Catch up with the latest in our industry!
MARSHALL AMPS SOLD TO CHINESE FIRM IN $1.83B DEAL …
Legendary UK guitar amp maker Marshall has been bought out by Chinese firm HongShan Capital Group (HSCG).
The deal, which has been rumoured for the last four months, is for €1.1 billion (AU$1.83 billion).
HSCG will “work closely with the Marshall family and the management team to strengthen the Marshall brand and fuel its sustainable and profitable growth.”
Zound
18 months ago it was acquired by Stockholm-headquartered Marshall speaker maker Zound.
The Marshall Group turns over €400 million ($667.1 million) a year with €80 million ($133.4 million) after taxes.
Amps are only 5% of sales, with 70% from speakers and 25% from headphones.
Marshall Amplification company formed in 1962 in England the late Jim Marshall.
Louder
US amps like Fender were expensive, and The Who’s Pete Townshend and John Entwistle complained they needed louder amps to be heard over drummer Keith Moon!
The brand was adopted by Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton, and later, Angus Young, Eddie Van Halen, Billy Thorpe and Slash.
Wall Of Amps
In the 1970s Blue Öyster Cult used an entire wall of full-stack Marshall amplifiers, and sang about the amps on “Cities On Flame With Rock and Roll” and “The Marshall Plan”.
Slayer’s Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman played with 24 cabinets. In 2011 after touring with 30 heads and 28 cabinets, Yngwie Malmsteen wanted to expand to 60 full stacks.
… AND SONOS SOLD TO SPOTIFY, AMAZON?
Speculation is that audio technology company Sonos could go on the market, with Spotify and Amazon among the rumoured suitors.
The Sonos board may want to sell, after its bug-ridden mobile app from May 2024 put a boot to its reputation, and its market value slipped down to $1.7 billion from over $5 billion.
CEO Patrick Spence and Chief Product Officer Maxime Bouvat-Merlin recently left.
Hardware Market
Analysts suggest that Spotify could use the buy-in to zoom into the hardware market, while Amazon would expand its premium audio technology products.
Samsung Electronics could be a player as its Harman brand has failed to make a great mark in the home speaker market.
Roku could expand its range of soundbar and speaker offerings.
UNTITLED GROUP BREAK TICKET SALES
Tour and festival promoter Untitled Group announced this week it celebrated its 10th anniversary last year by increasing ticket sales to 630,000 from 500,000 in 2023.
Highlights included “most successful edition yet” of Beyond The Valley with 35,000, Wildlands drawing over 85,000 across Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide, and Dom Dolla setting an Aussie EDM tour record shifting 170,000 tickets.
CALL FOR SPEAKERS #1: SXSW SYDNEY
Submissions are open for the third South by Southwest Sydney (SXSW Sydney) to run October 13 to 19 around Darling Harbour, Chippendale, and Broadway.
Creatives can pitch conference session ideas in 23 tracks, including Tech & Innovation, Business & Leadership, Marketing & Media, Culture & Lifestyle, Sustainability & The Future, and Creative Industries.
Go to www.sxswsydney.com, with pitches by March 23 via Session Select, a platform that allows the public to vote for ideas.
CALL FOR SPEAKERS #2: FESTIVAL CONFERENCE
The 2025 Australian Festival Industry Conference (September 8 & 9 in Meanjin/ Brisbane) is inviting executives as speakers.
“We’re trialling a new approach to speaker and program curation this year”, reveals founder Carlina Ericson.
“Late last year, we went out to the industry with an open invitation to seek their feedback on what topics they’d like to see covered at this year’s event.
Feedback
“The industry has since responded with their feedback and so we’ve put together a shortlist of key topics and are now welcoming EOIs from potential experts in those areas and against those topics.”
For more info, and to apply by Friday February 7, go to www.australianfestivalconference.com.au.
TUNED GLOBAL BRINGS AI-POWERED SERVICES
Australian-based global B2B techco Tuned Global struck a partnership with AudioShake for its clients to use its AI powered stem separation and lyric transcription so music-driven services do more with their catalogue.
Digital music projects and streaming apps can offer users remixing, karaoke mode, or isolated vocals/instruments from any piece of audio.
AudioShake’s technology was named in TIME’s Best Invention list, and used by major music labels and gaming platforms, leading Tuned Global Managing Director Con Raso to comment, “Stems are a gateway to a huge amount of potential innovation.”
UK MANAGEMENT OPENS SYDNEY OFFICE
UK-based Various Artists Management has opened an office in Sydney, and tapped Arwen Hunt to run its Australian and NZ operations.
