Minutes after announcing the agreement, Andrew Sanchez tells Billboard how Udio plans to win over skeptical artists and why he now feels "partnership is vital."| Pro Posts – Billboard
With prosecutors consenting to the expedited schedule, the mogul’s challenge to his prostitution conviction and sentence could be heard as soon as April.| Pro Posts – Billboard
The deal ends UMG's involvement in the copyright infringement lawsuit it brought against the AI company with Sony and Warner last year.| Pro Posts – Billboard
Called Direct, the platform is currently rolling out in beta with select artists but will expand in the coming weeks.| Pro Posts – Billboard
Warner Music Italy celebrates its 50th anniversary by doubling down on artist development in one of Europe's biggest music markets.| Pro Posts – Billboard
The deal includes hits like "Lady Marmalade," "On My Own" and "If Only You Knew," among many others.| Pro Posts – Billboard
The streaming platform reorganized its product teams into three groups that focus on subscriptions, viewer products, and creator and community projects.| Pro Posts – Billboard
The song — alongside the rest of the band’s catalog — scored a streaming boost following the bassist’s passing.| Pro Posts – Billboard
Breezy Bowl XX leads the September Top Tours chart, approaching $100 million in monthly earnings.| Billboard
“This is a significant moment for Australian creators and our cultural sovereignty,” says Dean Ormston, CEO of APRA AMCOS.| Billboard
Music Nation launches in UAE with BMI and SoundExchange partnerships, marking a major step in royalty collection for publishing, neighboring rights.| Billboard
Spotify executive Sam Duboff talks about AI music products and removing "spammy" songs during an interview on Billboard's "On the Record" podcast.| Billboard
Apple Music six free radio stations, including Apple Music 1, are now streaming on TuneIn Radio, in the DSP's latest push to attract new subscribers.| Billboard
Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, Apple: Which streaming services support songwriters — and which fight fair pay? NMPA CEO David Israelite explains.| Billboard
Taylor Swift's "The Life of a Showgirl" sales strategy included not allowing individual song downloads. Did that help her break a first-week record?| Billboard
September's indie record store profile features Bull Moose, an employee-owned, community-focused and vinyl-driven chain in Maine and New Hampshire.| Billboard
South Korea’s KiTbetter is opening a Los Angeles facility to produce KiTalbums, aiming to meet US demand for its hybrid physical-digital music format.| Billboard
Spotify has partnered with ChatGPT to provide users with music and podcast recommendations.| Billboard
Spotify unveils plans for artist-first AI music tools and strategy, plus partnerships with Universal, Sony, Warner, Merlin and Believe.| Billboard
A contentious legal battle over fair use comes to an end.| Billboard
YouTube paid over $8 billion to the music industry in a 12-month period ended June 2025, YouTube's Lyor Cohen said at Billboard Latin Music Week.| Billboard
Spotify will raise U.S. subscription prices by early 2026, say equity analysts following price increases in Australia, Germany and Austria this year.| Billboard
Sean “Diddy” Combs has officially appealed his conviction and four-year prison sentence for arranging prostitution events known as “freak-offs.”| Billboard
Songwriters' streaming royalty rates for 2018-2022 have been determined by the Copyright Royalty Board in the lengthy Phonorecords III proceeding.| Billboard
The Copyright Royalty Board approved a new settlement for streaming royalties owed to songwriters for the period of 2023-2027.| Billboard
Universal Music Group and the Beastie Boys have settled lawsuits accusing Chili’s of using their music in social media ads without permission.| Billboard
A music lawsuit must be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Justice Department says, warning that it could cause Americans to lose internet service.| Billboard
A jury concluded Ed Sheeran didn’t steal key components of Marvin Gaye’s classic “Let’s Get It On” when he created his hit song “Thinking Out Loud.”| Billboard
Ed Sheeran has told the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a lawsuit claiming his “Thinking Out Loud” infringed Marvin Gaye‘s “Let’s Get It On."| Billboard
Ed Sheeran beat a "Let's Get It On" copyright case at an appeals court, which ruled his “Thinking Out Loud” did not infringe the Marvin Gaye song.| Billboard
Ed Sheeran's accusers in a "Let's Get It On" case asked the Supreme Court to tackle it. They claim “Thinking Out Loud” infringed Marvin Gaye's song.| Billboard
The probe into the Universal Music-Downtown deal was paused by the European Commission because relevant documents had not been submitted.| Billboard
UMG’s Downtown deal sparked forceful memos and open letters from Virgin Records co-CEOs and, now, hundreds ofindie music executives.| Billboard
Downtown CEO Pieter van Rijn has blasted controversy around the company's Virgin acquisition in a new open letter.| Billboard
