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Deals•Feb 26, 2026
GoldState Music Secures Bridgepoint Group Investment for New Growth Equity Fund
GoldState Music, founded by Charles Goldstuck, announced a strategic partnership with Bridgepoint Group, which will act as lead investor in GoldState’s new Growth Strategy fund targeting music and music‑adjacent companies. Financial terms were undisclosed, but the fund aims to deploy up to $1 billion in growth equity over the coming years.
Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
Deals•Feb 24, 2026
Music Startup Mogul Raises $5M in Funding Round Led by Yamaha Music Innovations Fund
Mogul, a music royalty tracking startup, announced a $5 million funding round led by the Yamaha Music Innovations Fund, with participation from Urban Innovation Fund, Mindset Ventures, Fairway Capital Partners, Amplify LA and Wonder Ventures. The capital will be used to...
Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 23, 2026
Greg Prata Promoted to Chief Financial Officer at Sony Music Publishing, as Tom Kelly Retires After 35-Year Career
Sony Music Publishing announced Greg Prata as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective March 31, succeeding Tom Kelly who is retiring after a 35‑year career. Prata, who joined Sony in 2012 after a stint at EMI and has a background in...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 23, 2026
AI Sample Generator Just 4 Noise Raises $1M From BADideas.fund, Sound Hub Denmark and More
Berlin‑based Just 4 Noise, an AI‑driven audio sample generator, closed a $1 million pre‑seed round backed by BADideas.fund, SoundInvest and Sound Hub Denmark. The platform lets producers type a text prompt and receive unique, royalty‑free sounds that can be dropped directly into a...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 20, 2026
Virgin Music Group Completes Downtown Acquisition; Pieter Van Rijn Named COO as Downtown Founder Justin Kalifowitz Steps Away
Virgin Music Group (VMG) completed its acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings on February 20, 2026, after the European Commission cleared the deal pending the divestiture of Downtown’s Curve royalty‑accounting unit. The transaction brings Downtown’s 5,000 business clients, four million creators and...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 19, 2026
Chris Welz Named Partner at Secretly Distribution After Company’s ‘Biggest Year Ever’
Secretly Distribution has promoted longtime COO Chris Welz to Partner, marking his elevation to ownership after two decades. Welz, who built the company’s global physical distribution and digital services, will now co‑lead scaling efforts with CEO Darius Van Arman. The...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 19, 2026
Meet Jake Basden, CEO of HYBE AMERICA Nashville’s Blue Highway Records: ‘I Bring a Manager’s Mentality to the Position.’
HYBE America has rebranded its Nashville division, formerly Big Machine Label Group, as Blue Highway Records and appointed veteran Jake Basden as CEO. Basden, who previously led Sandbox Management and served as SVP of Communications at BMLG, brings a manager‑first...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 19, 2026
Sphere Entertainment’s Revenues Topped $1.2bn in 2025, up 8% YoY; Wizard Of Oz Has Generated $290M Since August Launch
Sphere Entertainment posted FY 2025 revenue of $1.22 billion, an 8% year‑over‑year increase, while narrowing its operating loss to $229.6 million. Adjusted operating profit surged 138% to $261.8 million, reflecting the impact of excluding depreciation, amortization and other non‑cash items. Q4 revenue jumped 28%...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 19, 2026
Sony Music France Acquires Paris-Based Indie Label and Publishing Company Spookland
Sony Music Group France announced the acquisition of Spookland, a Paris‑based independent label and publishing company best known for representing French singer‑songwriter Jain. The deal, whose financial terms were undisclosed, transfers recorded‑music and publishing rights, as well as the full...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 19, 2026
AWAL Strikes Global Distribution Deal with Italy’s Artist First
AWAL has entered a strategic partnership with Italy‑based Artist First, granting its roster localized marketing and promotional support to break into the Italian market while allowing Artist First to remain an independent entity. Artist First, founded in Milan in 2009,...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 18, 2026
Concord Opens New Los Angeles Office on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills
Concord has opened a new 32,000‑square‑foot Los Angeles office at 9171 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, occupying the sixth floor and penthouse of the Wilshire & Palm Building. The space, designed by Wolcott with interiors by Tangram, emphasizes flexible, collaborative work environments and...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 18, 2026
Universal Music Strikes Deal with Superfan Platform EVEN to Power D2C Sales for Artists Worldwide
Universal Music Group has signed a multi‑year agreement with superfan platform EVEN, making the service the primary direct‑to‑fan (D2C) hub for its labels and artists. EVEN will provide turnkey tools for early‑access music, exclusive content, and merchandise sales, leveraging UMG’s...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 17, 2026
Henrik Berndtson Named Head of Nordics at AEG Ticketing Division AXS
AEG’s ticketing arm AXS has appointed Henrik Berndtson as Head of the Nordics, placing him in Stockholm to steer regional operations. The move aligns with AXS’s aggressive European rollout, complementing recent hires in Europe and a joint venture in Japan. Berndtson...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 17, 2026
Apple Music’s iOS 26.4 Beta Introduces AI-Powered Playlist Tool
Apple Music is testing an AI‑powered playlist generator called Playlist Playground in the iOS 26.4 beta. The tool lets users type natural‑language prompts—such as “morning coffee music” or “disco songs that defined the 1970s”—to create 25‑track playlists with custom titles and...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 17, 2026
‘A Modern Collecting Society Needs the Pace and Resilience of a Modern Digital Service.’
PRS for Music announced a comprehensive digital‑first overhaul, redesigning its website and member tools to be mobile‑first and self‑service. The new platform reduces navigation steps, uses plain language, and treats data as a product, enabling faster royalty insights and payments....
