Warner Music’s Spinnin’ Records Launches New Label in Germany
Warner Music has launched Spinnin’ Records Germany, extending its flagship dance label into the German, Swiss and Austrian markets. The new imprint debuts with the high‑profile single “Awake Tonight” by Afrojack, David Guetta and Sia, signaling a strong start. The move follows Warner’s 2023 consolidation of its Benelux and GSA operations under the Warner Music Central Europe umbrella, a strategy aimed at marrying local expertise with the label’s global ecosystem of over 40 million dance fans. The original Spinnin’ Records, acquired for more than $100 million in 2017, now gains a dedicated platform to nurture regional electronic talent.
Switzerland’s MusicBird Acquires Catalog of Supertramp Bassist Dougie Thomson
Switzerland‑based MusicBird announced the acquisition of master royalty income from Dougie Thomson’s recordings with Supertramp, covering hits such as “Goodbye Stranger” and “Breakfast in America.” Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal adds a classic 1970s‑80s rock catalog to...
São Paulo Court Shuts Streaming Fraud Site in Latest Ruling Under Brazil’s Operation Authêntica Initiative
A São Paulo civil court ordered the permanent and dynamic blocking of www.boomdeseguidores.com.br, a site that sold artificial plays on Spotify, SoundCloud and YouTube Music along with fake social‑media engagement. The decision marks the third ruling under Brazil’s Operation Authêntica,...
From Pershing Square’s $64 Billion Bid for UMG to Wireless Festival’s Kanye West Cancellation… It’s MBW’s Weekly Round-Up
Bill Ackman's Pershing Square lodged a non‑binding $64 billion cash‑and‑shares offer for Universal Music Group, promising €9.4 billion (≈$10.2 billion) in cash per share and expecting strong shareholder backing despite JP Morgan’s doubts about Bolloré’s support. AI music platform Udio signed its fourth major...
Peermusic Signs Songwriter Eyelar, Forms Writer Development Joint Venture with 2-Tone Entertainment
Peermusic has signed Dutch‑born songwriter and recording artist Eyelar to a worldwide publishing deal and launched a writer‑development joint venture with 2‑Tone Entertainment. The agreement, coordinated by Peermusic’s UK and German divisions, covers future works, administers select back‑catalog titles, and...
TuneCore Partners with RoyFi to Offer Royalty Advances to Indie Artists
TuneCore, the Believe‑owned digital distributor, has launched TuneCore Direct Advance in partnership with fintech firm RoyFi, allowing independent artists to obtain cash advances against future streaming royalties. The program offers a flat‑fee financing model with repayment drawn automatically from royalty...
Sony Music and UMG Form NINE BY NINE Music Festivals Joint Venture in Japan
Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group have created NINE BY NINE Inc., a joint venture headquartered in Tokyo to produce music festivals across Asia. Ichiro Tamaki of Universal Music Japan will serve as President, with Sony’s Hidehiko Otani as...
Suno’s Licensing Talks with Major Labels in Limbo with ‘No Path Forward’ (Report)
AI music startup Suno’s licensing negotiations with Universal and Sony have stalled, leaving no clear path forward. Warner Music Group’s November partnership with Suno remains largely dormant despite settling prior litigation. Suno, which raised $250 million in a Series C round and...
After Universal, Warner, and Merlin Deals, Now Udio Inks Licensing Agreement with Kobalt
Udio has signed a licensing agreement with independent publisher Kobalt, marking its fourth major deal after settlements with Universal, Warner and Merlin. The pact lets Udio’s upcoming subscription service train on Kobalt’s catalog, enabling users to create remixes, covers and...
The Unravelling of a ‘Bulletproof’ Brand: Wireless Festival’s Self-Inflicted Crisis
Wireless Festival, once hailed as a bullet‑proof UK summer staple, booked Ye (formerly Kanye West) as a headline act, sparking immediate backlash. Major sponsors including Pepsi, Diageo and PayPal withdrew support, and the British government revoked Ye's visa, forcing the...
Secretly Distribution Acquires Music Data and Analytics Firms Entertainment Intelligence and Babel Ops
Secretly Distribution announced the acquisition of Babel Ops, the tech firm behind the Entertainment Intelligence (Ei) data‑analytics platform. Babel Ops’ Enterlytics service already supports reporting for over 1.2 million artists and 55 000 labels, while the company builds custom royalty‑processing tools for...
After Cox Ruling, Supreme Court Wipes Out Grande Communications’ $47M Music Piracy Verdict
The U.S. Supreme Court on April 6 vacated a $46.7 million copyright‑infringement judgment against Grande Communications, sending the case back to the Fifth Circuit for review under the new Cox v. Sony standard. The Cox decision held that internet service providers are...
