News EDitorial
The shape of YouTube
Global ambition: Sony/ATV signing Becky Hill ‘ready for new chapter’
UK A&R HEAD DAVID VENTURA SAYS NEW DEAL WILL TAKE HILL TO WORLD STAGE
PUBLISHING BY DANIEL GUMBLE
There are now three certainties in life: death, taxes and that the IFPI will use the annual publication of its global music report to bang on about the so-called ‘value gap’. But, in fact, the global trade body’s fixation with calling out YouTube for its poor payments per-user was one of the less interesting things to come out of its annual look at the state of the industry.
Perhaps the most significant stat was the number of people now subscribing to a streaming service: 112 million. That’s the equivalent of the combined population of the UK and Spain. Once upon a time, such a figure would have been regarded as the stuff of a madman’s dreams. Even a couple of years ago, it would have been considered to be the absolute end game.
S
The fight for the streaming market is far from over. Spotify might be ahead now, but it’s not even present in some developing markets.
ony/ATV’s UK head of A&R David Ventura has toasted the signing of songwriter Becky Hill, telling Music Week that the company’s global set-up is “perfect” for her development. Hill’s signature marks the culmination of four years’ work on Ventura and Sony/ATV’s part to bring Hill into the company’s ranks.
Among her co-writer and performance credits are Wilkinson’s UK Top 10 single Afterglow and No.1 single Gecko (Overdrive), which she co-wrote with Dutch DJ Oliver Heldens and UK artist and record producer MNEK. According to the Official Charts Company, the former has hit sales of 438,285, while the latter has sold 783,018. She is also an artist in her own right, with a solo album of new material set for release later this year.
“Becky is someone I’ve always loved, and I’ve been trying to work with her for the past four years,” Ventura told Music Week. “We tried to work with her about three-and-a-half years ago when she did her first publishing deal, so it was something very close to our heart because she’s a true writer and an amazing artist. When you really want something to happen, you make it happen.”
According to Ventura, Hill has joined Sony/ATV at just the right time, as she and the company prepare to take her career to the next level.
Now, it’s just the start. And, with streaming opening up markets that never previously contributed much to the industry coffers, who knows what the final figure could be? But, whether it’s 200m, 500m or somewhere in the billions, it’s clear the fight for ownership of the streaming market is far from over. Spotify might be ahead now, but it’s not even present in some developing markets. Some of its competitors (Apple, Amazon) have very deep pockets. Others (such as China’s Tencent) have local advantage. So the biz should be wary of putting all its eggs in one or two baskets just yet. Maybe even YouTube – or, at least its owners Google – might have a big role to play. For now, there may be a gap in the value. But it’ll take a few years before we find out if there’s value in the gap.
Mark Sutherland, Editor
msutherland@nbmedia.com
“She wanted a new family for her new chapter,” said Ventura. “What she’s achieved in her career so far is great, but she wanted to bring new people along for the adventure and we are so pleased to be part of that. She’s an international artist and we have an international set-up at Sony/ATV, and that’s something she needed and wanted.”
Perfect fit: (L-R): David Ventura, Becky Hill, and Hill’s manager Alex Martin
He continued: “We have already started to discuss sessions in the US and in Scandinavia. We really want to make sure we are providing Becky with everything that she needs in terms of collaborations and songwriting.”
Ventura also highlighted the importance of constantly recruiting the most exciting new talent, following a hugely successful spell for the company. Sony/ATV recently celebrated a full, uniterrupted year as the publisher or co-publisher of the No.1 single on the UK singles chart.
“The job of A&R is relentless,” he commented. “We can never sit and appreciate what we are achieving because it’s always about the next thing. The songwriters are the source of our amazing run but we are already focusing on new releases and signings. We make our decisions based on our ears and our hearts. You can go from hip-hop to R&B to dance to pop. We just go for what we love.” Hill added: “I’m so happy to be part of the Sony/ATV team. Their enthusiasm and confidence in me could not be matched.”
The Damned ready first new record in nine years with Search And Destroy
Raw Power Management founder and CEO Craig Jennings has pledged to introduce legendary UK punk outfit The Damned to a brand new audience, after signing the band to its Search And Destroy label. The band has signed to the label - a joint venture with Spinefarm Records and Universal - for the release of their as yet untitled new album, their first since 2008’s So Who’s Paranoid. The band’s highest charting album is 1985’s Phantasmagoria, which hit No.11 in the UK and was certified Silver. For Jennings, the label’s understanding of the modern market and appreciation of the band’s heritage makes it an ideal fit for The Damned in 2017. “We have a modern, punk rock approach,” Jennings told Music Week. “We felt we could work with them to make a really exciting record that gets a bit of a reappraisal for them.”
02 MAY 01
While Jennings is keen to ensure the record attracts new fans, he and the band are equally committed to their diehard following. “A lot of new things have come along since they last released a record, like Spotify and the whole digital side of things,” he said. “The band are open to that. But we know there are people out there who are more old school that need to be taken care of.” Though signed to Search And Destroy, The Damned are not managed by Raw Power, operating under the stewardship of Jamal Chalabi, with whom Jennings and the band have been working closely. “Their management has been great,” said Jennings.
“They’ve not been afraid to think outside the box.” Full details of the new album have yet to be revealed, although Music Week understands that a release date is pencilled for Christmas 2017.
MUSIC Week
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
