MCPS seeks pitches to run its operations, could end long-term alliance with PRS
The Mechanical Copyright Protection Society - or MCPS to its closest friends - is inviting third parties to pitch to administer certain aspects of the collecting society's business, including all back-office operations. Which is interesting, because the result of this process could be a significant revamp of the organisation's long standing alliance with fellow song rights organisation PRS, or the Performing Right Society to its best pals.

The music publishing sector routinely licenses the mechanical rights in songs separately from the performing rights, and in some countries - like the UK - separate societies were set up to separately handle the collective licensing of the two elements of the song copyright. MCPS is mechanicals, PRS the performing rights.

However, in countries where this set up exists, it is common for the two societies - both of which will have a lot of publisher members and repertoire in common - to work closely together. Even more so since the rise of digital, because download stores and streaming platforms exploit both the mechanical and performing rights at the same time, meaning an ever increasing number of licensees need combined licences.

In the UK, the formal MCPS-PRS Alliance kicked off in 1997, and ultimately resulted in the creation of PRS For Music, a joint venture business that did the deal making, database management and royalty distribution on behalf of both societies. But in 2013, as part of moves to restructure its financial liabilities, MCPS sold its share in the PRS For Music venture to PRS, thus becoming a client of rather than a shareholder in the organisation that actually does the deals, data and distribution.

The current deal between MCPS and PRS For Music seemingly concludes at the end of the year, hence the decision now to consider other options. When it comes to the deal making, it seems like MCPS could actually take some of that back in-house, though the society - which is subsidiary of the Music Publishers Association - is keen to stress that it has no ambitions to build its own "pipes and machines", which is to say it will continue to outsource the heavy lifting and tedious administration, it's just that work doesn't have to go to the PRS.

Expressions of interest have already been made regarding taking on some of MCPS's heavy lifting, though - realistically - a relatively small number of companies would be sufficiently equipped to take on such task. The most obvious contenders are the privately owned collecting societies like AMRA and SESAC.

The former has had a significant facelift since being acquired by Kobalt last year, of course, though - despite its new owner being keen to stress that AMRA is entirely independent from its parent company - some key MCPS members will see Kobalt as a significant competitor, and may be uneasy about its collecting society administrating their rights.

SESAC, although traditionally a performing rather than mechanical rights organisation, did buy the Harry Fox Agency, America's main mechanical rights set-up, last year. And while HFA is arguably at least partly to blame for the monumental fuck-up around mechanical royalties in the streaming domain Stateside, word has it that SESAC has been doing a pretty good job of overhauling the mechanical rights agency since taking it over.

All that said, it could well be that the outcome of this review process is that PRS For Music remains the primary service provider to MCPS. Though the latter might hope that the threat of losing the UK mechanicals business will force the former to up its game. PRS, meanwhile, might hope that, with initiatives like the big pan-European ICE venture, it is already upping its game. It will be interesting to see if MCPS's publisher members agree.

The review could also initiate the further evolution of IMPEL, the sister organisation to MCPS which specifically represents the digital rights of a consortium of indie publishers.

Whereas MCPS has traditionally allowed PRS to represent its mechanical rights when dealing with digital services, the big five publishers - so Sony/ATV, Universal, Warner/Chappell, BMG and Kobalt - do it the other way round, in that PRS allows them to represent the performing rights the society controls when negotiating digital agreements.

You sense that IMPEL - which has the makings of a "Merlin for publishing" - could seek to do more deal making itself in the future, and this review could facilitate that process.

For the time being, MPA and MCPS chief Jane Dyball is keeping her options open, saying that now is the time to review the mechanical society's options in an ever-changing marketplace to assess the best ways to deliver value to her publisher members, while also seeking to make the licensing process as easy as possible for licensees, especially if and when simpler licensing processes can open up previously under-exploited revenue streams for song owners.

Dyball said yesterday: "Having weathered some fairly difficult years and fast-tracked achievement of our most recent business plan, MCPS is now at a major turning point in its history. We are a company with a £140 million annual turnover but which has decided that we are not in the business of building pipes and machines".

