Jeeni Blog

Helping the next generation of talent to build a global fanbase

Weekly Round-Up #7

/ By Doug Phillips
Weekly Round-Up #7

The latest news on all things Jeeni, music and entertainment. 

Happy new year from Jeeni!

We're constantly trying to enrich our database with new art for listeners to explore and enjoy and so, on this edition of Weekly Round-Up, we wanted to keep everyone updated on the new developments and additions that have been going on here at Jeeni.

New Releases on Jeeni: 

Jeeni’s database of incredible new music has recently been expanded with new projects from a variety of artists ranging from hip-hop to country. Baby Panna, Ariana May, Richard Murray, Lennox Campbell and DarkStarGraver have all recently uploaded new projects onto Jeeni. Exciting new music is what fuels Jeeni and allows us to promote and boost the artists behind them. 

If you want to feature your work on Jeeni or if you’re already a Jeeni artist and want more of your work to be added to your showcase, contact us at doug@jeeni.com or ella@jeeni.com and we can sort everything out for you! 

New Review blogs: 

As more inspiring and inventive work is uploaded to Jeeni, as are more reviews. DarkStarGraver released an album late last year titled ‘Over The Bridge & Far Away’. Jeeni’s review of the album claimed that, “If you had any familiarity with this Portsmouth rapper’s refreshing and inventive brand of UK hip-hop, then it should be of no surprise that his newest album is as buoyant, animated and thought-out as it is.” 

We also had the pleasure of reviewing Maple Sky’s ‘Wearing Red’, a smoky and lush opening track from their self-titled EP. A “perfect sonic epitome of the smooth jazz inspired outfit”, ‘Wearing Red’ is certainly a must-listen for jazz-heads. 

Finally, Richard Murray’s anticipated new album, ‘Fire Sale’ was reviewed on Wednesday. “Richard Murray is a Northern Irish singer and songwriter who specialises in expanding the pre-conceived ideas people have about country music.” 

Jeeni University Partnerships: 

Jeeni is keen to operate and work with various universities to uplift blossoming and brand-new artists and to provide an ethical and supportive means of showcasing their talent to a worldwide platform.

As well as getting young students and artists interested in becoming a Jeeni artist and making use of our marketing and artist liaison team, we’re also offering roles to become a part of the Jeeni team itself. Right now, we have our roles advertised with BIMM and Middlesex Unis, as well as on our Indeed page (https://uk.indeed.com/jobs?q=jeeni&l&vjk=a98f08cca58bd410). 

Make sure you're following us on social media to keep up to date with new releases from our artists, our reviews and any job openings:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeenimusic/  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeenimusic  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeenimusic  

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/33222018/admin/  

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A Christmas No:1 for 2020?

12
Mar

A Christmas No:1 for 2020?

