Singer/songwriter Crystal Nicole was honored at ASCAP's 4th Annual Women Behind The Music. The Grammy-winning artist was recognized for her numerous contributions to the industry including four #1 records and countless chart-topping records.
Check out the footage captured from RashaEntertainment
(Atlanta, GA) Singer/songwriter Crystal Nicole was honored in Atlanta along with singer/songwriter/TV personality Tameka "Tiny" Harris and entertainment attorney Bernie Lawrence-Watkins, for ASCAP's annual Women Behind the Music Atlanta edition on Thursday, October 19, 2012. The Grammy-winning artist was recognized for her numerous contributions to the industry including four #1 records and countless chart-topping records.
"I started out singing, early on the singing didn't work, so my management suggested I try songwriting. Although singing was my passion I was open to doing something else. I tried it and found a new passion. Writing worked and the next thing I knew I was writing for Mariah Carey and the song went #1 and the rest is history," Crystal Nicole recalled. Her songwriting history has included penning albums for iconic voices such as Beyonce, Rihanna, Mary J. Blige, Monica, Janet Jackson, and the list goes on.
Over 300 industry tastemakers attended ASCAP's Behind the Music (Atlanta) held at Vanquish nightclub in the heart of Atlanta, GA. The honorees were asked about their personal journey in the music industry and to share obstacles they faced while on their road to success. The evening culminated with Crystal Nicole, Tiny and Bernie Lawrence-Watkins being presented with glass awards by ASCAP Director, Rythmn & Soul Jennifer Drake. The evening was hosted by radio personality Egypt Sherrod and Atlanta socialite Ebony Elecktra. Music was provided by DJ Traci Steele. Attendees included; hip hop artist T.I., producer Brian Michael Cox and Johntae Austin, VH1 Love & Hip Hop starlet Rasheeda and husband Kirk Frost, music exec Troy Taylor and many more.
Crystal Nicole says she was humbled at the honor especially being from ASCAP as the organization has been a big part of her success as a singer/songwriter. "The timing is amazing because I am excited to be working on my own project finally. I enjoy writing for other amazing artists but my dream has always been to write for my own voice," she says
(Atlanta, GA) Singer/songwriter Crystal Nicole was honored in Atlanta along with singer/songwriter/TV personality Tameka "Tiny" Harris and entertainment attorney Bernie Lawrence-Watkins, for ASCAP's annual Women Behind the Music Atlanta edition on Thursday, October 19, 2012. The Grammy-winning artist was recognized for her numerous contributions to the industry including four #1 records and countless chart-topping records.
"I started out singing, early on the singing didn't work, so my management suggested I try songwriting. Although singing was my passion I was open to doing something else. I tried it and found a new passion. Writing worked and the next thing I knew I was writing for Mariah Carey and the song went #1 and the rest is history," Crystal Nicole recalled. Her songwriting history has included penning albums for iconic voices such as Beyonce, Rihanna, Mary J. Blige, Monica, Janet Jackson, and the list goes on.
Over 300 industry tastemakers attended ASCAP's Behind the Music (Atlanta) held at Vanquish nightclub in the heart of Atlanta, GA. The honorees were asked about their personal journey in the music industry and to share obstacles they faced while on their road to success. The evening culminated with Crystal Nicole, Tiny and Bernie Lawrence-Watkins being presented with glass awards by ASCAP Director, Rythmn & Soul Jennifer Drake. The evening was hosted by radio personality Egypt Sherrod and Atlanta socialite Ebony Elecktra. Music was provided by DJ Traci Steele. Attendees included; hip hop artist T.I., producer Brian Michael Cox and Johntae Austin, VH1 Love & Hip Hop starlet Rasheeda and husband Kirk Frost, music exec Troy Taylor and many more.
Crystal Nicole says she was humbled at the honor especially being from ASCAP as the organization has been a big part of her success as a singer/songwriter. "The timing is amazing because I am excited to be working on my own project finally. I enjoy writing for other amazing artists but my dream has always been to write for my own voice," she says
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) hosted its 25th Annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards tonight at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. The star-studded event, which was attended by hundreds of songwriters, recording artists and music industry leaders, paid special tribute to Quincy Jones and Pharrell Williams, and honored the songwriters and publishers of the most performed ASCAP songs on the 2011 R&B/Hip-Hop, Rap and Gospel charts.
