connecting songwriters around the world

Simon and Brian visit singer-songwriter, pianist and broadcaster Jamie Cullum at home to discuss the writing of his dynamic new album Taller. Jamie reveals how focusing on lyrics first helped him to write more personal songs, why boredom can be the songwriter's most useful tool, and the challenges of remaining creative and confident in the modern world.

Rock Icon And Multi-Million-Selling, Ivor Novello Award-Winning Songwriter Noel Gallagher To Receive Prestigious Award At Ceremony Celebrating the Previous Year’s Top Songwriters.

Britain’s Pop-Singer And Songwriter RAYE To Be Honoured As First Recipient of The BMI Impact Award

Louisa Roach of She Drew The Gun sits down with Simon and Brian at Parr Street Studios in Liverpool to discuss the writing of songs from her first two albums Memories of Another Future (2016) and Revolution of Mind (2018). Louisa talks about the importance of prose writing and spoken word in her work, her collaborative relationship with The Coral's James Skelly, and how the sci-fi genre has acted as an effective vehicle to mobilise her political views.

Company Distributes $1.196 Billion to its Songwriters, Composers & Publishers, Up $78 Million Over Previous Year

Kasabian's Serge Pizzorno joins Sodajerker in London to discuss the writing of his excellent debut solo album The SLP. In addition to talking about the creation of his new alter ego, and his work with the band, Serge explains how he captures ideas on the move, how he uses sounds to write in the studio, and why using broken equipment works for him.

“God’s Plan” Named Song of The Year; Tay Keith and Post Malone Presented with Songwriter of the Year Award; Tay Keith and Wheezy Beatz Named Producer of the Year and Sony/ATV Received Publisher of the Year

Mike 'McGear' McCartney sits down with Brian and Simon at his Heswall home to discuss songs from the recent reissue of his 1974 solo album McGear via Cherry Red Records. In this wide-ranging conversation, Mike also talks in depth about songs like 'Thank U Very Much' and 'Lily The Pink' with The Scaffold, 'Woman' from his 1972 solo debut, his work on McGough & McGear, The Beatles, and growing up in Liverpool.

Huge thanks to everyone who attended our special event at the Meltdown Festival with Nile Rodgers and Merck Mercuriadis on August 8, 2019! It was such a pleasure to record the live episode at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, and we’ll release the episode soon so that those who couldn’t attend can hear it. […]

Evening Celebrates the Previous Year’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriters, Producers, Music Publishers and Administrators on Thursday, August 29th in Atlanta, Georgia

We were recently interviewed about Sodajerker On Songwriting by Caroline Crampton and Amanda Litherland of BBC Radio 4 Extra’s Podcast Radio Hour. Our chat is now available to hear as part of a special Liverpool-based edition of that show. You can also hear it on the BBC Sounds app. (Our segment starts at 33:40).

Country noir superstar Gretchen Peters explains the process she embarks upon when creating the cinematic and socially conscious songs that have become her calling card. In our in-depth conversation, the Nashville stalwart describes the writing of recent albums like Blackbirds and Dancing With The Beast, her classic hits for the likes of Martina McBride, Bonnie Raitt and Trisha Yearwood, and her collaborative partnership with Bryan Adams.

The 26th Meltdown, a festival packed full of exclusive collaborations, world-wide one-offs and unmissable nights, takes place at the Southbank Centre, London between August 3-11, 2019. This year, the festival is curated by legendary songwriter, producer and guitarist, Nile Rodgers, and will feature a live podcast recording with Sodajerker. From CHIC to Sister Sledge, Madonna to […]

Last month, just a couple of days after interviewing Sting at his London home, we were lucky enough to be among the attendees of the 64th Ivor Novello Awards ceremony in London. (Quite a week for us!) The event honours the great and the good of British songwriting and was held at Grosvenor House on […]

In this very special episode, the one and only Sting talks about approaching his classic hits from a fresh perspective on his new record, My Songs. With his guitar to hand, the singular artist sits down at home in London with Simon and Brian to reveal the creative processes behind one of pop's most extraordinary catalogues.