Rob Copsey from the website Officialcharts.com has given us the low down on the runners for the coveted UK Christmas No:1 single slot. The winner of the biggest chart of the year will be announced on Christmas Day itself, Friday December 25. The Christmas Number 1 is a British institution and has been claimed by some of the world’s most iconic music stars. Queen, The Beatles, Spice Girls, Cliff Richard and, ahem, Bob The Builder have all landed Christmas chart-toppers in the past. In 2019 YouTuber and dad-blogger LadBaby claim the festive crown for a second year in a row, with his second sausage roll-themed charity single, I Love Sausage Rolls - a spin on I Love Rock N' Roll - in aid of foodbank charity The Trussell Trust. He also topped the chart in 2018 with We Built This City, making him only the third act in chart history, after The Beatles and Spice Girls, to land consecutive chart Christmas Number 1s. "It’s the best feeling in the world - a Christmas miracle yet again!" LadBaby, real name Mark Hoyle, told us at the time. "It’s going to the Trussell Trust – to the 14 million people living in poverty in the UK. Who doesn’t love a sausage roll at Christmas?" Could this year could see a festive classic bag the top spot? We recently reported that Christmas favourites have re-entered the Official Singles Chart earlier than ever before, and Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You has reached Number 1 in the UK for the first time ever this month.  However, they face competition from several big new releases for 2020. So who is in line as a challenger for this year's Official Christmas Number 1? The Official 2020 Christmas No: 1 Contenders 1. LadBaby - Don't Stop Me Eatin' https://youtu.be/s-shDEK85uA Can LadBaby make it three festive chart-toppers in a row? The dad blogger and his family are back with another sausage roll-themed song, this time to the tune of Journey's 1982 hit Don't Stop Believin'. Once again, the release is raising money for foodbank charity The Trussell Trust, who have seen a huge rise in demand after a difficult 2020. Out now 2. Justin Bieber ft. The Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Choir - Holy https://youtu.be/jXy0s9pexCo Five years after Bieber helped the choir claim the 2015 Christmas No: 1, the superstar has joined forces with them on a new version of his hit single, Holy.  Recorded at Abbey Road studios, proceeds from the song will be split between NHS Charities Together (which represents over 230 NHS charities) and the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Charity in recognition of the extraordinary efforts of those on the medical frontline during the Coronavirus crisis.  3. Jess Glynne - This Christmas https://youtu.be/F6Py60ponQo Jess Glynne has recorded a cover of Donny Hathaway's This Christmas as part of Amazon's Originals series. It's already proving popular, set to enter this week's Official Singles Chart Top 100, and CD and vinyl singles will be available to purchase from December 18. Similarly, Justin Bieber's new Amazon Original, a cover of Brenda Lee's Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree, is also shaping up to be a hit this Christmas. Last year saw Ellie Goulding's Amazon Originals track, a cover of Joni Mitchell's River, reach Number 1, so don't underestimate these. 4. Liam Gallagher - All You’re Dreaming Of https://youtu.be/TwX3_lQmYMQ A song that Bing Crosby would be proud of (according to Liam), All You’re Dreaming Of is a track that the Oasis legend says “is perfect for this time of year, considering the year that we’ve all had”. Billed as ‘Imagine meets Wonderful Life’ Liam is confident of his chances for a good chart performance; responding to a fan on Twitter who asked if it is going to Christmas Number 1, the rock legend said: “it’s gonna be rite up there you gotta be in it to win it.” All You’re Dreaming Of is available to stream and download now, with 12" and limited edition white 7" vinyl versions released on December 18. Proceeds of the song are going to UK charity Action For Children, who work to protect and support vulnerable children and young people across the country. 5. Rig Aid - It’s Christmas Time, It’s Time To Lash Archie Curzons is a social media influencer, the self-proclaimed CEO of London's Clapham, and is the host of The Rig Biz podcast - a comedy show with celebrity guests packed with lashings of #banter and #ladchat. He's roped in an impressive line-up of his so-called celebrity pals/podcast guests including Danny Care, James Haskell, Jeremy Irvine, Alex Paine and Darren Gough for a Christmas single - a light-hearted song to wave off a disastrous 2020 to raise money for Restart Rugby. Out now. 6. A Candle for Carson The Christmas Number 1 race is often about singles giving back to the community, and an example of that kindness this year comes from Blackburn music producers Chris Dewhurst and Andy Rose and vocalist Miranda Myles. The three have teamed up to record and release the track for Carlson,  who sadly died in November after battling congenital heart disease, which he was born with. Carson's family are hoping to set up a charity in his name with the proceeds. Out now. 7. Shine A Light To Fight – Together In Electric Dreams Recorded by a collective of choral and orchestral musicians performing from their Somerset bedrooms during lockdown, this heart-warming rendition of of Phil Oakey and Giorgio Moroder's Together In Electric Dreams is released on December 18, in remembrance of those we have lost in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic. The song is led by Jeremy Millington of music duo The Portraits, and social media group Shine A Light To Fight, which was set up in March as an online meeting place for those affected by Covid-19. 8. ICU Liberty Singers - Every Breath You Take The ICU Liberty Singers are made up of NHS Critical Care staff from all over the country, who have come together virtually to create this rendition of The Police's Every Breath You Take. Out now. https://youtu.be/pm3z0qoDbo8 9. Cameron Barnes & Blythe Duff ft. The Red Hot Chilli Pipers - Fairytale of New York Scottish actor Blythe Duff and singer Cameron Barnes have teamed up for a re-imagining of The Pogues' Fairytale Of New York to raise funds for freelance creatives and their families. Their version tells the story of single mum called Christina Chalmers – or Chrissy - who encourages her son Guy to leave Glasgow and follow in her footsteps to find fame and fortune in New York City - but it didn’t work out. Out now.  https://youtu.be/g911zLtlmUQ 10. Rock Choir - Keeping The Dream Alive The Rock Choir have joined thousands across England, Wales and Scotland to form one virtual choir to record a rendition of Keeping the Dream Alive. Led by Vikki Hewitt and creator/founder Caroline Redman Lusher, the track is to raise awareness for the Mental Health Foundation. Out now. https://youtu.be/bVrL9zdDlH0 More Official Christmas Chart Contenders: Russ Abbott - Atmosphere - Two Nottingham University student radio presenters - George Scotland and Damian Stephen - have launched a campaign to get Chester comedian Russ Abbot to Number 1 this Christmas with his 1984 single Atmosphere because, well, why not? The campaign has been endorsed by Abbot himself and Paul Chuckle.  The Dancing Binmen - Boogie Round The Bins At Christmas - Three binmen from Wolverhampton - Jack Johnson, Henry Wright and Adrian Breakwell – shot to fame in the city earlier this year for dancing on their routes during the first lockdown. Now they've got their eye on the Christmas Number 1 with Boogie Round The Bins At Christmas. Money raised from the song will go to charity. Out now. Gemma Collins & Darren Day - Baby It's Cold Outside - can the GC land this year's Christmas Number 1 with a cover of a festive classic? Sam Fender - Winter Song - The musician has released a stunning cover of the '70s folk track by Newcastle legends Alan Hull/Lindisfarne. Money raised from the song goes to social enterprise People Of The Streets. Out now. Matt Lucas – Merry Christmas, Baked Potato - a seasonal continuation on from Thank You, Baked Potato, Matt’s first UK Top 40 single that he released in during the first lockdown which benefitted the NHS. Out now. Robbie Williams - Can’t Stop Christmas - a feel-good tale about how we need to enjoy ourselves over our five-day Christmas bubble this year, complete with references to social distancing and Zooms. The Celebs - Merry Christmas Everyone - a cover of Shakin' Stevens' classic featuring Sam Bailey and Good Morning Britain's Richard Arnold and Laura Tobin, released in support of the Alzheimer's Society. Out now. Collabro - Christmas Is Here - The successful musical theatre group and winners of 2014’s Britain’s Got Talent will be donating 100% of profits from the download of their original Christmas single to military charity Help for Heroes. The Kut - Waiting For Christmas grunge ballad released on December 18, raising money for the Red Cross Coronavirus Crisis Fund. Tone Def Tony - I Got Pissed With Santa Claus - Novelty track which is giving 50% of its royalties to help those in the pub trade who a struggling this year due to Covid-19. More info here. Raise The Woof! - The first ever Christmas single for dogs. Christmas in Denmark Street - British punk band Spizzenergi teams up with producer Tony Visconti to release this 'punchy, festive protest anthem'. Tune in to The Official Chart with Katie Thistleton on BBC Radio 1 on December 25 from 2-4pm to hear the Christmas Top 40 countdown and the exclusive reveal of the winner of the Official Christmas Number 1 2020. You can also catch Top Of The Pops on Christmas Day, more details of the broadcast to come. The full Top 100 Official Christmas Singles Chart and Albums Chart will be published on OfficialCharts.com from 5.45pm.

