Making Universal Moves

The Universal Music Group has been making the news lately with the multiple power moves and accomplishments that they've made as of late. The first piece of news their new partnership with Live Nation Entertainment. In a press release about the new joint-venture between Live Nation Entertainment's Front Line Management Group division and Universal Music Group stated that the new company will be "aimed at managing and strengthening artists and their brands through a variety of worldwide sponsorships, strategic marketing campaigns and brand extension opportunities," as well as "will focus on developing direct-to-consumer bundling initiatives for select UMG artists in key markets around the world that bring together concert tickets and a variety of music products with artist websites," with Live Nation's Tickemaster handling the ticketing portion for the new company. The Chairmen of both companies had these comments below about their companies partnering together:


Irving Azoff, Executive Chairman of Live Nation Entertainment and Chairman and CEO of Front Line Management Group, commented: "This is an unprecedented partnership that unites the world's top music artists with the world's leading artist management, live entertainment, event ticketing and sponsorship resources to drive innovation across our industry. We see tremendous opportunities to work together to create a broad range of products built on the power of music and the direct connection between artists and fans.    We look forward to working closely with Lucian Grainge and the talented UMG team in this new and exciting chapter of the music industry."

Grainge, chairman and CEO of UMG, commented: "Together with Irving and Michael, we are creating a series of new platforms and global direct-to-consumer initiatives that will further expand the presence of our artists in this evolving marketplace while providing music fans with even more flexibility in how they consume music. Our artists and their music are at the heart of everything that we do, and by leveraging our combined skills, strengths and global reach with that of Live Nation Entertainment, our management companies, artists and their fans will benefit immeasurably."


These type of partnerships beg the question of the moves that other companies in the music business will be making and what the music business will be shifting into. As far as hip-hop, Internet and Touring are the two channels that many artist need to stay steady doing because fans these days use the two as more of a connection to their favorite artist.


In other news, Universal Music Group just announced they are increasing their marketing budget by hiring MediaCom as their new media marketing agency to work with. This moves almost doubles their 2010 budget to the range of $30 million to $40 million for media marketing. This move will hopefully see more marketing for hip-hop artists under various labels within the Universal Music Group which includes  Interscope Records, Cash Money Records, and Def Jam. How they use the money will be the big question because for every artist their marketing strategy towards consumers differs.


The last piece of big news for Universal Music Group involves their Universal Music Publishing division. This year at the BMI Urban Awards "Universal Music Publishing Group scored 13 songs among the year’s most-performed and claimed the BMI Urban Publisher of the Year crystal at the BMI Urban Awards." Rapper B.o.B also became the youngest songwriter ever to win the BMI Urban Song Of The Year with "Nothin' On You" featuring singer Bruno Mars, another award winning songwriter apart of the group "The Smeezingtons". The total accolades they achieved were:


URBAN SONG OF THE YEAR
“NOTHIN’ ON YOU” 
B.o.B
Ham Squad Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars

URBAN PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR
UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP
“Airplanes” (via Alex Da Kid and B.o.B.)
“Bedrock” (via Jasper Cameron and Nicki Minaj)
“Bottoms Up”(via E. Miles and Nicki Minaj)
“Deuces” (via Chris Brown and K-Mac)
“Hot Tottie”(via Polow and Hot Sauce)
“How Low” (via Carlton Ridenhour)
“Love the Way You Lie” (via Eminem, Alex Da Kid, and Skylar Grey)
“My Chick Bad” (via Nicki Minaj)
“Not Afraid” (via Eminem)
“Nothin’ On You” (via B.o.B.)
“Papers” (via Sean Garrett)
“Sex Therapy” (via Polow and Hot Sauce)
“Your Love” (via Nicki Minaj and Andrew “Pop” Wansel)

TOP URBAN PRODUCERS
Polow Da Don
R. Kelly


With all this news, Universal Music Group is looked to continue to make "Universal Moves" like this the rest of the year and continue on in 2012.


References:
Live Nation & Universal Music Group Partnership
Universal Music Group Doubles Marketing Budget
Universal Wins Big At BMI Urban Awards