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Rhiannon Giddens joins us to discuss her new record, There Is No Other, made in collaboration with Francesco Turrisi. During the course of this in-depth conversation, Rhiannon describes the spontaneous process fuelling their work together, the historical resonance attached to songs like 'Mama's Cryin' Long' and 'At The Purchaser's Option', and how telling these stories informs her mission as an artist.

Singer-songwriter Gaz Coombes discusses the writing of songs from his excellent solo albums, World's Strongest Man and Matador, as well as hits with his former band, Supergrass. During the conversation, Gaz explains how he develops ideas in the studio and how he has expanded his songwriting palette to include the art of 'soundwriting'.

Composer William Ross Received the Classic Contribution Award
The Evening Also Celebrated the Previous Year’s Top Composers for Film, TV And Visual Media

The Evening Also Celebrated the Top Pop Songwriters and Music Publishers on Tuesday, May 14th in Beverly Hills

BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) is incredibly pleased to announce that multiple award-winning superstar and Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope Records recording artist Kendrick Lamar has signed a long-term deal with the performing rights organization to represent his critically-acclaimed catalog of music worldwide. Lamar joins BMI’s growing roster of more than 900,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers which includes Top Dawg Entertainment CEO Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith and label-mates SZA, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Isaiah Rashad and Skiiiwalker.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Kendrick to the BMI family and expand our great working relationship with Top Dawg Entertainment and its incredibly talented roster,” said Mike Steinberg, EVP Creative & Licensing, BMI.  “Kendrick’s gift for writing and performing such stunningly impactful music has solidified his stature among the world’s greatest artists and, without a doubt, as a major force in our industry for many years to come. We’re honored that he has chosen BMI to represent his creative works.”

A global sensation, Lamar made his major-label debut in 2012 with good kid, m.A.A.d city and quickly rose to fame with 1.72 million in album sales.  His 2015 follow-up, To Pimp a Butterfly, and his critically-acclaimed 2017 album, DAMN., also reached platinum status.  DAMN. debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2017, and in 2018, Lamar made history when it earned him a groundbreaking Pulitzer Prize, making him the first non-jazz or classical artist to receive the coveted honor. Throughout his career, Lamar has also received 13 GRAMMY Awards and 37 nominations (including a GRAMMY win at this year’s ceremony in the Best Rap Performance category for “King’s Dead”) as well as six Billboard Music Awards, and many other honors. 

In addition to his solo work, Lamar has achieved incredible success as a collaborator on chart-topping hits such as “Don’t Want to Know” (with BMI songwriters Maroon 5), “Bad Blood” (with BMI songwriter Taylor Swift), “Loyalty” (with BMI songwriter Rihanna) and most recently, “All the Stars” (with BMI songwriter SZA) from the Black Panther soundtrack. The double platinum single has garnered four GRAMMY and two Golden Globe nominations this year as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.

As the newest member of the BMI family, Lamar joins some of the world’s most renowned songwriters including Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Ozuna, Lady Gaga, Julia Michaels, Khalid, Post Malone and Halsey among many others. 

ABOUT BMI

Celebrating over 78 years of service to songwriters, composers, music publishers and businesses, Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®) is a global leader in music rights management, serving as an advocate for the value of music. BMI represents the public performance rights in 14 million musical works created and owned by more than 900,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers. The Company negotiates music license agreements and distributes the fees it generates as royalties to its affiliated writers and publishers when their songs are performed in public. In 1939, BMI created a groundbreaking open-door policy becoming the only performing rights organization to welcome and represent the creators of blues, jazz, country, and American roots music. Today, the musical compositions in BMI’s repertoire, from chart toppers to perennial favorites, span all genres of music and are consistently among the most-performed hits of the year. For additional information and the latest BMI news, visit bmi.com, follow us on Twitter @BMI or stay connected through Broadcast Music, Inc.‘s Facebook page. Sign up for BMI’s The Weekly® and receive our e-newsletter every week to stay up to date on all things music.

Britt Daniel of Spoon sits down with Simon and Brian in Liverpool to talk about the writing of songs like 'I Turn My Camera On', 'The Underdog', 'The Ghost of You Lingers' and 'New York Kiss', as well as songs from the band's addictive recent offering, Hot Thoughts. During the chat, Britt plays us an early voice memo of 'Can I Sit Next To You' and explains how he develops his ideas from handheld recorder to the finished article.

