The Ledger is a weekly newsletter about the economics of the music business sent to Billboard Pro subscribers. An abbreviated version of the newsletter is published online.

From streaming services to concert promoters and ticket sellers, music companies have reported encouraging first-quarter earnings results that show consumers continue to adopt subscription services and eagerly return to live events after COVID restrictions were lifted in late 2021. The same companies? stock prices tell another story, however. While music companies posted double-digit gains in subscription growth, revenue, ticket sales and many other metrics, their share prices are down by double-digits in 2022. That?s not a surprise given the state of the economy: Inflation is at a 40-year high ; rising interest rates sent investors looking for value stocks and safety in bonds; and consumers are starting to miss credit card and auto loan payments. Right now, investors are looking beyond mere growth to margins and profitability.

In the wake of these earnings reports, Billboard is highlighting three factors that are influencing the music business in 2022. First, growth in subscription services is reshaping labels and publishers? revenues; growth may be slowing, and it could disappoint some investors, but it’s there. Second, publishing revenues saw especially strong growth in the first quarter and contributed more to parent companies? growth than record labels (given their relatively smaller size). Third, live music is going to have a strong 2022, which will impact not just touring artists but record labels that sell merchandise on the road.

Subscription growth was strong (but it?s slowing).

Spotify?s subscriptions grew 15% to 182 million, an annual increase of 24 million and 2 million more than the fourth quarter of 2021. While second-quarter growth was below Spotify?s guidance, the company said it was above expectations if “involuntary churn” of 1.5 million subscriptions from the company?s exit from Russia weren’t counted. (Spotify expects another 600,000 lost subscribers in Russia in the second quarter.)

The second-quarter guidance is 6 million net new subscribers, which would take Spotify to roughly 188 million, up 14% from the second quarter of 2021. That would represent a smaller annual gain in subscribers (23 million versus 27 million in the second quarter of 2021) and a lower annual growth rate (14% versus 20%).

Smaller streaming services posted higher growth rates in the first quarter. Even though Tencent Music Entertainment revenue fell 15% due to losses in social entertainment, its music subscriptions grew 31.7% to 80.2 million, an annual increase of 19.3 million and up 4 million from the fourth quarter of 2021. Anghami?s subscription revenue grew 26% year over year. Chinese music streaming service Cloud Village reports first-quarter earnings on May 24.

Publishing and merchandising were higher in the revenue mix.

At Universal Music Group, recorded music accounted for 78.3% of revenue but delivered only 61% of first-quarter revenue growth despite strong gains in subscription royalties. UMG?s publishing division accounted for 17.1% of total revenue but 26.7% of total revenue growth. Merchandising was 4.9% of UMG?s total revenue and 12.3% of its revenue growth. At Warner Music Group, publishing’s share of revenue grew to 16.7%, up from 15.4% a year earlier, and accounted for 30.2% of the revenue growth. At Sony Music, publishing increased its share of quarterly revenue from 16.4% to 18.3%. Recorded music grew from 58% to 60% as the ?visual media and platform? division fell from 25.6% to 19.2%.

Live events companies are seeing double-digit growth.

At Live Nation, which claimed to have its best first quarter ever, revenue jumped more than six-fold in the first quarter after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. More importantly, the company expects double-digit growth this year compared to 2019, the best year for comparison because COVID affected every quarter in 2020. Live Nation has sold 70 million tickets for shows in 2022, a 36% increase from the same point in 2019, and committed show count is up 44% through late April. At the same time, no-show rates appear to be a non-issue, falling ?generally in the mid-single digits,? the company said in its earnings release.

MSG Entertainment?s entertainment (live event) revenue grew more than six-fold to $194.6 million thanks to the lifting of COVID restrictions. Minus MSG Networks, which merged with MSG Entertainment in July 2021, the company had $292.5 million in revenue, up 17% from the same period in 2019.

Vivid Seats? first-quarter revenue was up 442% from the prior-year period. The company increased second-quarter guidance for both revenue (its cut of total revenue) and gross order value (total ticket sales value). Music accounted for 53.1% of revenue, up from 31.9% in the prior-year period. Marketplace order volume increased 589%. At Eventbrite, first-quarter paid tickets rose 78% year over year, and net revenue per ticket increased 13.6%.

STOCKS

Through May 20, the % change over the last week, and the year-to-date change.

Spotify (NYSE: SPOT): $107.19, +1.0%, -54.2% YTD
Universal Music Group (AS: UMG): 20.41 euros, 0%, -17.6% YTD
Warner Music Group (Nasdaq: WMG): $29.76, +2.3%, -31.1% YTD
HYBE (KS 352820): 221,000 KRW, +2.8%, -36.7% YTD
Live Nation (NYSE: LYV): $89.16, -2.3%, -25.5% YTD
iHeartMedia (Nasdaq: IHRT): $12.13, -5.2%, -42.3% YTD
Cumulus Media (Nasdaq: CMLS): $12.50, -2.5%, +11.1% YTD
Tencent Music Entertainment (NYSE: TME): $4.07, -0.7%, -40.6% YTD

NYSE Composite: 15,072.58, -1.2%, -12.2% YTD
Nasdaq: 11,354.62, -3.8%, -27.4% YTD
S&P 500: 3,901.36, -3.0%, -18.1% YTD

The Ledger is a weekly newsletter about the economics of the music business sent to Billboard Pro subscribers. An abbreviated version of the newsletter is published online.

From streaming services to concert promoters and ticket sellers, music companies have reported encouraging first-quarter earnings results that show consumers continue to adopt subscription services and eagerly return to live events after COVID restrictions were lifted in late 2021. The same companies? stock prices tell another story, however. While music companies posted double-digit gains in subscription growth, revenue, ticket sales and many other metrics, their share prices are down by double-digits in 2022. That?s not a surprise given the state of the economy: Inflation is at a 40-year high ; rising interest rates sent investors looking for value stocks and safety in bonds; and consumers are starting to miss credit card and auto loan payments. Right now, investors are looking beyond mere growth to margins and profitability.

In the wake of these earnings reports, Billboard is highlighting three factors that are influencing the music business in 2022. First, growth in subscription services is reshaping labels and publishers? revenues; growth may be slowing, and it could disappoint some investors, but it’s there. Second, publishing revenues saw especially strong growth in the first quarter and contributed more to parent companies? growth than record labels (given their relatively smaller size). Third, live music is going to have a strong 2022, which will impact not just touring artists but record labels that sell merchandise on the road.

Subscription growth was strong (but it?s slowing).

Spotify?s subscriptions grew 15% to 182 million, an annual increase of 24 million and 2 million more than the fourth quarter of 2021. While second-quarter growth was below Spotify?s guidance, the company said it was above expectations if “involuntary churn” of 1.5 million subscriptions from the company?s exit from Russia weren’t counted. (Spotify expects another 600,000 lost subscribers in Russia in the second quarter.)

The second-quarter guidance is 6 million net new subscribers, which would take Spotify to roughly 188 million, up 14% from the second quarter of 2021. That would represent a smaller annual gain in subscribers (23 million versus 27 million in the second quarter of 2021) and a lower annual growth rate (14% versus 20%).

Smaller streaming services posted higher growth rates in the first quarter. Even though Tencent Music Entertainment revenue fell 15% due to losses in social entertainment, its music subscriptions grew 31.7% to 80.2 million, an annual increase of 19.3 million and up 4 million from the fourth quarter of 2021. Anghami?s subscription revenue grew 26% year over year. Chinese music streaming service Cloud Village reports first-quarter earnings on May 24.

Publishing and merchandising were higher in the revenue mix.

At Universal Music Group, recorded music accounted for 78.3% of revenue but delivered only 61% of first-quarter revenue growth despite strong gains in subscription royalties. UMG?s publishing division accounted for 17.1% of total revenue but 26.7% of total revenue growth. Merchandising was 4.9% of UMG?s total revenue and 12.3% of its revenue growth. At Warner Music Group, publishing’s share of revenue grew to 16.7%, up from 15.4% a year earlier, and accounted for 30.2% of the revenue growth. At Sony Music, publishing increased its share of quarterly revenue from 16.4% to 18.3%. Recorded music grew from 58% to 60% as the ?visual media and platform? division fell from 25.6% to 19.2%.

Live events companies are seeing double-digit growth.

At Live Nation, which claimed to have its best first quarter ever, revenue jumped more than six-fold in the first quarter after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. More importantly, the company expects double-digit growth this year compared to 2019, the best year for comparison because COVID affected every quarter in 2020. Live Nation has sold 70 million tickets for shows in 2022, a 36% increase from the same point in 2019, and committed show count is up 44% through late April. At the same time, no-show rates appear to be a non-issue, falling ?generally in the mid-single digits,? the company said in its earnings release.

MSG Entertainment?s entertainment (live event) revenue grew more than six-fold to $194.6 million thanks to the lifting of COVID restrictions. Minus MSG Networks, which merged with MSG Entertainment in July 2021, the company had $292.5 million in revenue, up 17% from the same period in 2019.

Vivid Seats? first-quarter revenue was up 442% from the prior-year period. The company increased second-quarter guidance for both revenue (its cut of total revenue) and gross order value (total ticket sales value). Music accounted for 53.1% of revenue, up from 31.9% in the prior-year period. Marketplace order volume increased 589%. At Eventbrite, first-quarter paid tickets rose 78% year over year, and net revenue per ticket increased 13.6%.

STOCKS

Through May 20, the % change over the last week, and the year-to-date change.

Spotify (NYSE: SPOT): $107.19, +1.0%, -54.2% YTD
Universal Music Group (AS: UMG): 20.41 euros, 0%, -17.6% YTD
Warner Music Group (Nasdaq: WMG): $29.76, +2.3%, -31.1% YTD
HYBE (KS 352820): 221,000 KRW, +2.8%, -36.7% YTD
Live Nation (NYSE: LYV): $89.16, -2.3%, -25.5% YTD
iHeartMedia (Nasdaq: IHRT): $12.13, -5.2%, -42.3% YTD
Cumulus Media (Nasdaq: CMLS): $12.50, -2.5%, +11.1% YTD
Tencent Music Entertainment (NYSE: TME): $4.07, -0.7%, -40.6% YTD

NYSE Composite: 15,072.58, -1.2%, -12.2% YTD
Nasdaq: 11,354.62, -3.8%, -27.4% YTD
S&P 500: 3,901.36, -3.0%, -18.1% YTD

The Ledger is a weekly newsletter about the economics of the music business sent to Billboard Pro subscribers. An abbreviated version of the newsletter is published online.

From streaming services to concert promoters and ticket sellers, music companies have reported encouraging first-quarter earnings results that show consumers continue to adopt subscription services and eagerly return to live events after COVID restrictions were lifted in late 2021. The same companies? stock prices tell another story, however. While music companies posted double-digit gains in subscription growth, revenue, ticket sales and many other metrics, their share prices are down by double-digits in 2022. That?s not a surprise given the state of the economy: Inflation is at a 40-year high ; rising interest rates sent investors looking for value stocks and safety in bonds; and consumers are starting to miss credit card and auto loan payments. Right now, investors are looking beyond mere growth to margins and profitability.

In the wake of these earnings reports, Billboard is highlighting three factors that are influencing the music business in 2022. First, growth in subscription services is reshaping labels and publishers? revenues; growth may be slowing, and it could disappoint some investors, but it’s there. Second, publishing revenues saw especially strong growth in the first quarter and contributed more to parent companies? growth than record labels (given their relatively smaller size). Third, live music is going to have a strong 2022, which will impact not just touring artists but record labels that sell merchandise on the road.

Subscription growth was strong (but it?s slowing).

Spotify?s subscriptions grew 15% to 182 million, an annual increase of 24 million and 2 million more than the fourth quarter of 2021. While second-quarter growth was below Spotify?s guidance, the company said it was above expectations if “involuntary churn” of 1.5 million subscriptions from the company?s exit from Russia weren’t counted. (Spotify expects another 600,000 lost subscribers in Russia in the second quarter.)

The second-quarter guidance is 6 million net new subscribers, which would take Spotify to roughly 188 million, up 14% from the second quarter of 2021. That would represent a smaller annual gain in subscribers (23 million versus 27 million in the second quarter of 2021) and a lower annual growth rate (14% versus 20%).

Smaller streaming services posted higher growth rates in the first quarter. Even though Tencent Music Entertainment revenue fell 15% due to losses in social entertainment, its music subscriptions grew 31.7% to 80.2 million, an annual increase of 19.3 million and up 4 million from the fourth quarter of 2021. Anghami?s subscription revenue grew 26% year over year. Chinese music streaming service Cloud Village reports first-quarter earnings on May 24.

Publishing and merchandising were higher in the revenue mix.

