Music Business
The Intimacy Economy: Why Music Stars Are Going Small
Charli XCX called it “anti-marketing.” MBW columnist Diana Umana argues it’s a structural shift that the biggest artists have already caught on to… Source
TikTok report claims it helped generate $81bn in US GDP in 2025
Reports about how brilliant you are for the economy have long been a standard part of the lobbying process. YouTube does it, music industry bodies do it… and TikTok isn’t shirking the tactic either. The post is from Music Ally.
ANDØLD: “Sometimes You Have to Forget About the Industry and Just Make Something”
ANDØLD began, somewhat appropriately, with a writing session where almost nothing worth keeping was actually written. What survived instead was a friendship between three artists with years of experience across production, songwriting and the wider music industry, followed by ADE, a few beers and a
Strategy Spotlight: Sandbox Guide – The smartest campaigns (so far!) in 2026
If you’re a regular Music Ally reader, you know that it’s the time of the year where many music marketing teams around the world submit their proudest work of the year to us for our annual Music Ally Best’s Marketing Campaigns of the Year report (the deadline is on October 5, 2026!). In advance of t
Suno is ‘far beyond’ 2m subscribers and $300m of annual revenue
It’s been a little while since AI-music firm Suno announced its user and revenue stats. We’re not getting new figures just yet, but CEO Mikey Shulman provided an update of sorts in an interview with Bloomberg. The post is from Music Ally.
Outkast Files Trademark Infringement Lawsuit Against Ovrkast
Outkast have sued Ovrkast for trademark infringement. Rapper and producer Ovrkast admitted himself in a Rolling Stone interview last year that lots of people confuse the two artist brands. A company t
IFPI Welcomes Web-Blocking Measures Against Piracy in Latin America
Global record industry trade group IFPI has welcomed coordinated action by government agencies in five Latin American countries to secure web-blocks against 300+ piracy domains. IFPI says the action “
Newspapers dispute DoJ's 'fair use' stance on AI training
Many of the music industry’s AI legal battles swing on whether or not AI training is ‘fair use’ under US copyright law. Donald Trump’s DoJ recently intervened in a dispute between newspapers and OpenA
IMPF and IMPEL advocate for equal AI licensing
As the music industry enters into ever more deals with AI platforms, the indie publisher community has again insisted that - with AI - song rights and recording rights must be valued equally, unlike i
News organizations challenge DOJ’s ‘fair use’ stance in OpenAI dispute
Many of the music industry’s AI legal battles swing on whether or not AI training is ‘fair use’ under US copyright law. Donald Trump’s DoJ recently intervened in a dispute between newspapers and OpenA
AI Licensing Principles Emphasize Equal Value for Song and Recording Rights
As the music industry enters into ever more deals with AI platforms, the indie publisher community has again insisted that - with AI - song rights and recording rights must be valued equally, unlike i
News Organizations Dispute DoJ’s ‘Fair Use’ Stance in OpenAI Case
Many of the music industry’s AI legal battles swing on whether or not AI training is ‘fair use’ under US copyright law. Donald Trump’s DoJ recently intervened in a dispute between newspapers and OpenA
Music Industry AI Licensing Principles: Equal Value for Songs and Recordings
As the music industry enters into ever more deals with AI platforms, the indie publisher community has again insisted that - with AI - song rights and recording rights must be valued equally, unlike i
Members Voices: Frances Shillito – Zero Tolerance Is Not A Safeguarding Strategy
Frances Shillito spent her career in artist management and venue relations. She now trains the music industry in safeguarding, and she argues the appetite for change has finally outpaced the infrastru
AFEM Industry Insider: After the Algorithm
Long‑form content is becoming a more sustainable way to build audiences in a post‑social era. This episode shares what’s working now: formats that retain attention, platforms that reward depth, and th
Member Feature: Sounds Market
Sounds Market has refurbished and resold more than 1,800 DJ devices since 2023, making the circular economy a working alternative to buying new. In this Member Feature, Pau Agustí explains why discont
Frances Shillito on Safeguarding in the Music Industry
Frances Shillito spent her career in artist management and venue relations. She now trains the music industry in safeguarding, and she argues the appetite for change has finally outpaced the infrastru
Sounds Market Promotes Circular Economy in DJ Gear
Sounds Market has refurbished and resold more than 1,800 DJ devices since 2023, making the circular economy a working alternative to buying new. In this Member Feature, Pau Agustí explains why discont
The Game's Label Sues Universal Music Group
The rapper's label alleges UMG's Virgin Music Group spent just a third of the marketing budget for Drillmatic – Heart vs. Mind.
The Game’s Label Sues UMG for Under-Promoting His 2022 Album: ‘Diminished Commercial Performance’
The rapper's label alleges UMG's Virgin Music Group spent just a third of the marketing budget for Drillmatic – Heart vs. Mind.