Alternative Distribution Alliance has announced a partnership with Jack White’s independent label Third Man Records. Based in Nashville, Third Man has released recordings from the White Stripes, the Raconteurs, Beck, Alabama Shakes and Conan O’Brien, among others. ADA will contribute its digital and physical distribution services to releases from the label’s roster. In June 2012, ADA expanded its services to the independent music community by officially joining forces with Independent Label Group, adding the company’s resources and expertise in radio promotion, publicity and marketing to ADA’s current offering. Since then, ADA has signed a range of new deals, including ones with hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis as well as such labels as PRMD, Partisan Records, the End Records, Innovative Leisure, New West and Sumerian Records.
Primary Wave Music has finalized a publishing joint venture with indie label Elm City Music, which was founded in 2012 by A&R veteran Michael Caplan. The new deal gives Primary Wave Music administration rights to market and leverage some of the label’s current roster, as well as co-publish future signings. Before starting Elm City Music, Caplan was at Sony Music for 23 years, where he signed such acts as the Allman Brothers Band, Tower of Power, Ginuwine, G. Love & Special Sauce, Matisyahu and Los Lonely Boys. Elm City’s artist roster spans from heavy metal supergroup Adrenaline Mob and rock-pop band Miggs to Stephen Kellogg and singer/songwriter Andrew Belle.
Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and ABKCO have filed suit against SiriusXM for allegedly ignoring state copyright laws and refusing to pay artist performance royalties for pre-1972 music that it broadcasts. The lawsuit comes on the heels of similar suits the Turtles and SoundExchange filed against the satellite radio company. While federal copyright law protects all master recordings created after 1972, labels have long maintained that individual state laws protect their ownership and are asking the Superior Court of California for a ruling that will vindicate their “valuable rights.” As part of the lawsuit, the labels are asking for damages and punitive damages, as well as a preliminary and permanent injunction enjoining the defendants from infringing on the label’s pre-1972 master recordings. The claim was filed on behalf of the labels by Mitchell Silberberg & Krupp.