At Universal Music Group, recorded music accounted for 78.3% of revenue but delivered only 61% of first-quarter revenue growth despite strong gains in subscription royalties. UMG?s publishing division accounted for 17.1% of total revenue but 26.7% of total revenue growth. Merchandising was 4.9% of UMG?s total revenue and 12.3% of its revenue growth. At Warner Music Group, publishing’s share of revenue grew to 16.7%, up from 15.4% a year earlier, and accounted for 30.2% of the revenue growth. At Sony Music, publishing increased its share of quarterly revenue from 16.4% to 18.3%. Recorded music grew from 58% to 60% as the ?visual media and platform? division fell from 25.6% to 19.2%.

Live events companies are seeing double-digit growth.

At Live Nation, which claimed to have its best first quarter ever, revenue jumped more than six-fold in the first quarter after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. More importantly, the company expects double-digit growth this year compared to 2019, the best year for comparison because COVID affected every quarter in 2020. Live Nation has sold 70 million tickets for shows in 2022, a 36% increase from the same point in 2019, and committed show count is up 44% through late April. At the same time, no-show rates appear to be a non-issue, falling ?generally in the mid-single digits,? the company said in its earnings release.

MSG Entertainment?s entertainment (live event) revenue grew more than six-fold to $194.6 million thanks to the lifting of COVID restrictions. Minus MSG Networks, which merged with MSG Entertainment in July 2021, the company had $292.5 million in revenue, up 17% from the same period in 2019.

Vivid Seats? first-quarter revenue was up 442% from the prior-year period. The company increased second-quarter guidance for both revenue (its cut of total revenue) and gross order value (total ticket sales value). Music accounted for 53.1% of revenue, up from 31.9% in the prior-year period. Marketplace order volume increased 589%. At Eventbrite, first-quarter paid tickets rose 78% year over year, and net revenue per ticket increased 13.6%.

STOCKS

Through May 20, the % change over the last week, and the year-to-date change.

Spotify (NYSE: SPOT): $107.19, +1.0%, -54.2% YTD
Universal Music Group (AS: UMG): 20.41 euros, 0%, -17.6% YTD
Warner Music Group (Nasdaq: WMG): $29.76, +2.3%, -31.1% YTD
HYBE (KS 352820): 221,000 KRW, +2.8%, -36.7% YTD
Live Nation (NYSE: LYV): $89.16, -2.3%, -25.5% YTD
iHeartMedia (Nasdaq: IHRT): $12.13, -5.2%, -42.3% YTD
Cumulus Media (Nasdaq: CMLS): $12.50, -2.5%, +11.1% YTD
Tencent Music Entertainment (NYSE: TME): $4.07, -0.7%, -40.6% YTD

NYSE Composite: 15,072.58, -1.2%, -12.2% YTD
Nasdaq: 11,354.62, -3.8%, -27.4% YTD
S&P 500: 3,901.36, -3.0%, -18.1% YTD

For the first time since the onset of the pandemic, the Music Biz conference happened in person in Nashville this month, bringing together industry figures from across the globe to banter about the various topics facing the business after two years of relying on tech and streaming to connect an increasingly-fractured landscape.

One conversation that seemed to permeate both panels and interpersonal conversations at the convention was the expanding role of artists in their own marketing and release strategy, whether they are signed to a major or not. During panels like “The Future of the Artist Deal” and “Navigating New Strategies,” speakers waxed near-philosophical on the improved standing of artists in advocating on their own behalf, while also examining the pitfalls that come from this more hands-off approach.

Even in conversations had on the convention floor, most people ? from artists themselves, to managers, to A&R reps, to DSP providers ? seemed to be excited about the prospect of power being placed back into the hands of those creating music for themselves. But some offered a more skeptical outlook, wondering whether or not this newly-minted status of importance for artists was a bonafide change sweeping through the industry, or yet another trend that would fall by the wayside.

But a larger throughline seemed to be about what?s coming next from a digital standpoint, and how the industry can position itself to take advantage of it. (Just don?t pretend to know what?s going to happen with the vinyl industry ? no one knows for sure, and those who say they do are lying.) Several conversations revolved around the buzzwords of the day ? NFTs, the metaverse, web3 ? but one digital marketing executive was able to put spatial audio, another recent breathless industry topic, into focus from a consumer perspective.

?Think about yourself in a video game and you can feel the sounds around you, or you?re in a concert and you can hear it all around you,? this person said. ?That?s what we?re preparing for. The labels know it?s not just about the physical experience, which is what we know. It?s also about the metaverse experience, which we don?t know.? There?s a whole generation of kids growing up right now who want to listen to music in spatial audio because of video games, said the person, who added of the emerging space: ?I want to work there.”

If the metaverse has any advantage over streaming platforms, it’s licensing. As one insider explained, metaverse companies don’t have to — and don’t want to — license entire catalogs from rights holders. That eliminates a great deal of legal and financial resources streaming platforms must commit for the content that runs their businesses. Rather, the metaverse is about connecting fans with individual artists, not massive catalogs. Without the burden of licensing costs, metaverse startups have one less hurdle between them and long-term success.

Not that people have the metaverse figured out. Or NFTs. In fact, people at Music Biz were surprisingly quick to acknowledge they don’t know how these emerging products will shake out over time. Exactly how we will get from point A to point B remains to be seen. But people agreed that the metaverse and NFTs are potentially transformative for the music business — and nobody wants to get left behind. ? Stephen Daw, Glenn Peoples and Dan Rys

For the first time since the onset of the pandemic, the Music Biz conference happened in person in Nashville this month, bringing together industry figures from across the globe to banter about the various topics facing the business after two years of relying on tech and streaming to connect an increasingly-fractured landscape.

One conversation that seemed to permeate both panels and interpersonal conversations at the convention was the expanding role of artists in their own marketing and release strategy, whether they are signed to a major or not. During panels like “The Future of the Artist Deal” and “Navigating New Strategies,” speakers waxed near-philosophical on the improved standing of artists in advocating on their own behalf, while also examining the pitfalls that come from this more hands-off approach.

Even in conversations had on the convention floor, most people ? from artists themselves, to managers, to A&R reps, to DSP providers ? seemed to be excited about the prospect of power being placed back into the hands of those creating music for themselves. But some offered a more skeptical outlook, wondering whether or not this newly-minted status of importance for artists was a bonafide change sweeping through the industry, or yet another trend that would fall by the wayside.

But a larger throughline seemed to be about what?s coming next from a digital standpoint, and how the industry can position itself to take advantage of it. (Just don?t pretend to know what?s going to happen with the vinyl industry ? no one knows for sure, and those who say they do are lying.) Several conversations revolved around the buzzwords of the day ? NFTs, the metaverse, web3 ? but one digital marketing executive was able to put spatial audio, another recent breathless industry topic, into focus from a consumer perspective.

?Think about yourself in a video game and you can feel the sounds around you, or you?re in a concert and you can hear it all around you,? this person said. ?That?s what we?re preparing for. The labels know it?s not just about the physical experience, which is what we know. It?s also about the metaverse experience, which we don?t know.? There?s a whole generation of kids growing up right now who want to listen to music in spatial audio because of video games, said the person, who added of the emerging space: ?I want to work there.”

If the metaverse has any advantage over streaming platforms, it’s licensing. As one insider explained, metaverse companies don’t have to — and don’t want to — license entire catalogs from rights holders. That eliminates a great deal of legal and financial resources streaming platforms must commit for the content that runs their businesses. Rather, the metaverse is about connecting fans with individual artists, not massive catalogs. Without the burden of licensing costs, metaverse startups have one less hurdle between them and long-term success.

Not that people have the metaverse figured out. Or NFTs. In fact, people at Music Biz were surprisingly quick to acknowledge they don’t know how these emerging products will shake out over time. Exactly how we will get from point A to point B remains to be seen. But people agreed that the metaverse and NFTs are potentially transformative for the music business — and nobody wants to get left behind. ? Stephen Daw, Glenn Peoples and Dan Rys

For the first time since the onset of the pandemic, the Music Biz conference happened in person in Nashville this month, bringing together industry figures from across the globe to banter about the various topics facing the business after two years of relying on tech and streaming to connect an increasingly-fractured landscape.

One conversation that seemed to permeate both panels and interpersonal conversations at the convention was the expanding role of artists in their own marketing and release strategy, whether they are signed to a major or not. During panels like “The Future of the Artist Deal” and “Navigating New Strategies,” speakers waxed near-philosophical on the improved standing of artists in advocating on their own behalf, while also examining the pitfalls that come from this more hands-off approach.

Even in conversations had on the convention floor, most people ? from artists themselves, to managers, to A&R reps, to DSP providers ? seemed to be excited about the prospect of power being placed back into the hands of those creating music for themselves. But some offered a more skeptical outlook, wondering whether or not this newly-minted status of importance for artists was a bonafide change sweeping through the industry, or yet another trend that would fall by the wayside.

But a larger throughline seemed to be about what?s coming next from a digital standpoint, and how the industry can position itself to take advantage of it. (Just don?t pretend to know what?s going to happen with the vinyl industry ? no one knows for sure, and those who say they do are lying.) Several conversations revolved around the buzzwords of the day ? NFTs, the metaverse, web3 ? but one digital marketing executive was able to put spatial audio, another recent breathless industry topic, into focus from a consumer perspective.

?Think about yourself in a video game and you can feel the sounds around you, or you?re in a concert and you can hear it all around you,? this person said. ?That?s what we?re preparing for. The labels know it?s not just about the physical experience, which is what we know. It?s also about the metaverse experience, which we don?t know.? There?s a whole generation of kids growing up right now who want to listen to music in spatial audio because of video games, said the person, who added of the emerging space: ?I want to work there.”

If the metaverse has any advantage over streaming platforms, it’s licensing. As one insider explained, metaverse companies don’t have to — and don’t want to — license entire catalogs from rights holders. That eliminates a great deal of legal and financial resources streaming platforms must commit for the content that runs their businesses. Rather, the metaverse is about connecting fans with individual artists, not massive catalogs. Without the burden of licensing costs, metaverse startups have one less hurdle between them and long-term success.

Not that people have the metaverse figured out. Or NFTs. In fact, people at Music Biz were surprisingly quick to acknowledge they don’t know how these emerging products will shake out over time. Exactly how we will get from point A to point B remains to be seen. But people agreed that the metaverse and NFTs are potentially transformative for the music business — and nobody wants to get left behind. ? Stephen Daw, Glenn Peoples and Dan Rys

Bandcamp and Google have entered into a “joint stipulation” agreement, encouraged by the court, that will allow the popular music downloading platform to continue using its own payment system while Google?s lawsuit with Bandcamp parent company Epic Games proceeds, according to court filings released today (May 20).

The agreement stems from a dispute between Epic, which bought Bandcamp in March, and Google in which Epic protested Google?s decision to push Bandcamp to use its Google payment system, rather than Bandcamp?s own, a move that could have prevented Bandcamp from paying out artists in its standard 24-48 hour period following a sale. Under Google?s system, the company has argued, Bandcamp would be forced to pay out to artists between 15 and 45 days after a sale, “a significant blow to the artists who rely on Bandcamp to make a living and continue making music.”

Under the agreement, the two sides have allowed Bandcamp to continue using its own payment system on Android devices and to continue to pay artists their same share while the dispute continues making its way through court. But beginning June 1, “Bandcamp will place 10% of the revenue generated from digital sales on Android devices in escrow until Epic?s ongoing case against Google is resolved, a cost we will bear,” Bandcamp CEO Ethan Diamond wrote in a blog post.

This latest development comes amid broader, separate lawsuits between Epic Games ? which is the maker of Fortnite ? and Apple and Google, which claims the latter two companies use their domination of the app marketplace to force apps to use their own payment systems, while taking around a 30 percent cut of sales. Google denied the allegations, adding Google Play is less restrictive than Apple?s App Store and that it passes along ?minimal cost to developers in the vast majority of cases.?

The case is set for trial in April 2023, while Epic’s case against Apple led to a split ruling last year, wherein a judge ruled that Apple was within its rights to push apps onto its own payment system, but apps were entitled to nudge users to outside payment systems as well; that ruling is under appeal.

Bandcamp and Google have entered into a “joint stipulation” agreement, encouraged by the court, that will allow the popular music downloading platform to continue using its own payment system while Google?s lawsuit with Bandcamp parent company Epic Games proceeds, according to court filings released today (May 20).

The agreement stems from a dispute between Epic, which bought Bandcamp in March, and Google in which Epic protested Google?s decision to push Bandcamp to use its Google payment system, rather than Bandcamp?s own, a move that could have prevented Bandcamp from paying out artists in its standard 24-48 hour period following a sale. Under Google?s system, the company has argued, Bandcamp would be forced to pay out to artists between 15 and 45 days after a sale, “a significant blow to the artists who rely on Bandcamp to make a living and continue making music.”

