Photo Credit: Pitchfork Fest’s Instagram

Chicago’s long-running Pitchfork Music Festival is calling it quits after nearly two decades.

The Pitchfork Music Festival announced it will not return to Chicago’s Union Park next year, ending its 19-year run. The festival’s final lineup in summer 2024 included artists like Alanis Morissette, Carly Rae Jepsen, 100 Gecs, Black Pumas, and Jai Paul.

“As the music festival landscape continues to evolve rapidly, we have made the difficult decision not to host Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago in 2025,” begins a statement from Pitchfork.

“This decision was not made lightly. For 19 years, Pitchfork Music Festival has been a celebration of music, art, and community — a space where memories were made, voices were amplified, and the shared love of music brought us all together.”

“The festival, while aligned with the taste of the Pitchfork editorial team, has always been a collaborative effort, taking on a life of its own as a vital pillar of the Chicago arts scene,” their statement continues.

“We are deeply grateful to the City of Chicago for being our festival’s home for nearly two decades, to the artists who graced our stages with unforgettable performances, and to the fans who brought unmatched energy year after year.”

“Pitchfork will continue to produce events in 2025 and beyond,” the statement concludes, after thanking festival founder Mike Reed and the rest of the hardworking festival team. “We look forward to continuing to create spaces where music, culture, and community intersect in uplifting ways.”

Chicago alderman Walter Burnett spoke with festival organizers who said the shutdown stems from “lack of sponsorship, insurance costs” and struggles to compete with other summer music festivals.

It’s unclear whether festival organizers will try to move forward with the event after next year. But Burnett said he is working with the city to make sure the event doesn’t leave altogether.

Notably, the decision to cancel the event next year comes as the festival’s parent company, Condé Nast, which owns Pitchfork, GQ, Vogue, and many other media brands, announced layoffs earlier in the year.

Photo Credit: Karol G, Feid, DFZM ft. Ovy On The Drums, J Balvin, Maluma, Ryan Castro, Blessd – +57 (Official Music Video)

Karol G has released an apology following the backlash to the lyrics in her new single, ‘+57,’ taking full responsibility. ‘I realize that I have so much to learn.’

Karol G quickly issued an apology, taking responsibility for the negative criticism of the lyrics in her newest single, “+57.” The song, which features fellow Colombian artists Feid, Maluma, J Balvin, Ryan Castro, and Blessd, has been criticized since shortly after its November 7 debut for its lyrics that allegedly perpetuate the sexualization of minors.

On Monday, November 11, Karol G took to Instagram to apologize, adding that she felt “very affected” and that she still has “so much to learn.”

The backlash stemmed from the lyrics in a verse shared by Karol’s boyfriend Feid, along with Maluma and Castro: “A mamacita since she was 14 / When she walks into the club, you can feel her energy.”

Karol said in her response that she is “constantly searching” for ways to “positively impact the lives of many people,” and that she assumes full responsibility for the negative reaction to her song.

“As artists, we are exposed to public opinion, and to the individual interpretations of people who like us and people who differ with what we do,” she wrote in Spanish. “I feel a lot of frustration about the misinformation that has been given.”

“The lyrics in the song, with which I sought to celebrate the union between artists and put a shine to my people, were taken out of context,” Karol explained.

“None of the things said in the song are written in the way people have claimed, nor were sung with that perspective — but I hear you, and I take responsibility, and I realize that I have so much to learn,” she added. “I feel very affected and I’m sorry from the heart.”

The singer then thanked her fans for their unconditional love and support, and said she appreciated the other artists on the song. “I want to keep in my heart the beautiful energy we worked with that day.”

Feid and J Balvin have shared Karol’s response on their social channels, voicing their support for her. “You have given us so much glory, so this doesn’t reduce your greatness,” wrote Balvin. “That song is ours, so we’re going to support you unconditionally.”

Photo Credit: Beyoncé’s YouTube

Beyoncé gets snubbed at the MTV EMAs as Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Lisa, and Tyla clean up with massive wins.

Beyoncé may have a record-breaking amount of Grammy Award nominations, but the star was seemingly snubbed at the MTV European Music Awards over the weekend. Taylor Swift came out with the most wins—Best Artist, Best US Act, Best Live Act, and Best Video for “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone.

Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, and Sabrina Carpenter each had five nominations in categories such as Best Song, Best Video, and Best Artist. Other artists with four nominations included Ayra Starr, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Lisa, Chappell Roan, and Tyla.

Shawn Mendes received the award for Best Canadian Act, while Sabrina Carpenter took the award for Best Song for her hit “Espresso.” Ariana Grande won Best Pop Act, while Eminem won Best Hip-Hop Act.

British singer Rita Ora hosted the show for a record third time, and paid tribute to former One Direction star Liam Payne, who died suddenly last month after falling from his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. Ora recorded a song with Payne in 2018, “For You (Fifty Shades Freed).”

“Liam Payne was one of the kindest people I knew,” said Ora, whose voice broke as she addressed the crowd. “He had the biggest heart, and he left such a mark on this world.”

Hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes was honored with the EMA Global Icon Award from British rapper Little Simz. The 12-time Grammy Award nominee performed a medley of his greatest hits, and told the crowd that in 34 years of recording music, this was his first award from MTV.

Legendary New Wave duo Pet Shop Boys were honored with the inaugural Pop Pioneers Award for their contributions to pop music. They closed out the show with accompaniment by the Manchester Camerata orchestra, playing a cover of David Bowie’s “All the Young Dudes,” followed by their classic “West End Girls” for the song’s 40th anniversary.

Other performers included Shawn Mendes, Le Sserafim, Peso Pluma, Raye, Teddy Swims, and Mexican rock sisters The Warning.

Photo Credit: Jack White’s YouTube

The White Stripes have dropped their federal lawsuit against Donald Trump and his campaign, as well as his aide Margo Martin.

The White Stripes, Meg and Jack White, have dropped their federal lawsuit against Donald Trump, his campaign, and his aide Margo Martin. The case was dismissed without prejudice, meaning they could choose to refile.

Jack White had openly threatened to sue Trump over his campaign’s use of the White Stripes’ hit “Seven Nation Army” in videos posted on social media. In September, he and his ex-wife and former bandmate Meg White made good on that threat, filing their lawsuit in New York federal court.

The lawsuit stated the pair “vehemently oppose the policies adopted and actions taken by Defendant Trump when he was President and those he has proposed for the second term he seeks.” Jack White threatened to sue on Instagram, alongside a copy of Trump aide Margo Martin’s post of a video including the White Stripes’ track, writing “Oh, don’t even think about using my music, you fascists.”

Many musicians have publicly expressed their disdain for the Trump campaign’s use of their music in rallies and videos posted to social media. These include ABBA, Celine Dion, and Foo Fighters.

Meanwhile, a long list of musicians have put their names to an open letter by the Artist Rights Alliance calling on US political parties to establish “clear policies requiring campaigns to seek consent” for the music they want to use in their events. Musicians who have signed so far include Aerosmith, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Green Day, Blondie, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette, Courtney Love, Lionel Richie, and many more.

Jack White has long been an outspoken critic of Trump, and released a lengthy statement on Instagram following the outcome of the US presidential election. But whether he and Meg White will opt to refile their lawsuit against the Trump campaign remains to be seen.

Other musicians who have released statements expressing disdain for the results of the presidential election include Ariana Grande, Bruce Springsteen, Ethel Cain, Cardi B, Jack Antonoff, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.

Photo Credit: Ubisoft (Far Cry 6)

Ubisoft Entertainment has announced it has re-inked its long-standing global publishing administration partnership with BMG. Ubisoft is the game developer behind the Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Just Dance, and Tom Clancy game series.

Earlier this year, Ubisoft made history when composer Stephanie Economou won the first-ever Grammy Award in the new category Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games & Other Interactive Media for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok.

Throughout their partnership, BMG and Ubisoft have teamed together on a number of successful creative collaborations with BMG songwriters contributing to musical works including Einar Selvik (Assassin’s Creed Valhalla), Mothica (Rocksmith), Profi Baloa (Far Cry 6), and Domino Saints and Ayo & Teyo (Just Dance).

“Ubisoft Music is super happy to continue this journey with BMG, whose shown tremendous support over the last few years for partnerships with our major brands and unique creative collaborations,” says Alkis Argyriadis, Ubisoft’s Head of Music.

“BMG takes great pride in representing Ubisoft, one of the world’s most successful and innovative game developers, as our long-time partner,” adds Maite Bursic, BMG’s VP, Music Publishing Creative. “Their versatility as a creative leader, expanding influence in music, alongside a growing presence in film and television, closely aligns with our strategic focus and shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in entertainment.”

Ubisoft was founded in 1986 and has evolved into a leading game developer and publisher. With a 38-year legacy of creating blockbuster franchises and groundbreaking new IPs, Ubisoft offers one of the industry’s most diverse portfolios. The company’s global network of studios and offices across 30 countries has been instrumental in driving their role at the forefront of the gaming industry’s explosive growth.

Ubisoft’s slate of recent releases include Skull and Bones, Star Wars Outlaws, and Just Dance 2025 Edition. Other highly anticipated releases include NFL Primetime Fantasy, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and upcoming Netflix animated series Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Deathwatch.

Photo Credit: King Records

Japan’s ‘Hypnosis Mic: Divisional Rap Battle’ is getting an interactive feature film to release in February next year. The franchise was developed by King Records in 2017.

The multimedia franchise “Hypnosismic,” developed in Japan by King Records in 2017, is set to expand and release an interactive feature film, “Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle,” due out in February next year.

Developed by King Records in 2017, the franchise revolves around a world where weapons have been banned and men fight for supremacy through rap battles. Currently, the franchise includes music, radio dramas, manga, stage productions, games, and an animated TV series (anime).

The new film will be directed by Tsujimoto Takanori through Polygon Pictures, with a screenplay by Momose Yuichiro, who previously developed the franchise’s story, characters, and games.

Pitched as Japan’s first interactive movie, the film involves a new rap battle, the story and winner of which can vary at each screening. The outcomes are driven by real-time polling of the audience members through their smartphones.

“Since its inception in 2017, ‘Hypnosismic’ has captivated a vast global fanbase,” said the film’s producers. “As Japan’s first interactive film, ‘Hypnosis Mic: Division Rap Battle’ not only elevates the commercial value of the IP but also enhances the viewer experience by engaging audiences in its unique interactive format.”

“Interactive movies are more than an entertainment novelty. They embody a profound integration of technology and film,” they continue. “This format introduces new business and revenue models for the film industry, moving beyond traditional cinema big screen into a multi-platform approach that includes gaming, streaming services, and location-based entertainment.”

Details of the new film were unveiled at the AGF2024 event in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district over the weekend. Ticket pre-booking began immediately ahead of a theatrical release through Toho Next, beginning on February 21, 2025.

The first anime series premiered in October 2020, with a second season airing in 2023. These were animated by a different production house, A-1 Pictures, and featured different staff. The series ran with a simulcast on Funimation, Sony’s specialty streamer that has since merged with anime streaming platform Crunchyroll.

Photo Credit: Braxton Keith

Warner Music Nashville has signed rising honky-tonk vocalist Braxton Keith. His first major-label debut track, “Fall This Way” will feature on his upcoming EP, Blue, which is dropping on December 6.

Keith’s 80s country sound and aesthetic attracted attention to his live shows in San Antonio. He learned to play piano from his grandmother and grew up singing family-friendly tunes like “The Carroll County Accident.”

“There’s something romantic about the country music scene in Texas—it’s that connection with that crowd,” Keith said about the signing. “It doesn’t matter what day of the week it is, whether it’s an old raggedy bar or wherever the hell you are, they’re going to show up, and I fell in love with creating moments with those fans. I just try to imagine it’s a 90-minute show for me, but it’s a lifetime experience for them.”

Braxton Keith is managed by Alex Torrez and Emily Vincent at Torrez Music Group. He is represented by Andrew McWilliams at Evergreen Artist group. Keith will next take to the stage as a headliner at The Bluestone in Columbus, Ohio on November 14.

The Bluestone is a unique venue with cathedral ceilings thanks to its origins as a 115-year-old church. He’ll also open a run of dates for Cody Johnson’s Leather Tour, which kicks off on November 15 at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center.

Keith says he’s planning on releasing more music in 2025. He’s been touring nationwide non-stop since 2020. His self-released singles and EPs have earned the honky-tonker a solid social media following. Keith first arrived in Nashville in 2021 and currently splits his time between Nashville and San Antonio—honing his songwriting talent. Braxton is a 23-year-old singer and is originally from Midland, Texas. He shares that his two younger brothers were extremely smart and athletic, while God gifted him with a love of music and playing instruments.

Keith says his musical heroes consist of country western legends including Marty Robbins, Merle Haggard, Brooks and Dunn, Hank Williams, Bob Wills, George Strait, and others.

Photo Credit: Beyoncé by Raph PH / CC by 2.0

Yale University is introducing a course dedicated to studying the cultural impact of Beyoncé, to kick off next spring.

A course dedicated to studying Beyoncé’s cultural impact is coming to Yale University, set to kick off next spring. Titled “Beyoncé Makes History: Back Radical Tradition History, Culture, Theory & Politics Through Music,” the course will be offered through the humanities and arts department and focus on her body of work, from her self-titled debut album to her most recent album, Cowboy Carter.

Yale’s course will also delve into Beyoncé’s performance politics and her concert films, as a lens through which students will examine black intellectualism and activism. The course will also explore scholarly works and cultural texts across black feminist theory and philosophy, performance studies, musicology, and more.

Taught by writer and black studies scholar Daphne Brooks, who co-founded Yale’s Black Sound & the Archive Working Group — faculty and students working to “explore the untapped variety of black sound archives” — the course has been in the planning stages for years.

“I’m looking forward to exploring her body of work and considering how, among other things, historical memory, black feminist politics, black liberation politics, and philosophies course through the last decade of her performance repertoire as well as the ways that her unprecedented experimentations with the album form itself, have provided her with the platform to mobilize these themes,” said Brooks in an email to NBC.

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter recently received 11 Grammy nominations, after being thoroughly snubbed at this year’s Country Music Association Awards. In total, this makes her the most Grammy-nominated artist in history, with 99 altogether.

Other universities have offered similar courses about Beyoncé and her cultural impact, including Rutgers University, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Cornell University, the University of Texas at San Antonio, California Polytechnic State University, and Arizona State University.

Notably, Beyoncé isn’t the first pop star to be embraced by university courses. Lady Gaga has been the subject of a 2010 University of South Carolina module, and Taylor Swift became the focus of courses at multiple colleges, including the University of Ghent in Belgium, Harvard University, UC Berkeley, and the University of Florida. Meanwhile, New York University offered a course on Lana Del Rey.

Photo Credit: YouTube (Tyler, The Creator)

Tyler, the Creator has taken to social media to reassure fans he is working to get copyright strikes against reactions to his new album ‘Chromakopia’ lifted. Here’s the latest.

‘Chromakopia’ dropped at the end of October, with fans sharing their reactions on social media like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. However, many of these fans said their reactions were copyright stricken and blocked—either with the sound being removed or the video removed completely.

After a fan posted their frustration about having the video removed, Tyler commented personally, “Gonna make sure the block gets lifted man, hit my squad up early this am.” The fan Tyler originally responded to replied to his comment stating, “Video is up and all blocks lifted. Appreciate you helping.”

The Instagram account SleepingonGems reported the news, “Many fans were experiencing issues when uploading videos of them listening to ‘Chromakopia,’ so Tyler decided to step in and remove the copyright strikes,” the report reads. “More artists need to do this. Kendrick did the same with ‘Not Like Us.’ Love to see it.”

Both Kendrick Lamar and Drake removed copyright strikes on their respective diss tracks, helping the rap beef explode to national attention earlier this year. The back-and-forth dropping of new diss tracks created a situation in which fans of either artist were waiting online with bated breath for the next diss track to drop. Those with a YouTube or TikTok presence covering the hidden meanings behind the lyrics made a killing—notably because artists released their copyright claims so social media posts could proliferate.

Tyler, the Creator wants to create hype online about his new album and one of the best ways to do that is to allow fans to create reaction videos discussing the lyrics. It involves snippets of the songs behind made available in YouTube videos and on TikTok—but most works discussing an album are purely reactions to a specific lyric rather than a wholesale streaming of the song or album. The distinction here is allowing people to discuss the music while sharing bits of it creates more conversation around the track and album, rather than silencing it completely with copyright strikes.

Photo Credit: Chappell Roan by Justin Higuchi / CC by 2.0

Chappell Roan has parted ways with her management team at State Of The Art, headed by Nick Bobetsky.

Hot on the heels of her first set of Grammy nominations, Chappell Roan has abruptly split with her management team. Her former management team at State Of The Art has been headed by Nick Bobetsky, who met Roan in 2018.

In 2025, the pop sensation is up for Album of the Year (The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess), Record of the Year, Song of the Year (both for “Good Luck, Babe!”), and Best New Artist — but her former management team didn’t mention her in their recent Instagram post congratulating their talent for their nods. That post has seemingly been removed, but the rumors were already circulating.

The news was confirmed by Nathan Hubbard, former Ticketmaster CEO, on a recent episode of the Every Single Album podcast. According to Hubbard, the news has sparked a frenzy in the industry as top managers scramble to make their bid to sign the rising star.

In addition to her Grammy nominations, Roan made her musical guest debut on Saturday Night Live, where she performed an unreleased track, the country-flavored pop track, “The Giver.” She also debuted an unreleased track, “Subway,” at her Governors Ball set over the summer. The 26-year-old has been busy writing new material.

But her rise to fame hasn’t been without its complications. Chappell Roan has been very outspoken about the “predatory” interactions she’s had with fans, and the toxic nature of fans who feel entitled to an artist’s time. “I don’t agree with the notion that I owe a mutual exchange of energy, time, or attention to people I do not know, do not trust, or who creep me out — just because they’re expressing admiration,” she said.

“I’m not afraid of the consequences for demanding respect,” she continued, explaining that the experience goes beyond just being famous. “Every woman is feeling or has felt similar to what I’m experiencing. This isn’t a new situation.”

Photo Credit: Cumulus Media

Cumulus Media starts layoffs in Indianapolis and Central Pennsylvania following iHeartMedia’s job cuts last week.

Cumulus Media has started layoffs in Indianapolis and Central Pennsylvania this week ahead of the holiday season, joining iHeartMedia who cut around 500 jobs the week prior.

In Central Pennsylvania, Cumulus parted ways with WARM Program Director Dave Russell, and radio personalities AJ Cobain, Venetia Stephenson, and Gary Sutton. In Indianapolis, the company saw the departure of multiple industry veterans, such as WZPL Program Director Jimmy Steele, who came on in 2022 after serving as Operations Manager for Cumulus in Mobile, Alabama.

Other Indianapolis mainstays to exit Cumulus include WFMS morning co-host Kevin Freeman, who leaves after three decades with the company. Freeman is joined by WJJK afternoon host Laura Steele, Promotions Coordinator Jennifer Trevino, and members of the sales team.

Meanwhile, the list of names of those affected by iHeartMedia’s round of layoffs the week of the election continues to grow, with roles including both market and regional personnel.

Bob Pittman, CEO of iHeartMedia, addressed the recent layoffs during the company’s Q3 earnings call, where he assured shareholders that radio is still going strong as it seeks to save $150 million by “eliminating redundancies.”

“What we’re not doing is getting rid of air talent. What we’re able to do now, because we’ve got technology, is we can take talent we have in any location and put them on the air in another location. So it allows us to substantially upgrade the quality of our talent in every single market we’re in,” said Pittman in response to Radio Ink.

“There’s not a slot for everybody. Just because [talent] was willing to live in the market, doesn’t assure that they’re the best person for that slot.”

The radio giant has cut long-time radio hosts and employees in major markets across Boston (Alan Chartrand), Chicago (Angie Taylor, Matt Scarano), Cleveland (Bill Squire, Mary Santora), Dallas (Patrick Davis, Cruz, Domininc ‘Zakk’ Zaccagnini), Denver (Alfred ‘Big Al’ Williams, Michael Coover, Brandon Krisztal), Houston (Karah Leigh, Stan Norfleet), Miami (Gina Ulmos, Frankie P Pagliaro, Armando Lapido, Mark Mackenzie), New York (Len Berman, Michael Riedel, Terry Trahim), Philadelphia (Mike Kaplan, Sam ‘Nugget’ Dababneh), Phoenix (Jody Oehler, Kelly Manders), Salt Lake City (Eric E. White, Erica Shea), San Francisco (Don Parker, Jerry Houston, Jason Dahlstedt, Chidi Nwachukwu), Washington, D.C. (Paul Jaxon, Lisa Berigan), and countless others.

Photo Credit: Euronext FX

Israeli soccer fans were assaulted in a series of antisemitic attacks from young people specifically targeted Jewish people. Five people were treated at hospitals, while dozens more were arrested for participating in the attacks. Now, billionaire Bill Ackman says Pershing Square will seek removal from Euronext Amsterdam and is pressuring Universal Music Group to do the same.

Amsterdam banned demonstrations over the weekend after the antisemitic attacks occurred on Friday, with the Amsterdam mayor calling the orchestrators “antisemitic hit-and-run squads.” Mayor Femke Halsema said Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans were “attacked, abused, and pelted” with fireworks around the city—forcing riot police to intervene and protect them from further abuse.

Videos of the attacks went viral on social media, showcasing many attackers shouting anti-Israeli slurs. Antisemitic incidents in the Netherlands have surged since the October 7 Hamas attack on a peaceful music festival and other areas. Many Jewish organizations have reported receiving threats and hate mail. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government sent planes to the Netherlands to bring those soccer fans home.

Now, Bill Ackman says he is going to seek approval from the board of Pershing Square Holdings (his family owns 23%) to eliminate the Euronext listing. Ackman says he is also seeking to persuade UMG to jump ship from Amsterdam as well.

“I have also begun the conversation with UMG (on whose board I sit) which is domiciled in Amsterdam as well as listed there, about moving its domicile and its listings to the United States, which will offer similar as well as other highly material benefits,” Ackman said in a statement posted on X/Twitter.

“Pershing Square has a contractual right to cause UMG to be listed in the United States. We will exercise this right and achieve a US listing for UMG no latter than sometime next year.”

“UMG trades at a large discount to its intrinsic value with limited liquidity in significant part due to it not having its primary listing on the NYSE or NASDAQ and not being eligible for S&P 500 and other index inclusion. We are going to fix this. Now is a good and appropriate time to do so.”

UMG has been listed on the Euronext Amsterdam exchange since 2021 and Pershing Square owns 10.25% of UMG’s stock. A UMG spokesperson confirms no one from UMG spoke with Ackman before his statement.

“As disclosed in UMG’s listing prospectus, Persing has the right to reqest a listing in the U.S. subject to a Pershing entity selling at least $500 million in UMG shares as part of the listing. Pershing does not have any right to require UMG to become a US domiciled company or delist from Euronext Amsterdam.”

“While the company will endeavor in good faith to comply with its contractual obligations with respect to undertaking the process of a US listing at the request of Pershing, any actions or decisions beyond those necessary to comply {including any decisions to change the domicile of the company) will be based on an analysis taking into account what is value maximizing and in the best interests of all shareholders of the company.”

Photo Credit: The Beatles – “Now and Then” (Official Music Video)

The Beatles’ ‘Now and Then’ is up for two Grammy awards this year, the first AI-assisted song to be nominated for an award.

Though the Beatles have been broken up for 50 years, you might feel like you’d fallen into a time vortex to learn the band is up for two Grammy awards this year. The Fab Four’s “Now and Then,” refined using AI and released last year, is up for Record of the Year and Best Rock Performance, pitting the band against artists like Chappell Roan and Beyoncé.

Last year, Paul McCartney used an AI assisted program to clean up the poor sound quality of some John Lennon demos from 1978 to create “the last Beatles record.” The resulting track resurrected old recordings of both Lennon and George Harrison, alongside current recordings from McCartney and Ringo Starr, to make the song a reality.

Paul took inspiration from filmmaker Peter Jackson’s “The Beatles: Get Back” documentary, the 2021 series based on archival footage of recording sessions for Let It Be. McCartney and his team used the same AI-based audio editing software producer Giles Martin used to make a new stereo mix of the Beatles’ Revolver.

The AI-based software is similar to how certain video or audio chat platforms like Zoom, FaceTime, or Discord might filter out background noise from a call. Machine learning helped isolate the sound of Lennon’s late ‘70s demo tapes to clean up existing audio for use in a modern song.

The end result is a track that’s astoundingly up for two Grammys — the first AI-assisted song to achieve such a feat. But that begs the question whether novelty will be enough to secure the Beatles a win against contemporary heavyweights like Kendrick Lamar and Billie Eilish. Or do these modern artists stand a chance against a legendary band like the Beatles?

Since “Now and Then” actually has the fewest Spotify streams of all Record of the Year noms for 2025 with 78 million, it seems the band might be given a run for their money in terms of securing a win. But it speaks to the depth of their reach that a long-lost Beatles track can carry that weight of two Grammy nominations half a century after their breakup.

Photo Credit: Jathan Campbell

Beyoncé racked up more Grammy noms for 2025 with 11, bringing her to a total of 99 in her career. But will she sweep the competition this year?

The nominees for the 2025 Grammy Awards were announced on Friday, November 8, and Beyoncé has added 11 more nominations to her career total. That brings her to 99 overall in her career, more than any other artist. But does that spell a sweep for Queen Bey at the Grammys this year?

Winners will be revealed at the awards ceremony in Los Angeles on February 2. Beyoncé leads the pack with 11 nominations this year, including the coveted Album of the Year, which she has still yet to win. Other noms include Kendrick Lamar, Charli XCX, and Billie Eilish with seven each.

The list of nominees in several top categories is below. A full list of nominations in all 94 categories can be found on the Grammys website.

