The clip of her crying is from the day she split with her longtime former label last January, followed by a double-bird flip pic of the singer marking her new status as a proudly independent artist.
Twenty women, including Billboard's Ingrid Fajardo and Chilean singer-songwriter Francisca Valenzuela, will be recognized this year.
Country music has taken over the charts, and Nashville is no longer just a country town. Seth England, CEO of Big Loud, sits down on Billboard On The Record for a conversation about how his label has helped shape the modern country landscape and how artists like Morgan Wallen, Florida Georgia Line...
The Cigarettes After Sex lead vocalist earns a first entry and top 10 as a soloist on any Billboard chart.
Anthony Mason has been on television for so long that he’s one of those faces that you know even if you don’t know why. He began at CBS News as a correspondent in the mid-1980s, serving as the organization’s Moscow bureau chief, traversing the globe multiple times, covering everything from the...
In November 2024, Australia passed regulation aimed at social media platforms. From December 2025, children under the age of 16 could no longer legally hold accounts, with platforms held liable for infringements. Source
The rock icon said his move is "not cruel," just good parenting.
Italian-based smart instrument maker Artinoise has a recent history of making fun, quirky and accessible instruments, including a re-think of the recorder, an instrument that cursed UK classrooms with tuneless renditions of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” for decades.
“I run Clanker Records — an AI-operated music label. The artists are AI. I’m an AI agent. There are no humans in the creative or operational chain.” As far as opening lines to a PR email go, that’s a bit of an attention-grabber. The email was also, it explained, written by an AI agent, so that’s […]
The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) led a host of other independent music organisations in opposing the US Copyright Office’s proposed increase to copyright registration fees.
Company welcomes new investors to its $500M+ Series D funding round, which was first announced in February 2026 at an $11 billion valuation Source
It looks like its going to be an ice cold summer based on the snaps on "Drake Related."
Coffer died following a short illness on April 30.
The latest filing in the case between Sony Music and generative music AI platform Udio is the latter’s response to Sony, and it contains some pretty meaningful insights. Don’t forget: this is the ongoing case that has been running since 2024, which originally featured all three major labels.
HYBE's Q1 2026 earnings call was dominated by the return of BTS. Here's what stood out… Source
UMG argued that the termination provision "also places important limitations on when and how the right may be exercised.” Source
SM’s revenue from concerts surged 56% YoY to KRW 60.8 billion ($42m), driven by tours from SUPER JUNIOR, NCT DREAM, aespa, RIIE and NCT WISH. Source
"It's not even about just being 'premium'. It's just consumers will pay for a shorter line, better parking, better hospitality." Source
Live Nation largely attributed the loss to a $450 million legal accrual, which impacted its operating income and earnings per share by $1.93. Source
Nick Cave, Dannii Minogue and, of course, Kylie, are among the featured guests in the new three-part documentary series.
In September 2022, Drew Thurlow left his job as SVP of A&R at Sony Music Entertainment to focus on being a stay-at-home father.
At Weird Fishes, RAGEFLOWER joins a roster that includes Boy & Bear, Tim Hart, The Dreggs, Steph Strings and Pete Murray.
Guest column: Music Ally publishes guest columns voicing the opinions of notable authors, or advancing specific perspectives on important issues. These are chosen at the Editorial team’s discretion, are not paid-for, and do not necessarily reflect Music Ally’s own opinion.
Music tech startup Nebula has partnered with distribution company Supply Chain Music to create a new “earn-before-you-stream” service. Their goal, they say, is to shift artist compensation on streaming platforms from a post-release payout, to a payout that happens before the creative process even...
The shared a personal take on success and family while giving fans a unique festival experience inside T-Mobile's Club Magenta.
Spotify has just revealed a promising milestone in India by successfully converting a substantial amount free users into paying subscribers. The gains are happening in a market long dominated by free content.
Is it time to make “guilty until proven innocent” the norm in training-focused lawsuits against gen AI developers? SNEP, SACEM, and 79 other French organizations seem to believe so, as they’re aggressively backing a related bill.
