New Signings & Team Ups: APRA cuts to the core with Apple Music; Black Eyed Peas join Scott “Scooter” Braun; Cooking Vinyl Australia gets Meat Wave; Cadbury expanding into music; BBC to expand profile of Mercury Prize

APRA AMCOS cuts to the core with Apple Music

APRA AMCOS concluded a new deal in ANZ with Apple Music which will allow its members to post demo tracks, studio footage and other content on its Connect feature. Acknowledging that Apple Music would increase music royalty streams, it stated, “Our sophisticated royalty system will continue to provide timely and cost effective distributions to APRA AMCOS members for the use of their music on Apple Music, including minimum rates, and that our members will be paid for streams of their music during each free, three-month trial period.”

Black Eyed Peas join Scott “Scooter” Braun

Black Eyed Peas joined Scooter Braun Management, which has a roster including Justin Bieber, Tori Kelly, Ariana Grande, Todrick Hall, Krishane and Martin Garrix. Although the chart topping multi-platinum act has not released an album for five years (a new single Awesome is out) member will.i.am said he wanted the Peas to commemorate their 20th anniversary with a project together equipped with new music.

Niche turns B-Wise

Booking agency and tour company Niche Productions added South Sydney Australian-African hip hop act B-Wise (James Iheakanwa). His new single Prince Akeem gets its name from an Eddie Murphy character in Coming to America, his fave movie when he was growing up in NSW.

Vaudeville Smash get a yen

Melbourne’s Vaudeville Smash, who’ve taken their jazz funk to Japan for the past three years, landed a deal with Tokyo-based P-Vine Records. According to a Facebook post, Disco To The World is a Japan-only compilation of past tracks and two newies. The band will be at the launch party in Tokyo on July 27, before which they play the Sapporo City Jazz Festival on July 23 for the third time and shoot a video.

iHeartMedia signs Ryan Seacrest to new mega deal

iHeartMedia signed Ryan Seacrest to a new three year mega-deal to be worth well over the US$25 million he was paid for his last contract. In the new deal, not only does Seacrest get to front all its platforms (many accesed in Australia) but will be a key adviser. He will develop new ways to connect advertisers and consumers and will provide input into its major events and initiatives including hosting the iHeartRadio Music Festival and iHeartRadio Music Awards.

Another roar from Elevnth

Newly launched Brisbane label Elevnth Records has another roar, this time with Gold Coast post-hardcore outfit She Cries Wolf. They released their debut album Divorce this year, and plan a new single in coming months. Elevnth’s roster includes Void Of Vision, Ratking, Red Beard and Elegist.

Cooking Vinyl Australia gets Meat Wave

Cooking Vinyl Australia will release Chicago trio Meat Wave’s spring-due album Delusion Moon in ANZ, through a distro deal with America’s SideOneDummy Records. The three punks, who formed in 2011, took their name from a classic headline in Onion. Singer/guitarist Chris Sutter says of Delusion Moon, "When I was writing this record, it was probably the craziest time in my life. I had a service industry job, was in school studying journalism and pretty much everybody I encountered just seemed insane.”

Popfrenzy moves into major league

Sydney-based Popfrenzy Records releases the new single Someone Sometime from latest signing, Brisbane garage-pop four-piece Major Leagues. The track was recorded in Brisbane at Plutonium Studios by producer/engineer Miro Mackie, and mixed in Brooklyn by Unknown Mortal Orchestra / Blouse member Jacob Portrait. The act, heavily supported by triple j and community radio, is to return to touring this month after a year with an East Coast run.

SESAC buys Harry Fox Agency

Nashville-based performance rights organisation, SESAC, bought the National Music Publishers’ Association’s mechanical rights affiliate Harry Fox Agency. For the first time, its performance and mechanical rights under the same umbrella. America’s third largest performance rights organisation after ASCAP and BMI, SESAC (founded in 1930 as the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers) has a catalogue of 400,000 songs which includes those from Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Mariah Carey and major country writers. It turned over $182 million in 2014.

Cadbury expanding into music, entertainment

Confectionary giant Cadbury, a major sponsor Nine’s The Voice, has announced that it plans over the next three years to widen its sponsorship in the live and TV music and entertainment sector in Australia. Equating the joy of discovering new music with the joy of discovering new flavours, its eight new TVCs features Voice judge Jessie J improvising songs on which flavours to pick.

The Guardian speaks to Splendour In The Grass

The Guardian debuts its new talks and discussion brand extension Guardian Live at this month’s Splendour In The Grass. The newspaper will present Splendour Forum which features discussion panels, debates and Q&As.

Pandora enters Toyota box

Internet radio service provider Pandora will be in all Toyota cars in Australia from this month as part of its Toyota Link integrated package. It joins Ford with its SYNC infotainment and Holden with MyLink packages. "The integration with Toyota was designed to ensure that consumers' hands are kept on the wheel and eyes stay on the road, giving music lovers safe and effortless access to their preferred music in one of the most natural listening environments," said Rick Gleave, Director, Business Development ANZ, Pandora. The initiative was first announced last October.

The best of British for Presto

Presto’s SVOD service gets an extra 100 hours of documentaries from BBC Worldwide ANZ, effective July 16.

Nice Events continues SLIMEFEST tie-up

KRBD Entertainment family and children’s affiliate Nice Events continues its association with Nickelodeon’s kids music festival SLIMEFEST. The event returns for a fourth year, with two shows in Sydney (11 am, 6 pm on September 25) and Melbourne (11 am, 6 pm on September 27). Boyce Avenue headline a bill with The Veronicas, Timmy Trumpet & Savage, At Sunset, Reece Mastin and Samantha Jade. Last year’s fest drew 14,000. Nickelodeon will air a 90-minute special on Monday September 28 at 5 pm.

Mandurah songwriting workshop

A collaboration between RDA Peel Bleeding Ear Music, Mandurah Music and WA Music, sees Perth songwriter Steve Parkin (Basement Birds/Autopilot) hosting a songwriting workshop in Mandurah on the August 1 & 2 weekend.

BBC to expand profile of Mercury Prize

This year’s Mercury Prize will be run by founding partner BPI to help it “fulfil its long term vision.” The BBC has come on board with a wider support. As well as broadcasting coverage of the shortlist and winner announcements, the BBC will also showcase the Mercury Prize 2015 Albums of the Year and their artists through a series of studio sessions. 2015 will see the Prize shift from its traditional Awards Show event to broadcast the announcements of the short list and winner through the BBC’s radio, TV and digital platform.

Kay Perry delivers Shark phone case

As part of the US TV ewent Shark Week, Katy Perry extended her endorsement deal with Claire's to come up with a silver sparkly Left Shark phone case for fans of her on-stage uncoordinated dancer Left Shark.