The evening featured performances by DJ Don Cannon and rapper Meek Mill, and was attended by some of the top names in the music and entertainment industry, including Sidney Poitier, Jordin Sparks, Tyrese, Mary Mary, Kane Beatz, Marsha Ambrosius, Hit-Boy, NO ID, Clarence Avant, Wayne Brady, Warryn Campbell, and Kirko Bangz, among many others. Past ASCAP Songwriter of the Year recipients Kandi Burruss, Dave "Jam" Hall, Chad Hugo and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart were also in attendance to celebrate 25 years of Rhythm & Soul music.
Aaron J from RedCarpetImages.net was there to get some great pictures from the event. Here are some of the photos. To see more or to purchase some of the images, go to http://www.RedCarpetImages.net
Atlanta, GA - April 14, 2012 - On Wednesday, April 18th, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) presented Grammy-Award winning singer/songwriter Crystal Nicole with a Pop Award during the 29th Annual Pop Music Awards gala at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Los Angles, CA. The invitation-only event recognized outstanding ASCAP songwriters and publishers of 2011.
Crystal Nicole is known for her chart-topping singles, which include number one singles with Rhianna, Mariah Carey, Natasha Bedingfield and Monica. After the success of Mariah Carrey's album E=MC2 (Crystal Nicole wrote six singles on the album), she began to be in high demand for other artist such as Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and many more.
Crystal Nicole is known for her chart-topping singles, which include number one singles with Rhianna, Mariah Carey, Natasha Bedingfield and Monica. After the success of Mariah Carrey's album E=MC2, namely the debut single "Touch My Body" her stock as a songwriter took off and soon she was requested to work with music royalty such as Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Brandy, Jennifer Lopez and many more.
In the midst of tremendous success as a songwriter, Blackground/Interscope offered Crystal Nicole a recording deal of her own. Currently she splits her time working on several diverse A-list projects while finishing up her album in LA. The first single off her new project is set to be released in the summer of 2012. In addition to music, Crystal Nicole has acted as a spokesperson for the Georgia Coalition against Domestic Violence since 2010.
The pop award for Rihanna's "Only Girl" marked Crystal Nicole's fifth award from the performing rights organization. "The night was amazing, God is so good," Crystal Nicole said after receiving the award. "From the moment I heard the track, I knew "Only Girl" was a big song. Having Rihanna record it of course made it even bigger. The song marked a turning point in my career as a songwriter. "
The 29th Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards gala was a part of the Annual ASCAP "I Create Music" Expo. The weeklong conference presents an opportunity for songwriters, producers and composers to share their knowledge and experience. The ASCAP "I Create Music" Expo dates are April 19-21 2012. For more information, please visit:
Pandora filed for an initial public offering (IPO) of common stock on Friday, lifting the curtain that had hidden the financial details of the leading Internet radio company. Now, because of the disclosure requirements placed on companies seeking an IPO, financial facts like Pandora's revenue, royalty expenses and executive compensation are now available to the public.
Pandora's revenue has grown at an incredible rate. In the nine months ending October 31, 2010, the company had revenue of $90.1 million and a net loss of $0.3 million. That will likely put full-year revenue over $120 million. In all of fiscal 2010 (the 12-month period ending January 31, 2010) the company had revenue of $55.2 million and a net loss of $16.3 million. The year before revenue was just $19.3 million and net loss was $28.2 million.
The company is heavily reliant upon advertising and gets relatively little from paying customers. While Pandora offers paid subscriptions for ad-free listening, it accounts for less than 14% of the company's revenue. Advertising accounted for 86.4% of revenue in the nine month period ending October 31, 2010. At $36 per annual subscription, that comes out to about 454,000 subscribers in the first nine months of fiscal 2010. In other words, less than 1% of Pandora's 71 million registered users (as of October 31, 2010) have opted to pay for the ad-free service. Subscription revenue has improved, however, climbing from 5.6% of total revenue in the 12 month-period ending January 31, 2009.
Royalties take a big - but declining - chunk of Pandora's revenue. The company paid out $45.42 million for content in first three quarters of 2010, or 48% of revenue. As a percent of revenue, content acquisition costs have from 119% in the quarter ended April 30, 2009 to 44% in the quarter ended January 31, 2010. They were 58% of revenue in the quarter ended April 30, 2010 and 48% in the following two quarters.
Royalties paid to the three PROs accounted to 4% of total revenue. BMI gets 1.75% of gross revenue. SESAC gets 0.38% of gross revenue. Pandora terminated its agreement with ASCAP in October 2010 because the company felt the royalty rates are "excessive." A final determination is pending.
Pandora is selling its IPO as a bridge to a successful future. "We have pioneered a new form of radio," the company states in the S-1 filing. The $100 million it hopes to raise will be used to enhance the service, develop innovative ad products, build ad sales and support organization, expand distribution, expand to other territories and expand into non-music content.
