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Undercover restructures management after BMG exit

German promoter Undercover has announced a restructure after record label BMG sold its controlling stake in the company.

BMG acquired a majority stake in the Brunswick-based firm in October 2020 but announced earlier this month it had agreed a deal for Undercover – along with its other live business Karo – to be transferred back to the minority shareholders

Undercover managing partner Michael Schacke reacquired 51% of the shares from the Berlin-based music giant to once again become the sole shareholder, and has now appointed long-time employee Rilana Sandelmann to the management board as MD.

Sandelmann, who previously headed up the marketing & communications department, has been with Undercover since 2014 and will also take over its ticketing division and drive forward the expansion of its brand partnership arm. Tobias Laufer will now report to Sandelmann as human relations manager.

Schacke will continue to be responsible for the overall strategy, developing the operational core and new business, while Tobias Huwe will become an authorised signatory alongside Tobias Menskes, who will now head up the local business department.

“Undercover is 100% independent again. We are full of energy and creativity and are now more agile and even faster”

“Undercover is 100% independent again,” says Schacke. “We are full of energy and creativity and are now more agile and even faster. As the new managing director, Rilana will not only help shape this new course. I believe she will even set it. She is a great leader, an expert in her field, emphatic and very smart. The new management team, which consists of three Tobis in addition to Rilana and myself, has big plans.”

Huwe, who has been with the company for 13 years and previously worked as head of production, will also be responsible for the events, shows and festivals, and technology departments. Sandelmann, Huwe and Menskes are also responsible for additional departments at Undercover.

“I see Undercover as a start-up with more than 30 years of experience in the live and creative industries, and I’m very keen, together with Micha and our team, to pick up some pace from here,” says Sandelmann. “We will rejuvenate ourselves, tap into new and exciting target groups and expand our regional, national and international networks.

“We will retain what makes us who we are. Undercover works in partnership, fairly and transparently. Female artists have always played a significant role in our roster – that’s great. The genres are diverse. But there’s more to come.”

 

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All change as BMG exits live business

BMG is stepping away from the live music business after agreeing a deal which will see its two live companies, Undercover and Karo, transferred back to the minority shareholders.

The German-headquartered music giant acquired a majority stake in Brunswick-based promoter/event production firm Undercover in October 2020, enabling it to “offer artists an integrated tour promotion and ticketing service” on an opt-in basis, in addition to “releasing recordings and publishing songs”.

BMG and Undercover subsequently formed a strategic alliance with Karo, the company behind the Taubertal Festival, in 2021, and booked out Berlin’s 1,600-seat Theater des Westens every night until the end of 2024 to showcase domestic and international recording artists.

However, in late 2023, BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld announced the company would be focusing on its “core service areas” of music publishing and recordings moving forward.

“We wish BMG and its team all the best and every success in focusing on its core business”

“Michael Schacke [Undercover founder/owner] and Volker Hirsch [Karo founder/owner] are seasoned entrepreneurs who have built enviable reputations in the live music business,” says BMG chief content officer Dominique Casimir. “We are pleased to have agreed terms which allow them to pursue an independent future and we wish them and their teams the best for the future.”

The new deals will see the two companies return to their previous ownership structure.

“I have looked for and found the best solution for Undercover and our artists,” says Schacke, who launched the company in 1991. “Undercover will remain strong and independent in the future. We wish BMG and its team all the best and every success in focusing on its core business.”

Founded in Tauber Valley in 1996, Taubertal has featured acts including Biffy Clyro, Placebo, Rise Against, Pink, Die Toten Hosen, The National and Skunk Anansie.

“It has been a pleasure working with Michael Schacke and Dominique Casimir and we are pleased yet again to be pursuing an independent course as we near the 30th year of existence of Taubertal in 2026,” adds Hirsch.

The record business has had a complex relationship with its live counterpart down the year

The record business has had a complex relationship with its live counterpart down the years, arguably reaching its zenith with the controversial proliferation of so-called ‘360’ deals with artists in the late 2000s/early 2010s.

More recently, major label Warner Music Group (WMG) crossed the divide to acquire India-based live events and artist management company E-Positive. WMG said that the deal would strengthen its position in the market while allowing its artists “to tap into new expertise in brand partnerships and live events”.