Which means, Dyball continues, "it is essential that we find the best back-office solution via a competitive tender so that we can be more responsive to the needs of our members and our customers. This will allow the management team to focus our attention on growing our revenues. The board has a firm belief that the mechanical right is an essential right for every music-related business. By licensing at appropriate value, and making it easy for licensees to buy our members' rights, we are convinced that growth is not only possible but inevitable".

The 'request for proposals' period will run until 30 Jun, and those interested in proposing should contact tom.fletcher@mpagroup.com.

Tulisa receives driving ban over Ferrari crash
Tulisa Contostavlos has been banned from driving for fifteen months after pleading guilty to drink driving.

As previously reported, the singer was arrested in London last September after she crashed her Ferrari into another car outside Southgate tube station. The former N-Dubz member had reportedly only picked up her £199,000 sports car, which she has since sold, days before the crash. She collided with an elderly couple's Saab shortly before midnight on 10 Sep and was arrested at the scene after being breathalysed, spending almost 24 hours in custody before being released.

Contostavlos pleaded guilty to drink driving, though a second charge of dangerous driving was dropped by prosecutors as proceedings got under way. The court heard that she had drunk two glasses of wine before the incident, and was travelling on the wrong side of the road at the time of the crash. When interviewed by police, she said that she had been "sleep-driving".

The singer felt remorse over the incident, her lawyer Kirsty Brimelow told the court, and noted that the incident had been a "minor collision", adding that Contostavlos had also immediately co-operated with police and admitted that she had drunk alcohol prior to driving. She also said that the singer has placed her career on hold pending this court case, and that a conviction would cause her problems obtaining a work visa in the US, where she is hoping to pursue a film career.

Despite this, the judge said that the nature of the incident warranted a driving ban. Contostavlos was also ordered to pay a £1,000 fine, £85 costs and a victim surcharge of £100.

Radiohead catalogue moves to XL, suggesting Warner's offload of Parlophone assets to indies is underway
A load of chitter chatter as to why some of Radiohead's catalogue had disappeared from the streaming services - was this long-term-Spotify-disser Thom Yorke making a stand? - is actually, possibly, a sign of something much more interesting: Warner Music is finally making good on its commitment to relinquish control of a chunk of the Parlophone repertoire it acquired back in 2013.

As you may remember, after Universal Music acquired the EMI record company in 2012, competition regulators in Europe forced the mega-major to sell off a bunch of assets, and most notably the UK-based Parlophone business (minus a few crown jewel assets, like the Beatles catalogue).

Warner then bought the Parlophone business, a deal that also needed regulator approval. But the mini-major did a deal with the indie community - via trade group IMPALA and digital rights body Merlin - which had lobbied hard against Universal's original EMI acquisition.

Under that deal, the independents would support Warner's Parlophone purchase on the condition the major would relinquish control of between a quarter and a third of the label's repertoire (based on revenue) to the indies, via actual catalogue sales, and/or distribution and licensing deals. That commitment was then reaffirmed in 2014 after Warner's Parlophone acquisition was completed.

Radiohead's first six albums were part of the Parlophone catalogue. The band's relationship with EMI soured after its 2007 acquisition by private equity firm Terra Firma, and while that management regime is long gone, there are still some tensions, resulting in litigation relating to EMI-era activity last year. Meanwhile, since parting company with EMI, Radiohead, and Yorke himself, have principally worked with Beggars label XL.

Now, it seems, XL is repping the band's back catalogue too. The indie is listed as the releasing label of those older albums on some digital services, while it's the original versions of the long players that are now streaming, rather than the special editions EMI put out without the band's participation, which, in part, explains the disappearing tracks.

Asked about the change in the Radiohead catalogue on its platform, Spotify told reporters: "As a result of a change in rights ownership of Radiohead's catalogue, the band's catalogue on Spotify has been streamlined, meaning that a small number of products are no longer available. However, the band's core album catalogue remains available to their millions of fans on Spotify as before".

