Joseph Taraborrelli

Music Business Association Music Biz 2024 coming up in May. Find out more about Reactional Music and what we are delivering across interactive music, music personalisation, in-game economies, generative composable music and the possibilities for creators, composers, artists and developers

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“Warner Music Group (WMG) CEO Robert Kyncl has come out in favor of a US Senate bill that would crack down on unauthorized deepfakes, arguing that the technology could ruin lives, reputations and businesses if left unchecked. Although many in the music business are embracing AI, it’s also the case that “generative AI is appropriating artists’ identities and producing deepfakes that depict people doing, saying, or singing things that never happened,” Kyncl will tell a subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Commitee on Tuesday (April 30). “Through AI, it is very easy for someone to impersonate me and cause all manner of havoc,” Kyncl said, according to his pre-prepared remarks shared with MBW. “They could speak to an artist in a way that could destroy our relationship. They could say untrue things about our publicly traded company to the media that would damage our business.” #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Legal #GenerativeAi #GeAi #Music #MusicBusiness #Musicians #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicLicensing #WMG #MusicVideos #Artists #MusicBiz #Streaming #StreamingServices #StreamingMedia #WarnerMusicGroup #USCongress #USA

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O P T I M I S T I C ! ! ”Los Angeles Film and TV Production Sees Sluggish Rebound From Strikes, but There’s Optimism” according to a report from FilmLA which notes an anemic return to filming in the region but that jobs appeared to return in full force in March. Filming in Los Angeles has been slow to bounce back after production in the region was decimated by Hollywood’s historic season of strikes.  The main reason for the sluggish rebound: A double-digit drop in television shoots compared to the same period last year.  Also playing a factor in the decline were reductions in content spend across most major studios, series cancellations and runaway production.  While the difference was steep in January (30.6 percent fewer jobs, totaling 2,282), it was modest in February (5.1 percent fewer jobs, totaling 3,061) and nearly unnoticeable by the end of March (a 0.4 percent increase, totaling 3,274 jobs).  There’s optimism in production levels for feature films. The category rose slightly in the quarter, picking up 634 shoot days to finish an estimated 7 percent ahead of the same months last year. Movies in production included Beverly Hills Cop 4, Atlas, and Lurker, all of which are getting tax credits to film in California.  FilmLA also flagged the loss of commercial production — which slipped nearly 10 percent year-over-year and more than 33 percent below the five-year average — to other jurisdictions as a concern. Filming for smaller, lower-cost shoots, such as documentaries, music videos and still photography, similarly fell by roughly 5 percent. Entertainment Partners https://lnkd.in/g5veEE6R https://lnkd.in/gjhbnQdG

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“…music copyright valuation continues to grow at an accelerated pace. The global valuation ascribed to music copyright reached $41.5bn, according to industry economist Will Page. This is 14.5% more than 2022. More folks are streaming music than ever before. Vinyl sales are up. Concert ticket sales surpassed 2019’s figures, according to Live Nation. And beneath all of this are the songs, or copyrighted works. Without them, there would be no tours, no vinyl records and no streaming services. Funds that invest in this intellectual property are expected to continue to see a return. But across the industry, this is not the case.” “There are reasons for this - based both on data and perception. Qualitatively, the way the music industry - as a monolith - is perceived continues to be challenged. For example, in BBC’s daily news podcast, Global Story, a report on Taylor Swift referred to the music industry as ‘in crisis’ despite the macroeconomic data arguing otherwise. This is supported by the evidence of burgeoning inequality. While arenas and stadiums celebrate a bumper year, small music venues in the UK suffered their “worst year in a decade” according to the Music Venue Trust. Music education hubs - often the places where music is first created - are being cut by two-thirds in 2024-2025. However, quantitatively, the data reveals a different story. Music listenership is up, according to the IFPI. Revenue collections from CISAC, the international trade body representing collective management organizations was up 28% in 2022. Simply, more music would mean more return, especially for firms that own much of the music that is consumed, such as funds like Hipgnosis, Round Hill or Primary Wave or the three multinationals, Universal Music Group, Warner Music and Sony Music. However, debt is now more expensive, and liabilities are outstripping return. Listening to more music is not enough.” #CMOs #CISAC #IFPI #Artists #UK #RecordingRights #Performers #Royalties #MusicRoyalties #Music #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #Copyright #Copyrights #Songs #Songwriters #Recordings #MusicPublishing #Streams #Streaming #MusicStreaming #LiveMusic #Global #RecordedMusic #RecordLabels #IndieMusic

