On Velvet Summer, the group that expanded K-pop's emotional vocabulary turns its experiments inward, toward time, growth and the season it owns.
As it fends off multiple high-stakes copyright suits – and eyes additional licensing pacts – Suno has unveiled plans to adopt “new audio watermarking and fingerprinting technology” as well as “a new downloads policy designed to limit the ability to mass distribute songs on streaming platforms.” The...
Times Music CEO Mandar Thakur talks catalog acquisitions, India’s subscription challenge, and why he believes Indian music’s biggest opportunity lies abroad... Source
In this week's Country Update, Johnny Cash's heirs head to Belmont University to celebrate the university becoming the permanent home of the singer's artifacts.
Perhaps an allow list of domains might be better?
Styles is back and ready to boogie with fans in support of his new album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.
Country music has never held this many of the top spots on the all-genre chart at once — here's why.
No two fans connect with an artist in exactly the same way. Some have been listening since the very beginning, while others may be discovering them through a shared playlist today. Some return to the same songs for comfort, while others are always eager to hear what’s next.
Kany García sits down with Billboard for a deep-dive interview about her Puerta Abierta Tour — from the energy she pulls from the audience to the backstage rituals that keep her grounded.
Connor Moucka pleads guilty over sprawling 2024 campaign that looted billions of records
Small modifications under way as Bezos's rocket biz races to rebuild pad and fly again this year
Company has opened a waitlist for Suno Vinyl, a service that turns songs made on its platform into physical records Source
The revelation about how Em and Dr. Dre stepped up to help Tha Dogg Pound rapper during his struggles with alcohol came on the "Sway in the Morning" SiriusXM radio show.
Warner Music Group has issued its full financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2026 Source
Suno has integrated the technology to identify when copyrighted compositions, lyrics, and music may be present, Musixmatch said on Thursday (August 6). Source
Earlier this week, WMG released some highlights of its quarterly results sooner than expected. Now, the whole report is out and beyond what we knew – total revenue is $1.86bn, of which recorded revenue is $1.49bn, and lots of operating cash flow growth – the rest of the results have been regarded...
Distributer Symphonic have partnered with ArtyShield, an AI platform that helps rightsholders protect their work from unauthorised AI use. Symphonic clients can now access some of ArtyShield’s tools for free, including access to MusicShield, a tool that is designed to “help protect music before it...
UK startup Play One We Know (POWK), aims to help grassroots artists, bands and independent venues build more sustainable futures by “turning fan attention into meaningful support” – by making it easier for audiences to buy, book and connect with grassroots artists and venues via bespoke QR codes.
Have you ever found yourself wishing that your AI-generated songs on Suno sounded a bit “warmer?” Or with a “fuller sound stage?” Well, now you can finally play your AI-songs through your audiophile hi-fi setup, because Suno is about to launch a service that lets you “turn the music you make on...
Power Up is the award-winning long-term initiative co-founded by PRS Foundation and Ben Wynter, and aims to drive meaningful change by investing in Black music creators, industry professionals and executives in the UK.
The U2 front man was among the special guests at Tuesday's (Aug. 4) moving ceremony for the late Oscar-winning singer in Dublin.
Nearly three-quarters worry Washington could cut access, yet fewer than half regularly test their fallback
Leaving this information exposed allowed someone else to gain access
Sporty Spice was a good sport all around on both accounts.
It’s nearly over, folks – we’ve had most of the big music-oriented results now – and the takeaway by the market seems to be one of cautious approval, with a keen eye on the future.
The event will take place at MediaCity in Salford this October.
The venue will open its first U.K. venue on Sept. 23.
ESU meter starts running in January, unless you're on the IoT edition
Triangle, formerly Creation Collective, describes itself as "Asia-Pacific's only homegrown, end-to-end live entertainment platform", Source
TikTok confirmed the closure to Nashville television station FOX 17 News on Wednesday (August 5), two years after it signed the lease. Source
Another week, another firm explaining why one of its models reached somewhere it wasn't supposed to
The two filings target the case that Concord Music Group, Universal Music Publishing Group and ABKCO are pursuing over more than 20,000 songs. Source
Pay it for content, like OpenAI and Meta, to become 'principled' and 'honorable'
The collaboration makes ArtyShield's technology available inside the Client Offerings section of SymphonicMS, the distribution company's management platform. Source
It computes nothing, renders everything, and even has sound
“You left a hangover from hell, of this there is no doubt/ But as you wake up in heaven, all the angels will shout”
The actor described the box office-breaking film as “so complex, so massive, and with this tremendous engine and heart”
The Lizzie Maguire star is currently out on her global Lucky Me Tour
Suggests Big Green knows its component prices will remain steady
It’s just a remote maintenance function, says Zbtlink
Cheap Trick, who have been sharing select tour dates with the band, announced that they would hold an “intimate” show at the Troubadour instead
VMware competitor aiming for the AI datacenter
It started with an 'impossible task' and led to AI deciding it needed to act as a collective intelligence
Muse Code showcases Muse Spark's fresh software engineering chops
You can snag some unbelievably cheap tickets to BTS shows in the Boston area if you’re quick, with nosebleeds going for as little as $8. If you’re in the Boston area this week looking for tickets to see BTS at Gillette Stadium, you’re in for a treat.