So, has XL taken control of the Radiohead catalogue as part of Warner's 2013 repertoire-offload commitment? Probably. And that's presumably an offload that will be welcomed by the band themselves. Though official reps for Radiohead, Warner and XL are yet to comment.

However, Warner is quoted by Billboard as saying: "We are making good progress with the voluntary divestment process that IMPALA/Merlin and WMG agreed as part of our acquisition of Parlophone Label Group. Numerous independent labels are involved in these negotiations and we are not commenting on individual deals at this stage. We expect to make a joint announcement with IMPALA/Merlin in due course".

Sony Music appoints Visible Noise founder Julie Weir as new head of Music For Nations
Sony Music has announced Julie Weir as the new head of Music For Nations, the metal label having been revived by the major record company a year ago.

Weir is the founder of Visible Noise, best known for signing Bring Me The Horizon, who then went on to sign to Sony's RCA after three albums with the indie label. Prior to launching the company in 1998, she was Label Manager at Cacophonous Records.

"Julie's extensive knowledge in the field of rock and metal is second to none", says Sony Music UK COO Nicola Tuer. "Ally her skills with the legendary reputation of the Music For Nations label as well as the enduring popularity of these genres, and the revival of MFN is a truly exciting prospect. There is, also, no one more capable than Julie to lead the way on its re-launch".

Weir herself adds: "Having spent my first 21 industry years in the independent world, I am very excited to be moving into a new chapter with such an iconic label that has launched many a rock career. This is an outstanding opportunity to work with an exceptional team of people who not only understand the business, but are also open to expanding in different directions, whilst still prioritising the development of the artist. I can't wait to get started".

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Universal promotes Sally Davis to Managing Director of U-Live
Universal Music UK has promoted Sally Davis to the role of Managing Director at its live entertainment division. You did remember Universal Music had a concert promoting division, right? It's called U-Live and Davis has been its COO since it launched in 2012.

Says Universal Music UK CEO David Joseph: "There's clear potential for U-Live to continue to grow and innovate. Sally, a highly respected and creative executive who knows the live business inside out, is the person to take the company to the next level after its strong start in a very competitive sector".

Davis adds: "I feel very privileged to be leading our live division at such an exciting, pivotal time. We will benefit greatly from working closely with David's team as we move forward with Universal Music's live interests, delivering the projects already in our portfolio as well as exploring new opportunities".

Prior to joining Universal, among other roles Davis worked for AEG as Events Director and Assistant General Manager at The O2.

Speakers announced for CMU Insights @ Canadian Music Week
More details about the CMU Insights @ Canadian Music Week conference strand have been announced today, plus it's been confirmed that CMU will also present a digital dollar debate in a separate panel on the Saturday of the CMW Music Summit.

As previously reported, CMU Insights @ Canadian Music Week is a new three hour strand within Canada's biggest new music festival, a timely addition as CMW is putting the spotlight on the UK market this year. Hosted by CMU Business Editor Chris Cooke and featuring eleven members of the UK delegation attending CMW this year, the session will look at the British music market, key digital challenges and opportunities in 2016, and the evolution of the indie music sector. It runs from 1.30pm to 4.30pm on the Friday of CMW, 6 May.

BPI CEO Geoff Taylor will kick off the proceedings with an overview of the UK recorded music market, after which Cooke will discuss the wider British music industry. He will then lead a conversation about how the North American and UK music markets compare, and what acts from the former need to know if trying to break the latter.

Merlin's Charles Caldas, Mediaclarity's Jeremy Silver and Music Glue's Mark Meharry will then provide digital perspectives via three one-on-one interviews, covering streaming, curation, ticketing and direct-to-fan along the way. After which reps from four Great British Independents will discuss the indie sector, full details of which will be announced next week.

In addition to the main strand on the Friday, CMU Insights will also present a 'Dissecting The Digital Dollar' debate on the Saturday. This will consider some of the issues raised in the overview of digital licensing CMU produced for the UK's Music Manager's Forum last year, with viewpoints from both sides of the Atlantic coming via MMF's Jon Webster, FAC's Paul Pacifico, MROC's Julia Train and SOCAN's Genevieve Cote.

