Music Industry
Lil Tjay Says He’s Got ‘No Beef’ With Offset Following Florida Shooting
"I’m just as confused as everyone else about that," the Bronx rapper previously told Billboard.
SiriusXM Posts Double-Digit Profit Growth on Subscription Price Hikes, Pandora’s Ad Revenue
The audio entertainment company discussed improved customer retention with companion plans and advertising 'momentum,' but declined to address market speculation that it may acquire iHeart Radio.
In Q1, YouTube Music and Premium saw ‘largest quarterly increase’ in non-trial subscribers since 2018 launch, says Alphabet CEO, as platform’s quarterly ad revenues rose to $9.88B
YouTube's advertising revenue grew 11% YoY to $9.88 billion in Q1 2026 Source
Marihiko Hara on His Artistic Vision and Its Culmination in ‘KOKUHO’: Billboard Japan MONTHLY FEATURE
Hara opens up about the creative process behind the music of KOKUHO, his influences from Ryuichi Sakamoto & what lies ahead in his career.
Tech startup Nebula partners with EMPIRE’s Supply Chain to launch what it calls an ‘earn-before-you-stream’ music distro service
The new service lets fans invest in artists' music via Nebula's marketplace Source
Tech startup Nebula partners with Ghazi Shami’s Supply Chain to launch what it calls an ‘earn-before-you-stream’ music distro service
The new service lets fans invest in artists' music via Nebula's marketplace Source
Ye Defends Releasing ‘Donda 2’ Exclusively on STEM Player in 2022: ‘Sold Over 100,000 Units’
At the time, Billboard determined it didn't meet eligibility requirements to land on the charts.
Anthropic’s supporters tell court “novel” fair use arguments put forward by music publishers are “unconstitutional”
The music industry has evolved its copyright arguments as to why AI training is not fair use under US law. But are those new arguments valid? Supporters of AI company Anthropic, which has been sued by a group of music publishers, say the revised arguments are novel, flawed and unconstitutional
Op-ed: More than the Beatles: the quiet secrets behind Liverpool’s world-class music industry
Sound City kicks off in Liverpool tomorrow with this year’s Sound City+ conference, ahead of a weekend of great music across the city. Managing Director Becky Ayres looks back at how the event has evolved over its nineteen editions, and the role it has played in developing Liverpool’s music industry
Billboard Women In Music 2026: See the Backstage Portraits
Tate McRae, Keke Palmer, the HUNTR/X singers and more struck a pose backstage.
Believe and TuneCore are blocking distribution of Generative AI tracks made on ‘pirate studios’ like Suno – while inking new partnerships with ElevenLabs and Udio
Denis Ladegaillerie walks MBW through company's new policy – and gives his thoughts on AI, Ackman, and more Source
Inside 2026 Billboard Women in Music Awards: The Best Show Photos
We’ve collected some of the best star-studded photos from the 2026 Billboard Women in Music ceremony.
Symphonic targets catalog acquisitions and indie artist financing deals with launch of Symphonic NEXT
Michelle Garramone, who recently joined Symphonic as Head of Strategic Partnerships, will lead the new initiative. Source
Hot 100 Hits Have Become ‘Moodier, More Distant’ Emotionally Over the Past Five Years
Analytics firm ChartCipher has released its all-encompassing 2025 Hot 100 trend report.
Sandbox Guide :: The perfect pivot
“An artist is usually ready for a brand evolution when they’ve exhausted the current version of themselves” Sandbox Guides are for music marketers: They explain how you can use new platforms, create new strategies, and build new audiences. The Guides feature cutting-edge case studies, expert intervi
India’s Times Music buys Punjabi record label Catrack Entertainment — in third acquisition since striking $100m JV with Primary Wave
Punjabi specialist Catrack was founded in 1990, with a catalog that spans what the company describes as a 'golden era' of the genre. Source
YouTube ads were a $9.88bn business in first quarter of 2026
Alphabet was another tech giant announcing its latest quarterly financial results this week – including the latest update on YouTube’s advertising business. That generated $9.88bn of revenues in the first quarter, up 10.7% year-on-year. This follows the company’s performance in 2025 as a whole, when
Prediction-market firm Kalshi adds trading for music streams
Prediction markets – where people bet on what they think will happen in the future – have been making some negative headlines recently: see the Guardian’s investigation into people “betting millions on war” on one of the biggest platforms, Polymarket. However, it seems some other people are preferri
ElevenLabs launches ElevenMusic as ‘not just a listening app’
AI firm ElevenLabs’ march into music has been swift. Last August it announced licensing deals with Kobalt and Merlin as well as plans to launch a service called ‘ElevenMusic’. One $500m funding round and an AI-music album featuring Liza Minnelli and Art Garfunkel later, the official launch of Eleven
Primary Wave’s latest fund to buy music rights reaches $2.23bn
Remember the flurry of speculation that the catalogue-sales boom was about to pop – or at least deflate? A series of announcements this year on big raises for catalogue buyers suggests otherwise. Primary Wave Music made the latest headlines, announcing yesterday that it has closed its ‘Music IP Fund