Songwriter Skyler Stonestreet, whose credits include Dove Cameron’s “Boyfriend” as well as songs by Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, the Chainsmokers and Tate McRae, among others, has sold her catalog to Influence Media Partners for a seven-figure sum. The deal encompasses just under 80 songs dating back to 2013.
“I am so blessed to partner with Influence on my catalogue of songs,” said Stonestreet, whose catalog boasts more than 3.5 billion streams worldwide.“Music is my life and these songs mean so much to me. It feels amazing to find a partner that truly values them.”
Stonestreet is represented by Range Media Partners’ managing partner Evan Winiker, who said: “Skyler’s story is remarkable. She came to Los Angeles with the dream of being a writer, put in the time doing sessions day in and day out, and truly became one of the best in town.”
Added Influence founder and co-managing partner Lylette Pizarro: “Skyler Stonestreet is pure gold. Not only is she one of the most gifted writers in the business with a range that rivals most, but her story is an inspiration to anyone looking to chase their dream. In short, Skyler is the type of artist that Influence is here to support, and we cannot wait to build a future together.”
Thursday, April 14
+ The National Independent Venue Association — the non-profit trade organization that formed shortly after the pandemic began and played a pivotal role in the $16 billion “Save Our Stage” Act passed by Congress in late 2020 — has announced today the first national gathering of its members with the inaugural annual NIVA conference and awards. NIVA ‘22 will take place in Cleveland from July 11-12, 2022. According to the announcement, the conference will feature two days of in-person programming, education, networking, entertainment — and the Independent Awards Formal (yes, “Independent AF”) at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, which is apparently actually a black-tie formal (good luck with that!). Speakers and topics will be announced in the coming weeks; go to https://www.nivassoc.org for more info, registration and whatnot.
“We startedNIVAto help independent venues and promoters survive the pandemic,” saidNIVAco-founder and executive director, Rev. Moose. “Together we fought for and won the passage of the Save Our Stages Act, which resulted in a historic $16 billion emergency relief grant program. Though the impetus was a crisis response, we’ve planned from the very beginning to continue growingNIVAinto a full-service trade organization that serves its membership today and in the future. Our mantra from the start was ‘First we survive, then we thrive.’”
+Maria Lanao has joined Live Nation as Latin talent buyer for the Northeast as the company continues to expand its Latin touring presence across the U.S. She will report to Stacie George, senior VP, booking, Live Nation Northeast. Lanao joins Live Nation after 11 years at WME in Miami and New York, where she was the first Latin woman to be promoted to music agent.
Live Nation also announced the addition of two new regional marketing directors as part of their Latin touring team,Gabriela Ortegain the Southeast andLucy Herrerain the Midwest. Both will be responsible for leading marketing efforts for all of Live Nation’s Latin tours across key markets throughout each of their regions.
“We are excited to be adding experts across our regions who are dedicated to promoting and marketing Latin tours, with the goal of creating new and exciting opportunities to extend our reach and further connect fans with their favorite live performers,” said Geoff Gordon, president of Live Nation Northeast. “We are thrilled to welcome Maria to our New York team as she will be a tremendous asset in helping us increase our Latin touring presence in the Northeast.”
Wednesday, April 13
+ Universal Music Group’s merchandise and brand management company Bravado has named veteran industry executive and Epic Rights co-founder, Jesper Poulsen as general manager. He will oversee day-to-day operations of both Bravado and Epic Rights, is based in Los Angeles and reports to Bravado president Matt Young.
Poulsen’s career in artist brand development, consumer products and fan experiences started at Signatures Network. In 2008, through acquisition, he joined Live Nation Merchandise. In 2014, Poulsen, together with Dell Furano, Kym Furano and Phil Cussen launchedmerchandise and branding company,Epic Rights.Bravado acquired Epic Rights in 2019.
+ Los Angeles-based artist distribution and services company Human Re Sources — which was founded by J. Erving as part of Troy Carter’s Q&A company before being acquired by Sony Music late in 2020 —has announced its expansion and opening of a new communal workspace in Atlanta, GA. The workspace will house two new recording studios, which will be used for artists to record music, and will provide meeting and event space.
Mark Jackson, who iscurrentlythe creative director for the Trap Museum, joins the company as vice president, head of Atlanta. Prior to joining Human Re Sources, Jackson led the A&R division for Grand Hustle Records where he worked with artists Travis Scott, Trae tha Truth, Young Dro, Tokyo Jetz and Doe B.
“With this expansion, Human Re Sources will now have an official home in the South. Atlanta is a hot bed for Hip Hop, and for some time now has been leading the charge in the music industry,” Erving said. “Having a major player like Mark, who has a wealth of experience and knowledge, will help us build vested relationships in the region and develop the best talent.”
+ Longtime Sony Music and Sony Legacy publicist Gabby Gibb has joined Snap Inc. / Snapchat as communications manager, music & creators, based in New York. She had been with Sony since 2009, joining after stints at Comedy Central and Universal Music.
+ Position Music has promoted Ty Salazar to VP, creative synch, film and television. Salazar has been with Position Music for over eight years and works closely withEmily Weber,VP, head of synch, specializing in film and television synchronization efforts.
