The United States is the only major country in the world where terrestrial radio pays no royalties to performers or recorded-music copyright owners of the songs they play, a situation that is largely due to the powerful radio lobby’s influence in Congress. While the more than 8,300 AM and FM stations across the country pay
Music
Mary, don’t you weep. On Wednesday, “Mary J. Blige’s My Life,” a new Amazon Studios documentary directed by Oscar-winner Vanessa Roth and executive produced by Mary J. Blige, premiered in New York City, chronicling the nine-time Grammy winning artist’s landmark 1994 album “My Life” and the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul’s journey from the Slow Bomb
As The Forum assured, there will be rock! The Inglewood, Calif. venue is set to hold its first full-capacity show in over a year on July 17, featuring the Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl and company have been ushering in the return of live music from coast to coast. In May, they closed out SoFi Stadium’s
In the latest update to the long-running saga of the $16 billion “Save Our Stages” relief fund for independent venues and theaters — which was signed into law on Dec. 27 but has only just begun to send out money to the venues — the Small Business Administration, which distributes the funds, has finally begun
Winston Marshall, the banjoist from folk rock band Mumford & Sons, has exited the group after becoming embroiled in a political controversy for praising a book by right-wing journalist Andy Ngo. In March, Marshall tweeted his thoughts on Ngo’s book, “Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy,” writing “Finally had the time to read
Brian Tyler has composed music for films including “Iron Man 3” and “Crazy Rich Asians,” but perhaps his most enduring work is the music of the “Fast & Furious” franchise, which has his stamp on five of the previous films in the massive hit series. He’s back for another ride with “F9: The Fast Saga,”
Lena Waithe is on a mission to return Black music to its glory days. The multitalent, whose résumé includes hot shows like “Master of None,” “The Chi” and “Twenties,” has added head of Hillman Grad Records to her many roles, and she’s looking to vintage Black superstars from the ’90s for inspiration. “I’m young enough
When it premiered in cinemas on June 24, 1981, the James Bond thriller “For Your Eyes Only” was notable for two main reasons. First, it was the grittiest and most realistic Bond adventure since “From Russia with Love” almost two decades earlier. And second, it instantly established an iconic new theme song that was embraced
When Rufus Wainwright was asked to write a closing theme song for “Rebel Hearts,” a documentary about a renegade order of socially activist nuns that opens this weekend, he didn’t require the preamble that virtually any other singer-songwriter would have. It was intergenerationally personal for him, as he was already intimately familiar with the subject
Universal Music U.K. has appointed media and tech exec Simon Johnson to the newly created role of managing director of strategy, growth and e-commerce. The music label said the new post signals Universal Music U.K.’s “ambition to supercharge and open up new commercial opportunities for its artists.” Johnson will take up the new post on
Universal Music Group and Snap announced a multiyear global agreement that will let Snapchat’s users incorporate UMG’s catalog of recorded music and content into creative tools, including Sounds on Snapchat and augmented reality Lenses. Under the terms of the deal, UMG’s entire recorded music catalog is available on a global basis in Snapchat’s Sounds tool,
On September 24, an previously unreleased 1968 live album by Johnny Cash that was recorded by Owsley “Bear” Stanley, the Grateful Dead’s legendary concert documentarian (and lysergic sherpa), will be issued by the Owsley Stanley Foundation and Renew Records/BMG. “Bear’s Sonic Journals: Johnny Cash, at the Carousel Ballroom, April 24 1968,” is a 28-song concert
Justin Timberlake is sending a public message of support to his ex-girlfriend Britney Spears, just hours after she made a passionate statement in court, pleading with a judge to end her controversial conservatorship. “After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time,” Timberlake tweeted on Wednesday evening. “Regardless of our
On Tuesday, David Crosby declared to Howard Stern’s listeners that filmmaker Robert Zemeckis would be directing a documentary on Crosby, Stills & Nash, making possible use of “10,000 hours” of existing footage as well as fresh interviews. On Wednesday, that announcement got walked back a bit, with word that the tantalizing prospect of a full-on
All products and services featured by Variety are independently selected by Variety editors. However, Variety may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. The world is turning the volume up. From concerts and festivals to clubs and sports events, you’re likely
Britney Spears spoke out against the 13-year conservatorship she has been under on Wednesday, telling a judge, “I’ve lied and told the whole world I’m OK and I’m happy. It’s a lie. I’ve been in denial.” Appearing before Judge Brenda Penny, Spears stated why the conservatorship held by her father Jamie Spears needs to end.