Under the agreement, the two sides have allowed Bandcamp to continue using its own payment system on Android devices and to continue to pay artists their same share while the dispute continues making its way through court. But beginning June 1, “Bandcamp will place 10% of the revenue generated from digital sales on Android devices in escrow until Epic?s ongoing case against Google is resolved, a cost we will bear,” Bandcamp CEO Ethan Diamond wrote in a blog post.

This latest development comes amid broader, separate lawsuits between Epic Games ? which is the maker of Fortnite ? and Apple and Google, which claims the latter two companies use their domination of the app marketplace to force apps to use their own payment systems, while taking around a 30 percent cut of sales. Google denied the allegations, adding Google Play is less restrictive than Apple?s App Store and that it passes along ?minimal cost to developers in the vast majority of cases.?

The case is set for trial in April 2023, while Epic’s case against Apple led to a split ruling last year, wherein a judge ruled that Apple was within its rights to push apps onto its own payment system, but apps were entitled to nudge users to outside payment systems as well; that ruling is under appeal.

Bandcamp and Google have entered into a “joint stipulation” agreement, encouraged by the court, that will allow the popular music downloading platform to continue using its own payment system while Google?s lawsuit with Bandcamp parent company Epic Games proceeds, according to court filings released today (May 20).

The agreement stems from a dispute between Epic, which bought Bandcamp in March, and Google in which Epic protested Google?s decision to push Bandcamp to use its Google payment system, rather than Bandcamp?s own, a move that could have prevented Bandcamp from paying out artists in its standard 24-48 hour period following a sale. Under Google?s system, the company has argued, Bandcamp would be forced to pay out to artists between 15 and 45 days after a sale, “a significant blow to the artists who rely on Bandcamp to make a living and continue making music.”

Under the agreement, the two sides have allowed Bandcamp to continue using its own payment system on Android devices and to continue to pay artists their same share while the dispute continues making its way through court. But beginning June 1, “Bandcamp will place 10% of the revenue generated from digital sales on Android devices in escrow until Epic?s ongoing case against Google is resolved, a cost we will bear,” Bandcamp CEO Ethan Diamond wrote in a blog post.

This latest development comes amid broader, separate lawsuits between Epic Games ? which is the maker of Fortnite ? and Apple and Google, which claims the latter two companies use their domination of the app marketplace to force apps to use their own payment systems, while taking around a 30 percent cut of sales. Google denied the allegations, adding Google Play is less restrictive than Apple?s App Store and that it passes along ?minimal cost to developers in the vast majority of cases.?

The case is set for trial in April 2023, while Epic’s case against Apple led to a split ruling last year, wherein a judge ruled that Apple was within its rights to push apps onto its own payment system, but apps were entitled to nudge users to outside payment systems as well; that ruling is under appeal.

Ella Mai earns her third top five album on Billboard?s Top R&B Albums chart as Heart on My Sleeve debuts at No. 2 on the list dated May 21. The set, released on May 6 through 10 Summers/Interscope Records, begins with 20,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending May 12.

15,500 of Sleeve?s 20,000 first-week units derive from streaming, equating to 20.9 million U.S. official on-demand streams of the album?s songs. Just over 3,500 units are from traditional album sales, and the remaining sum come through track-equivalent album units. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.)

Sleeve is the follow up to the singer-songwriter?s self-titled, full-length debut album from 2018, which reigned for 11 weeks beginning in October 2018. Before that, her EP Ready peaked at No. 3 that July. Both projects featured her breakthrough smash, ?Boo?d Up,? while the full LP also housed the hit single ?Trip.?

Elsewhere, Sleeve starts at No. 9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums list and at No. 15 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

Five of Sleeve?s songs appear on the Hot R&B Songs chart, including three debuts. ?How,? featuring Roddy Ricch, leads the new arrivals at No. 14, with ?Trying? (No. 23) and ?Didn?t Say,? featuring Latto (No. 24) completing the trio. In addition, current single ?DMFU? ascends 9-7 to reach its highest peak in 15 weeks on the chart, and previous release ?Leave You Alone? returns at No. 22 to match its previous best showing.

?DMFU? also registers increases in radio airplay amid the album rollout. Though the single reverses 6-7 on the Adult R&B Airplay chart, it added 7% more plays in the latest tracking week (ending May 15) compared with the week prior. The track also resides in the top 10 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, climbing 10-9 after a 9% gain in weekly plays. Thanks to strength at both formats, ?DMFU? holds its No. 8 rank on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which combines radio audience from both adult and mainstream-leaning stations.

Ella Mai earns her third top five album on Billboard?s Top R&B Albums chart as Heart on My Sleeve debuts at No. 2 on the list dated May 21. The set, released on May 6 through 10 Summers/Interscope Records, begins with 20,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending May 12.

15,500 of Sleeve?s 20,000 first-week units derive from streaming, equating to 20.9 million U.S. official on-demand streams of the album?s songs. Just over 3,500 units are from traditional album sales, and the remaining sum come through track-equivalent album units. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.)

Sleeve is the follow up to the singer-songwriter?s self-titled, full-length debut album from 2018, which reigned for 11 weeks beginning in October 2018. Before that, her EP Ready peaked at No. 3 that July. Both projects featured her breakthrough smash, ?Boo?d Up,? while the full LP also housed the hit single ?Trip.?

Elsewhere, Sleeve starts at No. 9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums list and at No. 15 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

Five of Sleeve?s songs appear on the Hot R&B Songs chart, including three debuts. ?How,? featuring Roddy Ricch, leads the new arrivals at No. 14, with ?Trying? (No. 23) and ?Didn?t Say,? featuring Latto (No. 24) completing the trio. In addition, current single ?DMFU? ascends 9-7 to reach its highest peak in 15 weeks on the chart, and previous release ?Leave You Alone? returns at No. 22 to match its previous best showing.

?DMFU? also registers increases in radio airplay amid the album rollout. Though the single reverses 6-7 on the Adult R&B Airplay chart, it added 7% more plays in the latest tracking week (ending May 15) compared with the week prior. The track also resides in the top 10 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, climbing 10-9 after a 9% gain in weekly plays. Thanks to strength at both formats, ?DMFU? holds its No. 8 rank on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which combines radio audience from both adult and mainstream-leaning stations.

Ella Mai earns her third top five album on Billboard?s Top R&B Albums chart as Heart on My Sleeve debuts at No. 2 on the list dated May 21. The set, released on May 6 through 10 Summers/Interscope Records, begins with 20,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending May 12.

15,500 of Sleeve?s 20,000 first-week units derive from streaming, equating to 20.9 million U.S. official on-demand streams of the album?s songs. Just over 3,500 units are from traditional album sales, and the remaining sum come through track-equivalent album units. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.)

Sleeve is the follow up to the singer-songwriter?s self-titled, full-length debut album from 2018, which reigned for 11 weeks beginning in October 2018. Before that, her EP Ready peaked at No. 3 that July. Both projects featured her breakthrough smash, ?Boo?d Up,? while the full LP also housed the hit single ?Trip.?

Elsewhere, Sleeve starts at No. 9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums list and at No. 15 on the all-genre Billboard 200.

Five of Sleeve?s songs appear on the Hot R&B Songs chart, including three debuts. ?How,? featuring Roddy Ricch, leads the new arrivals at No. 14, with ?Trying? (No. 23) and ?Didn?t Say,? featuring Latto (No. 24) completing the trio. In addition, current single ?DMFU? ascends 9-7 to reach its highest peak in 15 weeks on the chart, and previous release ?Leave You Alone? returns at No. 22 to match its previous best showing.

?DMFU? also registers increases in radio airplay amid the album rollout. Though the single reverses 6-7 on the Adult R&B Airplay chart, it added 7% more plays in the latest tracking week (ending May 15) compared with the week prior. The track also resides in the top 10 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, climbing 10-9 after a 9% gain in weekly plays. Thanks to strength at both formats, ?DMFU? holds its No. 8 rank on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, which combines radio audience from both adult and mainstream-leaning stations.

Two years ago during a phone interview, Angel del Villar told Billboard to be on the lookout for “the next big thing” in Regional Mexican music: Eslabon Armado.

It was the Mexican-American teenage group he had just signed to his indie label, DEL Records. Back then, the sierreño ensemble had one album under its belt, the 2020 debut set Tu Veneno Mortal, which was quickly followed by back-to-back-to-back releases of Vibras de Noche, Corta Venas and Tu Veneno Mortal, Vol. 2, all released within a two year period, all of which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Regional Mexican Albums chart. A rapid-fire pace that was part of del Villar’s strategy to match the speed that has been driving releases in today’s music industry.

But it was the group’s 2022 release, Nostalgia, that would take them to new heights: the 14-track set debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 (dated May 21) this week, making history as the first top 10-charting Regional Mexican album ever on the tally. And it helps del Villar earn the title of Billboard‘s Executive of the Week.

Del Villar’s DEL Records has been home to chart-topping artists such as Gerardo Ortiz, the late Ariel Camacho, Lenin Ramírez and Ulices Chaidez. “[But] I’ve been doing this for 14 years and it?s the first time I’ve seen anything like this,” the executive says. “We knew the album would do well but it exceeded our expectations.”

Del Villar cites many factors that led to this history-making debut. One example was sending Pedro Tovar, Eslabon Armado’s frontman and songwriter, to a local resort for a staycation in California where he could recharge and get inspiration. It’s where he wrote 80% of the album, says del Villar. Another was deciding to feature collaborations on this album, including duets with young sierreño hitmakers Ivan Cornejo, Junior H and DannyLux, a first for Eslabon. Out of their four previous albums, only Corta Venas had featured a collaboration, which was “Jugaste Y Sufrí” with DannyLux. The strategy, “allows us to capture new audiences,” adds del Villar.

Here, the DEL Records CEO breaks down the strategy and marketing campaigns that went into making Nostalgia a huge debut, what sets Eslabon Armado apart and what having a top 10 spot on the Billboard 200 — in the same week that Bad Bunny debuted at No. 1 with Un Verano Sin Ti, the first time that two all-Spanish albums have placed in the top 10 simultaneously — means for Latin music.

With a No. 9 debut, Eslabon Armado’s Nostalgia makes history as the first top 10-charting Regional Mexican album ever on the Billboard 200. What key decision did you make to help make this  achievement happen?

Well, my team and I are very involved with every decision, from who’s mixing the album to picking the songs. But I’d say something that was key was sending Pedro to a resort, called The Pelican Resort, where he could write songs for the album. I think he wrote 80% of the whole album while staying there. Pedro is a water sign, he?s a Cancer like myself, we?re only days apart in our birthdays. Every time I go to a resort, I connect with Mother Nature and the water helps with creativity. That type of environment makes a difference for him as well.

Were there any new or go-to strategies that you and your team used to help it achieve such a huge — and historic — debut?

Collaborations. This is the first album where we featured a bunch of collaborations and it was something that really helped us. It?s a strategy that allows us to capture new audiences. That was a big part for this album: to tap other artists and their fan bases. The artists we collaborated with are big in their own lane and are young like Eslabon: DannyLux, Ivan Cornejo, Fuerza Regida, Junior H.

What kind of marketing campaigns did you put your dollars into that you think helped get such a huge response?

We did a big marketing plan for this particular album. We bought a lot of billboards and we invested a lot of money on hiring influencers who were posting on all social media platforms in anticipation of the release. Especially TikTok: I think in today?s reality, it?s the biggest platform there is. It?s not the first time we worked with influencers but this time around they had a bigger role. We didn?t set a budget for this release, we went all out. What also helps is that Pedro is really active on social media. In reality, he markets himself when he does a live on TikTok and you have 20,000 people tuning in.

Two years ago, you told me to look out for Eslabon Armado. What did you see in them that you thought would set them apart?

When I met Eslabon, I saw that spark. Pedro is a gifted songwriter, he?s a producer, he?s disciplined, he works hard, he has a family that backs him up — they have it all. It makes our job much easier. What’s happening right now marks a new chapter for Eslabon. We?re working on our end to do bigger collabs, we want to do a crossover. We?re ready for that chapter in their career.

For the first time ever, we have two all-Spanish albums in the top 10 on the Billboard 200: Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti and Eslabon Armado’s Nostalgia. What’s your initial reaction to that? 

Honestly, I was surprised and shocked. We knew the album would do well but it exceeded our expectations. I know the hard work that was put in this particular album, so I mean, it?s just a big blessing. As an independent record label, I feel mega blessed to be part of history. This is a moment that will go down in the books. To see a guy like Bad Bunny who?s leading music in general and to be right there with him, it?s crazy. I?ve tried to reach out to Noah [Assad, Bad Bunny’s manager] so that we can do something between Bad Bunny and Eslabon. It would be huge.