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Thank you Max Miller and Broadcast Tech for letting us curate this feature from LGBTQIA+ contributors in the #postproduction and #VFX industry for Pride Month 🌈 Being proud of who you are is one thing - having support and allyship from your industry and workplace is another. In this piece we can see there are some wonderful role models in our sector and hopefully some advice that make being who you that bit easier when the world can tell you it's not. 📣 Pride isn't just for one month of the year - it should be felt year-round with efforts from everyone to increase inclusion, representation and diversity at all levels. 💡 It is important to remember that Pride is intersectional and doesn't mean the same thing for everyone. The feature (linked below) is an illuminating and inspiring read from each and every one of our contributors from across the industry. #pride2024 #post #vfx #production Broadcast (MBI)

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Good piece on current state of play of the broadcast market in the US. Whilst ad supported streaming is growing, it’s not fast enough to offset TV’s decline. The death of broadcast is almost as popular as prediction as the year of mobile. For balance it’s worth noting “Despite the sharp drop in TV ad spending, Mondelez and Hershey remain far-bigger believers in TV advertising than the industry as a whole”. https://lnkd.in/dm2uxb8p

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Whether to merge or bundle with each other, or to bend the knee to #Google, #Apple and #Amazon, a good article about the decisions that await the media industry and their streaming businesses. I tend to believe old will be new again with bundling and a return to the wholesale model. #bundling #streaming #media

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TDious Experiences volume II: The Remote Broadcast Production Technical Director [Part 1: Mobile Unit Setup] Ask any 5 Technical Directors (TDs) to describe their role leading up to a live broadcast production and you’ll get anywhere from 5 to 50 different answers. That’s because the role has a number of seemingly dissimilar responsibilities that, in any other occupation, might be split among several different people. For example, a concert pianist generally doesn’t have to tune their own piano, assign the notes to the keys, build the conductor’s podium, compose the transitions from movement to movement, then ultimately play a three hour concerto on that piano nonstop, simultaneously monitoring each note on the piano offline to ensure tonal quality while performing LIVE before an audience of millions! Actually, that’s probably not the best analogy; a piano only has 88 keys. The world’s most popular Video Production Switcher, the Grass Valley Kayenne panel & K-Frame, has 1,326 buttons (or “keys”), 6 knobs, 4 fader bars and a joystick. The pianist in this scenario has the luxury of concerning themselves only with their ultimate performance. Everything else is taken care of for them. Not so for a remote TD. If it’s going to be a visual element within the show, it ultimately passes through the TD in one way or another. Video that will be mixed into the production itself must pass through the TD’s video switcher, while other signals, such as video going to monitors in the control room, can pass directly via the router. The router of a television mobile unit is the signal distribution core for any production. Any video or audio source that is going to be part of the production must exist within the mobile unit’s router. The TD is responsible for ensuring the correct video lands in the appropriate place in production monitor wall, its layout determined by the producer & director, as well as video switcher and all router control points in the control room. This is the part of the engineering setup that takes the most time to accomplish. The Engineer in Charge (EIC) is the sole manager of the router grid. It is critical that all inputs to the router and outputs from the router be managed by one individual. From there, especially in the IP world of media transport, every department has the ability to manage their own routing needs. It’s at this point that the TD can finally begin to focus on building out their “piano.” This begins with switcher input & output (I/O) documentation. Traditionally this is generated by the EIC, but with the increased flexibility offered in the IP world, this becomes a joint effort between the EIC, the TD and a dynamic document, such as a shared Google Sheet. In Part II I’ll delve into the mindset of the TD as they begin laying out sources for the production on the video switcher’s panel, as well as some important things to keep in mind when doing so. If you have Qs, thoughts or ideas for future TDious posts, drop a DM!

