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This is Citigroup's first foray into the world of music royalty invesments. beatBread Courtesy Photo Indie finance platform beatBread said on Tuesday it secured $124 million in loans and equity investment to expand its lending products for unsigned artists, writers and labels. Equity investors leading the funding round include global banking giant Citigroup and venture investors and long-time beatBread backers Deciens Capital and Mucker Capital. Other investors include Advantage Capital, while GMO provided additional credit funding. Related “At beatBread, we’re building a financial foundation for true artist and label independence,” beatBread CEO Peter Sinclair said in a statement. “By giving creators more choice, more access and more control, we’re helping them stay independent on their own terms … compare multiple funding options from multiple funding sources and make the choice that’s right for them.” Peter Sinclair, beatBread CEO Courtesy Photo The latest fundraise follows two earlier capital infusions in 2022 when beatBread raised $34 million from Deciens, Mucker and others, and separately $100 million secured through an institutional funding agreement with Variant Investments. Trending on Billboard Launched in 2020, beatBread’s offerings include providing artist advances, which can range from $1,000 to $10 million. Artists, songwriters and indie labels with over

Posted By: Larry Felton Johnson August 3, 2025 The National Weather Service posted the following statement about the flood watch in effect across much of Georgia until the evening of Monday, August 4: …FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY EVENING… * WHAT…Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is possible. * WHERE…Portions of central, north central, northwest, and west central Georgia, including the following areas, in central Georgia, Baldwin, Bibb, Bleckley, Butts, Crawford, Crisp, Dodge, Dooly, Houston, Jasper, Jones, Laurens, Monroe, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, Telfair, Twiggs, Wheeler, Wilcox and Wilkinson. In north central Georgia, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Gilmer, Gwinnett, Henry, Morgan, Newton, North Fulton, Pickens, Rockdale, South Fulton and Walton. In northwest Georgia, Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Polk, Walker and Whitfield. In west central Georgia, Chattahoochee, Coweta, Harris, Heard, Lamar, Macon, Marion, Meriwether, Muscogee, Pike, Schley, Spalding, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, Troup, Upson and Webster. * WHEN…Through Monday evening. * IMPACTS…Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS… – A very moist airmass will remain in place across the region over

After a tumultuous few months, Avant Gardner's new CEO Gary Richards says the filing "will allow us to stabilize Avant Gardner and focus on building for the future." Brooklyn Mirage Avant Gardner Avant Gardner LLC, the operator of New York’s troubled club Brooklyn Mirage, has voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The filing was made in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Related According to a statement provided to Billboard by a representative for Avant Gardner, “the decision to file for Chapter 11 relief follows several months of financial distress, culminating with Avant Gardner being unable to open its newly constructed Mirage event space for the 2025 season.” Brooklyn Mirage is part of the Avant Gardner entertainment complex that also includes Great Hall and Kings Hall, both venues that will remain open and operating during the Chapter 11 process. These spaces have also hosted a number of shows that have been unable to happen at Brooklyn Mirage this season, and they will continue to do so for the rest of the year. Trending on Billboard Avant Gardner has received a debtor-in-possession financing commitment from its existing lender. As part of its filings, the company anticipates entering

Claims ‘trafficked weapons’ were seized in multiple raids across Quneitra Israeli ground troops have carried out multiple ground raids across southwestern Syria over the weekend, including overnight raids in the Quneitra Governorate overnight Saturday, which led to the capture of multiple “suspects” who have not been conclusively identified and appear to simply be local Syrians. On Friday, Israeli troops attacked farmers near Jubata al-Khashab, first opening fire on them while they were actively farming their own land then confiscating a tractor in the area because the tractor was trying to haul away trees within the area which Israeli military bulldozers had recently knocked down. Three Syrians were captured in that incident. Israel has been engaged in deforestation in Quneitra in recent months, and farmers have reported intermittently that that has caused problems with groundwater. That is doubly difficult for them as Israeli ground troops have seized control of many of the fresh water sources in the area, preventing irrigation. Arms confiscated in IDF raid on four different sites in Syria | Image from IDF via X The raid on the tractor was just the start of this operation, though. Overnight Saturday, the IDF reported raiding at least four locations in

Mumbai, 03rd August, 2025 In a significant step towards enhancing rail connectivity across various states and addressing long-standing public demand, Indian Railways has introduced three new train services, viz. Train No. 19201/19202 Bhavnagar Terminus – Ayodhya Cantt (Weekly) Express, Train No. 20151/20152 Pune (Hadapsar) – Rewa (Weekly) Superfast Express and Train No. 11701/11702 Raipur – Jabalpur (Daily) Express. The inaugural services of these trains were flagged off by Dr. Mohan Yadav, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh; Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh; Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology; Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Hon’ble Minister of Labour and Employment & Youth Affairs and Sports and Smt. Nimuben Bambhaniya, Hon’ble Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution on Sunday, 3rd August 2025. The inaugural service of Bhavnagar Terminus – Ayodhya Cantt Express was flagged off from Bhavnagar Terminus station, while the inaugural services of Rewa – Pune (Hadapsar) Express and Jabalpur – Raipur Express were flagged off through video conferencing from Bhavnagar Terminus. On this occasion, the local public representatives and railway officials were also present for the function.  Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Information