Anthropic is looking to chip away at the second copyright suit it’s facing from major music publishers including Concord – in part by urging the court to toss a direct infringement claim centering on co-founder Dario Amodei’s alleged torrenting.
A musicologist has identified a pattern that’s emerged in modern pop music. He’s calling it the Gen Alpha Melody and it’s everywhere. Danish musicologist Carl E. Martin discovered an emerging pattern in popular music while he was researching for his thesis at the University of Copenhagen.
Since ChatGPT first launched in November of 2022, AI-generated and augmented content has flooded social platforms. Initially lauded as a new tool to superpower creators and marketers alike, AI has instead exacerbated a pre-existing problem: an overwhelming amount of content that has left everyone...
Chad Smith, Stewart Copeland, and Danny Carey all play Rush songs with Lee and Lifeson in Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple, which debuts in September
Would you rather play Russian roulette with an LLM or put your health and safety in the hands of a professional
Check Point researchers tried to break the frameworks enterprises use to build AI apps. Now they're telling Black Hat attendees what they found
Udio has come up short in its attempt to toss the copyright class action lawsuit filed by indie artists including Attack the Sound frontman David Woulard, but the case is being transferred to the Southern District of New York.
Alicia Keys has signed with CAA in all areas, the company announced earlier this week. Among her many achievements, the singer-songwriter has sold an estimated 65 million records since the release of her 2001 debut album, “Songs in A Minor,” and is the subject of “Hell’s Kitchen,” a Broadway...
Brands are already paying to influence what chatbots say about them
Roblox loses $70 billion in value as platform growth plateaus, largely thanks to child protection concerns. But the company blames a lack of viral games on its platform. Roblox has lost a staggering $70 billion in value as the gaming platform matures and plateaus in growth.
Used to be if you wanted to know which way the wind blew, you’d listen to a record. But we haven’t had that spirit here since 1969. Why? It’s cracking me up watching Washington, D.C. and the Democratic establishment and long in the tooth commentators flip out about democratic socialism.
Universal Music has asked a federal court to dismiss the lawsuit brought against it by the American Federation of Musicians Source
Smith’s fifth studio album arrives on Aug. 21
Sienna Spiro was something of an established artist even before her debut full-length album, “Visitor,” came out on July 3. The 20-year-old Londoner with the big ’60s hair and an even bigger, more timeless voice is officially a freshman — she will almost certainly be up for a best new artist Grammy...
Hot off the heels of her debut album, Addison Rae comes to Fortnite’s Icon Series on August 6, bringing looks from her new video and sold-out tour. Epic Games has revealed a release date for Addison Rae’s debut in Fortnite, featuring two Addison Rae Fortnite skins dropping on Thursday, August 6.
Olivia Rodrigo is supporting Planned Parenthood as the organization remains under attack from President Trump. The superstar singer was in a dance video posted to the Instagram and Twitter accounts of Daisy Chain Fields, her upcoming all-woman music festival.
The Walt Disney Company and TikTok announced a global deal this morning, one that will bring fans and creators a “unique way” to discover and create content.
A longtime Nike music supervisor and an alleged co-conspirator are facing felony racketeering and aggravated theft charges for allegedly slapping the athleticwear giant with inflated bills en route to stealing over $1 million.
In space, no one can hear you scream when the LLMs hallucinate
MBW columnist Sammy Andrews asks: outside of ownership, is the unspoken AI battle in music the difference between distribution and desire? Source
And you thought we were done with this one… | Image: Fenix Flexin We were pretty sure that Fenix Flexin's "Rubberz" was made using AI, but musician Medasin was confident that it was made using Treblo specifically. Now the company and a new detection tool seem to confirm it.
Texas' data center backlash accelerates as Governor Abbott orders an audit, transmission politics intensify, and Willie Nelson brings the AI infrastructure debate into Texas culture.
A critical Langflow flaw allowing RCE on default deployments is being exploited, says the CISA
The singer previews the record, out in October, with the new single “Enough”
The artist, born David Burke, allegedly maintained an intense online relationship with another young woman, who is sharing details of their interactions for the first time
But bobbing bit barn may be becalmed by state governor's moratorium on connecting to the grid
Sony Music has announced the appointment of Stephanie Yu to General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs. She reports to Rob Stringer, Chairman, Sony Music Group and Kevin Kelleher, COO, Sony Music.
