If you want to know more about OTTO, you can visit the tour page here: www.ottomate.me/tour and/or meet with Eric Namour who will be present this week at Indie Week and will be happy to discuss further along with offering a free trial period.

mSpot is thrilled to join A2IM and is looking forward to building long-term relationships with independent music labels.

Based in Palo Alto, California, mSpot is a leading mobile music services company. The company was formed in 2004 and acquired by Samsung Electronics in 2012. mSpot is focused on building Samsung Music, the all-in-one mobile music service offering a streaming catalog, cloud music storage, radio and a music store; available on Galaxy devices.

As the company looks to expand the service to new countries, its business and marketing teams will be actively engaging with independent labels on a global scale.

Lisa Tiver, VP of Business Development, is responsible for global music licensing. Tiver, a specialist in music publishing licensing, was general counsel of ESPN Star Sports Asia, a joint venture between the Walt Disney Co. and News Corp. and, prior to that, head of legal and business affairs for Mushroom Records, also a News Corp. venture.

Duncan Hutchison, Director, Global Indie Label Relations, leads indie relationships and content aggregation. Duncan has over twenty five years of independent music business experience, including: President Caroline Records, CEO AEC Music Distribution, VP/GM K-tel International, Director of Distribution Blackheart Records and Chief Content Officer, RightsFlow.

Hutchison states, “We are delighted to join the A2IM community, and are excited to help support the organization’s cultural and economic role in the international music industry. We intend to deeply engage with our global Indie partners, providing them with access to the Samsung Music service via commercial terms on par with the major recording companies.”

Michelle Engel, Director of Content, oversees all content marketing, including major and independent music marketing campaigns, as well as all in-app feature programs. Michelle and Chris Brannen, Senior Manager of Marketing and Content, spent years programming radio stations for CBS, doing national music promotions like Bonnaroo and Vegoose, and managing music applications for AT&T.

Ely Juarez joins as Director of Business Affairs, and serves as the company’s dedicated in-house licensing lawyer. Shawn Pouliotte, Head of Partner Operations, handles technical and operational issues and reports for both independent and major labels.

For more information, please visit www.mspot.com.

Media Company registration opens on June 14^th.  Media Company registration instructions can be found HERE. As of this year, The Recording Academy has instituted a Media Registration Fee of $120. Instructions on who and how to pay can be found HERE. Media companies then have two rounds to make entries:  July 1-24 for October 2012 – July 2013 releases and August 14-28 for August 2013 – September 2013 releases.

A2IM encourages our members to register with The Recording Academy as a Media Company or, if you qualify, to become a voting member, eligible to vote for the Grammy winners.  It’s only $100 a year to become a voting member of The Recording Academy.

We also suggest to our members that you encourage your artists (or any other eligible person that you know) to become a voting member of The Recording Academy.  The dues are $100 for 1 year and members not only get to submit music for GRAMMY consideration, get to vote for GRAMMY nominees and winners, but also get to take advantage of many valuable benefits and services.  To find out if you’re eligible to be a voting member of The Recording Academy and/or to join click HERE.

Over the last few years, independents (and especially A2IM members) have seen our number of nominations and GRAMMY Awards increase significantly.  Let’s keep growing!!!  Independents should  participate and get their artists to participate by registering as Media Companies, by submitting music entries for consideration, and by registering to become voting members of The Recording Academy we can create change! Any questions please let us know.

This philosophy has led The Syndicate to become the agency of choice for several national corporations that have entered the music and entertainment market spaces. Created by entrepreneurs from the ground up, all of the skills that make The Syndicate successful were earned from hands-on experience. This approach also translates to a key belief the company has with any project—that no matter how much the company expands, The Syndicate’s owners and staff remain highly accessible to clients and addressing their individual needs.

In addition to all of these services, The Syndicate also operates two highly respected consumer-based websites in their respective genres. These are the stand-up comedy outlet The Laugh Button and metal music news source MetalInsider.net.

To start working together on your project, contact The Syndicate here.

The Delegates included Joachim Becker (Zoho Music), Alexis Bemis (Brassland), Randy Chin (VP Records), Paul Dryden (ATO Records), Tor Hansen (Yep Roc Records), Jurgen Korduletsch (Radikal Records), Bruce McIntosh (Codigo Music/Fania Records), Jim Selby (Naxos of America), Seymour Stein (Blue Horizon Records), Phil Waldorf (Dead Oceans), Robert Williams (335 Records) and Rich Bengloff (A2IM President). I am sure they would all be happy to talk to you!