New Delhi-2 Aug-2025 ECI also decides to give honorarium to ERO & AEROs  Pure electoral rolls are the bedrock of democracy. The electoral roll machinery, consisting of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), BLO Supervisors and Booth Level Officers (BLOs), do a lot of hard work and play a pivotal role in preparation of impartial and transparent electoral rolls. The Commission has therefore, decided to double the annual remuneration for BLOs & also enhanced the remuneration of BLO Supervisors involved in the preparation and revision of electoral rolls. The last such revision was done in 2015. Also, honorarium has been provided for EROs and AEROs for the first time. Sr No Designation Existing        since 2015 Revised now 1 Booth Level officer (BLO) Rs. 6000 Rs 12000 2 Incentive to BLO for Revision of electoral roll Rs 1000 Rs 2000 3 BLO Supervisor Rs 12000 Rs 18000 4 AERO Nil Rs 25000 5 ERO Nil Rs 30000 Besides, this, the Commission had also approved a special incentive of Rs 6,000/- for BLOs for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) starting from Bihar. This decision reflects the Election Commission’s commitment to adequately compensate election personnel who work tirelessly at the

Although it’s only August, the Halloween season is already in full swing, and we couldn’t be more excited! This Halloween season is going to be packed with your favorite scary villains, not just on screen, but on your supermarket shelves! We already know Jason Voorhees is slashing his way onto Angry Orchard products, including a short film. Now, it looks like he won’t be alone, with other products jumping on the horror bandwagon. Universal has teamed up with Fanta to release a line of cans and bottles featuring iconic horror villains, including Chucky and Michael Myers! Chucky, Michael, Freddy, and The Grabber Get Their Own Flavors! Leaked images show that Freddy Fazbear from Five Nights at Freddy’s is getting a flavor ahead of the sequel’s release. And The Grabber from The Black Phone is also getting its own Fanta cans ahead of its sequel’s debut. Each character will have a unique color and flavor that perfectly matches their spooky vibe. For example, Chucky’s drink is called “Chucky’s Punch,” and the fantastic label art features colors inspired by the killer doll’s classic Good Guys clothing. We don’t have all the details on these Fanta horror sodas just yet, but it appears that

As the institutions on THR’s annual list prepare the next generation for the future, many are turning to virtual production, LED walls and, yes, AI. Published on August 1, 2025 AFI students shoot a scene in a Los Angeles studio. Ray Chang/Courtesy of AFI “Before film school, we were just making short films on our own. We did everything — camera, lighting, acting,” say Matt and Ross Duffer, the duo behind the Netflix smash hit Stranger Things. It wasn’t until they went to Chapman University that they found what they call their “first true creative community.” Finding future collaborators and a strong alumni network continue to be some of the biggest selling points of film schools. But with cheap filmmaking tech (think iPhones) and access to nascent generative AI, the barrier to entry continues to lower for would-be directors, meaning the nation’s top films schools are rapidly updating facilities and curricula to keep pace with a changing industry. Virtual production courses are becoming a must, as schools add LED walls and camera systems to allow real-time virtual filmmaking, while AI is being taught in courses like AI for Creative Professionals (Syracuse University) and Producing and Screenwriting With AI (LMU). But

Diddy's lawyers say there's no reason to release the star on bail, citing trial testimony that his "temper and violence were unpredictable." Sean "Diddy" Combs attends Sean "Diddy" Combs Fulfills $1 Million Pledge To Howard University At Howard Homecoming Yardfest at Howard University on Oct. 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images Federal prosecutors are firing back at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ request to be released on bail ahead of his October sentencing, telling the judge that he has “extensive history of violence” and must remain in jail. Combs was acquitted last month on the most serious charges he faced over drug-fueled sex marathons called “freak-offs,” but was convicted on two lesser prostitution counts. His lawyers are currently pushing to throw out those convictions – or at the very least secure his release until sentencing. Related But in a response filing late Thursday, prosecutors argue that Diddy must remain in jail until his October court date. They say nothing has changed since the judge previously denied bail – and if anything, the trial showed how violent the star can be. Trending on Billboard “The trial record is replete with evidence of the defendant’s acts of violence towards others,” prosecutors write.

Overall revenue grew 4.5% (in constant currency) as a double-digit gain from music publishing was tempered by 3.9% recorded music growth and a decline in merchandising. General views of the Universal Music Group corporate offices on December 22, 2020 in Santa Monica, California. AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images Buoyed by hits by Morgan Wallen and Sabrina Carpenter, Universal Music Group (UMG) had revenue of 2.98 billion euros ($3.38 billion) in the second quarter, up 4.5% in constant currency, which removes the effects of foreign exchange changes. On a reported basis, which takes foreign exchange into account, revenue was up 1.6%. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), a common measure of profitability that removes some non-operational expenses, rose 7.3% in constant currency (4.2% as reported) to 676 million euros ($766 million). Adjusted EBITDA margin rose to 22.7% from 22.1%. Related “We are pleased with the strong growth in subscription, ad supported and music publishing revenue, which more than offset particularly difficult comparisons in physical and merchandising revenue,” COO Boyd Muir said during the earnings call on Thursday (July 31). Trending on Billboard In UMG’s recorded music segment, second quarter revenue grew 3.9% (1.1% as reported) to 2.22 billion euros ($2.5