“Do we like the eyeliner or no?” Sombr is strutting across the stage, dragging the microphone stand by its neck and headbanging to his own music with an ecstatic, toothy, dorky smile.
The updated version of the archival single features elements of songs from Soulja Boy, the Isley Brothers, and Sheck Wes
British singer and songwriter Raye released her second studio album, This Music May Contain Hope, on 27 March 2026. It came three years after her breakthrough album, My 21st Century Blues. Lead single ‘Where Is My Husband!’ was released over half a year before the album came out which, on paper at...
The rock band tapped Tony Hawk, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Peña, Rob Riggle, and Rob Huebel for the throwback clip
Jonny Greenwood, Alexandre Desplat and Hildur Guðnadóttir are among the nominees for Film Composer of the Year at the 26th edition of the World Soundtrack Awards, which takes place on Oct. 10.
A couple of months ago we reported on the case of Fenix Flexin, an artist who appeared bewildered by how his viral song “Rubberz” was garnering accusations of being AI-generated, partly because its 80s, synthy, Smiths-y sound was so different to his usual rap songs.
This week, the podcast pivots to the popular TRUE CRIME format in order to woo a giant mainstream audience. OK, not quite – but sort-of. Stu and Joe have spoken a lot recently on the show about how AI-generated music accounts for 50% of music uploaded to streaming platforms – and how the reason for...
• The Wall Street Journal has profiled Whatnot, a live shopping app which is like a turbo-charged version of Ebay crossed with Twitch’s livestream and chat functionality. You may have seen social videos of people bidding and buying coins, Pokemon cards, or vinyl.
It’s Quarterly Results Week all week here on Music Ally, and yesterday Spotify released its Q2 results, with some notable big-number-goes-up highlights. Firstly, a sizeable threshold was crossed: Premium subscriber numbers grew 9% YoY to 300 million, with 7m net additions.
Spotify appears to be testing a skip ahead button for podcast ads, including ad spots that Spotify itself has sold. The move would let listeners jump past embedded ad breaks more easily, which is exactly the kind of control many Spotify Premium users have complained about — ads appearing in a...
Ticketmaster has launched in Uruguay and has agreed to a strategic acquisition of RED UTS, a local ticketing platform. The move expands Ticketmaster’s regional footprint while tying local market know-how to its global technology stack.
Wendy Day has spent 34 years in the trenches fighting for artists to keep their rights, their money, and their futures. As the founder of Rap Coalition and a member of the beatBread Advisory Board, she partnered with beatBread to put together the kind of honest, no-fluff breakdown that most people...
16 months later, the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) has walked back its zero-tolerance artificial intelligence policy by allowing the registration of AI-assisted musical works. KOMCA announced the pivot in a formal release that quickly made way for reports from regional outlets.
New data from The Harris Poll suggests that over half of Gen Z experiences “weekend loneliness” because they simply can’t afford to go out. In a survey of 4,100 American adults conducted in May and June, The Harris Poll found that the harsh economic climate is keeping the younger generations at...
LA rapper Fenix Flexin denies allegations that his new hit single was AI-generated, despite critics—and the AI platform it was said to be created with—noting the “telltale” signs.
Audrey Nuna has signed to Republic Records in advance of her new single “superHuman,” Variety can exclusively reveal. The singer, who recently broke out as the voice of Mira in “KPop Demon Hunters,” worked with Grammy-winning producer Cirkut on “superHuman,” which releases at midnight ET this...
We’re happy to release our first MusicBrainz Server update since the schema change, following our migration of user accounts to the MetaBrainz website, which we’ve been spending most of our development time on until now.
Merlin has officially licensed Spotify’s AI-powered remix and cover feature, thereby setting the stage for member labels and their artists to participate in the walled garden offering if so inclined.
“It’s so confusing sometimes to be a girl.” Over the past several years, there’s been an ongoing — and, in many cases, much-needed — conversation around pop stars and body image.
Ariana Grande has announced she’s taking a step back from public-facing work after her most recent tour ends. The news comes amid renewed attention to the singer’s gaunt appearance, especially in her latest “petal” music video and the conclusion of the Wicked: Part 2 press tour.
Leadership can mean leveraging one success to create the next — and navigating hundreds of crucial steps in between. It can also mean being the best team player you can be, finding the right story, signing the right client, packaging the right product or developing the right promotional campaign.
Spotify’s Q2 2026 financials are in, and thanks in part to 300 million paid subscribers, the DSP is now knocking on the door of 800 million overall users. However, execs are anticipating slower growth for 2026’s third quarter.