“Ty and I have been working together since 2005, and since joining me at Position Music eight years ago, he has truly become an integral part of the Position Music team,”Weber said. “With a talent for curating music for synchronization, he has worked hard to earn the trust of our TV & Film clients in many high-profile, music-heavy TV shows and films.
Tuesday, April 12
+ We the Best Music Group CEO & founder DJ Khaled has announced the promotion of three executives:Nelly Ortiz has been named general manager and head of strategy & development, Jamie Crawford-Walker is head of digital strategy & creative content, and Aneesha Saleem is now executive director.
Ortiz, who previously held roles at Columbia Records, Roc Nation, and others, will oversee business development, branding, product partnerships, music, management, film and television, operations, and more for the label’s roster. Crawford-Walker, who joined We the Best in 2019 after three years at Epic Records, will oversee the creative content strategy and digital strategy across all We The Best and DJ Khaled’s channels. Saleem will oversee the We the Best Foundation — a 501c3 organization founded by the Khaled family focused on uplifting underserved communities across the United States and supporting various non-profits. Saleem started her career at the Magic Johnson Foundation and has over 18 years of experience in the nonprofit and corporate sectors.
Khaled commented, “Nelly has been a consistent thread to the success of We The Best in all facets and is a true visionary executive. There is no other like Jamie who has been with us for over six years and counting now. She’s an expert digital strategist whose creativity is only matched by her incredible work ethic and results. I’m also excited to welcome Aneesha to the We the Best Foundation. She’s devoted her career to making the world a better place, and we’re going to do so together now. Congrats to all of you. Bless up and let’s win more!”
+ Digital music company Believehas appointed Alex Kennedy as managing director for the U.K. Reporting to founder-CEO Denis Ladegaillerie, he will lead the three business lines that Believe operates in the country: premium solutions (including label and artist solutions and artist services) and automated solutions (TuneCore), with a focus on fine-tuning Believe’s M&A strategy in the region. He previously held key roles at the platform Music Glue, Sky Tickets, Sky TV and Omnifone, and was founder and COO of the retail tech business Givvit.
Ladegaillerie commented, “Believe’s core focus is to support local acts at every stage of their careers in all 50 countries we operate in and the UK is no exception. The UK has become an import-first market, with streaming reshaping music consumption dynamics and international artists gaining further and further market share locally. It is thus key to fight for a more transparent and fairer treatment between international and local content in the UK, and I’m convinced Alex’s appointment will allow Believe UK to play its part in supporting local artists and labels against the domination of US acts in their own market.”
+ BMG is set to expand in Latin America with a new office in Mexico set to serve as its hub in the region. The company has begun recruiting for a general manager, synch and copyright staff and plans to open its doors in Mexico City mid-year. According to the announcement, the initial focus will be on developing services for BMG’s existing Anglo-American and Spanish language clients before building a local repertoire roster; as is company policy, it will offer music publishing and recordings under one roof.
The Mexico operation will work closely with BMG’s U.S.-based Latin clients and BMG Spain’s local roster. In publishing, BMG’s U.S. Latin roster includes Erika Ender, Pitbull, Gente De Zona, Paloma Mami and many others; in recorded music, it includes Carlos Santana, Jory Boy, Darkiel, Lito MC Cassidy and more.
Dominique Casimir, EVP repertoire & marketing EU, APAC & LATAM, said, “Latin America is one of the most dynamic regions in music today. While we have a long history of working in these territories through third parties, now is the time to offer our clients an end-to-end BMG experience. We believe there is a significant gap in the market for our service-based ethic.”
+ James McKnight has been named head of entertainment research & development for Pophouse Entertainment, the Stockholm-based entertainment company co-founded by ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus. According to the announcement, he is charged with developing new and large-scale entertainment projects for global artist brands the company has invested in.
Current projects in the Pophouse stable include ABBA The Museum, Mamma Mia The Party and the Avicii Experience; McKnight will be looking to grow and expand this list with brands such as Swedish House Mafia as well the company’s future investments in intellectual property. He will remain based in London and will open a Pophouse office there; the company is lead investor and co-developer of the “ABBA Adventure” production and 3,000-seat bespoke arena in the city, which premieres next month. He joins after seven years at The Blair Partnership: The literary, entertainment and franchise management agency that represents J.K. Rowling and her work.
According to Pophouse CEO Per Sundin, ““As everyone who has met James can attest, he is a creative force and an incredibly inspiring person with an immense passion for storytelling and entertainment. His strong track-record of developing global IP rights and leading creative teams makes him a great fit for us, matching the ambition and scale with which we’re building Pophouse.”
+ Kobalthas promoted Lisa Bergami to VP of creative synch. based in New York, Bergami will manage the New York synch team and continue working closely with the Kobalt roster. Before joining Kobalt in 2014, she interned at the Chicago-based music house and library, Music Dealers and worked as senior director of synch & creative licensing at The Bicycle Music Company.
“Simply put, Lisa gets the right music in front of music supervisors and consistently gets our songs placed in high profile advertising opportunities, said Rob Christensen, Head of Global Synch & Brand Partnerships, Kobalt. “Time is precious, and opportunities move quickly. Lisa knows how to anticipate the needs of her clients to find music that fits their project and that transcends a particular era or genre.”
