🎶Inside the Industry🎶
SAUDI ARABIA (CelebrityAccess) – Warner Recorded Music has signed Middle Eastern female superstar Dalia Mubarak. Mubarak became a household name in the Arab Gulf region with the release of her debut single, “Turn the Table,” in 2014. Her debut album, Min Al Akher, was successful in Saudi Arabia and nearby regions.
In June 2022, she was featured on the cover of Saudi Arabia Vogue and won Best Saudi Arabian Artist at the Distinctive International Arab Festivals Awards (DIAFA) in Dubai.
Warner Music opened its Middle East office in 2018 and completed its partnership with Rotana Music, an Arabian independent record label, in 2021 – along with acquiring Qanawat Music.
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BENELUX – Sony Music Publishing (SMP) names Michèle Hamelink as the new Managing Director (MD) of Benelux. Hamelink oversees and implements creative strategy across Benelux, builds relationships with clients, local societies, and industry partners, and provides songwriter support and service.
Hamelink has been with SMP for ten years and most recently held the position of A&R, Europe. She began her career at Sony/ATV (now SMP) in 2012 and joined the European team in 2015, where she was Creative Manager and European A&R scout.
Hamelink will report to President, International, Guy Henderson and will hold the dual role of Senior A&R, Europe, and will develop SMP’s international roster.
Henderson said, “Michèle is a special talent and brings her unique creative skills to the role of managing director. Her promotion and rapid rise in our company is a testament to her hard work and ambition to lead from the front, taking our writers and staff with her.”
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ATLANTA – Iggy Azalea has sold her entire master and publishing catalog in an 8-figure deal to Domain Capital. The deal includes 100% of the Australian’s share of hits, including “Fancy” and “Problem.” It also allows Azalea to earn future revenue on the master recordings, as reported by Billboard. The actual amount has not been disclosed.
Azalea is set to release new music in early 2023 under her own indie label, Bad Dreams, with a deal under Sony Music Publishing (SMP).
Azalea tweeted to her fans who were comparing her sale to that of Taylor Swift – “Taylor did not profit from that sale. I sold a portion of my catalog to who I wanted for an amount that means I don’t have to work another day in my life. I love y’all down, but the masters, conversation is a little beyond most of your understanding of business.”
Taylor did not profit from that sale.
I sold a portion of my catalog to who I wanted, for an amount that means I don’t have to work another day in my life.
I love y’all down but the masters conversation is a little beyond most of your understanding of business.— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) November 21, 2022
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LONDON – The New Songs Administration (NSA) has acquired the catalog of David Essex. The deal includes a mix of copyrights, songwriting, and artist royalties, as reported by MBW.
Essex had a string of hits in the 1970 and 1980s with a recently completed sold-out UK tour. Essex’s hits include “Rock On” (which hit No. 5 in the US in 1973), “Lamplight,” “A Winter’s Tale,” and UK No. 1’s “Gonna Make You a Star,” and “Hold Me Close.”
Under the deal with NSA, Essex will retain an interest in the future and have a role as a consultant.
“I am thrilled to be working with David and looking forward, particularly, to finding sync and cover opportunities for his wonderful works,” said John Fogarty, Owner of NSA.
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Bucks Music Group has appointed Jen Moss as Senior Sync executive.
Moss received her music business degree at the Academy of Contemporary Music and started her career in the Sync department at Boosey & Hawkes before moving to Warner Music UK.
Bucks head of sync Jonathan Tester said: “We are delighted that Jen has joined the sync team at Bucks. I had the pleasure of working with Jen in her role as a supervisor, and her passion and knowledge for film are second to none. Jen will bring her wealth of experience to the team and we are very excited about the opportunities this will lead to for our roster. This is a wonderful appointment. That Jen has chosen to join Bucks demonstrates our strength as an independent.”
Moss said: “After several years away from the industry due to personal reasons; I could not be more pleased to make my re-entry with Bucks. I’m excited to be joining such an artistically driven company and to be pitching their catalog and writers to the film industry.”
Bucks’ catalog includes works written by David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, James Blunt, Professor Green, Rudimental, Pete Doherty, and more.