Also in 2023, Warner Music France’s live entertainment and concert production company Décibels Productions secured a majority stake in French talent agency Les Visiteurs du Soir, while Warner Music Poland bought a minority stake in Polish concert and festival promoter Big Idea in 2022.

Meanwhile, Sony Music Masterworks, a division of Sony Music Entertainment (SME), acquired a majority stake in Barcelona-based Proactiv Entertainment last year. Other investments by Sony Music Masterworks include Backyard Cinema; Holland-based GEA Live; Dubai-based concert promotion, talent management, events and production company MAC Global; Raymond Gubbay Ltd and UK concert promotion and production company Senbla.

Elsewhere, Universal Music Group (UMG) launched live music arm U-Live in 2012. French-headquartered media giant Vivendi, which announced the partial spin-off of its UMG stake in 2021, is reportedly working with advisers on potentially offloading parts of its Vivendi Village subsidiary, including See Tickets and 11 festivals such as the UK’s Love Supreme and Kite, as well as Garorock in France.

Sources indicate that Vivendi has concluded its ticketing and festival businesses were not of sufficient scale to compete with the likes of Live Nation and AEG. The Financial Times reported the firm is seeking up to £300 million (€348m) for See Tickets, which it bought for €96m in 2011, with AEG and CTS Eventim said to be among the interested parties.

 

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LGBTIQ+ List 2023: Stefan Lehmkuhl, BMG

The LGBTIQ+ List 2023 – IQ Magazine’s third annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business – has been revealed.

The ever-popular list is the centrepiece of IQ’s third Pride edition, sponsored by Ticketmaster, which is now available to read online and in print for subscribers.

To get to know this year’s queer pioneers a little better, we interviewed each of them on the development of the industry, the challenges that are keeping them up at night and more.

Throughout the next month, IQ will publish a new interview each day. Check out yesterday’s profile with Katherine Koranteng, marketing & campaigns manager at Festival Republic in London, UK.

The series continues with Stefan Lehmkuhl (he/him/his), freelance curator & live entertainment consultant at BMG/Ruined My Rainbow in Berlin, Germany.

Stefan Lehmkuhl grew up in Münster thinking he was the only gay boy in the village. I never learned anything proper after school other than live entertainment and a bit of music journalism. At least, I didn’t get any certificates or degrees, until today.

I worked as stagehand, security, cup collector, paramedic, music journalist, then festival booker (Melt, Lollapalooza Berlin), tour promoter (Robyn, Fever Ray, The xx), co-founder & CEO (Goodlive), curator (Theater des Westens), you name it. Actually, I always got the feeling I was the only gay boy in the village in my career [as well]. It’s been a ride.

Around the age of 40, I got sober, took a break after corona, and sold my company shares [in order] to reflect on what it is that I wanted to do in the future.

Right now, I programme a beautiful theatre (Theater des Westens) in Berlin on behalf of BMG, working with a wonderful queer team, and am in the process of starting a queer-owned company called Ruined My Rainbow with some amazing people.

Tell us about the professional feat you’re most PROUD of in 2023 so far.
To have managed to set up a truly diverse team for the running of a new concert project at Theater des Westens. We didn’t manage to present a diverse enough lineup so far, but I’m proud to say that behind the scenes, from programming to production to stagehands to securities, we didn’t only go with the straight dudes that we all knew best. I wouldn’t say we excluded them, but they are certainly the minority on our payroll.

Name one queer act you’re itching to see live this year.
Cormac b2b fka.4ma.

What advice could you give to young queer professionals?
Probably the same as non-queer young professionals: set boundaries, don’t do anything you’re not feeling comfortable with; practice self-care; [give] your opinion and leave when you get bullied for [it]; connect with other queer and young professionals and support each other; ask your queer elders [Feel free to get in contact!]. I only say all this because I didn’t do any of it. I only recently started and see [now] what I missed out on.

“From programming to production to stagehands to securities, we didn’t only go with the straight dudes that we all knew best”

What’s the best mistake you’ve ever made?
After 20 years of working my ass off, I kind of earned my seat at the table of the top promoters in Europe, just to leave the industry when I got there. I would have seen that as a mistake if you would have told me ten years ago, but it was one of the healthiest decisions I ever made for myself. The job can be pretty toxic, and if I want to help and change things in the future, I needed to refill my batteries and reflect on my experiences.