Record of the Year

• • • “Now and Then” — The Beatles
    • “Texas Hold ‘Em” — Beyoncé
    • “Espresso” — Sabrina Carpenter
    • “360” – Charli XCX
    • “Birds of a Feather” — Billie Eilish
    • “Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar
    • “Good Luck, Babe!” — Chappell Roan
    • “Fortnight” — Taylor Swift featuring Post Malone

Album of the Year

• • • “New Blue Sun” — André 3000
    • “Cowboy Carter” — Beyoncé
    • “Hit Me Hard and Soft” — Billie Eilish
    • “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” — Chappell Roan
    • “Brat” — Charli XCX
    • “Djesse Vol. 4” — Jacob Collier
    • “Short n’ Sweet” — Sabrina Carpenter
    • “The Tortured Poets Department” — Taylor Swift

Song of the Year

• • • “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — Shaboozey
    • “Birds of a Feather” — Billie Eilish
    • “Die With a Smile” — Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
    • “Fortnight” — Taylor Swift ft. Post Malone
    • “Good Luck, Babe!” — Chappell Roan
    • “Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar
    • “Please Please Please” — Sabrina Carpenter

Best New Artist

• • • Benson Boone
    • Sabrina Carpenter
    • Doechii
    • Khruangbin
    • RAYE
    • Chappell Roan
    • Shaboozey
    • Teddy Swims

Best Pop Solo Performance

• • • “Bodyguard” — Beyoncé
    • “Espresso” — Sabrina Carpenter
    • “Apple” — Charli XCX
    • “Birds of a Feather” — Billie Eilish
    • “Good Luck, Babe!” — Chappell Roan

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

• • • “Us” — Gracie Abrams ft. Taylor
    • “Levii’s Jeans” — Beyoncé ft. Post Malone
    • “Guess” — Charli XCX & Billie Eilish
    • “The Boy is Mine” — Ariana Grande, Brandy & Monica
    • “Die With a Smile” — Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars

Best Rap Album

• • • “The Auditorium Vol. 1” — Common & Pete Rock
    • “Alligator Bites Never Heal” — Doechii
    • “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)” — Eminem
    • “We Don’t Trust You” — Future & Metro Boomin
    • “Might Delete Later” — J. Cole

Best Rap Performance

• • • “Enough (Miami)” — Cardi B
    • “When the Sun Shines Again” — Common & Pete Rock Featuring Posdnuos
    • “Nissan Altima” — Doechii
    • “Houdini” — Eminem
    • “Like That” — Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar
    • “Yeah Glo!” — Glorilla
    • “Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar

Best Country Album

• • • “Cowboy Carter” — Beyoncé
    • “F-1 Trillion” — Post Malone
    • “Deeper Well” — Kacey Musgraves
    • “Higher” — Chris Stapleton
    • “Whirlwind” — Lainey Wilson

Best Country Solo Performance

• • • “16 Carriages” — Beyoncé
    • “It Takes a Woman” — Chris Stapleton
    • “I Am Not Okay” — Jelly Roll
    • “The Architect” — Kacey Musgraves
    • “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — Shaboozey

Best Rock Album

• • • “Happiness Bastards” — The Black Crowes
    • “Romance” — Fontaines D.C.
    • “Saviors” — Green Day
    • “TANGK” — Idles
    • “Dark Matter” — Pearl Jam
    • “Hackney Diamonds” — The Rolling Stones
    • “No Name” — Jack White

Best Rock Performance

• • • “Now and Then” — The Beatles
    • “Beautiful People (Stay High)” — The Black Keys
    • “The American Dream is Killing Me” — Green Day
    • “Gift Horse” — Idles
    • “Dark Matter” — Pearl Jam
    • “Broken Man” — St. Vincent

Best R&B Album

• • • “11:11 (Deluxe)” — Chris Brown
    • “Vantablack” — Lalah Hathaway
    • “Revenge” — Muni Long
    • “Algorithm” — Lucky Daye
    • “Coming Home” — Usher

Best R&B Performance

• • • “Residuals” — Chris Brown
    • “Here We Go (Uh Oh)” — Coco Jones
    • “Guidance” — Jhené Aiko
    • “Made for Me (Live on BET)” — Muni Long
    • “Saturn” — SZA

Photo Credit: Universal Music Group

UMG’s $500 million lawsuit against Believe gets ready to move ahead with a pretrial conference set for January.

Universal Music Group’s massive $500 million copyright infringement lawsuit against Believe and TuneCore over “rampant piracy” is moving forward, with a pretrial conference set for January 8. The conference will be held in person in a New York courtroom.

“Counsel are directed to confer with each other prior to the conference regarding settlement and each of the other subjects to be considered,” the filing reads. “The parties are hereby ordered to file […] a joint letter, as well as a proposed Civil Case Management Plan and Scheduling Order […] no later than January 2.”

The pretrial conference follows Believe’s vow to fight the lawsuit in court. Universal alleges Believe and its TuneCore distributor failed to vet third parties’ infringing works and distributed them to DSPs like YouTube, wrongfully collecting their royalties in the process. The infringed works include those from Post Malone, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, and many more.

Attorneys for UMG argue that Believe has caused substantial harm to their client’s business, artists, and other contributors. They seek damages of at least $500 million, as well as a permanent injunction to stop Believe from infringing further.

UMG’s complaint outlines Believe’s practice of wrongfully collecting royalties and cites several examples of infringement, which include “sped up” or “remixed” versions of popular songs. Further, Believe is accused of exploiting YouTube’s content management system to claim ownership of recordings and thereby diverting royalty payments.

“Believe is well aware that such tracks are popular on certain digital services and more likely to evade the checks that digital music services use to detect infringing material on their platforms,” says UMG.

Believe and TuneCore responded to media requests for comment by simply stating they “do not comment on pending litigation.” A Believe spokesperson told Digital Music News, “As companies that work with artists and labels around the world, we take the respect of copyright very seriously. We strongly refute these claims, and the statements made by Universal Music Group, and will fight them.”

Photo Credit: Vasilis Chatzopoulos

In a shareholder letter on Thursday, Jack Dorsey’s Block confirmed it is scaling back investment in TIDAL in favor of mining Bitcoin.

“We are scaling back our investment in TIDAL and winding down TBD,” Block told shareholders in the letter. TBD is a Bitcoin-focused arm of the company that focused on building out a new, decentralized internet. “This gives us more room to invest in our bitcoin mining initiative, which has strong product market fit and a healthy pipeline of demand, and Bitkey, our self-custody wallet for bitcoin.”

Another wrinkle in this puzzle is that Block staffers were apparently ordered by executives not to discuss prominent board member Jay-Z. Staffers received warnings from management that they should avoid mentioning Jay-Z on internal company communication like email or Slack. Jay-Z is one of Block’s nine board members after TIDAL was acquired by Block in 2021.

Last week, TIDAL experienced layoffs from its small team, while it is expected that “scaling back investment” may result in more layoffs. TBD was also impacted by those layoffs before being shuttered entirely by Block. Will that be the fate of Tidal?

The order not to mention Jay-Z on internal communications came as employees began questioning his role in Block’s board—especially as the allegations against Diddy have reached a fevered pitch. Both Jay-Z and Diddy have collaborated frequently on music and have been photographed together multiple times over the years.

Fortune reports that shortly after Block employees were warned away from mentioning Jay-Z, Jack Dorsey held a virtual all hands meeting. Block employees are usually encouraged to ask questions—even anonymously—during these meetings.

For this particular meeting however, Dorsey turned off the ability for employees to ask anonymous questions. Those present on the call said Dorsey kicked off the meeting by complaining about negativity from his staff. Dorsey told them to answer the question “why are you happy you’re here?”

Photo Credit: Earthprogram

Emerging alt-pop artist Izzy MacArthur’s debut EP drops November 8 (today) through a unique scavenger hunt with her loyal cult fanbase. The pop star mailed anyone who pre-saved her previous single “Landmines” clues that direct fans to work together via social media to solve the new mystery. The result is the title of a 5-track EP.

MacArthur says ‘Blame It On A Bad Dream’ represents Izzy’s response to a time of chaos, uncertainty, and many late nights spent ruminating on changes in her life. Those changes include exiting adolescence and discovering who she is as a newly minted young adult. Izzy MacArthur has already amassed 98,000+ streams on Spotify with just four songs under her belt. This EP release solidifies her debut as a formidable emerging artist with deliberate songwriting and storytelling skills.

The tracks on this debut EP were written in collaboration with Spencer Hattendorf, Nate Mondschein, and Fran Litterski (Danielle Bradbury, Mary Kutter), with MacArthur maintaining a close knit team to weave a thread through the collection of songs. Focus-track “Light Sleeper” is the opener, while her single “Exit Wounds” follows.

Blame It On A Bad Dream EP Track Listing

“Light Sleeper”

“Exit Wounds”

“Landmines”

“Misery Missing Company”

“Sleepwalking”

“I wanted for the EP ‘eve’ to be on my birthday because I feel like birthdays signify the beginning and end of a chapter, which is what ‘Blame It On A Bad Dream’ represents for me right now,” Izzy MacArthur tells Digital Music News about the new release. “I’m nostalgic because I wrote these songs about a period of my life where I did a lot of growing up, but also know this is just the beginning. I think birthdays have the same sentiment, where you’ve grown up another year, but at the same time, it’s not like humans are stagnant. We’re always changing and I don’t quite think we ever stop growing up.”

The ‘Blame It On A Bad Dream’ EP features all released singles up to this date, including “Exit Wounds.” That single was described by Under the Radar as “giving voice to and laying bare the hidden anxieties and unspoken truths that remain in the aftermath of heartbreak.” Izzy narrates her life with a raw sense of lyricism, balancing the fragile nature of speaking on loved ones’ mental health delicately on “Landmines” and of her own discomfort in “Light Sleeper.”

“‘Light Sleeper’ felt like a song I needed to write at the time, and when I did, it felt like a huge weight had been taken off my chest,” MacArthur says. “It’s really special to me because I named the EP after a line in it. The song somewhat represents how I felt during the period I was writing all these songs. The same specific memories would pop up in my head over and over again, and I was stuck in a quite cyclical headspace.”

“Blame It On A Bad Dream’ was the first line I wrote in my notes app when I began writing for the EP, but ironically, the last song we finished. I kept trying to sneak in other songs, and nothing stuck until we wrote ‘Light Sleeper.’”

Izzy invites listeners to immerse themselves in a vivid recount of a piece of life they feel as if they’ve lived before. Her knack for drawing together her inspirations, along with unabashed, and sometimes blunt confessional style of writing reveals her confidence and grace as she stands on her own two feet. Izzy cites current favorite artists like Lorde, Sam Fender, and the 1975, as well as artists she loved growing up like Fall Out Boy, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Matt Maeson, early Miley Cyrus, and Bon Iver as major contributors to her current sound.

Photo Credit: Dua Lipa by Daniel Åhs Karlsson / CC by 3.0

Dua Lipa will not perform in Jakarta this weekend over what the singer referred to as ‘a safety issue with the staging.’

Dua Lipa has cancelled her upcoming performance in Jakarta on November 9, citing “a safety issue with the staging.” Ticket refunds will be made from the point of purchase.

On Friday (November 8), the pop star took to Instagram to announce the cancellation of her show in the Indonesian capital this weekend:

“I am heartbroken to share that I won’t be performing in Jakarta this Saturday, November 9. I am here in your amazing country and ready to perform, but I am gutted to share that it has been determined that it is not safe for the performance to carry on due to safety issues with the staging.”

“Was so looking forward to this night, and it pains me that we cannot perform for you all, especially after such a long time since my last performance in Jakarta,” her statement continues. “I love you all and truly can’t wait to be back together in the same room with you singing and dancing our hearts out as soon as possible.”

The performance was meant to take place at Jakarta’s 16,500-seat Indonesia Arena. Ticket holders for the show will receive refunds through their point of purchase.

The “Levitating” singer’s next tour stop is November 13 in Manila, Philippines. Her stops throughout Asia in November and December, ending with a show in Seoul at the end of the year, precede her 2025 Radical Optimism Tour, a 43-date run that kicks off on March 20 in Melbourne, Australia. The tour hits New Zealand before heading to Europe for arena shows in Spain, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, and England, and then hops over to North American in the fall.

It’s an unlucky season for the singer, who was recently revealed not to be up for any Grammy Award nominations in 2025 for her latest album, Radical Optimism.

Photo Credit: Live Nation

Papa Roach announces ‘Rise of the Roach’ North American tour with Rise Against and special guest Underoath, alongside comedian Bert Kreischer.

Papa Roach announces they’re joining forces with Rise Against and special guest Underoath to embark on the first North American legs of the “Rise of the Roach Tour” in the spring and fall of 2025. Comedian Bert Kreischer will also be hitting the road with the rockers, who famously hail from Vacaville, CA.

Produced by Live Nation, the tour is hitting over 30 major cities across the United States in two legs, kicking off on March 20 at Toyota Center in Houston. The tour boasts coast-to-coast stops in Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Saint Paul, Bridgeport, Charlotte, and more, before wrapping up in West Palm Beach on October 5.

“We can’t wait to bring the Rise of the Roach tour to North America next year,” says Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix. “Rise Against are legends in their own right, and will bring another dynamic to this tour. With both our bands celebrating our 25+ year legacy and deep catalogs, we are truly blessed to be able to put this show in front of fans.”

Tickets will be available starting with artist presales on Monday, November 11. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning on Thursday, November 14, at 10 AM local time. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Papa Roach’s Infest, a limited number of tickets will be available for $25, starting Monday, November 11.

Papa Roach & Rise Against: Rise of the Roach Tour Dates

March

• 20 | Toyota Center — Houston, TX
• 22 | Frost Bank Center — San Antonio, TX
• 23 | American Airlines Center — Dallas, TX
• 25 | Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre — Phoenix, AZ
• 26 | Gallagher Square at Petco Park — San Diego, CA
• 28 | The Kia Forum — Los Angeles, CA
• 29 | Golden 1 Center — Sacramento, CA
• 31 | Veterans Memorial Coliseum — Portland, OR

April

• 01 | Climate Pledge Arena — Seattle, WA
• 03 | Maverik Center — Salt Lake City, UT
• 05 | MGM Grand Garden Arena — Las Vegas, NV
• 07 | Ball Arena — Denver, CO
• 09 | T-Mobile Center — Kansas City, MO
• 10 | CHI Health Center — Omaha, NE
• 12 | Resch Center — Green Bay, WI
• 13 | Xcel Energy Center — Saint Paul, MN

September

• 10 | Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater — Bridgeport, CT
• 11 | Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater — Syracuse, NY
• 13 | Northwell at Jones Beach Theater — Wantagh, NY
• 14 | Xfinity Center — Mansfield, MA
• 16 | The Anthem — Washington, D.C.
• 17 | The Dome — Virginia Beach, VA
• 19 | PPL Center — Allentown, PA
• 20 | Maine Savings Amphitheater — Bangor, ME
• 23 | PNC Pavilion — Cincinnati, OH
• 24 | Saint Louis Music Park — Maryland Heights, MO
• 26 | Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park — Indianapolis, IN
• 27 | Credit Union 1 Amphitheater — Tinley Park, IL
• 28 | Pine Knob Music Theatre — Clarkston, MI
• 30 | Walmart AMP — Rogers, AR

October

• 01 | FirstBank Amphitheater — Franklin, TN
• 03 | Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre — Charlotte, NC
• 04 | MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre — Tampa, FL
• 05 | iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre — West Palm Beach, FL

Photo Credit: Liam Payne performing with One Direction / Eva Renaldi / CC by 2.0

Three people in Argentina have been arrested and charged in connection with the death of Liam Payne.

According to a statement from Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office, three people have been arrested and charged in connection with the death of Liam Payne. Payne died on October 16 after he fell from the balcony of his Buenos Aires hotel room.

The three individuals were charged with crimes of abandonment of a person followed by death, as well as the supply and facilitation of narcotics. One suspect is a hotel employee who is accused of giving Payne cocaine twice while he was staying at the hotel. Another person is accused of supplying Payne with drugs. The third person had been with Payne on a daily basis during his trip to Buenos Aires and is charged with abandoning a person following death.

Meanwhile, the initial toxicology results showed cocaine in Payne’s system after his death, according to an Argentine official. The final toxicology results are not expected to be made public for a few weeks still, but the preliminary results were handed over to local prosecutors on Monday.

Payne’s autopsy concluded he died from traumatic injuries caused by his three-story fall from the hotel balcony. But investigators found what appeared to be signs of narcotics and alcohol in his room, leading to the perception that the 31-year-old suffered a substance-induced breakdown around the time of his fall.

In addition to cocaine, police reportedly found a blister pack of clonazepam — a central nervous system depressant — as well as over-the-counter medications among Payne’s belongings.

Due to the lack of evidence that Payne tried to protect himself as he fell, the prosecution says he may have fallen from the balcony in a state of “semi or total unconsciousness.”

Liam Payne had been open about his struggles with his mental health, as well as his substance abuse. He had recently announced he had been clean just a few months before his death.

Photo Credit: Berkay Gumustekin

TikTok says it will challenge Canada’s national security ban of the app in court, but users shouldn’t have anything to worry about yet.

The Canadian government announced on Wednesday that it is banning TikTok’s operations in the country following a rigorous national security review under the Investment Canada Act. But TikTok says it will challenge the decision in court.

“Shutting down TikTok’s Canadian offices and destroying hundreds of well-paying local jobs is not in anyone’s best interest, and today’s shutdown order will do just that,” reads a statement from TikTok. “We will challenge this order in court. The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests, and for businesses to thrive.”

Many Canadian users of the short-form video app have worried they would be barred from using the platform, but there is currently no reason to worry. The ban mostly affects TikTok employees in Toronto and Vancouver, and does not remove or block the app from Google Play or Apple’s App store in Canada.

According to TikTok’s Canadian newsroom, hundreds of TikTok employees work at the company’s Toronto and Vancouver offices. “The government is taking action to address the specific national security risks related to ByteDance Ltd.’s operations in Canada through the establishment of TikTok Technology Canada, Inc.,” said Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne.

“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners.”

Moreover, Champagne clarified this wouldn’t affect the average TikTok user and their access to the app. But the government doesn’t recommend using the platform at all.

“The decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice. It is important for Canadians to adopt good cyber security practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used, and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply,” said Champagne.

Notably, TikTok doesn’t offer a creator fund in Canada, and many influencers have resorted to using US-based accounts in order to make money on the platform. The government’s move could therefore affect further opportunities for creators to earn funds through TikTok.

Photo Credit: Indra Projects

iHeartMedia announces its Q3 financial results, with layoffs trimming $150 million in 2025 costs to curb outstanding debt.

iHeartMedia’s third-quarter financial results spell positive news for the company amid the layoff of hundreds of employees. The company brought in $1.008 billion during the quarter, representing a 5.8% increase compared to the same period in 2023.

Revenue for the company’s Digital Audio Group rose by 13% to $301 million, with podcast revenue alone increasing by 11%. The company brought in $114 million in revenue from the category during the quarter.

Multiplatform Group revenue dropped slightly, down 1% to $620 million. The Audio & Media Services Group sector saw an impressive growth in revenue with 45%, earning $90 million.

“We’re pleased to report that our third quarter results were in line with our previously provided Adjusted EBITDA and Revenue guidance ranges,” said iHeartMedia Chairman/CEO Bob Pittman.

“We continue to see evidence that this is a recovery year for advertising revenues, and the strong momentum in our podcast business, our digital ex-podcast business, and the sequential improvement of our Multiplatform Group’s year-over-year revenue performance reflect the power of our unparalleled reach, consumer relationships, and range of assets.”

The radio giant also announced a debt restructuring that includes a $4.1 billion debt exchange, projected to extend maturities by three years.

“We’re happy to announce that we have entered into a Transaction Support Agreement with a group of debt holders representing, on an aggregate basis, approximately 80% of the Company’s outstanding debt to support an exchange of approximately $4.1 billion of debt for new notes and term loans,” adds Rich Bressler, iHeartMedia’s President, COO, and CFO.

“The exchange offers will extend maturities by three years, keep consolidated annual cash interest essentially flat, and provide debt reduction — all of which will strengthen the Company’s financial flexibility, and provide us with the runway to accelerate our strategic growth initiatives.”

The company’s good news in the realm of revenue increases comes hot on the heels of widespread layoffs at iHeartMedia, which began last week. iHeartMedia is cutting roughly 5% of its workforce, which amounts to about 500 employees losing their jobs.

Photo Credit: Denise Jans

The argument over whether Diddy’s accusers can remain anonymous in civil and criminal sex abuse cases heats up as over 13 accusers may have to refile.

As Sean “Diddy” Combs faces numerous sexual assault accusations from anonymous defendants in civil and criminal court, his lawyers argue that such anonymity impedes his right to a fair trial.

In over half of the 27 sexual abuse civil suits filed against Combs, the plaintiffs filed under Jane Doe or John Doe pseudonyms. The defense in his criminal case with charges of racketeering and sex trafficking argues that prosecutors should be forced to reveal the names of the accusers.

“Without clarity from the government, Mr. Combs has no way of knowing which allegations the government is relying on for purposes of the indictment,” his lawyers wrote in a letter to the presiding judge.

Though sexual assault victims have long sought anonymity in court, securing anonymity in civil court can be a challenge. US civil courts are more likely to grant anonymity in sexual assault cases than in other litigation, particularly when minors are involved, but judges still often decide in favor of a defendant’s right to a fair and open trial.

“The norm is that people have to sue under their own name,” said Eugene Volokh, a law professor who studies anonymity in court. “And that’s true even when there’s a very good reason for them not to.”

At least two judges in the Federal District Court in Manhattan have rejected requests from plaintiffs to remain anonymous in lawsuits against Combs. Notably, in similar sexual assault cases against Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, courts have rejected bids to proceed anonymously. Plaintiffs in both the Weinstein and Spacey cases have decided to withdraw their claims rather than reveal their identities.

But in some cases, courts have taken into account the “mental anguish” plaintiffs say they will experience if forced to reveal their identities to the public. A recent case against actor Cuba Gooding Jr. saw the judge allow the plaintiff to proceed anonymously for three years, before ruling they would have to reveal their identity publicly when the trial began.

“Most of our clients still fear retribution and have conditioned moving forward on anonymity,” said attorney Tony Buzbee, with whom most of the anonymous suits have been filed.

But judges may find that fear of retribution isn’t a solid argument, given that Combs is in custody in a Brooklyn jail awaiting trial next May. Combs and his team have denied any wrongdoing, with his lawyers referring to the lawsuits as “an onslaught of baseless allegations” focused on exacting a payoff.

Photo Credit: Fabebk | CC by 4.0

Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine has struck a deal for his release from prison following multiple parole violations. He will spent a month in jail before being sent home for three months of home incarceration subject to electronic monitoring.

Judge Paul A. Englemayer said he would sentence the rapper, real name Daniel Hernandez, immediately after he admits to the violations during a November 12 hearing. He will require each side to explain why a one-month jail sentence followed by three months of home incarceration, detention, or curfew are sufficient for a repeated parole violator.

The terms of the release also require Tekashi 6ix9ine to submit to supervision from the court’s Probation Department for a full year after release. The rapper was just a few months shy of being free from court supervision when he was arrested on October 29 for violating his parole. A parole officer complained to the court that the rapper was not following rules about obtaining permission in advance to travel and that he had failed mandated drug tests.

Judge Engelmayer sentenced the rapper to two years in prison back in 2019 on racketeering, weapon possesssion, and conspiracy to commit murder charges. That came after Tekashi 6ix9ine pleaded guilty to charges accusing him of joining a gang called the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods and directing its members to commit violence. After his two years in prison, the judge also imposed a $35,000 fine and five years of supervised release with 1,000 hours of community service.

In April 2020, the rapper was freed months early after complaining that his preexisting conditions (asthma and bronchitis) made him more susceptible to catching COVID.

Engelmayer made note of the compassionate release for the rapper, saying he was disappointed in the artists’ failure to follow the rules after doing so. Tekashi 6ix9ine apologized to the judge and told him he was not a bad person.

Photo Credit: Orange Amplification

Orange Amplification has teamed up with Orianthi to debut a limited-edition Orianthi Crush 20RT portable app.

Orianthi partnered with Orange Amplification to release a travel-friendly amp that’s functional and reliable. The new limited-edition Orianthi Crush 20RT has been played by the respected guitarist, singer-songwriter both in the studio and at live gigs with a glowing response.

The white Tolex-clad, solid-state signature Crush 20RT offers some of the most distinctive tones available in its price range. With the gain turned down, theamp delivers a versatile crystal clean tone. The ‘dirty channel’ can be selected to unleash high levels of detailed creamy distortion to full saturation.

The Crush 20RT offers a wide range of sonic possibilities, courtesy of an 8” custom-designed ‘Voice of the World’ speaker. From modern sonic punch to vintage tones, this portable amplifier also includes a 3-band EQ, built-in ‘spring-inspired’ reverb, and a chromatic tuner.

The amp also features Orange’s innovative CabSim circuit that faithfully emulates the muscle of an Orange 4 x 12” cabinet through the Crush 20RT’s headphone/line output. At just 16 pounds, the Crush 20RT is one of the most portable guitar amps available on the market. You can check out a video of Orianthi playing while using the new Orange Crush 20RT limited-edition portable amp below.

“I wanted a portable amp I could use anywhere,” Orianthi says about the partnership. “There’s a soaring tone you get from this amp despite its small compact size. Plus this amp is really diverse — from the clean channel to the dirty channel—there’s warmth and there’s grit, it really is quite incredible. I think everyone is really going to dig it.”

The Crush 20RT was designed to offer more guitarist British-designed circuitry and authentic British tonality. For amp aficionados the world over, the recently released limited-edition ‘Oriverb’ combo amp is also offered on the Orange Amps website.

Photo Credit: Joey Zanotti / CC by 2.0

The man convicted of killing Nipsey Hussle tried to appeal his 2022 conviction, but has been shut down by an appeals court.

Eric Holder, the man convicted in a 2022 trial of killing Nipsey Hussle, filed an appeal which has been denied by Calfornia’s Court of Appeal. Judges in the court’s Second Appellate District upheld the guilty verdict against Holder on Tuesday, November 5.

Holder’s appeal hinged on two primary factors. First, it focused on the belief that the court was wrong to disallow part of his attorney’s closing argument, which addressed his supposed state of mind. Secondly, it focused on whether a firearm enhancement had correctly been added to Holder’s sentence. He lost both arguments.