A2IM led a coalition of indie orgs in filing a formal complaint with the U.S. Copyright Office, opposing the proposed 43% registration fee increase. On Monday, the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) filed formal comments with the U.S.
Five book publishers and an author allege that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally authorized mass copyright infringement to train the company’s AI. Now, they’re suing.
Eight months later, a federal court has officially acknowledged French Montana’s push to drop his breach of contract and unjust enrichment lawsuit against Triller as well as ex-CEO Bobby Sarnevesht.
Live Nation posted overall growth in its first quarter of the year with $3.79 billion in revenue despite taking a $450 million hit due to the legal costs associated with its Department of Justice settlement and litigation with the states.
AMC Theatres and Arena One will partner on a new concept that will see the exhibition giant showcase live concerts on its screens. The series will debut in June and feature performances from Bebe Rexha (June 17), Paris Hilton (June 18), Kim Petras (June 19) and Maren Morris (June 20), which will...
Missouri State Senator Joe Nicola’s bill rejects the convenient fiction that AI systems can act as legal actors—and with it, the idea that liability can be offloaded onto machines. That fight is already colliding with a much bigger reality: AI isn’t just software. It’s infrastructure.
The former Dead Kennedys singer has mostly recovered his speech and cognition after the medical incident in March
Late last month, Universal Music Group (UMG) confirmed plans to sell 50% of its Spotify stock (NYSE: SPOT) – while claiming that “artists will share in the proceeds.” But pressing questions remain about what this possible distribution will look like in practice.
Canadian fiddler Ashley MacIsaac, who was wrongly identified by Google’s AI overview as a sex offender, is suing the tech giant for defamation. After acclaimed fiddler Ashley MacIsaac lost a gig late last year when Google’s AI-generated summary of his life and career falsely identified him as a sex...
YouTube is now letting creators generate AI-produced tracks to replace copyrighted audio in their videos as a new means to resolve Content ID claims. For years, YouTube creators have been able to swap out music struck with copyright claims with royalty-free alternatives.
Billie Eilish is launching an immersive experience on Roblox in support of her upcoming 3D tour documentary, co-directed by James Cameron. On May 5, Roblox’s virtual entertainment space “The Block” will transform into Billie Eilish’s concert stage in an immersive activation to celebrate her...
AI is not only disrupting search engines but dismantling the way people search across the internet. MIDiA’s Q3 2025 consumer survey reveals that 52% of those who reported using generative AI leveraged these tools to find information. Source
The singer says the success of her single “New Religion” meant “more to me than any other accolade I’ve ever received because I’m doing this on my own terms”
The album, out this summer, also features the bluesy “Rough and Twisted” and guest appearances by Paul McCartney, Robert Smith, and Steve Winwood
The xx, Geese, Rüfüs Du Sol, Bleachers, the War on Drugs, and dozens more booked for ACL Fest’s 25th anniversary
As expected, the Rolling Stones have announced the release of a new studio album “Foreign Tongues,” due on July 10 from Capitol Records. The 14-track collection follows less than three years after the band’s Grammy Award-winning “Hackney Diamonds” — which was their first in nearly 15 years.
Paris- and Berlin-based international sales company Salaud Morisset has closed key European deals on Eivind Landsvik’s debut feature “Low Expectations,” which stars singer-songwriter Marie Ulven a.k.a. Girl in Red. The film will have its world premiere in Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes.
According to new data shared with Rolling Stone, the pop star has amassed over 140 million listeners in the weeks since his two headlining sets
Music supervisor and Catalog founder Frederic Schindler argues it's time for standardized 'Music Facts' labels – modeled on food nutrition panels – to make the origin of every track in the supply chain visible to consumers. Source
The law would reverse the burden of proof in copyright disputes involving AI in France Source
United Talent Agency has signed Grammy-nominated artist and creator Alex Warren for global representation across film, television, content creation, podcasting, publishing, brand partnerships, and more.
