News and Trends

Vevo's CEO raids his musical memory bank for the songs that have sound-tracked his life and career Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/key-songs-in-the-life-of-alan-price/

Karlsson recognized for shaping Nordic and global music markets Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/lars-karlsson-of-warner-chappell-music-nordics-honored-with-tampere-music-award-2025/

MBW's Trailblazers series meets Myrna Pérez, General Manager of HYBE-owned Regional Mexican music-focused label, S1ENTO Records Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/meet-the-emmy-nominated-executive-driving-hybes-regional-mexican-music-strategy-at-s1ento-records/

The new filing adds a third cause of action, claiming Udio “circumvented technological measures” to obtain copyrighted material. Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/after-stream-ripping-allegations-added-to-suno-lawsuit-labels-beef-up-complaint-against-udio-with-claims-of-illegal-scraping-from-youtube/

112,408 fans watched country singer Zach Bryan perform on Saturday (September 27) Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/zach-bryan-just-played-the-biggest-ticketed-show-in-us-history-including-5m-in-merch-sales/

The new venture will be led by Nam Nhu Nguyen, who will be based in Ho Chi Minh City. Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/virgin-music-group-expands-into-vietnam-via-jv-with-the-metub-company/

The following op/ed comes from Ran Geffen Levy, the Founder of OG.studio, and CEO of Amusica Song Management. Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/ai-is-redistributing-power-in-music-but-who-will-control-tomorrows-licensing/

Spotify introduces a suite of new policies for managing AI-generated content on its service Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/spotify-has-deleted-75m-spammy-tracks-as-it-unveils-new-ai-music-policies/

Listn Co-Founder Robin Hammouti on how his company is trying to "revolutionize" the music promotions space… Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/meet-the-data-driven-platform-quietly-powering-promo-campaigns-for-industry-heavyweights/

Fontana to serve as dedicated home for jazz, folk, blues and soul artists Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/universal-music-uk-revives-fontana-label-led-by-tom-lewis-laura-monks-named-president-at-decca-records/

The latest allegation follows similar stream-ripping accusations from major record labels filed just three days earlier . Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/suno-faces-another-allegation-of-stream-ripping-from-youtube-this-time-in-class-action-led-by-indie-artist/

HYBE sold its 7.67% stake in YG Plus via after-hours block trade transactions. Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/hybe-divests-entire-direct-stake-in-yg-entertainments-yg-plus-for-27m/

The 89-minute film is forecast to rake in between $30 million and $50 million. Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/taylor-swifts-release-party-film-for-new-album-generates-15m-in-first-day-presales/

Oracle will oversee how the algorithm operates in the US to “ensure improper manipulation is prevented,” Bloomberg reported, citing a White House official. Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/trump-backed-tiktok-deal-to-see-oracle-retrain-and-monitor-recommendation-algorithm-for-us-users-report/

Purcell joins Absolute from FUGA, where he served as Director of Client Integrations Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/paul-purcell-joins-absolute-label-services-as-director-of-platform/

News was confirmed in a note sent to Sony Music employees globally on Monday (September 22) and obtained by MBW Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/sylvia-rhone-to-exit-as-chairwoman-and-ceo-of-epic-records/

Capitol Records strengthens its Urban A&R leadership with new appointments Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/ian-holder-and-tariq-stewart-named-senior-vice-presidents-of-ar-at-capitol-records/

The labels are now seeking statutory damages of up to $150,000 per work infringed, as well as up to $2,500 for each act of YouTube stream ripping Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/inspired-by-anthropics-1-5b-book-piracy-payout-record-labels-accuse-suno-of-illegally-stream-ripping-music-from-youtube/

AwonMnyuzik  is a South African musician, record producer, and founder of Mnyuzik Junkie Entertainment. He is known for blending hip hop, amapiano, kwaito, Afro-jazz, and rock in his productions. His music is distributed on major streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Early Life and Education AwonMnyuzik was born in Butterworth, Eastern Cape, South Africa. He grew up in a creative household, and after the early passing of his father, he was raised primarily by his mother. From a young age, he showed an interest in music and the arts. He pursued formal music education and earned a Diploma in Sound Engineering from City and Guilds Creative Arts South African Institute, equipping him with professional skills in music production, recording, and audio engineering. [ 3 ] Career AwonMnyuzik began producing and recording music in the early 2000s. He has released multiple singles and collaborated with South African musician Freddy Gwala in 2019. [ 4 ] His release...

