Music Industry Moves: Vince Gill Signs ‘Lifetime’ Record Deal With MCA; BMG and Spotify Announce New Deal

MCA Records (formerly Universal Music Nashville) has announced that country music icon Vince Gill has signed a “lifetime record deal” with the label, “cementing decades of partnership and collaboration,” according to the announcement.

The terms of what is the first such deal Variety‘s music team has heard of “reflect the enduring trust and commitment that has defined their relationship while positioning Vince as a timeless figure in country music,” it continues, “continuing to influence both the current landscape and future generations of artists and fans alike.”

As part of the agreement, Gill will release an EP featuring new music every month for the next year. The series, titled “50 Years From Home,” will combine new music and catalog tracks that complement each EP’s theme. The first EP, “50 Years From Home: I Gave You Everything I Had,” is set for release on October 17 and will include the recent single, “Go Rest High on That Mountain.”

According to the announcement, Gill has amassed 1.7 billion global streams and 19.4 million in domestic album sales. He is up to 28.5 million in total RIAA certified units and has scored six multiplatinum albums, five platinum and two gold.

“Vince has been a major part of the MCA family for decades,” said MCA president/CEO Mike Harris.  “This lifetime agreement reflects our unwavering commitment to supporting his artistic vision and providing him artistic freedom while ensuring his legacy continues to grow.”

“I’m feeling the most creative I’ve ever felt in my career these last few years,” shared Gill. “I’ve collected a treasure trove of songs and with my friends and partners at MCA we’ve come up with a way to release all this new music. It’s a partnership that’s lasted 36 years and I’m grateful for it.”

Pictured above, L-R: MCA’s Mike Harris and Rob Femia, Gill’s longtime manager Larry Fitzgerald, Gill, MCA’s Katie McCartney and Stephanie Wright.

+ Spotify and BMG have struck a new publishing licensing deal covering the U.S., the companies announced on Wednesday morning.

The two companies characterize their agreement as originating from a “shared interest in building a direct relationship that ensures songwriters share more directly in the value created by their work” and will establish that “BMG songwriters benefit more directly in the growth of streaming.”

It’s the latest in several deals that have brought publishers and Spotify beyond the compulsory Copyright Royalty Board model for composition remuneration. The announcement comes in the wake of Spotify reaching direct publishing agreements with all three major labels – Universal and Warner earlier this year and Sony in September – as well as a recent deal with Kobalt that covers the U.S. market.

+ The National Independent Talent Organization (NITO) and Sweet Relief Musicians have unveiled a wide-ranging auction of instruments and memorabilia from such artists as Ringo Starr, Bonnie Raitt, the Eagles, Metallica’s James Hetfield, Jason Isbell, Def Leppard and more. Proceeds from the auction, which runs Oct. 8-22, will benefit NITO and Sweet Relief.

“We want to thank all these amazing artists who have donated their time and instruments to this auction, the funds will be going to two great organizations pushing for a healthier music industry for everyone,” NITO executive director Nathaniel Marro said in a statement.

NITO is an advocacy organization that focuses on issues such as the reforming of ticket regulations, performance rights organizations, artist visa programs and radio royalties.

Sweet Relief Musicians is a 501(c)(3)-designated charity that provides grants to musicians and industry professionals for basic expenses like insurance premiums, prescriptions and other medical treatments as well as housing and food costs.

+ Warner Chappell Music, the publishing arm of Warner Music Group, on Wednesday announced a new global deal for publishing with Rico o Muerto, an independent label in Mexico co-founded last year by the artist Oscar Maydon and songwriter/manager Alexis “Chachito” Fierro. The label was helped to launch under the guidance of music-industry polymath Yusim Aladro.

“I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Chachito and Oscar Maydon, and it’s clear that beyond being gifted songwriters – and in Oscar’s case, a super talented artist – they have a remarkable instinct for discovering and developing promising talent,” said Gustavo Menéndez, Warner Chappell’s president of U.S. Latin and Latin America, in a statement.

Rico o Muerto recently became, in partnership with Downtown Artist and Label Services, the home of rising songwriter Víctor Mendívil, who has previously worked with Yng Lvcas, Ganggy and El Padrinito Toys.

+ After being acquired earlier this year by Gebbia Media, Big Machine Label Group’s rock-focused imprint, Big Machine Rock, declared Wednesday that it has entered a “new era.”

The label has announced a revivified leadership team as part of its refresh, the topline of which is now: general manager Heather Luke, SVP of promotion Allison Smith, VP of digital strategy Brooke Nixon and project manager Tara Curran.

It also announced a live event series, titled “Off The Record with Big Machine Rock,” to launch Oct. 15 in Chicago and featuring Ryan Perdz. The first release under its new regime will be a new live album from Sammy Hagar, titled “Sammy Hagar & the Best of All Worlds Band – The Residency.”

“We are thrilled to be a part of the next chapter of Big Machine Rock,” Greg Murphy, executive vice president at Gebbia Media, said in a statement.

Monday, October 6

Hybe America has announced the launch of Hybe Label Services (HSL), the company’s first global organization specifically designed to bolster the growth of its artists in international markets. Ryan Hyeong Woo Noh has been promoted to chief business officer of Hybe America.

Noh, who previously served as the chief strategy officer of Hybe America, will take on an expanded leadership role overseeing key business operations in the region. Based in the Los Angeles office, Noh will report directly to Hybe CEO Jason Jaesang Lee and to Hybe America CEO and Chairman Isaac Lee.

HLS will provide enhanced support across distribution, manufacturing, and marketing and promotion services worldwide. The division will be an integrated, single support center for all Hybe labels and their artists, streamlining essential services for maximized global reach.

Additionally, Mike Rittberg has been appointed as president of global distribution. Rittberg will oversee the strategic distribution of Hybe’s expansive catalog and new releases globally, focusing on efficiency and market penetration.

Mark Flaherty also joins Hybe as president of global M&P. Flaherty will be responsible for leading worldwide marketing and promotional strategies to maximize artist exposure and fan engagement across international territories.

+ Hayley Williams and Zac Farro have signed a global publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group. Williams and Farro join the partnership both as a solo artists and with Paramore. UMPG administers the songs she and Farro writes, but not the recordings themselves.

+ Zedge, Inc., $ZDGE, a digital marketplace for interactive games that provide content, announced the launch of Tapedeck. The platform is a new music app and service designed to give musicians more control and fairer compensation for their work.

Since 2017, Zedge has aimed to empower creators to make a living making art through its thriving Zedge Premium marketplace.

The service is the brainchild of Zedge’s SVP of Product and music industry veteran Tim Quirk, the lead singer of Too Much Joy and key figure in shaping the digital music landscape. Quirk was part of the team that launched Rhapsody in 2001, helped build Google Play in 2011, and later went on to found Freeform Development, a start-up Zedge acquired with the goal of enabling their global network of creators to better monetize their art.