“Appellant did not testify, and no other evidence about what appellant was thinking or feeling prior to the shooting was presented to the jury,” the decision reads. “Thus, the inferences about appellant’s specific thoughts and feelings that defense counsel purported to draw were not based on the evidence.”

“The trial court fully understood and properly exercised its discretion when it declined to dismiss the firearm enhancement,” the decision continues. “The People reiterated their request to sentence appellant to a term of 60 years to life, noting the high degree of cruelty, viciousness, and callousness appellant exhibited in killing [Nipsey Hussle], and the devastating impact the murder had on the community.”

Eric Holder’s killing of Nipsey Hussle in 2019 caused a massive ripple effect on the hip-hop industry. Artists like Freddie Gibbs have admitted the murder of the California rapper nearly made him quit music altogether.

Gibbs’ new track, “On the Set,” references his thoughts on retiring from the industry when he heard about Nipsey’s murder. Further, his new album, You Only Die 1nce, also sees him rapping about the arrest of Sean “Diddy” Combs and the deaths of Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, Rich Homie Quan, and more.

Photo Credit: Jason Hafso

The Canadian federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business operations after a national security review. While the app is being banned from doing business in Canada, Canadians are still free to use the app.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s ‘wind up’ demand on Wednesday. He says the order is meant to address risks related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc. “The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” Champagne said in a statement.

The announcement of TikTok winding up its Canadian business operations specifically mentions that Canada is not blocking access to TikTok. Canadians will still be able to create a new account and browse the app. The announcement did contain a warning for Canadians to adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the risk of using social media platforms.

A TikTok spokesperson commenting on the wind up says the shut down of its Canadian offices will result in hundreds of job losses for Canadians. “We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson confirmed. “The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests, and for businesses to thrive.”

Meanwhile in the United States, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill in March 2024 that would ban TikTok if ByteDance does not divest ownership. That ban will come into effect in January 2025 unless President-elect Trump makes an effort to overturn it. Trump has signaled his support of TikTok, despite leading the charge on the initial TikTok ban from 2020.

TikTok has been banned on federal devices in the United States since 2020. Meanwhile, the federal government in Canada banned TikTok from mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of this security investigation.

Photo Credit: Geffen / Primary Wave / BIGHIT Music

BTS’ V records a duet rendition of Bing Crosby’s timeless 1942 holiday classic, ‘White Christmas.’

K-pop icon V of BTS and the legendary Bing Crosby have announced the release of “White Christmas (with V of BTS),” a new duet rendition of Crosby’s 1942 classic holiday hit. In partnership with the Bing Crosby Estate, Primary Wave Music, and Geffen Records, the duet arrives just in time for the holiday season on December 6.

The collaboration is a testament to V’s long-standing admiration for Bing Crosby, expressed through social media posts and content that led to playful exchanges with Bing Crosby’s legacy, sparking excitement and anticipation among BTS’ fandom, the ARMY.

The collaboration brings together global icons across two eras as V continues an exciting legacy of Bing Crosby’s holiday duets, celebrating 47 years since his last cross-generational collaboration in 1977 with David Bowie.

“I’m so grateful to have had the chance to be featured in a song with my all-time favorite jazz artist, Bing Crosby,” said V. “I grew up listening to his song, ‘It’s Been a Long, Long Time,’ countless times a day, and I feel incredibly fortunate and honored to have sung along on ‘White Christmas’ with the voice of someone I consider an idol. Being a huge fan of his, I sang with the utmost sincerity and admiration for him, and I hope many people enjoy it as much as I enjoyed singing it. Lastly, I wish a lovely holiday season to everyone listening to the song.”

Mary Crosby, Bing Crosby’s daughter, said, “As a family, we are thrilled to have V and Dad singing together on this ultimate Christmas song. Their voices blend beautifully, capturing the holiday spirit in the best possible way.” Harry Crosby, his son, added, “We are incredibly excited about V joining Dad for the duet of ‘White Christmas.’ We are happy that V will help share the joy of this timeless Christmas song.”

With winter drawing near, the duet serves as a heartfelt gift to connect fans and listeners worldwide, filling them with the warmth and joy of the season. The holiday classic is accompanied by an exclusive holiday-themed vinyl, CD, and merchandise.

Fans can choose between distinct vinyl variants: a Holiday Picture Disc Vinyl and a Zoetrope Snowflake Vinyl. There are also two exclusive options for CD collectors: a Pink Picture Disc and a Snowflake CD.

Photo Credit: Roblox Clip It

Roblox is coming for short-form video apps like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. A game developer created Clip It inside Roblox—which is a TikTok clone that operates exclusively on Roblox. It has racked up more than one billion views and has eight million monthly active users.

The Roblox ‘Clip It’ game was developed by Neura Studios and released in March 2024. It mimics many of the same features found in social media short-form apps, including a suite of editing tools to allow creators to post clips from the game or create their own by posing their avatar against different backgrounds.

Neura Studios recently added Roblox’s programmatic ad sales system—allowing Roblox to place ads inside Clip It for revenue. Neura Studios also sells content packs that pad its editing suite with exclusive backgrounds and other tools. “We’re also a really big seller of Roblox user-generated content items. If a character is wearing something people want, it’s easy for them to spend Robux and acquire it in two to three taps,” Yevheniy Shestopalko, Clip It’s lead developer told Digiday.

Clip It received a portion of Roblox’s $35 million Creator Fund and an Innovation Award from the 2024 Roblox Developers Conference held in September. While the app is limited to content inside Roblox, it perfectly simulates what it feels like to use TikTok or YouTube Shorts—just with Roblox content.

Neura Studios says it plans to incorporate full-screen video ads, custom branded integration, and more. Apparently, some brands have already signed on for upcoming ad products while other brands are still in negotiations for the social media embedded app.

“2025 is set to be our busiest year by far, and we’ve got several items on our product roadmap which will unlock new ideas that haven’t been possible before,” Ben Saraille Co-Founder of Makeshift, an ad agency Neura Studios tapped to help with its business expansion told Digiday. “As a rule of thumb, if there’s a feature you’re used to using in advertisements on TikTok, Snap, Instagram, or YouTube Shorts—it’s either there or will be soon.”

Photo Credit: Sal Priadi / Sony Music Publishing Indonesia

Sony Music Publishing Indonesia signs an exclusive global deal with Indonesian singer, songwriter, and actor Sal Priadi.

Sony Music Publishing Indonesia (SMPI) has announced the signing of an exclusive global publishing agreement with acclaimed Indonesian singer, songwriter, and actor Sal Priadi. The deal sees Priadi’s entire back catalog under the SMPI umbrella.

Sal Priadi’s most recent album, Markers And Such Pens Flashdisks, released in April 2024, has already surpassed 176 million Spotify streams, with the album’s track, “Gala bunga matahari” recently debuting on Spotify’s Viral 50 Global chart at #16, and Spotify’s Top 50 Indonesia chart at #1. Following the success of the album, Sal held a five-city tour from August to September 2024.

“I joined Sony Music Publishing Indonesia because I trust the people behind the company have the capability and spirit to introduce my creative works on a global level,” said Sal Priadi. “I believe SMPI will support me in exploring all the potential that exists within me.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Sal Priadi to the SMP family. His music transcends cultural boundaries, touching the hearts of listeners through relatable narratives and soulful melodies,” said Carol Ng, President, Asia, Sony Music Publishing.

“We are very glad to be Sal Priadi’s very first publishing company,” adds Anti Ariandini, General Manager, Sony Music Publishing Indonesia. “His unique talent, captivating storytelling, and undeniable charisma have resonated with audiences worldwide and we are committed to supporting his artistic vision and expanding his reach to new heights.”

Known for his captivating musical storytelling and distinctive vocal style, Sal has cultivated a dedicated fanbase across Indonesia and beyond. He has enjoyed multiple hit collaborations, including “Jangan Bertengkar Lagi Ya? OK? OK!” which was produced by renowned top independent artist Pamungkas, as well as “Amin Paling Serius” with Nadin Amizah, and boasts over 146 million streams on Spotify.

Sal first earned widespread success in 2018 with his single, “Ikat Aku di Tulang Belikatmu.” Since then, he has achieved numerous accolades, including three consecutive nominations for Best Male Pop Artist at the AMI Awards; a Billboard Indonesia Music Awards nomination for Best Collaboration / Song of the Year in 2020; and many more.

Photo Credit: Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson / Kevin Mazur / Lionsgate

Lionsgate announces the delay of its Michael Jackson biopic, ‘Michael,’ now slated for a wide release on October 3, 2025.

Lionsgate is gearing up for a busy 2025, and it’s shifting its Michael Jackson biopic into a later release as a result. The company announced on Tuesday that Michael, its Michael Jackson biopic starring Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s real-life nephew, is moving back by six months to an October 3, 2025 release. The film was originally slated for an April 18 release.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, and starring the late pop star’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, the film’s cast is rounded out by Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo. The film is based on a script by John Logan, with Graham King, John Branca, and John McClain as producers.

“Why I wanted to make it is, Michael was a big part of my life growing up, big influence on my career, and incredible artist — but he was a human being, and we’re exploring that,” said Fuqua during a San Diego Comic-Con panel in July. “I’m very excited about it.”

The film was revealed to feature 30 songs with a lengthy runtime, in order to do the star’s story justice. Footage was first shared at CinemaCon in April.

Michael’s new release date in October puts it in a prime position for awards shows next year. Notably, the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, also produced by King, opened on November 18, 2018, to $51 million in the US. It ended up grossing $903.6 million worldwide and secured four Oscars.

Lionsgate is also releasing the comedy, Good Fortune, on October 17, which stars Aziz Ansari, Keanu Reeves, and Seth Rogen. Footage of the film also debuted at CinemaCon last spring and received plenty of laughs. The film was written, directed, and produced by Ansari, and also stars Keke Palmer and Sandra Oh.

Photo Credit: TikTok

With the 2024 U.S. presidential election decided, what does this mean for the upcoming TikTok ban? Here’s what the incoming Trump administration has said about the app—and the potential for a 2025 ban to happen.

President Joe Biden signed a law requiring ByteDance to completely divest from TikTok in January 2025 or face a total ban in the U.S. But will that ban actually happen? TikTok has 170 million users in the United States alone, with politicians worried about China’s corporate laws and access to data for Chinese companies.

TikTok has argued that the proposed ban violates First Amendment rights, with TikTok’s lawyers seeking to keep the app available in America. Kamala Harris made no direct comments about what she would do with the platform if chosen as the next U.S. president—but many expected her to allow the Biden-era law to go into effect.

On the other hand, now president-elect Donald Trump publicly backtracked on his stance from 2020, when he called for a complete ban of the app. That move comes after being lobbied by billionaire ByteDance investor Jeff Yass. In a campaign video released in September, Trump told his supporters “for all of those who want to save TikTok in America, vote for Trump.” While he casually mentioned saving TikTok, the fate of the platform was not discussed heavily while on the campaign trail.

TikTok has remained neutral during the presidential campaign months, voicing support for neither candidate as the race played out. Wired interviewed some TikTok employees about the potential ban, with them confirming the ban is not something generally talked about among employees.

“There’s almost a consensus not to talk about this thing,” one product manager speaking on the condition of anonymity told Wired. “Very occasionally, some of us might say that maybe it’s time to jump ship, but those discussions rarely come up.” Employees also said they believe a court battle around the ban could take months to play out, leading to less urgency to jump ship and find another jump.

TikTok sued the federal government to appeal the ban, with the case currently being decided by the Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. If TikTok loses, the company may escalate the case to the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court does decide to hear the case, the decision to ban the app could be delayed until summer 2025.

“The court could not take the case, and the law is upheld, but it’s such a big issue,” says Alan Rozenshtein, Associate Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota Law School. “It affects 170 million Americans. It’s a core First Amendment question. The Supreme Court has shown in the last few years that it cares about these digital First Amendment cases.”

Photo Credit: Pibox

Audio and video collaboration platform Pibox announces $1.2 million in financing ahead of launch.

Los Angeles-based Pibox has secured $1.2 million to launch its audio and video collaboration tools for creatives. Investors include Presto Ventures, Globalive Capital, and Startup Wise Guys.

Techstars alums with customers ranging from Sony Music Publishing to Universal Music Publishing Group, Epidemic Sound, Bleeding Fingers by Hans Zimmer, and many more, Pibox will use the funding to expand into the US market and to serve more use cases and customers across music, broadcasting, and advertising.

As a part of this financing, Pibox recently received funding from Google for Startups. The partnership will also help the company add AI-rich features to its offerings.

“We are determined to build the best place for content collaboration and management for teams working at a high professional level with audio and video,” says Pibox co-founder and CEO Ivan Talaichuk, who is also a music producer and creative. “I set out to solve my own problem because I hate switching between multiple apps to work on my creative content. It was scattering my mind, so I decided to connect everything in one place.”

By combining content collaboration, messaging, and other file management features in a single place, Pibox connects every step in the creative process, keeping all the files, comments, and feedback together. It allows private interaction and high-level oversight, so that collaborators can riff together and leaders can see how projects are faring.

Pibox lets teams customize and go deep via metadata fields and management, playlists, custom integrations, and reports. Pibox’s robust features, inspired by its customers’ needs and practices, have boosted team efficiency by 86% and sparked new and better ideas, as creatives spend less time trying to understand what edits need to happen, and more time making great sound and picture.

“A complex but simple-to-use app is a great creativity vortex for a new era of creative collaboration,” explains Talaichuk. “We experienced this ourselves: After launching the initial idea, a lot of unbelievable drivers appeared that fired up our team. We saw that after combining Chat + Files, Pibox started evolving as a living organism mutating and mixing solutions inside. Such infinite possibilities just blew our minds, and we understood how powerful it can be.”

Photo Credit: Cox Enterprises

Cox Communications has filed a reply brief in the Supreme Court ahead of a November 22nd conference in Cox’s ongoing dispute with Sony Music Entertainment.

The legal dispute between internet provider Cox Communications and Sony Music Entertainment has culminated into Cox filing a reply brief in the Supreme Court yesterday (November 4). The brief is the final docket filing related to Cox’s petition to the court ahead of the scheduled November 22 conference to determine whether the Supreme Court will review the copyright infringement case.

“Plaintiffs do not dispute that the Fourth Circuit installed a copyright regime that requires ISPs to reflexively terminate the internet access of entire households and businesses upon a couple accusations of infringement, or that innocent users could lose their internet lifelines merely because a guest downloaded a couple of songs,” reads the filing.

“And they do not dispute that to avoid liability under the Fourth Circuit’s rule, ISPs must sever connections to hospitals, universities, and regional ISPs.”

However, Cox urges the Court to “resolve the confusion — and hold that ISPs are not required to police everything that happens online — before it is too late.”

“Plaintiffs cannot persuasively reconcile the three-way circuit conflict,” the filing continues. “And tellingly, they do not even address how the Fifth Circuit’s recent opinion in UMG Recordings v. Grande Communications […] deepens the morass.”

“Plaintiffs first claim that ‘a defendant acted willfully if he materially contributed to conduct the defendant knew was against the law,’ […] is logically wrong. If that defendant knew someone else was violating the law, but reasonably believed he was a bystander with no duty to stop that conduct, that is not ‘the definition of recklessness,’” Cox continues. “A defendant’s ‘good-faith, reasonable belief in the lawfulness of its own conduct’ forecloses recklessness, as Plaintiffs themselves admit.”

The ISP posits that Sony Music and other plaintiffs assert that “to avoid liability in this case, Cox needed to kick 57,000 homes and businesses off the internet over just a two-year period the moment each received a second infringement accusation.” To that end, “the music industry has brought or threatened the same claims against nearly every major ISP,” and yet “Plaintiffs dismiss the concern about ‘mass terminations’ as ‘overblown, misplaced, and hypocritical.”

The brief concludes, “This Court has neither the luxury nor the need for further ‘percolation.’ Sony was decided 40 years ago [and] since then, the lower courts have diverged on what those foundational precedents require, and how they should apply to the modern internet. Percolation will only make it worse. And in the meantime, ISPs will have to cut entire homes and businesses off the internet any time the music industry accuses some anonymous user of downloading a song or two. Review is urgently needed.”

The scheduled conference on November 22 will determine whether the Supreme Court will review the case at Cox’s behest, or whether the ISP will remain liable for copyright infringement across its network.

Photo Credit: A performance at The Black Academy of Arts and Letters / Sabrina K.

An up-and-coming Dallas singer is recovering after she was shot on stage while signing autographs after a performance.

Singer Jada Arnell Thomas, 26, was signing autographs on stage following a performance with The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) in downtown Dallas on Saturday. Suddenly, a woman in the crowd shot her from a few short feet away, and tried to flee the scene.

“It was a packed house; people were in line getting autographs and we heard this shot,” said TBAAL founder and director Curtis King in a statement to Dallas’ NBC 5. “It was unreal. It was like everything was in slow motion.”

According to King, he and staff followed the shooter outside while they called 911, and officers arrested the woman inside the lobby of a nearby hotel. The Dallas Police Department confirmed the arrest of Micah Williams, 26, while a handgun was also recovered.

Interestingly, King said he recognized Williams’ face, and that she performed at TBAAL in a summer program about a decade ago. Still, whether the shooter has a connection to the victim has not been disclosed.

Williams was booked at the Dallas County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Records indicate her bond is set at $200,000.

King said Thomas had just thanked him for his leadership at TBAAL shortly before the shooting. “She said […] ‘thank you for providing a safe space for us to be able to have a platform to perform as young artists,’ and then five-ten minutes later, here she is on the floor.”

It’s currently unknown if the victim and the suspect knew each other and if there was a motive for the shooting. Thomas remains hospitalized, but King says she is progressing, and her family appreciates the support they’ve received from the Dallas arts community and beyond.

“My girl, she’s strong. She’s resilient. She’s a fighter,” said King. “She will sing and soar and she’ll be even better when she gets back on her feet.”

King also announced on social media that TBAAL is working to strengthen its security and screening process in light of the shooting. This also includes decreasing the number of entry points to focus on preventing weapons from getting inside.

Photo Credit: iHeartMedia

Radio giant iHeartMedia gears up to cut hundreds of jobs as music streaming continues to crush music radio.

The biggest broadcast company in the world, iHeartMedia, has started laying off hundreds of employees this week as the music radio giant faces debt amid the continued superiority of music streaming in the industry.

Headed by CEO Bob Pittman, the company has been quick to point out it has cut “less than 5%” of its workforce of over 10,000 employees — amounting to hundreds of job losses as the company eliminates redundancies and “streamlines” its business.

Wendy Goldberg, a spokesperson at iHeartMedia, confirmed the layoffs to the New York Post. She said the company is focusing on expanding its Gen Z audience, and that its broadcast radio audience “has more listeners than it did 10 years ago.”

“Although in a company of 10,000 people, very few jobs have been affected, there have been some and we never take this step lightly, no matter how few jobs it entails,” said Goldberg. “Every team member is important to us and has our respect and appreciation.”

But despite trying to downplay the severity of the layoffs, many iHeart employees are calling the most “sneaky” and dishonest. They point out the company’s decision to start layoffs during the week of the election.

“They want to bury the bad news during the presidential election,” said one employee. “They have to show their lenders that they are improving profits,” a top radio executive who does not work at iHeart told the NY Post. “I heard there is a lot of pressure on Pittman to stem the decline.”

Revenue in the radio industry as a whole is down 10% this year, while the most junior debt in iHeart is now reportedly trading below 60 cents on the dollar. But the company continues to boast about its place as “the No. 1 podcast publisher, bigger than the next two combined, and we’re five times the size of the next largest digital-radio service.”

Photo Credit: Oasis by Will Fresch / CC by 2.0

Oasis announce the South American leg of their 2025 reunion tour with stops in Argentina, Chile, and Brazil in November.

Oasis continue to expand their blowout 2025 reunion tour with South American stops in Argentina, Chile, and Brazil in November. These follows shows across the UK, Ireland, North America, and Australia.

Fan demand for tickets to the band’s shows has been understandably high, resulting in ticketing issues for fans worldwide. Many tickets sold on resale sites have been cancelled due to price inflation. British financial institution Lloyds Banking Group estimates fans have lost a considerable amount of money on ticket reseller scams.

On their Instagram post announcing the additional dates, Oasis urged fans to be aware they must have a ticket purchase account registered in the specific country in which they plan to buy tickets.

Oasis Live 2025 Reunion Tour

July

• 04 | Principality Stadium — Cardiff, Wales
• 05 | Principality Stadium — Cardiff, Wales
• 11 | Heaton Park — Manchester, England
• 12 | Heaton Park — Manchester, England
• 16 | Heaton Park — Manchester, England
• 19 | Heaton Park — Manchester, England
• 20 | Heaton Park — Manchester, England
• 25 | Wembley Stadium — London, England
• 26 | Wembley Stadium — London, England
• 30 | Wembley Stadium — London, England

August

• 02 | Wembley Stadium — London, England
• 03 | Wembley Stadium — London, England
• 08 | Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium — Edinburgh, Scotland
• 09 | Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium — Edinburgh, Scotland
• 12 | Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium — Edinburgh, Scotland
• 16 | Croke Park — Dublin, Ireland
• 17 | Croke Park — Dublin, Ireland
• 24 | Rogers Stadium — Toronto, Ontario
• 25 | Rogers Stadium — Toronto, Ontario
• 28 | Soldier Field — Chicago, IL
• 31 | MetLife Stadium — East Rutherford, NJ

September

• 01 | MetLife Stadium — East Rutherford, NJ
• 06 | Rose Bowl Stadium — Pasadena, CA
• 07 | Rose Bowl Stadium — Pasadena, CA
• 12 | Estadio GNP Seguros — Mexico City, Mexico
• 13 | Estadio GNP Seguros — Mexico City, Mexico
• 27 | Wembley Stadium — London, England
• 28 | Wembley Stadium — London, England

October

• 31 | Marvel Stadium — Melbourne, Australia

November

• 01 | Marvel Stadium — Melbourne, Australia
• 04 | Marvel Stadium — Melbourne, Australia
• 07 | Accor Stadium — Sydney, Australia
• 08 | Accor Stadium — Sydney, Australia
• 15 | Estadio Mâs Monumental — Buenos Aires, Argentina | NEW DATE
• 16 | Estadio Mâs Monumental — Buenos Aires, Argentina | NEW DATE
• 19 | Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos — Santiago, Chile | NEW DATE
• 22 | Estádio MorumBIS — São Paulo, Brazil | NEW DATE
• 23 | Estádio MorumBIS — São Paulo, Brazil | NEW DATE

Photo Credit: Microsoft Copilot

A Canadian man who is the suspected Snowflake hacker that caused Ticketmaster huge headaches earlier this year has been arrested. The news comes just months after cybersecurity experts were hot on the trail of identifying the hacker.

AT&T, Ticketmaster, and LendingTree were among the companies impacted by this massive hack—more than 165 Snowflake instances were breached. 404 Media reports they last spoke to the hacker on October 27, with the hacker going by the name Judsiche saying they were afraid they would be arrested soon. “I’ve destroyed a lot of evidence and well poisoned the stuff I can’t destroy so when/if it does happen it’s just conspiracy which I can bond out and beat,” the hacker claimed.

404 Media reports a source shared the name Connor Moucka. Searching Canadian court records for upcoming hearings reveals an entry with the same name. Another source says the name belongs to the suspected Snowflake hacker.

“We can now confirm that, following a request by the United States, Alexander Moucka (AKA Connor Moucka) was arrested on a provisional arrest warrant on October 30, 2024,” the Canadian Department of Justice shared with 404 Media. “He appeared in court later that afternoon and his case was adjourned to November 5, 2024.”

Ticketmaster suffered several extortion attempts, with one attempt resulting in the release of several Taylor Swift tickets on the internet to prove the data they have. That ticket data included shows from Indianapolis to New Orleans, with hackers saying they could generate 30 million barcodes for other high-profile concerts and sporting events.

Tickets have gone missing from so many accounts that Ticketmaster temporarily suspended the re-sale of Taylor Swift tickets until right before the event date. On October 7, Digital Music News ran a story about tickets for football games, concerts, and more disappearing from accounts. At the time, a Ticketmaster representative confirmed they’d responded to thousands of customer complaints about missing tickets.

Photo Credit: Reza Mehrad

The British government’s plans to ban smoking outside pubs, clubs, and cafes fall flat amid concerns about the impact on the hospitality industry.

The British government’s plans to band smoking outside schools, hospitals, and playgrounds to reduce pressure on the state-run National Health Service (NHS) and cost to taxpayers is culminating in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill introduced to parliament today. That bill involves some of the strictest anti-smoking rules in the world, including banning young people from smoking.

But the government has abandoned its plans to ban smoking outside pubs, clubs, and cafes after concerns were raised about the impact of such a ban on the hospitality industry.

“Unless we act to help people stay healthy, the rising tide of ill-health in our society threatens to overwhelm and bankrupt our NHS,” said Health Minister Wes Streeting in a statement. “This historic legislation will save thousands of lives.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said back in August that he supported the idea of banning smoking in outdoor spaces such as outside pubs. But the British Beer and Pub Association called the plan “deeply concerning,” and would have a “devastating impact” on venues which already struggle with rising costs.

“We welcome the Government’s decision to scrap the proposed smoking ban for pubs and clubs,” said Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, in a statement to Digital Music News. “This shift recognizes the important role our venues play as controlled, socially responsible spaces within communities. The initial proposals risked significant harm to our industry, which is still in the process of of recovery from the pandemic and other economic pressures.”

“The revised focus of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill on restricting smoking in high-risk areas, such as those outside hospitals and schools, strikes a much-needed balance,” Kill continues. “This approach addresses public health concerns while also protecting the night time economy, which contributes so much to our society both culturally and financially. We are grateful that the Government took into account the strong representations from our sector and listened to the voices of operators across the UK.”

He concluded: “This pragmatic decision will allow pubs, bars, and clubs to continue operating in a way that respects the choices of patrons while also prioritizing the wellbeing of local communities. We look forward to working with policymakers to ensure that our venues remain vibrant, safe, and welcoming spaces for all.”

Photo Credit: Baptista Ime James

A second Jane Doe accusing Diddy of sexual assault could be forced out of anonymity as a separate federal judge weighs in.