What lesson does having two all-Spanish albums in the top 10 teach us about not only regional, but Latin music in general?

That we are big supporters of music. I feel so proud to see the impact this album is having. Dreams do come true. Eslabon Armado started two years ago. Their growth in just two years is unheard of. I?ve been doing this for 14 years and it?s the first time I’ve seen anything like this. I know Pedro. He?s going to come out with something better than Nostalgia. He?s already writing songs for the next album and we just released this one. He?s 19, he?s very talented. It goes back to the group’s discipline, their hard work and being humble, which is a huge part of their success. To achieve great things, you have to be consistent. We don?t believe in one-hit wonders at DEL Records.

Two years ago during a phone interview, Angel del Villar told Billboard to be on the lookout for “the next big thing” in Regional Mexican music: Eslabon Armado.

It was the Mexican-American teenage group he had just signed to his indie label, DEL Records. Back then, the sierreño ensemble had one album under its belt, the 2020 debut set Tu Veneno Mortal, which was quickly followed by back-to-back-to-back releases of Vibras de Noche, Corta Venas and Tu Veneno Mortal, Vol. 2, all released within a two year period, all of which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Regional Mexican Albums chart. A rapid-fire pace that was part of del Villar’s strategy to match the speed that has been driving releases in today’s music industry.

But it was the group’s 2022 release, Nostalgia, that would take them to new heights: the 14-track set debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 (dated May 21) this week, making history as the first top 10-charting Regional Mexican album ever on the tally. And it helps del Villar earn the title of Billboard‘s Executive of the Week.

Del Villar’s DEL Records has been home to chart-topping artists such as Gerardo Ortiz, the late Ariel Camacho, Lenin Ramírez and Ulices Chaidez. “[But] I’ve been doing this for 14 years and it?s the first time I’ve seen anything like this,” the executive says. “We knew the album would do well but it exceeded our expectations.”

Del Villar cites many factors that led to this history-making debut. One example was sending Pedro Tovar, Eslabon Armado’s frontman and songwriter, to a local resort for a staycation in California where he could recharge and get inspiration. It’s where he wrote 80% of the album, says del Villar. Another was deciding to feature collaborations on this album, including duets with young sierreño hitmakers Ivan Cornejo, Junior H and DannyLux, a first for Eslabon. Out of their four previous albums, only Corta Venas had featured a collaboration, which was “Jugaste Y Sufrí” with DannyLux. The strategy, “allows us to capture new audiences,” adds del Villar.

Here, the DEL Records CEO breaks down the strategy and marketing campaigns that went into making Nostalgia a huge debut, what sets Eslabon Armado apart and what having a top 10 spot on the Billboard 200 — in the same week that Bad Bunny debuted at No. 1 with Un Verano Sin Ti, the first time that two all-Spanish albums have placed in the top 10 simultaneously — means for Latin music.

With a No. 9 debut, Eslabon Armado’s Nostalgia makes history as the first top 10-charting Regional Mexican album ever on the Billboard 200. What key decision did you make to help make this  achievement happen?

Well, my team and I are very involved with every decision, from who’s mixing the album to picking the songs. But I’d say something that was key was sending Pedro to a resort, called The Pelican Resort, where he could write songs for the album. I think he wrote 80% of the whole album while staying there. Pedro is a water sign, he?s a Cancer like myself, we?re only days apart in our birthdays. Every time I go to a resort, I connect with Mother Nature and the water helps with creativity. That type of environment makes a difference for him as well.

Were there any new or go-to strategies that you and your team used to help it achieve such a huge — and historic — debut?

Collaborations. This is the first album where we featured a bunch of collaborations and it was something that really helped us. It?s a strategy that allows us to capture new audiences. That was a big part for this album: to tap other artists and their fan bases. The artists we collaborated with are big in their own lane and are young like Eslabon: DannyLux, Ivan Cornejo, Fuerza Regida, Junior H.

What kind of marketing campaigns did you put your dollars into that you think helped get such a huge response?

We did a big marketing plan for this particular album. We bought a lot of billboards and we invested a lot of money on hiring influencers who were posting on all social media platforms in anticipation of the release. Especially TikTok: I think in today?s reality, it?s the biggest platform there is. It?s not the first time we worked with influencers but this time around they had a bigger role. We didn?t set a budget for this release, we went all out. What also helps is that Pedro is really active on social media. In reality, he markets himself when he does a live on TikTok and you have 20,000 people tuning in.

Two years ago, you told me to look out for Eslabon Armado. What did you see in them that you thought would set them apart?

When I met Eslabon, I saw that spark. Pedro is a gifted songwriter, he?s a producer, he?s disciplined, he works hard, he has a family that backs him up — they have it all. It makes our job much easier. What’s happening right now marks a new chapter for Eslabon. We?re working on our end to do bigger collabs, we want to do a crossover. We?re ready for that chapter in their career.

For the first time ever, we have two all-Spanish albums in the top 10 on the Billboard 200: Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti and Eslabon Armado’s Nostalgia. What’s your initial reaction to that? 

Honestly, I was surprised and shocked. We knew the album would do well but it exceeded our expectations. I know the hard work that was put in this particular album, so I mean, it?s just a big blessing. As an independent record label, I feel mega blessed to be part of history. This is a moment that will go down in the books. To see a guy like Bad Bunny who?s leading music in general and to be right there with him, it?s crazy. I?ve tried to reach out to Noah [Assad, Bad Bunny’s manager] so that we can do something between Bad Bunny and Eslabon. It would be huge.

What lesson does having two all-Spanish albums in the top 10 teach us about not only regional, but Latin music in general?

That we are big supporters of music. I feel so proud to see the impact this album is having. Dreams do come true. Eslabon Armado started two years ago. Their growth in just two years is unheard of. I?ve been doing this for 14 years and it?s the first time I’ve seen anything like this. I know Pedro. He?s going to come out with something better than Nostalgia. He?s already writing songs for the next album and we just released this one. He?s 19, he?s very talented. It goes back to the group’s discipline, their hard work and being humble, which is a huge part of their success. To achieve great things, you have to be consistent. We don?t believe in one-hit wonders at DEL Records.

Two years ago during a phone interview, Angel del Villar told Billboard to be on the lookout for “the next big thing” in Regional Mexican music: Eslabon Armado.

It was the Mexican-American teenage group he had just signed to his indie label, DEL Records. Back then, the sierreño ensemble had one album under its belt, the 2020 debut set Tu Veneno Mortal, which was quickly followed by back-to-back-to-back releases of Vibras de Noche, Corta Venas and Tu Veneno Mortal, Vol. 2, all released within a two year period, all of which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Regional Mexican Albums chart. A rapid-fire pace that was part of del Villar’s strategy to match the speed that has been driving releases in today’s music industry.

But it was the group’s 2022 release, Nostalgia, that would take them to new heights: the 14-track set debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 (dated May 21) this week, making history as the first top 10-charting Regional Mexican album ever on the tally. And it helps del Villar earn the title of Billboard‘s Executive of the Week.

Del Villar’s DEL Records has been home to chart-topping artists such as Gerardo Ortiz, the late Ariel Camacho, Lenin Ramírez and Ulices Chaidez. “[But] I’ve been doing this for 14 years and it?s the first time I’ve seen anything like this,” the executive says. “We knew the album would do well but it exceeded our expectations.”

Del Villar cites many factors that led to this history-making debut. One example was sending Pedro Tovar, Eslabon Armado’s frontman and songwriter, to a local resort for a staycation in California where he could recharge and get inspiration. It’s where he wrote 80% of the album, says del Villar. Another was deciding to feature collaborations on this album, including duets with young sierreño hitmakers Ivan Cornejo, Junior H and DannyLux, a first for Eslabon. Out of their four previous albums, only Corta Venas had featured a collaboration, which was “Jugaste Y Sufrí” with DannyLux. The strategy, “allows us to capture new audiences,” adds del Villar.

Here, the DEL Records CEO breaks down the strategy and marketing campaigns that went into making Nostalgia a huge debut, what sets Eslabon Armado apart and what having a top 10 spot on the Billboard 200 — in the same week that Bad Bunny debuted at No. 1 with Un Verano Sin Ti, the first time that two all-Spanish albums have placed in the top 10 simultaneously — means for Latin music.

With a No. 9 debut, Eslabon Armado’s Nostalgia makes history as the first top 10-charting Regional Mexican album ever on the Billboard 200. What key decision did you make to help make this  achievement happen?

Well, my team and I are very involved with every decision, from who’s mixing the album to picking the songs. But I’d say something that was key was sending Pedro to a resort, called The Pelican Resort, where he could write songs for the album. I think he wrote 80% of the whole album while staying there. Pedro is a water sign, he?s a Cancer like myself, we?re only days apart in our birthdays. Every time I go to a resort, I connect with Mother Nature and the water helps with creativity. That type of environment makes a difference for him as well.

Were there any new or go-to strategies that you and your team used to help it achieve such a huge — and historic — debut?

Collaborations. This is the first album where we featured a bunch of collaborations and it was something that really helped us. It?s a strategy that allows us to capture new audiences. That was a big part for this album: to tap other artists and their fan bases. The artists we collaborated with are big in their own lane and are young like Eslabon: DannyLux, Ivan Cornejo, Fuerza Regida, Junior H.

What kind of marketing campaigns did you put your dollars into that you think helped get such a huge response?

We did a big marketing plan for this particular album. We bought a lot of billboards and we invested a lot of money on hiring influencers who were posting on all social media platforms in anticipation of the release. Especially TikTok: I think in today?s reality, it?s the biggest platform there is. It?s not the first time we worked with influencers but this time around they had a bigger role. We didn?t set a budget for this release, we went all out. What also helps is that Pedro is really active on social media. In reality, he markets himself when he does a live on TikTok and you have 20,000 people tuning in.

Two years ago, you told me to look out for Eslabon Armado. What did you see in them that you thought would set them apart?

When I met Eslabon, I saw that spark. Pedro is a gifted songwriter, he?s a producer, he?s disciplined, he works hard, he has a family that backs him up — they have it all. It makes our job much easier. What’s happening right now marks a new chapter for Eslabon. We?re working on our end to do bigger collabs, we want to do a crossover. We?re ready for that chapter in their career.

For the first time ever, we have two all-Spanish albums in the top 10 on the Billboard 200: Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti and Eslabon Armado’s Nostalgia. What’s your initial reaction to that? 

Honestly, I was surprised and shocked. We knew the album would do well but it exceeded our expectations. I know the hard work that was put in this particular album, so I mean, it?s just a big blessing. As an independent record label, I feel mega blessed to be part of history. This is a moment that will go down in the books. To see a guy like Bad Bunny who?s leading music in general and to be right there with him, it?s crazy. I?ve tried to reach out to Noah [Assad, Bad Bunny’s manager] so that we can do something between Bad Bunny and Eslabon. It would be huge.

What lesson does having two all-Spanish albums in the top 10 teach us about not only regional, but Latin music in general?

That we are big supporters of music. I feel so proud to see the impact this album is having. Dreams do come true. Eslabon Armado started two years ago. Their growth in just two years is unheard of. I?ve been doing this for 14 years and it?s the first time I’ve seen anything like this. I know Pedro. He?s going to come out with something better than Nostalgia. He?s already writing songs for the next album and we just released this one. He?s 19, he?s very talented. It goes back to the group’s discipline, their hard work and being humble, which is a huge part of their success. To achieve great things, you have to be consistent. We don?t believe in one-hit wonders at DEL Records.

Live Nation’s concert division has moved to a paid internship model in 2022 with the hope of developing a more equitable live entertainment industry. The decision is part of the promoter?s mission to diversify its workforce and paid positions give a wider range of young people the opportunity to participate. In previous years, Live Nation interns earned college credit for their time.

?Moving to a paid internship program is an important step that allows us to keep bringing in the best candidates – not just the ones that can afford to intern for school credit,? Live Nation president of touring Omar Al-Joulani in a release. ?The music business isn?t taught in most schools so interning at Live Nation will give students great real world experience, and we?re excited to help them explore all the career paths in live music.?

This year, the world?s largest promoter chose 50 applicants out of a record-breaking 15,000 submissions. Those chosen are a mix of college students in their junior or senior years and recent graduates. Recent graduates have been expanded to include those who graduated in 2020 and 2021 since those students had fewer opportunities for internships during the pandemic.

Interns will work in various departments across the company’s U.S. concerts division including talent, marketing, business development, accounting, booking, creative production, as well as strategy and analytics.

According to Live Nation, the internship program runs from 12 to 16 weeks depending on school schedules and role responsibilities. Intern candidates were selected from more than 40 colleges and universities, and will work in various cities across the country including Los Angeles, Nashville, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and more.