Hunt has worked as a manager, A&R, publisher, label manager, product manager and promoter.
Creative
Most recently, she was Vice President, Creative / Head of A&R for UMPG Australia and New Zealand where she signed / A&R’d PJ Harding Ruel, Lime Cordiale, Idris Elba and DMA’S.
VAM acts include Ashnikko who opens for Billie Eilish in Australia and plays Sydney Mardi Gras,
Good Neighbours whose single “Home” went platinum in Oz and return later this year with The Libertines and Supergrass, and Melanie C who will be a guest host of this season’s The Voice Australia.
TIM FINN SIGNS WITH KOBALT
Tim Finn signed a global publishing deal with Kobalt, saying, “It feels like a new chapter is waiting to be written for me and my songs.”
Kobalt will administer Finn’s vast catalogue of songs, including the Split Enz classics “I See Red”, “Six Months In A Leaky Boat” and “I Hope I Never”, as well as Crowded House’s “Four Seasons In One Day”, “Weather With You” and “It’s Only Natural” as well as his more recent soundtracks for film, TV and musical theatre.
MUSIC SOUPS LAUNCHES
Music Soups is a new music supervision company operating in Australia and the UK offering expertise in music selection, clearance, and negotiation, brand partnership and re-recording tracks, leveraging a global network to negotiate deals for advertisers, film and TV.
The company was set up by Emily Norton and Kaitlyn Pearce who held key roles at Universal, Sony, BMG, APRA/AMCOS, Peermusic and Audio Network.
MUSICAL CHAIRS
Void of Vision frontperson Jack Bergins this week debuted his Tuesday 9 pm new heavy music program CORE on triple j.
Tory Loudon is new director of Newcastle’s New Annual Festival (September 26 to October 5) and inviting applications from Newcastle creatives for up to $40,000 to present their work.
Record label executive Beth Appleton (Warner, EMI) joined the board of the Australian Children’s Music Foundation.
FEDERAL FUNDING FOR 17 ORGANISATIONS
Through Music Australia, the Albanese Government invested $2 million into 17 music organisations to help with operational costs, provide skills development, and marketing.
The recipients include Australian Women in Music, Australian Festival Association, Black Music Alliance Australia, Australian Live Music Business Council, Country Music Association of Australia, CrewCare, Music Producer and Engineers’ Guild, Australian Music Industry Network and Australian Music Association.
FEDERAL FUNDING FOR 23 RECORD LABELS
The Albanese Government’s Music Australia announced the inaugural recipients of its Record Label Scheme.
23 record labels of all sizes and ideologies share in $1,732,000 to create new recordings, content and artwork as well as towards marketing, manufacturing, freight, artist development and staffing.
The 23 include Anti Fade, Bad Apple, Remote Control, Future Classic, BMG, etcetc, Farmer & The Owl, Forever Ever, I OH YOU, God Manners, Tomnboi, Cheersquad, Mushroom Music, Medium Rare, NLV and Pieater.
ADVISORY GROUP, GRANTS, FOR VICTORIA
The Allan Labor Government is backing Victoria’s music industry setting up a new advisory panel, and announcing the latest rounds of the Music Works and Victorian Gig Fund grants.
The 14-member Victorian Music Industry Advisory Council, will provide expert advice on the challenges and opportunities facing the industry.
It consists of artists, venue operators, promoters, publishers, managers and other industry executives, and chaired by Jaime Gough, Managing Director of publisher Concord Australia and board member of APRA AMCOS.
Opportunities
“We’re supporting Victorian artists and venues to thrive, creating more opportunities for creative projects, live gigs, and local jobs while strengthening our state’s renowned music industry,” said Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks at the launch at Kindred Studios in Yarraville.
“As well as backing local artists, venues and events, I look forward to working with the new Victorian Music Industry Advisory Council to ensure that Victoria remains the beating heart of Australian music.”
Music Works
Musicians, bands, music workers and venues get a boost with Music Works, for writing and recording new music to professional development, touring and marketing.
Since 2015, it has invested almost $13 million in 850 projects, kickstarting and progressing the careers of local acts such as Amyl and The Sniffers, Alice Ivy, Alex Lahey and KAIIT.
The 10,000 Gigs: Victorian Gig Fund opened on January 30, offering venues through the state up to $11,000 to stage up to 20 gigs.
Almost 1,000 gigs staged from the first round.
WA MAKES ELECTORAL PROMISE TO BIZ
WA’s Cook Labor Government has told the state’s music industry it has $2.75 million worth of initiatives if it is re-elected on March 8.
