News and Trends

Bill Werde argues that while there is much to admire about The Libera Awards, there is also much, much more it could be doing with and for independent music... Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/lets-reinvent-the-libera-awards-as-a-platform-for-independent-music/

The biggest headlines from the past few days... Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/from-sunos-bmg-breakthrough-to-live-nations-counterfeit-crackdown-its-mbws-weekly-round-up/

Bill Ackman‘s Pershing Square has disclosed six new stock investments in its first quarterly shareholder letter as a publicly listed company. None of the six is a music company. The new positions in Visa, Mastercard, Netflix, S&P Global, Intercontinental Exchange, and Alcon were disclosed in a letter published on Wednesday (August 12). Pershing Square Inc. … Continued Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/bill-ackman-who-called-universal-music-one-of-the-best-businesses-we-have-ever-owned-steers-clear-of-music-in-pershing-square-stock-buying-splurge/

The other defendants are Parkwood Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music Publishing, W Chappell Music Corp. and John Holiday. Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/weeks-after-beyonces-alien-superstar-sample-suit-was-dismissed-a-second-one-is-filed-this-time-beyonce-is-a-defendant/

Syaheed joins from Believe to oversee Virgin’s operations across Africa, the Middle East and Asia Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/virgin-music-group-appoints-syaheed-msbi-as-vice-president-of-amea-region/

The deal gives Reach worldwide physical and digital distribution through Redeye Worldwide, the distributor Exceleration acquired in September 2023. Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/exceleration-music-partners-with-reach-records-the-christian-hip-hop-label-suing-umgs/