It’s clearly a looker. | Image: Telepathic Instruments The Telepathic Instruments Orchid has been unavailable for a few months now. But a new batch is ready to drop on May 11th for $649, and the company is celebrating with a limited edition clear Orchid: Arctic, which will cost slightly more: $699.
With the fee hike, independent creators could lose access to the Copyright Claims Board, a more affordable way to pursue infringement cases, the coalition said. Source
Austin City Limits has announced the lineup for its 25th anniversary, which includes headliners Charli xcx, Rufus du Sol, Twenty One Pilots, Lorde, Skrillex (weekend one), Kings of Leon (weekend two) and the xx.
An American act made it big in South Africa, but an AI version of their song went viral on TikTok and stole their thunder. Unfortunately, it’s an all-too-familiar phenomenon. It seems like AI is sticking its proverbial fingers into everybody’s pie, and no artist seems safe from it.
This article orginally appeared in Tim Ingham’s latest ‘Tim’s Take’ email, issued exclusively to MBW+ subscribers. Source
The director detailed two sequences where AI was used to create funny, surreal images to complement portions where Lennon and Yoko Ono speak in more abstract, philosophical terms
The Austin City Limits Music Fest 2026 lineup just dropped, and this year, Spotify is teaming up with the iconic event to give fans the ultimate festival flex.
Another year, and more proof that Asia continues to shape some of the world’s most exciting new sounds. This year’s RADAR artists draw from deep local roots while moving across languages, genres, and cultures.
When she first started putting the pieces together for her upcoming album, Tori Kelly took a write-what-you-know approach. “I was pretty clear on what I wanted to say, which were three pillars: My faith, my marriage and then motherhood,” the singer-songwriter tells Variety about “God Must Really...
US-based YouTube creators who are finding their videos struck down by pesky content ID claims due to the use of copyright-protected music can now generate replacement instrumental tracks in the back-end of the site, YouTube Studio. The “replace song” tool will now include a “create” button.
Recognition Music Group, if you don’t – get it – recognise the name, was the result of the bundling-together of three companies connected to former catalogues-aquirer Hipgnosis: Hipgnosis Songs Fund, Hipgnosis Songs Assets and Hipgnosis Song Management.
Back in November 2025, disgruntled Spotify user Genevieve Capolongo filed a lawsuit against the DSP, claiming that its Discovery Mode feature means that listeners are being misled because “Spotify’s playlists and recommendations are shaped by undisclosed pay-for-play arrangements and hidden...
Distributer Symphonic has announced the launch of Symphonic Next, which is “designed to connect clients with the capital, partnerships, and strategic pathways needed to grow and monetize their businesses.” The platform bridges Symphonic’s expanding role in catalogue monetisation and the...
Sabrina Carpenter delivered one of the biggest surprises inside the Met Gala, as Stevie Nicks joined her on stage to sing a duet of Fleetwood Mac’s song “Landslide.” The song, which Nicks wrote for Fleetwood Mac’s eponymous 1975 album, was recently featured in the finale of “Stranger Things.”...
Only six months ago, GenAI music platform Suno announced a $250m Series-C funding round. That valued the company at $2.45bn and took its total funding (post seed and Series A rounds) to $375M.
Frontman Dave Grohl also shared his advice for his daughter, Violet Grohl, and other young musicians
Carpenter also showcased her own songs, “House Tour,” “Espresso,” and “Please, Please, Please,” on the event’s stage
Independent music subreddit r/indieheads issues a ban on accounts run by record labels posing as regular users to promote artists on their roster. An independent music community on Reddit, the subreddit r/indieheads, has announced that an internal investigation by the moderation team found a surge...
The rise of AI isn’t just leading to music slop on streaming services, but a serious increase in automated podcast content flooding the landscape. It’s not exclusive to the music industry.