This includes a $1.5 million Contemporary Music Fund boost, $750,000 for a new cross-platform WA Gig Guide to be run by the WAM association and radio station RTRFM, and $500,000 to save WA Music Week, WAMCon conference and WAM Fest from being discontinued.
Boosted
The Contemporary Music Fund boosted San Cisco, South Summit, Spacey Jane and Emily Barker, and helped Perth’s Voyager represent Australia in the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.
There’ll also be a new winter program focused on hosting international promoters and producers, to help fill local venues and provide opportunities for the next generation of music fans to experience WA’s music scene.
GREVILLE RECORDS HONOUR
To absolutely no surprise of those who discover and buy records there, Greville Records in Melbourne’s Prahran made it into UK-based Financial Times’ list of the world’s best record stores.
SIX TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS YEAR’S HOTTEST 100
2,489,446 votes were submitted, with Chappell Roan receiving the greatest number of votes for a winning track in triple j’s Hottest 100 history. She was the first solo female artist to win with a debut and sole entry.
Every song in the top four would have won the 2023 countdown
Charli XCX and Billie Eilish simultaneously broke the record for most entries in one countdown (8 songs each).
Most Entries
Billie Eilish also broke the record for most entries across countdowns (25 songs)
Half of the songs in the countdown came from or featured non-male artists
148 fucks were given and seven cunts were served, with Lola Young’s “Messy” at #4 spot tying with Doechii’s “Nissan Altima” for most fucks in a song in the recent Hottest 100.
WOMEN FLOCK TO NSW PUBS
Women are dominating the NSW pub scene, according to two new reports.
Researcher Roy Morgan found that the majority of the 3 million people who visited these over the last three months were female.
Australian Hotels Association NSW CEO John Whelan said, “Over the past 20 years pubs have invested heavily to create an inclusive environment with great food and an inviting atmosphere – and we are seeing the results.”
Highest Percentage
Regions with the highest percentage of female pub patronage were Outer Western Sydney (53%), South West Sydney (53%), the Central Coast (55%) and North Western NSW (54% – including Bathurst, Dubbo and Mudgee).
A study by Deloitte Access Economics found women are 58% of he the 72,000+ employed by hotels in the state.
According to the AHA,” Each year NSW hotels host more than 108,000 live music and DJ events and over 89,000 community and sporting events,” additionally contributing $6.8 billion in value to the NSW economy each year “and spending over $7 billion each year on staff wages and purchasing from suppliers.”
SPLICE UNVEILS FASTEST GROWING GENRES
Splice, which registered almost 350 million downloads in 2024, has revealed the fastest-growing genres on its platform.
Top of the list was pluggnb – a blend of trap subgenre plugg and 1990s R&B.
Pluggnb + 342.8%
K Pop 328.2%
Jersey Club 281.3%
Drift Phonk 157.2%
Melodic techno 147.1%
Big Room House 136.3%
Rage 85.2%
Melodic House 77.9%
Afro House 75.5%
CONFIDENCE MAN. AMYL, FOR BRIT AWARD
Confidence Man and Amyl and The Sniffers are both up for International Group of the Year on the March 1 BRIT awards in London.
Confidence Man’s third album 3AM (LA LA LA) entered the UK Top 10 last year, stormed Glastonbury with four sets, and did a sold out UK headline tour (including two shows for 11,000 at London’s O2 Brixton Academy.
Cartoon
Amyl and The Sniffers did a 43-date world tour to celebrate the October arrival of the Cartoon Darkness album, which saw them score the front cover of 20 music magazines.
Also nominated for International Group of the Year were Fontaines D.C., Future & Metro Boomin and Linkin Park.
Song
Adelaide-born London-based DJ/producer Sonny Fodera is up for Song of the Year with indie release “Somedays”.
Featuring Jazzy and D.O.D., it generated 110 million streams, certified gold in Australia and the UK, and double platinum in Ireland.
WILLIN’ TO ILL: BONGO STARKEY, MARCELLO MILANI
Coming in the midst of the 50th anniversary reissue of Skyhooks’ Living In The 70’s entering the Australian Top 10, guitarist Bob’ Bongo’ Starkey was diagnosed on January 24 with aggressive leukemia.
Dates by the Bob Starkie Skyhooks Shows are cancelled, including two sold-ou Sydney “Rock the Harbour” events on Saturday February 15.
Toothfaeries
A Go Fund Me campaign for Brisbane band Toothfaries singer Marcello ‘March’ Milani’s cancer treatment is a success.
Within weeks, it had exceeded the original target of $20,000.
As Milani is recovering from major surgery, an infection in his lungs means he can no longer work. He is being supported by wife Paola Milani, she is also caring daily for her mum, impacting her own work capacity.