Monday, April 11
The estate of the late Mexican singer-songwriter JuanGabrielhas signed an exclusive, worldwide agreement withVirgin Music US Latinand extended its agreement withUniversal Music Publishing Group.Under the new deal,Virgin Music US Latinwill now represent JuanGabriel’s post-2008 catalog and future recordings, while UMPGwill represent his entire catalog through an extended, exclusive global publishing agreement, bringing Gabriel’s music under the Universal Music roof.
New music will be released “in the coming months,” the announcement continues, including the highly anticipated“Los Duo 3, including duets with Mon LaFerte and Gloria Trevi as well as posthumously recorded duets. Billboard notes that Gabriel, who died in 2016, left behind dozens of unreleased recordings, including new songs and re-recordings of older ones.
Throughout his 45-year career, JuanGabrielreleased more than 47 albums and helped popularize Latin music worldwide. One of the most popular Mexican singers in the history of Spanish language music, JuanGabriel’s hits include“Hasta que te conocí,” “Abrázame Muy Fuerte,” “Querida,” “Amor Eterno,” and “Así Fue” among many others.The Latin music icon has sold more than 150 million albums, composed more than 1,800 songs and released 32 studio albums.
Ivan and Simona Aguilera, JuanGabriel’s son and daughter-in-law, said: “After many years of work, we have put together a team of professionals that we believe have the qualifications that we have been searching for to represent my father and the legacy he left in my care. Our desire is to continue the vision my father had for the future of the Latin community, the Mexican culture, and the fine art of music he loved so much. My father wanted the world to experience his love for music, love for his beloved Latin culture, and to bring that experience to the world around him through music. Our dream is to continue what he started and to bring every beautiful thing he created and envisioned to the fans that stood by him all these years, and to future generations to come. We are proud of the team we have selected. We look forward to working together to bring to fruition all the work my father left behind. God Bless!”
“I am very honored to have the opportunity to collaborate in preserving the great musical legacy of JuanGabriel, who I consider the most prolific singer-songwriter and performer in Latin America. His influence, recognized around the world, is more alive than ever,”saidVictor González, President, Virgin Music Latin America & Iberian Peninsula.
Alexandra Lioutikoff, President Latin America/US Latin for UMPG, and Yadira Moreno, UMPG Mexico’s VP of New Business Development/Managing Director, said, “Universal Music Publishing is privileged to continue managing JuanGabriel’s catalog. His impact to music across the world is unquestionable, JuanGabrielhas been a staple across Mexico and Latin America for generations, and we want to acknowledge the honor of being responsible for his works.”
+ The company behind the new 500-capacity music venue BrooklynMade Presentshas acquired two adjacent buildings and plans to open two additional music venues in 2023-2024 – a midsize 1,200-1500 capacity room and a larger 2,000-2,500 capacity space that will be connected by a bar and lounge, and can be combined to form a 4,000-capacity space. Located across the street fromBrooklynMade, the three venues will combine to form a music complex in the borough’s Bushwick neighborhood.
The two new venues will cover more than 22,000 square feet combined and like BrooklynMade will feature lighting design by Jeremy Roth (Wilco, Dead & Company, Nathaniel Rateliff) and sound by D&B Audiotechnik. Covering more than 22,000 square feet, the two spaces will be built in partnership with theBrooklyndesign & build firm LSC, the Production & Installation teams atTechnicalArts Group (TAG), and City Production Services. The two rooms will be connected by a newly built bar and lounge, which can be opened up for special events to form a massive 4,000-capacity space.
President and CEO Anthony Makes comments: “These new acquisitions will enableBrooklynMade Presents to compete in the NYC market at any level, and provide an ongoing home for bands at any stage in their career in our unique, elite, and uncompromised venues.”
+ Wachsman, a global communications and strategy consultancy serving the blockchain, fintech, and Web3 industries, has announced the opening of Wachsman Los Angeles, which joins locations in Singapore, Dublin and New York.The L.A. office is located in Beverly Hills and led by Ally Norton, previously of Shore Fire Media and SpinLab Communications.
“Since its inception in 2015, Wachsman has grown from a boutique New York-based startup to a 140 person global agency at the forefront of the most groundbreaking innovations of the century,” said CEO-founder David Wachsman. “Blockchain continues to permeate every facet of our lives – from healthcare to real estate to education to supply chain. Wachsman’s opening in Los Angeles is a reflection of its newest frontier: entertainment.”
+ Big Machine Label Group has promoted Erin D.D. Burr to VP of communications. Since joining the company nearly twelve years ago, she has worked closely with Reba McEntire, Carly Pearce, Florida Georgia Line, Sheryl Crow and many others.
“Erin Burr’s commitment to creating and executing media campaigns is unmatched,” saidBMLG’s Senior Vice President of Communications Jake Basden. “Her tireless work ethic and love for the music has greatly impacted Big Machine Label Group and its roster of artists for over a decade. This incredibly deserving promotion to Vice President isanod to the past and a celebration of a bright future.”