Miles Gersh Promoted to EVP, A&R at Warner Records
Warner Records has elevated Miles Gersh to Executive Vice President of A&R, recognizing six years of roster building and his role in Zach Bryan’s breakout success. Gersh, who joined Warner in 2019 and served as VP of A&R since 2022, will...
Sony Music Publishing UK and Second Songs Sign Olivia Dean Co-Writer Bastian Langebaek to Global Deal
Sony Music Publishing UK, together with joint‑venture Second Songs, has signed Copenhagen‑based songwriter and producer Bastian Langebaek to a global publishing agreement. The deal reunites Langebaek with A&R veteran Mark Gale, who first signed him at Universal Music Publishing Group eleven...
Virgin Music Group Announces Global Distribution Partnership with Ari Elkins and Joey McCarthy’s New Label, Suede Records
Virgin Music Group, the independent services arm of Universal Music, has inked a global distribution and marketing partnership with Suede Records, a new label founded by TikTok music curator Ari Elkins and A&R veteran Joey McCarthy. Elkins brings a 3 million‑follower digital audience...
Laufey Renews Global Publishing Deal with Warner Chappell Music
Icelandic‑Chinese singer‑songwriter Laufey has renewed her global publishing agreement with Warner Chappell Music, extending a partnership that began in August 2023. In the interim she released two additional albums, earned a second Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, and embarked...
Atlantic Music Group Enters ‘Multi-Level Partnership’ with Fader Label, Including 50/50 Joint Venture
Atlantic Music Group announced a multi‑level partnership with independent Fader Label, creating a 50/50 joint venture to sign and develop both new and established artists while providing distribution support for Fader’s existing catalog. The agreement also expands the capabilities of...
Chad Doerge Named President and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Round Hill Music
Round Hill Music, which oversees a $1.1 billion portfolio of over 200,000 song copyrights, has appointed Chad Doerge as President and Deputy CEO. Doerge joins from AI‑driven financial platform Aiera after more than 30 years in institutional finance, investment research and...
Former HYBE Execs Behind BTS Launch Global K-Pop Audition, Eyeing 2027 Debut for First Boy Group
Former HYBE executives have launched a new entertainment venture, Retopia Salon, and announced global auditions across 18 cities to form its first boy group slated for a 2027 debut. The auditions, open to applicants born between 2008 and 2014 of...
IMPALA Was Unhappy About UMG’s Purchase of Downtown. Now It Says WMG’s Revelator Acquisition Is ‘Bad News for Artists, Fans,...
IMPALA has condemned Warner Music Group’s agreement to acquire independent platform Revelator, labeling the deal “bad news for artists, fans, and Europe’s diversity.” The acquisition, announced on April 1 and slated to close next quarter, will fold Revelator’s digital distribution, rights‑management...
From WMG Swooping for Revelator to UMG’s €500 Million Share Buyback Program… It’s MBW’s Weekly Round-Up
Warner Music Group announced a definitive agreement to acquire Revelator, the independent‑focused B2B distribution and rights‑management platform, with closing expected next quarter. HYBE is injecting $100 million into its U.S. arm, HYBE America, to strengthen its North American operations. Sony Music...
UMG and Believe Settle Lawsuit that Alleged ‘Industrial-Scale’ Copyright Infringement of Universal’s Music
Universal Music Group and digital distributor Believe, along with its TuneCore platform, have settled a copyright‑infringement lawsuit by filing a dismissal with prejudice in New York federal court. The case, filed in November 2024, alleged that Believe operated an "industrial‑scale"...
Wyclef Jean and Jaeson Ma’s D2C Service OpenWav Launches Snafu-Backed Indie Artist Financing Platform
OpenWav, the direct‑to‑fan platform co‑founded by Wyclef Jean and Jaeson Ma, has unveiled OpenWav Artist Bank, a financing service that offers independent musicians cash advances ranging from low five figures to high seven figures. The program, built with AI‑driven catalog...
Rostrum Pacific’s FatBeats Acquires Physical Distro Company Traffic Entertainment Group, Plus D2C Store and Label Get On Down
FatBeats, now owned by Rostrum Pacific, has acquired Massachusetts‑based Traffic Entertainment Group and its direct‑to‑consumer imprint Get On Down, merging three indie distribution specialists with roughly 50 years of combined experience. The combined entity will be led by FatBeats President...
