I received this PM on another site... I'm not sure I get it. I don't even know how I should respond to this. Please tell me what you think...

Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx sells Song Catalog. Variety.

 

Hipgnosis Songs has acquired the music catalog of Motley Crue bassist and main songwriter Nikki Sixx, one of the most successful rock bands of the 1980s.

Hipgnosis have acquired 100% of Sixx’s writer’s share of PRO income and writer’s Sound Exchange royalties for the cataog, which contains 305 songs. Further details were not disclosed.

With hits like “Looks That Kills,” Shout at the Devil,” “Home Sweet Home” and “Girls, Girls, Girls,” the group has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and scored nine Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart. The band released its debut album “Too Fast for Love” in 1981 and undertook a farewell tour in 2015, but reconsidered and announced a reunion tour for this year, which has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Merck Mercuriadis, Founder of Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited and The Family (Music) Limited, said: “Mötley Crüe were single-handedly responsible for the Los Angeles rock explosion of the 1980s paving the way for everyone that came in their wake and putting rock music back onto Top 40 radio and the pop charts. Nikki was the catalyst and architect of all of that and we are delighted to welcome him to the Hipgnosis family.”

Sixx (real name: Frank Ferranna, second from left above) said:“Merck and his team at Hipgnosis are an artist friendly forward thinking company. Looking to the future I am grateful that they will treat my music with great care and respect.”

Hipgnosis Songs recently released its annual report, which showed its revenues soaring in its first full year of business, climbing to $81 million in the 12 month period ended in March 2020 from around $8.9 million in the preceding period. The firm, which has been on an unprecedented acquisition binge of hit songwriter and producer catalogs — been buying up catalogs by hitmakers ranging from Timbaland and Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart to Jack Antonoff and Jeff Bhasker — began trading on the London Stock Exchange in July of 2018. Between March 2019 and March 2020, the company spent nearly $700 million to acquire 42 catalogs.

In the report, Mercuriadis notes, “When compared with the three major song companies, we have achieved between 7% and 12.5% of their revenue on between 0.5% and 0.9% of their number of songs.” This is a result of the group’s highly selective investments, which he summarizes in the report thus: “All of our songs have a proven track record and we do not speculate on new songs regardless of the past performance of the songwriter, producer or artist. These proven hit Songs produce reliable, predictable and uncorrelated cash flows which are highly investible.”

More from Variety

• Wu-Tang Clan Producer RZA Sells Catalog to Hipgnosis Songs

• Nikki Sixx, Slash and Def Leppard's Joe Elliott Team up for Charity Single (Listen)

• Hipgnosis Songs Acquires Catalog of Jay-Z, Kanye West Collaborator No I.D.

I decided to change my name, which is quite a complicated task that you do through your distributor. I eventually got this taken care of but still had the problem of my Artist Profile page under the old name remaining visible on Spotify. So I contacted them, expecting a long wait. Less than a day later, I had an email from a real person explaining that they had done most of what was needed and giving me instructions for the bits I had to do myself. I had more questions and got equally quick, friendly and helpful responses until everything was taken care of, including moving all my statistics and followers to the new name and profile, something my distributor had told me wasn't possible.

This contrasts a little with the service I got from my distributor, Amuse. Customer service there was also helpful, but I had to wait a week for a response to any emails I sent. This was a bit jarring because they omitted one of my tracks from the changeover and I had to wait an extra week for this to be corrected. Replies come pretty much exactly a week after contacting them, which makes me think they might be doing this on purpose as a way to encourage you to sign up for their paid service, which promises quicker responses. I suppose I shouldn't complain about a free service.

Anyway, in this particular area, hats off to Spotify!

Good to know! Succinct! Five minutes of Education you can use!

Many times songwriters struggle with everything they think they need to do to advance their careers and they miss working on some of the very basic traits that most successful songwriters invariably seem to have. We asked Leslie Roberts, Creative – Nashville and Brandon Haas, Creative – NY to weigh in on the three most important qualities. The good news is, they can all be learned! Here’s what they agreed on:

• Patience. Things don’t happen overnight. It takes time to discover yourself as a writer and zero in on the specific strengths that you bring to the table (i.e. lyrics, melody, hook, chorus, etc.)
• Work Ethic. Show up, be prepared and check your ego at the door.
• Authenticity. Write what you know and feel, instead of trying to chase what’s on the radio. No one wants to hear something that’s already been done.

I explained that while it’s true that not everyone who dreams of topping the charts will achieve his or her goal, songwriting success is not like hitting the lottery. Songs don’t become hits based on a random drawing.

All songs—and songwriters—are not created equal. There are reasons why some songs and writers become successful—and others fail to do so. Let’s take a look at some of the steps you can take to maximize your chances for songwriting success.

Write Songs That Jump Out of the Pile

It is important to write songs that are perfectly crafted, songs that use rhymes and familiar structures in ways listeners have come to expect. But to make an impact and break through, we need to include elements that separate our songs from the competition. These can include lyric concepts and angles that are fresh ways to approach topics with wide appeal; melodies and rhythms that are instantly memorable; instruments and sounds that push the creative envelope; lines of lyric that are unique; maybe an unpredictable chord; or an unexpected “wow” note.

We have to provide decision-makers with reasons to choose our songs over those written by the current hit-makers—and those written (or co-written) by artists. Revisit your songs with a critical ear after you have a finished draft. Ask yourself whether you have written a “good” song—or an exceptional one that will compel a publisher, recording artist, music producer, or A & R executive to select yours over everyone else’s. It can help to get professional input, then rewrite your songs until they are as strong as possible.

