Westminster City Council has designated Heaven, the London LGBTQ+ nightclub, as an Asset of Community Value, following a nomination submitted by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA). The listing formally recognizes the venue’s cultural and social significance to London’s LGBTQ+ community since it opened in 1979.

NTIA chief executive Michael Kill said the designation acknowledges the broader importance of LGBTQ+ venues as spaces of belonging and connection, and called on other local authorities to similarly recognize and protect such venues. Heaven owner Jeremy Joseph said the recognition supports the club’s ongoing transition into a charity-run venue, which he said is intended to help secure its future.

The NTIA, which represents more than 10,000 UK nightlife businesses according to the organization, said it will continue to advocate for protections for Heaven and other LGBTQ+ venues nationally.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Nikki McNeill, globalpublicity.co.uk.

Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) will launch a new Wednesday programme for Delegate Pass holders on January 13, 2027, adding a dedicated day of professional networking and showcases before the festival’s main conference gets underway at De Oosterpoort in Groningen, according to the announcement.

The day includes an invite-only Meet the Agencies session organized with the European Talent Exchange, YOUROPE and the European Festival Awards, bringing together European booking agents and festival programmers. Agencies including United Talent Agency, Primary Talent International, Karsten Jahnke Konzertdirektion and International Talent Booking have confirmed attendance, with more expected to be announced. The afternoon also features an opening ceremony highlighting Irish music, the festival’s 2027 focus, plus delegate-only showcases of recently signed artists ahead of their official Eurosonic sets.

ESNS is also introducing NEXT GEN, a programming track running throughout the conference aimed at younger industry professionals, alongside a discounted Young Delegate Pass for those under 28. ESNS, held annually in Groningen, pairs the Eurosonic emerging-artist showcase and the Noorderslag festival of Dutch talent with an industry conference, and has previously featured early-career sets from artists including AURORA, Stromae, Fontaines D.C. and Sigrid.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Nikki McNeill, globalpublicity.co.uk.

The Mechanical Licensing Collective used its Annual Membership Meeting on September 29 to announce that it will begin monthly market share distributions of remaining unclaimed accrued royalties starting in April 2027. The process, mandated under the Music Modernization Act, will first address royalties from January 2021, the earliest month digital service providers reported usage under the blanket mechanical license The MLC administers.

Under the statute, The MLC must hold unmatched and unclaimed royalties for at least three years before distributing leftover funds based on rightsholders’ relative market shares. The organization said it will distribute one month of eligible 2021 usage royalties at a time, allocated on a song-based, pro rata basis separately for each DSP and offering, meaning it will spend more than six years attempting to match royalties for each usage month before that money is distributed via market share. The MLC has published details on a Market Share page and an Unclaimed Accrued Royalties Dashboard on its website.

The MLC also reported that it has distributed more than $4.2 billion in total royalties since launching, according to the announcement, and noted the U.S. Register of Copyrights has renewed its designation as the statutory mechanical licensing collective. Members re-selected Kevin Kadish and Troy Verges as Songwriter Directors and re-elected Alisa Coleman as a Publisher Director on The MLC’s board.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by The MLC, themlc.com.

The Mechanical Licensing Collective used its Annual Membership Meeting on September 29 to disclose that it has distributed more than $4.2 billion in total royalties since beginning operations, and to set April 2027 as the start date for its first monthly market share distributions of remaining unclaimed accrued royalties.

Under the Music Modernization Act, The MLC must hold and attempt to match unclaimed accrued royalties for at least three years before distributing any remainder to rightsholders based on relative market share. The organization said it will begin that process with royalties tied to January 2021 usage, the first month digital service providers reported under the blanket mechanical license, and will proceed one usage month at a time in subsequent years. Each monthly distribution will allocate remaining funds on a song-based, pro rata basis, separated by DSP and service offering, according to the announcement.

The MLC also reported it has distributed nearly $239 million in historical royalties, which it says represents more than 60% of historical unmatched funds transferred to it by DSPs. The meeting additionally included board updates: Kevin Kadish and Troy Verges were re-selected as Songwriter Directors and Alisa Coleman was re-elected as a Publisher Director. The organization pointed to its continued designation by the U.S. Register of Copyrights as the statutory mechanical licensing collective as a milestone from its first five years of operation.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by The MLC, themlc.com.

BandLab Technologies has appointed Ivan Chen as Chief Executive Officer, effective October 1, the company announced. Co-founder Meng Ru Kuok, who has held the CEO title since launching the company in 2015, transitions to Executive Chairman and will continue as CEO of parent company Caldecott Music Group.

Chen joined BandLab Technologies in 2016 as Chief Operating Officer and was promoted to President in 2024. According to the announcement, he has worked closely with Kuok on operations, fundraising, strategy and M&A as the company grew from its flagship BandLab platform into a portfolio that now includes Cakewalk, ReverbNation, Airbit and, as of July 2026, the AI-powered studio Aiode.

Under the new structure, Chen will oversee day-to-day operations and the company’s next phase of growth, while Kuok focuses on long-term strategy, major partnerships and investment priorities. Chen also continues as Group President of Caldecott Music Group.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Meg Banich, rockpaperscissors.biz.