In terms of challenges in the industry, what’s currently keeping you up at night?
In the face of the Rammstein ‘row zero’ [controversy], bubbling ‘Me Too’ stories of industry legends, gender-balanced lineup debates, and ongoing white cis-male dominance in the business, I wonder when the time of the next generation in the industry will finally come and when the outburst within the industry will finally be louder.

How do you see the live music business developing in the next few years?
Sometimes I worry that we see the same phenomenon in the industry that we see in society: first there is a glimpse of hope that things will change, and then the alliance of gatekeepers gains momentum again. I’m terrified of what’s happening in Europe politically; it feels like America’s ‘Gilead’ tendencies post-Trump are undermining the progress of the last [few] years. It is crucial for the industry to forge ahead, refusing to succumb to regression and instead embracing genuine progress. To achieve this, the industry must cultivate a greater sense of courage and boldness.

“After 20 years of working my ass off, I earned my seat at the table of the top promoters in Europe, just to leave the industry”

Name one thing you’d like to see the live music business change.
I’d love for it to become a truly diverse and gender-balanced environment, especially at management level. It will automatically turn into a less toxic and safer workspace that’s more attractive to work in for people.

Name one thing the industry could do to be a more equitable place.
Quotas in all fields of the industry: lineup, staff, security, management… all fields! (I know ‘equitable’ isn’t the same as ‘equal’ but both go hand in hand for me.)

Shout out to your biggest ally in the live music industry.
Melvin Benn.

Do you support any LGBTIQ+ causes?
Allout.org – at the moment, especially, [due to] the absolutely terrifying situation for LGBTQIA+ people in Uganda and potentially Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, and for putting pressure on governments to issue humanitarian visas.

 

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LGBTIQ+ List 2023: Meet this year’s queer pioneers

IQ Magazine has revealed the LGBTIQ+ List 2023 – the third annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business.

The ever-popular list is the centrepiece of IQ’s third Pride edition, sponsored by Ticketmaster, which is now available to read online and in print for subscribers.

The 20 individuals comprising the LGBTIQ+ List 2023 – as nominated by our readers and verified by our esteemed steering committee – are individuals that have gone above and beyond to wave the flag for an industry that we can all be proud of.

The third instalment comprises agents, promoters, tour managers, marketing executives, consultants, founders and more – all of whom identify as LGBTIQ+ and, in the face of adversity, have made enormous contributions to their respective sectors.

In alphabetical order, the LGBTIQ+ List 2023 is:

Christina Austin, music agent, United Talent Agency (UK)
Hila Aviran, director of entertainment & tours, PixMob (US)
Johanna Beckman, senior creative curator and promoter, FKP Scorpio Sweden (SE)
Amy Greig, booking agent, Runway Artists (UK)
Adem Holness, head of contemporary music, Southbank Centre (UK)
Kane Kete, client development manager, Ticketmaster (AU)
Ippei Kimura, booking/marketing/tour manager, Creativeman Productions (JP)
Katherine Koranteng, marketing & campaigns manager, Festival Republic (UK)
Stefan Lehmkuhl, freelance curator & live entertainment consultant, BMG/Ruined My Rainbow (DE)
Lucy Mackenzie McNae, tour manager (Josef, Twin Atlantic), Two and a Half TMs (UK)
Saskhia Menendez, innovator at Keychange, board of directors at F-List Music (UK)
Dev Mistry, global internal comms manager, DICE (UK)
Frederik Diness Ove, founder, Queer Music Agency (DK)
Boyan Pinter (Boiadjiev), founder/director, SPIKE Bulgarian Music Showcase (BG)
Scott Robson, event manager, ASM Global (UK)
Roman Samotný, director, Queer Slovakia (SK)
Marie-Christine Scheffold, senior booking agent manager, Selective Artists (DE)
Karim Siddiqui, senior booking manager, Live Nation (US)
Areti Tziorta, marketing manager, TEG Europe (UK)
João Pedro Viana, music agent, WME (UK)

Throughout the next month, IQ will be publishing full-length interviews with each person on the LGBTIQ+ List 2023.