We wanted to share the business contacts we met with all A2IM members so you can do business with our new contacts as well. If you do business in Brazil as a result of contacting these companies please contact Rich (rich.bengloff@a2im.org) with details so we can include this in our reported trade results to commerce and get future funding.

Labels / Distributors

• YB MUSIC – PAULO CALIA (paulo.calia@yb.com.br) – YB Music is an independent record label based in Sao Paulo with 82 releases from artists including Tulipa Ruiz, Trio Mocotó, Instituto, Blubell, Rodrigo Campos, Turbo Trio among others, a cast that mixes both Brazil’s new music scene and traditional rhythms from different regions of the country. We specialize in licensing and sync, with recent placements cases for Nike, Microsoft, Miller, TIM, Electronic Arts, features films and TV series.

• KAPPAMAKKI DIGITAL – MARCIA ELENA (marcia.elena@kappamakkidigital.com.br) – Kappamakki Digital is a company specialized on content for digital platforms, focused on licensing, production, administration and distribution of content. Some clients Vivo, Tim e Claro (mobile carriers); Coca-Cola, LG and Samsung.

• SOM LIVRE – DEPA DOMINGOS (depa@somlivre.com.br) – The largest Brazilian Record company/distributor, responsible for the hugest international Brazilian success with the song “Ai se au te pego” – Michel Teló. The company belongs to the Globo Media Network Group, the most important media network in the country.

• PAULO LIMA – IMUSICA (paulolima@imusica.com.br) – IMusica is the pioneer and leader in digital content distribution in Latin America acting as major content provider for mobile operators and music services, developing digital music management and distribution platforms and connecting brands and consumer through digital music.   The company has a catalog of over 18 million music and licensing agreements with more than 20.000 brazilian and international music labels such as Sony Music, Universal Music, Warner Music and EMI and agreements with all major copyright entities in Brazil and Latin America.  In Latin America, music is the white label platform for Grupo Carso (América Móvil, Telmex), offers streaming complete solution for Coca-Cola FM on-line radio streaming music and programming to live broadcast from various city across the continent, and provides content to mobile operators in 18 countries reaching 230 million users.  In Brazil, is the biggest independent Brazilian music provider to digital music services around the world such as iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and YouTube.

• Business Models:
  • Content aggregator, technology provider and Music Branding
• Services Offered:
  • Digital content provider and aggregator
  • Clearing Rights
  • Technology provider: download and streaming platforms
  • Music Branding Solutions

• ROB DIGITAL – ROBERTO DE CARVALHO (rob@robdigital.com.br) – The independent ferment in Brazilian Music derives from it’s own richness. In the last two decades a host of labels were created to bring to consumers the best part of what was left behind by the major companies, which is a lot considering the variety of styles and influences in a continent size country like Brazil.  Rob Digital started as a label catering for the authentic, with quality but no prejudice.  It’s first titles covered genres like Choro, Samba, Bossa, Instrumental Music and Soundtracks. These albums gained quick recognition amongst a public searching for new options in the music shelves of the Country. Some of them were nominated for the best music awards in Brazil and one was granted a Latin Grammy for best Brazilian Roots Album. Soon it was realized that the task of distribution would be better accomplished by bringing together other labels with similar propositions. The labels found to be the best partners brought in the necessary musical muscle to form a much stronger catalogue. The label CPC Uses brought a rich mix of instrumental music, choro, samba, and new talent with a welcome bias on the Northeastern region with its pulsating rhythms. Radio MEC label benefits from the use of a symphonic recording studio, which was put to the service of old, and new talent doing their albums with substantial artistic freedom. Zabumba Records brings in a lot of experience in recording quality instrumental music, and Carioca Discos represents the best tradition of roots samba from Rio de Janeiro.  The final result in building this catalogue, besides its quality is the choice offered in each styles it covers. Its titles of samba represent the best selection of the genre among independent labels. Choro and Instrumental music, specially Brazilian Guitar, Classical and Regional music, form a selection which can be said to have in common one attribute – it is good music made to last.

