The AvA Connection

📰 This Week’s Big Story:

Virgin Music Group (owned by Universal Music Group) is set to acquire Downtown Music Holdings in a $775 million deal. The deal for VMG to buy the independent beast has been in the works for months, and is expected to be finalized in the second half of 2025. Downtown Music houses the below tools available for the independent music sector

CD Baby (Distribution for 2M+ artists)
Songtrust (Publishing admin for 445K+ songwriters)
FUGA (Infrastructure for top indie labels & services)
Curve (Royalty processing for 1.5K+ indie labels)

Why does it matter?

Independent artists and labels grew their share of the global recorded music business to 46.7% in 2023, according to a new MIDiA Research report. UMG (the world’s largest major label) saw an opportunity to consolidate the market and bought Downtown, giving UMG ownership over a previously Independent ecosystem. The deal is obviously facing a TON of backlash from the Industry as a whole.

🧠 Big Brain Learning Time!

This is, of course, much larger than just a label play, but click here to learn about the roles that record labels play in the Music Industry.

🎵 Music News:

Las Vegas’ giant circular eye sore ehh venue ‘Sphere’ set the highest year-end gross for any venue, of any size in Billboard’s Boxscore history. The gross? $420.5 million with 1.3 million tickets sold. To put that into perspective, that’s $420.5 million more than my bonus this year.

Mariah Carey is kicking off the NFL’s festivities with Netflix on Christmas this year. A pre-recorded taping of her performance will play before both live games that are going to be aired for the streaming service’s football debut. Can only imagine what she’s going to play…

Spotify is set to have a pop up activation at next year’s inauguration. Regardless of your political affiliation, you can’t deny that Spotify is committed. Story here.

Elton John has been named Time’s 2024 Icon of the Year.

Billboard estimated that Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s diss tracks generated nearly $15.4 million across the board.

Post Malone has now gone platinum as a Country artist. F-1 Trillion recently reached the milestone for the album, and the Morgan Wallen supported single “I Had Some Help” is now 5x platinum. Run the numbers here.

🎞️ TV/Film News:

Village Roadshow reportedly has not been paying their writers and is nearing a “stop work order” that will be set in place by The Writers Guild of America. A representative for Village Roadshow, the once-prolific studio behind the Ocean’s movies, Mad Max: Fury Road and The Lego Movie, declined to comment. Learn more about the situation here.

Sean Evans and a team of investors have purchased his own show (Hot Ones) from Buzzfeed in $82.5 million deal. Along with the purchase, Evans will now become the Chief Creative Office for the Hot Ones parent company First We Feast along with continuing to host the popular interview show. “The future is spicy,” says Evans.

Sony’s Spider-man spinoff “Kraven the Hunter” absolutely tanked in it’s debut week, only grossing $11 million, vs. a $110 million budget to produce.

Adam Sandler says Eminem has an ‘insane’ cameo in Happy Gilmore 2. I uhhh can’t wait.

The Job Board

💼 = Job | 🎒 = Internship

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🌴 Los Angeles

💼 Licensing Coordinator - Warner Music - Apply Here

💼 Day to Day Manager - Red Light Management - Apply Here

💼 Assistant to the Creative VP (Live Action Film) - LAIKA Studios - Apply Here

💼 Touring Manager (Global Touring) - AEG - Apply Here

💼 Marketing Coordinator - Rostrum Pacific - Apply Here

💼 Technical Events Production Manager - Fox Corporation - Apply Here

💼 Business Affairs Assistant - Endeavor - Apply Here

💼 Influencer Marketing Associate - Wattpad - Apply Here

💼 Rock Marketing Manager - BMG US - Apply Here

💼 Junior Manager (Viral Marketing) - Warner Music - Apply Here

💼 Marketing Specialist - Malibu Events Promotion - Apply Here

💼 Event Sales Assistant - Switch Horse - Apply Here

💼 Spring 2025 Emerging Talent Program (Central Functions) - Warner Music - Apply Here

💼 Executive Assistant - Objectively Good Management - Apply Here

💼 US Editorial and Marketing Manager - Warner Music - Apply Here

💼 Digital Marketer - Future Classic - Apply Here

💼 Audience Growth Manager - iconic - Apply Here

💼 Editorial and Marketing Coordinator (Temp) - Warner Music - Apply Here

🎒 Universal Music Group Summer 2025 Internship (Studio Opportunities) - Universal Music Group - Apply Here

🎒 Music Intern - The Revels Group - Apply Here

🗽 NYC

💼 Marketing Associate - Sony Music - Apply Here

💼 Artist Relations Manager - Amazon Music - Apply Here

💼 Digital Marketing Coordinator - Universal Music Group - Apply Here

💼 Music Marketing Assistant - CAA - Apply Here

💼 Brand Associate - Live Nation - Apply Here

💼 Music Central Assistant - WME - Apply Here

💼 US Editorial and Marketing Manager - Warner Music - Apply Here

💼 Artist Relations Manager - The Guitar Center Company - Apply Here

💼 Tour Marketing (Also in CA, and TX) - High Road Touring - Apply Here

💼 Label Relations Manager (Catalog) - Amazon Music - Apply Here

💼 News & Entertainment Editor (Esquire) - Hearst Magazines - Apply Here

💼 Social Media Strategist - UnitedMasters - Apply Here

💼 Intellectual Property Licensing Coordinator - Sony Music - Apply Here

💼 Video Editor - FilmRise - Apply Here

💼 Social Media Coordinator - 24 Seven Talent - Apply Here

💼 Stage Manager - Nexstar Media Group, Inc. - Apply Here

💼 Department Coordinator (IPL) - Sony Music - Apply Here

💼 Editorial and Marketing Coordinator (Temp) - Warner Music - Apply Here

💼 Comedy Touring Rotational Assistant - Endeavor - Apply Here

💼 Account Manager - iHeartMedia - Apply Here

🎒 Creative Music Strategy, Licensing & Standards Internship (Summer 2025) - Paramount - Apply Here

🎒 Universal Music Group Summer 2025 Internship (Studio Opportunities) - Universal Music Group - Apply Here

🎒 Summer 2025 Intern (Events & Hospitality) - Major League Soccer - Apply Here

🤠 Nashville

💼 Label Relations Manager (Country) - Amazon Music - Apply Here

💼 Box Office Manager (The Pinnacle) - AEG - Apply Here

💼 Nashville Chapter Manager - The Recording Academy - Apply Here

💼 Media Planner - Jobot - Apply Here

💼 Influencer Talent Manager - Trend Management - Apply Here

🎒 Universal Music Group Summer 2025 Internship (Studio Opportunities) - Universal Music Group - Apply Here

📍 Remote

💼 Social media and Operations Manager - Folkalist Records - Apply Here

🎒 Artist Management Intern - Fractal - Apply Here

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This newsletter is written by Warner Bailey and edited by Riley Furey

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