SPOTIFY EARNED $10B TO BIZ IN 2024
Spotify paid out a record US$10 billion to the music industry in 2024—bringing to a total of nearly $60 billion since it began.
The claim was made in a blog by VP and Head of Music, David Kaefer.
Woeful Royalty
He didn’t say anything about Spotify’s woeful royalty rate.
But he noted, “We estimate that, in 2014, around 10,000 artists generated at least $10,000 per year on Spotify.
“Today, well over 10,000 artists generate over $100,000 per year from Spotify alone. That’s a beautiful thing.”
Argument
Kaefer’s argument was that streaming services could only increase their royalty rates if they got more subscribers.
Spotify’s conversion to paying subscribers has been 60% who used to be freebie users.
1 Billion
“Today, there are more than 500 million paying listeners across all music streaming services.
“A world with 1 billion paying listeners is a realistic goal we should collectively set.”
NOMS OPEN FOR ART MUSIC AWARDS
Nominations have opened for the 2025 Art Music Awards, held in Sydney in August.
There are 14 categories covering contemporary music, jazz, improvised music, experimental music and sound art.
Presented by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre (AMC), nominations close on Wed February 26 at 5pm AEDT at https://artmusicawards.com.au/nominate.
TOOHEYS GETS LIVE MUSIC SLAMMIN’
Aussie beer brand Tooheys is investing in bringing back pubs and pub-rock, with its Tooheys On Tour initiative.
The first run in 2025 saw Dune Rats (and avid Tooheys drinkers) add three pub shows this week to their summer tour.
Jingle
At the centre of the collaboration is a rock-inspired reimagining of Tooheys’ jingle. The Dune Rats closed each set with it.
Supports on tour were chosen after delivering a rendition of the jingle to Tooheys socials.
In addition, Tooheys is donating $10,000 to Support Act which delivers crisis relief to musicians, managers, crew and music workers.
RØDE ANNOUNCES SPONSORSHIP
Global leader in audio technology, RØDE, announced its sponsorship of the inaugural Australian Commonwealth Scholarship, set up for talented musicians to study at the Royal College of Music in London.
The first recipient, Ariana Ricci, was announced at a reception held at NSW Government House, at which Ricci performed and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa made an appearance.
Personal
Peter Freedman AM, founder and Chairman of RØDE, said, “Supporting musicians is deeply personal to me.
“Music and the arts are vital to our culture and identity, and this scholarship will provide a platform for Australian talent to shine on the global stage, much like RØDE itself has done.”
SEVEN MORE FOR SXSW TEXAS
The third artist announcement for South by Southwest in Texas (March 10 – 15) included five Aussie acts, bringing the tally to 22.
They were pop-punk Pacific Avenue, Betty Taylor (Sunshine Coast), Chris Lanzon (Sydney), Kayps (Perth) and Oshua (Perth).
VALE
Matthew Capper was Managing Director of Warner Chappell Australia from 2010 to 2024, after a stint as Administration Manager at Festival Music Publishing.
Wanting to make publishing more transparent, he also served on the boards of APRA, AMCOS, AMPAL and ICMP.
He died from infection following surgery for a ruptured appendix.
Triple J
Arnold Frollows was one of the original Double J, and triple j Music Director from 1993.
He was adored by the music industry for shaping the culture at the J, for his support of original Australian music, and his Sunday night show Ambience.
In 2003, he moved on to set up the ABC’s digital properties including dig.
Swoppy
Owner of Carlton’s Music Swop Shop, Bryan. Opening in the late 80s, Swop Shop has become the place to go for great deals on used instruments, trades or selling instruments on consignment. Many a song, album and tune have been inspired by and written by an instrument bought from Swop Shop.
Revolver
Ronny Williams ran a number of Melbourne venues in 1980s that served the mod scene, including the Batcave, Rubber Soul, The Beehive and Revolver.
Courtney Mills, Bali-based Melbourne club DJ and OnlyFans identity, died from bleeding on the brain after falling down the stairs at her apartment building.
Trent Barclay was regarded as “a production wizard”, working as lighting director in Cairns Civic Theatre, touring technician with Talking Audio. Ben Coe and Head of Broadcast and Digital at Arts Centre Melbourne.
Evolution
Alex ‘Zac’ Zytnik of Taman Shud, 79, was founding member and lead guitarist with 1960s psychedelic/ surf rock band Tamam Shud and played on their classic Evolution album.
Doc J. Feelgood aka James Penney, 71, who died of a heart attack, was a busking identity on the streets of Surfers Paradise, also known for his activism for the rights of street performers.