• LAB 344 – SERGIO MARTINS (sergio@lab344.com.br) – LAB 344 is one of the most pro-active record labels in Brazil/LatAm. Founded in 2005, LAB 344 also represents, with a worldwide presence in the music industry, clients in all segments of music, offering licensing and sub-publishing opportunities for established labels, publishers and yet to be discovered artists.  In the fields of music we focus on high-quality productions in a wide range of styles, including Alternative, Pop-Rock, Folk, Blues and Soul, and have specialties in licensing and releasing albums and live concerts for physical and digital distribution; placements in film and TV productions. LAB 344 is the main Licensee in Brazil and LatAm (with distribution in Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Mexico) for various companies and artists, including Cooking Vinyl, Savoy Label Group, Rough Trade, XL Recordings, Domino, Merge Records, 4AD, Simplyred.com, Ignition Records, Duran Duran, Cyndi Lauper, to name a few.  We have got involved with other income streams like publishing, sync, live, but never in an obsessive way, staying true to the main business of releasing good records and DVDs, focus on art and culture. That’s the reason we have developed credibility with the media, marketing records in a creative way. LAB 344 is a true A&R driven record label. We enable the artist to communicate with the public for the public to discover and engage with the artist. We provide that service to our licensors and their artists and get paid for providing that service.  We have a very good business relationship with our distributors and we always make efforts to never let them to poison the waters at retail by over shipping, giving retail a bad taste.  That’s why we prefer to work on supply and demand – we only ship what is needed – and save costs on all the back and forth movement of stock.

• BORANDÁ – FERNANDO GRECCO (Fernando@boranda.com.br) – Borandá is a Brazilian Music record label and artist management/booking company. We are also the Brazilian distributor for ECM records. With a short and intense 4 year history, Borandá, founded in 2009 release 20 CDs and 1 DVD, and booked/produced over 200 concerts with its artists in Brazil and abroad.  Working with the diversity of Brazilian Music, its casting includes singer/songwriters li Ná Ozzetti, Verônica Ferriani and Dani Gurgel, virtuosos like the accordionist Toninho Ferragutti (Maria Schneider, Gilberto Gil), and 7-string guitar player Swami Jr (Omara Portuondo, Chico Cesar, Vanessa da Matta), arranger Mario Adnet (Latin Grammy in 2005 for Jobim Sinfonico) just to name a few. Borandá is currently working with Rock Paper Scissors to do PR campaign of its latest releases in the US during 2013, and we are looking for international licensing and distribution for the label, as well as performing opportunities for our artists.

• BISCOITO FINO – MIGUEL GONZALEZ (Miguel@biscoitofino.com.br)  – One of the most important independent record companies in Brazil is the home of some of the biggest Brazilian singer/composers such as Maria Bethânia, Chico Buarque, Edu Lobo, Francis Hime, Paulinho da Viola, Olivia Hime, Mônica Salmaso, Rita Lee, Luiz Melodia, Martinho da Vila, Casuarina, Elza Soares, Don Salvador, Olívia Byington, Leila Pinheiro Paulo Moura, João Donato, Moacyr Luz, Sivuca, Simone, Virginia Rodrigues, Zelia Duncan, Maíra Freitas, Joyce, Dominguinhos, Mart´nália, Djavan, among others.

Mobile Carriers and Others

• ABRAGAMES – GERSON DE SOUSA – (gerson.sousa@abragames.org) – Brazilian association of Digital Game Developers. Gerson has a large international experience in games. He has worked in London for Microsoft, SECA and Testronic Labs. His role at Abragames is to help develop this growing market in the Brazilian ground.

• PLEIMO.COM – DAUTON JANOTA (d.janota@pleimo.com) – Pleimo is a web and mobile platform. The company, direction and staff, is composed by musicians and music lovers. A new phylosophy, a new look over the reality of digital evolution.  Pleimo is the only 360º solution to shorten the way between artist and audience. www.pleimo.com.

• FELIPPE LLERENA – VENTUREBR (llerena@venturebr.com) – VentureBR is positioned to accelerate foreign companies in the creative industry grow in the Brazilian market. We assist companies setting up business locally, develop strategic alliances and expansion of marketing channels in the following industries:
  • Internet, Mobile Platforms and Apps Channels
  • Digital Content Licensing & Distribution
  • Music Synchronization & Publishing

With over 15 years experience in international business development, ventureBr can leverage a considerable contact network and on-the-ground knowledge of the Brazilian & Latin American market.

• MUVE MUSIC – MARIANA FERREIRA (mferreira@muvemusic.com) – Muve Music is a new state of the art digital music service that launched in January 2011. In its first year of operation, the service grew to over 500k customers and is now among the fastest growing music services in the world. Muve is the result of a unique collaboration between the Muve Music team, the major record labels, wireless carriers and technology partners. Muve Music has a unique and differentiated strategy. Muve is the first music service designed specifically for the mobile phone with efficient delivery over the wireless network. The Muve service was built for customers for whom the phone, not the computer, is at the center of their digital life.