Live Nation’s concert division has moved to a paid internship model in 2022 with the hope of developing a more equitable live entertainment industry. The decision is part of the promoter?s mission to diversify its workforce and paid positions give a wider range of young people the opportunity to participate. In previous years, Live Nation interns earned college credit for their time.

?Moving to a paid internship program is an important step that allows us to keep bringing in the best candidates – not just the ones that can afford to intern for school credit,? Live Nation president of touring Omar Al-Joulani in a release. ?The music business isn?t taught in most schools so interning at Live Nation will give students great real world experience, and we?re excited to help them explore all the career paths in live music.?

This year, the world?s largest promoter chose 50 applicants out of a record-breaking 15,000 submissions. Those chosen are a mix of college students in their junior or senior years and recent graduates. Recent graduates have been expanded to include those who graduated in 2020 and 2021 since those students had fewer opportunities for internships during the pandemic.

Interns will work in various departments across the company’s U.S. concerts division including talent, marketing, business development, accounting, booking, creative production, as well as strategy and analytics.

According to Live Nation, the internship program runs from 12 to 16 weeks depending on school schedules and role responsibilities. Intern candidates were selected from more than 40 colleges and universities, and will work in various cities across the country including Los Angeles, Nashville, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and more.

Live Nation’s concert division has moved to a paid internship model in 2022 with the hope of developing a more equitable live entertainment industry. The decision is part of the promoter?s mission to diversify its workforce and paid positions give a wider range of young people the opportunity to participate. In previous years, Live Nation interns earned college credit for their time.

?Moving to a paid internship program is an important step that allows us to keep bringing in the best candidates – not just the ones that can afford to intern for school credit,? Live Nation president of touring Omar Al-Joulani in a release. ?The music business isn?t taught in most schools so interning at Live Nation will give students great real world experience, and we?re excited to help them explore all the career paths in live music.?

This year, the world?s largest promoter chose 50 applicants out of a record-breaking 15,000 submissions. Those chosen are a mix of college students in their junior or senior years and recent graduates. Recent graduates have been expanded to include those who graduated in 2020 and 2021 since those students had fewer opportunities for internships during the pandemic.

Interns will work in various departments across the company’s U.S. concerts division including talent, marketing, business development, accounting, booking, creative production, as well as strategy and analytics.

According to Live Nation, the internship program runs from 12 to 16 weeks depending on school schedules and role responsibilities. Intern candidates were selected from more than 40 colleges and universities, and will work in various cities across the country including Los Angeles, Nashville, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and more.

Bravado, Universal Music Group?s merchandise and brand management company, expanded the job responsibilities of Lisa Streff to oversee the licensing rosters and global licensing strategies of both Bravado and Epic Rights, which Bravado acquired in 2019, while reporting to Jesper Poulsen, general manager at Bravado. Her clients now include KISS, AC/DC, Def Leppard, David Bowie, John Lennon, Britney Spears and NSYNC, along with Bravado clients such as The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Sex Pistols, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Spice Girls, Avril Lavigne and many more. She can be reached at Lisa.streff@epicrights.com.

4AD promoted Alyssa DeBonis to U.S. label manager in New York, Sophie Hall to U.K. label manager in London, Will Tompsett to worldwide head of marketing in New York and Isa Castro-Cota as U.S. communications manager in New York. DeBonis will oversee 4AD?s U.S. team and manage all campaigns while Hall will spearhead all campaigns in the U.K. and the world outside of the U.S. Castro-Cota can be reached at isacastrocota@4ad.com.

Zach Katz was named president and COO at lifestyle and media platform FaZe Clan, where he will oversee FaZe Clan?s content, talent, merchandise, consumer goods, sponsorships and esports businesses while reporting to CEO Lee Trink. He will work closely with the senior leadership team to grow the brand, prioritizing global expansion and developing new revenue-driving verticals while also focusing on building internal systems that maximize efficiency.

YMU launched a U.S. entertainment division under the leadership of UTA veteran April Tombs, who has been named managing director, YMU Entertainment U.S. Also appointed to the U.S. team were Spencer Goldstein from UTA and Jared Greenwald from ICM.

Starr Butler-Jemison joined OVG360 as senior vp of content development & private events in Detroit, where she will oversee a new division focused on innovative private functions, major corporate events and content development across the OVG360 universe, which encompasses 300+ arenas, stadiums and convention centers. She starts in the role on July 5 and will report to OVG360 president Chris Granger.

Nettwerk Music Group added several to its A&R team, including Meg Tarquinio as vp of strategy and A&R in New York, Spencer Kelley as A&R in New York/London, Marshall Altman as VP of A&R in Nashville, Mark Abramowitz as director of A&R in Nashville, Eric Robinson as director of A&R in Los Angeles and Dan Medland as Australia strategy & A&R in Sydney. Tarquinio can be reached at mtarquinio@nettwerk.com, Kelley can be reached at skelley@nettwerk.com, Altman can be reached at maltman@nettwerk.com, Abramowitz can be reached at mabramowitz@nettwerk.com, Robinson can be reached at erobinson@nettwerk.com and Medland can be reached at dmedland@nettwerk.com.

Saban Music Group announced two new executive hires for the company?s Saban Music Latin department: Liz Leyva joined the team as vp of Latin marketing while Cristobal Brito was hired as senior director of Latin A&R. Both will ?spearhead a new of era of Latin artists? and report to Alejandro Reglero, Saban Music Latin?s executive vp and general manager. Leyva can be reached at LLeyva@sabanmusic.com and Brito can be reached at CBrito@sabanmusic.com.

Rick Butterworth joined ONErpm as director of business development for Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia as the company expands to those markets. Based in Brisbane, Australia, Butterworth will oversee the business development of all three markets while reporting to ONErpm CEO Emmanuel Zunz. He can be reached at Rbutterworth@onerpm.com.

Jolene Herz was named vp of booking for the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California. Her role has been expanded to overseeing all live events at the venue, where she will continue to report to Geni Lincoln, general manager and senior vp of live events at the venue. She can be reached at Jolene.Herz@thekiaforum.com.

Julia Hummel was named vp of digital strategy & business development at Warner Music Canada in Toronto, where she will help the label?s artists leverage opportunities in the web3 arena while reporting to Warner Music Canada executive vp and general manager Andy West.

MNRK Music Group promoted Tasha Stoute to senior director of urban publicity and Vinny Geonnetti to director of artist management, A&R, publishing. The company also hired JY Williams as director of A&R. Based in New York, Stoute will continue to develop and execute campaigns for MNRK’s urban divisions while working closely with the label’s marketing and sales teams. The Los Angeles-based Geonnetti will assist with the strategy and development of new and established artists for the music publishing team, including managing sessions, fostering opportunities and pairing writers and other possible collaborators. Williams, who founded the companies Lifted Lights and VisionPlay Entertainment, is based in New York.

Chad Kudelka joined Creative Artists Agency (CAA) as an agent in the music touring department. He will split his time between Austin, Texas and the agency?s Nashville office. He can be reached at chad.kudelka@caa.com.

Livestream buying and selling platform talkshoplive hired John Hall as CTO and Tony Grotticelli as vp of marketing. Both will be tasked with helping expand the company, which has set a goal of increasing its team by 300% by the end of 2023. Grotticelli can be reached at Tony@talkshop.live.

Acast appointed former Audible and Verizon CMO John Harrobin and SHE Media CEO Samantha Skey to its board. Harrobin was also elected chairman of the board. Both are the first U.S.-based appointments to the Acast board, bolstering Acast?s goal of growing its market share in the U.S. and surrounding regions. They can be reached at john.harrobin@acast.com and samantha.skey@acast.com.

Caitlin Haurie was hired as senior director of creative synch ? ads & brands at Position Music. She?ll report to Emily Weber, Position Music?s vp, head of synch. She can be reached at caitlin@positionmusic.com.

Tim Hare was named senior director of synch at production, publishing and sound design company Ghostwriter Music, where he will lead the company?s synch department for advertising and TV. He?ll also work alongside internal A&R staff to develop the company?s catalog and artist series while maintaining a strong company-wide business development focus. He can be reached at tim@ghostwritermusic.com.

Bravado, Universal Music Group?s merchandise and brand management company, expanded the job responsibilities of Lisa Streff to oversee the licensing rosters and global licensing strategies of both Bravado and Epic Rights, which Bravado acquired in 2019, while reporting to Jesper Poulsen, general manager at Bravado. Her clients now include KISS, AC/DC, Def Leppard, David Bowie, John Lennon, Britney Spears and NSYNC, along with Bravado clients such as The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Sex Pistols, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Spice Girls, Avril Lavigne and many more. She can be reached at Lisa.streff@epicrights.com.

4AD promoted Alyssa DeBonis to U.S. label manager in New York, Sophie Hall to U.K. label manager in London, Will Tompsett to worldwide head of marketing in New York and Isa Castro-Cota as U.S. communications manager in New York. DeBonis will oversee 4AD?s U.S. team and manage all campaigns while Hall will spearhead all campaigns in the U.K. and the world outside of the U.S. Castro-Cota can be reached at isacastrocota@4ad.com.

Zach Katz was named president and COO at lifestyle and media platform FaZe Clan, where he will oversee FaZe Clan?s content, talent, merchandise, consumer goods, sponsorships and esports businesses while reporting to CEO Lee Trink. He will work closely with the senior leadership team to grow the brand, prioritizing global expansion and developing new revenue-driving verticals while also focusing on building internal systems that maximize efficiency.

YMU launched a U.S. entertainment division under the leadership of UTA veteran April Tombs, who has been named managing director, YMU Entertainment U.S. Also appointed to the U.S. team were Spencer Goldstein from UTA and Jared Greenwald from ICM.

Starr Butler-Jemison joined OVG360 as senior vp of content development & private events in Detroit, where she will oversee a new division focused on innovative private functions, major corporate events and content development across the OVG360 universe, which encompasses 300+ arenas, stadiums and convention centers. She starts in the role on July 5 and will report to OVG360 president Chris Granger.

Nettwerk Music Group added several to its A&R team, including Meg Tarquinio as vp of strategy and A&R in New York, Spencer Kelley as A&R in New York/London, Marshall Altman as VP of A&R in Nashville, Mark Abramowitz as director of A&R in Nashville, Eric Robinson as director of A&R in Los Angeles and Dan Medland as Australia strategy & A&R in Sydney. Tarquinio can be reached at mtarquinio@nettwerk.com, Kelley can be reached at skelley@nettwerk.com, Altman can be reached at maltman@nettwerk.com, Abramowitz can be reached at mabramowitz@nettwerk.com, Robinson can be reached at erobinson@nettwerk.com and Medland can be reached at dmedland@nettwerk.com.

Saban Music Group announced two new executive hires for the company?s Saban Music Latin department: Liz Leyva joined the team as vp of Latin marketing while Cristobal Brito was hired as senior director of Latin A&R. Both will ?spearhead a new of era of Latin artists? and report to Alejandro Reglero, Saban Music Latin?s executive vp and general manager. Leyva can be reached at LLeyva@sabanmusic.com and Brito can be reached at CBrito@sabanmusic.com.

Rick Butterworth joined ONErpm as director of business development for Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia as the company expands to those markets. Based in Brisbane, Australia, Butterworth will oversee the business development of all three markets while reporting to ONErpm CEO Emmanuel Zunz. He can be reached at Rbutterworth@onerpm.com.

Jolene Herz was named vp of booking for the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California. Her role has been expanded to overseeing all live events at the venue, where she will continue to report to Geni Lincoln, general manager and senior vp of live events at the venue. She can be reached at Jolene.Herz@thekiaforum.com.

Julia Hummel was named vp of digital strategy & business development at Warner Music Canada in Toronto, where she will help the label?s artists leverage opportunities in the web3 arena while reporting to Warner Music Canada executive vp and general manager Andy West.

MNRK Music Group promoted Tasha Stoute to senior director of urban publicity and Vinny Geonnetti to director of artist management, A&R, publishing. The company also hired JY Williams as director of A&R. Based in New York, Stoute will continue to develop and execute campaigns for MNRK’s urban divisions while working closely with the label’s marketing and sales teams. The Los Angeles-based Geonnetti will assist with the strategy and development of new and established artists for the music publishing team, including managing sessions, fostering opportunities and pairing writers and other possible collaborators. Williams, who founded the companies Lifted Lights and VisionPlay Entertainment, is based in New York.

Chad Kudelka joined Creative Artists Agency (CAA) as an agent in the music touring department. He will split his time between Austin, Texas and the agency?s Nashville office. He can be reached at chad.kudelka@caa.com.

Livestream buying and selling platform talkshoplive hired John Hall as CTO and Tony Grotticelli as vp of marketing. Both will be tasked with helping expand the company, which has set a goal of increasing its team by 300% by the end of 2023. Grotticelli can be reached at Tony@talkshop.live.