Subscribers can read the full Pride edition now. Click here to subscribe to IQ from less than £8 a month – or see what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below.

Check out 2022’s cohort of queer pioneers here, and 2021’s cohort here.

Stefan Lehmkuhl to book BMG’s Theater des Westens

Goodlive co-founder Stefan Lehmkuhl has been appointed to the top booker role at BMG’s Theater des Westens in Berlin.

Lehmkuhl is best-known for his two decades of success curating and producing festivals such as Melt Festival, splash!, and Lollapalooza Berlin.

He, along with co-founder Thomas Resch, stepped down from Germany’s Goodlive in July 2021, making way for a new management structure.

After a two-year hiatus from the live industry, Lehmkuhl will now book concerts, residencies and theatre productions for the historic 1,7000-capacity theatre, which BMG recently took a two-year lease on.

Working alongside him at the venue will be event producer Parker Tilghman, known in Berlin and beyond by their alias Pansy. For the last decade, they have created acclaimed underground performance events and club nights in some of the city’s most prominent institutions like SO36, Deutsche Oper, Volksbühne, KW Institute for Contemporary Art, and more.

BMG Chief Content Officer Dominique Casimir says: “Taking a two-year lease on the Theater des Westens was a statement of intent. The appointment of Stefan and Pansy shows the extent of our ambition. Stefan is known for his creative booking and for producing events with visual flair and artistic integrity. With his help we will take the Theater des Westens to an entirely new level and make it a premier entertainment destination in Berlin.”

“Early feedback from artists and managers has been positive, with particular interest in the residency format”

Lehmkuhl adds: “I am excited to join in collaboration with BMG as my first consultant and curation project after a two-year hiatus from the industry. We are offering artists completely new opportunities that have not existed in Berlin before in a truly gorgeous setting.

“We are open to collaborating with agents, managers and event organisers, internationally and nationally, even beyond music, and welcome inquiries. I am grateful for Dominique’s trust and look forward to working with her, Pansy and the team at BMG. Early feedback from artists and managers has been positive, with particular interest in the residency format.”

Pansy comments: “The new format will be of particular interest to established artists who want to present a high-end show at a beautiful venue in the heart of Berlin rather than embarking on a regular tour. We look forward to pairing them with local, underground performers that keep our city so special and unique.”

Michael Schacke, Undercover CEO and responsible for BMG’s live strategy in GSA, said: “With the opening of Berlin’s Theater des Westens for live concerts, residencies and performances, the next piece of the puzzle of BMG’s live strategy falls into place. With Undercover as tour and local promoter in GSA and the Taubertal Festival, TDW now adds one of the most beautiful and exciting live venues in Europe that gives us more opportunities to work with artists and their management in the live segment.”

 

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BMG books out Berlin venue until 2024

Berlin-headquartered music company BMG has booked out the German capital’s 1,600-seat Theater des Westens (TdW) every night until the end of 2024 to provide a home to its growing live events business.

The renowned record label and music publisher entered the live business in 2020 with the acquisition of a majority stake in promoter/event production firm Undercover.

BMG’s shows at TdW will include a series of residencies by domestic and international recording artists, as well as BMG’s growing roster of stage musicals.

“The Theater des Westens is arguably the greatest theatre in the German capital,” says BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch. “As a Berlin-born company, and the only German-owned and managed global player in the music industry, we are proud to make this investment in the musical life of our hometown.”

“We see a particular opportunity for established artists who want to present a high-end show in a beautiful venue rather than embarking on a regular tour”

The TdW is operated by Netherlands-based live entertainment firm Stage Entertainment, while the building is owned by the city of Berlin.

“We are committed to making the Theater des Westens the premier venue for entertainment in Berlin,” says BMG chief content officer Dominique Casimir. “Taking such a long lease on a venue is a first for a music company. We are starting with two great shows – Ku’damm 56 and now Romeo & Julia – but there is a lot more to come.

“Bringing high-end artist residencies to Berlin is a first for Germany. We see a particular opportunity for established artists who want to present a high-end show in a beautiful venue rather than embarking on a regular tour.”

