Billboard Magazine April 15-21, 2017

ED SHEERAN’S “SHAPE OF YOU” LEADS THE BILLBOARD Hot 100 (dated April 15) for a 10th week, entering an exclusive club of hits that have ruled for double-digit weeks. The song is just the 34th No. 1 to lead for at least 10 weeks, dating back to the chart’s 1958 launch. Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” is the record- holder with 16 weeks at No. 1 in 1995 and 1996. “Shape” reigns in all metrics for a fourth consecutive week, holding atop Radio Songs (173 million in audience, according to Nielsen Music), Streaming Songs (46.2 million U.S. streams) and Digital Song Sales (85,000 downloads sold). It has sold 1.6 million since its January release, marking the only song to pass the million mark in 2017 year-to-date…

DURING THE LAST TWO YEARS, Spotify and Universal Music Group’s negotiations for a longterm licensing agreement gradually turned into media-business brinkmanship. UMG chairman/ CEO Lucian Grainge knew that Spotify was under pressure to go public, which would be hard to do without label deals — and that Spotify co-founder/CEO Daniel Ek needed to reduce royalty payments to show investors the potential for profit. And as streaming became the dominant means of music consumption, UMG, like other labels, needed the service to convert more users of its controversial free tier into the subscribers that are fueling the recovery of the recorded-music business. “It was like the U.S. and Soviet Union during the Cold War,” Peter Paterno, a partner at King Holmes Paterno & Soriano, tells Billboard. “Mutually assured destruction.” Thankfully, no…

When Lyor Cohen resigned as chairman/CEO of Warner Music Group’s recorded-music division five years ago, WMG CEO Stephen Cooper restructured the company so that its label heads reported directly to him, rather than hire a replacement. As of Oct. 1, that role will be filled again, when 43-year-old Warner U.K. chairman/CEO Max Lousada assumes his mentor and former boss Cohen’s old duties, with the expectation that he will eventually succeed Cooper. An indie veteran who established himself at Rawkus and Mushroom Records, Lousada has been with WMG since 2003. Initially appointed head of A&R at Atlantic Records U.K., he rose to president and chairman of the label in 2009, overseeing an operation that signed Ed Sheeran, Clean Bandit and James Blunt and helped develop Coldplay and Muse. Sheeran’s manager Stuart…

CO-FOUNDER/CEO, 300 ENTERTAINMENT FEW THINGS MAKE A RECORD executive happier than kicking off a new year by landing the No. 1 single in the country. Doubling up with a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, as Migos did with their lead single “Bad and Boujee” and sophomore release Culture already in 2017, was welcome vindication for 300 Entertainment cofounder/ CEO Kevin Liles. The one-two punch couldn’t have come at a better time for the 3-yearold independent company, founded in November 2013 by Liles, Lyor Cohen, Todd Moscowitz and Roger Gold as a forward-thinking, data-driven music company. Born in Baltimore, the 49-yearold Liles joined Def Jam as an intern in 1991, rose to president in 1998 and, alongside Cohen and Moscowitz, built the label into a global powerhouse with stars…

ASCAP’s “I Create Music” Expo, set for April 13-15 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, will offer a wide range of panels, from the importance of lyrics in crafting a hit song to a case study on the making of Justin Bieber’s 2015 album Purpose with the contributing songwriters, producers and A&R reps. ASCAP will also honor two standout artists. Stevie Wonder, an ASCAP member for more than 50 years, will be presented with the inaugural Key of Life Award, which recognizes songwriters who demonstrate their commitment to the art form. Wonder will receive the award during his keynote interview, which will close the event. Also, four-time ASCAP country music songwriter of the year Ashley Gorley will be honored for penning 30 No. 1 country songs for such…

Lorde signed with the music department at PR firm PMK*BNC. David Bowie’s former New York condo, which features the late artist’s Yamaha piano, was listed for $6.5 million. Nicki Minaj inked a modeling contract with Wilhelmina. BET Networks president of programming Stephen Hill resigned after 18 years. Connie Orlando, senior vp specials, music programming and news, will serve as interim head of programming. Dick Clark Productions appointed Todd Waks senior vp strategic alliances. Elton John teamed with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice for an animated adaptation of the 1970 musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Olympic gold-medalwinning snowboarder, musician and Air + Style festival majority owner Shaun White signed with UTA in all areas. Rock group A Perfect Circle signed with BMG. Dolphin Digital Media acquired indie public…