Artist managers formally call for more transparency in streaming as MMF publishes part two of Digital Dollar report
The UK's Music Managers Forum has formally called for more transparency around the music industry's streaming deals as it publishes Part Two of its 'Dissecting The Digital Dollar' report. Produced by CMU Insights, our training and consultancy unit, the report summarises a series of roundtable discussions staged by the MMF earlier this year involving labels, publishers, artists, songwriters, lawyers, accountants and managers, with the input of over 200 people from the UK, US, Canada and France.

The roundtable discussions considered the various issues raised in Part One of 'Dissecting The Digital Dollar', which was published just under a year ago, though transparency stood out by far as the biggest problem for artist managers. Not least because the lack of clarity around the music industry's streaming deals, how digital royalties are processed, and how legacy record contracts are applied, often means managers are unable to have fully informed opinions on other key issues like how the value the streaming is shared and the big safe harbours debate.

Launching its new report in London this morning, the MMF said that it "believes the wider music industry now needs to work together to further grow the premium streaming market that is driving the recent uplift in recorded music revenues, but that requires rights owners and collecting societies to be more open with artists, songwriters and their representatives about their digital deals, and the ways streaming income is shared between the different stakeholder groups".

It went on: "Managers need to better understand streaming deals so that they can audit their artists' royalties, advise clients on the best music industry business partners to work with, and make informed decisions about which streaming services - and which streaming business models - work best for their artists, so that those artists can confidentially encourage fans to become paying customers of the right streaming platforms".

On the back of the new report, which will be available to download for free later today, the MMF has set out its key objectives in relation to recorded music, splitting its agenda into 'innovate', what the MMF itself and its members commit to do; 'advocate', what it wants the wider music industry to do; and 'regulate', where government might be able to assist.

The trade group's CEO Annabella Coldrick and President Jon Webster, said this morning: "The launch of 'Dissecting The Digital Dollar Part Two' continues the MMF's long campaign for a more transparent music industry with the interests of artists and fans at its core. Through this report, we have been able to get to the heart of key issues affecting the modern music business ecosystem and identify practical steps for our members, their artists and the wider industry".

They added: "The MMF is committed to educating and enabling the management community and scrutinising the entire music value chain to make sure that everyone is properly remunerated for their hard work and creative contributions. We hope that all who read this report will share our vision and work with us to create a fairer music business".

You can download both the full report and an executive summary here later today. In addition to transparency, the report considers division of revenue, performer equitable remuneration, sharing the value of digital deals, the role of the collecting societies, copyright data and safe harbours.

Former Sun journalist found guilty of tampering with evidence in Tulisa drugs case
Former Sun and News Of The World journalist Mazher Mahmood - aka the Fake Sheikh - has been found guilty of tampering with evidence in the collapsed drugs case that was pursued against one time N-Dubz and 'X-Factor' star Tulisa Contostavlos.

He will be sentenced later this month and could now face a flood of civil action from celebrities who were on the receiving end of his sting operations over the years while he was working for the tabloids.

As previously reported, Contostavlos found herself in court in 2014 following one of Mahmood's classic stings, the "let's see if we can trick a celebrity into getting us some drugs" sting, that being the sort of thing that constitutes news for his former employer. But the case collapsed after the judge presiding accused the journalist of "serious misconduct to the point that the integrity of the court would be compromised by allowing the trial to go ahead".

It was alleged that Mahmood had urged his long-time driver to alter his police statement. Said driver, Alan Smith, had initially told police that he overheard Contostavlos discussing her distain for hard drugs, but he later asked for those comments to be removed from his witness statement.

At a pre-trial hearing under oath, Mahmood said he had had no involvement in that change to Smith's statement. But he later admitted that he had indeed seen a copy of what Smith had originally said to the police and had spoken to his driver about it. Nevertheless, Mahmood denied tampering with any evidence, arguing that the changes to Smith's statement didn't greatly alter the criminal case against Contostavlos anyway.

However, both Mahmood and Smith were found guilty of the charge yesterday, and will now be sentenced on 21 Oct. Mahmood declined to comment to journalists outside the court, though none of them had thought to attend in fancy dress and offer him a lucrative movie career if he dished the dirt, so more fool them I guess. His former employer, Sun owner News UK, simply said it was "disappointed" with the verdict.

