U.K. rights management orgs PRS for Music and PPL have partnered with music tech company Audoo to help improve public performance royalty distributions.

As part of the partnership, Audoo’s audio meters have been installed in businesses across the U.K., including cafés, bars, hair salons and restaurants. Using smart plug-in technology, the meters identify background music being played and report the usage back to PRS and PPL in quasi-real-time. They are GDPR-compliant and don’t capture any non-music audio.

They aim to enhance distribution efficiency and deliver optimum payments for PRS and PPL’s 300k collective members.

Tim Arber, PRS for Music's director of Operational Improvement, called the partnership "integral" to the org reaching its ambition to pay out over £1b to members annually in the next few years.

The meters, said PPL's Head of Distribution Russell Chant, "complement our existing suite of advanced technological tools and public performance music usage data, offering us a further way to check that our distributions are as accurate as possible."

Founded in the U.K. in 2018, Audoo has worked with other CMOs and PROs around the world, including GEMA in Germany, APRA AMCOS in Australia and JASRAC in Japan.

Famed British music mag NME is back in print. It returns as a bi-monthly global magazine with an exclusive distribution partnership through retailer Dawsons.

Limited editions of the title will also be made available via artists, record stores and select partners.

Its first print edition since 2018 lands today (8/9), featuring Darkroom/Interscope singer and songwriter d4vd. Other interviewees in the issue include QOTSA’s Josh Homme, Def Jam artist Bloody Civilian and Glamorous lead Miss Benny.

Founded in 1952 as the New Music Express, NME ceased print in March 2018 after its publisher, Time Inc. U.K., was sold to private equity firm Epiris Fund II. In 2019, it was acquired by BandLab Technologies. The brand has continued to operate online since.

Coca-Cola has stepped in to help protect the grassroots music venue community in the U.K. with a partnership with Music Venue Trust. The first fruits are a series of funded gigs.

Singer-songwriter Casey Lowry will headline the run of 13 shows in venues across the U.K. in September and October. Coca-Cola has funded the tour which aims to allow venues to raise funds, while offering Coke Zero drinkers a chance to win gig tickets.

“This is the start of an incredibly important partnership with Coca Cola which we hope will bring support to grassroots music venues right across the country,” MVT CEO Mark Davyd said. “Every local community deserves access to an excellent live music experience right on their doorstep. This project demonstrates how MVT can work with great partners to make that happen and keep music live right across the U.K.”

Paul Hiskins, who holds the rather arduous title of associate director of Partnerships and Sponsorships at Coco-Cola Europacific Partners GB, said the brand aims to “support venues in a number of ways moving forward.”

The U.K.’s biggest music and home entertainment distribution warehouse will open in Bicester at the end of this month.

The 25k square meter facility, built by Utopia Distribution Services and DP World, will be able to handle 100k to 250k units per day of physical music and video sales, driven by 80+ “pick robots.” It has been created to meet ongoing demand: 23 out of 26 U.K. #1 albums released so far in 2023 have topped the chart on majority physical sales.

The warehouse will distribute 70% of the U.K.’s physical music for clients including Universal, Sony and [PIAS], as well as 35% of the U.K.’s physical video market.

UDS—owned by Swiss startup Utopia Music—will relocate from Aylesbury, which it inherited when it acquired physical music distributor Cinram in 2022. Utopia’s other physical distributor, Proper Music Group, will continue to operate from its Dartford warehouse. The new Bicester site is fitted operated by global end-to-end supply-chain provider, DP World.

“This huge new warehouse and the investment it represents makes a welcome commitment to British music’s infrastructure and channels of distribution that will help to sustain the growth in demand for music on physical format for the foreseeable future and beyond,” BPI Chief Strategy Officer Sophie Jones said.

News of the opening follows a string of concerning stories in the press about the future of Utopia. In July, it appointed liquidators for its U.K.-based R&D division after divesting three companies it recently acquired.

The race for this week’s U.K. Official Albums #1 is a battle between Skindred, The Sherlocks and Cian Ducrot. Over on singles, Dua Lipa might knock “Sprinter” from the top.

At today’s halfway point, Skindred are leading the albums charge with Smile (Earache). However, with less than 500 sales separating the Top 3, the top spot is all to play for. The Sherlocks are at #2 with People Like Me & You (Teddyboy), followed by the debut album from Ducrot, Victory (Polydor), at #3.

The fifth solo set from Miles Kane, One Man Band (Modern Sky UK), is #4, while the first new studio album in 13 years from N-Dubz, Timeless (EMI), is #5.

On the U.K.’s Official Singles midweeks, Lipa’s Barbie track, “Dance the Night” (Warner Records) is just over 1k sales behind long-running #1, “Sprinter” (Live Yours/Neighbourhood) by Dave and Central Cee. Can it edge ahead by Friday?