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📺 Apple will introduce a new version of its streaming television operating system, tvOS 18, later this year, featuring character-driven data and a dialogue enhancer. 🎬 The new feature, InSight, allows streamers to see timely updates about actors, characters, and music offered through Apple TV Plus content, integrating directly with other Apple services like Apple Music. 🗣️ Enhanced Dialogue will utilize machine learning and computational audio to deliver greater vocal clarity over music, action, and background noise on various devices including Apple TV 4K, HomePod, iPhones, and iPads. 🌍 Other features in tvOS 18 include smarter subtitles, updated screen savers, a revamped Apple Fitness Plus app, better integration with smart home devices, support for 21:9 aspect ratio videos on projectors, and improvements to FaceTime and Continuity Camera for video conferencing. #svod #ai #apple #tv https://lnkd.in/eAgubRGC

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Deepna Devkar, Ph.D. what a treat having you on the podcast! If you’ve ever wondered what goes into building your personalised experience on Max, this is the episode for you. Tune in to hear from one of the minds leading the build of the platform experience!

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*More than half of Netflix's content budget is now allocated to original and acquired content sourced outside of North America. *With 70% of Netflix subscribers located outside North America, producing and licensing local content remains crucial for fostering organic subscriber growth and minimising churn. *Europe’s big five markets, particularly the UK and Spain, attract substantial investment. Beyond Europe, South Korea, Japan and China emerge as top international markets for Netflix's content spending. *Netflix’s own audience data indicating that non-English titles contribute to ~30% of viewing. *International content spending represents a risky but rewarding proposition. Netflix's international production capabilities are a key differentiator in the streaming market. *This advantage is not without its challenges, however, with international consumers expecting a steady supply of freshly curated, localised content. #content #tv #streaming #international #vod #svod https://lnkd.in/ejuHfVM3

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SAG-AFTRA has cut a deal with the measurement and analytics firm Nielsen to be a third-party provider of streaming content measurement. The Nielsen data — from its Streaming Content Ratings service — will “complement first-party data from streaming platforms and serve as a consistent and comparable lens through which the performance of streaming titles across various distribution platforms can be analyzed,” the companies said in the announcement. When SAG-AFTRA cut a deal with the studios in November to end the prolonged actors strike, it included a streaming bonus for shows on platforms like Netflix, Prime Video and Peacock that are bona fide hits. The deal saw the streamers agree to release some data privately to the union to help gauge what shows are hits, and which are not. The Nielsen deal suggests that the union wants to be sure there is another party involved for “forecasting and enforcement.” The rapid evolution of the media landscape and audience behaviors over the past decade has not only affected how content is consumed and measured, but also greatly impacts the financial models on which the entertainment industry operates. Nielsen is in the midst of transforming its business to adapt to a streaming-first world, where third-party measurement can be challenging thanks to walled gardens and consumers watching programs on phones, computers, smart TVs and through devices like Roku sticks. Many traditional TV companies have also sought to partner with other measurement firms in recent years, like Comscore, iSpot, EDO and VideoAmp to broaden the number of companies that help track the viewership of programs and efficacy of ads. #streaming #measurement #svod #nielsen #ott #content #audience #behavior #engagement #video #metrics