Ben Rose, the lawyer who led Contostavlos's defence in the drugs case, welcomed the ruling. According to The Guardian, he said: "The real scandal in this case is that Mahmood was allowed to operate as a wholly unregulated police force, 'investigating' crimes without the safeguards which apply to the police. It was obvious from the outset that Tulisa should never have had to go to court. If Mahmood's evidence had been properly stress-tested instead of accepted wholesale by the Crown Prosecution Service, we are confident it would have come to the same conclusion".

The legal man added: "Investigative journalists do important work, but Mahmood clearly went too far. That he and his driver have now been convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice will hopefully deter other journalists from using entrapment to drive celebrity gossip stories. Mahmood's actions brought his profession into disrepute and ruined hundreds of lives in pursuit of better circulation figures. The Crown Prosecution Service should not be so credulous in future".

Meanwhile another lawyer, Mark Lewis, says he has been instructed by eighteen people to now pursue civil damages against Mahmood now that his tactics as an investigative journalist have been put under the spotlight.

Lewis: "Over the last 25 years, innumerable lives have been ruined by the dishonest actions of Mazher Mahmood. People have lost their livelihoods, their homes and relationships, with some spending time in prison. Following today's verdict, there will be a significant number of civil claims made against Mazher Mahmood. We anticipate the total sums involved could easily reach £800 million, with some awards dwarfing those seen in the phone-hacking scandal".

So, fun times ahead.

TuneCore acquires JustGo, introduces new social media tools
Digital Distributor TuneCore has acquired JustGo, a platform that helps grassroots artists manage their social media presence. JustGo will cease to exist as a standalone service and will morph into TuneCore Social, offering social media management and analytics tools to artists distributing their tracks to download and streaming services via the company.

Confirming the acquisition, TuneCore said that in a recent survey of its users it found that "a majority of its artists were less than satisfied with their own current social media capabilities - TuneCore Social addresses the high use and importance of social media for artists by helping streamline their digital presence into one easy-to-use hub, allowing them to better connect with their current fans, as well as gain new ones".

JustGo founder Justin Golshir will join TuneCore to oversee the integration of the two platforms and to further expand to distributor's artist service provision. He said of the deal: "With JustGo our mission has always been to help emerging musicians grow their fanbase and get their music heard around the world. TuneCore strives to do exactly that through its vast portfolio of artist services and together we can achieve that shared mission on a much larger scale now with TuneCore Social".

Meanwhile TuneCore boss Scott Ackerman said: "We talk to our customers every day so we can learn exactly what they want and need to be successful as independent artists. We know that social media is integral in helping our artists reach a wider audience, so acquiring JustGo was a natural fit. Offering this all-in-one management platform is a testament to our commitment to supporting our artists and helping them thrive in this ever-changing industry".

Global acquires six UK festivals, including Field Day, Boardmasters and Truck
Global has dug much deeper into one of the many pies it has fingers in, acquiring six UK festivals and increasing its stake in live firm Broadwick Live.

The media and entertainment company has purchased four festivals from Impresario - SouthWestFour, Field Day, Boardmasters and Rewind Festival - and two from Count Of Ten - Y Not and Truck. Having announced plans to expand the music side of its business, Global got into the festivals game last year by taking a stake in Broadwick Live, the company behind Snowbombing and Festival No 6, as well as various branded events.

Director of Global's Live And Touring division, Sam Bush, says: "We took a stake in Broadwick Live just over a year ago. We've had an incredible first year working together, working hard to bring in some of Europe's leading music festivals as well as some of the most innovative and well-loved up-and-coming festivals. We have a shared ambition to grow the portfolio and we look forward to doing this with Gareth and the team at Broadwick Live as well as the founders and managers of the festivals we have acquired".

The there referenced Broadwick Live CEO Gareth Cooper adds: "These are exciting times. Working with Global has helped us to realise our ambitions and then some. We have a strong partner that offers us unbelievable support and shares our goal to build an international festivals business, starting with our first venture in North America next year. What we have announced today is just the beginning".

It of course remains to be seen how well the largely indie and alternative leaning festivals in this deal evolve ultimately under the control of a major entertainment company like Global.

Michael Jackson songwriter Rod Temperton dies
Songwriter Rod Temperton - best known for writing Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' and 'Off The Wall' - died last week after a period living with a cancer diagnosis, his publisher Warner/Chappell announced yesterday. He was 66.