The biggest headlines from the past few days – all in one place Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/from-live-nations-ftc-lawsuit-to-bmgs-landmark-catalog-deal-its-mbws-weekly-round-up/

The signing comes as Clairo’s latest album Charm spent 14 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/atlantic-records-signs-grammy-nominated-artist-clairo/

Jubelirer is the former Chair and CEO of Capitol Music Group; Pulijal is the President of CMG Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/michelle-jubelirer-and-arjun-pulijal-launch-new-venture-soft-shock-backed-by-harbourview/

All three majors have now inked direct publishing agreements with Spotify Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/sony-spotify-strike-expanded-global-deal-including-a-direct-agreement-for-sony-music-publishing-in-the-us/

The tool only works with “human-made music” from Epidemic Sound's existing catalog, avoiding the AI-generated content flooding other platforms. Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/epidemic-sound-launches-ai-tool-that-lets-creators-modify-licensed-tracks-expands-artist-compensation-model/

Research shows that each £1 invested in management services generated £8 across the broader sector. Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/managers-contribute-usd-974m-in-value-to-uk-music-business-says-new-report/

Even the initial reduction to 9% will generate an additional €2 million ($2.4m) annually for GEMA members. Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/german-collection-society-gema-to-cut-on-demand-music-distribution-commission-to-7-by-2027-expects-move-to-boost-annual-payouts-by-7m/

Harris filed an arbitration demand accusing his former financial advisor of pocketing $22.5 million Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/calvin-harris-files-legal-action-against-thomas-st-john-after-firms-us-company-filed-for-bankruptcy-citing-11m-in-debts/

New Game OnlyHands scheduled for release in Q4 2025; lets players control avatars based on Republic Records artists Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/republic-records-makes-gaming-push-in-strategic-partnership-with-nothing-projects-interactive/

"I’m honored to join Gap Inc.’s Board of Directors and excited to bring my perspective and experience in the creative industries to the table," said Gerson. Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/jody-gerson-appointed-to-board-of-directors-at-retail-giant-gap-inc/

Capaldi will also be headlining BST Hyde Park in London on July 11. Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/aeg-unveils-new-roundhay-festival-in-leeds-in-the-uk-with-lewis-capaldi-headlining/

The biggest headlines from the past few days – all in one place Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/from-streamings-ai-problem-to-spotifys-lossless-launch-its-mbws-weekly-round-up/

Camille Hackney, Bart Saunt, and Sam Sklover step into leadership roles at Primary Wave Source source https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/primary-wave-music-expands-brand-division-with-promotions-and-new-hire/

The music industry in 2025 has shifted dramatically. Independent artists no longer rely solely on record labels to gain exposure; instead, they can leverage streaming platforms, social media, and digital marketing to grow their fanbase and monetize their work. Below are key strategies for artists looking to promote themselves effectively this year. 1. Maximize Streaming Platforms Streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music are the cornerstone of modern music promotion. Artists should optimize their profiles with high-quality images, up-to-date bios, and all released tracks to increase discoverability. Playlists are essential — being featured can drive thousands of streams and introduce music to new audiences. Example Track: Money Moves ft. Rah B – Spotify | Apple Music This track demonstrates how a well-produced, high-energy song can capture listener attention and increase streaming engagement. 2. Build a Social Media Presence Social media is critical for connecting direc...