Brian Miller Appointed Chief Business Officer at TuneCore
TuneCore has promoted Brian Miller to Chief Business Officer, tasking him with overseeing the company’s global operations and partnership strategy. Miller, who previously served as Chief Revenue Officer, delivered double‑digit revenue growth over the past two years. His new role...
HYBE to Inject $100M Into US Subsidiary, HYBE America
HYBE announced a $100 million paid‑in capital increase for its U.S. arm, HYBE America, acquiring 10 million new shares. The infusion is intended to smooth operations of the e‑commerce and label businesses, which posted $19 million revenue and a $12 million net loss in...
Elon Musk’s X Seizes on Supreme Court’s Landmark Cox Ruling in Bid to Derail Music Publishers’ Copyright Case
The U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous Cox Communications ruling, which bars liability for internet providers unless they actively induce infringement, is now being leveraged by Elon Musk’s X Corp to seek dismissal of a music‑publisher copyright case. X’s lawyers argue that...
Salt-N-Pepa File Appeal Brief Urging Court to Revive Master Recordings Case Against UMG
Grammy‑winning rap duo Salt‑N‑Pepa filed a 71‑page appellate brief urging the Second Circuit to reverse a district‑court dismissal of their lawsuit against Universal Music Group over the ownership of their 1986 master recordings. The duo contends the lower court applied...
CTM Outlander Acquires Masters Catalog of US Singer-Songwriter Matt Simons
CTM Outlander, a joint venture between Dutch CTM and US Outlander Capital, announced the acquisition of the master recording catalog of American singer‑songwriter Matt Simons. The deal covers Simons’ six albums, including the 2015 breakout hit “Catch & Release” (Deepend...
Warner Music Group to Acquire Revelator; Says Indie Music Platform Will Add ‘Firepower’ to WMG’s Global Operations
Warner Music Group (WMG) announced a definitive agreement to acquire Revelator, the B2B platform that powers independent music distribution, rights management, and real‑time analytics. The transaction, expected to close next quarter, expands WMG’s label‑services portfolio and adds Revelator’s cloud‑based tools...
Dynamite Songs Hires Claudia Namukasa as Catalogue Manager and Charlotte Hancock as Rights Acquisition Manager
Dynamite Songs, the UK‑based independent publisher, has appointed Claudia Namukasa as Catalogue Manager and Charlotte Hancock as Rights Acquisition Manager to bolster its rights‑management and acquisition capabilities. Namukasa arrives from PRS for Music with licensing expertise, while Hancock joins from...
Shane Knotts Promoted to SVP, Global Royalties at Sony Music Publishing
Sony Music Publishing announced the promotion of longtime executive Shane Knotts to Senior Vice President, Global Royalties. Based in Nashville, Knotts will continue overseeing the Global Royalty Center while adding responsibility for data accuracy, royalty matching, and AI‑driven automation. The...
TikTok to Let US Creators Sell Personalized Videos In-App Through Its New Cameo Partnership
TikTok announced a partnership with personalized‑video service Cameo, enabling U.S. creators to sell custom video messages directly inside the app. The integration adds a seamless sign‑up flow and a “Cameo” search button, allowing fans to request videos that start at...
Blake Foster Appointed Head of Business Intelligence at HYBE America
HYBE America announced Blake Foster as its new Head of Business Intelligence, a role designed to centralize data strategy across U.S. operations. The former Warner Music Group senior vice president will build the company’s analytics infrastructure and turn artist‑generated data...
‘We Must Continue Evolving How K-Pop Is Made.’
SM Entertainment, under co‑CEOs Daniel Jang and Dmitry YJ Tak, unveiled its SM NEXT 3.0 strategy, reshaping production with a matrix‑based, agile model, deeper AI integration and aggressive M&A. The company reported Q4 2025 consolidated revenue of about $220 million, a 16.6% YoY increase,...
Ezekiel Lewis Named Chairman and CEO of Epic Records
Sony Music announced Ezekiel Lewis as the new Chairman and CEO of Epic Records, elevating him from his recent role as President. Lewis, a Grammy‑winning songwriter and former EVP of A&R, has been with Epic since 2018 and previously held...
Publishers Acquire Stake in Rock Song at Center of Landmark Termination Rights Case as They Plan to Pursue Supreme Court...
A consortium of music publishers—including Capitol Music Group, Warner‑Tamerlane, BMG Rights Management and Essential Music Publishing—purchased a 25% stake in the song *Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love)* from Robert Resnik and are moving to substitute themselves as defendants in...
Universal Music Group to Launch €500 Million Share Buyback Program
Universal Music Group announced its first‑ever share‑buyback programme worth €500 million (approximately $575 million). The move is framed as a response to a perceived valuation dislocation and signals strong confidence in the company’s long‑term strategy. UMG’s Q4 results showed 10.6% revenue growth...
