Music Industry

Bad Bunny (Photo source: Facebook)

Latin trap continues to rise in popularity despite a lack of radio support, Rolling Stone writes in a new article.

The genre, which is a response to current trends in American rap, is led by artists like Ozuna, Farruko, Bad Bunny, and De La Ghetto.

“[Latin trap is] popping in the streets right now with zero radio airplay,” says Horacio Rodriguez, VP of marketing for Universal Music Latino. “It’s a counter-culture of young kids listening to this music.”

“You and I could be having this conversation 15 years ago about reggaeton,” acknowledges Victor Martinez, president of Hispanic Broadcasting Radio, when asked about the lack of Latin trap songs on the airwaves. “It would be the same conversation: We have problems with the lyrics, with the raunchiness.” Martinez adds that Latin trap artists “don’t put out clean versions.”

Yet, despite the lack of radio play, Latin trap has caught the attention of American singers and rappers. “We’re already getting calls from mainstream artists that want to remix or work with our Latin trap artists,” Rodriguez says.

Although it’s not Latin trap, Becky G‘s Bad Bunny-assisted single “Mayores” is currently No. 32 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart.

In terms of the big picture, Latin trap is diversifying the Spanish-language hip-hop scene, which has been dominated by reggaeton for over a decade. “Latin music has needed something new and fresh for a long time,” says Luis Rivera, program director for Latino Music at Music Choice, which controls audio and video content for cable TV subscribers.

Watch the music video for Farruko, Bad Bunny, and Rvssian’s new single “Krippy Kush” below.

Related: Watch Ozuna, Farruko, Bad Bunny, and More Discuss the History of Latin Trap

Edwin ‘DJ Phenom’ Paredes at SiriusXM’s headquarters in New York City.

Last week, DJcity launched a contest with SiriusXM and Pitbull to find a new U.S. mixer on the network’s Globalization channel. The winner of the competition will receive their own year-long mixshow, along with a Pioneer DJ DJM-S9 mixer and Serato license pack.

Launched on SiriusXM by Pitbull in May 2015, Pitbull’s Globalization takes listeners on a “musical journey of rhythm around the world.” Its daily mixers include Big Syphe (Pitbull’s former DJ), DJ Rawn (former Power 106 mixer), and DJcity’s Kidd Spin and DJ Santarosa. Other mixers include BBC 1Xtra’s MistaJam, Mad Decent’s SpydaT.E.K, and KIIS FM’s DJ Drew.

We spoke with Edwin “DJ Phenom” Paredes, president of DJcity and program director of Globalization, to learn more about how the channel operates.

How does Globalization differ from other stations/channels?

It’s like we took every hot song from every popular radio station and jumbled it into one 24/7 channel. Not only that, but Globalization is bi-lingual, and sometimes we add music with languages other than English and Spanish. But the biggest difference is our DJ roster and mixshow style. Big Syphe and I have handpicked everyone on air. When I was given the green light to mold the station’s sound, I knew what I had to do: pick the best-skilled DJs across the world, pick the right daily time slots for fans across the nation, and give everyone a one-hour show to bring their A-game. Four of our mixers are on Monday to Friday. Those DJs are Big Syphe, Rawn, Santarosa, and Kidd Spin. The rest of our DJs have special weekday and weekend slots. We even have an all-female Monday to Friday mixshow called the “Diva Mix Hour.” Those ladies are better than a lot of the male DJs I know. But overall, we came up with our own fresh programming, and the fans are loving it. It’s a new age in radio and music discovery, and I want to cater to that audience but also give fans the Pitbull party and old school style they love.

How does your background as a DJ guide you as a PD?

Growing up in Los Angeles I listened to two main stations: Power 106 and KIIS FM. They helped mold my ear into the open-format style. The DJs on air were incredible, and I always wanted to practice and learn to be just like them. I used to stay up late or wake early to record DJs E-Man, Rawn, and Richard Vission (Powertools) from Power 106, and Drew from KIIS FM. I would use my two-deck tape recorder to edit out the commercials. I would then take the mixes to school and share them with friends. Eventually, I picked up some DJ gear and some club residencies in LA. One, in particular, lasted four years. I was there Thursday to Saturday opening up the night for a predominately Latin American crowd. That’s where I really trained my ear to play everything from hip-hop and house to ‘80s and Spanish rock to old school and new music without losing the crowd. Any DJ that really knows how to hold it down has mastered how to keep the early crowd engaged without burning the headliner. Sometimes I would do the whole night on my own and on those nights I really learned how to stretch the open-format sound for the four hours I was on. I use that model to help me pick the music and program how it airs on the station. I imagine the same club fan and program the station to what they might like. The difference is now it’s millions of listeners across the U.S. and Canada.