After a federal judge determined that an anonymous Jane Doe accuser of Sean “Diddy” Combs can’t proceed under a pseudonym, another Jane Doe accuser might be forced out of anonymity as a result. Another judge has weighed in on the issue, allowing her to continue as filed as long as the defense does not object. The second Doe case was filed on October 20.

“In determining whether a plaintiff may remain anonymous, the Court must balance the plaintiff’s interest in anonymity […] against both the public interest in disclosure and any prejudice to the defendant,” wrote United States District Judge Vernon S. Broderick.

“Plaintiff’s interest in anonymity stems from her allegations that she was drugged and raped by Sean Combs — a celebrity now under indictment for sex trafficking — and possibly one or more of his associates,” the judge continues. “She argues that disclosing her identity will cause her to re-live the trauma of being raped, subject her to unwanted media attention, and expose her to potential retaliation.”

“The motion is unopposed at this time, so any objection Defendants may have to the motion, including the extent of any prejudice Defendants may claim to face, is unclear,” writes Judge Broderick. “Accordingly, it is hereby ordered that Plaintiff’s motion to proceed anonymously is granted pending Defendants’ appearance. No later than seven days following Defendants’ appearance, Plaintiff shall file a letter on the docket indicating whether she intends to either renew her motion on the papers already submitted or file new motion papers.”

“It is further ordered that Defendants shall file any opposition to the motion to proceed anonymously no later than 21 days after being served with the complaint.”

Federal Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil ruled that the first Jane Doe could not continue under a pseudonym, and must refile under her real name by November 13. Despite arguing that the case should be permitted to go forward as-is due to the plaintiff’s fear that Combs would retaliate, Judge Vyskocil disagreed, given that Combs is currently detained pending his trial next year.

Both lawsuits are part of over a dozen similar filings against Combs since his arrest on sex trafficking and racketeering charges in September. All are represented by attorney Tony Buzbee, who teased an onslaught of over 120 lawsuits to be filed in the coming weeks against Combs.

Photo Credit: Ashley King

Ticket reseller scams are a tale as old as time. Now a new report suggests social media is used to facilitate 90% of these ticket scams.

A Lloyds report focusing on analysis of scam reports made by its own customers discovered the Oasis Live ‘25 tickets are a favorite for scammers. Ticket fraud claims in the first month since the reunion tour was announced accounted for around 70% of all reported concert ticket scams since August 27. Lloyds reports that victims taken in by these scams on average lose £346 ($450)—though some victims report losses as high as £1,000 ($1,303).

The most likely age bracket to be targeted by ticket scammers on social media is aged 35-44 years old. That age bracket accounted for around around 31% of fraud reports. High-profile shows like Oasis, Taylor Swift, and the Adele residency are selling for thousands of dollars from Ticketmaster legitimately. So it’s no small wonder scammers target eager fans who may not know how modern ticketing works.

Ticket scammers trick fans into sending money for tickets via bank transfer to buy tickets that don’t exist. These scams will involve fake adverts, listings on social media, or tickets offered at discounted prices. Fraudsters also love to target sold-out events, since they can jack up the price without the victim getting cold feet.

Scam tickets are usually posted to social media in two waves. First when tickets are made available and again as the event date approaches. For fans looking to acquire concert tickets, you should keep these brief pointers in mind to avoid getting scammed.

Stick to trusted retailers—Only purchase tickets from the venue itself, Ticketmaster (or an authorized reseller). Do not purchase tickets from a third-party.

If It Seems Too Good To Be True, It Is—Ticket scammers love to prey on people seeking a good deal. Those $40 tickets with an obstructed view just posted on Facebook Marketplace are likely a scam. If the scam listing can net just 10 people interested in throwing $40 for fake tickets—scammers make $400.

Use a Secure Payment Method—Never pay for a concert ticket through a bank transfer, wire transfer, Western Union, MoneyGram. Only use a debit card or a credit card to pay. A credit card offers more protection than a debit card, since you can dispute the charge. Then your card’s issuing bank will deal with the matter.

“Frausters wasted no time in targeting loyal Oasis fans as they scrambled to pick up tickets for next year’s must-see reunion tour,” Liz Ziegler, Fraud Prevention Director for Lloyds told Digital Music News. “The fact that so many cases start with fake listings on social media, often in violation of the platforms’ own rules, underscores the importance of these companies taking stronger action to tackle scams.”

Ticket selling is in direct violation of the Facebook Marketplace commerce policy. Yet many scams are slipping through the cracks here and bilking loyal fans out of hard-earned money. Any seller who asks for a bank transfer payment (usually through social media) should set off alarm bells for any potential ticket purchaser.

Photo Credit: SiriusXM

SiriusXM reports a lackluster Q3 with declining revenues and stagnating subscription levels.

SiriusXM Holdings (SIRI) reported a wider loss than expected in the third quarter of 2024, at 84 cents per share. The same quarter last year saw the company reporting earnings of 90 cents a share. Total revenues declined 4.4% year-over-year to $2.17 billion, missing the consensus mark by 0.91%.

SiriusXM completed its transaction with Liberty Media this quarter and fully emerged as an independent public company. The company is gearing up to reintroduce its business to counteract declining subscriptions and enhance free cash flow generation. SiriusXM has a long-term target of 50 million subscribers and $1.8 billion in free cash flow.

To that end, subscriber revenues — 75.77% of total revenues — declined 4.86% from the same quarter last year to $1.64 billion, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.14%. Advertisement revenue — 20.73% of total revenues — decreased 2.17% year-over-year to $450 million, which also missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.61%.

That decline was due to increasing new CTV supply in the market, increasing advertiser spending on performance products, a truncated election cycle, and low podcast inventory.

Self-pay subscribers decreased 0.99% year-over-year to 31.49 million, while net subscriber loss was 100k against net additions of 94k the same period last year.

Average revenue per user came to $15.16, down 3.38% year-over-year, and missing estimates by 0.53%. This reflects in the number of subscribers on promotional rates and streaming only self-pay plans.

Meanwhile, equipment revenues decreased 12.24% year-over-year to $43 million, a figure that missed the estimate by 9.37%. Other revenues remained unchanged year-over-year at $33 million and beat their estimates by 2.27%.

The company’s standalone segment’s revenues (74.94% of total revenues) were at $1.62 billion, down by 5.46% year-over-year. Its total subscriber base has declined by 2.39% year-over-year to 33.15 million, missing estimates by 0.19%. That directly contributed to subscriber revenues declining by 5.45%, amounting to $1.51 billion.

Advertising revenues were down 2.38% year-over-year to $41 million, while equipment revenues declined 12.24% year-over-year to $43 million. Other revenues remained at a flat $33 million year-over-year.

Photo Credit: Tunecore / Believe

Universal Music Group files a $500 million lawsuit against Believe and Tunecore for ‘rampant piracy’ and copyright infringement. Here’s the latest.

Universal Music Group (UMG), alongside its subsidiaries UMG Recordings, Capitol Records, and ABKCO Music & Records, with Concord Music Group, has filed a massive copyright infringement lawsuit against Believe and its distribution platform Tunecore.

The filing, shared with Digital Music News late Monday (November 4th), alleges Believe has built its business by knowingly distributing infringing copies of popular copyrighted recordings, including those owned by the plaintiffs. These include blatantly altered versions of tracks from artists including Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga, from which Believe is accused of pilfering royalties.

Believe’s distribution network, which includes partnerships with platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Spotify, has allegedly enabled it to profit significantly from this unauthorized distribution.

UMG attorneys argue that Believe’s actions have caused substantial harm to their client’s business, artists, and other contributors, and are seeking damages of at least $500 million, in addition to a permanent injunction to stop Believe’s infringing activities.

“Believe’s client list is overrun with fraudulent ‘artists’ and pirate record labels who rely on Believe and its distribution network to seed infringing copies of popular sound recordings throughout their digital music ecosystem,” the lawsuit reads.

“While Believe is fully aware that its business model is fueled by rampant piracy, it has eschewed basic measures to prevent copyright violations and turned a blind eye to the fact that its music catalog was rife with copyright infringing sound recordings.”

The complaint outlines Believe’s practice of wrongfully collecting royalties rightfully owed to the plaintiffs and other copyright owners, and cites several specific examples of alleged infringement. These include the distribution of “sped up” or “remixed” versions of popular songs, for which UMG is alleging direct, contributory, and vicarious copyright infringement.

Believe is also accused of exploiting YouTube’s content management system to claim ownership of their recordings, thereby diverting or delaying royalty payments.

UMG is also claiming infringement of pre-1972 sound recordings, for which they are seeking statutory damages, injunctive relief to prevent future infringement, impoundment, and destruction of infringing copies, and recovery of attorneys’ fees and costs. They are also seeking a trial by jury.

Photo Credit: redo

The mystery surrounding a long-unknown radio-ripped clip has been solved after nearly 20 years. Here’s the band behind the internet’s most mysterious song.

An old internet mystery has finally been solved after nearly 20 years. The song was originally recorded off the radio in Germany and has long stumped internet sleuths and music aficionados. Now, “The Most Mysterious Song On the Internet” has finally been identified.

The song’s story begins in the 1980s, when a group of people in Germany recorded a song they heard on the radio onto a cassette tape. Lydia, also known as bluuely on Reddit, the sister of the person who recorded the cassette, uploaded a digital copy of the song to several online forums in 2007. She wanted to learn anything she could about the song.

Though not confirmed, it’s generally believed that the radio station the song was recorded from was NDR1, on the program Musik Für Junge Leute — “Music for Young People.” But other details remained scarce, despite several people stumbling onto Lydia’s posts over the years and trying to help.

But in 2019, Reddit got involved in the mystery. A user known as gabgaskins posted the song in 44 different music-related subreddits — which eventually culminated in the formation of mystery’s own subreddit, r/TheMysteriousSong. Later that year, the song caught the attention of a YouTuber called Just Whang, who made a video about it, further escalating online interest in the search.

Investigators even tracked down the former host of Musik Für Junge Leute, but he wasn’t able to help. Even Rolling Stone wrote about the mystery, while investigators analyzed different versions of the song from various sources, chasing down dozens of leads. But enthusiasts were met with dead ends at every turn.

Finally, the past few months took the investigation to Hörfest, an annual festival of local musicians sponsored by a Hamburg-based public broadcaster. Users compiled a list of hundreds of bands who had played at the festival and started going through them one by one.

This led to Redditor marijin1412 coming across an old newspaper article in a regional German paper. “The article was about a band called FEX from Kiel, who won a talent contest in Bremen in 1984 and their music was described as Rock with Wave and Pop influences,” wrote marijin1412.

The same user recognized one of the names in the article and reached out to a Michael Hädrich, who was a member of a Hörfest 83 band called Phret. He sent them some of the songs he made with FEX and Phret — and the mysterious song was among them, titled “Subways of Your Mind.”

Hädrich was astounded to learn the song was famous on the internet and considered a piece of lost media. He contacted the other members of the band and registered the song in the GEMA, a German organization for musicians. A full and cleaner version of the song was also uploaded to Vocaroo.

Photo Credit: The Weeknd by R. Totzke / CC by 4.0

The Weeknd’s upcoming film, ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow,’ is getting worldwide theatrical distribution from Lionsgate. The film also stars Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.

The Weeknd’s upcoming feature film-starring debut, the psychological thriller “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” will get worldwide theatrical distribution via Lionsgate. “Hurry Up Tomorrow” stars Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye, Jenna Ortega, and Barry Keoghan, and is directed by Trey Edward Shults.

The film serves as an extension of The Weeknd’s upcoming album of the same name, the release date of which is yet to be announced. The album stands alongside the film’s score by The Weeknd and Daniel Lopatin.

“Abel is a visionary whose art cannot be confined by any single medium,” says Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson. “With ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow,’ in partnership with Trey, his musical universe expands onto the big screen with a psychological thriller that will usher in a new cinematic experience for fans. We are thrilled to be bringing it to audiences worldwide.”

Produced by Tesfaye’s Manic Phase and Reza Fahim, alongside the late Kevin Turen and Harrison Kreiss, the film is executive produced by Ortega, Shults, Michael Rapino, Ryan Kroft, Wassim “Sal” Slaiby, and Harrison Huffman. Chayse Irvin is director of photography. Erin Benach and Hannah Jacobs serve as costume designers, and Elliott Hostetter heads production design.

Hurry Up Tomorrow is the third in The Weeknd’s trilogy of studio albums, following 2022’s Dawn FM and 2020’s After Hours. The third album serves as the final chapter in the trilogy, chock full of existential and self-referential themes.

The film will be The Weeknd’s latest foray into film and television, having co-created and starred in the 2023 series “The Idol” alongside Lily-Rose Depp. As a musician, The Weeknd has sold over 75 million records and is one of the most-streamed artists on Spotify.

Photo Credit: Epic Games

Fortnite welcomes Chapter 2 Remix with Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Spice, and Juice WRLD, following a real world and in-game music event.

Snoop Dogg and Ice Spice delivered a show-stopping performance in Times Square over the weekend in a stunning takeover serving as a prelude to their splash in the new season of Fortnite Battle Royale, Chapter 2 Remix, out now. The event streamed live in Fortnite to give players an immersive experience to dive into, featuring Snoop’s new track, “Gorgeous,” from his upcoming album.

In-game, Chapter 2 Remix arrives with some heavyweight music icons: Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Spice, and Juice WRLD, bringing their fashion, music, and artistry to Fortnite alongside the popular original Fortnite gameplay from 2020. In a first for the game, players can engage with each artist through themed gameplay locations launching week by week. Players can also express themselves and rep each music legend through individual artist outfits found in the Fortnite Shop.

In Week 1, starting on November 2, Snoop Dogg enters Battle Royale and features as the Icon for Season 6 of the music-driven, rhythm-based game, Fortnite Festival. “Being part of Fortnite is all about creating, playing, and sharing my music and culture with the next generation,” says Snoop Dogg. “My son Cordell’s a big Fortnite player with me, so when we had the opportunity we jumped on it as a new way to connect with my sound and style. Anyone can be Snoop in Fortnite.”

In Week 2, starting on November 7, Eminem reappears following his original Fortnite debut in December 2023. “Guess who’s back, ready for combat, man! I’m serving all new gear along with a side of spaghetti — come and get it! Feels good to return to Fortnite for more mayhem,” says Eminem.

Week 3 kicks off on November 14, when Ice Spice arrives to take players into her experience as the Princess of New York. “Getting the chance to come to the game and remix the Chapter 2 map is unreal. It’s exciting to be a part of something so iconic, and I can’t wait for players to experience this new vibe. Fortnite is all about creativity and connection, and I’m hyped to bring my own spin to it!” shares Ice Spice.

Week 4 starts on November 21, when the legacy, music, and style of Juice WRLD is celebrated. More details are forthcoming on the celebration later this month, along with his latest posthumous album due out this year from Grade A Productions and Interscope Records.

Chapter 2 Remix will end on a special note with Remix: The Finale, a live event on November 30 at 2 PM ET, to honor Juice WRLD’s legacy and love for Fortnite. All players who log in between 1 AM ET on November 30 and 1 AM ET on December 1 will receive the cel-shaded Slayer Juice WRLD outfit.

Carmela Wallace, mother of Jarad “Juice WRLD” Higgins, shared, “Jarad always loved to play Fortnite — it was more than just entertainment for him, it was a way to connect with others. From a young age, video games were a part of how he bonded with friends and family, and being in Fortnite is an incredible tribute to that connection. I know he would be overjoyed to see how his love for games continues to bring people together across different spaces, just like his music does.”

This season also introduces Kicks, a brand new cosmetic coming to Fortnite. The initial lineup of Kicks will feature Nike and Jordan brands alongside Fortnite original designs with more brands to be announced in the future. The first pair of Jordans will be available beginning on November 12 as part of the season’s Remix Pass.

Throughout the month with Chapter 2 Remix, players can experience what made the original Chapter 2 so memorable. Chapter 2 Remix comes nearly one year after the launch of Fortnite OG, where the game saw over 100 million players in that month alone. Though long-time fans’ reactions to the takeover changes have been mixed as the remix gets underway.

Photo Credit: Avicii for Candamo Film / Avicii Music AB / Netflix

Netflix announces a documentary about the late producer and DJ Avicii, featuring narration from Avicii himself. The film is due for release on December 31.

A new documentary about the late DJ and producer Avicii is set for release on Netflix on December 31, following its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. “I’m Tim” is narrated by the musician himself, whose real name was Tim Bergling, using interviews he did before his suicide in 2018.

The documentary will also feature interviews with Bergling’s parents, friends, colleagues, and other artists, covering his rise as a kid in Sweden to international stardom as an EDM legend.

Netflix will also stream Avicii’s final performance at Ushuaïa Ibiza in August 2016. This was his last live set before he stopped touring at age 26 and died only two years later.

“I took the time to drive across the US with my friends and team, to just look and see and think about things in a new way. It really helped me realize that I needed to make the change that I’d been struggling with for a while,” said Avicii on his website in March 2016, when he decided to stop touring to focus on his mental health.

“I’m Tim” was directed by Henrik Burman and produced by Björn Tjärnberg. It follows a documentary released in 2017, directed by Levan Tsikurishvili, “Avicii: True Stories.”

Earlier this summer saw the release of a photobook, “Avicii: The Life and Music of Tim Bergling,” which featured pictures of the producer’s early life, private life, and career. A biography of Bergling, simply called “Tim,” written by Swedish journalist Måns Mosesson, was released in early 2022.

Also in 2022, the Avicii Estate sold 75% of the artist’s catalog to Stockholm-based music investment company Pophouse, co-founded by ABBA legend Björn Ulvaeus. That sale included hits like “Wake Me Up,” “Seek Bromance,” and “Levels.”

An auction of the artist’s personal items took place last October in Stockholm, raising $750,000 for the Tim Bergling Foundation, which works to educate young people about mental health.

Photo Credit: Marvel Stadium

Coldplay broke a new attendance record for Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia previously set by Adele. The stadium confirmed a new attendance record of 227,000 people across the ‘Music of the Spheres’ world tour.

The record-breaking attendance comes as frontman Chris Martin fell through a trapdoor during the concert on Sunday. The 47-year-old fell while speaking to a crowd of 50,000 people. Footage shown on social media showed the singer walking backwards while speaking, before accidentally falling into an opened trap door.

“That’s, uh, not planned, thank you for catching me,” Martin says into the mic. “Thank you guys, holy sh*t.” Martin said he had the jitters but was not injured during his fall. He did take the time to make a joke at his own expense, saying he will “probably be a YouTube moment.”

Coldplay’s ‘Music of the Spheres’ world tour is continuing across Australia with stops in Sydney for several shows and New Zealand up next. Chris Martin isn’t the only star who recently took a tumble on stage, either. Martin’s mishap comes just weeks after Olivia Rodrigo also fell through the stage while performing in Melbourne—albeit at a different venue.

During the final night of her GUTS tour, Olivia Rodrigo was running across the stage, pointing and cheering with fans. She accidentally ran straight into a hole in the ground on stage and fell. Video of the incident captured Rodrigo’s reaction, who climbed out of the hole saying, “Oh my god, that was fun!”

“I’m okay. Woah. Sometimes there’s just a hole in the stage,” she told the crowd. “That’s all right. Okay. Where was I?”

Coldplay ‘Music of the Spheres’ World Tour Dates

November

• 06 | Sydney Olympic Park — Sydney, Australia
• 07 | Sydney Olympic Park — Sydney, Australia
• 09 | Sydney Olympic Park — Sydney, Australia
• 10 | Sydney Olympic Park — Sydney, Australia
• 13 | Eden Park — Auckland, New Zealand
• 15 | Eden Park — Auckland, New Zealand
• 16 | Eden Park — Auckland, New Zealand

January 2025

• 09 | Zayed Sports City — Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• 11 | Zayed Sports City — Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• 12 | Zayed Sports City — Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• 14 | Zayed Sports City — Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• 18 | D Y Patil Sports Stadium — Navi Mumbai, India
• 19 | D Y Patil Sports Stadium — Navi Mumbai, India
• 21 | D Y Patil Sports Stadium — Navi Mumbai, India

Photo Credit: Fuse Audio

The Fuse Audio GLD is a vertical vinyl player that has surpassed $500,000+ funding on Kickstarter from a collection of more than 2,200 backers. The campaign still has 15 days to go, with Fuse Audio announcing an upgraded tone arm.

Fuse Audio says the milestone in support highlights the demand for the unique record player, a mid-century modern vertical record player designed to appeal to vinyl enthusiasts. The company has been working on improvements for the tone arm, which include improved balance and tracking force, ensuring smoother playback. The refined design also introduces a slightly adjusted headshell angle for the Audio Technica AT3600L cartridge, enhancing needle accuracy.

The Fuse Audio GLD record player features an ashtree wood veneer finish, available in black and gold trims. It also features Bluetooth capabilities, enabling vinyl streaming to Bluetooth-compatible devices. The stylish design displays record vertically while they play, offering high-quality audio with two external 36W speakers—each featuring a 1” tweeter, 4” cone, and a Class D amplifier. The GLD also features versatile playback support for 33, 45, and 78 RPM speeds—offering high-quality sound no matter the format.

The main appeal of a vertical vinyl player is the space-saving footprint. The GLD is just six inches deep, meaning it doesn’t take up a lot of counter space while also displaying the vinyl record as a centerpiece of design. Since the record player is designed with vinyl enthusiasts in mind, it also includes a built-in slot at the back to display cover art of the vinyl currently spinning.

There’s a little more than two weeks left on the Kickstarter campaign, with Fuse Audio telling Digital Music News that the GLD has been in development since July 2023. The company began sourcing materials in September of the same year, with their final sample coming to shape in January 2024. Now the audio company is gathering funding with the expectation that manufacture of the device will happen around December 2024. Fuse Audio has a timeline to ship to backers between December 2024/January 2025.

A pledge of $315 offers Kickstarter backers a 12% discount from MSRP when the device eventually makes its way to the enthusiast market for sale. Early backers were able to snag their GLD players for prices between $199 and $229—though those reward tiers are no longer available. It’s important to note, as with all Kickstarter funding projects, that rewards are not guaranteed.

Photo Credit: Instagram

Instagram upgrades its DMs to improve the experience for creators and influencers getting bombarded by incoming messages.

Instagram announced a big update to its direct messages inbox on Friday, November 1, focused on improving the experience for creators and influencers who receive a lot of inbound messages. The app is introducing tools to allow users to sort and filter their message requests (those that don’t arrive in their main inbox), based on user-set controls.

Users will be able to sort and filter message requests by follower count, verified accounts, brands, creators, and more. The idea is to help the creator better identify higher-priority messages that may require more of their time to respond due to the impact they might have on the creator’s business and relationships. A new “Story Replies” folder will also be added to make them easily accessible and in one place.

The Meta-owned company said the changes are being rolled out after lots of feedback from creators across the world who found managing their DMs to be a terrible chore.

“Now, when you go to the requests inbox, sometimes it can be really overwhelming,” said Instagram’s Adam Mosseri in a post on the platform. “So what we’ve done is added ways to filter down those requests to just see the ones that you’re looking for.”

“There’s a lot more to do to improve the inbox for creators and requests,” he continued. “But hopefully, this is one step in the right direction.”

Users can access the “Sort & Filter” options in an overlay on top of their inbox, where they can choose to sort requests by most recent or by the number of followers the sender has. From there, they can check or uncheck other options to further narrow down the scope of what they want to see in their inbox.

These changes come on the heels of other inbox-focused filtering improvements made by Meta this week in its platform WhatsApp.

Photo Credit: Sean “Diddy” Combs for Combs Global

Miami Beach takes back its key to the city from Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, as the city’s vice mayor says he is ‘disgusted’ by the allegations against him.

The City of Miami Beach has officially stripped Sean “Diddy” Combs of his key to the city that he was awarded back in 2015. The mayor still has to certify the resolution, which is forthcoming. Earlier this year, Miami canceled Diddy Day—which was supposed to be October 13.

CBS Miami spoke to Miami Beach’s Vice Mayor Alex Fernandez about the decision, to which he called allegations against the disgraced music mogul “disgusting,” “dirty,” and “inhumane.”

“Justice must be served, and this is a small way in which our city can grant some justice to the victims of the gross acts that have been committed,” said Fernandez.

Combs was awarded with the ceremonial key by then-mayor Philip Levine in 2015. Last month, it was reported that Miami Beach city officials were in the final stages in their negotiations to take back their key. Mayor Steven Weiner and the city commission unanimously voted on the revocation on October 30.

Meanwhile, New York Mayor Eric Adams rescinded Combs’ key to that city after the unearthed hotel surveillance footage of the rapper beating ex Casandra Ventura in 2016 showed up on CNN this past May. The footage coincided with Ventura’s November 2023 lawsuit against Combs in which she alleged sexual and physical assault throughout their relationship.

The two settled the lawsuit only one day after Ventura filed, but that lawsuit seemed to kick off a series of similar suits, many of which remain open.

The 54-year-old Combs is currently held in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center as he awaits his May 2025 trial. He was twice denied bail since his arrest and indictment for sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pled not guilty to the charges, and continues to deny allegations against him.

Photo Credit: Ed Sheeran by Stephen Lavoie / iRocktography

Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ isn’t similar enough to Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ to enforce copyright protection, an appeals court rules.

Ed Sheeran is popping another champagne cork in his long-running battle against a copyright infringement lawsuit over “Thinking Out Loud.” The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled the song’s similarity to Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” did not warrant enforcing copyright protection.

The Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s dismissal of the copyright infringement lawsuit, filed by Structured Asset Sales (SAS), which owns a portion of the royalties from the Marvin Gaye classic.

In the three-judge panel’s decision, the Copyright Act of 1909 only protects the musical composition of “Let’s Get It On” as defined by the sheet music filed with the Copyright Office in 1973. Therefore, it does not protect elements present solely in the audio recording of the song.

Further, the court rejected SAS’ argument that the combination of a four-chord progression and a syncopated harmonic rhythm in Gaye’s track was sufficiently original to warrant copyright protection. Instead, it found this combination to be too commonplace to protect it without granting it an overly broad monopoly.

“Basic musical building blocks like notes, rhythms, and chords are generally not copyrightable,” the judges wrote.