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 17, 2026
Music Distributor Alliance Entertainment Says It Sold over 16m Vinyl Records and 13m CDs in 2025
Alliance Entertainment reported selling over 16 million vinyl records and 13 million CDs in 2025, underscoring the resilience of physical music formats. In Q4 2025, vinyl sales rose 3% year‑over‑year while CD sales grew about 5%, driven by its exclusive distribution agreement with...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 17, 2026
Switzerland’s MusicBird Acquires Publishing Catalog of R&B Duo and Drake Collaborators Majid Jordan
Switzerland‑based music‑rights boutique MusicBird has acquired the publishing catalog of Toronto R&B duo Majid Jordan, adding over 2,000 songs to its holdings. The catalog includes the duo’s own hits such as “Her” and co‑writes on chart‑topping tracks for Drake, Beyoncé and...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
Deals•Feb 17, 2026
Alliance Entertainment Completes Acquisition of Endstate
Alliance Entertainment, a US physical entertainment distributor, announced it has completed its acquisition of technology firm Endstate. The deal enables Alliance to launch the NFC-enabled Endstate Authentic platform and expand into premium vinyl collectibles. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
Deals•Feb 17, 2026
MusicBird Acquires Majid Jordan Publishing Catalog
Switzerland-based music rights company MusicBird announced it has acquired the publishing catalog of Toronto-based R&B duo Majid Jordan, adding over 2,000 songs to its portfolio. The deal includes the duo’s publishers’ and writers’ shares, covering hits such as 'Her' and...
Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 16, 2026
UK-Based Investor Independent Franchise Partners Takes 3% Stake in Universal Music Group Worth $1.2bn+
Independent Franchise Partners (IFP) has acquired a 3.01% stake in Universal Music Group (UMG), valued at roughly €1.09 billion ($1.29 bn). The holding makes IFP the sixth‑largest shareholder and adds to its existing positions in Vivendi, Rightmove and Warner Music, signalling a...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 16, 2026
Sony Group Develops Tech to Track Original Music in AI-Generated Songs (Report)
Sony Group has created technology to identify copyrighted music embedded in AI‑generated songs. The system works by either connecting directly to AI model training data or by comparing generated outputs against existing catalogs. Sony AI aims to use the tool...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 13, 2026
Done Deal: UMG’s Downtown Acquisition Approved by EU Competition Regulator
The European Commission approved Universal Music Group’s $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings, conditional on divesting the Curve royalty‑accounting business. The decision ends a year‑long antitrust review and clears the way for UMG to integrate Downtown’s distribution and publishing services,...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 12, 2026
The Empire Strikes Back: The Majors and Merlin Gained (a Bit) of Market Share on Spotify Last Year.
Spotify’s 2025 fiscal report shows the combined majors‑plus‑Merlin cohort regaining market share, rising to 72% of global music streams from 71% in 2024, ending a decade‑long decline that saw the group fall from 87% in 2017. The rebound coincides with...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 12, 2026
Scott Borchetta Exits HYBE AMERICA
Scott Borchetta is departing HYBE America after five years as CEO of Big Machine Label Group, which HYBE acquired in a $1.05 billion deal in 2021. Borchetta, the founder of Big Machine Records, will continue to use the brand for independent...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 12, 2026
HYBE Posts Record Annual Revenues of $1.86bn for 2025 as K-Pop Firm’s Concert Revenues Hit All-Time High – but Operating...
South Korean entertainment conglomerate HYBE reported FY 2025 revenue of 2.65 trillion KRW ($1.86 bn), a 17.5% YoY increase driven largely by a 69.4% surge in concert revenues to $537.5 m. Despite the topline growth, operating profit collapsed 72.9% to 49.9 bn KRW ($35.1 m), shrinking the...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 12, 2026
NetEase Cloud Music Now Counts over 1 Million Registered Indie Artists
NetEase Cloud Music announced that its independent‑artist ecosystem surpassed one million registered creators, contributing over 5.6 million tracks by the end of FY 2025. Subscription revenue grew 13.3% year‑over‑year to RMB 5.1 billion, while total online‑music revenue rose 12% to RMB 6.0 billion. Despite a slight...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 12, 2026
Warner Music Group Plans to Sell EMP, the Merch Business It Acquired for $180m in 2018
Warner Music Group announced it will sell EMP, the European rock‑and‑metal merchandise retailer it bought for $180 million in 2018. The business has been re‑classified as held for sale and the transaction is now expected to close in the first quarter...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 12, 2026
Songs Are Reaching 1bn Spotify Streams 14x Faster than a Decade Ago, and Other Stats From Chartmetric’s 2025 Year in...
Chartmetric’s 2025 Year in Music report reveals that songs now reach one billion Spotify streams in just 197 days, a 14‑fold speedup from 2015. Hit lifecycles are compressing, with older tracks dominating 2025’s Top 10 while new artists break into the ‘Superstar’...
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
News•Feb 12, 2026
Sound Royalties Says It Closed a Record $135m in Funded Contracts in 2025
Sound Royalties announced a record $135 million in funded contracts for 2025, doubling its assets under management from referred business. The Florida‑based firm expanded its financing portfolio to include YouTube AdSense, concert touring, and TV licensing across more than 30 countries....
By Music Business Worldwide (MBW)
Deals•Feb 12, 2026
Warner Music Group to Sell EMP Merchandise Business
Warner Music Group announced plans to divest its EMP merchandise e‑retailer, which it bought for $180 million in 2018. The sale is expected to close in Q2 of fiscal 2026, with no buyer or price disclosed.
Music Business Worldwide (MBW)