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Music Tech Startups announce strategic alliance for the greater good of the Musician and Performer.

03
Sep

Music Tech Startups announce strategic alliance for the greater good of the Musician and Performer.

We are delighted to announce the strategic alliance between Jeeni and California-based AmplifyX, the only FINRA and SEC compliant platform that allows investors to build a portfolio by directly funding musicians. The alliance was arranged by Kelli Richards, Jeeni Managing Director USA, who was mentored by Steve Jobs at Apple where she launched and managed the Apple music and entertainment division. This represents a major advantage for Jeeni in the USA, our most important global territory in terms of artists and revenues. We gain access to more rising stars along with their followers and fanbases, with mutually advantageous joint promotions and publicity. The partnership will officially kick off at the end of August with a global streamed concert, featuring our 10 most popular artists from both sides of the Atlantic, and will be co-branded between Jeeni and AmplifyX. Co-founder of AmplifyX Bobby Kamaris says, “Our companies run in an adjacent space helping independent artists, and our philosophies and motives are very very close. What you guys at Jeeni have done in putting it together and launching is actually incredible.” Co-founder of AmplifyX Adam Cowherd adds, "Did you know that artists take home only 12% of the $43 billion spent on music annually, according to Citigroup? [1] The hip-hop artist Russ put it perfectly when he said, 'The music business isn’t set up for the artists to get rich. It’s set up for everyone else to get rich off the artists.' [2] If you start looking deeper into the music industry, one of the first things you’ll discover is how broken it is. Artists are the nucleus of the business, but somehow they’re the individuals left with no ownership of their Intellectual Property (IP), inhibited creative freedom, and only a sliver of the earnings. There are so many entities involved in the value chain of music that it has created a convoluted industry structure that lacks equality and transparency. When we break down the mechanics of the music industry, we see just how many hands are in the pot: record labels, managers, producers, booking agents, and streaming platforms. A report by Ernst & Young highlighted the post-tax payouts of streaming revenue and identified that record labels are taking nearly 75% of the payout. [3] Why are artists today signing with record labels?" Jeeni Founding Director Shena Mitchell adds, "This is an exciting opportunity for Jeeni to develop strong relations with USA partners. AmplifyX is focused on building a new framework to fund independent artists with their unique platform for artists to raise capital from nontraditional sources. Our visions are entirely complementary and aligned." Jeeni, is the social music platform that brings artists closer to their fans, and shares revenue ethically. Jeeni is presently raising funds on Crowdcube and is 110% overfunded with 4 days to remaining. If you want to see our pitch click HERE.