 

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BMG aligns with Germany’s Taubertal Festival

BMG and its live partner Undercover have formed a strategic alliance with Volker Hirsch, founder of Germany’s Taubertal Festival.

The deal, which will see BMG acquire a majority stake in Taubertal organiser KARO Konzert-Agentur Rothenburg, marks the latest phase of the label and publisher’s live expansion, adding festivals to its existing touring, booking and concerts offering.

Founded in Tauber Valley in 1996, Taubertal has featured acts including Placebo, Rise Against, Pink, Die Toten Hosen, The National and Skunk Anansie. Its 25th-anniversary edition, scheduled for 12-14 August 2022, will welcome the likes of Biffy Clyro, Kontra K, AnnenMayKantereit and Kraftklub.

KARO, Undercover and BMG will work together to create “compelling, tailor-made music marketing and sponsorship solutions for the festival”, with the goal of further strengthening the brand internationally.

“After 25 very successful years, I am looking forward to a new chapter,” says KARO Konzert-Agentur Rothenburg CEO Hirsch, who will retain full creative freedom and continue to head the festival.

I am excited to be able to build up the festival headliners of the future together with BMG

Hirsch adds: “I see the partnership with BMG as a valuable support in underpinning the position of Taubertal-Festival as a top national festival brand and in bringing the media activation of the festival to a top international level.

“I am excited to be able to build up the festival headliners of the future together with BMG and to be part of BMG‘s live entertainment offering started together with Undercover.”

Berlin-based BMG partnered with German promoter Undercover in 2020. 

Michael Schacke, CEO of Undercover and head of BMG’s live activities in GSA, says: “One year after Undercover joined BMG, we can now close the festival gap in our live portfolio and thus further expand our joint vision of live entertainment and artist partnership.

“In Volker’s and my first conversation about moving closer together it immediately became clear: The values of KARO, BMG and Undercover including fairness and transparency fit together incredibly well. My team and I are really looking forward to working together.”

Dominique Casimir, BMG EVP global repertoire & marketing EU, APAC & LATAM, adds: “Moving into live music demonstrates BMG’s commitment to offer artists the entire creative value chain, giving us the opportunity to serve them in every area of their careers depending on their individual setup. Expanding these services to all relevant stakeholders in the live music and entertainment market is the next big step.”

 

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BMG acquires German promoter Undercover

BMG Rights Management, the Berlin-based record label and music publisher, is entering the live business for the first time with the acquisition of a majority stake in promoter/event production firm Undercover.

Brunswick-based Undercover, which usually promotes in excess of 200 concerts and shows annually, will form the basis for a new live music and events business unit within BMG in Germany. The company also serves a tour agent, brokering tours and festivals for national and international artists across Germany, Austria and Switzerland (GSA), and develops and produces its own touring formats.

Undercover CEO Michael Shacke and his team of 30 will remain in place following the acquisition, the terms of which were not disclosed and which is expected to close by the end of this month.

The deal, says BMG, means that, in addition to “releasing recordings and publishing songs, BMG can now offer artists an integrated tour promotion and ticketing service” on an opt-in basis.

“An important part of our job will be to form a centre of excellence for events”

Dominique Casimir, BMG’s EVP of repertoire and marketing for continental Europe, says: “Moving into live is the logical extension of BMG’s plan to integrate all the services an artist could need under one roof, with the artist brand at the centre of it all. Crucially, we have found in Michael Schacke and his team a partner who shares our values.”

“I founded this company in 1991 to be able to perform with my band, and that’s how I became a promoter. This idea has since grown into a nationwide concert agency with over 30 employees,” adds Schacke. “Discussions about a partnership with BMG commenced long before the coronavirus pandemic, but we are now perfectly set up for when the market returns.

“There is a significant opportunity for us working together to offer a genuine alternative for artists in Germany and beyond, building on Undercover’s established recipe of ‘live entertainment and artist partnership’.”

The acquisition comes during a time of upheaval in the Covid-hit German live music market, and follows the launch of new promoter DreamHaus – also based in Berlin, and staffed with a number of former Live Nation Germany employees – last week.

