Big Machine Label Group Scott Borchetta responded to the accusations by Taylor Swift who is upset with the relationship between Borchetta and Scooter Braun and the acquisition deal.

So, it’s time for some truth…

In regard to a post earlier today from Taylor, it’s time to set some things straight.

Taylor’s dad, Scott Swift, was a shareholder in Big Machine Records, LLC. We first alerted all of the shareholders on Thursday, June 20th for an official shareholder’s call scheduled for Tuesday, June 25th. On the 6/25 call the shareholders were made aware of the pending deal with Ithaca Holdings and had 3 days to go over all of the details of the proposed transaction. We then had a final call on Friday, June 28th in which the transaction passed with a majority vote and 3 of the 5 shareholders voting ‘yes’ with 92% of the shareholder’s vote.

Out of courtesy, I personally texted Taylor at 9:06pm, Saturday, June 29th to inform her prior to the story breaking on the morning of Sunday, June 30th so she could hear it directly from me.

I guess it might somehow be possible that her dad Scott, 13 Management lawyer Jay Schaudies (who represented Scott Swift on the shareholder calls) or 13 Management executive and Big Machine LLC shareholder Frank Bell (who was on the shareholder calls) didn’t say anything to Taylor over the prior 5 days. I guess it’s possible that she might not have seen my text. But, I truly doubt that she “woke up to the news when everyone else did”.

I am attaching a few very important deal points in what was part of our official last offer to Taylor Swift to remain at Big Machine Records. Her 13 Management team and attorney Don Passman went over this document in great detail and reported the terms to her in great detail. CONTINUE READING

Taylor Swift finds herself in the middle controversy after she found out that Justin Biebers manager Scooter Braun purchased her catalog for $300 million that she released through Borchetta’s label ‘Big Machine’.

She said the news brought her back to “the incessant, manipulative bullying I’ve received at [Braun’s] hands for years.”

“Like when Kim Kardashian orchestrated an illegally recorded snippet of a phone call to be leaked and then Scooter got his two clients together to bully me online about it,” she continued. “Or when his client, Kanye West, organized a revenge porn music video which strips my body naked. Now Scooter has stripped me of my life’s work, that I wasn’t given an opportunity to buy. Essentially, my musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it.”

She blasts Borchetta’s loyalty and indicated that he knew how Swift felt about Scooter Braun.

“This is what happens when you sign a deal at fifteen to someone for whom the term ‘loyalty’ is clearly just a contractual concept,” she wrote.

“And when that man says ‘Music has value’, he means its value is beholden to men who had no part in creating it. When I left my masters in Scott’s hands, I made peace with the fact that eventually he would sell them. Never in my worst nightmares did I imagine the buyer would be Scooter. Any time Scott Borchetta has heard the words ‘Scooter Braun’ escape my lips, it was when I was either crying or trying not to. He knew what he was doing; they both did. Controlling a woman who didn’t want to be associated with them. In perpetuity. That means forever.”

I give Taylor Swift credit who was born from wealthy parents and whom funded her career early on. She knows how to play ball but I’m not sure she has a clear strategy by blasting the people that made her on social media. As the old proverb says, “don’t bite the hands that feed you”.

Justin Bieber defended Braun with an instagram post. He said, “Scooter has had your back (Taylor Swift) since the days you graciously let me open up for you.! As the years have passed we haven’t crossed paths and gotten to communicate our differences, hurts or frustrations. So for you to take it to social media and get people to hate on scooter isn’t fair.

Insider say that Taylor is playing the victim and was fully aware of the business deal between Braun and Borchetta. Taylor could have even bought her own catalog.

Taylor Swift promises to get political on her new album. Even though politics has done little to bolster her career, Swift told Elle Mag, “I definitely think there are political undertones in the new music I made,” “I’m not planning to stop encouraging young people to vote and to try to get them to talk about what’s going on in our country. I think that’s one of the most important things I could do.”

While some artists-turned- activists, have used their platform to influence people, many stay away from such controversy. Dolly Parton says, “I learned a long time ago to keep your damn mouth shut if you want to stay in show business.” Parton told Nightline, “I don’t do politics. I’m not getting into any of that. I have a lot of fans out there and I don’t want to offend anybody. Besides, I just don’t get into that. If you are deciding you may want to ask me something more serious, don’t, because I’m not going to answer it.”

Critics have been wanting to write Madonna off but she could have the last laugh. Her net worth by Forbes is approx. $590 million. She’s one of America’s wealthiest self-made women. Check out her performance at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019.

Whitney Houston estate is launching a touring hologram and album of unreleased music. Primary Wave Music Publishing acquired 50 percent of Whitney’s assets that included song & film royalties and merchandise. Some critics have said Houstons have figured out a way to cash in on Whitney and debase her at the same time.

Ciara is heading to Harvard Business School. On Instagram she said: “I always dreamt of going to college, but by God’s grace, my music career took me on a path that I’m so thankful for,” she said. “This week I got accepted into Harvard! Words cannot describe my excitement!”

Taylor Swift and Panics! Brendon Urie perform their track ME! on The Voice. Anyone else still taking it in that the EMO frontman went full blown pop?

The latest Taylor Swift video for Me! is a mini-million dollar movie. Insiders claim Swift’s latest video cost over a million. Is it worth to spend a million dollars on a music video today? For Swift, sure. She has the money to spend, but for other artists?

It’s hard to make money off videos in the digital age because of streaming. Unlike 20 years ago, at least today, videos can generate ad revenue whereas MTV paid nothing to artists and labels. Regardless, big budget videos were always a risky bet even in the MTV era because it’s never a surefire bet that the masses would embrace the song. In many cases, artists would come out with the song first, and if the song did well, then shoot a video.

YouTube pays out approximately $1.50 for every 1,000 views, therefor, music videos should be viewed as a promotional item, not as a profit center, especially for a new artist.

The Economics of Taylor Swift’s ‘ME!’ and Music Videos In the Digital Age

Music-video costs range from $2,500 (for an indie-label project) to $700,000 or more (for a pop superstar like Swift, Grande or Drake). Vince Staples’ 2018 video for “FUN!” cost roughly $200,000, says his manager, Corey Smyth, although it has just 3.7 million YouTube views. “It’s worth it,” he says. “They’re all calling cards. You don’t know what’s going to hit and what’s going to go viral.” Country stars spend $30,000 to $250,000 per video, according to Erica Rosa, royalties director for Nashville business-management firm Flood, Bumstead, McCready and McCarthy. “I saw one in the pop world that was around $850,000,” she says. “I almost fell out of my chair.”

“Videos are as important as they’ve ever been,” says McLynn, who manages Sia and Fall Out Boy and has made videos from $10,000 to $200,000. “When you’re rolling out a bigger artist, you want to double down — you want to make sure you have everything you need, so you up the budget.”

Big budget videos are reserved for a few artists a year that can generate hundreds of millions of streams. Since the cost of making music videos have gone down, it makes sense for most artists to release videos in the digital age. In fact, music videos and visuals are more important than ever.