Says Cooke: "We're really exciting about CMU Insights' first year at Canadian Music Week, and while our main strand will have a British focus - as CMW puts the spotlight on our home market - our discussions will look well beyond the UK, and at the wider challenges and opportunities facing music in 2016. Then on Saturday, our digital dollar debate will see both the UK and Canada represented, as we compare the priorities of artists, songwriters and their managers on both sides of the Atlantic when it comes to the issues around digital rights and royalties".

Canadian Music Week runs from 2-8 May across Toronto, with main music conference running from 5-7 May. More information about the CMU activity here, the full programme for the Music Summit is here, and you can book your delegate passes here.

Hang The Bastard to split
Hang The Bastard have announced that they will split after their upcoming tour dates, due to take them into May, and a farewell show later this year.

In a post on Facebook, the metal band said: "After nine years, thirteen members and seventeen bassists, Hang The Bastard are calling time. We'd like to thank everyone who has helped us out, put on shows, driven us, toured with us, recorded us and drunk with us".

On their final shows, they added: "We will be playing the last of our UK shows over the next few weekends, followed by a short run in Europe and then headlining a stage at the Holy Roar tenth anniversary show. We will be planning a proper 'last show' after the summer in London where we'll be playing songs from our first release up to the most recent".

The band announced in January that they were working on a new album. I guess that's now not the case. Check here for those final live shows.

Tom Odell announces second album
Tom Odell has announced that he will release his second album, 'Wrong Crowd', on 10 Jun. Produced by Jim Abbiss, the LP is the follow-up to Odell's 2013 debut, 'The Long Road'.

Of the new record Odell says: "I wanted the songs to sound big and dramatic; big strings and melodies emphasising the songs further - rich in musicality and holding nothing back".

"The album follows a narrative of a man held at ransom by his childhood, yearning for it, yearning for nature - a desire for innocence in this perverse world in which he now lives", he continues. "It's a fictional story but the emotions and feelings are obviously ones I have felt - though the stories are elaborated and exaggerated. I wanted to create a world with a heightened sense of reality".

You can catch Odell live at the Islington Assembly Hall on 20 Apr, and watch the video for the album's first single and title track 'Wrong Crowd' here.

Busted name reunion tour
Busted have announced that they're calling their upcoming reunion dates the 'Pigs Can Fly' tour. Presumably because 'We Never Thought We'd Need The Cash This Badly' was a bit wordy. I'm joking, of course. I already know the reason why, because Charlie Simpson told me (in a press release).

"We're calling the tour 'Pigs Can Fly' because it just goes to show that anything can happen", says Simpson. "None of us thought we'd ever tour together again, and it's been an amazing journey getting back to this point. We can't wait to get out on the road!"

It's nice that they're all having such a nice time, isn't it? Here are those dates, expanded from the initial announcement last year:

11 May: London, Wembley Arena
13 May: Glasgow, SSE Hydro
14 May: Glasgow, SSE Hydro
15 May: Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena
17 May: Sheffield, Motorpoint Arena
18 May: Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena
20 May: Birmingham, Genting Arena
21 May: Manchester Arena
22 May: Liverpool, Echo Arena
24 May: Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena
25 May: Bournemouth, BIC
27 May: London, O2 Arena
28 May: London, O2 Arena
30 May: Belfast, SSE Arena
31 May: Dublin, 3 Arena
2 Jun: Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena
3 Jun: Manchester Arena
4 Jun: Birmingham, Barclaycard Arena

Ed Sheeran, Capitol Records, Venues Day, more

Other notable announcements and developments today...

• Ed Sheeran has signed a new deal with booking agency CAA for his live activity outside North America. The musician's agent, Jon Ollier, moved to CAA from the Free Trade Agency last year.

• Andrew Keller is the new VP of A&R for the US wing of Capitol records, by the way. "He's got great ears", says Capitol Music Group COO Michelle Jubelirer. I'm so glad you noticed.