What is your process for adding new tracks to the channel’s playlist?

The management at the station votes on submissions. That team includes Big Syphe, Disko Drew, Kidd Spin, Santarosa, and myself. I also talk to many DJs from the radio and club world on a daily basis. I have the luxury of having my worldwide peers pitch me good music all the time. DJcity’s charts are a key part of what I look at on a daily basis to discover new tunes. I also look at the U.S. radio bible know as Mediabase, the Billboard charts, the iTunes charts, the Spotify charts, and I listen to new music I get from labels and artists directly. I watch how the music is moving in all of those areas regularly. If it’s doing well, I share it with my team and give it more shine on air. If it doesn’t seem to be moving anywhere else, I have a quick discussion with my team and either remove it or give it another chance. I also take notes from other PDs at Sirius XM. Geronimo, who runs BPM, is incredible at picking new music. His partner Dre, who runs Electric Area and a few other stations, is also on the cutting edge of dance music. Ron Mills is the hip-hop bossman that runs Shade 45, Hip Hop Nation, and a few other legendary channels. My main boss and contact is Kid Kelly, who heads up all the pop stations, hosts the Hits 1 radio show, and programs multiple stations across Sirius XM. I have the benefit of his guidance, and he always makes time to show me the tricks of the trade using our programming software. If you ever get a minute to chat with Kid Kelly, please make sure to use it wisely and soak up as much knowledge as possible. Learning from him and all of the other PDs has been a true honor.

What do you look for when adding a new mixer to the team?

I look for people who think outside the box but also follow the rules. I look for people who keep the same energy at minute 45 as they do when they kick off their sets at the beginning. I also look for people who know how to jump between different cultures, specifically English and Spanish. I get surprised when DJs only focus on one or two genres. I like clean mixers that can jump between them all seamlessly.

How much freedom do the mixers have?

A lot. They have a list that we curate and have a few tracks that they need to hit during their one-hour sets. But for the most part, they have a lot of creative freedom. I tell them to keep it funky and energetic. I ask them to play on air as if it was a major club. I think it creates a healthy competitive vibe among our team which brings out the best in everyone. But we all support each other. I make sure the energy among the crew stays positive.

Do you have what it takes to be a mixer on @siriusxm and @pitbull's #Globalization channel? Enter our contest for a chance to win a year-long mix show, plus a @pioneerdjglobal DJM-S9 and @serato license pack. Details at djcity.com/globalization. Video credit: @djjavin, #Globalization mixer

A post shared by DJcity (@djcity) on Sep 12, 2017 at 8:52pm PDT

Enter DJcity, SiriusXM, and Pitbull’s Globalization contest here.

Related: Pitbull and DJcity Launch Contest to Find ‘Globalization’ Mixer

Oliver Heldens at Create Nightclub in Los Angeles. (Photo credit: NAFT Photography)

Warner Music Group has acquired Spinnin’ Records, the influential indie dance music label, along with its music publishing and artist management divisions. The deal is worth $100 million, according to Music Business Worldwide.

Founded in 1999, Spinnin’ has a current roster that includes artists like Bassjackers, Fedde Le Grand, KSHMR, Oliver Heldens, Quintino, Sam Feldt, and Tujamo. The label has previously released music by heavyweights like Afrojack, Bingo Players, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Martin Solveig, Martin Garrix, Nicky Romero, Tiësto, Yellow Claw, and many others.

Spinnin’ is home to a variety of sub labels as well, such as Tiësto’s Musical Freedom, Oliver Heldens’ Heldeep Records, Don Diablo’s Hexagon, KSHMR’s Dharma, among others.

As part of WMG, Spinnin’ will be run by its co-founder Roger de Graaf as CEO, who will work with Bart Cools, WMG’s EVP, global A&R and marketing, dance music. Co-founder Eelko van Kooten has decided to leave the music business to pursue interests in other industries.

De Graaf said in the statement:

“Spinnin’ has found the perfect home at Warner Music. Max, Stu, Bart, and the team really believe in our culture and commitment to artist development. They share our vision for growing Spinnin’ by creating even bigger opportunities for our artists and their music. It’s been an incredible journey so far and, as we look to the future, everyone at Spinnin’ Records would like to thank our close friend Eelko for everything he’s done for our company, artists, and industry. His partnership and leadership mean he will forever be part of the Spinnin’ family.”