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash discusses the writing of her stunning record She Remembers Everything and songs from her catalogue including 'Seven Year Ache', 'Seventh Avenue' and 'When The Master Calls The Roll'. In this inspiring conversation, Rosanne describes her relationship to prose writing, her collaborations with her husband John Leventhal, and encouragement she received from her father, the late, great, Johnny Cash.

Composer William Ross to Be Presented with BMI’s Classic Contribution Award
Top Composers for Film, TV and Visual Media of the Past Year Will Be Recognized During the Ceremony on May 15 in Beverly Hills

(New York, NY- April 10, 2019) BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) was thrilled to celebrate legendary singer/songwriter Paul Anka at the 71st Annual BMI/NAB Dinner held last night at the Wynn Encore in Las Vegas. Anka was honored with the BMI Board of Directors Award for his immense impact on contemporary music. 

BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill presented the accolade to Anka in front of a room of industry heavy-hitters, commenting that they were “in the presence of music royalty.” He went on to say that Anka has an “unrivaled catalog of songs that have encouraged us to love, hope, reflect and celebrate life.” 

Following a retrospective of his many career highlights, Anka brought the house down with a performance of his first hit song “Diana.” He then gave a moving speech where he shared memories about some of his biggest hits and then absolutely delighted the audience with a special rendition of his signature hit “My Way,” during which he thanked BMI and the broadcast industry for their support throughout his illustrious career. He ended the evening with a performance of the original version of the iconic song, which was met with a standing ovation.

The annual BMI/NAB dinner is hosted by BMI’s Board of Directors and recognizes the mutually supportive partnership between the songwriting community and the broadcast industry. Past recipients of the BMI honor include Mike Post, Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Graham Nash, Paul Simon, Carlos Santana, and John Williams, among others.

Boasting a timeless, resonant voice and a passion for creating music, Anka is both a consummate performer and remarkably prolific writer. With more than 500 songs to his credit, notable standards include “Put Your Head on My Shoulder,” “My Way,” “Puppy Love,” “Lonely Boy,” and “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” the most recognized television theme song in history. Throughout his career, Anka’s songs have been performed over 100 million times worldwide and recorded by luminaries such as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, Tom Jones and Sammy Davis, Jr. Additionally, his own record sales total more than 90 million. As the only singer/songwriter in history to have a song in the Billboard Top 100 during seven consecutive decades, Anka is nothing short of a living legend.
 
Among his many accolades, Anka was honored in 2008 with the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2013, he published a New York Times bestselling autobiography, My Way, followed by an acclaimed album of collaborations called Duets, featuring contributions from Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Tom Jones, Celine Dion and Michael Bublé. Just last year, Anka’s collaboration with Michael Jackson and Drake, “Don’t Matter to Me,” surfaced on the rapper’s album, Scorpion, earning over 400 million downloads and reaching the top 10 on Billboard charts, cementing Anka’s status as an extraordinary talent that spans genres and generations.


ABOUT BMI:
Celebrating over 78 years of service to songwriters, composers, music publishers and businesses, Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®) is a global leader in music rights management, serving as an advocate for the value of music. BMI represents the public performance rights in 14 million musical works created and owned by more than 900,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers. The Company negotiates music license agreements and distributes the fees it generates as royalties to its affiliated writers and publishers when their songs are performed in public. In 1939, BMI created a groundbreaking open-door policy becoming the only performing rights organization to welcome and represent the creators of blues, jazz, country, and American roots music. Today, the musical compositions in BMI’s repertoire, from chart toppers to perennial favorites, span all genres of music and are consistently among the most-performed hits of the year. For additional information and the latest BMI news, visit bmi.com, follow us on Twitter @BMI or stay connected through Broadcast Music, Inc.’s Facebook page. Sign up for BMI’s The Weekly™ and receive our e-newsletter every week to stay up to date on all things music.


Media Contact:
Liz Fischer
lfischer@bmi.com
212-220-3160

Jodie Thomas
jthomas@bmi.com
212-220-3142

Back in 1993, as fourteen year old schoolboys taking their first faltering steps into the world of making music, we came across an album called Shame. The band’s name was (curiously) Brad. This album would never have entered our orbit but for the fact that amongst Brad’s number was guitarist Stone Gossard, moonlighting from his day job with Pearl Jam, and we were huge Pearl Jam fans. Stone, Eddie and co were (and remain) restless artistic spirits to say the least, and seemed to be constantly plowing their creative energies into a myriad of side projects, of which Brad was one.