• ROCK IN RIO – MICHAELA DE PENASSE – (michaelapenasse@gmail.com) – Responsible for hiring the international attractions, Mundo Stage, at Rock in Rio

Performance Rights Organizations:

• UBC – MARISA GANDELMAN (marisa.gandelman@ubc.org.br)
• ABRAMUS – RICARDO MELLO (ricardo.mello@abramus.org.br)
  • The two biggest collective societies in Brazil.  Both manage authorial and neighboring rights, being UBC more focused on authors and Abramus on neighboring

Touring/Agents

• CARPE DIEM ARTISTIC PRODUCTIONS – GUACIRA ABREU (guaciraabreu@uol.com.br) – Former marketing director at BMG and Deck, works since 1986 as artist’s manager. Some of her artists are Leo Jaime and Isabella Taviani . Has worked as manager of Milton Nascimento among other Brazilian mainstream artists. She is interested on representing foreign artists in Brazil as well as having a representative for her artists in the US.

• DELL’ARTE ARTISTIC PRODUCTIONS – STEFFEN DAUELSBERG (steffen@dellarte.com.br) – Dell’Arte is one of the leading South American agencies in the fields of classical music, dance and jazz. They produce events of the foremost conductors, instrumentalists and singers as well as dance companies and orchestras from around the globe.  Founded in 1984 by Myrian Dauelsberg, the company is motivated by a passion for the performing arts in all its forms and a commitment to creative partnership with all sides of the arts industry whether in building careers, promoting concerts or putting together high-level series, festivals, special tours and projects. Aside of that, they are responsible for the programming of a brand new 1.000 seats teatre in Rio de Janeiro – Teatro Bradesco Village Mall.

Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of Policy & International Affairs Karyn Temple Claggett will join us during Indie week to give us the Copyright Office perspective on the key issues affecting our community.

The Annual meeting will take place on  Thursday, June 20 from 2:00-5:00PM during A2IM’s Indie Week 2013. The full schedule for Indie Week 2013 can be seen HERE.

For Immediate Release
May 30, 2013

A2IM, the American Association of Independent Music, announces the results of their 2013 Board of Directors elections as voted by the A2IM label membership.

Newly elected A2IM Board of Directors (listed alphabetically):

- Glen Barros- President-Concord Music Group

- Richard Burgess- Director of Marketing and Sales- Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

- Portia Sabin- President-Kill Rock Stars

Re-Elected Board Member:

- Jim Selby, CEO Naxos USA

The board members were elected by A2IM’s membership of over 300 independent music labels, representing a diverse array of music genres, geographic locations and label sizes. The three newly elected members and re-elected board member will serve three-year terms on the Board of Directors. A2IM also welcomes three new representatives to the President’s Advisory Committee, appointed by President Rich Bengloff, with board approval, to assist and lend their expertise to the organization while at the same time increasing the board’s diversity and representativeness.

Newly appointed members of the A2IM President’s Advisory Committee (listed alphabetically):

- Josh Norek- VP, Business Affairs & Digital Relations of Nacional Records

- Cory Robbins- Owner and President, Robbins Entertainment

- Garry West- Co-owner, Compass Records Group

Additionally Alan Galbraith, GM of Wind-Up Records, has been designated as a member of the WIN Council and the A2IM WIN representative.

The new board’s term will begin on July 4, 2013 and the new board and advisory committee will officially be introduced during the organization’s 8th Anniversary Indie Week in NYC June 18-20.

Quotes from Incoming A2IM Board of Directors (listed alphabetically):

Glen Barros (President, Concord Records): “It’s great to be back on the A2IM Board.   These are exciting but challenging times for the independent music community.   I look forward to working with the great A2IM staff and Board members toward tackling these challenges.”

Richard James Burgess (Director of Marketing and Sales, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings): “A2IM has had a significant impact on the wellbeing of the independent sector. I am honored to be elected to the board and look forward to collaborating with such a great team to help continue the progress.”

Portia Sabin (President-Kill Rock Stars): “It’s an honor to return to the A2IM Board.  I look forward to helping with the work the Board is doing on issues important to labels in general, as well as the efforts they make to allow independent labels to remain competitive in the ever-changing music marketplace.”

Jim Selby (CEO Naxos USA): “It was an honor to be re-elected to the A2IM board where we watch out for all constituencies regardless of label musical genre, staff size/resources or geographic location, we represent the total independent music label community.”