From the Supreme Court’s Cox Ruling to Primary Wave’s Kobalt Deal… It’s MBW’s Weekly Round-Up
Primary Wave Music announced a definitive agreement to acquire Kobalt, with Brookfield joining as a strategic investor, creating a sizable independent publishing alternative. The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that ISP Cox Communications cannot be held liable for subscriber piracy,...
Russ Talks Ownership, Fan Engagement and ‘Making Music Every Day’ at SXSW
Rapper Russ has demonstrated that a relentless release schedule and full ownership can rival major‑label powerhouses. After posting 200 songs in 2015, he scaled to $100,000 a month and peaked at $280,000 in monthly earnings without any label backing. His...
United Talent Agency Promotes Seven Execs to Partner Within Music Division
United Talent Agency (UTA) announced a new partner class, elevating 35 executives across 23 departments, including seven leaders from its UTA LIVE music division. The promotions come shortly after David Kramer succeeded Jeremy Zimmer as CEO, marking a broader leadership refresh....
Deezer Licenses AI Music Detection Technology to Hungarian Rights Organization EJI
Deezer has licensed its proprietary AI music detection technology to Hungary’s rights collective EJI, making the organization the first in the country able to flag generative‑AI recordings. The tool, which identifies AI‑generated tracks that now account for about 39% of...
Primary Wave Makes Strategic Investment in Vietnam’s POPS Music – with Plans to Ramp up Catalog Deals in Southeast Asia
Primary Wave announced a strategic investment in Vietnam‑based POPS Music, a company that curates the region’s largest Vietnamese and Indonesian catalog. POPS oversees more than 45,000 recordings and reaches roughly 15 million monthly active users on its own channels, with 850 million...
Australia’s GYRO Group Expands Into Latin America with New Office in Brazil
Australian music services firm GYRO Group announced the launch of its first Latin American headquarters in Santos, Brazil, partnering with local operator MusicStream. The new office will serve as a hub for its DistroDirect distribution platform, extending support to artists,...
Symphonic Acquires Music Distribution and YouTube Monetization Platform Distro Nation
Symphonic, the Tampa‑based music‑tech firm, announced the acquisition of Distro Nation, a YouTube‑focused distribution and monetization platform. The deal brings over 200 independent artists, including Lindsey Stirling and Switchfoot, under Symphonic’s management and adds Jon Baltz as Head of UGC...
Musixmatch Launches ‘Sentinel’ Service to Detect when Copyrighted Music and Lyrics Are Used in AI and User-Generated Content
Musixmatch has introduced Sentinel, a music‑fingerprinting service that can identify copyrighted lyrics used in AI‑generated and user‑generated content within milliseconds. The tool integrates via API, allowing platforms to detect and mitigate infringement risk in real time. Sentinel builds on Musixmatch’s...
South Korea’s Kakao Entertainment Appoints JungHee Ko as Co-CEO Alongside Joseph Chang in Leadership Restructure
Kakao Entertainment announced JungHee Ko as co‑CEO and Chief Platform Officer, joining Joseph Chang who will now lead a newly created Global Growth Center. Ko will oversee the platform unit that houses music‑streaming service Melon, web‑novel and webtoon platform KakaoPage,...
BMG Revenue Dipped to €900M in 2025 but EBITDA Margin Hit Record 32% – as Catalog Investment Topped $400M
BMG reported 2025 revenues of €900 million ($1.02 bn), a 6.5% YoY decline driven by divesting non‑core live assets and a weaker dollar. Despite the dip, streaming subscription revenue grew double‑digit and the company’s adjusted EBITDA rose 7.2% to €284 million ($321 m), pushing...
With $50M+ in Music Rights Deals to Date, Larrosa’s MusicTraders Builds Out New M&A Team Targeting LATAM and Emerging Market...
Larrosa’s MusicTraders has launched a dedicated Deals & Acquisitions unit after completing more than $50 million in catalog transactions and managing $25 million of assets. The five‑person team, drawn from TikTok, BMG, Spotify, YouTube and PeerMusic, will focus on Latin America, the...
Timbaland’s AI Artist TaTa Taktumi Signs with Ne-Yo’s Pacific Music Group
Hong Kong‑based Pacific Music Group has signed TaTa Taktumi, the first “part human” AI artist created by Timbaland’s Stage Zero venture. The hybrid act, backed by a Filipino performer, will be managed exclusively in Asia and released worldwide through Pacific’s...