Maximillian Kolb, managing director of BMG GSA, says: “Artists want partners who build their business around them, rather than the other way around. Above all, this means offering the best possible service.

“Moving into live is the logical extension of BMG’s plan to integrate all the services an artist could need”

“The German music market has proven to be extremely adaptable and is one of the strongest in the world, especially in the live segment. I am very happy that we have become the first territory within BMG to be able to offer a complete service portfolio to artists, including live.”

Launched in 2008 as the successor to Sony BMG, BMG Rights Management – owned by German media conglomerate Bertelsmann – represents artists including Iron Maiden, John Legend, Bring Me the Horizon, Bloc Party, Alt-J, Tame Impala, Morrissey, MIA, Frank Ocean, Jess Glynne, David Crosby and Kylie Minogue for label services and/or publishing.

Undercover will form part of a network of Bertelsmann brands, the Bertelsmann Content Alliance, which also includes broadcaster RTL, book publisher Penguin Random House and magazine publishing Gruner and Jahr (Stern, Capital, Geo).

Casimir, who is also a board member of the Bertelsmann Content Alliance, explains: “An important part of our job will be, together with the Undercover team, to form a centre of excellence for events within the Content Alliance. We look forward to working with the other divisions and together adding even more value to our artists and media brands by creating bespoke live experiences.”

 

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Black music executives set out standards for industry

A collective of Black music executives in the UK has sent a letter to heads of companies including Live Nation, Universal Music Group and Spotify, laying out five “immediate calls to action” to tackle structural and systematic racism within the music industry.

The letter builds on Black Out Tuesday last week, which saw the global music business down tools in solidarity with anti-racism protestors in the US and in order to reflect on what steps need to be taken to address racism in the industry and wider society.



Following on from the demonstration, which was promoted through the hashtag #TheShowMustBePaused, executives from Metropolis Music, the Music Managers Forum (MMF), Ministry of Sound, Sony Music, UMG, Atlantic Records, Warner Music Group, and more, have come together under the #TheShowMustBePausedUK initiative and newly formed Black Music Coalition to call for immediate changes at the UK’s biggest live and recorded music companies.

“The music industry has long been a microcosm for [racial] injustices and they continue to play out within the companies you lead”

Directed to “chairman, CEOs presidents and music industry leaders”, the letter calls on companies to implement mandatory anti-racism/unconscious bias training; commit money each year to Black organisations, educational projects and charities in the UK; implement career development for Black staff to ensure greater representation at senior management level; replace the term “urban music” with “Black music”; and establish a dedicated equality and diversity task force.

“It is a widely shared belief that the music industry has long been a microcosm for these injustices and they continue to play out within the companies you lead, companies which we are a part of,” reads the letter.

“Your public statements of support throughout the recent times were impassioned and we appreciated them, but we now want to drive forward tangible changes, giving power to that show of support.

“We expect that these long overdue steps will be implemented in a comprehensive manner to translate your empathy into a legacy of lasting change and we look forward to working with you to ensure that this happens.”

The letter can be read in full below, along with a list of signatories:

 

Dear Chairmen, CEOs, Presidents and Music Industry Leaders,

The past few weeks and months have been filled with visceral and overwhelming emotions of frustration, grief and sadness following the violent and untimely deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery in America and what the circumstances of their deaths repeated to us about the position of Black people, the value of Black lives and livelihood and of the pervasive stain of racism in our society.

As the Black community mourned, many of us working in this and other industries tried to adopt our usual coping mechanism of suppressing our trauma caused from witnessing the disregard for Black life, but this time was different, we found and find ourselves unable to do so.

For far too long, the global Black community have faced racial injustice, inequality and disenfranchisement across all aspects of society and here in the UK, is no different.

As Black British people, we know of and have seen members of our community overpoliced, brutally treated and die at the hands of institutionally racist police forces and recount for example the deaths of Sarah Reed, Rashan Charles, Mark Duggan, Sean Rigg and many more. Simply put, the UK is not innocent.

