4 Music Week 12.12.14 NEWS NEWS IN BRIEF


n YOUTUBE: The Google-owned platform has launched a new feature called Content ID that will determine if an uploaded video contains copyrighted music. The feature is available in the YouTube Audio Library and will tell the user how using a particular track in a video will affect the video on YouTube, for example, if the video can be viewed globally or if ads can appear on the video. n LELAND MUSIC: Following the publication of an article in Music Week’s last issue, Leland Music has reiterated that it was the only music supervision company involved with this year’s John Lewis Xmas ad. n GROOVESHARK: The controversial streaming site will launch a radio service application in January in an attempt to legitimise the services offered by the company.Grooveshark calls it its “first compliant app”. For 99C a month users will have access to free ‘broadcasts.’ n DRAKE: Popular torrent site ExtraTorrent has revealed that Drake’s album, Nothing Was The Same, is its most downloaded file since it launched in 2006. The site celebrated its eighth anniversary by releasing its top ten downloaded files, all of which had been downloaded at least ten million times. The top three files were all music-based, with Jay Z’s album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, taking third place. Maroon 5’s single, Payphone, came in second. n ITUNES: iTunes UK has released its Best Of 2014 round-up, naming Sam Smith their Best Artist, while Best Song goes to Rather Be (feat. Jess Glynne) by Clean Bandit. Rock duo Royal Blood are Best New Artist and Paolo Nutini’s Caustic Love is Best Album. Smith’s debut, In The Lonely Hour, was the second best-selling album. Frozen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) took third place as best-selling album. n BBC: The nominees for the first ever BBC Music Awards have been announced, with Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith battling it out for British Artist Of The Year. Also nominated in the same category are David Bowie, Elbow, Jungle and Royal Blood. Nominees for the International Artist Of The Year are: Dolly Parton, Gregory Porter, Lorde, Pharrell, Prince and Taylor Swift. The awards take place this week on Thursday, December 11, broadcast live on BBC Radio 1 and 2.


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.com PARIS-BASED DIGITAL DISTRIBUTOR EXPANDING INTO LONDON AND US


IDOL searches for UK MD P


DIGITAL n BY TIM INGHAM


aris-based digital distribution specialist IDOL is opening a UK


office - and looking to hire the right person to run the place. Founded nine years ago,


IDOL distributes the work of labels including Kitsuné, Glitterbeat, Record Makers, InFiné, Bromance, Numbers and Colette amongst other names that company founder Pascal Bittard calls “cool labels with high quality standards”. An additional segment of


IDOL’s business is its white label digital commercial platform, currently used by the likes of Naïve, Wagram and Because in France and Select in Canada to deliver content to their consumers. Bittard (pictured) told Music


Week: “The difference between [other big digital distributors] and ourselves is first that we’re self-financed. It means we’re completely independent and can control our own destiny - I’m not obliged to sell my company when I don’t want.” He added: Our main asset


is our selectivity and our quality of service. We work on all genres - jazz, classical, electronic, world, pop, indie - but we try to sign credible labels with real ‘know-how’.”


“IDOL’s main asset is our selectivity and our quality of service. And technology-wise we are one of the best. The next step is working with more UK labels” PASCAL BITTARD, IDOL


“When you’re selective it


means you have time for your labels, which improves the quality of your service. “We optimise each release,


and for that you need time. If you sign thousands of labels, that’s impossible - you’ll naturally end up giving 10% of your labels more attention. We make sure we take care of 100% of the labels that we sign.” IDOL employs more than 20


people in France, and is planning to open Germany, UK and US


offices in 2015. The first to begin operation will be the London base. Bittard is searching for a UK MD who can help introduce IDOL to British labels and music rights-holders. “Since the beginning we


have been very internationally- orientated,” added Bittard. “France contributes just 20% of our revenue - 80% comes from other countries. The majority of the labels we have now are based in continental Europe - the next step is to work with more


from the UK.” In addition to securing


new business partnerships, the successful candidate for the IDOL UK position will also be tasked with offering local project management skills to potential label clients from outside the UK - helping find physical distribution, PR and promo partners. “Technology-wise we are


one of the best in the market and we have a service quality that is second-to-none,” added Bittard. “We want someone to represent IDOL as both a digital distribution and as a delivery platform and service provider. We believe we have a great product and we want someone to educate UK labels all about it.”


Ry X signs to BMG/Pulse JV


Los Angeles Based, Australian Artist Ry-X has inked a global publishing arrangement with BMG and LA based indie Pulse in a creative joint venture deal. Ry X’s Berlin EP was released


last year through Swedish label Dumont Dumont and picked up by Infectious Music and part of an extensive Sony TV Campaign in Europe. Currently writing his solo


record in Los Angeles, Ry is also the front man in The Acid whose album Liminal was released this summer and also has an album with Frank Weidemann (Ame) dropping early next year under


the guise HOWLING. Ry’s managers Leon Alexander


& Steve Satterthwaite of Red Light Management said : “Ry is a special Artist and Writer. Delightfully untraditional, it was important for him to find a publishing solution which provided careful hands with a highly creative base. With the stability, staff and network of BMG coupled with the LA creative base of Pulse it feels a great home for him” BMG Chrysalis UK VP


synch & marketing Tom Stingemore, who signed Ry to BMG along with director


of A&R Hugo Turquet, said: “Ry is one of the most prolific and forward-thinking artists producing music today, and his work has incredible resonance with the sync community. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with him - and his existing relationship with our new colleagues at Infectious Music means that we have an even greater opportunity to help provide additional platforms for his numerous projects.” Pulse CEO Scott Cutler: “We’re thrilled and honored to work with Ry - an exceptional talent with a very special career ahead.”


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