Music Industry Moves: Reverb and Bravado Announce Partnership to Advance Sustainable Touring

Bravado, Universal Music’s merchandise and lifestyle company, has announced a strategic partnership with Reverb, the nonprofit organization aimed at promoting sustainability in the music industry. This collaboration aims to “elevate the storytelling around Bravado’s sustainability initiatives and deepen Reverb’s impact with sustainably focused merchandise solutions,” according to the announcement. (Pictured above, L-R: Maggie Baird (founder of Support+Feed, mother of Billie Eilish and Finneas); Reverb’s Madeline Weir; Bravado’s Matt Young; UMG’s Dylan Siegler; Reverb’s Adam Gardner.)

Specifically, Reverb will work closely with Bravado to amplify the merch company’s sustainability efforts via through live event presence and social media channels. In turn, Bravado will serve as an advisor to Reverb, offering expertise in environmentally responsible merchandise production and design. Bravado will also support Reverb’s tour activations by providing t-shirts for the nonprofit’s on-site volunteers.

“Bravado is proud to partner with Reverb, which has been a true leader in sustainable action in the live music industry for more than two decades,” said Bravado president Matt Young. “Together, along with the incredible artists who are true leaders in this space, we can push the boundaries of what’s possible in sustainably focused merch while engaging fans in meaningful, planet-positive ways.”

“Reverb is thrilled to partner with Bravado to tell the stories of real progress being made in sustainable merch,” said Reverb co-founder Adam Gardner. “Partnering with Bravado allows us to strengthen the work we’ve been doing with artists and fans around climate action, and is another step toward making every part of the live music experience more responsible.”

+ AWAL has announced the launch of AWAL Middle East and a deal with Egyptian star Wegz and Raad Records. The division is headquartered in Dubai in partnership with Sony Music Middle East. The division will be headed by Sony Middle East A&R Director Issa Outa, who will continue to report to Rami Mohsen, that company’s managing director, with an added reporting line to Ben Akinbola, AWAL’s head of growth.

Previously, Outa held such roles as managing partner and VP of business development at Chabka, as well as roles at Anghami Productions and Vibe Records.

Wegz, who co-founded Raad Records, says, “I found an outlet where I can be creative beyond my own music, by working with a new wave of younger artists eager to find their identity and footing in an industry that can be unwelcoming and even hostile at times. We are excited to launch this chapter with the support of AWAL, who share much of our vision and values and have made bringing this to life an exciting and smooth process.”

Akinbola said, “We couldn’t be more excited to break ground in the Middle East in partnership with Rami, Issa, and the Sony Music team. Middle Eastern culture is undeniably diverse and rich, brimming with a generation of powerful storytellers that have fueled sustained growth in the MENA music market.”

Monday, Sept. 22

The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts will welcome back alumni David Biral (’15) and Denzel Baptiste (’14) — the Grammy-nominated production duo Take a Daytrip — for the Institute’s first-ever homecoming artist residency.

Biral and Baptiste first met as freshmen at the Institute, where they formed Take a Daytrip aiming to “seeing the world through music.” In the years since, they have collaborated on hits with Lil Nas X, Juice Wrld, Kid Cudi, Jack Harlow, Travis Scott, Dua Lipa, Miley Cyrus, James Blake, and others. Their No. 1 singles include Travis Scott and Kid Cudi’s “The Scotts” and Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” and “Industry Baby.”).

Beyond the studio, Take A Daytrip launched their publishing venture, No Idle, in partnership with Universal Music Publishing Group in 2022. They have also collaborated with Apple to create Take a Daytrip Producer Packs for GarageBand and Logic Pro.

Their NYU residency will include student listening and feedback sessions, a production masterclass, a keynote conversation with special guests, and a live performance in the Garage, the Institute’s in-house Brooklyn venue.

They join a tradition of Institute residencies previously held by Pharrell Williams, Swizz Beatz, Julie Greenwald, Kareem Riggins, Dawn Richard, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Joey Bada$$.

Biral said, “It’s such an honor to be coming back to the place where everything started for us. Our creativity, our sense of the business, our ambition, all of it was fostered at Clive and we couldn’t be happier to come back and share what we’ve learned with the next generation of CDI students.”

Baptiste added, “Over the last year we’ve really taken a back to basics approach with our creative process, rekindling our love for creation above all else and figuring out how to generate business around the music that inspires us most. It feels super poetic for us to come back to Clive at this moment, the place we met and started our dream of traveling the world off the strength of the music we make.”

Davis chair Nick Sansano said, “The Institute is deeply proud of the accomplishments of its alumni. This year marks a milestone: for the first time, we are able to feature primarily alumni in our residencies, guest presentations, and events—a long-held CDI dream realized. Welcoming Take A Daytrip as our inaugural alumni Artists-In-Residence sets an inspiring precedent. Formed at Clive, Denzel and David embody the values of our curriculum through their work as artists and entrepreneurs. We are honored to welcome them back with gratitude.”

+ Atlantic Music Group has officially joined forces with Limosa Nostra Records — the label founded by artist-entrepreneur Ricky Hil – in a new joint venture. In addition to Hil’s own music, the collaboration will launch future releases from New York-based rapper SosMula, among other artists.

“I have one goal in life, and that’s to put out great music with like-minded people,” Hil said in a statement. “So I’m very excited to be working with Atlantic Music Group.”  Atlantic CEO Elliot Grainge added, “In addition to creating his own fanbase through his music, Ricky has been able to identify influential and promising artists along the way. We are thrilled to join forces with Ricky and his team at Limosa Nostra to work alongside them to develop and support his roster of talent.”