Write Up-Tempo, Positive Songs

I once heard a top publisher advise his writers that if they wanted the best shot at success, they should deliver “up-tempo songs with meat”—meaning songs with depth, songs that delivered a powerful message. My publisher of twelve years urged me over and over to write more up-tempo songs—and I wish I had listened. This is not to say that slow and sad songs can’t break through. Several of my most successful songs were slow, and I am grateful I wrote them. But slow songs, sometimes referred to as ballads, tend to comprise a small percentage of songs on an artist’s album—and tend to be written (or co-written) by the artist. Write the songs your heart needs to write, but be aware that it is easier to get “lucky” with mid- and up-tempo songs.

Collaborate

It is no coincidence that the overwhelming majority of successful songs are the result of collaboration. By co-writing, you not only benefit from additional creative input, you increase the number of people promoting and pitching your material. You also gain access to publishers, music business executives, vocalists, musicians, studios, producers, and others who might play crucial roles in your career.

Record Great Demos

Few music industry pros can imagine how a song might sound if it were produced at a different tempo; in a different style; and with musicians and vocalists who can really “sell” the song. We probably have a minute or less to convince our listener that he or she has found a hit. When your song is as strong as it can be, showcase it with a recording that shows it to its best advantage.

Take Care of Business

I have taught thousands of songwriters, and I have yet to find anyone who writes songs because they love seeking out publishers, scheduling meetings, pitching their songs, monitoring royalty statements, and dealing with the countless additional non-creative aspects that comprise the business of songwriting. But these actions are mandatory for songwriting success.

Join songwriter organizations and attend conferences, camps, festivals, pitch sessions, and workshops where you can receive feedback on your work and network with writers and music business professionals. In many cases, these are the actions that lead to songwriters attaining their goals.

Success in the music business—as in so many other endeavors—is typically the result of a cocktail of exceptional work, good timing, and good luck. There are no guarantees, but six students who have attended my workshops have had #1 singles. I’ve lost count of how many have signed publishing deals, had their songs recorded, and won top honors in competitions. 

Watching their journeys, and those of other successful writers and recording artists, this is what I observe: when undeniable songs that are suited for the current market, are paired with a strong work ethic, persistence, a positive attitude, and a willingness to take care of business, it’s amazing how “lucky” we can get.

Jason Blume is the author of 6 Steps to Songwriting Success, This Business of Songwriting, and Inside Songwriting (Billboard Books). His songs are on Grammy-nominated albums and have sold more than 50,000,000 copies. He has been a guest lecturer at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (co-founded by Sir Paul McCartney) and at the Berklee School of Music, and has been interviewed as a songwriting expert for CNN, NPR, and the New York Times. For information about his workshops, webinars, additional articles, and more, visit www.jasonblume.com.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Miley Cyrus has settled a $300 million (£229.24 million) copyright infringement lawsuit by a Jamaican songwriter who accused the pop star of stealing her 2013 smash "We Can't Stop" from a similar song he recorded a quarter century earlier.

Michael May, who performs as Flourgon, sued Cyrus in March 2018, claiming that "We Can't Stop" closely resembled his 1988 song "We Run Things," which he called a reggae favourite since reaching No. 1 in his home country.

May accused Cyrus and her label RCA Records, owned by Sony Corp <6758.T>, of misappropriating material including the phrase "We run things. Things no run we," which she sang as "We run things. Things don't run we."

May, Cyrus, Sony and other defendants filed a joint stipulation in Manhattan federal court on Friday ending the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning it cannot be filed again.

Cyrus' lawyers said in a Dec. 12 letter that a settlement agreement had been signed, and that the stipulation would be filed "pending payment of the settlement proceeds," which were not specified.

Lawyers for May and Cyrus did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

"We Can't Stop," from Cyrus' album "Bangerz," peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 2013.

It was blocked from hitting No. 1 by Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," the subject of its own high-profile copyright case over its resemblance to Marvin Gaye's 1977 song "Got To Give It Up."

ANOTHER ARTICLE:

Miley Cyrus has reportedly settled a $300 million copyright infringement lawsuit over her 2013 single “We Can’t Stop.” Reuters reports the singer-songwriter’s legal team and record label has reached a settlement after being sued by Jamaican songwriter Michael May (AKA Flourgon) who initially sued Miley, claiming that her song sounded a lot like his 1988 track titled “We Run Things.”

The original lawsuit was filed in March 2018. At the time, Forbes reported that in addition to suing Miley, May also sued Sony Music, RCA Records, Miley’s manager, Larry Rudolph, and the song’s writers and producers.

CNN reported that the initial lawsuit alleged that Miley’s lyrics were extremely similar to May’s; a line in “We Run Things” goes “We run things / Things no run we,” while Miley sings, “We run things / Things don’t run we.” In addition to seeking $300 million in compensation, May also reportedly asked the courts to prohibit “We Can’t Stop” from ever being distributed or performed, claiming that Miley was heavily influenced by Caribbean music. May also claimed that, without his original song, “the entire theme of 'We Can't Stop' would be hollow in sound and impact.”

According to Reuters, all parties involved filed a joint stipulation in a New York federal court on Friday, January 3, ending the lawsuit entirely. In a letter last month, Miley’s lawyers reportedly confirmed that a settlement had been reached; however, the details of the agreement have not been specified.

At the time of writing, Miley has not commented on or addressed the lawsuit. On social media, the singer-songwriter has been busy celebrating the end of the decade, and teasing the next chapter of Miley: “New Year. New Era.”