The court also asserted that no reasonable jury would find the two songs substantially similar, with entirely different melodies and lyrics. As a result, SAS failed to raise a triable issue of fact regarding copyright infringement having taken place, and the district court affirmed summary judgment to Sheeran.

Their recent ruling helps tie up remaining loose ends following Sheeran’s court victory over the same song last year. That trial was brought about by descendants of Ed Townsend, Marvin Gaye’s co-writer.

A key dispute throughout that case was also whether the copyright of “Let’s Get It On” protected specific parts of the song. Ultimately, the protected parts were defined by the written deposit copy, and jurors could not consider additional elements from Gaye’s recording.

Photo Credit: Hanyang Zhang

TikTok’s existing licensing deal with indie collective Merlin ended on October 31st. Now, the social media juggernaut has been busy inking deals outside of that expired deal, apparently with monetization changes in place. Here’s what’s leaking.

As a quick rewind on this imbroglio: TikTok first informed licensing collective Merlin that it would not be renewing its long-standing deal, set to expire on October 31st, back in September. At the time, Merlin went public with a statement claiming TikTok walked away from the licensing negotiation before it had even began. TikTok said it would go its own way in forging licensing deals with the labels and distributors that Merlin represents.

Merlin accused TikTok of attempting to fragment its membership and minimize payments for indie artists. TikTok released a statement calling into question Merlin’s delivered content and the inability to separate fraudulent content from Merlin. Merlin addressed those concerns by mentioning several steps it took to verify the content it delivers—but TikTok said too little, too late.

The first domino to fall came last week, when UnitedMasters announced it had secured its own licensing deal with TikTok. Now, a Billboard report interviewing twelve executives at various indie labels and distributors reveals that many are divided on what to do. Some want to make sure there is absolutely no way to move forward without Merlin, while others are forging ahead, feeling an obligation to their clients to promote them as best as possible.

“If I still thought that not signing would help Merlin get a new deal, or could help the independent music community, I would try not to sign,” one exec speaking anonymously told Billboard. “But even when Universal didn’t sign, [TikTok] didn’t care. We have no choice because our artists want to be on TikTok—perhaps too much—but for them, this is very important.”

According to those sources, the compensation terms provided under the new individual offers are not any better or worse than Merlin’s collective bargaining. But that doesn’t mean no changes at all. The big one? TikTok is not paying out music licensors based on views a song receives, rather than new creations. TikTok calculates market share based on views and the payment to the licensor is divided up from there—but that doesn’t mean there’s now a certain royalty amount per view.

“It won’t lead to a major difference in how much we are paid,” one exec told Billboard. “We are still doing the math, but it seems like there will be about a 4% difference in what we take in from TikTok, give or take.” Most executives view TikTok’s value not in compensation, calling it one of the ‘smallest revenue earners’ for a music company. Instead, they see value in the platform as a promotional avenue.

Some changes to the previous contracts also included a ‘most favored nations’ clause, giving licensors the right to the same terms and benefits as similar licensors who do business with TikTok. These new contracts do not. A new provision across these separate contracts also include a ‘know your customer’ clause, which requires verification of artists’ identities before allowing them to upload songs. That clause came out presumably to weed out bad actors who are using AI and bots to finagle music streaming services out of millions. But it also places the onus of bad actors on labels and distributors—rather than TikTok directly.

Photo Credit: Amazon Music

Both Apple Music and Amazon Music are starting the Christmas holiday season early—though Mariah Carey is dominating Amazon’s offering. Meanwhile, Apple has a selection of Christmas Carols covered by today’s artists.

Apple Music is debuting its latest Carols Covered Collection that features a fresh selection of beloved Christmas and holiday songs. The new tracks were recorded by a specially curated group of artists, hand-selected by Apple Music’s editors and all available in spatial audio.

Seasonal songs this year include selections from Alice Merton, BOYNEXTDOOR, Ditonellapiaga, Lizzy McAlpine, Luisa Almaguer, MaKenzie, MENTISSA, Lights, Pheelz, Tade Dust, Tones and I, Rachel Chinouriri, Rachel Platten, Ruel, The Linda Lindas, and Zach Top.

Apple is also debuting the Classical Carols Covered playlist, featuring a lineup of exclusive Apple Music holiday songs performed by top classical artists. This year’s collection features whimsical arrangements from Anastasia Kobekina, Daniil Trifonov, Hayato Sumino and SANSARA as they perform well-known Christmas music alongside a couple of lesser-known gems and bring their incredible musicianship to these carols.

2024 Carols Covered Tracks

• Rachel Platten, “Jingle Bell Rock”
• Lizzy McAlpine, “Celebrate Me Home”
• Zach Top, “Blue Christmas”
• MaKenzie, “Let It Snow”
• The Linda Lindas, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”
• Ruel, “santa doesn’t know you like i do”
• Tones and I, “Hallelujah
• Lights, “Last Christmas”
• MENTISSA, “Shake Up Christmas”
• Alice Merton, “Sleigh Ride”
• Ditonellapiaga, “(Everybody’s Waitin’ For) The Man With The Bag”
• Tade Dust, “I Saw Three Ships”
• Luisa Almaguer, “Amarga Navidad”
• Pheelz, “The Twelve Days of Christmas”
• BOYNEXTDOOR, “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas”
• Rachel Chinouriri, “Christmas Lights”

2024 Classical Carols Covered Tracks

• Anastasia Kobekina, “The Coventry Carol”
• Daniil Trifonov, “Man of the House”
• Hayato Sumino, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”
• SANSARA, “Peace on Earth”

Meanwhile, if you want to listen to the same song we’ve all heard a thousand times over, Amazon Music has you covered with a Mariah Carey partnership. The self-proclaimed ‘Queen of Christmas’ has teamed up with Amazon to offer a selection of holiday decor and tour merch that celebrates the 30th anniversary of “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”

The merch partnership comes as Mariah Carey kicks off her Christmas Time tour in Highland, CA on November 6. So whether you want a taste of something new or the same-old, same-old Christmas jingle—both Apple Music and Amazon Music have you covered.

Photo Credit: Mariah Carey by Raph PH / CC by 2.0

Mariah Carey has been eligible for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for nearly a decade, but laments her lawyer got inducted before her.

Mariah Carey says her lawyer made it into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame before her. The singer, who has been eligible for the Hall of Fame herself for nearly a decade, has only just received a nomination this year.

But her lawyer, Allen Grubman, was inducted in 2022 in the Ahmet Ertegun Award category for his work representing stars like Carey, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Elton John, and — until recently — Sean “Diddy” Combs. Notably, Grubman is also one of the Rock Hall’s founders.

Mariah Carey recently spoke about the situation in an interview with The Los Angeles Times, in which she was asked about her thoughts on being nominated for the first time. “My thoughts are, I didn’t get in,” she said. “Everybody was calling me, going, ‘I think you’re getting in!’ and so I was excited about it. But then it didn’t happen. My lawyer got into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame before me.”

She first became eligible for nomination in 2015, on the 25th anniversary of her debut album. But Grubman has been involved in the Rock Hall since its inception back in 1983. That said, his induction was not without its share of controversy. Fellow co-founder Jann Wenner criticized the decision, calling it “about money and bending to the ego of a music-business power broker.” Wenner was removed from his position after a disastrous interview about his book ‘The Masters,’ which only highlighted male rock star points of view.

Mariah Carey is getting ready to unleash Christmas this month with her 2024 Christmas Tour, followed by dates next year with her residency in Las Vegas. The star is also reportedly working on “nine or 10” new songs, “enough to have an album.” She’s also forged a partnership with Amazon Music to sell Christmas merch this year—embracing her title as Queen of Christmas.

Photo Credit: Young Thug and Kevin Liles / Instagram

300 Entertainment CEO Kevin Liles issues a statement on the conclusion of Young Thug’s trial: ‘Artists aren’t fictional characters.’

Kevin Liles, co-founder and CEO of 300 Entertainment, has released a statement following Atlanta rapper Young Thug’s sentencing following a guilty plea on Thursday (October 31). Liles signed the rapper, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, to 300 Entertainment in 2014.

Young Thug is to be released from prison after spending the past two years in custody, following his arrest in May 2022 along with over a dozen others as part of a massive indictment for alleged violations of Georgia’s RICO law.

“Words can’t express the incredible happiness and relief I feel to learn of Jeffery’s freedom,” said Liles. “There will be a time to discuss the criminalization of hip-hop lyrics and the use of bond denial as a weapon against defendants, but in this moment everyone should feel nothing but joy that this amazing artist and even better man can hug his children, parents, siblings, and other loved ones tonight.”

“We must always remember artists aren’t fictional characters,” Liles continued. “They’re human beings first. God bless Jeffery and his family.”

The trial, which kicked off in November last year, was built around claims that Williams and other members of his YSL Records had committed murders, drug dealings, carjackings, and other crimes. Williams refused to take a plea deal that would have resulted in his immediate release and opted for a non-negotiated guilty plea. He was sentenced to 15 years probation with no time to be served.

“I know what I bring to the table and I know what I am,” said Williams, noting the influence he holds in his community, and telling the court he takes ‘full responsibility’ for his actions. “I know the heights I’ve reached and I know the impact I’ve got on people in the community.”

The 33-year-old is not permitted to visit the Atlanta metro area except in special circumstances, but must return multiple times a year to hold anti-gang and anti-gun violence presentations as part of his sentencing.

Photo Credit: Hearby Cares

Area4Labs’ Hearby Cares is a new AI-powered initiative to highlight live benefit shows providing relief for areas affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The team at Area4Labs says they created the initiative to provide a comprehensive benefit show list and a map to maximize awareness and attendance of these important recovery effort live shows. Hearby Cares is a team-wide, collaborative effort to highlight benefit shows, collect event data, and showcase more than 100 benefit shows across the United States.

The existing Hearby venue and event database helped the team fine-tune their data collection practices to identify benefit shows. Shows highlighted by Hearby Cares vary greatly in size, from small listening rooms to stadiums with a capacity for 70,000+ people in attendance. Benefit shows for hurricane relief have raised millions of dollars, while others provide necessary supplies for victims of these natural disasters to get back on their feet. Area4Labs says they view this project as a way to filter and present event data for communities that deserve extra attention.

“Across the Hearby team, we are at our core a group of musicians and music fans with a deep love for local music scenes. Hearby Cares is an initiative born from our appreciation of the Appalachian music scene, from North Carolina through Tennessee and beyond, and our want to help that region after the devastation brought about by recent hurricanes and flooding,” the Area4Labs team told Digital Music News.

“Through Hearby Cares, we have been able to cover over 100 benefit shows (and counting) across the United States that all have a mission to help those in need. Looking ahead, we see tremendous value in Hearby Cares and our ability to quickly react to social and cultural movements, and to highlight the events surrounding them.”

Several high-profile artists have stepped up to help these regions struck by hurricanes. Morgan Wallen donated $500,000 to the Red Cross for relief, while Dolly Parton donated $1 million to recovery efforts. North Carolina natives Luke Combs and Eric Church recently led a benefit ‘Concert for Carolina’ that managed to raise $24.5 million for relief efforts—particularly around Asheville.

Photo Credit: Too Lost

Fan engagement is one of the biggest cornerstones of success in the music industry. Engagement empowers artists and their teams to harness the potential of their fan bases, cultivate superfans, and foster a strong bond between those fans and the artist. Too Lost is making it easier than ever to facilitate that connection with Fan Blast—directly from the Too Lost dashboard. Let’s take a peek at how it works.

The following was created in collaboration with Too Lost, a company DMN is proud to be partnered with.

Social media has great tools to help budding artists get discovered by more fans, but how do you contact them once they’re aware of your music? A more extensive reach method is needed to engage fans directly when new music drops as social media by design does not show your updates to everyone who follows you on the platform.

Meta has long been criticized for this, with reach happening to only 5.9% of a person’s organic followers on that platform. That’s better than the 4.3% it used to be, but the result is that artists must hope for a viral post—or pay Meta to reach 100% of their audience who expressed interest.

Email tools are far more effective at maintaining an in-the-know relationship with fans who have expressed interest in new music. That’s because emails are delivered directly to a person and when crafted with catchy headlines and tailored to music fans—they deliver more action in terms of potential sales and new streams. Even merch drop emails tend to be more successful than social media blasts—since the artist shared their email because they’re interested in the music in the first place.

Too Lost is capitalizing on the close connection that email marketing offers by offering artists and managers the ability to build and blast emails to their entire fanbase. Fan Blast allows artists to email anyone who has pre-saved one of their songs, generate early listen links to keep those fans engaged with new music, and notify fans about upcoming releases, merch drops, and more.

Artists and managers can completely customize the message, or use powerful AI tools to generate the message with listening links already inserted. Too Lost says the tool is designed to help add new fans in real-time as they engage with your music, bringing your marketing efforts closer to the fan for a strong artist-fan bond. The ability to engage superfans directly on new releases means those fans are among the first to hear your music—perhaps influencing others and growing your fanbase in the process.

“We understand the importance of owning the communication with your fans. Social media is great, but we know the reach is heavily restricted. Fan Blast makes it easy to get messages directly to your fans, right from your Too Lost dashboard.”

This new fan engagement feature, paired with Too Lost’s other features offer artists a full suite of services to identify and connect with their fans across the web.

Photo Credit: Amr Diab with his seven World Music Awards by Muhammad Rafaat / CC by 4.0

Sony Music signs an exclusive multi-album agreement with Egyptian icon Amr Diab, acquiring his catalog in the process.

Sony Music Entertainment Middle East just scored an exclusive partnership with Middle Eastern music icon Amr Diab, which includes the acquisition of his music catalog and a multi-album agreement.

The deal includes hits like “Inta El Haz,” “Zay Manty,” and “Ya Ana Ya La,” as well as introducing “a forward-looking multi-album deal set to redefine musical boundaries.”

Often referred to as “the father of Mediterranean music,” Amr Diab is a best-selling artist with a decade-spanning career full of numerous accolades, including seven World Music Awards, five Platinum Record Awards, and six African Music Awards.

Amr Diab’s collaboration with Sony Music Middle East will leverage the company’s global network to “explore innovative sounds and partnerships,” and further his international reach and appeal.

“I am thrilled to start this new chapter of my music career with Sony Music,” says Amr Diab. “Their commitment to nurturing artistic growth aligns with my vision for the future of my music. Stay tuned to new innovations coming your way!”

“Amr Diab is a musical visionary whose work transcends cultural and generational boundaries. We are proud to welcome Amr to Sony Music and share his music beyond the Middle East, propelling his musical legacy to even greater heights,” said Shridhar Subremaniam, President Asia and Middle East Sony Music. “This partnership aims to showcase the rich musical heritage of the Middle East on a global stage.”

“Amr Diab’s lasting impact on the music industry is unparalleled,” concludes Rami Mohsen, Managing Director of Sony Music Entertainment Middle East. “This strategic partnership will introduce his unique sound to broader audiences and underscores our commitment to fostering exceptional talent and creative excellence around the globe. As we expand our footprint in the rapidly growing Middle Eastern market, partnering with Amr Diab aligns perfectly with our vision for the region’s music industry.”

The partnership comes amid Sony Music Entertainment’s continued domination of the IFPI Top 200 MENA Chart, showing significant influence in the region.

Photo Credit: Pamela Neal (Brandi Carlile)

Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile signs with CAA and Phantom Management, ditching Red Light and Wasserman in a major representation shift.

Brandi Carlile is busy making moves, announcing on Wednesday her signing with CAA for worldwide representation, and moving to an in-house management firm, Phantom Management. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter has been represented by Red Light Management for years, with Wasserman as her agency. The move seems to be purely in the interest of “fresh blood,” with no apparent bad blood existing between Carlile and her former representation.

Notably, Phantom is led by Catherine Carlile, Brandi’s wife, who has led her fundraising organization, The Looking Out Foundation, for 13 years. Now, she takes on the role of senior manager, where she will be aided by Carolyn Snell. Carlile’s new reps at CAA have not been mentioned by name in the announcement, but insiders reveal Bryan Lourd and Rob Light are taking the lead in representing Carlile.

Carolyn Snell, who will be working closely with Catherine Carlile to manage the artist at Phantom, has both managed and coordinated global tours for artists like Janet Jackson, Reba McEntire, John Mayer, and the Indigo Girls.

The change comes as Carlile looks to further expand her reach in the realms of film, television, and publishing.

While the singer-songwriter has not yet revealed any touring or recording plans for 2025, the announcement revealed a second book is on the way, via Harper Collins’ Dey Street imprint. Carlile’s previous book, “Broken Horses: A Memoir,” topped the New York Times’ bestseller list upon its 2021 release. The subject of the follow-up book is yet to be publicly known, but those close to the situation believe “all her writing is being looked at for potential development” across other media.

Brandi Carlile remains with Low Country Sound and Elektra as her label, as well as Sack & Co. for publicity.

Photo Credit: Glassnote Records (Daniel Glass, Founder & President)

AI-powered social music app Hook has announced a partnership with Glassnote Records to add tracks from emerging acts including Tors, bby, Hayes Warner, and Dylan Cartlidge to its library. More acts from Glassnote will be added soon.

Glassnote’s roster includes chart-topping acts like Mumford & Sons, Childish Gambino, Phoenix, Two Door Cinema Club, GROUPLOVE, Silvana Estrada, CHVRCHES, AURORA, Jade Bird, Hamilton Leithauser, GRACEY, The Teskey Brothers, and more. Hook describes itself as an ‘ethically-trained AI’ social mash-up app which launched on iOS last month.

Hook allows everyday music fans to use cutting-edge, ethically-trained AI technology to realize the future of music listening in which fans become collaborators, using music to express themselves by creating sped up, slowed down, mashed-up, or different genre songs. Sped up and slowed down remixes on TikTok have exploded in popularity, leading to the creation of Hook.

“Hook also opens up a new revenue stream for artists and rights holders, enabling them to monetize the infinite derivative versions their fans create and consume on Hook and social platforms like TikTok and Instagram,” the announcement reads.

“Glassnote Records is proud to embrace progressive, open-minded, and forward-thinking ideas,” says Daniel Glass, Founder & President of Glassnote Music. “It has always been our goal to run toward what’s next, focusing on the potential of new technologies while recognizing artists’ creative integrity as the number one priority and something to be strongly protected.”

“We believe Hook does just that—providing a comprehensive solution to the use of remixed music across social platforms in a way that emphasizes artists’ control and compensation.”

As music consumption and discovery continue to shift to social media platforms, Hook provides artists and rights holders granular controls over how fans can interact with their licensed music on social media. The app also provides data about how their remixes are performing globally, bringing a consumption-based model to social media while paying artists more as fans create remixes.”

Hook Founder & CEO Gaurav Sharma previously served as Chief Operating Officer for JioSaavn, India’s largest music streaming platform. It was also one of the first platforms to secure global streaming licenses with record labels. Sharma and his team grew JioSaavn to more than 100 MAUs before he departed.

Photo Credit: Sean “Diddy” Combs by Shamsuddin Muhammad / CC by 2.0

A federal judge rules the Jane Doe who accused Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs of sexual assault can’t proceed under a pseudonym.

Federal Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil ruled that an anonymous woman who filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs must file under her real name by November 13, or the lawsuit will be dismissed. The Tennessee woman filed her suit as a Jane Doe against Combs earlier this month with allegations that he raped her in 2004 when she was 19 years old.

Lawyers representing the woman have argued that the case should be allowed to proceed as-is due to the plaintiff’s fear that Combs would harm her. But the judge disagreed.

“The fundamental question is whether Plaintiff has a ‘substantial privacy’ interest that ‘outweighs the customary and constitutionally embedded presumption of openness in judicial proceedings,’” wrote Judge Vyskocil on Wednesday. “Defendants have a right to defend themselves, including by investigating Plaintiff, and the people have a right to know who is using their courts.”

“As Plaintiff’s own submissions make clear, however, Combs has had no contact with Plaintiff for the approximately twenty years since the alleged rape and Combs is currently detained pending trial,” the judge continued. “As such, counsel has not identified any present threat of physical harm to Plaintiff.”

The lawsuit is one of over a dozen that have been filed by Jane or John Does since Combs was arrested on sex trafficking and racketeering charges in September. All are represented by the same attorneys, which includes Tony Buzbee, who promised an onslaught of over 120 similar lawsuits to be filed in the coming weeks.

“The Court appreciates that Combs is a public figure, and therefore, Plaintiff is likely to face public scrutiny if she proceeds in her own name,” Judge Vyskocil pointed out. “However, Plaintiff’s interest in avoiding public scrutiny, or even embarrassment, does not outweigh the interests of both Combs and the public in ‘the customary and constitutionally embedded presumption of openness in judicial proceedings.’”

Therefore, the judge said Combs is entitled to know the identity of his accuser so his defense can investigate her claims.

Photo Credit: Yamaha Museum

Yamaha Music Innovations has announced a collaboration with Audiomack, a music streaming service primarily catering to the African market.

Audiomack does not impose any initial registration fees on artists, so artists in emerging markets can upload their music for listeners to enjoy. The service has over 100 million registered users and Yamaha views this partnership as a way to contribute to local music culture—one of its management policies aimed at market expansion.

Yamaha has previously engaged in developing digital musical instruments with enhanced sounds and auto-accompaniment features that allow enjoyment of local pop and traditional music in emerging markets such as India. In line with this policy, Yamaha says it aims to deepen its understanding of African music culture through this collaboration while simultaneously strengthening its development of digital musical instruments, other products, and content rooted in local African cultures.

The first initiative of this collaboration with Audiomack is a co-hosted Audiomack & Yamaha’s Zinoleesky “Abanikanda” Remix Contest, inviting participation from young African artists. By creating opportunities for these emerging local artists to express themselves, Yamaha aims to build relationships with artists and creators based in Africa and incorporate their voices into its offerings.

Yamaha says it will continue to actively promote initiatives that support artists’ self-expression and contribute to the sustainability of local music culture through collaborations with various partners.

Meanwhile, Audiomack recently partnered with India’s leading music label Saregama to help expand its South Asian music catalog. The alliance adds thousands of Bollywood hits and regional language tracks to the Audiomack offering, strengthening Audiomack’s position as a music streaming destination for South Asian music fans in the diaspora.

Audiomack has built a strong presence in South Asian music, generating over 160 million Punjabi streams globally each month, with Canada alone accounting for 77.5 million streams. The platform serves more than 200,000 monthly active users in India, with a substantial user base across Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other South Asian markets.

Photo Credit: Peter Wallace

Phish performed a three-night live concert at Albany, NY’s MVP Arena this past weekend, raising over $4 million to support addiction recovery. 100% of net proceeds from ticket revenues, merch sales, and pay-per-view livestream will support the Divided Sky Foundation’s recovery program and new facility in Ludlow, Vermont.

The weekend run kicked off a $10 million fundraising campaign that will support capital improvements, future property acquisition, staff headcount increases, and a scholarship fund to ensure that Divided Sky’s program remains accessible to anyone in need—regardless of their ability to pay. Divided Sky Foundation was started by Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio.

“It’s hard to put into words how grateful we are to Phish and their fans for their generosity,” adds Melanie Gulde, Program Director & Co-Founder of Divided Sky. “But this isn’t about words—it’s about action. And because of these concerts, we will be able to help many more people take charge of their lives and to recover from addictions.”

The Divided Sky Residential Recovery Program is unique among addiction recovery services in that its program focuses on helping guests build life skills and tools to maintain sobriety while staying active and connected with the outdoors and their personal passions. Nearly a dozen alumni who completed the 30-Day Program were in attendance at the Albany concerts, many representing at information tables. Over 300 tickets were given to professionals who work in recovery or a related mental health field.

Aside from performing on stage and donating all of the concert proceed, Phish and their fans supported Divided Sky in several ways. Drummer Jon Fishman wore a special version of his trademark stage dress adorned with Divided Sky logos, which was later signed by the entire band. It will be auctioned in the near future as an online fundraiser to benefit Divided Sky. Additional fundraising was generated at a pre-show reception organized by Phish’s long-standing non-profit arm, The Waterwheel Foundation.

Last year, Phish performed two benefit concerts in Saratoga Springs, NY on the Broadview Stage, raising over $3.5 million for flood recovery efforts in Vermont and upstate New York.

Conceived of and founded by Phish’s Trey Anastasio and program director Melanie Gulde, the Divided Sky Residential Recovery program gives hope to those struggling with addiction by providing a safe, nurturing environment to begin their recovery journey.

Photo Credit: Young Thug by Frank Schwichtenberg / CC by 4.0

Young Thug pleads guilty to gang, drug, and gun charges on Thursday and will be released from jail. Here’s the latest.

Rapper Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, pleaded guilty on Thursday to gang, drug, and gun charges, and will be released from jail. But the 33-year-old could end up there again, should he violate the terms of his sentence.

The plea comes two and a half years after Young Thug’s arrest, and almost a year after the prosecution began presenting evidence against him. The trial has been wrought with problems, with jury selection taking nearly 10 months after beginning in January last year. Dozens of witnesses have been called since opening statements began in November 2023.

Williams entered his pleas without reaching a deal with prosecutors after negotiations between the two parties, said lead prosecutor Adriane Love. Therefore, the sentence was left entirely up to Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker.

The rapper pleaded guilty to one gang charge, three drug charges, and two gun charges. He entered a no contest plea to another gang charge and a racketeering conspiracy charge, which means he decided not to contest the charges but can be punished for them as if he had pleaded guilty.

He was sentenced to 40 years with the first five to be served in prison but commuted to time served, with 15 years probation. Should Williams complete his probation without any violations, another 20 years will be commuted to time served. However, if he violates the conditions of his probation, he will have to serve those 20 years in addition to any penalty for a violation.

Further, he must stay away from the metro Atlanta area for the first 10 years of his probation, except to attend weddings, funerals, graduations, or serious illness of family members. That said, he has been ordered to return to Atlanta four times a year during his probation to make a live, anti-gang, anti-gun violence presentation at a school or a community organization serving children. This can count toward his 100 hours of community service which he has been ordered to perform each year.

Williams must also submit to random drug screens and cannot possess a gun. He’s also not permitted to associate with gang members or with the victims or other defendants in the case, except his brother and the rapper Gunna, with whom he has contractual obligations.