"Rod Temperton, British composer and musician, died last week at the age of 66 in London following a brief aggressive battle with cancer", said Warner/Chappell CEO Jon Platt in a statement. "His funeral was private".

He continued: "He was often referred to as The Invisible Man. He was the sole writer of multiple successful songs such as 'Thriller', 'Off The Wall', 'Rock With You', 'Give Me The Night', 'Sweet Freedom', 'Always & Forever' and 'Boogie Nights' to name just a few. His family is devastated and request total privacy at this, the saddest of sad times".

Born in Cleethorpes in 1947, Temperton's career took off as the keyboard player in R&B group Heatwave, for whom he wrote 'Boogie Nights', joining after answering an advert in Melody Maker in 1974.

He left the band in 1978 to become a songwriter full-time, and was quickly hired by Quincy Jones to write for Michael Jackson's 'Off The Wall' album. Three of his songs appeared on the record, including 'Rock With You', as well as three on the follow-up, 'Thriller', including the title track.

Temperton also wrote for Aretha Franklin, Karen Carpenter, George Benson, Herbie Hancock, Donna Summer and Mica Paris, among many others, and contributed to a number of film soundtracks.

Kid Cudi seeks help for depression
Kid Cudi has written a post on Facebook, telling fans that he is seeking help for depression.

The rapper wrote: "It's been difficult for me to find the words to what I'm about to share with you because I feel ashamed. Ashamed to be a leader and hero to so many while admitting I've been living a lie. It took me a while to get to this place of commitment, but it is something I have to do for myself, my family, my best friend/daughter and all of you, my fans. Yesterday I checked myself into rehab for depression and suicidal urges".

"I am not at peace", he continued. "I haven't been since you've known me. If I didn't come here, I would've done something to myself. I simply am a damaged human swimming in a pool of emotions everyday of my life. There's a ragin violent storm inside of my heart at all times. I don't know what peace feels like. I don't know how to relax. My anxiety and depression have ruled my life for as long as I can remember and I never leave the house because of it. I can't make new friends because of it. I don't trust anyone because of it and I'm tired of being held back in my life".

"I deserve to have peace. I deserve to be happy and smiling. Why not me? I guess I give so much of myself to others I forgot that I need to show myself some love too. I think I never really knew how. I'm scared, I'm sad, I feel like I let a lot of people down and again, I'm sorry. It's time I fix me. I'm nervous but ima get through this".

With his new album, 'Passion, Pain And Demon Slayin', due out this month, he said that he would not "be around to promote much", but that his label Republic and manager Dennis Cummings would handle that in his absence. Although he said that he hoped to be able to attend Long Beach, California's Complexcon in early November "for high fives and hugs".

"Love and light to everyone who has love for me and I am sorry if I let anyone down", he concluded. "I really am sorry. I'll be back, stronger, better. Reborn. I feel like shit, I feel so ashamed. I'm sorry".

If you are experiencing depression, you can contact The Samaritans on 116123 or music industry specific helpline Music Support on 0800 030 6789.

Read Mind's guide to depression here.

Bros to reunite for O2 Arena show
Is anyone out there actually calling for a Bros reunion? Well, they reckon anything up to 20,000 people are, as Matt and Luke Goss have booked in to play the O2 Arena on 19 Aug next year.

Yeah, you can be facetious all you like, they're ready for you. The press release announcing this show contains an enormous number of stats to convince you that this is a good thing that people should care about. They played Wembley Arena nineteen times, headlined Wembley Stadium, sold millions of albums, and went to number one all over the shop.

Oh, but since then? Since then they've done nothing, right? Well, actually "since then both Matt and Luke have achieved tremendous success in their respective music and film careers". So that's you told. Matt has sold over five million solo albums (this may or may not be a typo), and played a residency at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and "JUST LAST WEEKEND headlined Wembley Arena".

Meanwhile Luke Goss has been in all films and that.

"The most memorable moments for me in Bros so far is Wembley Stadium and without question our final global tour", says Matt Goss, casually reminding us again that Bros once headlined Wembley Stadium. "Both of these experiences were just with Luke and myself. As the lead singer of the band, my musical connection has always been with Luke. Bros is Matt and Luke".