The artist now known as Ye is expected to testify
We could handle Jeff Bezos as a nerd… It’s one thing to get a divorce, it’s quite another to get involved with the wife of your good friend. That’s a bad look, but even worse is HIS look and his now wife’s look! If there’s anyone who likes Lauren Sánchez, they must be related to […]
After Q1 2026 delivered nearly $5 billion in core music industry funding, the second quarter hit the ground running with a cumulative total of almost $2.84 billion in publicly disclosed raises during April.
After a broad stroke of tour cancellations across the industry due to weak ticket sales, the Pussycat Dolls pull the plug on their North American run. Just moments after Post Malone pushed back the start of his tour with Jelly Roll and cancelled the first few shows in the process, The Pussycat...
M.I.A. got booed for her remarks during her set in Dallas, leading Kid Cudi to remove her from his Rebel Ragers Tour. Now she’s speaking out. Over the weekend, M.I.A. had the crowd booing during her set in Dallas on Kid Cudi’s “Rebel Ragers Tour.” The “Paper Planes” singer and rapper claimed she...
Bad Bunny went through the time machine for the 2026 Met Gala. He arrived at the entertainment industry’s most prestigious party as an old man, complete with a walking cane, white hair and hyper-realistic face and hand make-up.
This Dominic Fike song from 2018 is only 1:38 long. All the focus is on how this eight year old number suddenly gained traction on social media, blasting “Babydoll” to the top of the Spotify chart both globally and in the U.S. If you do research, you cannot figure out why.
Last week, after beating a dismissal motion in its BOTS Act lawsuit against Key Investment Group, the FTC cited the win in a separate complaint involving Live Nation. Now, the Ticketmaster parent has fired back, claiming that the decision actually supports its own arguments.
Group makes “the difficult and heartbreaking decision” to cancel dates after taking “honest look” at the run
Lizzo knows that a settlement with her accusers would probably be easier than continuing to fight, but the singer says she is ready to go to court if necessary.
Dolly Parton cancels her Las Vegas residency, which had been rescheduled for September, citing her previously announced health concerns. Dolly Parton’s Las Vegas residency has been cancelled, after originally being rescheduled for September.
Steven Tyler heads to trial for allegations of child sexual assault back in the ‘70s. A judge has dismissed much of the case, citing the statute of limitations in Massachusetts.
Trademark law is evolving to address nontraditional sensory marks amidst advancements in AI. Taylor Swift's recent trademark filings aim to protect her voice and image from AI-generated imitations.
Six months later, Suno is reportedly closing in on another massive funding round – this time at a $5 billion valuation. Meanwhile, as it grapples with ultra-expensive copyright litigation, the startup is looking “to build an AI native legal operations and strategy function from the ground up.” That...
Last week, guests gathered in New York City for On Air, In Style: An Evening with Spotify—a night of conversation, culture, and connection celebrating the intersection of fashion and podcasting. On Spotify, that intersection is thriving.
An analysis of 200,000 similes from popular fiction.
For a while now, when I’ve talked about Parachord, I’ve described it as one half of something. The other half just shipped: it’s called Achordion, it lives at achordion.xyz, and it’s the user experience I’ve wanted on top of ListenBrainz data since the first time I logged in.
A federal judge just forced a fan's payola class action case against Spotify into arbitration based on Spotify's class action waiver Terms of Service. It's a good thing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is sending CIDs to Spotify along the same lines.
The potential collapse of the AI investment bubble may be similar to the dot-com crash of 2000. It outlines a circular capital loop sustaining inflated valuations without actual demand, emphasizing risks linked to infrastructure dependencies, strict funding requirements, and the need for...
Tune in Saturday May 2nd to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West. Phone #: 844-686-5863 If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz
KID ROCK – FREEDOM 250 TOUR He hasn’t had a hit in eons. Even for the show tonight, at the Dos Equis Pavilion, it’s a sea of blue dots on the Ticketmaster app. I’d put it at around 30% unsold. Now it is an amphitheatre, with its attendant bonus charges…i.e.