The rapper’s attorney, Brian Steel, said the defense “vehemently disagreed” with many of the statements made by the prosecution, and that it was offensive that the state permitted the use of Young Thug’s lyrics against him at trial.

“But he told me, ‘I can’t wait another three months if there is any possibility I could go home, because I have children that are hurting. I have things to do,’” said Steel, who had told his client they could go through a jury verdict as he felt they were winning the trial.

Young Thug was charged two years ago in a massive indictment that accused him and over two dozen others of conspiring to violate Georgia’s anti-racketeering law, as well as gang, drug, and gun charges. Three of his co-defendants pleaded guilty this week after reaching deals with prosecutors, while nine others accepted plea deals before the trial began.

Photo Credit: Jack Dorsey by Mark Warner / CC by 2.0

Jack Dorsey tells Tidal staff they’re in for another wave of layoffs as the company builds ‘like a startup again.’

Tidal employees are about to be hit with another round of layoffs, owner Jack Dorsey told staff in a note on Wednesday morning. Dorsey explained to the team the company needs to operate “like a startup again,” which will require reorganization across the company to become “a much smaller team.”

“We’re going to part ways with a number of folks on our team,” said Dorsey in the note to Tidal staff. “We’re going to lead with engineering and design, and remove the product management and product marketing functions entirely. [Tidal is] reducing the size of our design team and foundational roles supporting Tidal, and we will consider reducing engineering over the next few weeks as we have more clarify around leadership going forward.”

Though Dorsey didn’t provide a specific number as to the amount of jobs to be affected by the cuts, speculation from company insiders estimate as many as 100 people could lose their jobs. This would amount to around a quarter of Tidal’s total staff.

“We have made some internal changes to our Tidal team to focus on serving artists in the most meaningful way,” said a Tidal spokesperson in a statement to Fortune. “This involved the elimination of some roles across our business and design teams. We are going to be smaller, focus on fewer things, and move with a relentless approach to product development.

The move is the second round of layoffs at the music streaming company in less than a year, with Tidal having cut 10% of its staff back in December. Meanwhile, Dorsey told staff at his other company Block to prepare for a similar reorganization, to go back to “how we started as a company.”

Dorsey (and Block) acquired a majority stake in Tidal in 2021 for around $300 million. Despite its roots with Jay-Z behind the wheel, Tidal has always struggled to find a solid foothold in the streaming game alongside heavyweights like Spotify and Apple Music. Those two platforms, alongside YouTube Music and Amazon Music, account for over 97% of all subscribers to music streaming providers in the United States according to DMN Pro data.

Photo Credit: Nintendo

While other gaming companies like Square Enix have uploaded their soundtracks to Spotify, Nintendo is going its own way. The company has debuted a new companion app for its Nintendo Switch Online service—bringing 40 years of music soundtracks to iOS and Android devices for subscribers.

Gamers can stream songs right from the app or download them to the app for offline listening. Soundtracks can be searched by song, game title, track name, playlist name, or even browse by screenshot. The app also allows songs to be looped 15, 30, or 60 minutes for uninterrupted background listening. Nintendo says it has included a filter that can filter soundtracks that may contain spoilers for games.

The app allows you to favorite songs and build personal playlists that you can share with others, or browse curated playlists created by Nintendo. Nintendo will also recommend playlists based on Nintendo Switch Play Activity, with new music showing up based on these recommendations.

Nintendo Music is available to download at no additional cost for members of the Nintendo Switch Online and Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription. Subscriptions for these services start at $3.99 for one month or $19.99 for the year, with Expansion pack access available for $49.99 a year. The Expansion pack includes a library of Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, and Sega Genesis games in addition to the new soundtrack app.

At launch, the soundtracks from several Nintendo franchises are available to listen including The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, Animal Crossing, Splatoon, Metroid, Nintendogs, Kirby, Pokemon, Donkey Kong, Fire Emblem, and Mario Kart. Nintendo says more soundtracks will be added in the future.

The strategy is an interesting one, since Nintendo has heavily gone after those who upload game music to YouTube. After a massive crackdown of Nintendo music on YouTube that happened just last month, it’s clear Nintendo wants to maintain creative control over its music while offering it as a benefit for subscribers to its online service. Whereas other gaming companies seem content to monetize uploads on YouTube—Nintendo is going its own way.

Photo Credit: Aiden Craver

After over 50 years at CBS, the Grammy Awards find a new home in Disney in a major 10-year deal.

The Grammy Awards have aired on CBS for over 50 years, but that’s about to change as Disney strikes up a significant 10-year deal with rights to the annual music awards show. The Grammys will air on ABC, Hulu, and Disney+ from 2027 through 2036.

CBS struck up a ten-year deal in 2016 to maintain the rights until 2026 — breaking the record for a broadcast partnership with an awards show. The network has hosted the show since 1973, when it took the rights from ABC. ABC had aired the show in 1971 and 1972, after NBC hosted it from 1959 to 1970.

The Recording Academy and CBS were not able to reach an agreement within their negotiating window, according to sources, but CBS remained interested in maintaining the rights. Talks continued after the end of the exclusive period when The Recording Academy opened negotiations with other interested parties. But it was Disney who secured the winning bid.

“As the Walt Disney Company combines forces with The Recording Academy to open this exciting new chapter in the history of The Grammys we do so with pride and gratitude,” said Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Dana Walden. “Live events have never been more important to our culture and industry, and we just acquired one of the crown jewels, adding to our portfolio of world-class programming across all genres.”

“We are completely thrilled to be bringing The Grammys and other new music programming to the Disney ecosystem,” added Harvey Mason Jr., Recording Academy CEO. “We are grateful to our long-standing partners at CBS and now honored to be joining with Disney, an iconic company where creators have always been at the forefront. This partnership represents another important milestone in the Academy’s transformation and growth, and strengthens our ability to fulfill our mission of uplifting and serving music people around the world.”

Though this is a major loss for Paramount’s streaming service, CBS has been focused on reducing costs, prioritizing spending resources on live sports in addition to prime-time franchises. The network secured rights to the Golden Globes when it became available last year.

The deal means that in its first year, ABC will air The Grammys, the Oscars, as well as the Super Bowl, and even gets the CMA Awards and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve to boot.

Photo Credit: Claire Anderson

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court has upheld a lower court ruling that denied Live Nation and Ticketmaster’s claim that customer antitrust complaints should be resolved through arbitration—based on the terms of service when purchasing tickets.

The 2023 ruling in Heckman v. Live Nation Entertainment ruled that Live Nation cannot enforce contract provisions that require ticket buyers to arbitrate their claims instead of suing them in federal court. The appeals panel called the arbitration rules unfair to consumers, while being overtly beneficial to the defendants (Live Nation/Ticketmaster).

U.S. District Judge George H. Wu called the forced arbitration clause “procedurally unconscionable” last year in his ruling after Ticketmaster changed its chosen arbitrator to New Era. He also called into question the ability to mass arbitrate cases grouped together, saying it would severely limit the Plaintiff’s ability to prove their cases in court.

“It is plain that it would be impossible for Plaintiffs to present their claims on equal footing to Live Nation,” 9th Circuit Judge William Fletcher writes in his decision. “Forced to accept terms that can be changed without notice, a Plaintiff then must arbitrate under New Era’s opaque and unfair rules.”

Both Judge Morgan Christen and Judge Lawrence VanDyke agreed with that ruling, stating that the Federal Arbitration Act does not apply to “mass arbitration contemplated by Live Nation’s agreements.” Live Nation says it disagrees with the 9th Circuit ruling, arguing that the change of arbitrator was not “unfair, unexpected, or otherwise unconscionable.”

“We hold that the delegation clause of the arbitration agreement, and the arbitration agreement as a whole, are unconscionable and unenforceable under California law. We hold further that the application of California’s unconscionability law to the facts of this case is not preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”). Finally, we hold, as an alternate and independent ground, that the FAA does not preempt California’s prohibition of class action waivers contained in contracts of adhesion in large-scale small-stakes consumer cases,” the decision reads.

The district court observed that Live Nation “provided nearly all of New Era’s revenue during its first year” and that there “appears to be a remarkable degree of coordination between [Live Nation counsel] and New Era in terms of their interpretation and the evolution of New Era’s Rules.” Finding these facts to be concerning, the district court noted that this could “certainly create an inference of bias.”

“It seems to me that the circumstances in this case create more than merely an inference of bias—they create a strong and inescapable perception of bias,” the judge writes in his decision. “A dispute resolution procedure is not an arbitration unless there is a third-party decision maker. And a third-party decision maker “whose interests are so allied with those of the party” is “for all practical purposes, subject to the same disabilities which prevent the party himself from serving.”

“Not only is the line between Live Nation and New Era blurry, but more than that, this agreement would require a New Era arbitrator to decide the question of whether their employer’s invention—developed with the help of the party in front of them—is a failure. If the answer to that question is yes, goodbye New Era and the arbitrator’s job as an arbitrator—with any arbitration provider, forever.”

See the full judgment here.

Photo Credit: Rock the Country Music Festival

Rock the Country Music Festival announces ‘small town’ America tour, with stops in Little Rock, Arkansas; Knoxville, Tennessee; and more.

Rock the Country Music Festival has announced the two-day event, “A Festival for We the People,” will be returning to Anderson, SC, in July 2025 as it travels to 10 cities across the United States, bringing with it massive shows with unforgettable performances in “small town America.”

“Anderson definitely rocked it last year and we can’t wait to bring the excitement and energy back,” said Nathan Baugh, CEO of Peachtree Entertainment. “The second year of Rock the Country in Anderson will expand on last year’s experiences with a jam-packed variety of music performances, amazing food, and a sense of community that only they can offer.”

Fans can sign up to be the first to receive Rock the Country news, from the full lineup to ticket details, on which more information is forthcoming.

Rock the Country Music Festival: A Festival for We The People 2025

April

• 04-05 | Livingston, LA
• 25-26 | Knoxville, TN

May

• 02-03 | Poplar Bluff, MO
• 09-10 | Ocala, FL
• 30-31 | York, PA

June

• 13-14 | Hastings, MI
• 20-21 | Little Rock, AR

July

• 11-12 | Ashland, KY
• 18-19 | Sioux Falls, SD
• 25-26 | Anderson, SC

Peachtree Entertainment is a nationally acclaimed concert promoter committed to spotlighting rising talent. With over 15 years of expertise in the music industry, Peachtree Entertainment has earned its reputation as a leader and innovator in live music.

As pioneers in identifying and nurturing new talent, Peachtree Entertainment has played a key role in launching the touring careers of artists like Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Luke Bryan, Gavin Adcock, and many more. Beyond tours, Peachtree’s outdoor event portfolio features iconic gatherings such as Rock The South, Rock The Country, Live At The Station, Bulls Bands and Barrels, among many others.

Peachtree Entertainment is a joint venture with LiveCo, a leading private equity-backed entertainment company producing over 3,000 live shows annually across multiple genres. Together, they contribute to shaping the live entertainment landscape, delivering unforgettable experiences nationwide and internationally. Peachtree remains dedicated to shaping the national country music scene, continuing its legacy of significant influence and success.

Photo Credit: United Way

United Way Worldwide and Paramount Global have teamed up to broadcast the United Way Benefit for Hurricane Relief. The event will air on Saturday, November 2 at 8 pm ET/PT on CBS and CMT. It will also be available to stream live on Paramount+.

The one-hour special will bring together some of the biggest names in music, television, and entertainment to mobilize communities and raise funds for relief and recovery after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Communities in the affected states have endured an estimated $50 billion in damage.

The special was taped October 27 and 28 in Nashville and proceeds from its airing will support hurricane relief and long-term recovery efforts and benefit individuals and families across the southeastern United States.

The United Way Benefit for Hurricane Relief will include performances from Brittney Spencer, Chris Janson, Clay Aiken, Jonathan McReynolds, and Tyler Hubbard with special messages and appearances by the Backstreet Boys, Billy Bob Thornton, Billy Burke, Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Cedric the Entertainer, Cody Alan, Jackson Dean, JB Smoove, Kelsea Ballerini, Max Thieriot, Nate Burleson, Stephen Colbert, Taye Diggs, Zac Brown Band, and more.

“In times of crisis, United Way mobilizes the caring power of communities to help people in need,” says Angela F. Williams, president & CEO of United Way Worldwide. “United Way Benefit for Hurricane Relief is an opportunity to unite people to help the individuals and families impacted by the devastating hurricanes. Because united is the way to create long-term and lasting resiliency for individuals, families, and communities.”

Several music figures have donated to hurricane relief including Morgan Wallen and Dolly Parton. Meanwhile, country stars like Luke Combs and Eric Church played the ‘Concert for Carolina’ benefit, which raised $24.5 million for hurricane relief efforts. Fellow North Carolinians Scotty McCreery, Chase Rice, Parmalee, the Avett Brothers, and James Taylor also participated. Keith Urban, Bailey Zimmerman, and Sheryl Crow also took the stage in support of the relief effort.

In the last four years, United Way around the world have responded to more than 200 disasters, including droughts, water crises, hurricanes, fires, and floods. UWW has mobilized resources by facilitating more than $219 million in outside investments to support local recovery efforts.

Photo Credit: Sage Skolfield, Devon Spencer, Tommy Rush, Sean Solymar, Mike Dean, Jon Platt, Willie Jones

Sony Music Publishing signs a global deal with legendary producer Mike Dean and several members of his M.W.A. crew.

Sony Music Publishing has announced the signing of legendary producer Mike Dean and several members of his renowned producer collective M.W.A., including Sean Solymar, Tommy Rush, and Sage Skolfield. The company has also launched a strategic partnership with M.W.A. to foster the creative development of its new talent.

Grammy winner Mike Dean is one of the most influential figures in contemporary music, renowned for his work as a producer, engineer, mixer, and multi-instrumentalist. With a body of work spanning across hip-hop, pop, experimental rock and soul, Dean’s career began in the early ‘90s with his pioneering work alongside southern rap icons like Scarface, Ugk, and Devin The Dude. Since then, he has continued to achieve critical acclaim as a key collaborator with an extensive range of artists, including Travis Scott, Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, Ye, The Weeknd, and many more.

As an artist, Dean has sold out headlining shows at the Wiltern in Los Angeles and toured with The Weeknd as an opening act on his sold-out After Hours Till Dawn stadium tour in the US. He also scored the entirety of HBO’s The Idol alongside The Weeknd and Sam Levinson, and starred as himself in the series.

“I’m thrilled to have Tommy Rush, Sean Solymar, and Sage Skolfield join MWA Publishing and Sony,” said Mike Dean. “We’re excited to create some incredible hits together.”

Sony Music Publishing Chairman & CEO Jon Platt said, “I am a longtime fan of Mike and his music. Not only has he consistently transformed Hip-Hop, but his creative influence extends across modern music, inspiring new talent through his work with M.W.A. We are pleased to partner with Mike and M.W.A.’s Sean Solymar, Tommy Rush, and Sage Skolfield as they continue to shape music’s future.”

Launched in 2017, Dean’s producer collective, M.W.A. is known for its innovative production, having worked with many of the biggest names in music. Sean Solymar has worked with Nas, Latto, 070 Shake, Teyana Taylor, Madonna, Ye, Travis Scott, and more, with production credits including the Grammy-winning hit song, “Jail.”

Tommy Rush is known for his collaborations with renowned artists including Beyoncé, Travis Scott, and Ye, as well as writing and production contributions across Christine and The Queen’s Paranoia, Mike Dean’s 4:23, and the Platinum-certified “Popular ft. Playboy Carti” by The Weeknd and Madonna.

Sage Skolfield has achieved success with recent collaborations with The Weeknd, including “Dancing in the Flames,” “We Still Don’t Trust You” with Metro Boomin and Future, “Wheelie” with Latto, as well as “World Class Sinner / I’m a Freak” and “One of the Girls” from HBO’s The Idol.

Photo Credit: Sacem & ASCAP

ASCAP and Sacem broker a strategic alliance to deliver more income to music creators and publishers.

The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and La Société des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Editeurs de Musique (Sacem), two of the world’s premiere collective management organizations, have announced a strategic alliance. The two societies will leverage their investments in state-of-the-art data infrastructure and human expertise by collaborating in a myriad of ways to benefit their music creator and publisher members.

“I am excited to strengthen the transatlantic partnership between ASCAP and Sacem and work closely with Cécile [Rap-Veber] on innovative ways to protect and maximize the value of musical works on behalf of our songwriter, composer, and publisher members,” said ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews. “France and the United States have a long history of recognizing the best in one another, from the democratic ideals of liberty, solidarity and equality to celebrating the diverse musical traditions brought into our repertoires from around the world.”

“This strategic alliance is a natural fit for our two not-for-profit collective management organizations and strengthens the solid relationship of trust between Sacem and ASCAP. At a time when the music ecosystem is undergoing profound transformation, Beth and I are convinced that our shared values and our commitments to innovation, data optimization and our joint work on AI, will be essential levers for creating ever greater value for the works and the rightsholders we protect, in the most cost-efficient manner,” added Sacem CEO Cécile Rap-Veber.

Both ASCAP and Sacem delivered record-breaking financial results for their members in 2023. As member-governed organizations that operate on a not-for-profit basis, ASCAP and Sacem share a commitment to supporting creators and have already collaborated on innovative projects.

They prototyped new technology approaches to distributing ISWC/ISRC links to enable better work identification in the digital field in 2017, and entered into a digital licensing partnership in 2022, under which Sacem represents the ASCAP repertory in negotiating with — and collecting from — major DSPs in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The societies are deeply committed to protecting creators’ rights in the rapidly evolving digital age, and to experimenting with the next generation of technology to innovate for their members through the ASCAP Lab and Sacem Lab.

The new strategic alliance is based on four pillars:

• Innovating to deliver more income to songwriters: The alliance will enable the two societies to inject new value and efficiencies into their processes, and minimize their costs by sharing investments for scale across both organizations, with a common goal of delivering accurate services, more income, and quicker distribution to their members.
• Extending their digital partnership in more markets: This collaboration will build upon a successful track record of delivering more efficient monetization and faster distributions to ASCAP’s members from ex-US digital audio services in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and going forward, extending into Asia.
• Launching joint AI task force to navigate the challenges and opportunities of AI for music creators: In a complex digital landscape, business, technology, and legal experts from ASCAP and Sacem will work together to educate members, advocate for increased transparency and fair compensation for creators, and explore business opportunities for using AI to enhance infrastructure and business efficiencies.
• Bringing music creators together on the global stage: ASCAP and Sacem are committed to providing their songwriters and composers with opportunities to collaborate and create together for the global music market. The two societies will launch a series of song camps, networking events, and educational programs to help their members succeed on the global stage.

To kick off this new partnership, Matthews and Rap-Veber co-hosted an exclusive evening reception on Monday, October 28 in Los Angeles ahead of The American French Film Festival. The reception celebrated the harmonious partnership between the two organizations and brought together ASCAP’s top women film composers and Sacem members.

Photo Credit: Deon A. Webster

UnitedMasters has announced the extension of its existing agreement with the National Football League (NFL) through the end of the 2027 season.

The agreement follows an original three-year deal that began in 2023 and will expand UnitedMasters’ track delivery, allowing the NFL to continue providing music to its fans via UnitedMasters’ fully cleared sync library.

“Partnering with the NFL gives UnitedMasters artists a platform to showcase their talents and connect with millions of fans across the globe,” says Steve Stoute, Founder & CEO of UnitedMasters. “We’re fusing the raw energy of independent music with the power of football, creating an experience that’s unmatched. This isn’t just about providing a soundtrack; we’re building a community where independent artists and football fans come together.”

The NFL will tap into UnitedMasters’ massive library of fully-cleared tracks, ensuring a constant flow of fresh sounds for fans everywhere. UnitedMasters’ music will be integrated across NFL programming, creating a dynamic and engaging experience year-round. The unique model allows artists to own their masters, giving them more control and a bigger piece of the pie. The partnership provides a global stage for emerging independent artists, offering them unparalleled exposure and the opportunity to connect with millions of fans.

NFL Member Clubs have the opportunity to explore additional licensing packages, allowing them tailored access to a diverse catalog of music that resonates with their fanbase. This empowers clubs to create hyper-local experiences, deepening their connection with fans and driving engagement across multiple platforms.

“Over the past few years UnitedMasters has provided the NFL access to a diverse and dynamic music library with the platform flexibility crucial in today’s media landscape,” adds Seth Dudowsky, Head of Music at the NFL. “We know that sports and music are both such powerful cultural forces, and we’re excited to continue working with UnitedMasters to create impactful content experiences for years to come.”

UnitedMasters has already launched the careers of internet sensations like BigXThaPlug, Anycia, Brent Faiyez, and Tobe Nwigwe. This partnership with the NFL also builds on their already established partnership with the NBA—which has been active since 2018. UnitedMasters recently extended its NBA partnership into Africa, showcasing African music with the help of the NBA.

Photo Credit: Possessed Photography

More than 24 organizations representing creators and rights holders have signed a joint statement seeking ‘meaningful implementation of the AI Act.’

Organizations like GESAC, IMPALA, IFPI, and several others seek the ability for creators and rights holders to enforce their rights when it comes to ingesting and copying copyright-protected works for training by AI models. The open letter is addressed to the European Parliament in support of the AI Act.

“The AI Act is a pioneering model of ethical and responsible AI regulation that sets the basis for best practice at global level,” the joint statement begins. “If implemented and applied effectively it will foster an environment in the EU where AI innovation can develop in an ethical and accountable way alongside flourishing cultural and creative industries across the EU.”

The EU Artificial Intelligence Act aims to set a global standard for AI regulation, much the same way the GDPR did for consumer data privacy. An artificial intelligence system is defined in the AI Act as any machine-based system that operates autonomously to generate outputs such as predictions, recommendations, or decisions affecting physical or virtual environments. The broad definition chosen was inspired by OECD guidelines and is designed to be future-proof and cover a wide range of technologies, from generative AI, deep learning, and more conventional data analysis techniques.

Creator societies and rights holder organizations say they’re dealing with a seriously detrimental situation of generative AI companies taking content without authorization “on an industrial scale.” This open letter states, “Their actions result in illegal commercial gains and unfair competitive advantages for their AI models, services, and products—in violation of European copyright laws.”

“The implementation and application of the EU’s new AI Act provides a crucial opportunity to address such malpractices and ensure accountability in the AI industry. It should aim at achieving a healthy and sustainable licensing market that encourages responsible AI innovation and complies with core principles of fair market competition and remuneration for creators and rights holders, while effectively preventing unauthorized uses of their works.”

“To achieve this, the rules provided in the AI Act—from the obligation for general purpose AI model providers to make publicly available a sufficiently detailed summary of the content used for training of their models to the obligation for such providers to demonstrate that they have put in place policies to respect EU copyright law—must be made meaningful.”

“As is made clear under the AI Act, these measures should enable creators and rights holders to exercise and enforce their rights when it comes to ingesting and copying copyright-protected works for training by AI models. This is not only essential for safeguarding the value of Europe’s world-renowned creative content in a global marketplace, but also for ensuring that AI services generate outputs based on high-quality, diverse, and trust-worthy inputs.”

“We support the standards you have set in the AI Act that should enable the cultural and creative industries to evolve and thrive. We now ask for your continued support in translating them into concrete steps in the forthcoming implementation phase to ensure a fair and equitable framework, where AI and innovation in the EU also safeguards and strengthens cultural and creative industries.”

Photo Credit: Alvaro Reyes

YouTube has reported its second best ever quarter in terms of sales—$8.92 billion in Q3 2024 revenue. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai attributes this to YouTube Music helping grow subscription revenue and AI doing a better job of recommending videos to people.

YouTube revenue grew 12.1% year-over-year to $8.92 billion, marking the second straight quarter of decline. YouTube’s total ads and subscription revenue surpassed $50 billion over the past four quarters for the first time. Meanwhile, Google subscription revenue driven by YouTube TV, Premium, Music and NFL Sunday Ticket climbed 27.7% year-over-year to $10.66 billion.

Pichai says “YouTube TV, NFL Sunday Ticket, and YouTube Music are driving subscription growth” for the company, but did not offer further details on the breakdown of those individual services. YouTube reportedly pays the NFL $2 billion a year for the Sunday Ticket football subscription, which seems to be paying off for both parties. In September 2023, the NFL said the Sunday Ticket package had more subscribers on YouTube than it had on DirecTV last year.

Alphabet says AI has been key in helping drive subscription growth, too. Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler said, “Driven by Gemini, our large language models have a deeper understanding of video content and viewer preferences. As a result, they can recommend more relevant, fresher, and personalized content to the viewer.”

Alphabet’s overall sales increased 15% year-over-year to $88.3 billion, with Google Services accounting for the bulk of Alphabet’s sales. Shares of Alphabet stock closed 1.66% higher on the news at $171.14 per share, which rose more than 5.5% in after hours trading. Alphabet stock is up 22.6% on the year.

Alphabet has kept its YouTube Music subscription numbers close to its chest, but we know the service cracked 100 million subscribers in March 2024. At the time, that was an increase of 20 million subscribers from numbers reported in 2022. Along with the subscriber numbers, YouTube revealed that Content ID claims were up 25% year-over-year, with most rights holders choosing to monetize content rather than rip it down.

Photo Credit: Vanessa Bumbeers

Meta and TikTok are facing hot water in Brazil for failing to protect minors on their platform. The Brazilian consumer rights group The Collective Defense Institute has launched two lawsuits against Meta, TikTok, and Kwai—another Chinese owned short-video platform. The lawsuit seeks three billion Brazilian reals ($525.8 million).

The lawsuits allege that all three social media platforms failed to create mechanisms to prevent “indiscriminate use” of the platforms by minors. The suits also demand that each of these companies create clear data protection mechanisms and issue warnings about the risks to children’s and teenager’s mental health due to addiction.

“It is urgent that the measures be adopted in order to change the way the algorithms work, the processing of data from users under 18, and the way in which teenagers aged 13 and over are supervised and their accounts created, in order to ensure a safer, healthier experience… as is already the case in developed countries,” Plaintiff lawyer Lillian Salgado told Reuters.

Both TikTok and Meta have found themselves in hot water in several jurisdictions over minor safety on their platforms. New Mexico sued Meta and Snap Inc. for not protecting children on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat in 2023. During discovery in that case, a memo from 2021 revealed that Meta had discovered more than 100,000 instances of harassment faced by children on the platform. Despite the discovery, Meta executives have rejected efforts to redesign the algorithm.