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Our Research & Insights team has delivered another great piece of work, entitled Fan DNA. This new way of looking at audiences supplements traditional segmentation and we hope helps support marketers on how to tailor live music investments so they deliver even more back.    Fan DNA helped us discover more about our fans in the following two areas:    1) Uncovering six new core fan types that make up UK audiences of all ages at live music events 2) Identifying the emotional drivers of fans and matching them to the underlying human needs they correspond to at live music events   And that’s just the beginning of this great piece of new research. If you’d like to learn more about Fan DNA, give this piece a read and feel free to get in touch with the team with any questions. Thank you to Marketing Week for working with us on a piece of content that helps shed light on our findings for your readers. https://lnkd.in/e_KUHAZD

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Generative AI is becoming a formidable force in media and entertainment, check out HarrisX - a Stagwell Inc. company's new survey with Variety VIP+ for the full details! A big thanks to Audrey Schomer for the write up, read here: https://lnkd.in/epMrPfnN #ai #generativeai #media #entertainmentindustry

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California has faced challenges in retaining its dominance in broadcast production and distribution for several reasons: 1. **Cost of Living**: California's high cost of living, especially in major production hubs like Los Angeles, has driven up production costs significantly. This includes expenses related to studio space, labor, and permits. Many production companies seek more cost-effective alternatives elsewhere. 2. **Tax Incentives**: Other states and countries offer attractive tax incentives to lure productions away from California. These incentives can significantly lower production costs for filmmakers, making it more financially appealing to shoot elsewhere. 3. **Competition**: With the rise of digital streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu, there's increased competition for content production. These platforms may choose to produce content in locations outside of California for various reasons, such as tax incentives or access to unique landscapes. 4. **Globalization**: The globalization of the entertainment industry means that productions are no longer confined to traditional hubs like Hollywood. Filmmakers can now access talent, resources, and locations from around the world, reducing the need to base productions solely in California. 5. **Technology**: Advancements in technology have made it easier for productions to take place anywhere with sufficient infrastructure. Remote collaboration tools, digital effects, and virtual production techniques have reduced the necessity of being physically present in California for all stages of production. 6. **Regulatory Environment**: California's regulatory environment, including labor laws and environmental regulations, can sometimes be seen as restrictive or burdensome compared to other locations, prompting some productions to seek alternatives. Despite these challenges, California still remains a significant player in the entertainment industry, with Hollywood remaining a symbol of filmmaking excellence globally. However, it's increasingly facing competition from other regions and platforms.

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“Sony Music Entertainment is set to acquire the catalog of legendary rock band Queen in a landmark deal worth GBP £1 billion (USD $1.27 billion at current exchange rates). That’s according to Hits, which reported on Wednesday (June 19), citing sources, that Sony Music has emerged as the winning buyer for Queen’s recording and publishing rights, as well as royalties from previous deals with Disney Music Group and Universal Music Group. Disney owns the band’s recorded music catalog in North America, while UMG has a global distribution agreement with Disney. Separately, Queen band members Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon – plus the Freddie Mercury estate – each own equal shares in the company Queen Productions Ltd, which owns the group’s recording catalog outside the US and Canada, Music Business Worldwide noted in a report last year. UMG, as Disney’s distributor, will reportedly retain distribution rights in North America, although Sony will receive the royalties. UMG’s worldwide distribution rights will then transfer to Sony in 2026 or 2027, making Sony Music the sole distributor and owner of all Queen content globally, Hits explained. The deal also reportedly includes name and likeness rights, opening doors for merchandise and other ventures. Meanwhile, Queen’s founding members, May and Taylor, who continue to tour with vocalist Adam Lambert, will reportedly retain control of revenue from live performances.” Read the full article for more: #Queen #SonyMusic #UMG #DisneyMusicGroup #UniversalMusicGroup #Music #MusicBusiness #Musica #MusicIndustry #Musique #Musik #MusicBiz #Creators #Artists

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The theatrical business is still struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels, with consumer discretionary spending on the decline and rising ticket prices. The CEO of Sony might be onto something with his suggestion to decrease ticket prices. Lowering prices could make movie-going more accessible, increase foot traffic, and provide a competitive edge over streaming services. It's a strategy worth considering to revitalize the industry.

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