The remainder of the organization’s board (all in the midst of three-year terms) is: Daptone Records General Manager Cathy Bauer; Yep Roc Records co-owner Tor Hansen; Alligator Records Founder/CEO Bruce Iglauer; The Beggars Group Founder/CEO Martin Mills; Glassnote Records General Manager Chris Scully; Dead Oceans/Jagjaguwar/Secretly Canadian Founder and Co-Owner Darius Van Arman; and Razor & Tie COO Victor Zaraya.

A2IM would like to express their gratitude to the three board members who, due to term limits, are stepping down at the end of the term: Eric Brown (SubPop), Dave Hansen (Epitaph) and Tom Silverman (Tommy Boy) and the advisory board members who, due to advisory committee term limits, are stepping down as well: Andrew Kautz (Big Machine Records), Denny Stilwell (Mack Avenue Records) and Ed Vetri (Wind-Up Records). We thank them all for their exemplary service to our community!

Quotes from Outgoing A2IM Board Members (listed alphabetically):

Eric Brown (SubPop): “Rich Bengloff and the A2IM staff have done a tremendous job raising the profile of the independent community over the last three years. I encourage A2IM members (and any independents who aren’t members yet!) to get as involved as possible with the work that A2IM does. It really is one of those rare organizations where the more you put in, the more you get out.”

Dave Hansen (Epitaph/Anti): “It has been a great honor to work with the A2IM board and staff for the past three years.  This is an amazing group of passionate people dedicated to making sure that the independent music community is represented as the shining star of the entire music industry.”

Tom Silverman (Tommy Boy): “When we launched A2IM eight years ago, I only dreamed that we would become this powerful and effective. Now I am entering my second interregnum and I am confident that our “all star” board along with Rich, Jim, and their amazing team will take us to an even better place by this time in 2014.”

A2IM’s staff, board, and membership would like to thank all of the candidates who volunteered their time and effort to run for the board.

John Ross Bowie to Host the LIBBY Awards Event at Highline Ballroom on June 20

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) is proud to announce that the second annual Libera Awards Lifetime Achievement Award will honor Tom Silverman, Founder and CEO of TommY BoY. Silverman will be presented with the award at the event on June 20 at NYC’s Highline Ballroom.

A founding Board Member of A2IM, Tom Silverman has been a devoted and passionate leader for the independent music community throughout his tremendously successful career.  In addition to the important work Tom has contributed to the independent cause, he is recognized throughout the music industry for two very significant contributions: founding independent record label TommY BoY and launching the New Music Seminar (NMS).  TommY BoY pioneered the early days of hip-hop with such artists as De La Soul, Digital Underground, Queen Latifah, Naughty by Nature, House of Pain and Coolio; electronic music with artists like Information Society, LFO, Coldcut and 808 State; freestyle with TKA; LGBT music with RuPaul; and the mega music compilations with “MTV Party to Go” and “ESPN Jock Jams.” The New Music Seminar launched in 1980 and can accurately be described as a pre-cursor to many of the major music conferences on our calendars today.  NMS continues this year, running June 9-11 in NYC.  Silverman currently serves on the boards of A2IM and SoundExchange.

Returning for a second year, actor/comedian John Ross Bowie will host the Libera Awards (”The LIBBYs”), and artist Zak Gere will design and hand-sculpt each individual award from wood and wire.

Martin Mills received the first annual Libera Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

See the full list of independent labels, artists, and supporters that received final nominations for the second annual A2IM LIBBYs HERE.

A2IM thanks Caroline, ADA, A to Z Media, Bandzoogle, Believe Digital, eMusic, Getty Images Music, Silva Screen Music Group, Spotify, and The Orchard for their sponsorship of the second annual LIBBYs.

A2IM regularly shares the best of the stories we receive with senior programming executives at several of the major radio broadcasting companies including Clear Channel, CBS and Entercomm.

This isn’t an open call for every record from every A2IM label member.  While you are not limited to sending just one record or story (if you have 5 records exploding, send us 5 stories), we are looking for the BEST stories – the records that our label members are working that are succeeding on numerous levels (eg. sales, airplay, video, synch placements, tours, etc.) – that A2IM can try to shine an extra spotlight onto as a member service but also to be a resource to our friends at radio.

A2IM will also use the submitted tracks & stories to create the invitation list for the upcoming A2IM-Clear Channel Radio Label Summit in July.

Jurgen notes, “this is certainly not a personal accomplishment but the result of the hard work that Carla Lisinski and the Gummybear staff have put into this project, which deserves most of the credit and must be  recognized”.