Indie music leaders have launched an opposition campaign against the proposed UMG-Downtown deal, arguing it "poses a serious threat to competition."| Billboard
Kacey Musgraves renews her Warner Chappell deal, Dynamite Songs acquires the catalog of songwriter Keith Harris and more music publishing news.| Billboard
SXSW 2026 unveiled a featured sessions list, plus a new badge system and "Clubhouse" format for the annual conference in Austin, Texas.| Billboard
HYBE shares fell and SM Entertainment stock slipped after its failed mediation session with members of its K-pop boy group EXO.| Billboard
As it seemingly gets harder to break a song on TikTok, clever music marketers are posting singles on thousands of accounts to juice the algorithm.| Billboard
Donald Trump has signed an executive order allowing TikTok to continue operating in the U.S.| Billboard
After "Battle of the Platforms" lost $10 million, investors including NBA superstar James Harden are jockeying for their money back. Plus, $uicideboy$ inked a big $$$ deal.| Billboard
Digital distributor DistroKid is launching a new service called Upstream that will allow independent artists to share data with labels in hopes of getting signed| Billboard
Spotify's new Loud & Clear website focused on creator payout transparency shows last year 7,800 artists earned royalties over $100,000 and 870 artists topped $1 million.| Billboard
Regulating Discovery Mode by effectively putting a "paid promotion" sticker on tracks could potentially close off one of the only low-cost access points available to indie artists on the service.| Billboard
U2 and Sphere top the Billboard Boxscore midyear concert touring recap. The top 10 tours also include P!nk, Madonna, Luis Miguel, RBD & Travis Scott.| Billboard
As more listeners find music on apps like TikTok, editorial playlists from Spotify, Apple Music and other streamers don't break hit songs as much.| Billboard
With Hollywood on pause due to the writer and actor strikes, music synch revenue could come to a standstill — and supervisors are bracing for impact.| Billboard
Viral hits on TikTok are blurring the lines between catalog and frontline music for consumers.| Billboard
Sped-up versions of popular songs have been thriving on TikTok, giving boosts to streams and chart performance too.| Billboard
The use of "featuring" credits on top ten Hot 100 hits hasn't been this unpopular since 1995 — Spotify monthly listener counts may be why.| Billboard
Position Music names Mark Chipello as president, highlighting his role in expanding the company’s publishing and label operations.| Billboard
Megan Thee Stallion says Tory Lanez leaked evidence to DJ Akademiks regarding her shooting and wants to force Akademiks to reveal his source.| Billboard
The market share of music’s top ten streaming hits has shrunk significantly over the last decade, according to Luminate. Is the mainstream shrinking?| Billboard
Spirit Music has signed HARDY to a go-forward songwriting agreement, while acquiring select compositions from his music publishing catalog.| Billboard
The Beaches have been named Billboard Canada's Women of the Year 2025 and more Canada music news involving Drake, Joni Mitchell and more.| Billboard
The Weeknd has broken Beyonce and Bruno Mars' R&B touring records.| Billboard
T-Pain and GloRilla receive honors at BMI’s R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, while "Not Like Us" takes top song and Sony Music Publishing is publisher of the year.| Billboard
Record Store Day 2025's top sellers in the U.S. included releases from Post Malone, Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams, according to Luminate.| Billboard
On Record Store Day 2025, releases by Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams led to long lines and excitement, but bad weather dampened the day.| Billboard
Music industry events calendar: All the festivals, awards, conferences and more across the business.| Billboard
With AI, fan page marketing, unlimited uploads and an endless stream of new music, how can anyone figure out what to listen to — or what's even real?| Billboard
The Music Business Association announced the agenda for Music Biz 2025, set for May. This marks the first time the conference will be held in Atlanta,| Billboard
The Grammy telecast will move from CBS to Disney under a 10-year global deal. The show will be simulcast on ABC, Hulu and Disney+ starting in 2027.| Billboard
Grammy voters need to act fast to take advantage of “standard pricing” during the online entry period for the 2026 Grammy Awards.| Billboard
Mike Tyson has been sued over a Jay-Z, DMX and Ja Rule song he used in an Instagram promo for his boxing match with Jake Paul.| Billboard
Major labels are asking streaming services to take down AI soundalikes based on artists’ rights of publicity.| Billboard
Alfonso Perez Soto is exiting Warner Music (WMG) after 20 years -- plus iHeartMedia hired Lisa Coffey and more music industry job news.| Billboard