Oh yeah, I should probably mention that third band member Craig Logan is not returning for this reunion, which is a shame because he really made the band for me. He tempered that whole Nazi Youth thing the other two had going on.

Anyway, as I say, Craig's not on board, so we'll give Luke a chance to speak instead.

"Bros has been part of my life for 30 years", he says. "I'm deeply proud of it".

Good to hear. Anything else to add, Luke? "Our biggest show was at Wembley Stadium, 'Bros Into Summer', it was just Matt and I so I feel comfortable saying with great pride that Matt and I are Bros". Alright, alright, you've made your point.

So, Bros - which is just Matt and Luke Goss, who once played Wembley Stadium, remember - will be playing the O2 Arena on 19 Aug 2017. Tickets go on sale at 11am tomorrow morning. They will be priced between £40 and £150. I know, amazing. Just think what they'd have been able to charge if Craig had wanted to join in.

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Hatsune Miku to headline the Barbican
Virtual popstar Hatsune Miku will headline a show at the Barbican in February, performing new songs written for her by Laurel Halo.

Hatsune Miku is the animated representation of vocal generation software Vocaloid, meaning anyone can write songs for her. As a result, she has released more than 100,000 songs worldwide, as well as supporting Lady Gaga in the US and modelling for Vogue.

This new show, 'Still Be Here', was conceived by artist Mari Matsutoya. As well as music composed by producer Laurel Halo, other collaborators include choreographer and visual artist Darren Johnston, and digital artists LaTurbo Avedon and Martin Sulzer.

Tickets for the show, which takes place on 26 Feb 2017, will go on sale on Friday. Find more information here, and watch a trailer here.

Radiohead, Grimes, Bon Iver, more

Other notable announcements and developments today...

• Radiohead have released a live video for 'Numbers', shot by that Paul Thomas Anderson.

• Touring can be boring, they say. But they also say 'If you're bored, then you're boring'. They want to make their minds up. Anyway, Grimes has been filling time on tour by filming music videos. Four for herself, three for support act/bandmate Hana. And she's just released all of them at once. So here's 'World Princess Part II', 'Butterfly', 'Scream' and 'Belly Of The Beat' by Grimes, and 'Chimera', 'Underwater' and 'Avalanche' by Hana.

• Bon Iver has released the lyric video for '____45_____'.

• Helmet have released the lyric video for new single 'Bad News'. Their new album 'Dead To The World' is out on 28 Oct.

• Crocodiles have released a new track, 'Not Even In Your Dreams'. New album, 'Dreamless', is out on 21 Oct.

• Leatherette have announced that they will release their new album, 'Last Night On The Planet', on 25 Nov through Ninja Tune. Here's first single 'Shanel'.

• Tall Ships will release their new album, 'Impressions', on 10 Feb. From it, this is 'Meditations On Loss'.

• Savoy Motel have released the video for new single 'Sorry People'. Their debut album is out on 21 Oct.

• Trivium will be on tour in the UK in February, including a show at The Roundhouse in London on 17 Feb.

• Dälek will be touring the UK next month, including a stop at Corsica Studios in London on 26 Nov.

Prince's Paisley Park museum will open today after all
Prince's Paisley Park will open today after all. Although it will then close again. Re-open again. Close again for a bit. Then re-open. And close. After that, who knows?

As previously reported, plans to open the musician's home up to the public today were postponed earlier this week, after the local council rejected proposed changes to parking restrictions in the surrounding area. On Monday night Chanhassen City Council voted against a request for changes to local parking rules, saying that they wanted more time to review the probable effects of the museum on traffic, parking, pedestrian safety and the safety of the public at large.

However, yesterday the new museum was granted a temporary permit to open three times over the next eight days. But it will only be open to existing ticket holders, and no new tickets are currently available for sale.

"The Chanhassen, Minnesota City Council has granted Paisley Park a temporary permit to open the museum for tours on Thursday 6 Oct, Saturday 8 Oct, and Friday 14 Oct while Paisley Park continues to work closely with the council on their traffic and zoning concerns", says a statement on the museum's website. "No new tickets are available at this time but we remain committed to giving all fans the opportunity to visit Paisley Park. Further information will be forthcoming".

There's no need to wait though, Al Roker from 'Today' was allowed in to have a poke around, and he happened to have a camera crew with him, so you can take your guided tour right now.