Music Business
Future Islands sign exclusive global deal with Universal Music Publishing
The signing comes as the band’s 2024 debut album People Who Aren’t There Anymore debuted in the UK Top 10. Source
Royalty agency that “pilfered millions” from Dionne Warwick is a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”, singer claims
Last year Dionne Warwick was sued by a royalty management company which said the singer had unlawfully terminated a 25 year old agreement. Now Warwick has countersued claiming that agreement was unfair and has been incorrectly applied, resulting in her losing millions in royalties
ENHYPEN's Weekly 'EN-O’ CLOCK' Broadcast Canceled After HEESEUNG's Exit: 'We Will Return'
"We ask for your kind understanding," label BELIFT LAB wrote.
‘Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’ leads 2026 BAFTA Games Awards nominations
“Today’s nominations recognise 42 outstanding games that highlight the very best of the global games industry"
UK recorded music revenue rises 5% to record 1.6 billion in 2025
Charli XCX, PinkPantheress and EsDeeKid were noted as helping boost the market
Pras Michel Drops Fraud Lawsuit Against Lauryn Hill to End Fugees Battle as 14-Year Sentence Looms
Michel had accused his former bandmate of a "scheme of fraud" involving Fugees reuniuon tours, but he's now moved to voluntarily dismiss the case.
Forbes publishes its latest estimates on music billionaires
These are high times for the world’s first double-music-billionaire household. Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s combined fortunes are now $3.8bn according to Forbes’ update of its ‘Celebrity Billionaires’ rankings. It marks Beyoncé’s debut in the list after Forbes declared her to have become a billionaire in Jan
Why A2IM Started an RIAA-Style Sales Certification Program for Indie Artists
"It's valuable to have a certification that can actually reflect what achievement looks and feels like in our part of the industry," says Omnian Music Group's Matt Brinkworth.
Online petition calls on SXSW to ‘commit to no warmongers’
Bands, brands and startups alike are heading to Austin this week for SXSW, but the United Musicians and Allied Workers union (UMAW) is unhappy that “war contractors and the military” will also be present. While the annual conference has cut official ties with the US Army and other military-industry
TikTok’s Apple Music-powered ‘Play Full Song’ feature rolls out
We reported last month on TikTok’s latest beta feature: the ability to play full songs within its app via an Apple Music integration. At the time it was being tested in several countries, but not the US, UK or any European Union markets. The tests seem to have gone smoothly though: the feature is no
UK’s recorded-music market grew by 5% in 2025 to £1.57bn
Recorded-music revenues are still growing around the world, but the recent trend has been deceleration: a slowdown in that growth, and discussions within the music industry about how best to reinvigorate it. Here’s a datapoint that bucks the trend however. Recorded-music revenues grew by 5% in the U
Zebralution folds into Bookwire after acquisition by Insight from GEMA
The deal arrives less than two months after GEMA sold Zebralution to New York-based private equity firm Insight Holdings Group. Source
BMG acquires publishing and recording catalog of UK new wave band A Flock of Seagulls
The deal covers the ownership of US publishing rights and a participation in publishing income of the band’s catalog globally. Source
‘Australia Showed Up’: How Bad Bunny Smashed a Sydney Stadium Record
Australia is "a long way away from Latin America, and the market is smaller, but the engagement was incredibly strong," explains Hans Schafer, senior VP global touring at Live Nation.
Selena Quintanilla's Sister Sues Shein Over Knockoff Merch Bearing Late Singer's Likeness
The lawsuit alleges the e-commerce giant is infringing multiple Selena-related trademarks owned by Suzette Quintanilla and her company, Q Productions.
Olivia Dean & Oasis Help U.K. Recorded Music Revenue Cross £1.5 Billion for First Time: BPI
The final figures show a 5% increase in total revenue over 2024 and strong physical media sales.
Dionne Warwick sues rights company over alleged 'pilfering of millions' in royalty income
Artists Rights Enforcement Corporation previously sued the singer, claiming it is owed "hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars." Source
'Creating superfans requires emotional thinking, not just analytics.'
Happiness. Marketing's Thom Skarzynski makes the case that superfandom isn’t something you discover — it’s something you intentionally build Source
ENHYPEN Label BELIFT LAB Says HEESEUNG's Exit Is the 'Most Fulfilling Approach' for All Parties
The response comes as fans question why the star couldn't pursue solo activities while remaining in the group.
Spotify dubs itself the “the $11 billion+ growth engine” in latest Loud & Clear update
Spotify has updated its Loud & Clear website with 2025 stats, including that it paid more than $11 billion into the music industry last year, with more than 1500 artists now making more than a million a year on the platform. But will the big stats help placate Spotify critics in the music community?