Music Industry
Sam Fender & Olivia Dean’s ‘Rein Me In’ Becomes Longest-Running British No. 1 Single in U.K. Chart History
The track is now just two weeks behind the all-time leader.
From Primary Wave’s Kobalt acquisition to CVC’s DistroKid deal… it’s MBW’s weekly round-up
The biggest headlines from the past few days... Source
Waxman On Why Better Music Matters More Than Faster Output
Waxman (@waxmanmusic) returns to Magnetic Magazine Recordings with a remix of Olendo’s “Folklore,” marking a meaningful release for the label on its 60th signing. Out now via Magnetic Magazine Recordings, “Folklore (Waxman Remix)” keeps the original’s emotional cen
US industry groups raise “serious concerns” about EU royalty flow proposals, which many of their European counterparts support
This week various American music industry groups called on the US government to formally oppose proposals made by the European Commission regarding the flow of broadcast and performance royalties from EU countries to the US. However, many European music companies actually support those proposals
Dave & Sugar’s “The Door is Always Open” Reached Number One in 1976
“The Door is Always Open” brought the mixed-gender trio its inaugural country chart-topper.
Chart Rewind: In 1976, Dave & Sugar Tasted Sweet Success When Country Opened Its ‘Door’
“The Door is Always Open” brought the mixed-gender trio its inaugural country chart-topper.
Sam Smith and Normani move to end ‘Dancing With a Stranger’ copyright suit, say the older song is itself built on unlicensed samples
It is the second time Smith and the other co-defendants have tried to shut the case down before trial. Source
Streaming accelerates nostalgia-driven catalog discovery, says Vevo study
The report highlights Sabrina Carpenter's "Manchild" as an example of a new release built on borrowed nostalgia. Source
Dynamite Songs acquires catalog of The Association co-founder Terry Kirkman
The deal adds 71 compositions to the specialist publisher's portfolio, including Cherish, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966. Source
New System to Tag AI-Generated Music Announced
Working similarly to explicit labels on records, the tags will distinguish between "AI-generated" and "AI-assisted" songs.
Hanroro tops South Korea’s first-half streaming charts for 2026
It would be easy to assume that BTS must have had the biggest streaming track in South Korea in the first half of this year, such has been the scale of their comeback. Nope. BTS had the biggest-selling album of that period according to the Korea Popmusic Industry Association, but the most-streamed t
Splice launches samples label with ‘Drums That Knock’ maker Decap
Have you heard of ‘Drums That Knock’? Even if not, you may well have heard sounds from this popular samples library – they’ve been used in big tracks by the likes of Bad Bunny, Charli XCX, Karol G and the Chainsmokers. The man behind the series is American producer Nicholas Piantedosi, who goes by t
UK music-tourism spending saw double-digit growth in 2025
The big stars were out in force touring the UK last year, and the country’s music-tourism revenues spiked accordingly – something quantified in the latest report by industry body UK Music. It reports 24.7 million ‘music tourists’ attending concerts and festivals in the UK last year, up 4.8% on 2024.
RIAA, IFPI & More Come Together to Create System for Tagging AI-Generated Songs
Working similarly to explicit labels on records, the tags will distinguish between "AI-generated" and "AI-assisted" songs.
Meta launches app for vibe coding mini games
In recent months, Meta has been busy rolling out new features and apps. While not everyone is impressed by its continued expansion into AI, the company’s latest app, Pocket, could be interesting for music marketers. Pocket is a vibe coding app for mini games. While vibe coding has already democratiz
Three live marketing trends in 2026 (Udo Lindenberg, Rosalía, Zara Larsson & Avery Cochrane)
1. Artist exhibitions. Promoter Semmel Concerts recently chatted to Pollstar about the growth of this latest non-concert format, calling it “one of the most exciting developments in live”. Udoversum is the exhibition of Udo Lindenberg, one of Germany’s most iconic artists. As Finn Regenhold of Semme
Music industry bodies reveal plans for AI-music labelling system
A group of music industry bodies have revealed plans for a system of labels for music that is wholly AI-generated or AI-assisted.
Record industry proposes AI labeling system for streaming platforms
Music orgs want the world's biggest streaming services to start labeling music made with artificial intelligence. Source
30,000 artists have opted in to Landr ‘Fair Trade AI’ program
It’s two years now since Landr launched its ‘Fair Trade AI’ program for artists using its distribution service. The ahead-of-its-time initiative asked artists if they wanted to opt in to having their music used to train AI tools, earning a share of revenues generated by the company’s AI plugins, app
Anthony Hopkins has signed a record deal and released his debut single
He called the move "the honour of a lifetime"