• Cross-sector trade group UK Music has been announced as headline partner of Venues Day 2016, the annual event for the grass roots live community run by the Music Venue Trust. The event is on 18 Oct. So if we Brexit in June, and Scotland then declares independence in September, England Music at Venues Day it is!

• Would you like to watch Gold Panda hanging out with his gran? Well, the video for his new single 'In My Car' is for you.

• Kali Uchis has released a new single, 'Only Girl'. Produced by Kaytranada, it features Vince Staples and The Internet's Steve Lacy.

• 1 new track by Dim Mak-signed producer duo Botnek that people who've been tricked into clicking on links will understand.

• Singer-songwriter Gordi will release her debut EP, 'Clever Disguise', through Jagjaguwar on 13 May. From it, this is 'Can We Work It Out'.

• Michael Kiwanuka is touring all over the UK and Ireland in October. Check his website for dates. And click here for new single 'Black Man In A White World'.

Everlast aims to "smack Donald Trump's comb over right off his scalp" after House Of Pain song use
Another musician has noticed Donald Trump using their music at his rallies. Is that musician happy about it? Have yourself a quick guess before we move on.

Former House Of Pain member Everlast posted on Instagram over night: "I've been informed Donald Trump is using 'Jump Around' at his rallies. Stop playing my song you ignorant racist piece of shit - lawyers are already on it. I don't want your money, no amount you offer will get the license. I would love to meet you and smack that comb over right off your scalp, you scumbag!"

He added on Twitter: "Hey @realDonaldTrump stop using my song 'Jump Around' at your rallies you piece of shit. Cease and desist is coming, you scumbag".

Subsequently speaking to Billboard, the rapper said that he had first become aware that Trump was using his former group's 1992 track when he saw a news report online.

"This guy is supposedly this really good businessman, which is the biggest load of shit ever", he said. "The smartest businessman in the world should know that you have to license this music if it makes an appearance on TV with you, and they're making appearances on TV - so you're a moron. And the reason he doesn't ask anybody - a lot of people have asked him to cease and desist - [is] because every fucking person would say, 'no, fuck you', except for whatever right-wing country artist wants to give him the song, and I don't even think there's many of them".

While it's true that various musicians have taken exception to Trump's use of their music at his rallies, few have had much luck going down the legal route. The performance of songs at the presidential contender's events will usually be covered by blanket licences from ASCAP and BMI, usually held by the venues. Aerosmith's Steven Tyler thought he'd found a legal position on the matter, but it was never tested in court, because Trump backed down.

As for the news report, it wouldn't be Trump's responsibility to secure a licence for CNN's TV broadcast, though it's likely that that would be covered by the fair use exception for news reporting anyway. So arguably a licence isn't required, regardless.

Still, the choice of track might seem like an odd one. But Everlast thinks it's no coincidence that Trump's team chose a song by a white hip hop group. He said: "That's hip hop, man. That is black culture. What the fuck do you think you're doing with it? He's a fucking racist piece of shit. That's what he's trying to do: One of the most well-known white hip-hop groups... they're not stupid, the people around him. They're trying to create these inroads to people's demographic cubbyholes, so they can be like, 'Yeah, we're down with hip hop. Yeah, we're fucking cool'".

Elaborating further on his Instagram post, he continued: "Fuck that dude. I'll smack that fucker's comb over right off his fucking scalp. Like, for real, if I met Donald Trump, I'd punch him in his fucking face. And that's not a joke. Even if he did become president - watch out, Donald Trump, because I will punch you in your fucking face if I ever meet you. Secret Service had better just fucking be on it. Don't let me anywhere within a block. This is horrible".

As well as Everlast and Tyler, artists including REM, Neil Young and Adele have all distanced themselves from Trump after their music was used during his campaign to become president of the United States. He does have Twisted Sister's Dee Snider on side though.

Trump has also been bad-mouthed by several other hip hop acts recently, including Rae Sremmurd, who cut short a performance of their track 'Up Like Trump' at SXSW to denounce the wannabe politician. Meanwhile, according to TMZ, rappers Nipsey Hussle and YG yesterday had a video shoot for their new track 'Fuck Donald Trump' shut down by police.