In a 20-minute statement against the conservatorship she’s lived under for 12 years, Britney Spears sounded off before a Los Angeles probate judge on Wednesday, saying that she wants to sue her family and that she was “abused” by a previous therapist, among multiple other accusations. “I’ve been in shock. I am traumatized,” she said,
Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus took to social media Wednesday to reveal that he is undergoing chemotherapy saying, “It sucks and I’m scared,” while adding that he feels hopeful and expects to be back on tour when he’s cancer-free. Earlier in the morning, Hoppus had alarmed fans with a photo he posted on Instagram, and then
Britney Spears told a judge on Wednesday that she wants to end the conservatorship that has governed her life for the last 13 years, calling it “abusive” and denouncing her father for exerting control over her life. “I told the whole world I’m OK and I’m happy — it’s a lie,” she said. “I’m not
In a nearly three-hour presentation Wednesday morning, Pershing Square Capital founder Bill Ackman made his love for the music business — and the reasons for setting his sights on Universal Music Group — clear, saying, “I can’t think of an asset I’m more confident in being consumed over time. … You need food and water
On this week’s Strictly Business podcast, an episode dedicated to Variety‘s Music Mogul of the Year, Scooter Braun, who appears on the magazine’s June 23 cover. Scooter Braun is the rare music business insider with a high profile outside of his industry. Since 2009, he’s been making headlines alongside the artists he represents, pop stars
Dave Navarro, a vocal survivor of depression for more than 40 years, is highlighting the conversation about mental illness and mental health through a new art collaboration with L.A. artist PADHiA. Together, they are creating fine art, street art and prints, under the name Duel Diagnosis. “When it comes to the mental health, we’re not only
As an employee of Scooter Braun’s SB Projects since its founding in 2007, Allison Kaye has helped to shape the careers of superstars like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande — and has been by Braun’s side through all the ups and downs of the ever-evolving music industry. Now president of SB Projects and a partner
For those feeling wolverine levels of hunger for further Duran Duran backstory, Paramount Plus’ revival of the “Behind the Music” franchise plans to meet that need with an episode’s worth of memories — careless, careful or otherwise — devoted to the band. The platform is announcing today the addition of Duran Duran, New Kids on
YouTube and other internet platforms are not liable for copyright-protected content users upload as a general principle, the European Court of Justice ruled — a big win in the EU for the Google-owned video giant. “As currently stands, operators of online platforms do not, in principle, themselves make a communication to the public of copyright-protected
The world of Scott “Scooter” Braun, Variety’s Music Mogul of the Year, is a whirlwind, with pop stars like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande relying on him for professional and personal guidance, a staff of 39 who look to him for leadership and an industry that banks on him for hit songs, TV shows and
I was covering the red carpet for a tribute to Mike Nichols years ago when Cher arrived. She took some photos but strolled by reporters hoping — to no avail — for an interview. Feeling courageous — or maybe more desperate — I yelled out as loud as I could, “Cher!” She turned around. When
More than 50 of the U.K.’s top musical artists have signed a letter urging British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to urgently tackle a post-Brexit touring crisis looming on the horizon. Following the U.K.’s exit from the European Union, British artists will now need extra permissions — such as work visas and permits — to move
Ericka Coulter has joined Warner Records as senior vice president of A&R, the company announced Wednesday (June 23). Coulter was most recently VP of A&R at Epic Records, where she worked with acts including Rick Ross, Giveon, and Lonr., among others; prior to her six-year tenure at Epic, she held posts at Interscope and Capitol
Three and a half years after Elton John announced his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road: The Final Tour,” after an unavoidable pandemic delay, he has finally unveiled the closing stadium dates of that tour. It will make a final lap across Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand next year after the conclusion of the arena