Acast appointed former Audible and Verizon CMO John Harrobin and SHE Media CEO Samantha Skey to its board. Harrobin was also elected chairman of the board. Both are the first U.S.-based appointments to the Acast board, bolstering Acast?s goal of growing its market share in the U.S. and surrounding regions. They can be reached at john.harrobin@acast.com and samantha.skey@acast.com.

Caitlin Haurie was hired as senior director of creative synch ? ads & brands at Position Music. She?ll report to Emily Weber, Position Music?s vp, head of synch. She can be reached at caitlin@positionmusic.com.

Tim Hare was named senior director of synch at production, publishing and sound design company Ghostwriter Music, where he will lead the company?s synch department for advertising and TV. He?ll also work alongside internal A&R staff to develop the company?s catalog and artist series while maintaining a strong company-wide business development focus. He can be reached at tim@ghostwritermusic.com.

Bravado, Universal Music Group?s merchandise and brand management company, expanded the job responsibilities of Lisa Streff to oversee the licensing rosters and global licensing strategies of both Bravado and Epic Rights, which Bravado acquired in 2019, while reporting to Jesper Poulsen, general manager at Bravado. Her clients now include KISS, AC/DC, Def Leppard, David Bowie, John Lennon, Britney Spears and NSYNC, along with Bravado clients such as The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Sex Pistols, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Spice Girls, Avril Lavigne and many more. She can be reached at Lisa.streff@epicrights.com.

4AD promoted Alyssa DeBonis to U.S. label manager in New York, Sophie Hall to U.K. label manager in London, Will Tompsett to worldwide head of marketing in New York and Isa Castro-Cota as U.S. communications manager in New York. DeBonis will oversee 4AD?s U.S. team and manage all campaigns while Hall will spearhead all campaigns in the U.K. and the world outside of the U.S. Castro-Cota can be reached at isacastrocota@4ad.com.

Zach Katz was named president and COO at lifestyle and media platform FaZe Clan, where he will oversee FaZe Clan?s content, talent, merchandise, consumer goods, sponsorships and esports businesses while reporting to CEO Lee Trink. He will work closely with the senior leadership team to grow the brand, prioritizing global expansion and developing new revenue-driving verticals while also focusing on building internal systems that maximize efficiency.

YMU launched a U.S. entertainment division under the leadership of UTA veteran April Tombs, who has been named managing director, YMU Entertainment U.S. Also appointed to the U.S. team were Spencer Goldstein from UTA and Jared Greenwald from ICM.

Starr Butler-Jemison joined OVG360 as senior vp of content development & private events in Detroit, where she will oversee a new division focused on innovative private functions, major corporate events and content development across the OVG360 universe, which encompasses 300+ arenas, stadiums and convention centers. She starts in the role on July 5 and will report to OVG360 president Chris Granger.

Nettwerk Music Group added several to its A&R team, including Meg Tarquinio as vp of strategy and A&R in New York, Spencer Kelley as A&R in New York/London, Marshall Altman as VP of A&R in Nashville, Mark Abramowitz as director of A&R in Nashville, Eric Robinson as director of A&R in Los Angeles and Dan Medland as Australia strategy & A&R in Sydney. Tarquinio can be reached at mtarquinio@nettwerk.com, Kelley can be reached at skelley@nettwerk.com, Altman can be reached at maltman@nettwerk.com, Abramowitz can be reached at mabramowitz@nettwerk.com, Robinson can be reached at erobinson@nettwerk.com and Medland can be reached at dmedland@nettwerk.com.

Saban Music Group announced two new executive hires for the company?s Saban Music Latin department: Liz Leyva joined the team as vp of Latin marketing while Cristobal Brito was hired as senior director of Latin A&R. Both will ?spearhead a new of era of Latin artists? and report to Alejandro Reglero, Saban Music Latin?s executive vp and general manager. Leyva can be reached at LLeyva@sabanmusic.com and Brito can be reached at CBrito@sabanmusic.com.

Rick Butterworth joined ONErpm as director of business development for Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia as the company expands to those markets. Based in Brisbane, Australia, Butterworth will oversee the business development of all three markets while reporting to ONErpm CEO Emmanuel Zunz. He can be reached at Rbutterworth@onerpm.com.

Jolene Herz was named vp of booking for the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California. Her role has been expanded to overseeing all live events at the venue, where she will continue to report to Geni Lincoln, general manager and senior vp of live events at the venue. She can be reached at Jolene.Herz@thekiaforum.com.

Julia Hummel was named vp of digital strategy & business development at Warner Music Canada in Toronto, where she will help the label?s artists leverage opportunities in the web3 arena while reporting to Warner Music Canada executive vp and general manager Andy West.

MNRK Music Group promoted Tasha Stoute to senior director of urban publicity and Vinny Geonnetti to director of artist management, A&R, publishing. The company also hired JY Williams as director of A&R. Based in New York, Stoute will continue to develop and execute campaigns for MNRK’s urban divisions while working closely with the label’s marketing and sales teams. The Los Angeles-based Geonnetti will assist with the strategy and development of new and established artists for the music publishing team, including managing sessions, fostering opportunities and pairing writers and other possible collaborators. Williams, who founded the companies Lifted Lights and VisionPlay Entertainment, is based in New York.

Chad Kudelka joined Creative Artists Agency (CAA) as an agent in the music touring department. He will split his time between Austin, Texas and the agency?s Nashville office. He can be reached at chad.kudelka@caa.com.

Livestream buying and selling platform talkshoplive hired John Hall as CTO and Tony Grotticelli as vp of marketing. Both will be tasked with helping expand the company, which has set a goal of increasing its team by 300% by the end of 2023. Grotticelli can be reached at Tony@talkshop.live.

Acast appointed former Audible and Verizon CMO John Harrobin and SHE Media CEO Samantha Skey to its board. Harrobin was also elected chairman of the board. Both are the first U.S.-based appointments to the Acast board, bolstering Acast?s goal of growing its market share in the U.S. and surrounding regions. They can be reached at john.harrobin@acast.com and samantha.skey@acast.com.

Caitlin Haurie was hired as senior director of creative synch ? ads & brands at Position Music. She?ll report to Emily Weber, Position Music?s vp, head of synch. She can be reached at caitlin@positionmusic.com.

Tim Hare was named senior director of synch at production, publishing and sound design company Ghostwriter Music, where he will lead the company?s synch department for advertising and TV. He?ll also work alongside internal A&R staff to develop the company?s catalog and artist series while maintaining a strong company-wide business development focus. He can be reached at tim@ghostwritermusic.com.

FestivalPass launches with a membership platform that unlocks access to the show — tens of thousands of them.

The brainchild of founder and CEO Ed Vincent, festivalPass claims to be the world?s first subscription platform for live events, through which members can nab no-fee tickets to more than 80,000 concerts, festivals and more.

Membership can gain entry to such festivals as Coachella and ACL Music Festival, live shows featuring Dua Lipa, John Mayer, Billie Eillish and more.

Based in Austin, Texas, the festivalPass model uses a novel credit system, which can be redeemed for a smorgasbord of film, food, art and sports experiences across the U.S. and for booking rooms at thousands of hotels across the world at reduced rates.

Members rack up credits through a subscription plan, ranging from $19 to $99 each month.

The higher the tier, the lower the cost of the tickets, notes Vincent, whose business accepts cryptocurrency for subscription and ticket payments, and, from next month, launches its ?Lifetime Founder NFT? for live events.

Vincent, an entrepreneur with 25 years’ business, technology and management experience, hit on the idea of applying the all-you-can eat approach to live entertainment while in New York City, waiting for the lockdown to lift.

?It was early in the pandemic and I was looking for a city to launch and grow festivalPass knowing live events would be coming back and the industry would be thirsty for a new way to play,? he tells Billboard.

Over a decade ago, Vincent spotted Austin, the home of SXSW, as a tech and music hotspot. ?With the growing diversity in the Austin start-up culture and the overall love of music and live events that Austin offered,? he continues. ?I chose to move to Austin in 2020 to grow festivalPass.  It was the right choice.?

.

The immediate plan is to focus on North America as the business targets 1 million members on the platform.

The first likely expansion will be to Europe followed by Australia, Vincent explains. Other markets of interest include Asia and Latin America. ?Our roadmap timing will be influenced by regional demand for our product and success in securing partners to help us grow in each region,? he adds.

Investors include Brian Sharples, co-founder HomeAway (sold to Expedia); Shelli Taylor, CEO of Alamo Drafthouse; Jacob Trouba, NHL professional for the NY Rangers; Tom Chavez (sold Krux to Salesforce and Rapt to Microsoft); Jason Dorsey, millennial and Gen Z expert; Townsquare Media, and others.

Sharples, Taylor and Dorsey join the advisory board, as does Lisa Licht, former CMO of Live Nation, among others, while experienced HomeAway – VRBO exec Stephan de Bernede is on board as festivalPass chief business officer.

?When we founded festivalPass, it was under the belief that live entertainment should not be transactional,? Vincent adds in a statement. ?We envisioned a community in which members could interact and share around the entertainment passions they hold and where their participation is rewarded.?

FestivalPass launches with a membership platform that unlocks access to the show — tens of thousands of them.

The brainchild of founder and CEO Ed Vincent, festivalPass claims to be the world?s first subscription platform for live events, through which members can nab no-fee tickets to more than 80,000 concerts, festivals and more.

Membership can gain entry to such festivals as Coachella and ACL Music Festival, live shows featuring Dua Lipa, John Mayer, Billie Eillish and more.

Based in Austin, Texas, the festivalPass model uses a novel credit system, which can be redeemed for a smorgasbord of film, food, art and sports experiences across the U.S. and for booking rooms at thousands of hotels across the world at reduced rates.

Members rack up credits through a subscription plan, ranging from $19 to $99 each month.

The higher the tier, the lower the cost of the tickets, notes Vincent, whose business accepts cryptocurrency for subscription and ticket payments, and, from next month, launches its ?Lifetime Founder NFT? for live events.

Vincent, an entrepreneur with 25 years’ business, technology and management experience, hit on the idea of applying the all-you-can eat approach to live entertainment while in New York City, waiting for the lockdown to lift.

?It was early in the pandemic and I was looking for a city to launch and grow festivalPass knowing live events would be coming back and the industry would be thirsty for a new way to play,? he tells Billboard.

Over a decade ago, Vincent spotted Austin, the home of SXSW, as a tech and music hotspot. ?With the growing diversity in the Austin start-up culture and the overall love of music and live events that Austin offered,? he continues. ?I chose to move to Austin in 2020 to grow festivalPass.  It was the right choice.?

.

The immediate plan is to focus on North America as the business targets 1 million members on the platform.

The first likely expansion will be to Europe followed by Australia, Vincent explains. Other markets of interest include Asia and Latin America. ?Our roadmap timing will be influenced by regional demand for our product and success in securing partners to help us grow in each region,? he adds.

Investors include Brian Sharples, co-founder HomeAway (sold to Expedia); Shelli Taylor, CEO of Alamo Drafthouse; Jacob Trouba, NHL professional for the NY Rangers; Tom Chavez (sold Krux to Salesforce and Rapt to Microsoft); Jason Dorsey, millennial and Gen Z expert; Townsquare Media, and others.

Sharples, Taylor and Dorsey join the advisory board, as does Lisa Licht, former CMO of Live Nation, among others, while experienced HomeAway – VRBO exec Stephan de Bernede is on board as festivalPass chief business officer.

?When we founded festivalPass, it was under the belief that live entertainment should not be transactional,? Vincent adds in a statement. ?We envisioned a community in which members could interact and share around the entertainment passions they hold and where their participation is rewarded.?

FestivalPass launches with a membership platform that unlocks access to the show — tens of thousands of them.

The brainchild of founder and CEO Ed Vincent, festivalPass claims to be the world?s first subscription platform for live events, through which members can nab no-fee tickets to more than 80,000 concerts, festivals and more.

Membership can gain entry to such festivals as Coachella and ACL Music Festival, live shows featuring Dua Lipa, John Mayer, Billie Eillish and more.

Based in Austin, Texas, the festivalPass model uses a novel credit system, which can be redeemed for a smorgasbord of film, food, art and sports experiences across the U.S. and for booking rooms at thousands of hotels across the world at reduced rates.

Members rack up credits through a subscription plan, ranging from $19 to $99 each month.

The higher the tier, the lower the cost of the tickets, notes Vincent, whose business accepts cryptocurrency for subscription and ticket payments, and, from next month, launches its ?Lifetime Founder NFT? for live events.

Vincent, an entrepreneur with 25 years’ business, technology and management experience, hit on the idea of applying the all-you-can eat approach to live entertainment while in New York City, waiting for the lockdown to lift.