Tiny Vinyl launched this month and is releasing 4" records from Chappell Roan, Britney Spears, Frank Sinatra, Rolling Stones and many more.| Billboard
The Round Hill Music store in Greenwich sells guitars, vinyl and more. Owner Josh Gruss talks why he opened it and creating a "welcoming" atmosphere.| Billboard
At Record Store Day Summer Camp, Luminate released new figures on the state of vinyl, CDs, R&B/hip-hop and Taylor Swift's dominance in physical music.| Billboard
Rising vinyl prices, a Todd Rundgren Q&A and more were highlights of the recent Record Store Day Summer Camp 2025, held in New Orleans.| Billboard
ElevenLabs' new AI music model has licenses with Merlin and Kobalt that will allow their songwriters and artists to opt in, and we have the details.| Billboard
Firing of Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter sparks concerns that the White House will side with tech companies in debate about AI and copyright.| Billboard
President Trump has signaled a willingness to change copyright law to help AI companies train their algorithms. What impact can that have on music?| Billboard
2025 Q2 earnings for music companies are recapped. See what Spotify, UMG, SiriusXM and other major companies reported for the second quarter.| Billboard
HYBE's earnings in Q2 2025 showed that tours by BTS' j-hope and Jin helped revenue rise 10% year-over-year, while merchandise sales surged.| Billboard
As BET celebrates 45 years of history, CEO Scott Mills talks about its importance, future and the state of its flagship awards shows.| Billboard
Regional Mexican star Gerardo Ortiz testified against Del Records' CEO Ángel del Villar in a federal courtroom on Wednesday. Get the details here.| Billboard
Ángel del Villar, Del Records' CEO, was found guilty by a jury in the trial over his ties to a concert promoter linked to Mexican drug cartels.| Billboard
Angel Del Villar should get a 6-year prison sentence after convictions for working with a concert promoter linked to Mexican cartels, prosecutors say.| Billboard
Drake's "Scorpion" debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 marking the biggest week of 2018 for an album, the biggest streaming week ever for an album and the eighth No. 1 in a row for the superstar.| Billboard
Drake’s 'Certified Lover Boy' album makes a spectacular debut atop the Billboard 200 chart with the biggest week for any album in over a year.| Billboard
Spotify unveiled a TikTok-like verticle swiped homepage for its mobile app at its Stream On event Wednesday.| Billboard
Spotify launched a "DJ" feature for premium users that is powered by an AI voice with commentary.| Billboard
Members of Congress worry about the long-term impacts of Spotify's new program. Artist teams see it as a tool to rise above the competition| Billboard
Even after Spotify defended its Discovery Mode program, House members worry the streamer's "vague language" keeps consumers in the dark.| Billboard
TuneCore is taking a page from airlines, hotels and credit cards and rolling out a customer loyalty program of its own.| Billboard
Tidal today (April 27) has said it will be unveiling a new free membership tier, where users can sign up with an email address and get ad-free access to Tidal’s various video content without having to pay.| Billboard
Financial services giant Square is acquiring a majority stake in Tidal, the music streaming service led by Jay-Z, the companies announced Thursday (March 4).| Billboard
SESAC is the latest performance rights organization to garner interest from financial investors, as owner Blackstone fields private equity offers.| Billboard
Global Music Rights' majority ownership officially changed hands after a deal valuing it at $3.3 billion closed just before Christmas, sources say.| Billboard
Announced Wednesday (April 30), the agreement adds Fortnite Jam Tracks to Luminate’s growing “Interactive On-Demand” category.| Billboard
SESAC Music Group raised $889 million in a bond sale through senior, five-year notes.| Billboard
The Copyright Royalty Board announced a long-awaited determination in the Phonorecords III remand proceeding, favoring songwriters' rates.| Billboard
Ed Sheeran beat a lawsuit claiming his “Thinking Out Loud” infringed Marvin Gaye‘s “Let’s Get It On" after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the case.| Billboard
Spotify's Discovery Mode is causing issues among industry insiders, while its independent status is an open question. DistroKid is now worth over $1 billion.| Billboard
The streaming service is going on the offensive amid a Congressional probe of its new Discovery Mode feature, and it has help from some indie distribution CEOs.| Billboard
R. Kelly's convictions and 30-year prison sentence were upheld by a federal appeals court on Wednesday (Feb. 12).| Billboard
Music Biz 2025 hosted a panel on indie music retail. Here's a recap, which includes talk of data, an increasingly young customer base and more.| Billboard
As Music Biz 2025 hits Atlanta, president Portia Sabin outlines a conference agenda packed with AI innovation, inclusivity and global collaboration.| Billboard