Stu Bergen, CEO of WMG, added:

“Spinnin’ is a company built for the streaming age, where the line between a local and a global hit, as well as the distinction between marketing and commerce, is blurring. For both companies, this acquisition will open up new possibilities for our artists, expand our global reach, and bring in fresh thinking. We look forward to working alongside our new colleagues on behalf of Spinnin’s artists and songwriters.”

Calvin Harris (Photo source: Instagram)

Spotify has revealed their most-streamed songs of the summer. The tracks were grouped into two charts, global and U.S. top 30, and were tallied between the dates of June 21 and Aug. 27.

With over 786 million streams, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s Justin Bieber-assisted “Despacito Remix” took the top spot on both charts. The song helped lead the surge in popularity of Latin music, which had five songs featured in the global top 30.

Rocio Guerrero, Spotify’s head of Latin culture, said in the report, “2017 gave us the summer of Latin Music.”

DJ Khaled, Calvin Harris, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, and Imagine Dragons each had two of their songs make the U.S. top 30.

See the charts below and download the tracks on DJcity.

Spotify’s global top 30 songs of the summer:

1. Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber – Despacito Remix
2. DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts
3. French Montana ft. Swae Lee – Unforgettable
4. DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, & Lil Wayne – I’m the One
5. J Balvin & Willy William – Mi Gente
6. Ed Sheeran – Shape Of You
7. Calvin Harris ft. Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, & Big Sean – Feels
8. Charlie Puth – Attention
9. Liam Payne ft. Quavo – Strip That Down
10. Imagine Dragons – Thunder
11. Jonas Blue ft. William Singe – Mama
12. David Guetta ft. Justin Bieber – 2U
13. Lil Uzi Vert – XO TOUR Llif3
14. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back
15. Axwell & Ingrosso – More Than You Know
16. Kendrick Lamar – HUMBLE.
17. Jason Derulo ft. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign – Swalla
18. The Chainsmokers & Coldplay – Something Just Like This
19. Maluma – Felices Los 4
20. Imagine Dragons – Believer
21. Danny Ocean – Me Rehuso
22. Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee – Despacito
23. Post Malone ft. Quavo – Congratulations
24. Maggie Lindemann – Pretty Girl – Cheat Codes Remix
25. Rita Ora – Your Song
26. Niall Horan – Slow Hands
27. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry
28. Martin Garrix ft. Troye Sivan – There For You
29. Clean Bandit ft. Zara Larsson – Symphony
30. Bruno Mars – That’s What I Like

Spotify’s U.S. top 30 songs of the summer:

1. Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber – Despacito Remix
2. Lil Uzi Vert – XO TOUR Llif3
3. DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts
4. French Montana ft. Swae Lee – Unforgettable
5. Kendrick Lamar – HUMBLE.
6. DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, & Lil Wayne – I’m the One
7. Post Malone ft. Quavo – Congratulations
8. 21 Savage – Bank Account
9. Khalid – Location
10. Childish Gambino – Redbone
11. Calvin Harris ft. Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, & Big Sean – Feels
12. Travis Scott – Butterfly Effect
13. Liam Payne ft. Quavo – Strip That Down
14. Logic ft. Alessia Cara & Khalid – 1-800-273-8255
15. Imagine Dragons – Believer
16. Kendrick Lamar – DNA.
17. Charlie Puth – Attention
18. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road
19. Playboi Carti – Magnolia
20. David Guetta ft. Justin Bieber – 2U
21. Future – Mask Off
22. Calvin Harris ft. Frank Ocean & Migos – Slide
23. J Balvin & Willy William – Mi Gente
24. Travis Scott ft. Kendrick Lamar – Goosebumps
25. Migos ft. ft. Gucci Mane – Slippery
26. Drake – Signs
27. Bruno Mars – That’s What I Like
28. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry
29. Imagine Dragons – Thunder
30. Niall Horan – Slow Hands

Related: DJcity’s Spotify Playlist Update: Aug. 29

Digital distributor Dubset Media has partnered with Sony Music to allow the use of the label’s catalog in DJ sets and remixes on music subscription services.

In addition to opening up Sony’s catalog to DJs and remixers, the deal creates a new revenue stream for the label.

Using its MixBANK rights management platform and Cross Clearance Network, Dubset identifies the underlying musical recordings used within DJ sets and remixes. Once the tracks are identified, the platform determines the label and publishing rights holders and simultaneously clears the DJ sets or remix across all rights holders.