?It was early in the pandemic and I was looking for a city to launch and grow festivalPass knowing live events would be coming back and the industry would be thirsty for a new way to play,? he tells Billboard.

Over a decade ago, Vincent spotted Austin, the home of SXSW, as a tech and music hotspot. ?With the growing diversity in the Austin start-up culture and the overall love of music and live events that Austin offered,? he continues. ?I chose to move to Austin in 2020 to grow festivalPass.  It was the right choice.?

.

The immediate plan is to focus on North America as the business targets 1 million members on the platform.

The first likely expansion will be to Europe followed by Australia, Vincent explains. Other markets of interest include Asia and Latin America. ?Our roadmap timing will be influenced by regional demand for our product and success in securing partners to help us grow in each region,? he adds.

Investors include Brian Sharples, co-founder HomeAway (sold to Expedia); Shelli Taylor, CEO of Alamo Drafthouse; Jacob Trouba, NHL professional for the NY Rangers; Tom Chavez (sold Krux to Salesforce and Rapt to Microsoft); Jason Dorsey, millennial and Gen Z expert; Townsquare Media, and others.

Sharples, Taylor and Dorsey join the advisory board, as does Lisa Licht, former CMO of Live Nation, among others, while experienced HomeAway – VRBO exec Stephan de Bernede is on board as festivalPass chief business officer.

?When we founded festivalPass, it was under the belief that live entertainment should not be transactional,? Vincent adds in a statement. ?We envisioned a community in which members could interact and share around the entertainment passions they hold and where their participation is rewarded.?

Sony Music Entertainment is starting an outpost of RCA Records in mainland China.

From its base in Shanghai, the new label, RCA Records Greater China, will focus on signing artists in China and expanding the company?s presence in the region. RCA will invest in artists looking to ?broaden their artistic and commercial opportunities? across streaming, gaming, virtual reality, NFTs and the metaverse, Sony said in a statement on Thursday (May 19).

In making the announcement, Sony Music said RCA Greater China agreed to a distribution deal with Chinese artist Jackson Wang and signed Taiwanese singer A-Lin.

The deal with Wang, who is also a member of K-pop group GOT7, is for one album in Chinese; he is signed to indie 88rising for his English-language productions and previously had exclusive album deals with Tencent Music Entertainment, a Sony Music spokesperson tells Billboard. RCA Records Greater China has already released the single, ?Jackson Wang.?

A-Lin is a five-time Golden Melody Awards nominee, which are known as the ?Mandarin Grammys.? Her deal with RCA Greater China is a multi-rights deal that replaces her earlier deal with Sony Music Taiwan, a Sony spokesperson says.

Sony Music named Kevin Foo, who had been overseeing Sony?s Taiwanese operations since 2019, as managing director of the new label. He launched the careers of several Asian artists, including Linying, Charlie Lim and The Steve McQueens, Sony Music says.

New York-based RCA Records, one of Sony Music?s four flagship labels, also has offices in the United Kingdom, Germany and France.

The new RCA Records office comes as Sony Music has been expanding and reorganizing its Asia operations. In 2020, the major label, which had been overseeing Asia from Sydney, Australia, for 12 years, divided Asia into four hubs ? India and the Middle East, Greater China, South Korea and Southeast Asia. Then this March, Sony Music said it was opening a Singapore office to oversee Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.

Sony Music Entertainment is starting an outpost of RCA Records in mainland China.

From its base in Shanghai, the new label, RCA Records Greater China, will focus on signing artists in China and expanding the company?s presence in the region. RCA will invest in artists looking to ?broaden their artistic and commercial opportunities? across streaming, gaming, virtual reality, NFTs and the metaverse, Sony said in a statement on Thursday (May 19).

In making the announcement, Sony Music said RCA Greater China agreed to a distribution deal with Chinese artist Jackson Wang and signed Taiwanese singer A-Lin.

The deal with Wang, who is also a member of K-pop group GOT7, is for one album in Chinese; he is signed to indie 88rising for his English-language productions and previously had exclusive album deals with Tencent Music Entertainment, a Sony Music spokesperson tells Billboard. RCA Records Greater China has already released the single, ?Jackson Wang.?

A-Lin is a five-time Golden Melody Awards nominee, which are known as the ?Mandarin Grammys.? Her deal with RCA Greater China is a multi-rights deal that replaces her earlier deal with Sony Music Taiwan, a Sony spokesperson says.

Sony Music named Kevin Foo, who had been overseeing Sony?s Taiwanese operations since 2019, as managing director of the new label. He launched the careers of several Asian artists, including Linying, Charlie Lim and The Steve McQueens, Sony Music says.

New York-based RCA Records, one of Sony Music?s four flagship labels, also has offices in the United Kingdom, Germany and France.

The new RCA Records office comes as Sony Music has been expanding and reorganizing its Asia operations. In 2020, the major label, which had been overseeing Asia from Sydney, Australia, for 12 years, divided Asia into four hubs ? India and the Middle East, Greater China, South Korea and Southeast Asia. Then this March, Sony Music said it was opening a Singapore office to oversee Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.

Sony Music Entertainment is starting an outpost of RCA Records in mainland China.

From its base in Shanghai, the new label, RCA Records Greater China, will focus on signing artists in China and expanding the company?s presence in the region. RCA will invest in artists looking to ?broaden their artistic and commercial opportunities? across streaming, gaming, virtual reality, NFTs and the metaverse, Sony said in a statement on Thursday (May 19).

In making the announcement, Sony Music said RCA Greater China agreed to a distribution deal with Chinese artist Jackson Wang and signed Taiwanese singer A-Lin.

The deal with Wang, who is also a member of K-pop group GOT7, is for one album in Chinese; he is signed to indie 88rising for his English-language productions and previously had exclusive album deals with Tencent Music Entertainment, a Sony Music spokesperson tells Billboard. RCA Records Greater China has already released the single, ?Jackson Wang.?

A-Lin is a five-time Golden Melody Awards nominee, which are known as the ?Mandarin Grammys.? Her deal with RCA Greater China is a multi-rights deal that replaces her earlier deal with Sony Music Taiwan, a Sony spokesperson says.

Sony Music named Kevin Foo, who had been overseeing Sony?s Taiwanese operations since 2019, as managing director of the new label. He launched the careers of several Asian artists, including Linying, Charlie Lim and The Steve McQueens, Sony Music says.

New York-based RCA Records, one of Sony Music?s four flagship labels, also has offices in the United Kingdom, Germany and France.

The new RCA Records office comes as Sony Music has been expanding and reorganizing its Asia operations. In 2020, the major label, which had been overseeing Asia from Sydney, Australia, for 12 years, divided Asia into four hubs ? India and the Middle East, Greater China, South Korea and Southeast Asia. Then this March, Sony Music said it was opening a Singapore office to oversee Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.

The stock market’s downturn in recent weeks has hit music with mixed results: bad, badder and baddest. For all their troubles, music stocks don’t always look bad compared to major retailers like Target, which lost 30.2% this week, and Terra, the cryptocurrency that went bust last week.

For example, take the concert business, which was hammed by COVID-19 shutdowns in 2020 and was one of the last industries to returned to life in 2022. Since then, live music and ticketing companies have performed relatively well. On average, Live Nation, CTS Eventim, MSG Entertainment, Eventbrite and Vivid Seats share prices have dropped only 18.9% this year ? about the same as the S&P 500’s 18.2% decline and better than the Nasdaq’s 27.2% deficit (although not as good as the New York Stock Exchange composite’s 12.5% drop in 2022).

Over the last four weeks, these stocks have fallen 10.2%, outpacing the S&P 500 (down 8.7%) and NYSE composite (down 6.4%).

Not all sectors have fared as well.

Music streaming companies have performed very poorly ? in part because they had so far to fall. Spotify, Anghami, Tencent Music Entertainment and Cloud Village have fallen 46.1% year to date and 8.0% since April 22 (about four weeks). In general, the streaming business model has lost some luster as investors realized gains made during the pandemic weren’t just unsustainable but threatened by high inflation.

As a point of comparison, streaming video on-demand stocks (Netflix, Roku, Warner Bros. Discovery, Walt Disney, Comcast) have fallen 9.4% and 40.1% since April 22 and year-to-date, respectively. The bellwether here is Netflix, which reported a decline in subscribers in the first quarter and warned of more losses in the current quarter. Music companies have tried to distance music subscription services from SVOD platforms that compete on original content and are arguably more susceptible to churn. Music services might temper their growth expectations, music executives said, but they’re more stable than SVOD services.

Still, Spotify’s subscription growth has not pleased investors, either. The company’s shares are down 54.8% in 2022, although the Thursday’s (May 19) $105.79 closing price is well above the all-time low of $89.03 set on May 12. Anghami’s first earnings report on Tuesday showed encouraging double-digit year-over-year growth. That put Anghami shares up 1.5% this week, although they’re down 26.6% this year. And TME and Cloud Village are special cases: While they are growing their subscription businesses, they face unique challenges from Chinese regulators, and TME is subject to a U.S. law that will de-list foreign companies that don’t allow U.S. authorities to audit their books.

In general, music is seen as a sturdy, countercyclical business that maintains consumer spending during recessions, leaving it unaffected by wider market trends. But even its bread and butter ? copyrights ? have gotten burnt this year. Labels and publishers Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Believe, Reservoir Media, HYBE, Hipgnosis Songs Fund and Round Hill Music Royalty Fund have collectively fallen 10.4% in the four weeks since April 22 and 20.1% year to date. The companies' fundamentals remain strong, and streaming's prospects remain bright, but in today's economy, investors are more concerned about margins and profitability than pure growth.

Among these companies, the stabler royalty funds ? Hipgnosis and Round Hill ? which raise money to invest in relatively steady and predictable assets, have performed well amid the downturn: Hipgnosis has dropped only 1.9% and Round Hill's down just 3.1% so far this year.

Otherwise, the best performer of the bunch has been Universal Music Group ?down 15.6% over the past four weeks and down 19.4% so far this year. Meanwhile, French distributor/label Believe (down 21.4% since April 22, down 42.2% year to date) and South Korea's HYBE (down 14.1% since April 22, down 37.4% year to date) have fared the worst. Take away Hipgnosis and Round Hill, and these label and publishers have collectively lost 27.0% year-to-date.

Radio companies iHeartMedia, Cumulus Media, Audacy and Townsquare Media have fallen an average of 24.4% since April 22, almost double the Nasdaq's 10.7% decline and more than three times the New York Stock Exchange composite's 6.7% drop over that time period. Radio companies are particularly sensitive to economic swings because they subsist mainly on advertising revenues. As witnessed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, when brands pull back on advertising spending, radio companies will suffer the consequences.

A Barrington analyst lowered the earnings per share estimate for iHeartMedia on May 11. Earlier in May, B. Riley and JPMorgan Chase analysts lowered their iHeartMedia price targets to $36 and $19, respectively, and Zacks Investment Research downgraded the stock from a "buy" rating to "hold." Cumulus has followed a different trajectory. Following news that Cumulus rejected a takeover bid in the $15 to $17 per share range, the company's share price jumped from $10.16 on April 13 to $15.10 on April 25, although it fell below $13 and closed at $12.67 on Thursday. In the last four weeks, Cumulus shares are up 12.6%.

Still, these four radio stocks' average year-to-date decline is just 18.9% ? about the same as the S&P 500's 18.2% drop and better than the Nasdaq's 27.2% deficit.

The stock market’s downturn in recent weeks has hit music with mixed results: bad, badder and baddest. For all their troubles, music stocks don’t always look bad compared to major retailers like Target, which lost 30.2% this week, and Terra, the cryptocurrency that went bust last week.

For example, take the concert business, which was hammed by COVID-19 shutdowns in 2020 and was one of the last industries to returned to life in 2022. Since then, live music and ticketing companies have performed relatively well. On average, Live Nation, CTS Eventim, MSG Entertainment, Eventbrite and Vivid Seats share prices have dropped only 18.9% this year ? about the same as the S&P 500’s 18.2% decline and better than the Nasdaq’s 27.2% deficit (although not as good as the New York Stock Exchange composite’s 12.5% drop in 2022).

Over the last four weeks, these stocks have fallen 10.2%, outpacing the S&P 500 (down 8.7%) and NYSE composite (down 6.4%).

Not all sectors have fared as well.

Music streaming companies have performed very poorly ? in part because they had so far to fall. Spotify, Anghami, Tencent Music Entertainment and Cloud Village have fallen 46.1% year to date and 8.0% since April 22 (about four weeks). In general, the streaming business model has lost some luster as investors realized gains made during the pandemic weren’t just unsustainable but threatened by high inflation.

