The Kid LAROI Signs With Sony Publishing; Splice Raises $55 Million

Sydney’s The Kid LAROI has signed a worldwide deal with Sony Music Publishing. The artist, songwriter, and producer, whose real name is Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard, is currently riding the success of his song “Without You” and 2020 debut mixtape, “Fuck Love.”

In his native Australia, The Kid LAROI, who is signed to Columbia Records, is the youngest solo artist to reach No. 1 on the ARIA Charts, with the deluxe edition of “Fuck Love.”

“What The Kid LAROI has already achieved as a songwriter is exceptional,” said Sony Music Publishing chairman and CEO Jon Platt. “He is such an incredible talent, who is deserving of this moment.  As he continues to make his mark, Sony Music Publishing will fully support his career development and creative vision with even more opportunities to excel.”

Added The Kid LAROI: “Signing with Sony Music Publishing this week, and I feel blessed. If just one person out there connects with my journey and life experiences through my music, then I have achieved what I set out to do, and it is a privilege to have the fans that I have to share the journey ahead with me. To be a member of the writing family at Sony Music Publishing, where many of my idols and so many legends have their home is an honor. I am excited at what the future holds and to have gained the faith of the best industry professionals in the business at the age of 17 and coming from Australia. Thank you to Big Jon and the SMP team for this wonderful opportunity.”

In other music industry news:

+ Splice has closed a $55 million round of Series D funding, led by Goldman Sachs’ GS Growth with an additional investment from MUSIC, a joint venture between Matt Pincus and Liontree. Splice also named Kakul Srivastava, Adobe’s VP of Adobe Creative Cloud Experience & Engagement, to its board. The news follows a year of growth for the online sound marketplace which saw user activity surge by 50% during quarantine. Additional investors in Splice include USV, True Ventures, DFJ Growth and Flybridge.

+ Music discovery and ticketing platform DICE and concert promoter Brooklyn Made have teamed for an exclusive multi-year partnership. DICE will digitally ticket all concerts promoted by Brooklyn Made, the concert promotion company founded by former Live Nation New York President and veteran of the live industry, Anthony Makes. The deal will include shows at the United Palace theater in New York City, as well as additional venues to be announced.