Although thirty-five thousand labels and publishers have registered with Dubset, Sony is the first major label to get on board.

Dubset Media CEO Stephen White said in a press release:

“Hundreds of millions of music fans are streaming DJ and remix content, and labels, publishers, and performance societies need robust solutions for managing the use of their catalogs within this massive category of under-monetized music.”

Andre Stapleton, senior vp of digital partner development at Sony Music Entertainment stated:

“We have worked closely with Dubset on a deal that not only protects our artists, but also provides us with the tools to harness new revenues for them, while amplifying the popularity of the original master recordings at the same time.”

Bob Barbiere, Dubset Media chief strategy officer and svp of global licensing added:

“Poorly monetized user generated content (UGC) has already cost the music industry billions in lost revenue. DJ sets and remixes, like original music, must be independently registered, tagged, and cleared before entering any subscription music streaming service – which up until now has not been possible. At Dubset we have solved this problem.

Related: Apple Music Can Now Stream Previously Unlicensed Remixes and DJ Mixes

JAY-Z with Rap Radar hosts Brian Miller and Elliott Wilson. (Photo source: Rap Radar)

JAY-Z recently sat down for an extensive interview on the Rap Radar podcast, his first since he released his album 4:44 in June.

The 70-minute conversation, which is exclusive to TIDAL, covered a variety of topics. Among them were Hov’s inspiration for making 4:44, why he chose to only work with No I.D., his marketing strategy for rolling out the album, the reason he added footnotes, entrepreneurship and why he supports Lavar Ball, the meaning of “The Story Of O.J.,” the meaning of “Kill Jay Z,” and his feud with Kanye West.

The interview was conducted by hosts Elliott Wilson and Brian “B.Dot” Miller and is labeled part one. It is unclear how many episodes are forthcoming.

Listen to it below (even if you’re not a TIDAL subscriber).

Here is a breakdown of some of the topics covered in order:

– Making 4:44 and his inspiration for it
– Working with No I.D.
– Why he chose to use one producer for the entire album
– His marketing strategy for rolling out the album
– The reason he added footnotes
– The importance of 4:44
– How he recorded the vocals
– Why some songs didn’t make the album
– Empowering black people
– Billboard chart issues and TIDAL criticisms
– Entrepreneurship and why he supports Lavar Ball
– The meaning of “The Story Of O.J.” and its controversies
– His talks with Apple
– Therapy and spirituality
– The Meaning of “Kill Jay Z” and the Kanye West feud
– The elevator incident with Solange.

Related: Watch JAY-Z’s Video for ‘Kill Jay Z’

Ozuna

As part of their A Brief History Of series, Billboard spoke with some of the biggest names in Latin trap music to discuss the history of the genre.

In the video, artists Ozuna, Farruko, Bad Bunny, De La Ghetto, Messiah talk about how Latin trap began, how it has evolved, and where it is today.

The genre is gaining momentum thanks to a new generation of “trapperos” like Bad Bunny and Anuel AA.

Puerto Rican rapper De La Ghetto agrees, saying in the video that Bunny is “the most important trap artist right now.” Bunny was recently featured on the remix of Major Lazer‘s hit single “Know No Better.” On Friday, rising New York rapper Cardi B enlisted Messiah for a remix of her breakout hit “Bodak Yellow.”

“[Trap is] the closest expression to the streets and to the way the new generation is living,” Farruko says in the clip.

“What people were doing was a small imitation of what American artists were doing,” Bad Bunny says. “They took American hits and turned them into their songs.”

Watch A Brief History Of below.

Related: IAmChino Talks Blending EDM and Latin Music

Marshmello (Photo source: Instagram)

Forbes has released its annual Electronic Cash Kings list, and Calvin Harris took the crown for the fifth consecutive year by earning an estimated $48.5 million.

Rounding out the rest of the top 10 highest-paid are DJs who have ranked in previous years, except for two additions: Marshmello and The Chainsmokers.

According to Forbes, their rankings “take into account earnings from June 2016 through June 2017. Fees for agents, managers and lawyers are not subtracted. We create our list with the help of data from Nielsen, Pollstar, Bandsintown, Songkick, as well as interviews with industry insiders and some of the DJs themselves.”

Take a look at the full list below.

Related: World’s Highest-Paid Hip-Hop Acts of 2016

In April, an estimated 125,000 fans flocked to Indio, California to attend the biggest festival in the U.S.: Coachella. Diplo didn’t perform, though, in fact, he wasn’t even there to party. The global music ambassador was instead in Africa, where he was touring and building relationships with artists across the continent.

