#TheWeeklyRoundUp - 31.03.23

Songtradr Closes $23.4M Acquisition of B2B Music Firm 7DIGITAL (MBW)

Songtradr has closed its previously announced GBP £19.4 million (USD $23.4m) acquisition of B2B music company 7digital, following the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals.

Songtradr said in a media release yesterday (March 30) that the transaction “solidifies Songtradr’s position as a key leader in the B2B music industry, establishing the company as the only one-stop music solution for digital platforms and brands worldwide”.

The release added that the acquisition will see UK-headquartered 7digital‘s music delivery platform combined, under one company, with Songtradr’s “technologies, licensing pedigree, and unmatched AI music search and metadata technology”.

Songtradr says it believes this combination will “create a first-of-its-kind streamlined and integrated ecosystem to serve the growing complex needs of digital platforms that use music”.

Paul Wiltshire, CEO of Songtradr, said: “The constraints and complexities that exist for digital games, apps and platforms as a result of long-term fragmented licensing is a huge pain point for both sides of the marketplace. Songtradr’s mission is to remove the friction and help deliver scalable solutions for the music industry while simplifying music use for enterprise brands and digital platforms.

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AKA and Sjava lead nominees list for 2023's 17th Metro FM Awards (News24)

The SABC has revealed the nominees for the 17th Metro FM Awards, with murdered rapper AKA standing a chance to bag up to six awards posthumously when the awards show returns after an absence of half a decade.

The nominees were chosen out of 900 entries with AKA clinching nominations in multiple categories for Lemons (Lemonade), including Song and Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration, Best Hip Hop Artist, Best Male Artist, and Best Music Video.

The slain artist jointly leads the nominees list with rapper Sjava who also bagged six nominations for his songs Isoka and Isubuko.

"We congratulate all the nominees, as this signifies that their hard work and impact in the industry does not go unnoticed. The station went an extra mile to ensure that there are measures in place to screen properly all entries received for compliance with the relevant rules of the awards. The rules, regulations and submission checklist were all published on Metro FM platforms. As the awards are based on the public voting for their favourite artists in the respective categories, we urge the nominees to go out hard and campaign to their fans!."

Winners will be announced across 18 categories at 2023's Metro FM Awards ceremony, which is set for the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga on 6 May, with the SABC saying it has been working hard to ensure proper "compliance".

The Metro FM Awards got tarnished with multiple serious allegations of corruption, vote rigging and "buying of awards" that, combined with the South African public broadcaster's precarious financial situation, led to its cancellation following the last time it took place in 2017 in Durban.

"We are excited to have reached the second stage of the road to the Metro FM Awards," says Kina Nhlengethwa, Metro FM business manager.