IDOL is a fully independent Artist & Label Services Company founded in 2006 with offices in London, Paris, Berlin, Johannesburg, Nashville, LA & New York. Following our highly selective A&R approach, IDOL offers a high level of marketing resources and personalised attention to its partners.  Constantly expanding, the company now counts 65+ people across its International offices and offers full worldwide digital distribution services to artists such as Afro B, Erick The Architect, Lord Apex & L’impératrice and labels such as Erased Tapes, Bingo Bass (DJ Zinc), Infiné, Loc ..read more

A group of organisations representing different American copyright industries have set out their top piracy gripes in a letter to the US Patent And Trademark Office. It confirms that stream-ripping is still the music industry’s greatest concern, while also stressing that “reverse proxy services and the lack of meaningful access to domain name registrant data are ongoing challenges for the creative industries”. The trade groups add that tackling online piracy requires “strong legal incentives” to ensure that various stakeholders – especially the providers of internet services – are persuaded t ..read more

Cooking Vinyl Publishing has signed a deal covering the songs catalogue of indie-rock duo Her’s, four years after they were killed in a car accident while on tour in the US. The deal has been agreed between Cooking Vinyl, the band’s record label and management company Heist Or Hit, and the families of the two band members, Audun Laading and Stephen Fitzpatrick. It is the first time that the songs in the catalogue have been published. “We are honoured to announce our new partnership with Cooking Vinyl Publishing in commemoration of the enduring musical legacy of Her’s, a fantastically unique d ..read more

Ariana Grande is dropping Scooter Braun as her manager, despite claims to the contrary, according to reports. There was much speculation last month that both Grande and Braun’s highest profile client, Justin Bieber, were seeking new management, although sources at his company SB Projects denied this. Rumours about Grande and Bieber leaving SB Projects began circulating as it was confirmed that another client, Demi Lovato, had indeed ended a four year alliance with Braun’s management firm. It also followed the departure of Idina Menzel in January this year and J Balvin in May. As the Grande an ..read more

Tickets went on sale yesterday for screenings of a ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ concert film, which will arrive in cinemas across North America next month. And, according to Deadline, ticket pre-sales have already topped $10 million. “The Eras Tour has been the most meaningful, electric experience of my life so far and I’m overjoyed to tell you that it’ll be coming to the big screen soon”, Swift posted on social media yesterday, alongside a trailer for the film. “Tickets are on sale now. Eras attire, friendship bracelets, singing and dancing encouraged”. US cinema operator AMC Theatres is Sw ..read more

APPOINTMENTS The Scottish Music Industry Association has announced that its Creative Director Robert Kilpatrick will take on the additional role of Interim CEO following the departure of Ronnie Gurr from the top job. The association’s Interim Chair, Nick Stewart, says: “Robert understands the SMIA’s importance better than anyone else. Hard-working and driven, he has been instrumental in achieving the organisation’s aims”. ————————————————– RELEASES Nicki Minaj has released new single ‘Last Time That I Saw You’. Timbaland has released new single ‘Keep Going Up’, featuring Justin Timberlake and ..read more

A court in New York has dismissed a lyric theft claim made against Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion because, and let’s be clear about this, standalone lyrics about wet pussies are not sufficiently original to enjoy copyright protection. And that, people, is the law. “The concept of using ‘pussies so wet’ as a rhetorical device in a song is neither original nor unique to plaintiff”, district judge Andrew L Carter Jr declared in a ruling earlier this week, “and in any event, copyright does not protect ideas or themes”. You might have guessed that the Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion song subject ..read more

An independent investigation instigated by Japanese talent management company Johnny & Associates into allegations of sexual abuse that have been made against its late founder Johnny Kitagawa has said that the firm’s leadership should accept that the abuse took place, apologise to the victims and offer them financial relief. It also advised that Kitagawa’s niece Julie Fujishima should step down as president of the business. The damning report into the company’s handling of abuse allegations, which spanned decades, says that Fujishima’s resignation should begin an effort to “dismantle and ..read more

Universal Music has bought UAE-based Chabaka, which provides music distribution, marketing and publishing services in the Middle East and North Africa region. As a result, it will become part of the Virgin Music Group, Universal’s artist and label services division. The major says that the acquisition complements its “current service offering and footprint in the fast-growing and dynamic MENA market” and is “another demonstration of UMG’s strategy to increase its presence and accelerate its growth in high potential music markets around the world”. Chabaka co-founder Ala’a Makki – who will rem ..read more

UK Music boss Jamie Njoku-Goodwin is standing down after three years at the cross-sector lobbying group. He joined the organisation back in October 2020 having previously been a special advisor within two UK government departments – initially culture and then health – and he is now returning to a government role working directly with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. He arrived at UK Music, of course, just as the industry was dealing with the mounting challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. That meant he had a role to play in securing government support for the music sector during the COVID lockdowns ..read more