Welcome to Music Enterprise Worldwide’s weekly round-up – the place we be sure that you caught the 5 largest tales to hit our headlines over the previous seven days. MBW’s round-up is supported by Centtrip, which helps over 500 of the world’s best-selling artists maximize their revenue and cut back their touring prices.
This week we realized that legendary rock band KISS has bought, nicely, about as a lot as they may promote – a track catalog, plus identify, picture and likeness rights (together with face paint designs) – to music funding agency Pophouse Leisure, for a reported sum upwards of USD $300 million.
Additionally this week, we obtained phrase that French leisure large Vivendi is planning to promote its ticketing firm, UK-headquartered See Tickets, to Germany’s CTS Eventim.
In the meantime, Downtown Music Holdings introduced the “completion of its integration technique,” which incorporates wrapping its indie distributor CD Child into its Downtown Music division, and the appointment of Pieter van Rijn as CEO of Downtown Music.
Elsewhere, a information report mentioned that Spotify is planning to hike subscription costs once more, simply 9 months after it confirmed its first-ever value hike for Premium subscriptions. And the corporate introduced that Christian Luiga will probably be becoming a member of Spotify as its new CFO.
Lastly, the deadline for Warner Music Group to submit a bid for Imagine is quickly approaching; in reality, it’s this Sunday (April 7). In a brand new column, MBW founder Tim Ingham lists three good the reason why WMG might wish to achieve management of the France-headquartered digital music firm.
Right here’s what occurred this week…
1) KISS SELLS SONG CATALOG, NAME AND IP TO POPHOUSE, COMPANY BEHIND ABBA VOYAGE, IN $300M DEAL
Legendary rock band KISS are promoting their track catalog, plus identify, picture and likeness rights — together with their face paint designs — to music funding agency Pophouse Leisure.
Pophouse confirmed the deal in an announcement obtained by MBW on Thursday (April 4) following experiences by Bloomberg and The Related Press.
Whereas the corporate didn’t disclose the scale of its funding in KISS, the information retailers reported it to be value greater than USD $300 million.
Along with KISS’ model identify, track catalog, and mental property, the settlement additionally covers KISS’ artist share of the grasp recordings and publishing rights…
2) VIVENDI TO SELL SEE TICKETS AND FESTIVAL BUSINESS TO LIVE MUSIC GIANT CTS EVENTIM
In September, Paris-headquartered multinational media large Vivendi was reported to be in talks with advisers a few potential sale of its live-events ticketing and festivals companies.
The sale includes two companies inside its Vivendi Village subsidiary: the UK-headquartered See Tickets and Vivendi Village’s festivals division, which operates a number of reside occasions within the UK and Europe.
In December, the Monetary Occasions reported that bids for See Tickets had been submitted by Anschutz Leisure Group (AEG) and Germany-headquartered reside music large CTS Eventim.
On Tuesday (April 2), the latter firm emerged because the winner within the race to amass See Tickets. Vivendi introduced that it has signed a put choice settlement to promote its worldwide ticketing and pageant companies to CTS Eventim…
As a part of its long-term plan to focus completely on the providers sector, Downtown Music Holdings has introduced what it calls the “completion of its integration technique” throughout its business-to-business and creator-focused companies right into a single working firm.
As a part of this integration, the operations of the corporate’s indie distribution model CD Child are merging into its Downtown Music division. The CD Child model and platform will stay and Downtown confirms that there will probably be no staffing adjustments because of the merger.
Additionally as a part of the mixing, Pieter van Rijn has been appointed CEO of Downtown Music, reporting into Andrew Bergman, CEO of Downtown Music Holdings. CD Child President Scott Williams experiences into van Rijn.
Based mostly in Amsterdam and New York, van Rijn beforehand served because the Group President of Downtown Music and as CEO of FUGA, which was acquired by DMH in 2020. He was appointed to the Downtown Music Holdings board in 2023…
4) SPOTIFY TO HIKE PRICES AGAIN, INTRODUCE NEW SUBSCRIPTION TIER (REPORT)
Final yr, Spotify raised the value of its Premium service for the primary time, ending greater than a decade of static costs on the music streaming service.
Now, a brand new report says extra value hikes, and a change to its pricing mannequin, are on the way in which.
In accordance with a Bloomberg report on Wednesday (April 3), Spotify plans to lift its subscription value in 5 markets, together with the UK, Australia, and Pakistan, by the tip of April, and can elevate costs within the US later this yr.
Particular person subscription plans will rise by $1 per 30 days, whereas Duo and Household plans will rise by $2, Bloomberg reported, citing individuals accustomed to the matter.
In separate information, the corporate additionally introduced this week that Christian Luiga will probably be approaching board as Spotify’s new CFO, changing Paul Vogel. Luiga is at present the CFO and Deputy CEO at Swedish aerospace and protection large Saab…
5) 3 REASONS WHY… WARNER MUSIC GROUP MIGHT BE TEMPTED TO BID $1.8 BILLION FOR BELIEVE
Warner Music Group has just some days to make a proper/binding supply to amass Imagine. After Sunday (April 7), its probability may have gone.
As you learn this, WMG’s sharpest minds are poring over “confidential” monetary data from Imagine in a closed-off ‘information room’ – i.e. stuff you wouldn’t be capable of discover in public monetary experiences.
Relying on what they discover, Warner may desk a bid for Imagine value EUR €17-plus per share – valuing the French firm at greater than USD $1.8 billion.
This course of is a danger for Imagine: If WMG finally walks away from the ‘information room’ unhappy – and declines to make an official method – Imagine may have handed over delicate materials about its enterprise to a transparent market rival…
MBW’s Weekly Spherical-Up is supported by Centtrip, which helps over 500 of the world’s best-selling artists maximise their revenue and cut back their touring prices.Music Enterprise Worldwide
