New Signings & Team-Ups: October 6

Alberts, Create Control: double deals for Patrick James

Rising NSW pop rock troubadour Patrick James has set up the October 16 release of his debut album Outlier with two signings. Alberts inked him to a global publishing deal. Aside from national airplay for his singles California Song, Bugs and the new folk-country inspired In New Light, his music has been featured on TV series like Offspring and Wonderland.

Create Control will also distribute the album, after working on the previous EPs Broken Lines and All About to Change. They sold 11,000 units and were made after James arrived in Sydney from Port Macquarie and began busking where he was spotted by Boy & Bear and taken on tour. “I have made close and important relationships at Create Control,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with the team for my album release.”

Briggs confirms Bad Apples Music signings

Central Victorian hip hop performer Briggs has unveiled the first four acts of his new indigenous label Bad Apples Music. The four showcased in Sydney on the weekend at the Newtown Social Club with a repeat performance on October 9 at Melbourne’s Workers Club.

The acts have been working the hip hop scene for some years, and Briggs says he wants to provide the opportunities for indigenous creative that Hilltop Hoods gave him through their Golden Era Records. A.B Originals is a collaboration between Briggs and Trials of Adelaide’s Funkoars. 23-year-old Philly from Mildura released his Not My Life album on Payback Records. NT-hailed Birdz is working on a project with producers James Mangohig, Joelistics and Trials. Nooky was some years ago invited to the US to record a track with Black Eyed Peas’ member Taboo.

ARN, Emotive, partnership for iHeartRadio Australia Live

The Australian Radio Network and its content marketing agency Emotive will stage 14 iHeartRadio Live events over the next 12 months. Head of iHeartRadio Australia Geraint Davies said it would be “a huge year of music for iHeartRadio audiences with more live events, more exclusive content for fans, and commercial partnerships soon to be announced.”

He added, “iHeartRadio Australia has enjoyed 18 months of solid growth and with over 482,000 registered users, iheart.com is the place to go for audiences to hear their favourite artists, all with a customised listening experience.”

The first of the 14 was Justin Bieber’s much-ballyhooed performance for KIIS 106.5 and Seven Network’s Sunrise. It was held on Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour and renamed Bieber Island. Before the event, #BieberIsland was mentioned more than six million times on Twitter. Across the three-hour event, almost 100,000 Tweets had Bieber’s performances trending and 4,000 posts were shared on Instagram using the hashtag. A competition to see the Bieb drew 1.7 million phone calls to KIIS FM and “tens of thousands online entries”.

Cleo Guvera channel launches

To increase its content and spread the word of how brands can interact with customers through music and entertainment, Australian brand-funded music streaming service Guvera teamed up with publisher Bauer Media for Cleo Guvera channel. It sees the two companies cross-promote and share content.

The list of brand partners for Guvera which claimed 1.5 million users earlier this year, includes Lenovo mobile devices, Accor Hotels, Nine Networks’ The Voice, online retailer The Iconic and travel brand Contiki.

Universal Music finally agrees to Amazon Prime

Universal Music has finally agreed to allow its artists on Amazon’s music and video streaming Prime service. The 1000 acts include those from jazz and classical. Amazon signed with Warner and Sony ahead of its US launch in June 2014, Universal held out over Amazon’s flat-rate licensing deal but relented when, apparently, offered a better deal than it was getting from rival services.

ABC Family green lights Nicki Minaj comedy series

US youth-skewing cable channel ABC Family has green-lighted a new comedy series which will be executive-produced and feature Nicki Minaj. The still-untitled series, to start filming in the next few months in Queens in New York, will be based around her family’s immigration from Trinidad in the 1960s, her growing up in Queens, and her rise to stardom. It is not known yet when the series will air in Australia Minaj features with Ice Cube in the 2016-due movie Barbershop 3.

“The Ins and Outs of Music Festivals”

Music SA, APRA AMCOS and Adelaide brewery Pirate Life present The Ins and Outs of Music Festivals in the latest of its skills development series for musicians and songwriters. Moderated by Music SA Chair Anne Wiberg, Annette Tripodi (WOMADelaide), Steve Pitken (Scumfest, Telltale & Vines), Joel Byrne (Wolf & Cub, Music SA) and Sam Wright (Make Ready Lab) will advice how to get booked on to a festival, what they look for, how to maximise a performance and where festivals source their acts from.

It is held at the Jade Monkey on Tuesday October 13 between 6 and 8 pm. It is free but you must register through the Music SA site. Pirate Life will do a short presentation to open and also supply one complimentary drink per person.

Nova 96.9 joins Tropfest

Nova 96.9 is Major Media Partner and Official Radio Partner for this year’s short film festival Tropfest. The two will host an array of activity, do on air promotions and broadcast exclusive interviews. About 90,000 are expected when the free event stages at Sydney’s Centennial Park on Sunday December 6.

Concord Bicycle buys into Razor & Tie

Beverly Hills-based Concord Bicycle Music bought a “significant” stake in New York’s Razor & Tie. The latter was set up 25 years ago by Cliff Chenfeld and Craig Balsam and estimated by Nielsen Media to have a 1.33% album label share in the US. The two will jointly set up Razor & Tie Enterprises LLC. Bicycle will administer Razor & Tie’s publishing and help expand the Kidz Bop franchise.

Concord Bicycle, which turns over $140 million a year, has this year bought Vanguard, Sugar Hill, Fearless Records and the rest of Wind-Up Records.

WA multi-collaboration yields latest Sounds Of The Pilbara

A team up by WAM, Celebrate WA, BHP Billiton, and Karlka Nyiyaparli Aboriginal Corporation (KNAC) provided the opportunity for the landmark Sounds Of The Pilbara II: Songs in Language CD see light of day. The 26-tracks has 54 voices showcasing songs and stories in five indigenous languages from the Pilbara region. As part of a campaign to promote the preservation of active Aboriginal languages (only 18 exist, there were once 250), the tracks were recorded over three weeks in a temporary studio in South Hedland. The music was premiered at as part of the Warajanga Cultural Evening at the South Hedland Town Square Amphitheatre, with an intimate metro preview in a Northbridge hotel last week.

Absolute Label Services partner with Nitin Sawhney

Absolute Label Services partner with Nitin Sawhney for the November 4 UK release of his tenth studio album, Dystopian Dream through his Postiv-ID, a tie-up with the innovative Wang-Ramirez Company will see upcoming UK dates translate the album into a fully choreographed show.

Fairfax Media buys Australian Openair Cinemas

Fairfax Media extends its presence in the events business by buying Australian Openair Cinemas, which operates six sites across the country. Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s will be the naming rights partner for the cinemas.

PIAS acquires Harmonia Mundi

European indie PIAS acquired classical, jazz and world music label Harmonia Mundi’s music assets and catalogue but not its book publishing and retail arms. Harmonia Mundi set up in France in 1958 and generates US$33 million a year.

Nova Entertainment goes betting on Melbourne Racing

Nova Entertainment is horsing around with the Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) to showcase Caulfield Racecourse as the ultimate food, lifestyle and entertainment location. At race day events through October, Nova and smoothfm set up chill out areas and pop up hair and grooming salons, provide live DJs, with Potbelleez performing after the races conclude on Caulfield Guineas Day (October 10).