Meanwhile, 15 state attorneys general have sued TikTok for “falsely claiming its platform is safe for young people.” TikTok owner ByteDance introduced child protection controls for accounts under 13, but that feature was more intended to reduce regulatory pressure than to actually protect kids. Meta has announced a new ‘Teen Account’ feature on Instagram, which automatically limits the accounts teenagers see and who can contact them. TikTok told Reuters it had not been notified of the pending lawsuit by Brazil.

Photo Credit: David Bergman

Concert for Carolina has raised over $24.5 million for Hurricane Helene relief efforts, as fundraising continues with a silent auction.

The Concert for Carolina led by Luke Combs, Eric Church, Billy Strings, and James Taylor has raised $24,513,185 and counting for Hurricane Helene relief efforts.

Taking place this past Saturday at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, the record-breaking event welcomed 82,193 in-person attendees and is the largest concert ever for the venue. Additionally, the VEEPS livestream garnered 7.1 million total views, which came from across all 50 US states and 30 different countries.

“A montage of incredible performances, one-off collaborations, and awe-inspiring selections,” according to Rolling Stone, Concert for Carolina also featured performances from Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, Bailey Zimmerman, The Avett Brothers, Scotty McCreery, Chase Rice, Parmalee and Wesko, with surprise appearances from Nicole Kidman and Randy Travis. The show was hosted by ESPN’s Marty Smith and Barstool Sports’ Caleb Pressley.

Even after the show, the Concert for Carolina team is still working to raise as much money as possible for hurricane relief efforts, including a special silent auction, which is open now. Auction items include the signed guitar and shirt that Combs used during the show, a meet and greet with Church at an upcoming concert, signed NFL, NBA, NCAA, and NASCAR gear, signed instruments, a variety of concert and game tickets, a selection of artwork, Yeti coolers, and much more.

All proceeds from the auction, benefit show, and livestream will go to the organizations selected by Combs and Church — Samaritan’s Purse, Manna Food Bank, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, Eblen Charities, and the organizations supported by Chief Cares.

Concert for Carolina was made possible due to the support and extreme generosity of David and Nicole Tepper and Tepper Sports & Entertainment, Explore Asheville, Biltmore Estate, T-Mobile, Jack Daniel’s, Whataburger, Miller Lite, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Belk, Lowe’s, Atrium Health, Tractor Supply Company, Bank of America, American Airlines, Food Lion, Duke’s Mayo, GE Aerospace, Harris Teeter, Pinnacle Financial Partners, United Healthcare, Bud Light, Preferred Parking, Gildan, and AshBritt.

Photo Credit: Metro Boomin’s Instagram

Metro Boomin is facing a lawsuit from a woman claiming sexual battery from an incident in 2016 in which she was allegedly raped and impregnated.

Metro Boomin has been sued by a woman named Vanessa LeMaistre, in a filing obtained by TMZ. LeMaistre claims she was suffering from depression after the death of her 9-month-old son in 2016, but “hit it off with Metro” during a trip to Las Vegas that spring. Ultimately, she alleges Metro sexually assaulted her and left her pregnant during their time together.

LeMaistre says Metro invited her to his studio in Los Angeles, where she observed the rapper abusing codeine, even as his friends warned him against it. In a later visit at his studio, LeMaistre says she took half a Xanax pill and “a shot of alcohol to cope with the sadness over her son’s passing,” and claims she blacked out on the couch.

When she regained consciousness, LeMaistre says Metro was on top of her “raping her and performing oral sex on her.” She then blacked out again, and awoke to Metro telling her she was in a Beverly Hills hotel room and it was time for her to leave, but she says she had no memory of arriving there.

Later, LeMaistre says she learned she was pregnant, and claims it had to be from Metro, as she hadn’t had sex with anyone else during that time. She ultimately terminated the pregnancy in November 2016.

Further, Vanessa LeMaistre believes Metro made light of her abuse the following year on his track “Rap Saved Me” with 21 Savage, Offset, and Quavo. The song features the lyrics, “She took a Xanny / Then she fainted / I’m from the gutter … ain’t no changing.”

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for mental pain and anguish, plus punitive damages.

Photo Credit: Live Nation

Ghost announces its largest world tour to date, with 55+ shows across the Europe, the UK, and North America next year.

Swedish theatrical rock band Ghost announced its biggest world tour to date, beginning with 55-plus shows across the US, Europe, the UK, and Mexico next year. The band will travel from Manchester on April 15 to some of the world’s most notable arenas — including their first ever show at Madison Square Garden on July 22. Further dates will be announced as they are confirmed.

The 2025 tour will be Ghost’s first outing since its RE-IMPERATOUR 2023 wrapped up its North American run with two sold-out shows at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. Those performances were immortalized in the band’s debut feature film, “RITE HERE RITE NOW,” available now for pre-order on DVD, to stream at VEEPS, and to purchase or rent via iTunes or Amazon, and its accompanying soundtrack album.

News of the latest tour first broke via a new installment of Ghost’s long-running Chapters webisode series, which picks up immediately following the events at the conclusion of “RITE HERE RITE NOW.”

Tickets for the US dates will be available, starting with a Citi presale beginning today (October 29) at 10 AM local time, with the artist presale beginning just a couple hours later at noon. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, November 1 at 10 AM local time.

Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets for US markets until Thursday, October 31 at 10 PM local time through the Citi Entertainment program.

Europe and UK tickets are available starting with a Mastercard presale in select markets today, with the artist presale kicking off two hours later. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Thursday, October 31 at 10 AM in Germany, France, Poland, Spain, Italy, Belgium, and at Friday, November 1 at 10 AM in the UK, Portugal, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway.

Like Citi cardmembers in the US, Mastercard holders have special access to presale tickets in Belgium, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Italy, France, Netherlands, and Denmark. Preferred ticket access is available in the UK from Friday, November 1, at 10 AM local time.

Finally, tickets for Mexico are available starting today, with additional presales running throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Monday, November 4 at 11 AM local time.

Ghost World Tour 2025 Dates — North America & Europe

April

• 15 | AO Arena — Manchester, UK
• 16 | OVO Hydro — Glasgow, UK
• 19 | The O2 — London, UK
• 20 | Utilita Arena — Birmingham, UK
• 22 | Sportpaleis — Antwerp, BE
• 23 | Festhalle Frankfurt — Frankfurt, DE
• 24 | Olympiahalle — Munich, DE
• 26 | LDLC Arena — Lyon, FR
• 27 | Zénith Toulouse Métropole — Toulouse, FR
• 29 | MEO Arena — Lisbon, PT
• 30 | Palacio Vistalegre — Madrid, ES

May

• 03 | Hallenstadion Zürich — Zürich, CH
• 04 | Unipol Forum — Milan, IT
• 07 | Uber Arena — Berlin, DE
• 08 | Ziggo Dome — Amsterdam, NL
• 10 | Atlas Arena — Lodz, PL
• 11 | O2 Arena — Prague, CZ
• 13 | Accor Arena — Paris, FR
• 14 | Rudolf Weber-ARENA — Oberhausen, DE
• 15 | ZAG Arena — Hannover, DE
• 17 | Royal Arena — Copenhagen, DK
• 20 | Nokia Arena — Tampere, FI
• 22 | Saab Arena — Linköping, SE
• 23 | Göransson Arena — Sandviken, SE
• 24 | Oslo Spektrum — Oslo, NO

July

• 09 | CFG Bank Arena — Baltimore, MD
• 11 | State Farm Arena — Atlanta, GA
• 12 | Amalie Arena — Tampa, FL
• 13 | Kaseya Center — Miami, FL
• 15 | Lenovo Center — Raleigh, NC
• 17 | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse — Cleveland, OH
• 18 | PPG Paints Arena — Pittsburgh, PA
• 19 | Wells Fargo Center — Philadelphia, PA
• 21 | TD Garden — Boston, MA
• 22 | Madison Square Garden — New York, NY
• 24 | Little Caesars Arena — Detroit, MI
• 25 | KFC Yum! Center — Louisville, KY
• 26 | Bridgestone Arena — Nashville, TN
• 28 | Van Andel Arena — Grand Rapids, MI
• 29 | Fiserv Forum — Milwaukee, WI
• 30 | Enterprise Center — St. Louis, MO

August

• 01 | Allstate Arena — Rosemont, IL
• 02 | Xcel Energy Center — Saint Paul, MN
• 03 | CHI Health Center — Omaha, NE
• 05 | T-Mobile Center — Kansas City, MO
• 07 | Ball Arena — Denver, CO
• 09 | MGM Grand Garden Arena — Las Vegas, NV
• 10 | Viejas Arena — San Diego, CA
• 11 | Footprint Center — Phoenix, AZ
• 14 | Moody Center — Austin, TX
• 15 | Dickies Arena — Fort Worth, TX
• 16 | Toyota Center — Houston, TX

September

• 24 | Palacio de los Deportes — Mexico City, MX

Photo Credit: Dena Flows / CC by 3.0

Earlier this year, Forbes announced Bruce Springsteen is a billionaire after his $500 million catalog sale. But The Boss disputes that claim, saying the outlet “got that real wrong.”

In a report back in July 2024, Forbes “conservatively” estimated The Bosses’ six-decades of work to be worth $1.1 billion. Forbes says that figure accounts for his 21 studio albums, seven live albums, and five EPs, which have collectively sold over 140 million albums globally. The accounting includes his bestselling memoir and 236 sold-out Broadway performances. The $500 million catalog sale to Sony in 2021 is part of the foundation, but Springsteen’s world tour in 2023 sold 1.6 million tickets and generated $380 million in revenue, per Pollstar data.

“I’m not a billionaire,” Bruce Springsteen recently told The Telegraph, directly refuting claims made by Forbes’ estimates. “I wish I was, but they got that real wrong. I’ve spent too much money on superfluous things.” Springsteen says he wanted to enjoy his good fortune because he put the work in across several decades.

“That’s usually where people go south,” Springsteen says of those who laud money as the end goal. “If I had failed at that, I would have failed at everything, in my opinion.” Springsteen says part of his reasoning for not being a billionaire on paper as Forbes estimates is that he compensates his E Street Band very well.

“I pay them a tremendous amount of money,” Springsteen said at a recent showing of his new documentary in London. “That greases the wheels pretty good. And then I’m a pretty nice boss. The truth is you need to cast your band well. If you get the art right, the music right, and the band right, you go out and play every night like it’s your last night on Earth. That was the serial philosophy of the band, and we’re sticking to it.”

So while The Boss may be being modest about his net worth here, it’s probably no surprise that he’s not exactly clocking the billionaire marker for himself. He’s bought properties, kept the E Street Band happy, and continues to tour. A biopic about his life will be released sometime in 2025 with Jeremy Allen White tapped to portray the New Jersey native.

Photo Credit: Matthew Hamilton

Adidas reaches an out-of-court settlement with rapper Ye to put an end to legal proceedings between the two entities.

Adidas has reached an out-of-court settlement with rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, to end all legal proceedings between the two. The company confirmed the news today, Tuesday, October 29. Adidas added that no money changed hands in the agreement.

The sportswear brand and the rapper had been locked in legal battle across multiple lawsuits over the past couple of years, since Adidas terminated its partnership with Ye over antisemitic comments he made on social media and in interviews.

CEO Bjorn Gulden told reporters on a conference call, “There isn’t any more open issues, and there is no money going either way, and we both move on.” Further details of the deal were not provided.

“There were tensions on many issues, and […] when you put the claims on the right side and you put the claims on the left side, both parties said, ‘we don’t need to fight anymore,’ and withdrew all the claims,” Gulden continued.

That said, Financial Times reported Adidas received over $108 million (€100 million) from the settlement with Ye, which involved unwinding a previous provision relating to outstanding legal issues that are now resolved.

This money, along with another €150 million, is earmarked for charity, the company confirmed. Last year, Adidas set up an independent non-profit foundation to oversee the distribution of those funds to “promote social and environmental progress.”

Gulden also confirmed that Adidas will sell the remainder of its leftover Yeezy stock by the end of this year, in what it calls the final chapter of the relationship. Afterward, “there are no open issues between us.”

The news comes as Adidas reports robust sales growth in China and the US in the three months ending in September. This number accounts for Yeezy sales made in the prior year being stripped out for comparison. “The third quarter was a very strong quarter for us and again, better than expected,” says Gulden.

Photo Credit: Chris Brown – No Guidance (Official Video) ft. Drake / Vevo

Chris Brown, Drake, Sony Music, and YouTube face a copyright infringement and defamation lawsuit over the track ‘No Guidance.’

Chris Brown has been slapped with a $5 million copyright infringement and defamation suit over his track “No Guidance,” featuring Drake, who is also named in the filing, alongside Sony Music and YouTube.

Filed by Tykeiya Dore and Marc A. Stephens, who allege that Chris Brown’s song infringes on Dore’s copyrighted track, “I Got It,” which they say they have tried to have addressed in the past. Stephens, acting on behalf of Dore, submitted multiple notices of copyright infringement with YouTube and Sony Music Entertainment, demanding the removal of Brown’s song.

Allegedly, Brown’s team responded, arguing that the claim “lacks merit” as it stands, based on unprotectable ideas, and asserting there is no substantial similarity between the two songs. Further, they argue Dore cannot prove Brown had access to her song, which is necessary to prove that purposeful infringement occurred.

YouTube initially suspended Stephens’ account and ultimately declined to remove Brown’s music video. The parties are still involved in an ongoing dispute, with YouTube denying Stephens’ takedown requests. “We’ve reviewed this matter and found that you haven’t identified a work that is subject to copyright,” YouTube wrote in an email to Stephens. “For this reason, we can’t process your request.”

YouTube is named in the lawsuit, alongside its parent companies, Alphabet Inc. and Google, for alleged defamations against Marc Stephens in the ongoing dispute over the takedown notice, when YouTube is said to have called Stephens’ claims “fraudulent.” The suit seeks damages amounting to at least $5 million.

Other issues outlined in the suit include exhibits involving copyright registrations, comparison videos, and email correspondence between litigants and YouTube. Chris Brown is also the subject of an upcoming documentary highlighted his abuse allegations with a new victim, who has finally come forward after years.

Photo Credit: Spotify

It’s getting close to the end of the year which means a new Spotify Wrapped drop is upon us—if you’re an artist, is your page ready? For users, here’s what you need to know about the upcoming Spotify Wrapped 2024.

Spotify tells Digital Music News that more than 225 million listeners engaged with Spotify Wrapped content in 2024—making it a great place to foster engagement for artists. There was a 40% increase in engagement with 2023 Wrapped content compared to 2022, which showcases how the end-of-year audio wrap-up inspires users to review their listening history.

The company is encouraging artists with a Spotify page to prepare for the Wrapped 2024 experience by uploading a new clip by November 15. “Speak directly to the fans who’ve had you on repeat all year. Record an under-30-second clip for the opportunity to be featured within the main Wrapped data story, and in a Wrapped video feed for your top fans,” Spotify tells artists.

“After Wrapped, uploaded Clips will be featured across Spotify—on your artist profile, the Now Playing view, Release Pages, and Home for listeners to continue enjoying.” For artists interested in participating, the Clip needs to be shot vertically (like TikTok) feature no music, singing or lyrics, no explicit content, no logos or brands, and no added text, graphics, or filters.

So when does Spotify Wrapped 2024 drop? While Spotify hasn’t shared any specific dates, we can take a peek at past releases to get an idea. When Wrapped first started in 2016 it dropped in December, with subsequent years moving the date up sooner.

• 2018 | December 6
• 2019 | December 5
• 2020 | December 1
• 2021 | December 1
• 2022 | November 30
• 2023 | November 30

Our best guess? Get ready to see your full Wrapped history around November 30. Spotify tracking for the Wrapped history doesn’t account for November or December, since tracking usually stops on October 31. So get all of your listening in the next few days—because Wrapped 2024’s tracking dates are almost over.

Photo Credit: -JvL- / CC by 2.0

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been accused of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy in the latest complaint filed against him.

The newest lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs in the deluge of cases filed against him alleges that the mogul sexually assaulted a 10-year-old boy. Attorney Tony Buzbee filed the suit in the Supreme Court of the State of New York — the latest in what Buzbee says will be around 120 new lawsuits announced earlier this month.

The suit, filed by a John Doe residing in California who wishes to remain anonymous, says the assault took place in 2005 when he was only 10 years old. The filing explains he was interested in becoming an actor or rapper, and his parents hired an industry consultant who eventually arranged for Combs to meet with him for what was described as an audition.

During the boy’s trip with his parents to New York to meet with Combs, the suit says he asked to meet with the boy alone before meeting with his family. The consultant took him to Combs’ hotel room and left him alone with the music mogul.

While alone with Combs in the hotel room, the boy was given a soda by another person, which he drank. Shortly thereafter, he says he began to feel “a little funny,” which is believed to have been because the drink was laced with drugs. He says Combs told him to move closer to him and then pushed him down, telling him that to make it in the music industry, “you have to do some stuff you don’t want to do sometimes.”

Combs allegedly exposed his genitals to the boy and told him to “kiss it,” before forcing him to perform oral sex when he refused. Shortly afterward, the boy lost consciousness. When he awoke, his “anus and buttocks hurt badly,” and Combs’ “pants were undone.” He cried and said he wanted to go back to his parents, to which Combs is said to have told him if he said anything to anyone, he would hurt his parents.

This suit is one of two new lawsuits filed in New York on Monday. The second comes from a man who claimed he was sexually assaulted by Combs in 2008 when he was 17 years old while auditioning for “Making the Band.” The accuser, also an anonymous John Doe, says Combs forced him to perform oral sex during three separate auditions for the show, as well as his bodyguard identified as “T.”

According to the suit, Combs told him the sex acts were “a test” to see how badly he wanted to make it in the music industry. When he visually expressed discomfort with the situation, Combs allegedly said he would be “keeping an eye” on him. He was ultimately eliminated from the competition.

Like other lawsuits filed by Tony Buzbee against Combs, the disgraced mogul’s attorneys have categorically denied the allegations. “The lawyer behind this lawsuit is interested in media attention rather than the truth, as is obvious from his constant press appearances and 1-800 number,” said representatives for Combs. “Mr. Combs cannot respond to every new publicity stunt, even in response to claims that are facially ridiculous or demonstrably false.”

Combs is currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, following his arrest on September 16 by Homeland Security on charges including racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has been denied bail by two separate judges. His trial is set to begin in May 2025.

Photo Credit: Simon Everett

Oasis fans in the UK who purchased tickets from a reseller may be SOL—Live Nation and SJM have announced over 50,000 tickets for the UK shows will be invalidated for being resold.

When the tour dates for Oasis Live ‘25 reunion tour were announced earlier this year, Ticketmaster had a spate of 1.4 million tickets to hawk. The ticket seller says more than 10 million people attempted to purchase those tickets, and within hours of going on sale, some of these tickets appeared on secondary ticketing sites selling for thousands above face value.

Live Nation and SJM confirmed to the BBC that around 4% of those tickets ended up on resale sites, which puts the estimate of impacted tickets around 50,000. Tickets that made their way to secondary ticketing sites outside of Ticketmaster or its resale partner Twickets will be invalidated in the coming days. Anyone who purchased through a secondary ticket seller will be impacted.

“These terms and conditions were successfully put in place to take action against secondary ticketing companies reselling tickets for a huge profit,” a Live Nation spokesperson confirmed to the BBC. “Only four percent of tickets have ended up on resale sites. Some major tours can see up to 20% of tickets appearing via the major unauthorized secondary platforms.”

“All parties involved with the tour continue to urge fans not to purchase tickets from unauthorized websites as some of these may be fraudulent and others subject to cancellation,” the statement continues.

Despite the warning of ticket invalidation, secondary ticketing website Viagogo says it will continue to offer Oasis Live ‘25 ticket resales. “2% of Oasis tickets are on Viagogo and StubHub,” Matt Drew, an oversee of business development for Viagogo told the BBC. “We will continue to sell them in the way that the regulator says we can. We are serving a clear consumer need, we will continue doing it on that basis.”

The UK Oasis dates were sold with dynamic pricing, which saw the ‘face value’ of tickets rise to as high as £350 for tickets with a face value of £150. When the US tour dates were announced earlier this year, Oasis announced those tour dates would not use dynamic pricing after the massive backlash from fans, describing it as an “unacceptable experience” for UK fans.

Photo Credit: Apple

After Apple removed the YouTube wrapper app Musi from the App Store, several other apps have popped up to take its place. Musi fans lament the loss and share new apps as Musi developers sue Apple for the removal.

Apple took action against Musi in September 2024, removing the app for download due to violating YouTube’s terms of service. The YouTube ToS states that developers are not allowed to develop wrapper apps that bypass advertising—which is exactly what Musi did. Musi first launched in 2016 and could play YouTube videos while serving Musi ads that benefit the developer. An in-app purchase offered total removal of ads.

Some 66 million people downloaded Musi while it was available, with several of them joining the subreddit to discuss the app. In Musi’s recently announced lawsuit against Apple, it claims that it does not violate YouTube’s terms of service because it does not utilize the API provided by YouTube to developers. Instead, developers claim they designed their own “augmentative interface” to deliver publicly available content from YouTube.

Musi says the interface does not “store, process, or transmit YouTube videos” and instead that it “plays or displays content based on the user’s own interactions with YouTube and enhances the user experience via Musi’s proprietary technology.”

YouTube insists that the app violates its terms of service by accessing and using non-public interfaces and provides a commercial use of YouTube’s service. “The Musi app violated YouTube’s prohibition on the sale of advertising ‘on any page of any website or application that only contains content from the service or where content from the service is the primary basis for such sales.” To sum up that answer, you’re not allowed to slap advertisements on a YouTube wrapper that has no additional content beyond the video.

YouTube complained directly to the developers of Musi in 2023 before getting Apple involved, complaining that the app violates YouTube’s terms of service. Musi alleges that Apple has improperly sided with YouTube in the dispute, ripping down the app and making it unavailable except for those who already have it downloaded on their devices. But even those with the app installed are finding their playlists blocked and they’re unable to play songs in Musi—likely a result of YouTube blocking access for Musi’s servers.

But hardcore Musi fans are sharing alternatives for the app in the Musi subreddit, suggesting those seeking a similar experience download an app called Music Si. The app is from a completely different developer and was originally designed to cater to iPad users, but the Musi row brought about an iPhone interface for Musi fans seeking an alternative.

Music Si is a wrapper for both YouTube and SoundCloud and performs much the same as Musi, offering content from these services while serving up ads that benefit the developer only. It even followed Musi’s model of offering in-app purchases for ad removal either monthly ($2.99/month) or yearly ($9.99/year). What remains to be seen is if YouTube will be taking the same action against these Musi clones. Already Music Si is rising up the charts for the App Store—last week it was #244 in the Music category, this week it is up to #120.

Photo Credit: Live Nation

Rüfüs Du Sol announce their Inhale/Exhale World Tour has sold over half a million tickets across the tour, with over 30 sold-out shows worldwide.

EDM trio Rüfüs Du Sol has announced their Inhale/Exhale World Tour 2025 has sold over half a million tickets so far across the tour, with 30-plus sold-out shows. In particular, the group has seen standout success in major markets, including their native Australia, Europe, the UK, and North America.

Sellout highlights include the biggest headline shows of their career, such as a Rose Bowl Stadium show (Pasadena, CA), two nights at New York Red Bulls Arena (Harrison, NJ), and a unique expanded and immersive one-night-only performance at Crystal Palace Park (London). The band has also sold out five hometown Australia shows, including three nights at Rod Laver Arena (Melbourne) and two nights at Qudos Bank Arena (Sydney).

Last week, the band added 10 new shows to their upcoming world tour to meet the overwhelming fan demand. This includes third shows added in Melbourne and Sydney, a second show in Brisbane, and extra dates in Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, New York, and Toronto, further solidifying their status as one of the biggest live electronic acts today. The global total now stands at 47 headline shows across four continents, making this their biggest outing yet.

“Touring has always been a way for us to connect with our fans on a deeper level, and seeing this global response to Inhale/Exhale has been moving,” said Rüfüs Du Sol. “We can’t wait to share these moments with everyone next year.”