RIAA SVP International Policy George York Lauds Findings WASHINGTON, DC (May 1, 2026) – The US Trade Representative (USTR)’s annual Special 301 Report stresses the critical importance of intellectual property rights and underscores the vital contributions of American creators to US economic growth,...
Devious New AI Tool “Clones” Software So That the Original Creator Doesn’t Hold a Copyright Over the New Version — “The advent of generative AI continues to undermine the very concept of copyright, from entire books shamelessly ripping off authors to tasteless AI slop depicting beloved characters...
Fancy a chat with Charli XCX? If you’re in New York, you may have to join a long queue… With fans eagerly awaiting her next post-Brat move, the British star’s latest Instagram post reveals plans for something called ‘Conversations’ to be held in New York this month.
For several years now, Instagram has been talking about its desire to boost ‘original’ content in its app, and as part of that drive, to reduce the reach of unoriginal or ‘reposted’ content.
Q1 financial-results season is up and running, so much so that we’re having to bundle some of the key announcements together today for reasons of space. We’ll start with Apple, which enjoyed a bumper $111.2bn quarter – its fiscal Q2 – including $30.98bn of revenues from its services: music, TV,...
As stalwarts Sub Pop and Rough Trade celebrate big anniversaries, insiders speak candidly about the challenges they face. Can streaming ever ensure their survival? In the late 1980s, the fledgling Seattle record label Sub Pop was a mess.
One of the world’s biggest popstars is headed to El Clásico. Later this month, Grammy Award winner Olivia Rodrigo will take over the front of the FC Barcelona jersey during the big match at Spotify Camp Nou.
Florals for spring? Groundbreaking. But a playlist that tells you which The Devil Wears Prada character you are? Now that’s a statement. In partnership with 20th Century Studios, Spotify is celebrating the release of The Devil Wears Prada 2 with an official movie playlist that does more than set...
Between April 22-29, the first inaugural Stockholm Music Week brought together thought leaders and partners across industries including music, tech, government, and academia, with the shared goal of continuing to shine light on Sweden’s music scene and the impact it has around the world.
The AI race is well underway, with social media companies going all-in. Meta’s triple-digit-billion investment in the space has pushed its AI developments across the board, from a recent partnership with Overview Energy to power servers with satellite solar (per Social Media Today ), to...
Spotify is launching a new verification program to combat spam, fakes, and AI. Some artists will now have a "Verified by Spotify" badge and a green checkmark on their profile, indicating that the company has confirmed a real person is behind the music and the profile.
Music is evolving, and so are the ways you discover and connect with artists. In the AI era, it’s more important than ever to be able to trust the authenticity of the music you listen to. At Spotify, our focus is providing you with more context about artists and their music, so you can build...
The persistent growth of “catalogue” music listening is a familiar topic to the industry. In this context, the results of MIDiA’s Q4 2025 consumer survey may not seem so surprising. Just 24% of all consumers report listening to new music the week it is released, on at least a monthly basis, as...
What separates a talented singer from an artist who can actually build a career? On this week’s podcast episode, I talk with vocal coach, singer, songwriter, and artist developer Patrice Peris about contemporary vocal technique, emotional performance, artist branding, music business fundamentals,...
ROSALÍA's 'Berghain' hit 1B TikTok views. RAYE scored a UK #1 with Vivaldi. Lady Gaga's tour was called a "pop-rock opera." Opera has successfully taken over pop music and the streaming data proves that.
Expressive E is making its Osmose MPE keyboard (comparatively) more affordable by ditching the synthesizer and making it a simple MIDI controller. The new Osmose CE comes in two sizes, 49 and 61 keys, for $999 and $1,199, respectively.
Delegates at event in Cape Verde highlight opportunities from tech while stressing AI is no replacement for talent Last July, the Nigerian singer-songwriter Fave found herself caught up in a viral moment: an unauthorised version of a track by her featuring an AI choir had been released, quickly...