As a point of comparison, streaming video on-demand stocks (Netflix, Roku, Warner Bros. Discovery, Walt Disney, Comcast) have fallen 9.4% and 40.1% since April 22 and year-to-date, respectively. The bellwether here is Netflix, which reported a decline in subscribers in the first quarter and warned of more losses in the current quarter. Music companies have tried to distance music subscription services from SVOD platforms that compete on original content and are arguably more susceptible to churn. Music services might temper their growth expectations, music executives said, but they’re more stable than SVOD services.

Still, Spotify’s subscription growth has not pleased investors, either. The company’s shares are down 54.8% in 2022, although the Thursday’s (May 19) $105.79 closing price is well above the all-time low of $89.03 set on May 12. Anghami’s first earnings report on Tuesday showed encouraging double-digit year-over-year growth. That put Anghami shares up 1.5% this week, although they’re down 26.6% this year. And TME and Cloud Village are special cases: While they are growing their subscription businesses, they face unique challenges from Chinese regulators, and TME is subject to a U.S. law that will de-list foreign companies that don’t allow U.S. authorities to audit their books.

In general, music is seen as a sturdy, countercyclical business that maintains consumer spending during recessions, leaving it unaffected by wider market trends. But even its bread and butter ? copyrights ? have gotten burnt this year. Labels and publishers Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Believe, Reservoir Media, HYBE, Hipgnosis Songs Fund and Round Hill Music Royalty Fund have collectively fallen 10.4% in the four weeks since April 22 and 20.1% year to date. The companies' fundamentals remain strong, and streaming's prospects remain bright, but in today's economy, investors are more concerned about margins and profitability than pure growth.

Among these companies, the stabler royalty funds ? Hipgnosis and Round Hill ? which raise money to invest in relatively steady and predictable assets, have performed well amid the downturn: Hipgnosis has dropped only 1.9% and Round Hill's down just 3.1% so far this year.

Otherwise, the best performer of the bunch has been Universal Music Group ?down 15.6% over the past four weeks and down 19.4% so far this year. Meanwhile, French distributor/label Believe (down 21.4% since April 22, down 42.2% year to date) and South Korea's HYBE (down 14.1% since April 22, down 37.4% year to date) have fared the worst. Take away Hipgnosis and Round Hill, and these label and publishers have collectively lost 27.0% year-to-date.

Radio companies iHeartMedia, Cumulus Media, Audacy and Townsquare Media have fallen an average of 24.4% since April 22, almost double the Nasdaq's 10.7% decline and more than three times the New York Stock Exchange composite's 6.7% drop over that time period. Radio companies are particularly sensitive to economic swings because they subsist mainly on advertising revenues. As witnessed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, when brands pull back on advertising spending, radio companies will suffer the consequences.

A Barrington analyst lowered the earnings per share estimate for iHeartMedia on May 11. Earlier in May, B. Riley and JPMorgan Chase analysts lowered their iHeartMedia price targets to $36 and $19, respectively, and Zacks Investment Research downgraded the stock from a "buy" rating to "hold." Cumulus has followed a different trajectory. Following news that Cumulus rejected a takeover bid in the $15 to $17 per share range, the company's share price jumped from $10.16 on April 13 to $15.10 on April 25, although it fell below $13 and closed at $12.67 on Thursday. In the last four weeks, Cumulus shares are up 12.6%.

Still, these four radio stocks' average year-to-date decline is just 18.9% ? about the same as the S&P 500's 18.2% drop and better than the Nasdaq's 27.2% deficit.

The stock market’s downturn in recent weeks has hit music with mixed results: bad, badder and baddest. For all their troubles, music stocks don’t always look bad compared to major retailers like Target, which lost 30.2% this week, and Terra, the cryptocurrency that went bust last week.

For example, take the concert business, which was hammed by COVID-19 shutdowns in 2020 and was one of the last industries to returned to life in 2022. Since then, live music and ticketing companies have performed relatively well. On average, Live Nation, CTS Eventim, MSG Entertainment, Eventbrite and Vivid Seats share prices have dropped only 18.9% this year ? about the same as the S&P 500’s 18.2% decline and better than the Nasdaq’s 27.2% deficit (although not as good as the New York Stock Exchange composite’s 12.5% drop in 2022).

Over the last four weeks, these stocks have fallen 10.2%, outpacing the S&P 500 (down 8.7%) and NYSE composite (down 6.4%).

Not all sectors have fared as well.

Music streaming companies have performed very poorly ? in part because they had so far to fall. Spotify, Anghami, Tencent Music Entertainment and Cloud Village have fallen 46.1% year to date and 8.0% since April 22 (about four weeks). In general, the streaming business model has lost some luster as investors realized gains made during the pandemic weren’t just unsustainable but threatened by high inflation.

As a point of comparison, streaming video on-demand stocks (Netflix, Roku, Warner Bros. Discovery, Walt Disney, Comcast) have fallen 9.4% and 40.1% since April 22 and year-to-date, respectively. The bellwether here is Netflix, which reported a decline in subscribers in the first quarter and warned of more losses in the current quarter. Music companies have tried to distance music subscription services from SVOD platforms that compete on original content and are arguably more susceptible to churn. Music services might temper their growth expectations, music executives said, but they’re more stable than SVOD services.

Still, Spotify’s subscription growth has not pleased investors, either. The company’s shares are down 54.8% in 2022, although the Thursday’s (May 19) $105.79 closing price is well above the all-time low of $89.03 set on May 12. Anghami’s first earnings report on Tuesday showed encouraging double-digit year-over-year growth. That put Anghami shares up 1.5% this week, although they’re down 26.6% this year. And TME and Cloud Village are special cases: While they are growing their subscription businesses, they face unique challenges from Chinese regulators, and TME is subject to a U.S. law that will de-list foreign companies that don’t allow U.S. authorities to audit their books.

In general, music is seen as a sturdy, countercyclical business that maintains consumer spending during recessions, leaving it unaffected by wider market trends. But even its bread and butter ? copyrights ? have gotten burnt this year. Labels and publishers Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Believe, Reservoir Media, HYBE, Hipgnosis Songs Fund and Round Hill Music Royalty Fund have collectively fallen 10.4% in the four weeks since April 22 and 20.1% year to date. The companies' fundamentals remain strong, and streaming's prospects remain bright, but in today's economy, investors are more concerned about margins and profitability than pure growth.

Among these companies, the stabler royalty funds ? Hipgnosis and Round Hill ? which raise money to invest in relatively steady and predictable assets, have performed well amid the downturn: Hipgnosis has dropped only 1.9% and Round Hill's down just 3.1% so far this year.

Otherwise, the best performer of the bunch has been Universal Music Group ?down 15.6% over the past four weeks and down 19.4% so far this year. Meanwhile, French distributor/label Believe (down 21.4% since April 22, down 42.2% year to date) and South Korea's HYBE (down 14.1% since April 22, down 37.4% year to date) have fared the worst. Take away Hipgnosis and Round Hill, and these label and publishers have collectively lost 27.0% year-to-date.

Radio companies iHeartMedia, Cumulus Media, Audacy and Townsquare Media have fallen an average of 24.4% since April 22, almost double the Nasdaq's 10.7% decline and more than three times the New York Stock Exchange composite's 6.7% drop over that time period. Radio companies are particularly sensitive to economic swings because they subsist mainly on advertising revenues. As witnessed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, when brands pull back on advertising spending, radio companies will suffer the consequences.

A Barrington analyst lowered the earnings per share estimate for iHeartMedia on May 11. Earlier in May, B. Riley and JPMorgan Chase analysts lowered their iHeartMedia price targets to $36 and $19, respectively, and Zacks Investment Research downgraded the stock from a "buy" rating to "hold." Cumulus has followed a different trajectory. Following news that Cumulus rejected a takeover bid in the $15 to $17 per share range, the company's share price jumped from $10.16 on April 13 to $15.10 on April 25, although it fell below $13 and closed at $12.67 on Thursday. In the last four weeks, Cumulus shares are up 12.6%.

Still, these four radio stocks' average year-to-date decline is just 18.9% ? about the same as the S&P 500's 18.2% drop and better than the Nasdaq's 27.2% deficit.

Suter told the kids he’s excited to see them start recycling, composting, reducing and reusing.

“I just want to encourage you to be ambassadors for change, be people who want to go out and make the world a better place and do everything in your life as a selfless act and try to maybe make future generations have a planet that’s very healthy,” he said.

The ?Waste-Free Crew” program hits home for Suter, who has an environmental science degree from Harvard.

Environmental issues have been on Suter’s heart “in a big way” since 2006 after seeing the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” which follows Al Gore’s campaign to raise awareness of global warming. Suter said it “smacked me upside the head” and motivated him to make a difference.

Suter doesn’t buy paper towels or napkins, frequents farmers markets to buy food that hasn’t been packaged, has a garden in his basement and has volunteered for cleanup projects, according to a 2020 Journal Sentinel report. He’s also worked with Nature Conservancy, Players for the Planet and EcoAthletes.

SC Johnson, the Brewers and Suter have also launched the Brewers Sustainability Council, an advisory board to review, discuss and implement best sustainability practices at the ballpark, a news release said.

For the second year, SC Johnson is turning plastic cups used at the ballpark into packaging for Scrubbing Bubbles, VanderMolen said.

Contact Hannah Kirby at hannah.kirby@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HannahHopeKirby.

View the original story here.

Debuting at DRV PNK Stadium, Reverse Vending Machines Will Make Stadium Recycling More Efficient and Rewarding for Fans

HEINEKEN USA and Inter Miami CF in collaboration with Cycle, a recycling technology and data company founded by University of Miami alumni, launched a new recycling program at DRV PNK Stadium. Leveraging innovative technology to improve recycling efforts at stadium sporting events, Inter Miami fans can now find Heineken® branded Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) throughout the stadium where they can recycle their empty beverage containers and win rewards in return.

The machines are designed to engage fans and incentivize recycling efforts in a moment where many people may not have enough opportunities to recycle their products during an event. The process for the fans is simple: insert empty beverage containers at the machines, and scan a QR code to get a unique transaction ID. Once information is entered into the web app, users find out instantly if they are a winner and are given instructions for how to redeem their prize. The initiative will be promoted on the stadium?s videoboard and through PA announcements and Inter Miami fans will be able to win a variety of items including Heineken® 0.0, fan merchandise and exclusive access to stadium promotions, and even Inter Miami CF jerseys throughout the season.

The four RVMs are in the following locations throughout the stadium: two machines next to the Heineken Bar on the North side, one machines near section 120/121 (East side) and one machine near section 104/105 (West side).

The launch of this initiative supports HEINEKEN?s Brew a Better World ambitions aimed at creating a positive impact on the environment, social sustainability, and the responsible consumption of alcohol. These commitments build upon the progress the company has made since its initial launch in 2009.

?Through our efforts over the past decade with Brew a Better World, we have found that the best way to help consumers make sustainable choices is creating convenient opportunities that fit into real moments,? said Josephine Bertrams, SVP and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of HEINEKEN USA. ?By meeting our consumers in more of these moments, this initiative seeks to eliminate the barriers fans may face at sporting events by encouraging and making it easier to make the responsible choice to recycle. As a passionate leader in supporting live events HEINEKEN USA is thrilled to be making sustainability more accessible and exciting for consumers with Cycle and Inter Miami.?

?Working with HEINEKEN USA and Cycle to make it easier for our fans to recycle at Inter Miami CF matches is a very important initiative for our club,? said Inter Miami VP of Marketing, Community and Fan Engagement, Chris Allan. ?Through research and listening to our supporters, we learned sustainability is particularly important to our fan base and we want to do the best we can to ensure our fans have the resources to put the environment first when they are enjoying fútbol matches at DRV PNK Stadium.?

?Sports stadiums are an important part of American culture and represent a unique opportunity to educate and incentivize people to participate in the circular economy. The Cycle team is honored to be collaborating with HEINEKEN USA and Inter Miami CF to launch this first-of-its-kind stadium recycling program,? said Anwar Khan, co-founder of Cycle.

?We want to make recycling collections more efficient while rewarding fans for their sustainable behavior, and our CTO, Harrison Mount, worked hard in conjunction with FanUp.io to make sure that process is simple, fast, and fun for the fans,? added Connor Pohl, co-founder of Cycle.

Globally, as an important part of the HEINEKEN?s EverGreen balanced growth strategy, HEINEKEN remains committed to a path to net zero emissions and is working toward achieving zero waste by 2025. HEINEKEN aims to reduce its carbon footprint through an effort to cut overall emissions 30% by 2030 and decarbonize its full value chain by 2040. For more information on Brew a Better World 2030, click here.

Read the original article here

These bins, which are all over the UCLA campus, help people know what to recycle, compost and throw away for a landfill.

The Green and White Club aims to raise awareness and mobilise society against climate change with several initiatives. The team will play the game with a special kit made out of recycled material