Prefab Sprout's Paddy McAloon joins Simon and Brian to talk about the writing process behind his orchestral masterpiece I Trawl The Megahertz. In this in-depth conversation, Paddy explains the unusual situation that led to the record, how he experimented with radio dialogue, voiceover narration, and his ancient Atari computer to create its fascinating soundscapes. This episode represents Sodajerker's first ever repeat guest, with Paddy having appeared originally on episode 53.

From “I Like It” to “Te Boté”, Top Latin Producers Tainy, Luny, Nely, Haze, and Young Martino will Discuss the Evolution of Latin Urban Music

Los destacados productores latinos Tainy, Luny, Nely, Haze y Young Martino hablarán sobre la evolución de la música urbana latina, desde “I Like It” hasta “Te Boté”

Sting’s “Every Breath You Take” Becomes The Most Performed Song In 
BMI’S Repertoire

Imagine Dragons To Receive The BMI President’s Award

Martin Bandier To Be Honored as a BMI Icon

Evening Also Celebrates the Top Pop Songwriters and Music Publishers on 
Tuesday, May 14th in Beverly Hills

NEW YORK, NY- March 29, 2019 – BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.), a global leader in music rights management, is pleased to announce its new partnership with The Montana Tavern Association (MTA) to develop a music licensing discount program for the association’s membership. This initiative will help those in the hospitality industry comply with copyright law, while ensuring that BMI’s affiliated songwriters, composers and publishers are compensated for the use of their musical works.

With the new discount program, MTA members are offered up to 10 percent off their BMI music licensing fees.  When combined with the 10 percent timely payment discount already included in BMI’s Eating & Drinking Establishment (EDE) license, up to 20 percent can be saved. 

“This is another example of why it’s so important for Montana taverns to belong to the MTA,” explained Chad Bachmeier, Chair of MTA’s Membership Committee. “The organization looks out for our interests and is in tune with the needs of our industry. This is an opportunity to save some real money with this discount from BMI and, for a small business, that’s critical.”

“The majority of BMI’s affiliated songwriters can be viewed as small business owners, just like most restaurants and bars,” said Jessica Frost, BMI’s Executive Director, Industry Relations.  “Our songwriters depend on the royalty payments they receive from BMI to make a living, and this partnership with the MTA will help to ensure the continuation of great music at bars and taverns throughout Montana.”  

BMI acts as a bridge between songwriters and the businesses and organizations that want to play their music publicly. The performing rights organization operates on a non-profit basis and licenses approximately 14 million musical works from its more than 900,000 affiliated songwriters, composers and music publishers.  Dating back to 2000, BMI has partnered with more than 60 trade associations in the hospitality industry to streamline the music licensing process. 

For more information on the BMI/The Montana Tavern Association music licensing discount program, please contact Margaret Herriges at margaret@mttaverns.org or BMI customer service at 800-925-8451/ business@bmi.com. You can also visit https://www.bmi.com/licensing. 


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ABOUT BMI:
Celebrating over 78 years of service to songwriters, composers, music publishers and businesses, Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®) is a global leader in music rights management, serving as an advocate for the value of music. BMI represents the public performance rights in 14 million musical works created and owned by more than 900,000 songwriters, composers, and music publishers. The Company negotiates music license agreements and distributes the fees it generates as royalties to its affiliated writers and publishers when their songs are performed in public. In 1939, BMI created a groundbreaking open-door policy becoming the only performing rights organization to welcome and represent the creators of blues, jazz, country, and American roots music. Today, the musical compositions in BMI’s repertoire, from chart toppers to perennial favorites, span all genres of music and are consistently among the most-performed hits of the year. For additional information and the latest BMI news, visit bmi.com, follow us on Twitter

Singer-songwriter Jamie Lawson talks about his songwriting process and hits to date, including the affecting 'Wasn't Expecting That'. Jamie also describes his time in Nashville and collaborations with songwriters like Ed Sheeran, Kim Richey and Ron Sexsmith. His next record The Years In Between is available from March 29, 2019.