Billie Eilish’s Barbie contribution, “What Was I Made For” (Interscope), is another potential chart-topper, sitting close behind Lipa at #3.

Nathan Dawe, Joel Corry & Ella Henderson could re-enter the Top 10 this Friday on “0800 Heaven” (Warner Music U.K.) at #7, while Becky Hill and Chase & Status’s “Disconnect” (Polydor) is looking to jump up to #9.

Following its Top 20 debut last week, Calvin Harris & Sam Smith’s “Desire” (Sony) could lift eight to #10, while “Unhealthy” (Asylum) by Anne-Marie f/Shania Twain is up seven to #15.

Vinyl sales continue to rise in the U.K., with more than 2.7m LPs sold so far this year—up 12% on 2022, according to figures from the BPI. The Top 10 is driven by new releases.

Last year, the format rose 2.9% overall, with 5.5m sales (the highest since 1990). Might 2023’s performance top that growth?

Lana Del Rey claims the best-selling LP so far this year with Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (Polydor). Lewis Capaldi’s Broken By Desire to be Heavenly Sent (EMI) is #2 and Cracker Island (Parlophone) by Gorillaz follows at #3.

The top six titles in the YTD top 10 are new albums for 2023. They also include Council Skies (Sour Mash) by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds at #4, But Here We Are (Roswell Records) by Foo Fighters at #5 and The Record (Interscope) by Boygenius at #6.

Taylor Swift's Midnights (EMI), which sits at #7, was released in 2022 and at #8 is a 15th anniversary release of The Courteeners' St. Jude (Polydor), which arrived this year. Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon (Parlophone), which was reissued for its 50th anniversary this year, is #10.

New titles outside the Top 10 that have recorded strong vinyl sales so far in 2023 include Subtract (Atlantic) by Ed Sheeran, Swift's Folklore—The Long Pond Sessions, The Show (Capitol) by Niall Horan, Memento Mori (Columbia) by Depeche Mode and This Is Why (Atlantic) by Paramore.

Travis Scott has his first U.K. Official Albums #1 with UTOPIA (Epic) while Dave & Central Cee’s “Sprinter” is the longest-running U.K. rap #1 in chart history.

UTOPIA, which had the biggest streaming week for an LP this year, topped Scott’s previous best of #3, achieved with Astroworld in 2018.

After a neck-and-neck race, Anne-Marie’s UNHEALTHY (Atlantic) lands less than 1.5k sales behind at #2. It’s the fastest-selling album for a U.K. female solo artist in 2023; 84% of its total is made up of physical sales.

Post Malone’s AUSTIN (Island) bows at #3, while Dexys’ The Feminine Divine (100 Percent Records) lands at #6.

On the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart, “Sprinter” (Live Yours/Neighbourhood) has a ninth consecutive week at #1. If the track remains on top next week, Dave and Central Cee will tie with “Flowers” (RCA) by Miley Cyrus as the longest-running #1 singles of 2023.

“What Was I Made For?” (Interscope), Billie Eilish's Barbie soundtrack contribution, rises one to #2. The track is one of three entries from the soundtrack in today’s Top 5: “Dance the Night” (Atlantic) by Dua Lipa is up one to #3 and “Barbie World” (10K Projects/Capitol) by Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice and Aqua is up one to #4.

Following the release of UTOPIA, Scott has this week’s highest new entry with “MELTDOWN” at #10.

“Disconnect” (Polydor) from Becky Hill and Chase & Status is up two to #15, while “Desire” (Sony) by Calvin Harris and Sam Smith debuts at #18.

Sir Elton John has called cuts to BBC Introducing “a worrying step” that’s neglectful of musicians who “bring culture and capital to the U.K. at home and abroad.”

John issued a plea to the BBC via Instagram Thursday to “make good on their promise to continue to support up-and-coming acts and not compromise the essence” of its talent development program.

The statement follows the BBC reducing its Introducing programs to 20 from 32, with many staff and presenters set to lose jobs as a result. Over the last few weeks, BBC local radio workers have been on strike in an effort to oppose the plans.
“BBC Introducing’s network and support of new music has been one of the best ways for emerging artists to get airplay and find listeners from local to national radio,” John wrote. “To stop investing in the future of the U.K.’s influential music industry whilst cuts are being made to the creative sector across the board would be a worrying step and neglect of musicians who bring culture and capital to the U.K. at home and abroad.”

Nile Rodgers has also weighed in on the debate, calling BBC Introducing’s impact on the music scene “enormous” for “not only breaking the biggest names in the music industry, but shining the spotlight on the incredible local scenes and those brilliant artists that would never want a #1 record.”

Earlier this year, a range of industry trade bodies penned an open letter to the BBC, urging it to protect Introducing—“a fundamental cog in the machine of the grassroots sector.”