Music BMI Scoops Up Cue Sheet Specialist Soundmouse from Orfium

BMI announces an agreement to acquire Soundmouse in a partnership to create the industry’s most comprehensive database of global cue sheets. Today, BMI, the world’s largest performing rights organization (PRO), announced that it will acquire Soundmouse, a global leader in music cue sheet reporting...

Digital Music News 3h ago
Music Paul McCartney On SNL

Does he know how bad he was? Is he in a bubble, is it the emperor’s new clothes, does he not know how he comes across? In case you missed it, try this: It’s positively sad. Then again, athletes retire, why not musicians? Then again, musicians never retire, they say they do a few times, […]

Lefsetz Letter 4h ago
Music Harry Styles’ Tour Rep Responds to Fan Complaints About Poor Sightlines on ‘Together Together’ Tour: ‘Those Areas Are Being Reviewed Carefully and Adjusted Where Possible’

In response to multiple complaints online from Harry Styles fans who paid for special “VIP” floor tickets on the first two nights of the singer’s “Together Together” tour, but found their views obscured by the 10-feet-tall walkways circling the stadium’s floor that the singer frequently performed...

Variety 5h ago
Music Instagram Instants hint at Meta’s changing aspirations

As of May 13, Meta has announced the rollout of Instants: a new feature for Instagram that doubles as its own app. Instants are quick snapshots that can only be viewed by followers once and disappear after 24 hours. Source

MIDiA Research Blog 10h ago
Music Building a More Trusted Podcast Experience for Creators and Listeners

Podcasting continues to evolve, and so does Spotify. As we build what comes next, one thing remains constant: This is a medium built on connection. It lives in the chemistry between co-hosts, in the relationship between creators and the fans who return week after week, and in the dialogue around...

Spotify 11h ago
Music Primary Wave’s latest acquisition is artwork firm Hipgnosis

‘Primary Wave Music acquires Hipgnosis’ is an announcement that a few years ago would have almost-certainly involved music rights. But no, this is the other Hipgnosis: the one that designed album artwork for the likes of Pink Floyd, Queen, Led Zeppelin and AC/DC.

Music Ally 11h ago
Music TikTok enlists Lang Lang for its new classical-music campaign

TikTok is kicking off its latest campaign focusing on classical music, and it has a familiar star on board: Chinese pianist Lang Lang. He previously worked with TikTok by creating a guest playlist and playing a livestreamed concert on the app in 2021, at which point he had nearly 128,000 followers...

Music Ally 11h ago
Music Sarasota Orchestra Receives a Mysterious $12 Million Donation

Sarasota Orchestra announces a near-$12 million donation from an anonymous donor, furthering its vision for a Music Center. On Monday, the Sarasota Orchestra took an unexpected step toward its vision for a Music Center, thanks to an $11.7 million investment from an anonymous donor.

Digital Music News 22h ago
Music Re-Willie Nile

YES! Sold out show at historic McCabe’s Guitar. I was at Arista for Willie’s first album. We could not break him. He kept at it. He NEVER faltered, NEVER gave up. Willie is the real deal.

Lefsetz Letter 1d ago
Music ‘Michael’ Takes Korea as Global Box Office Surges

The Michael Jackson biopic has moonwalked to #1 at the South Korean box office over the weekend, with over 51% of the weekend market share. Michael easily claimed the top spot at the South Korean box office over the weekend, earning $3.6 million from 470,375 admissions, earning 51.03% of the...

Digital Music News 1d ago
Music Shakira Acquitted In High-Stakes $64 Million Spanish Tax Fraud Case

A Spanish court acquitted Shakira in a tax fraud case dating back to 2011, ordering the government to return over $64 million in wrongly imposed fines. On Monday, court documents revealed that a Spanish court acquitted Shakira in a tax fraud case that stems back to the 2011 tax year.

Digital Music News 1d ago
Music Ella Langley: Country Music’s Fastest-Rising Star

From under 1 million Spotify listeners to nearly 30 million in three years, Ella Langley now sits ahead of Zach Bryan, Luke Combs, and Chris Stapleton, becoming country music’s hottest act. This article was written by Danny Katz in collaboration with How Music Charts.

Digital Music News 1d ago
Music Blue Frog Immersive gives VR concerts a go on Apple Vision Pro

2015-16 was boom-time for music virtual-reality startups – at least in terms the number of companies launching, rather than massive commercial success. Vrtify, Noys, Vrsus and Red Pill VR are long forgotten; Jaunt raised a lot of money but has similarly disappeared; NextVR also raised a lot of...

Music Ally 1d ago
Music Drake’s three new albums break records on streaming services

You have to hand it to Drake. Having spent the last year stoking fans’ anticipation with teasers for his new ‘Iceman’ project, he pulled a switcheroo by releasing three new albums on Friday (15 May). ‘Iceman’ is one of the three: 18 tracks of new music as expected.

Music Ally 1d ago
Music Is Drake’s Three-Album Drop a Sans Label Finagle?

Drake released three albums simultaneously, starting with his highly anticipated ICEMAN. But rumors abound that he’s looking for a swift exit from UMG. Over the weekend, Drake surprised fans with not just one album, but three, all dropping simultaneously, starting with his highly anticipated...

Digital Music News 1d ago
Music Elizabeth Strout’s New Book

What kind of crazy, f*cked up world do we live in where we get a better description of, understanding of, delineation of, modern society, from Covid to Trump, in a book as opposed to any other entertainment medium, even the news!

Lefsetz Letter 2d ago
Music Joanna Stern’s AI Book

They should probably change the name. Most people believe AI actually thinks, akin to a human being. It does not, and if it ever will…that ability is years off according to the experts. No, what AI does is send out queries and assembles an answer from what comes back.

Lefsetz Letter 2d ago
Industry Friday’s Endnotes – 05/15/26

C in a Circle: Why I Started this Blog Series — From Steven Tepp. “There are already plenty of blogs and public discussion about current events in copyright. My focus is a future-looking vision of what the Copyright Office and the American copyright system can and should be.

Copyhype 4d ago
Music French Montana tests SoundCloud’s ‘follower exclusive releases’

French Montana has become the latest artist to drop a new track to his followers on SoundCloud ahead of its release on other streaming services. ‘Grimey’ is a song from his upcoming ‘Wave Gods 2: Cosmos Brothers’ album with Max B, and will go up on SoundCloud today (15 May) a week before the album...

Music Ally 4d ago
Music Zara Larsson and EsDeeKid go gaming in Roblox and Fortnite

Zara Larsson was one of the first artists to enjoy success on Roblox, generating more than $1m of virtual-merch sales from her first activation there in 2021. Now she’s back. Zara Larsson’s Midnight Sun World is the latest virtual experience from Sony’s Immersive Music Studios team.

Music Ally 4d ago
Music The three challenges YouTube must overcome to become TV

YouTube’s case to be classed as TV in the eyes of advertisers is not bulletproof. TV advertising does not just buy reach and premium content. It buys into a regulated ecosystem built around measurement standards, brand safety, discoverability rules, and public-service obligations. Source

MIDiA Research Blog 6d ago