GQ Magazine caught up with him while he was in Uganda and spoke with him on the phone afterward. The interview, which was only recently published, focuses on his experience in Africa and the continent’s thriving music scene.

On being warned about performing in Nigeria:

“Everybody always warned me not to go to Nigeria to do shows. All the reggae artists—I remember having a conversation years ago with Sean Paul and Shaggy about Nigeria. Sean Paul’s like, I was going through Nigeria and they put these cactuses up in front of the stage. People just stood on the cactuses trying to get onstage until guys with guns batted them in the head to get ’em off. And Shaggy’s like, I got a better story. My first tour in Nigeria, they had a fence up around the venue, and the crowd was so crazy, they were shaking the fence. The police were afraid, so they sent the dogs out on the people to break up the crowd. And then one dog came back over the fence dead. They killed the dog and threw it back over the fence. So that was what I knew. I’d never been to Africa, besides South Africa, and everybody in South Africa calls it fake Africa.”

On Nigeria’s influence on the global scene music:

“Nigeria has this huge diaspora, like Jamaica. Nigerians live everywhere: England, L.A., New York. Nigerians have had a huge impact on music in the last ten years. Like the UK funky stuff that ended up becoming ‘One Dance’ by Drake. And then, over the last three or four years, Nigerians have been taking over with this new Afro-pop movement.”

On his first show in Nigeria:

“I was headlining this outdoor festival in Lagos that happens every year, but there was a crazy thunderstorm. We didn’t start until 2 A.M. It turns out the sound had blown out, but nobody told me. So I start my set and I was playing records and, like, dancing. I look up and there are all these Nigerian faces just staring at me. It was like that scene where George Michael’s band, Wham!, played Communist China. I had to banter onstage for half an hour [while they fixed the sound]. By then there were probably 500 people left. But I was just like, You know what? It’s 3 A.M. and there’s a thunderstorm in Nigeria. What do I have to lose? It was one of the hardest moments of my career. The next night, I had to do a private party on this rooftop where people were just, like, eating steak. I said to [Major Lazer MC] Walshy Fire, Man, Nigeria is where you either live or die as a DJ. This is like the DJ Olympics.”

On the work ethic of Nigerian artists:

“Me and this producer, E-kelly, did a song for Mr Eazi. Before I left, I was like, Hey, this is an idea for a song. I gave him the stems—the music for the beat. Then I land and he’s already sent me three demo versions with new drums. And Skales has already done a new version of ‘Run Up‘ with new guitars. The records were voiced and mixed. I’ve never seen people so hungry and the quality so high. In America, I can’t get Travis Scott to answer my text messages. I gotta go pour water on his face to wake him up and get him to voice a song. I don’t mind doing that, but I also don’t mind being here on the frontier, making music with all the Nigerians.”

On Ethiopia’s culture and music scene:

“Ethiopia is something different and special. It didn’t feel as African in the traditional sense, with the tribal culture. Ethiopia has a little taste of Africa, but a lot more taste of the Middle East. They have their own music, all in Amharic. People there like commercial music and dance music, so it was a dance-music crowd, as opposed to the hip-hop and Afro-pop crowd in Uganda.”

On African music’s potential:

“Historically, there’s always been so much music in Africa. But there’s never been much of an industry to sell it on a global scale—or even just at home. But now that’s happening. These young Nigerian kids are selling it. They’re selling it in Lagos. They’re flying around Africa performing it. And because of the diaspora, they’re traveling to London, New York, Chicago, Toronto. The diaspora is helping to promote it. And now they’re selling out the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. There’s so much cultural capital in Africa, and that usually comes first. Cultural capital leads to financial capital. And once you have both, it explodes, like gasoline to a flame.”

Related: Watch Lil Yachty’s ‘Forever Young’ Video Feat. Diplo

Malaysia has banned Luis Fonsi‘s smash hit “Despacito” from government-run radio and TV stations.

The country’s Communications Minister Salleh Said Keruak told CNNMoney:

“The song was filled with numerous sexual references and innuendos and thus wholly inappropriate to be aired by our national media outlets for our general public, especially children.”

Salleh also told the Associated Press that the ban does not affect the Justin Bieber remix, and only applies to government-run stations, not private outlets or streaming services.

“Despacito” has become the first Spanish-language song to reach number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in over 20 years. The original and the remix together are the most streamed track of all time with over 4.6 billion plays, according to Billboard.

Related: Watch the Producers of Luis Fonsi’s ‘Despacito’ Explain How They Made the Track