Rüfüs Du Sol Inhale/Exhale World Tour 2025 Dates

March

• 12 | Estadio 3 de Marzo — Guadalajara, MX
• 14 | Estadio Banorte — Monterrey, MX
• 19 | Costa 21 — Lima, PE
• 21 | Lollapalooza Chile — Santiago, CL | FESTIVAL
• 23 | Lollapalooza — Buenos Aires, AR | FESTIVAL
• 26 | Qualistage — Rio de Janeiro, BR
• 28 | Lollapalooza Brazil — São Paulo, BR | FESTIVAL
• 30 | Estéreo Picnic — Bogotá, CO | FESTIVAL

April

• 23 | Dos Equis Pavilion — Dallas, TX | SOLD OUT
• 24 | The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion — The Woodlands, TX | SOLD OUT
• 26 | Q2 Stadium — Austin, TX | SOLD OUT
• 27 | Walmart AMP — Rogers, AR
• 30 | Lakewood Amphitheatre — Atlanta, GA

May

• 01 | MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre — Tampa, FL | SOLD OUT
• 03 | Bayfront Park — Miami, FL | SOLD OUT
• 06 | Ascend Amphitheater — Nashville, TN | SOLD OUT
• 08 | Merriweather Post Pavilion — Columbia, MD | SOLD OUT
• 09 | Coastal Credit Union Music Park — Raleigh, NC
• 10 | Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater — Virginia Beach, VA

June

• 10 | Plaza Mayor at Poble Espanyol — Barcelona, SP | NEW & SOLD OUT
• 11 | Plaza Mayor at Poble Espanyol — Barcelona, SP | SOLD OUT
• 14 | Uber Eats Music Hall — Berlin, DE | SOLD OUT
• 15 | Uber Eats Music Hall — Berlin, DE | NEW & SOLD OUT
• 17 | AFAS Live — Amsterdam, NL | SOLD OUT
• 18 | AFAS Live — Amsterdam, NL | NEW & SOLD OUT
• 21 | Auditorium Cavea — Rome, IT | SOLD OUT
• 24 | Zénith — Paris, FR | SOLD OUT

July

• 05 | Crystal Palace Park — London, UK | SOLD OUT
• 25 | Red Bull Arena — New York / New Jersey, NJ | SOLD OUT
• 26 | Red Bull Arena — New York / New Jersey, NJ | NEW & SOLD OUT
• 27 | Xfinity Center — Mansfield, MA | SOLD OUT
• 29 | Budweiser Stage — Toronto, ON | SOLD OUT
• 30 | Budweiser Stage — Toronto, ON | NEW & SOLD OUT

August

• 03 | Ruoff Music Center — Noblesville, IN
• 05 | Pine Knob Music Theatre — Clarkston, MI
• 09 | DICK’s Sporting Goods Park — Commerce City, CO | SOLD OUT
• 10 | Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre — West Valley City, UT
• 12 | Hayden Homes Amphitheater — Bend, OR | SOLD OUT
• 14 | Shoreline Amphitheatre — San Francisco Bay Area, CA | SOLD OUT
• 16 | Rose Bowl Stadium — Los Angeles, CA | SOLD OUT

November

• 07 | RAC Arena — Perth, AU | SOLD OUT
• 11 | Adelaide Entertainment Centre — Adelaide, AU
• 13 | Rod Laver Arena — Melbourne, AU | SOLD OUT
• 14 | Rod Laver Arena — Melbourne, AU | NEW & SOLD OUT
• 15 | Rod Laver Arena — Melbourne, AU | NEW & SOLD OUT
• 20 | Qudos Bank Arena — Sydney, AU | SOLD OUT
• 21 | Qudos Bank Arena — Sydney, AU | NEW & SOLD OUT
• 22 | Qudos Bank Arena — Sydney, AU | NEW
• 25 | Brisbane Entertainment Centre — Brisbane, AU
• 26 | Brisbane Entertainment Centre — Brisbane, AU | NEW
• 29 | The Outer Fields at Western Springs — Auckland, NZ

Rüfüs Du Sol is also partnering with Notes for Notes to fundraise for the launch of a new recording studio to give youth free access to a safe space to explore, create, and record music. Notes for Notes is dedicated to providing youth with free access to music instruments, instruction, and recording studio environments so that music may become a positive and profound influence in their lives. Live Nation is also making a generous contribution to further support Notes for Notes’ impactful work.

Photo Credit: Michael Nash / UMG

UMG partners with ethical AI music company KLAY in a strategic deal to pioneer a commercial, ethical foundational model for AI generated music.

Los Angeles-based AI music company KLAY has announced a partnership with Universal Music Group (UMG) on a pioneering commercial, ethical foundational model for AI generated music that works in collaboration with the music industry and its creators. KLAY aims to be the backbone to power a new era in products and experiences, committed to the premise that AI can bolster and grow musical creativity and human artistry.

At the core of UMG and KLAY’s shared vision is the conviction that state-of-the-art foundational AI models are best built and scaled ethically through constructive dialog and consensus with those responsible for the artistry that shapes global culture. Building generative AI music models ethically and fully respectful of copyright, as well as name and likeness rights, will dramatically lessen the threat to human creators and stand the greatest opportunity to be transformational, creating significant new avenues for creativity and future monetization of copyrights.

Led by accomplished executives from the fields of music and technology, including Ary Attie (music and tech visionary), Thomas Hesse (former President of Sony Music Entertainment), and Björn Winckler (joining soon from Google Deepmind), KLAY is committed to serving artists and songwriters and those who support them, including music publishers and labels, distributors, and other rights holders across the Major and Indie label landscape. KLAY is developing a global ecosystem to host AI-driven experiences and content, including accurate attribution and will not compete with artists’ catalogs in traditional music services.

“We are excited to partner with entrepreneurs like the team leading KLAY, to explore new opportunities and ethical solutions for artists and the wider music ecosystem, advancing generative AI technology in ways that are both respectful of copyright and have the potential to profoundly impact human creativity,” said Michael Nash, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer of Universal Music. “UMG has always endeavored to lead the music industry in driving innovation, embracing new technologies, and supporting entrepreneurship while protecting human artistry.”

“Research is critical to building the foundations for AI music, but the tech is only an empty vessel when it doesn’t engage with the culture it is meant to serve,” added Ary Attie, founder and CEO of KLAY. “KLAY’s obsession is not just to showcase its research innovation but to make it invisible and mission-critical to people’s daily lives. Only then can music AI become more than a short-lived gimmick. Our great artists have always embraced the newest technologies — we believe the next Beatles will play with KLAY.”

KLAY is developing a new Large Music Model (KLAYMM) that will significantly advance state-of-the-art Music AI. The company is currently in stealth but plans to launch in the coming months with a product that will revolutionize the way people think about music, presenting a new, intuitive music experience.

Photo Credit: Live Nation

Live Nation Urban and Amazon Music join forces to livestream Lil’ WeezyAna Fest, available on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch.

Live Nation Urban and Amazon Music have joined forces to livestream the sold-out Lil’ WeezyAna Fest exclusively on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch. The highly anticipated event kicks off on Saturday, November 2, broadcast live from Smoothie King Center in Lil Wayne’s hometown of New Orleans, starting at 7:30 PM CT.

Presented by Rotation, the hip-hop and R&B brand from Amazon Music, the festival’s livestream will be hosted by influential hip-hop commentators Loren Lorosa, Mouse Jones, and Wayno.

Following its announcement in September, Lil’ WeezyAna Fest sold out instantly. The lineup includes a Hot Boys reunion with Lil Wayne, Juvenile, B.G., and Turk, plus sets from Big Tymers (Birdman and Mannie Fresh), Rob49, and more. Through the livestream, Amazon Music and Live Nation Urban will provide fans with the unique opportunity to take part in the festivities from the comfort of their homes, sharing a taste of New Orleans with the rest of the world.

In addition to Lil’ WeezyAna Fest, Live Nation Urban and Lil Wayne have an exciting weekend in store for New Orleans, beginning with the DJ Drama & Friends Pre-Party at 7:00 PM CT on Friday, November 1. The following day, Lil Wayne brings Weezycon, which will run from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM CT at The Fillmore.

The free event will be hosted by Culture Creators and feature inspiring conversations from the likes of HaSizzle, Tarionna Tank Ball (Tank of “Tank and The Bangas”), Sony Digital, and more. Capping off the weekend will be a special Thank You Brunch on Sunday, November 3, hosted by Cita and Reginae Carter with Rude Jude.

Since 2015, Lil Wayne has hosted one of the most dynamic events for his hometown of New Orleans. Lil’ WeezyAna Fest has cemented itself as an annual homecoming for Wayne that celebrates the city’s musical history and is a way for him to give back to the community.

Photo Credit: Mohamed Sadek for The New York Times

Hot on the heels of a new Mozart discovery in Leipzig, the Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan has unearthed a nearly 200-year-old Frédéric Chopin piece.

The New York Times reports on the museum’s curator discovering the new piece in a collection of cultural memorabilia. Among postcards signed by Picasso and letters from Brahms and Tchaikovsky was a short musical scrap “about the size of an index card.”

Curator Robinson McClellan tells The NY Times he had his doubts about the origins of the piece after playing it himself. The manuscript’s ink and paper were tested, alongside the handwriting and musical style by consulting experts. The conclusion? The work is very likely a previously unknown waltz by Frédéric Chopin. The piece was dated between 1830 and 1835 and has unique properties not present in any of Chopin’s other works.

While it is believed the piece is complete, it is shorter than Chopin’s other waltzes. The piece in key A minor features a triple forte near the start—an unusual choice for the classical composer. But curator McClellan says he has confidence in calling the piece a Chopin because the ink and paper are consistent with what the composer used at the time. The penmanship of the music notation also matches previously known handwritten examples of Chopin’s pieces—particularly the bass clef symbol.

“We have total confidence in our conclusion,” McClellan told The New York Times. “Now it’s time to put it out there for the world to take a look and form its own opinions.”

The New York Times asked pianist Lang Lang to perform the piece, which you can hear above. Lang Lang says the piece felt like Chopin, with the harsh opening intended to evoke harsh winters in the Polish country side. “This is not the most complicated music by Chopin,” Lang Lang says. “But it is one of the most authentic Chopin styles that you can imagine.”

The waltz was never published and remained hidden, potentially in the hands of collectors. It was acquired at some point by A. Sherrill Whiton Jr., a director of the New York School of Interior Design who died in 1972—a life-long classical music lover and Chopin fan. Whiton’s collection was given to the Morgan in 2019 by a friend who purchased them from Whiton’s wife, Jean. The collection went uncataloged for five years, partially due to the pandemic.

Photo Credit: Loops.Video

TikTok is facing increasing scrutiny in the United States—both for its China-owned origins and the harm it can do to young minds. Will something else replace it if the United States does ban the platform? Loops is hoping to be in the position to absorb migrating users if a TikTok ban does happen.

We’ve already seen how quickly traditional social media can shed users after Elon Musk bought Twitter. The newly renamed X/Twitter was blocked in Brazil from August 30, 2024 to October 8, 2024 amid a dispute. Musk refused to appoint a legal representative for X/Twitter (a requirement for businesses in Brazil) and so it was suspended in the country. Twitter’s fediverse competitor Bluesky gained over one million new Brazilian users during that legal row.

The creators of Loops may be hoping to capitalize on a similar situation if TikTok ends up banned in the United States. The platform began accepting signups last week, allowing users to share short, looping videos. While Loops is not currently open source or integrated with the ActivityPub protocol that powers other fediverse apps like Mastodon and Threads—the process is in motion.

TechCrunch reports that the new app was developed by Daniel Supernault, the same developer behind the federated Instagram rival Pixelfed. Loops is running as a sub-project under Pixelfed, making it similar to Instagram’s Reels feature. While not reliant on investor financing, Loops says it will seek user donations via Patreon and other platforms to keep it funded in its early days, with a potential grant funding the first year of development. The app is aimed at users who are 13 and older who want to post short, looping videos (think Vine and TikTok before it became a YouTube competitor) as well as like and comment on them.

So how will Loops solve the moderation problem that TikTok currently has? According to the developer, videos published on Loops will be held for moderation if the poster has a low trust score. Users who post videos regularly and earn a high trust score from their videos will be able to skip this queue immediately. The trust score is also used to hide problematic comments on videos and apply content warnings.

Users who are interested can sign-up to be invited, though it may take a while. As for apps, the developer says an APK for Android is coming (bypassing the Google Play Store), while an iOS app will be available on Apple’s TestFlight service when it is approved. No web interface is planned for now—which is exactly how TikTok got its start before blowing up.

Photo Credit: U.S. State Department / Recording Academy (Dolly Parton)

The U.S. State Department and the Recording Academy announced Dolly Parton has received the 2024 Peace Through Music Award.

The award honors American music industry professionals, artists, or groups who play an invaluable role in cross-cultural exchanges and whose music work advances peace and mutual understanding globally.

Parton was celebrated at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles where she gave her acceptance speech in an event hosted by the Recording Academy and the U.S. Department of State. The event also recognizes the first-ever cohort of the American Music Mentorship Program.

“Over the course of her career, Dolly Parton has been committed to enriching communities across the globe, and it’s a privilege to celebrate her dedication to service with the Peace Through Music Award Today,” said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. “We are grateful to partner with the Department of State on the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative, which represents an important part of the Academy’s work to support music people across the globe.”

Dolly Parton is an icon and a force in the music industry, reaching audiences at home and abroad for generations. She was chosen because she embodies all that the Peace Through Music Award represents—understanding, peace, inclusion, and unity. Her selection this year is grounded in her music and public persona and her commitment to children’s education through her Imagination Library. She was also instrumental in funding research for the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Dolly Parton represents the best of America—her excellence in music, her servant’s heart in giving back to those in need, and her unique ability to always bring people together,” adds Lee Satterfield, Acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. “On behalf of the American people and Secretary of State Blinken, we are honored to celebrate all of her contributions to people around the world with the Peace Through Music Award.”

The Peace Through Music Award is determined through a nomination process, with U.S. embassies from around the globe submitting nominations to be considered by a selection committee created jointly by both the State Department and the Recording Academy. The selection committee is represented by Recording Academy members, U.S. Department of State leadership, music industry professionals, and academia. The recommended honorees are approved by the CEO of the Recording Academy, then presented to the Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, who makes the final determination.

Photo Credit: Lily Allen by Justin Higuchi / CC by 2.0

Lily Allen says she makes more money by posting pictures of her feet on OnlyFans than she does through her Spotify streams.

Singer Lily Allen has revealed that she makes more money per month by posting pictures of her feet on her OnlyFans account than she does through her Spotify streams.

The English pop star only started her OnlyFans account over the summer after a pedicurist told her she had nice feet and could make some decent money selling pictures of them. On an episode of her podcast, “Miss Me,” Allen shared she has a perfect five-star rating on WikiFeet, the foot fetish website that rates pictures of celebrity feet.

When she posted pictures of her feet and a link to her OnlyFans account on the former Twitter, a fan criticized her by saying, “Imagine being one of the biggest pop stars/musicians in Europe and then being reduced to this.”

To this, Allen replied, “Imagine being an artist and having nearly 8 million monthly listeners on Spotify, but earning more money from having 1,000 people subscribe to pictures of your feet. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”

Lily Allen’s OnlyFans account costs $10 per month, which comes out to a cool $10,000 monthly based on her subscriber count. Compare that with her 7.5 million monthly Spotify listeners, which earns her around $0.003 and $0.005 per stream.

While OnlyFans is not exclusively a creator platform for sexually charged content, it is notably very porn-friendly, and has paid over $20 billion to content creators since its debut in 2016.

“Everyone assumes it’s sexy content,” said CEO Keily Blair at the Bloomberg Screentime conference in Los Angeles. “Some of it is sexy content — and we’re very happy with that; we’re an inclusive platform, and we’re that way for a reason.”

“We believe it’s very important for adult content creators to have a safe space, to be able to monetize and also to be able to do that alongside other content creators,” added Blair.

The 39-year-old Allen first broke onto the pop music scene back in 2005 when she signed to Regal Recordings and published her songs on Myspace. Her first commercial single, “Smile,” debuted in 2006, and reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart that summer. She released her fourth album, No Shame, in 2018.

Photo Credit: Phil Lesh / Facebook

Grateful Dead founding member and bassist Phil Lesh has died, with his family confirming the news on social media. He was 84. No further information about his death was provided.

Lesh revealed he battled bladder cancer in 2015 and underwent a liver transplant after a chronic hepatitis C infection in 1998. “He was surrounded by his family and full of love,” the official statement reads. “Phil brought immense joy to everyone around him and leaves behind a legacy of music and love. We request that you respect the Lesh family’s privacy at this time.”

Phil Lesh was a classically trained trumpeter, but switched to playing bass at the request of Jerry Garcia after joining a band called the Warlocks. The Warlocks were soon renamed the Grateful Dead and was defined by Lesh’s self-taught style with jazz influences. Lesh co-wrote some of the band’s most well-known hits including “Truckin’,” “St. Stephen,” and “Box of Rain.”

Lesh initially provided backing vocals on the original 70s albums Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty. “In terms of the Grateful Dead, Lesh said in an interview with Forbes, “the medium is the message in the sense that when you see us up there playing music, collaborating and making music together, making music that’s never been made before, there’s always some new element in it.”

The Grateful Dead toured and recorded from 1965 until the death of Jerry Garcia in 1995. “[Touring] was wildly successful for me until we took the break from touring [in the 70s],” Lesh shared with Rolling Stone in 2016. “When we came back, it was never quite the same. Even though it was great and we played fantastic music, something was missing.”

In 2005, Phil Lesh wrote a memoir about his time with the Grateful Dead called ‘Searching For The Sound: My Life With the Grateful Dead.’ He continued to perform on stage long after his time with the band was over, with he and his wife Jill opening a restaurant and live music venue in 2012. He celebrated the Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary in 2015 during the Fare Thee Well shows in Chicago, appearing on stage with Trey Anastasio of Phish.

The Grateful Dead were recently named the MusiCares Persons of the Year for 2025 just this week. The award was to celebrate original surviving members Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann and Bob Weir and the late Ron ‘Pigpen’ McKernan.

Photo Credit: Mark Zuckerberg by Anthony Quintano / CC by 2.0

Facebook parent company Meta inks a deal with Reuters to include their news content in responses from its AI chatbot.

Facebook’s parent company Meta has announced a multi-year deal with Reuters to include the news platform’s content in responses from its AI chatbot. Starting today, users of Meta’s AI chatbot in the US will have access to “real-time news and information from Reuters when they ask questions about news or current events,” according to an initial report from Axios.

The company’s AI chatbot is integrated into the search and messaging features across its apps, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

According to a response from the chatbot when asked by TheWrap about the deal, “The partnership is a significant move for Meta, marking its first major AI news deal, and will enable users to access trustworthy information directly within the chatbot.”

“While most people use Meta AI for creative tasks, deep dives on new topics, or how-to assistance, this partnership will help ensure a more useful experience for those seeking information on current events,” said a Meta spokesperson.

According to Axios, Meta’s AI chatbot will cite Reuters’ stories in its answers and provide links to the outlet’s content. Reuters will be compensated for its reports.

The deal comes on the heels of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg saying his company would strike up partnerships to bolster its AI responses. This includes an expanded global agreement with Universal Music Group earlier this year, which included framework for addressing “unauthorized AI-generated content.”

Meta has also been in talks with Apple for a generative AI partnership despite the two companies’ longstanding rivalry. While those discussions are not concrete, it’s notable that several companies are also courting Apple as the EU continues its battle to open the company’s “walled garden” approach to managing its App Store.

Photo Credit: Malibu Babie by Joey James

Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion producer Malibu Babie inks with OneRPM for upcoming releases.

Producer Malibu Babie made history through her work with Nicki Minaj (“Super Freaky Girl”) and Megan Thee Stallion (“Her”), becoming the first and only female producer this century to debut at #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Now, Malibu Babie is making a splash as she signs to OneRPM for the release of her new single — “Baddie Bakery” featuring Flyana Boss — today, October 25. Her new mixtape is slated for an early 2025 release.

“Malibu Babie’s producer accolades speak for themselves and it’s time for the world to recognize her as an artist,” states Alex Ziabko, Senior Director of A&R at OneRPM. “Malibu reminds us all to have fun from time to time. I’m thrilled to welcome such a strong, creative, forward-thinking artist to OneRPM.”

A West Coast native, Malibu Babie graduated top of her class as a first-generation college student from Vanderbilt University. The rising artist taught herself music production all while getting her degree and dancing in collegiate stadiums around the country — even being named All SEC Dancer of the Year.

After graduating, she caught the attention of music industry players with her unique genre-building style. She began cutting her teeth in the studio, crafting a sugary but hard-hitting style that landed her an exclusive publishing deal, a Billboard Hot 100 #1, and over 97 billion social media uses with her original music.

In addition to recent releases with Sia, Katy Perry, Kim Petras, Shania Twain, and Kylie Minogue, Malibu has stepped into her own artistry with an upcoming mixtape that offers a glimpse into her own sonic universe.

“I’m so excited to be releasing music with the OneRPM team,” says Malibu Babie. “Alex and the incredible team of of women he’s brought on to support me — Jenna LoMonaco, Julia McLeod, and Casey Childers — immediately understood my artistic vision and unique path as a producer/artist. I’m thrilled to bring my music to life with an innovative team who takes my mission to trailblaze as seriously as I do!”

Fans can check Malibu Babie out live as she supports Qveen Herby on The Alchemist Tour:

October

• 31 | The Novo — Los Angeles, CA

November

• 02 | Fox Theater — Oakland, CA
• 04 | Marquee Theatre — Tempe, AZ
• 07 | Mission Ballroom — Denver, CO
• 09 | The Truman — Kansas City, MO
• 10 | The Pagent — Saint Louis, MO
• 12 | Rebel — Toronto, ON
• 14 | MTELUS — Montreal, QC
• 15 | Fete Ballroom — Providence, RI
• 16 | Terminal 5 — New York, NY
• 19 | Cannery Hall — Nashville, TN
• 21 | Jannus Live — St. Petersburg, FL
• 22 | House of Blues — Orlando, FL
• 23 | Fillmore Miami Beach — Miami, FL

Photo Credit: Perplexity

After being slapped with a lawsuit from Dow Jones & Company and NYP Holdings over copyright infringement, AI search engine Perplexity has responded.

That lawsuit alleges that Perplexity owes its success to a “brazen scheme to compete for readers while simultaneously free-riding on the valuable content” produced by outlets like the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal. Plaintiffs in the case said they reached out to Perplexity for a potential licensing agreement, but never received a response. Now, Perplexity is responding publicly.

Perplexity says the ‘common theme’ among lawsuits against generative AI companies is that these media companies “wish this technology didn’t exist.” “They prefer to live in a world where publicly reported facts are owned by corporations, and no one can do anything with those publicly reported facts without paying a toll,” Perplexity says.

“We believe that tools like Perplexity provide a fundamentally transformative way for people to learn facts about the world. Perplexity not only does so in a way that the law has always recognized but is essential for the sound functioning of a cultural ecosystem in which people can efficiently and effectively obtain and engage with knowledge created by others,” the statement reads.

Perplexity lists sources for the information it provides as in-line citations for every part of the provided answer. Many other AI chatbots have copied this citation presentation wholesale—providing the source of information so it can be viewed by the person seeking knowledge.

“The lawsuit reflects an adversarial posture between media and tech that is fundamentally shortsighted, unnecessary, and self-defeating,” Perplexity writes. “Perplexity is proud to have launched a first-of-its-kind revenue-sharing program with leading publishers like TIME, Fortune, and Der Spiegel, which have already signed on. And our door is always open if and when the Post and the Journal decide to work with us in good faith, just as numerous others already have.”

Perplexity calls the facts cited in the original 42-page complaint “misleading.” It says examples of the lawsuit alleging ‘regurgitated’ output mis-characterize the description of the source material. It also alleges that it did respond to News Corp. “They reached out; we responded the very same day; instead of continuing the dialogue, they filed this lawsuit,” says Perplexity. “AI-enhanced search engines are not going away.”

Photo Credit: Jerry Jeff Walker / Primary Wave Music

Primary Wave Music announces a partnership with the estate of legendary country and folk singer-songwriter, Jerry Jeff Walker.

Leading independent publisher Primary Wave Music has announced a new partnership with the estate of legendary country and folk singer-songwriter, Jerry Jeff Walker. Terms of the deal include partnering with the estate on Walker’s music publishing catalog, as well as his recording copyrights and artist royalties.

The new relationship will also provide access to the estate to Primary Wave’s marketing team and publishing infrastructure, working closely on new marketing, branding, digital, and synch opportunities, as well as film and television projects.

Included in the deal are some of Jerry Jeff’s biggest hits across his 50-plus decades in music, such as “Mr. Bojangles,” “Sangria Wine,” “Railroad Lady,” “Trashy Women,” and more. Perhaps his best known song, “Mr. Bojangles,” was released in 1968 and went on to become an American pop standard. It garnered Walker a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance (Male), and would go on to be covered by a number of heavy hitting artists, including Bob Dylan, Harry Belafonte, Nina Simone, and Sammy Davis, Jr.

The deal also includes an agreement for Jerry Jeff Walker’s recorded masters, in partnership with his label Tried & True Music, to be released and distributed through the legendary Sun Records. For future releases, Sun Records will provide overall catalog marketing strategy, including streaming, social media marketing, and physical releases.

“When JJ passed, Jimmy Buffett was first at my door asking what he could do,” said Susan Walker, Jerry Jeff’s wife and longtime manager. “‘Help me find the perfect home for JJ’s catalog and label,’ I asked. And he did. May both their words and songs be remembered and cherished forever. Bubbles up!”

“A friend of mine had one final wish before he passed away — a big party with his favorite artist, Jerry Jeff Walker, performing live,” shared Samantha Rhulen, SVP of Business and Legal Affairs. “He got his wish. I will always remember that night and what Jerry Jeff’s music did for him and all of our friends. Primary Wave is honored to partner with the Walker family and will ensure that Jerry Jeff is remembered for the impact his music has made on so many people.”

In the early 1970s, Jerry Jeff Walker became one of the arbiters of the internationally famous Austin musical community alongside Willie Nelson. His songs are “the way he makes the world make sense, how he passed on stories of the people he met, the way he felt on a given morning.” He has celebrated the music of peers like Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt, and served as a fountainhead and inspiration to younger musicians like Robert Earl Keen, Pat Green, Jack Ingram, and Garth Brooks.

Photo Credit: Michal Mrozek

X/Twitter rival Bluesky has announced a $15 million Series A funding raise, with a promise to provide a ‘path to monetization’ for creators. That’s a stark difference from the Elon Musk-owned platform currently fighting not to pay music publishers.

The funding round was led by Blockchain Capital with participation from Alumni Ventures, True Ventures, SevenX, Amir Shevat of Darkmode, co-creator of Kubernetes Joe Beda, and others. Bluesky says its investors share their philosophy that technology should serve the user, not the reverse.

“This does not change the fact that the Bluesky app and the AT Protocol do not use blockchains or cryptocurrency, and we will not hyperfinancialize the social experience through tokens, crypto-trading, NFTs,” the announcement reads. Bluesky says the fundraise will help it to continue supporting and growing the Bluesky community, investing in Trust and Safety, and supporting the ATmosphere developer ecosystem.

Bluesky also plans to develop a subscription model for features like higher-quality video uploads, profile customization, and more. The platform will always be free to use and Bluesky commits to not upranking accounts who subscribe to a payment tier just because they pay (unlike Elon Musk’s X/Twitter).

“We’re proud of our vibrant community of creators, including artists, writers, developers, and more and we want to establish a voluntary monetization path for them as well. Part of our plan includes building payment services for people to support their favorite creators and projects,” Bluesky says. Think of it like an in-platform Patreon, where subscribers to creators can pay them directly for the content they create on the platform.

Bluesky now has more than 13 million users and has been rapidly growing as entire countries experience an exodus from X/Twitter. Elon Musk’s row with Brazil over the platform caused Bluesky membership to surge during the brief period that X/Twitter was banned in Brazil.