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10 Reasons why the world needs Jeeni

04
Jun

10 Reasons why the world needs Jeeni

My name is Mel Croucher. I'm a record producer and computer nerd. Over the years I've worked with a whole bunch of superstars like Prince, Frank Zappa and Eminem. In other words, I've been around successful musicians all my working life. A few years back I was hearing from more and more artists how unhappy they were with the big streaming services. So I polled 4,200 of them about their Top-Ten Problems with Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, Deezer, and the rest. The poll result was a shocker, and I asked a bunch of the best brains in the music business to help me create an ethical alternative. It's taken us two years, and we call our alternative JEENI. Here's what the artists we polled told us, and here's our Jeeni solution to their problems. 1 - Money. Artists get paid a pittance. Platforms like YouTube pay $0.00069 per view, so even 10,000 views earns us less than the cost of a pizza per month.Jeeni solution. OK, we get it. You do all the hard work, so you deserve all the rewards. How about a Jeeni deal where you to keep 100% of all music sales, ticketing, and merchandise sold through our platform. 2 - Recognition. We try really hard, but streaming platforms just don't get us more fans or recognition.Jeeni solution. Right. Let's make Jeeni an artist development platform. Our founder invented viral marketing in 1994. Then he achieved the world's first million-user viral campaign. Now he's designed all the tools you need to grow your fanbase and get recognition: all part of the Jeeni service. 3 - Communication. We don't know the identity of who's streaming our stuff, so we can't get in direct contact with anyone who wants to know more about us.Jeeni solution. OK. Here's the deal. With Jeeni you get a built-in fan database to contact everyone who votes for you or likes your work, and you communicate direct with them as often as you like. Safely, legally and all opt-in. 4 - B*llsh*t. The big streaming platforms are full of it. We hate the adverts, we hate the artificial likes, we hate the paid-for recommendations, we hate the hype.Jeeni solution. The answer to this is an ethical alternative. We guarantee Jeeni will stay advert-free. We pledge our charts are the result of democratic votes by real people. And we promise that all Jeeni content comes from genuine unpaid sources. Oh yeah, we'll also pay our taxes in full, because we believe we should make a positive contribution to the society we live in. 5 - Rip Offs. We just can't break through, and even when we think we're making progress as artists we get ripped off.Jeeni solution. Yep. The entertainment business has always been full of shysters. Let's be honest here, the people behind Jeeni have all made it to the top somehow, and between us we've made every mistake in the book. Our mission is to help you achieve success and avoid the rip-offs. That's why our Jeeni Mentors, Ambassadors and Masterclasses have joined forces to do exactly that. 6 - Choice. The big streaming services all offer similar content, dominated by the same big star names.Jeeni solution. Agreed, so let's ignore the content everyone else uses and leave our competitors to fight it out! Jeeni is designed for undiscovered artists to break through, based on talent alone, not ad-spend. 7 - Channels. My work doesn't fit into mainstream channels. For example, what about channels for spoken-word?Jeeni solution. No problem. Jeeni already has dedicated spoken-word channels for poetry, comedy, and voice actors, plus channels for entertainments ranging from dance to videogame soundtracks. And if we don't already have a channel that suits your need ... we'll sit down and create it! 8 - Visibility. People either don't know about our work, or can't find it even if they do.Jeeni solution. We've designed the smartest user interface we can. On Jeeni, you can search by name, type of channel, instrumentation, latest uploads, popularity, even by influences and heroes. But above all, our artists have complete control over publicising their own announcements to their specific Jeeni audience. 9 - Fakes. What's the difference between the Jeeni Awards and the fake results dominated by celebrity voting?Jeeni solution. Simple. Jeeni doesn't have celebrity voting. Our Awards will always be based on one member - one vote. No ifs, no buts. 10 - Live performance. I'd like to stream an event, and charge people to watch it. Can Jeeni do that?Jeeni solution. Um, not yet, but we're working on it! Come on now, we're not perfect, so we need your help. Jeeni has returned to Crowdcube to raise more funds for helping new talent. Jeeni founding director Mel Croucher says, “We’re ahead of our original schedule, but there’s still so much more to do. We need to scale our online platform globally now and build our mass artist showcases. Jeeni raised £100K in 6 days and we’re working hard to get more investors on board. Then we can hit all our targets, and give our new artists the recognition they deserve.” If you want to see our pitch click HERE.

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