat’