Ian Burke's career in the music industry has spanned over 2 decades. As an A&R consultant, he helped several notable acts gets signed such as Outkast, TLC, Arrested Development, Kris-Kross, Xscape, Sole, Organized Noise, Nitty, Akon, and Mista. During his 7 years with ASCAP, he served as the Senior Director of Creative Affairs and helped to give the organization a strong presence in the Atlanta market.
Today, Ian is still working with musical acts and he's also expanded into the Television and Film industries.
In our four part radio interview with Ian, he discusses his background, his experiences with Outkast & TLC, and other artists. He also gave some very good background information and advice about music publishing and ASCAP.
Why should you signup with ASCAP? Why do Ghostwriters sometimes get stuck with the short end of the stick? Why was Andre 3000's mother so hard to deal with? What did record execs think when they first heard Akon? All of these questions and more are answers in the interview...
PART 1 - Background Info and Artists
PART 2 - Working with Outkast, TLC, and The Source
PART 3 - Working for ASCAP
PART 4 - Why writers should sign with ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC
It was announced by ASCAP that Ludacris will interview music legend Quincy Jones during the ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO, (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers). The three-day EXPO will take place at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, April 22-24, 2010 in Los Angeles, CA.
Ludacris will interview Jones about his prolific career as a musician, composer, producer, arranger and conductor and his work with Count Basie, Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin and many others. Ludacris will also explore Jones's pioneering fusions of pop, soul, hip-hop, jazz, classical and other forms of music across all mediums that have left his indelible mark on American popular music and culture.
Ludacris's interview with Jones is part of a series of key features at this year's EXPO, which includes an interview with John Mayer and a conversation with Bill Withers.
The 2009 Texas Urban Music Summit (Texas U.M.S) gears up to take place June 5-7 in Dallas, TX at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. The Texas UMS is an expansion of the Core DJ Retreat for the Texas region and is keeping true to its theme of "Celebrating The Sound". This year's event will feature a special tribute to iconic Texas label, Rap-A-Lot Records. Texas U.M.S will host a tribute honoring the Texas-based label and its history, which spans over twenty years in music business.
Over the past 20+ years, Rap-A-Lot Records has produced some of the most legendary artists out of Texas & the South as a whole. Artists such as UGK, Geto Boys, Scarface, UTP, Yukmouth, Devin the Dude and Z-Ro have been instrumental artists on the Rap-A-Lot roster, substantially shaping the sound of the south.
"You can't think about the south, Texas and celebrating our sound without thinking about Rap-A-Lot Records" says Texas U.M.S Founder & CEO, Aleshia Steele. "This label has broken so many barriers, and paved the way for Southern artists and the southern music movement as a whole. It is only right that we honor them for the contributions they have made".
The 2009 Texas Urban Music Summit will also feature an exclusive publishing panel presented by ASCAP. DJ and industry expert panels will be held to discuss topics educating attendees on how to be successful in the music & entertainment industry. The weekend will also consist of label listening suites, artist showcases, vendor booths, networking mixers, a swim party sponsored by Ultra Publishing, an industry fashion show featuring Lavish and Core Models, AllHipHop.com's Breeding Ground showcase, and a Dallas/Ft. Worth showcase presented by Definition & Core DJs. "Dallas is the new Mecca," says Tony Neal, CEO of the Core DJs. Come out and "Celebrate the Sound" at the Texas Urban Music Summit II.
Oscar-winning songwriter Marilyn Bergman is stepping down as president and CEO of ASCAP, a music-royalties collection group that also lobbies on behalf of composers and copyright owners, the organization said on Wednesday.
Bergman, 82, had led the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers for 15 years, but will remain on the board of directors. Her successor will be elected during a board meeting later this month.
In a statement, she said it was "the right time" to step aside, because of a number of music projects she is developing with her husband, Alan Bergman.
The Bergmans won three songwriting Academy Awards for their work on the original "The Thomas Crown Affair," and the Barbra Streisand films "The Way We Were" and "Yentl." They were nominated on 13 other occasions.
The couple just completed work on Steven Soderbergh's upcoming film, "The Informant," and have a number of other projects in the hopper.
![Crystal Nicole Honored at ASCAP's 4th Annual Women Behind The Music [VIDEO]](images/blogs/11-2012/15617-rashaentertainment-cr.jpg "Crystal Nicole Honored at ASCAP's 4th Annual Women Behind The Music [VIDEO]")
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