ABOUT AIMS We build AI technology for music search and discovery. Our clients include most of the leading music companies in the world, from majors to independent labels and publishers. […] The post is from Music Ally.
The emerging talents on Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood Impact Report represent not just the present, but the future of entertainment. These actors, musicians, athletes and content creators are all between the ages of 18-28 and have had breakout years thanks to a special mixture of skill and...
After the excitement of this week’s UMG quarterly results which saw the key numbers go up (and yet saw the share price go down 25%), WMG was due to announce its official earnings on Thursday this week. But – finance surprise!
Quarterly Financials Season is starting to reach its thrilling crescendo, and later today, Spotify will have its earnings call for the Q2 2026 financial results – which will bundle in updates on the platform’s Monthly Active Users, subscriber growth and perhaps some product launches and other...
Trebel Music is one of the more interesting streaming platforms, in that it offers licensed music listening (and even offline play) for free – in exchange for a gamified ad-based model: users watch ads or interact with brands, accrue points, and use those points to listen to music.
Spotify and Merlin today announced a new licensing agreement for Spotify’s upcoming fan-made covers and remixing tool, which will give listeners a new way to engage with the music they love from participating artists and songwriters.
I dag presenterade vi vårt resultat för det andra kvartalet 2026 och nådde samtidigt en milstolpe som ingen annan ljudstreamingtjänst tidigare har uppnått: 300 miljoner premiumanvändare. Under andra kvartalet accelererade vår intäktstillväxt och bruttomarginalen slog nytt rekord.
Today, we announced our Second Quarter 2026 earnings, and with them a milestone no audio streaming service has ever reached: 300 million Premium Subscribers.
They’re expensive, elaborate – and may not contain all the music. After Olivia Rodrigo, Charli xcx and more sent out incomplete or unfinished vinyl versions, fans are feeling shortchanged It was one of the most anticipated collaborations of the year: Charli xcx teaming up with film-maker David...
Following an abrupt leadership shakeup on Friday afternoon – and a double-digit post-earnings falloff for Universal Music stock – Warner Music Group (WMG) has released its “preliminary estimated” financials for April, May, and June 2026.
Boy George revealed he has split from the manager of his record label, Boy George Presents, who wanted “nothing to do” with his new pro-Israel track. Culture Club singer Boy George sparked much controversy last week after releasing a song in support of Israel’s military campaign against Hamas, “We...
Why some people mow a lawn better than others.
Every song has a story, but fans rarely get to hear it from the creators themselves. K-Pop giant JYP Entertainment is pulling back the creative curtain with its new video podcast show, JYP Podcast, bringing audiences closer to the music and stories behind some of their favorite artists.
Recommender systems have become a regular part of our lives, from the home pages of our favorite apps and... The post From Models to Products: LLMs for Recommendation at Spotify Scale appeared first on Spotify Engineering.
Two minutes and thirty seconds into the title track of Rachika Nayar's Heaven Come Crashing, an absolutely massive drum and bass beat drops. As a fan of Nayar's debut record Our Hands Against The Dusk, it caught me off guard. That album has no percussion on it at all.
This was no “Simon Says.” By 1967, album rock had arisen. After all, “Sgt. Pepper” came out in the spring. But it wasn’t only the Beatles, “Are You Experienced,” “The Doors” and even “Disraeli Gears” were also released in 1967.
Edward “Bud” Cole speaks in Japan in 2023. | Image: Jun Sato/WireImage Fender CEO Edward "Bud" Cole gave an interview to T3 in May celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Telecaster with comments on AI and music that initially flew under the radar.
That cover art is almost certainly AI, too. | Image: Fenix Flexin Fenix Flexin is best known as a member of Shoreline Mafia, a rap duo from Los Angeles. But he's recently found solo success with the track "Rubberz," which has climbed to number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Tune in August 1st 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
“BTS boycott Grammys over new Asian pop award category”: https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/bts-boycott-grammys-over-new-asian-pop-award-category-2026-07-29/ There are nearly a hundred Grammy categories. But only 9-12 are given away on the live telecast.
Several record labels, including the big three - Universal Music Group, Sony Music, and Warner Music Group - have proposed rules regarding chart eligibility for AI songs. In short, they wouldn't be.
German court rules AI music firm Suno broke copyright rules — The final text of the decision is not yet public, and the ruling can be appealed. Nevertheless, first-hand reports suggest the court held both that the training of the model with copyrighted works is not fair use under US law and that...
With 90,000 AI-generated tracks uploaded to Deezer every day(at time of writing), AI-generated music now constitutes the majority of new releases on the platform.
A little free advice to Don Passman on what's next in AI litigation.