Further, we are all facing an unprecedented global pandemic caused by the Coronavirus yet still, it is Black and Brown members of society who are being disproportionately affected e.g. Public Health England COVID19: Review of Disparities in risks and outcomes study shows that Black males in the UK are 4.2 times more likely to die from a Covid- 19 related death than white males. Throughout this public health crisis, racism also continues to rear its head; we witnessed a blatant indifference to Black lives most recently, in the case of Black front-line key worker Belly Mujinga, who was made to work in a public facing position despite her bosses being aware she had underlying health conditions, consequently died from Coronavirus having been assaulted by a white male. The investigation into her case was swiftly closed by the police and only reopened following immense public pressure and a peaceful protest in London.

The music industry has long profited from the rich and varied culture of Black people

These situations illustrate the ways structural and systemic racism creates poor outcomes for Black people and the Black community at large.

The music industry has long profited from the rich and varied culture of Black people for many generations but overall, we feel it has failed to acknowledge the structural and systematic racism affecting the very same Black community and so effectively, enjoying the rhythm and ignoring the blues. We feel that as an industry, we cannot continue to benefit and profit, whilst continuing to ignore the issues of the community we benefit and profit so much from, issues which affect far too many of our artists in one way or another.

In the US, Brianna Agyemang and Jamila Thomas launched #TheShowMustBePaused initiative and their mission was clear – to give us all a moment; a moment to pause, to exhale and find some solace. Here in the UK, the message resonated with many of us Black executives and as a result we launched #TheShowMustBePausedUK, coming together to discuss what permanent change we needed to bring about within our beloved industry.

Coming together and talking about the events outlined herein and our shared experiences, caused us to relive the many instances of injustice, racist comments and marginalisation across our lives including in our experiences within this industry. It is a widely shared belief that the music industry has long been a microcosm for these injustices and they continue to play out within the companies you lead, companies which we are a part of. As a result of the passionate and thought-provoking conversations over the last week; the consensus is clear – the time for change is NOW.

The consensus is clear – the time for change is NOW

As the leaders across the UK industry, who stood in solidarity with us for #BlackOutTuesday, publicly declaring your support and commitment to change, here are our immediate calls to action:

Your public statements of support throughout the recent times were impassioned and we appreciated them, but we now want to drive forward tangible changes, giving power to that show of support.

We expect that these long overdue steps will be implemented in a comprehensive manner to translate your empathy into a legacy of lasting change and we look forward to working with you to ensure that this happens.

Signed,
The Black Music Coalition, The Show Must Be Paused UK, and on behalf of Black executives from Warner Music Group, Sony Music, Universal Music Group, BMG, Live Nation UK, Spotify and MMF.

 

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Scooter Braun launches music tech investment group

Former BMG president Zach Katz has launched investment vehicle Raised In Space Enterprises with Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings and Ripple’s Xpring, an initiative focused on developing blockchain projects.

Raised In Space Enterprises provides funding to entrepreneurs with technology solutions across all aspects of the music industry, including ticketing, touring and fan engagement. Investments range from US$500,000 to $5 million.

The company hopes to capitalise on its partnership with Ripple’s Xpring, integrating blockchain technology and the digital asset XRP to benefit and impact the music industry.

“We will unify the most forward-thinking leaders in both music and technology to foster a community and ideas that will ultimately catapult the music industry into the future,” states Raised In Space founder and chief executive, Katz.

Katz launches the investment vehicle following his December departure from the US division of music publisher BMG, where he held the position of president. He teams up with famed artist manager, Braun, and technology and music entrepreneur, Shara Senderoff, in founding Raised In Space.

“The relationship between music and technology has massive untapped potential”

Braun, who manages Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, is the founder of venture-capital firm Ithaca Holdings and an early investor in numerous technology companies.

“The relationship between music and technology has massive untapped potential,” says Braun. “I’m excited to launch a company focused on bridging these two industries in a transformative and actionable manner that raises the value of music.”

Braun has worked with Ripple’s Xpring, a blockchain technology and investment firm, on various projects. The company is “excited about blockchain’s potential to solve problems in the entertainment space,” says Ripple’s Xpring senior vice president, Ethan Beard.

“Xpring is about empowering the best entrepreneurs to apply technologies like the XRP Ledger in new and novel ways. We are excited to see how the entrepreneurs they [Kantz, Braun and Senderoff] back will build new solutions that can reshape the music industry.”

 

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