Boris Johnson backs plan for 'night mayor' to oversee capital's nighttime economy

London Mayor Boris Johnson has promised to protect live music venues in the capital following a large number of closures in recent years. A new report, titled London's Grassroots Music Venues Rescue Plan, found that the number of grassroots music venues has decreased by 35 per cent since 2007, with just 88 remaining. Responding to the report, Johnson now vows to introduce new measures to help "safeguard and revive" live music in London. The threat to the remaining venues from rising rents, licensing restrictions, noise complaints and housing development has prompted fears for the long-term future of the UK’s £3.8 billion music industry.The report recommends that developers, not venues themselves, will be responsible for problems (such as noise complaints) that might arise between new residents and a longstanding venue and an Amsterdam-style “night mayor” would bring together businesses, residents, local authorities, transport and police to maximise the sector’s potential.   "From the Rolling Stones to David Bowie, the Clash to Oasis and Ed Sheeran to Adele, grassroots music venues have played a key role in enabling some of the biggest names in music to develop as artists and to build audiences. They are the incubators for the stars that go on to pack stadiums in London and across the world," Johnson told City AM.

And smaller music venues should apply for more arts funding to help keep their doors open, Culture Minister Ed Vaizey said at the Music Venue Day conference in London: "A vibrant music venue which is breaking new acts has just as much right to be considered a cultural venue as a local or regional theatre", he said, according to the BBC. 

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/boris-backs-plan-for-night-mayor-to-oversee-capitals-nighttime-economy-a3093941.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34579930

Music Sponsorship booms in the USA

Tours by Taylor Swift, U2, Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney and the Rolling Stones along with such festivals as Coachella, Stagecoach, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits have pushed ticket sales, attendance and sponsorship deals in the USA to new heights.  Sponsorship spending on music tours, venues and festivals is predicted to reach a record $1.4 billion in 2015, up 4.8% from last year, according to a report from IEG Sponsorship Report from research, marketing and consulting firm IEG, Chicago. The spend tops the projected 2015 increase in the overall sponsorship industry, which IEG places at 4%, as well as sports (4.4%), causes (3.7%) and "every other property segment."

http://nysportsjournalism.squarespace.com/swift-uber-drive-music-spend-9/

Kobalts collects $60 million for growth

Kobalt has announced that it had raised another $60 million to fund the growth for the firm. A long-term player in publishing rights administration, Kobalt has been growing rapidly in recent years, and says that through its online rights management platform it offers "the most transparent, efficient and accurate royalty collection and reporting solutions". The company has also moved into managing the record industry's neighbouring rights and offering distribution and label services to artists. Adding to the $66 million already raised by the company, Kobalt says that the new money will be used to support its "commitment to serving artists and songwriters with unparalleled creative services and to further develop and scale Kobalt's suite of technology solutions that efficiently collect and report music royalties in today's complex digital world".  Kobalt now has technology to track the billions of songs that are being broadcast and streamed and pass accurate information and payments back to those making the music. Confirming the new finance, Kobalt boss Willard Ahdritz told reporters: "We take great pride in the fact that Google Ventures and MSD Capital both share our vision of technology and transparency working together to create a new industry structure in today's complex digital world. We are relentless in our mission to increase trust between the music and technology industries in order to build a new infrastructure that benefits fans, creators, rights owners and DSPs, all together".

Second UK investigation into touting announced

In the UK, Westminster's All-Party Parliamentary Group on Music has announced it will be holding an inquiry into ticket touting later this year, with a view to reporting in 2015. The investigation will specifically focus on the impact of the booming secondary ticketing market on the music business, the artist community and music consumers. The separate and newly formed APPG on Ticket Abuse had already said it too would investigate secondary ticketing and hat group held its first evidence session on Wednesday with representatives from the sport, theatre and music sectors contributing, including Kilimanjaro Live CEO Stuart Galbraith.

Welsh music dispute heads to Tribunal

The BBC is taking new Welsh language music collection society Eos to the Copyright Tribunal in a row about BBC radio royalties which began back in 2007 when the Welsh songwriters and music publishers were still members of PRS for Music before breaking away. Currently BBC Welsh language programming is denied the use of the 30,000 songs is Eos’s database – previously core to is Welsh services - making it hard for the national broadcaster to meet Welsh language targets – and of course Welsh music isn’t being played on the radio in Wales, meaning Eos songwriters and publishers are not getting paid.   

Ads will fund mobile music

Over half of mobile music revenue in the U.S. comes from advertising, a figure that is set to significantly increase by 2016, according to new research from eMarketer. Advertising accounted for 69% of U.S. mobile music revenues this year, leaving 17.2% for subscription service revenues and 14.1% for music paid for per download. By 2016, 86% will be generated by advertising and mobile music revenues are projected to rise in the U.S. from $429.3 million this year to reach $1.68 billion in 2016.

Reverb goes to Reservoir

UK-based music publisher Reverb Music has been bought by New York-based Reservoir Media Management. Under the deal, Reverb will continue to operate as normal in the UK and Europe under that name, but will also work in partnership with its parent company's publishing business in America. The London office will still be led by Reverb MD Annette Barrett.

American musicians complain about film work

American musicians have complained that the music featured in the Avengers Assemble movie is distinctly unpatriotic - with British musicians hired to perform and record the sound track. Members of the American Federation of Musicians demonstrated outside Marvel Studios saying that whilst the film had benefited from $30 million in tax breaks, producers 'ran overseas and exported US jobs' when it came to the music. The UK's Musicians Union responded by pointing out that many film scores were recorded at studios such as Abbey Road and Air Studios in London, and cheaper recordings could be achieved in Eastern Europe. A similar protest took place in  January in protest at the music for The Hunger Game being recorded in Britain, where it is estimated 90% of Hollywood films scores are produced.

UK visa scheme under heavy fire

Ian Birrell, co-founder of Africa Express with Damon Albarn and former Deputy Editor of the Independent newspaper, has launched a blistering attack on the UK's Border Agency, highlighting the Wu Tang Clan's recent treatment when they arrived in the UK to tour and play Glastonbury who said they were treated like 'The Taliban', and the plight of Idrissa Soumaoro, who should be rehearsing for the much anticipated Amadou and Mariam tour, but who is stuck in a hotel in Senegal waiting for UK visa paperwork to be completed. In another article by the Observer's Arts and Medias Correspondent Vanessa Thorpe, a number of artistes have said that they are ruling Britian out of future touring plans because of the difficulties in obtaining visas. Russian ballerina Ploina Semionova was almost unable to perform with the English National Ballet in June 2010 because of visa problems, Argentinian dancers Ismael Ludman and Maria Mondino were refused entry at Glasgow in April this year and painist Grigory Sokolov has refused to submit to fingerprinting and eye scans every time he applies for a visa to visit the UK.